Taoist Myth: I am the last true immortal in the world

Chapter 845 Zhao Guangyi

Because of Master Huang's matter, Chen Yun was forced to leave seclusion ahead of schedule.

He owed Master Huang a favor, which he had never repaid.

Now that he has the opportunity to understand this human relationship, he naturally wants to do his best.

While he said he would do his best, Chen Yun was really just making a brief greeting.

Given his current status, preventing Master Huang from falling into hell is as simple as saying a few words.

at dusk.

Chen Yun stood atop the mountain, gazing at the magnificent sunset.

His gaze was fixed on the sunset, but in reality, he was trying to understand the secrets of the universe.

Through layers of time and space mist, Chen Yun vaguely sensed that the course of history had changed somewhat from what he knew.

He had encountered this situation before, before he had achieved the status of a half-step Great Luo.

He deduced that it was caused by the Nine Nether Demon Queen killing Marshal Tianpeng, so he rushed to the underworld and destroyed the Demon Queen, body and soul.

Now, Chen Yun sees that the future is still unpredictable, but he doesn't think about it the way he used to.

He saw more information.

"All these changes seem to date back more than eighty years."

Chen Yun, observing the ever-changing secrets of the world, thought, "When I was born into this world, the trajectory of history had already begun to deviate slightly."

He finally discovered the source of the change: it was himself.

Chen Yun had learned a term in his previous life called the "butterfly effect".

The butterfly effect is a chaotic phenomenon that illustrates that the development of anything involves both constants and variables.

The development of things follows certain patterns, but there are also unpredictable "variables" that can sometimes have the opposite effect. Even a small change can influence the development of things.

One example given is that if a butterfly flaps its wings in South America, it could eventually cause a tornado in North America.

While this example contains some exaggeration, it directly illustrates that even a tiny change can drastically alter the outcome of an event.

When Chen Yun was born, he was just a mischievous child in a mountain village, which might seem like it wouldn't have much of an impact, but that wasn't actually the case.

His influence on this world was actually enormous.

Without the influence of external forces, the course of history would have been completely different from what we know.

Take the war in which the Khitan destroyed the Later Jin Dynasty as an example. If Chen Yun had not participated in this war of annihilation, perhaps the Khitan would not have been able to destroy the Later Jin Dynasty, and then the Later Han, Later Zhou, and Song Dynasties would not have been established.

"As the saying goes, the one who tied the knot must untie it; many changes in the course of history still require my correction."

Chen Yun's magical powers are now so profound that he can barely accomplish the same feat that the Jade Emperor once did.

He wanted to completely rewrite history, but he didn't actually need to do it in person. He only needed to use his supreme magic to forcibly interfere with the course of time. However, doing so would have too great an impact and might lead to even greater variables.

Therefore, if he wants to ensure that history unfolds exactly as he remembers, it is best to start by addressing the details.

For example, now, when Chen Yun was trying to discern the secrets of heaven, he discovered another change that could potentially influence the course of history.

Most importantly, this change is also related to my own intervention.

It is now the third year of Guangshun in the Later Zhou Dynasty. Zhao Kuangyin should have been recruited into the ranks of Chai Rong, the adopted son of Guo Wei, who was serving as the Prefect of Kaifeng.

However, Chen Yun saw in the course of history that the other party was appointed as the Deputy Commander of Xingshun in Huazhou by the Later Jin Dynasty, and would be going to Huazhou to take up his post in a few days.

If Chen Yun hadn't intervened, the Song Dynasty would most likely have ceased to exist.

"If I hadn't come into contact with Zhao Kuangyin, none of this would have happened."

Chen Yun thought to himself, "On the other hand, if I had never been in contact with him, the course of history would have been completely different, and he wouldn't have achieved what he has today."

He sensed that, from the depths of his being, there seemed to be an invisible hand drawing him into the events that were destined to change.

This puzzled Chen Yun. If there really was an invisible hand controlling things, then it was fully capable of directly rewriting the course of history. Why would it need to involve him?

Logically speaking, someone with his level of cultivation shouldn't be able to misjudge things.

However, at this moment, Chen Yun had a feeling that it was an illusion.

"I hope I'm just imagining things."

Chen Yun pondered expressionlessly, "Now that I have cultivated to the half-step Great Luo realm and even refined the True Qi, barring any unforeseen circumstances, even with steady development, I should be able to cultivate all the way to becoming a Great Luo Immortal. But if my senses are correct, there are too many variables. Perhaps in this world, true Great Luo Immortals do not exist, and even the Three Pure Ones, Three Realms, and Three Treasures Heavenly Venerables are just illusory existences. That means that even if I refine the True Qi, I will not be able to attain Great Luo."

He did not believe that such transcendent beings as the Three Pure Ones, Three Realms, and Three Treasures Heavenly Venerables were mere illusions.

Chen Yun has met two of the Three Pure Ones, Three Realms, and Three Treasures Heavenly Venerables so far.

They are Laozi and Yuanshi Tianzun, respectively.

The only one I haven't met is Lingbao Tianzun.

He encountered both Laozi and Yuanshi Tianzun, and they were all real beings.

It is not, as I thought, merely an illusion.

Furthermore, when Chen Yun came into contact with Laozi and Yuanshi Tianzun, he could sense the personification of the two Great Daos, possessing a cultivation level that even a half-step Great Luo could only look on with envy.

Therefore, he believed that his previous guess was wrong.

"I'll sense it slowly later. Let's get down to business first."

Chen Yun took a step towards the sea of ​​clouds in front of the cliff, his figure disappearing into it.

……

Bianjing, Zhao Mansion.

Zhao Kuangyin looked radiant.

As soon as he returned, he said to his wife, Madam He, "Madam, have the servants brew a pot of good wine. Tonight, I will not sleep until I am drunk."

Lady He asked in surprise, "What has made my husband so happy?"

"Haha." Zhao Kuangyin laughed loudly, "The court today appointed me as the deputy commander of Xingshun in Huazhou. After so many years of hard work, I have finally made it."

Upon hearing this, Madam He frowned slightly and said, "It is good news that my husband has been promoted, but Huazhou is very far from Bianjing. If you are to take up your post in Huazhou, won't we have to move the whole family? Dezhao is still young, how can he endure the long journey with us?"

The "De Zhao" she mentioned refers to Zhao Kuangyin's second son, Zhao De Zhao.

Historically, Zhao Kuangyin had an eldest son named Zhao Dexiu, who died young and left behind little information about his life.

Indeed, Zhao Dexiu died when she was only one or two years old.

At that time, Zhao Kuangyin was almost depressed, but fortunately, Lady He gave birth to Zhao Dezhao the year before last, which made him feel better.

Upon hearing his wife's words, Zhao Kuangyin's initial joy faded considerably.

He still remembered that his eldest son, Zhao Dexiu, had died young, and naturally worried that when the family moved, the young Zhao Dezhao would feel the same way.

In ancient times, without the transportation conditions of modern society, it was quite normal for one or two people to die during long journeys.

In addition, medical conditions in ancient times were generally poor, and if Zhao Dezhao caught a cold on the road, it could really cost him his life.

After all, children's immune systems cannot compare to those of adults.

Zhao Kuangyin hesitated slightly before saying, "The official appointment document has been issued by the court. If I do not go, it would be disobeying the order, and that... doesn't seem quite right."

Madam He asked, "Could you find someone to put in a good word for me?"

Zhao Kuangyin pondered for a moment, "My father can speak to His Majesty, but without a proper reason, it seems he cannot refuse to take up his post."

He is absolutely right.

The official appointment document from the imperial court has arrived.

Do you think you can just choose not to go?
Wouldn't that be turning into a child's game?
The usual excuse for not taking up a post is observing mourning. But Zhao Kuangyin's father was alive and well, so that excuse was completely unacceptable.

For a moment, the couple, unable to think of a solution, fell silent.

Suddenly, a teenage voice came from outside the door, "Brother, sister-in-law, what are you talking about?"

Zhao Kuangyin and Lady He turned their heads and saw a handsome and refined young man walking slowly towards them.

This person was Zhao Kuangyi, the third brother of Zhao Kuangyin, who was also Emperor Taizong of Song, Zhao Guangyi.

His original name was Zhao Kuangyi. After the founding of the Song Dynasty, he changed his name to "Guangyi" to avoid the taboo of his brother Zhao Kuangyin's name. After ascending the throne, he changed his name to "Jiong".

As for why he was the third brother, it's because Zhao Kuangyin originally had an older brother, Zhao Kuangji, who became a disciple of Chen Yun.

Of course, Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Kuangyi were unaware that Zhao Kuangji had become a disciple of Huangting Temple, and thought he had died long ago.

Some unofficial historical accounts smear Zhao Kuangyi's appearance and height, describing him as short, dark, and fat.

In fact, although there is no direct description of Zhao Kuangyi's appearance and height in official history, there is a term to describe him, which is "longzhun longyan", which roughly means that he had the appearance of an emperor, a tall and strong figure, and an extraordinary temperament.

Finally, Zhao Kuangyi was twelve years younger than Zhao Kuangyin.

Therefore, although Zhao Kuangyin is now twenty-five years old, Zhao Kuangyi is actually only thirteen years old.

Zhao Kuangyi was only thirteen years old, but people in ancient times matured earlier, and he already showed signs of becoming an adult, so he looked handsome and refined.

“Second brother, you don’t know this.” Zhao Kuangyin couldn’t help but sigh, “The court has ordered me to be appointed as the deputy commander of Xingshun in Huazhou. This should be a good thing, but Dezhao is only two years old and I’m afraid he will have difficulty traveling. I’m thinking about how not to go to the post.”

Although Zhao Kuangyi was young, he was quite quick-witted. "Tell your father to speak to His Majesty on his behalf, saying that he is getting old and needs his son to accompany him. If His Majesty mentions me, tell your father that I am too young and only your elder brother can accompany me."

Zhao Kuangyin's eyes lit up and he said, "That's a good idea."

He nodded in agreement from the side.

In ancient society, filial piety was always highly valued, after all, even the royal family feared that fathers and sons would kill each other.

If Zhao Kuangyin's father, Zhao Hongyin, had gone to see Guo Wei, the founding emperor of the Later Zhou dynasty, according to Zhao Kuangyi's words, there would have been a great chance that Zhao Kuangyin would not be transferred away from the capital.

So the two brothers put their heads together and immediately went to find their father.

result……

Yes, Zhao Hongyin got a severe scolding from Guo Wei because of this.

……

In the dead of night.

Zhao Kuangyin gazed at the starry sky, but he couldn't fall asleep at all.

Considering his son's situation, he really didn't want to take up the post in Huazhou.

Now I can't find an excuse, it seems I can't even avoid going.

Behind him, Zhao Kuangyi was still sitting at the stone table, sipping a drink.

Zhao Kuangyi called out, "Brother, things will work themselves out. Don't think about it anymore, let's have a couple of drinks first."

Zhao Kuangyin was in a state of distress and had no interest in drinking and making merry.

He waved his hand and said, "I won't drink!"

Zhao Kuangyi had grown up following Zhao Kuangyin since childhood and was quite respectful of him, so he naturally dared not say much. He just muttered, "Such fine wine and delicacies, it would be a real pity if you didn't eat them."

No sooner had these words been spoken than a young man's voice rang out from the void, "If your brother won't drink, I will. Fill my cup."

Ok?
There were only two people in the yard, so who made that sound?
Zhao Kuangyi looked over in confusion and saw a young Taoist priest appear in front of the small stone table.

This young Taoist priest was tall and imposing, with a majestic and heroic appearance that truly inspired admiration.

Perhaps influenced by his appearance, Zhao Kuangyi, though somewhat wary of this uninvited guest, still politely inquired, "May I ask who you are, sir...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Kuangyin, who had turned around upon hearing the voice, exclaimed with delight, "Scholar Chen, what brings you here?"

Chen Xuejiu?
Zhao Kuangyi had heard his parents mention this name, but he only knew that it was Zhao Kuangyin's elementary teacher and nothing else.

In fact, he had met Chen Yun when he was young.

But he was only one or two years old then, how could he possibly remember people?

Because he had heard that Chen Xuejiu was Zhao Kuangyin's teacher in his early education, and because Chen Yun looked very young, Zhao Kuangyi was quite confused.

He couldn't understand why his elder brother's tutor looked only about twenty years old, even younger than his brother. This was completely illogical!

So, Zhao Kuangyi, full of curiosity, politely addressed Chen Yun as "Scholar Chen" while scrutinizing him with intrigued eyes, seemingly trying to unravel his doubts.

Another point is that Zhao Kuangyi really didn't know how Chen Yun appeared out of nowhere next to the small stone table. It was as if he had been distracted for a moment and the other party had inexplicably appeared.

Chen Yun ignored whether Zhao Kuangyi was curious about him or not, and instead picked up his wine cup, poured himself a drink, and then looked at Zhao Kuangyin with a smile, "Let me answer your question."

Zhao Kuangyin quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Scholar, are you aware of the trouble I've encountered?"

Chen Yun put down the wine pot, picked up the wine cup, took a small sip, and said, "The imperial court has ordered you to go to Huazhou to take up your post, but you don't want to go, right?"

Zhao Kuangyi became increasingly surprised.

Apart from the imperial court and his family, no one else knew about this matter.

So how did this scholar Chen know about this matter?
Zhao Kuangyin praised him highly, saying, "Scholar, you truly are a divine being, your foresight is indeed divine. May I ask, Scholar, how can I avoid going to Huazhou to take up my post?"

what?
A celestial being?

Zhao Kuangyi looked at Chen Yun with some disbelief.

“This is quite easy.” Chen Yun pointed to the person opposite him. “Please sit down, and I will explain it to you slowly.”

Zhao Kuangyin hurriedly said, "Thank you for the seat, scholar."

Yes, he was disciplined by Chen Yun in his childhood, and he is terrified deep down.

After speaking, Zhao Kuangyin finally dared to sit down diagonally opposite Chen Yun.

Chen Yun reached for the clean chopsticks on the table, ate some food, and then slowly said, "Doesn't Guo Wei have an adopted son named Guo Rong, who is now the Prefect of Kaifeng? If you just join his ranks and become part of the Crown Prince's inner circle, you won't have to go to Huazhou to take up your post."

Guo Rong was Chai Rong, the Emperor Shizong of the Later Zhou Dynasty.

Guo Wei's entire family had been executed by Emperor Yin of the Later Han Dynasty. Now, only his adopted son, Chai Rong, remained. Although he was not officially named the crown prince, appointing him as the Prefect of Kaifeng was tantamount to indirectly acknowledging his status as crown prince.

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the position of Prefect of Kaifeng was often held by the Crown Prince.

Now that Chai Rong has become the crown prince, he must cultivate his own faction.

Therefore, if he recruited Zhao Kuangyin into his ranks, Zhao Kuangyin would naturally no longer need to go to Huazhou to take up his post.

Chen Yun was well aware of all of this.

However, Zhao Kuangyi was somewhat puzzled, wondering if this would work.

It's no wonder that Zhao Kuangyi thought that way.

Since he had only heard that Chen Yun was a deity, but had never witnessed his magic, he naturally felt distrustful.

On the contrary, Zhao Kuangyin's eyes lit up, and he quickly stood up and bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you, scholar, for pointing out a clear path for me. Whether it succeeds or not, I will give it a try."

Chen Yun said very directly, "As long as Chai Rong is willing to recruit you, it will definitely succeed."

Zhao Kuangyin asked, "What if he refuses to recruit me?"

Chen Yun smiled and said, "Then come back to me. I will naturally find a way to make Chai Rong agree."

Zhao Kuangyi, who had remained silent all along, was filled with curiosity and wanted to know how Chen Yun would persuade Chai Rong.

(End of this chapter)