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

Chapter 847 Extreme Nobility
Thousands of golden lights are rolling in red neon, and thousands of auspicious energy are spraying purple mist.

This celestial palace is made of deep blue glass and adorned with bright, precious jade.

Golden nails adorn the jade doors, and colorful phoenixes dance at the vermilion gates; the covered corridors and winding paths are exquisitely crafted; the three eaves and four clusters of dragons and phoenixes soar in layers, creating a scene of unparalleled beauty.

Even if the Zhao brothers knew why they were still captivated by such beautiful scenery after arriving here.

Even though Guo Rong's soul was unknowingly taken here, he was still attracted by the fairyland before him and couldn't take his eyes off it.

Upon witnessing these beautiful scenes, Guo Rong had an instinctive feeling that it was not the work of demons and monsters, but rather a summons from immortals.

As he looked, Guo Rong noticed three figures standing over there.

He looked closely and saw the two Zhao brothers standing in the palace, surrounding a tall, imposing, and heroic young Taoist priest wearing a white jade crown, a blue silk Taoist robe, and Tai Chi boots.

Guo Rong was immediately drawn to the Taoist priest's aura upon seeing him.

The young Taoist priest possessed a contradictory yet natural demeanor.

The contradiction lies in the fact that he exudes an air of arrogance while also appearing very kind and approachable.

Although two completely different temperaments are presented in one person, when they are combined, they give people the feeling of stepping into a natural landscape of green mountains and clear waters.

It was as if this young Taoist priest was the embodiment of nature itself.

Although Guo Rong did not know the Taoist priest, he certainly knew the Zhao brothers.

Logically, he should have asked the Zhao brothers what had happened and why he was there.

Guo Rong did not do that at all. He simply bowed deeply to the Taoist priest and said, "Guo Rong greets the immortal."

Chen Yun sized up Guo Rong and observed that this man, who was about to become the second emperor of the Later Zhou Dynasty, was unusually calm upon arriving here. He immediately knew that this was a truly great ruler who was capable of great things. If he had not died young, Zhao Kuangyin would never have had the opportunity to change the dynasty.

He admired Guo Rong's demeanor and slightly raised his hand, saying, "No need for formalities."

Guo Rong straightened up politely and said neither arrogantly nor humbly, "What important matter has the immortal summoned Guo Rong here for?"

Chen Yun pointed at Zhao Kuangyin and said, "You know this student of mine, right?"

Guo Rong looked surprised and said, "I didn't know that Zhao Xingshou was a student of the immortal."

He immediately realized why Chen Yun had summoned him using magic, and said in a very straightforward manner, "Since Zhao Xingshou is a student of the immortal, I will certainly do my best to help him with the matter he asked for tonight."

Guo Rong was no fool. Of course he knew that Chen Yun had the ability to bring his soul here, and naturally he also had the ability to make his soul disappear. Now that Chen Yun had personally stepped forward, it was obvious that he was standing up for Zhao Kuangyin. If he didn't agree, who knew what the consequences would be?

Although the immortal in front of him seemed very kind and approachable, Guo Rong would not take the risk even if there was the slightest risk.

He knew his life was important, so important that it might determine whether he would one day rule a vast empire and affect the livelihoods of countless people.

Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Kuangyi looked at each other, both with strange expressions on their faces.

They originally thought that Chen Yun would need to use some persuasion to get Chai Rong to agree to their request.

Unexpectedly, Guo Rong immediately agreed to come to the fairyland simply because Chen Yun had summoned him.

These two individuals, who would later become the first and second emperors of the Song Dynasty, were certainly not short-sighted.

They could immediately guess what Guo Rong was really thinking.

This made Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Kuangyi secretly sigh, realizing that in this world, strength truly reigns supreme.

Something unexpected happened.

Guo Rong had clearly agreed to help, but Chen Yun waved his hand and said, "I summoned you here today not because I necessarily want you to help my student, but because I want you, Prince Jin, to understand the importance of my student. If you do not agree with what I have to say later, you are free not to help me."

Ok?
What does Chen Xuejiu mean?
Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Kuangyi were a little confused, not understanding the meaning of these words.

Chen Yun's thoughts were certainly somewhat different from theirs.

He knew one thing well: if Guo Rong recruited Zhao Kuangyin into his ranks because of him, he would not give him an important position.

Therefore, Zhao Kuangyin would certainly not have become the Grand Tutor and Commander of the Palace Guard as recorded in history, and thus would not have been able to replace the Song Dynasty, which lasted for more than four hundred years.

Chen Yun had to make Guo Rong understand Zhao Kuangyin's importance so that he would willingly recruit him into his ranks, otherwise history would not be altered.

Guo Rong was also somewhat puzzled, but he immediately reached out and said, "Please tell me, Immortal, why must I help with this?"

Chen Yun smiled and nodded, saying slowly, "I hope the Prince of Jin will recruit Zhao Kuangyin into his ranks for three reasons."

Guo Rong listened attentively and asked, "What three reasons?"

Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Kuangyi listened attentively.

Chen Yun said, "Firstly, my student's father, Zhao Hongyin, is a hero who has won many great victories and enjoys great prestige in the army. If the Prince of Jin is likely to ascend the throne in the future, he can gain Zhao Hongyin's support, which will surely eliminate many who covet the throne. Do you think what I said is right?"

This view coincides with Guo Rong's, who had previously held the same opinion.

He nodded in agreement, saying, "The immortal is right. We are in a chaotic world now. If I were to ascend the throne, there would inevitably be some who would covet it. If we can get the support of Commander Zhao, we can avoid such a situation."

Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Kuangyi knew that Chen Yun's reason made sense, but they also knew that this reason alone was not enough to make Guo Rong willingly recruit Zhao Kuangyin into his ranks.

As expected, Guo Rong's next words were: "Although I very much want the support of Commander Zhao, if the immortal says that this is the only reason for me to willingly recruit Zhao Kuangyin into my ranks, I sincerely reply that it is not enough."

Chen Yun was not displeased by this and still smiled as he said, "Indeed, Zhao Hongyin is not the only one with high prestige in the army. If Prince Jin can get the support of others, he can also secure the throne. But my second reason will surely make more sense to Prince Jin."

Guo Rong said, "Please tell me."

Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Kuangyi pricked up their ears, wanting to hear from Chen Yun what angle he would approach the conversation from next.

With his hands behind his back, Chen Yun slowly walked up to Guo Rong and said, "If I remember correctly, the reason why Guo Wei appointed you as the Prefect of Kaifeng and groomed you as the Crown Prince was entirely because his nephews and nieces had been slaughtered by Emperor Liu Chengyou of the Later Han Dynasty a few years ago. In short, you were not his first choice, and you might not have even been among his choices. He had no choice but to make you his adopted son and was forced to regard you as the Crown Prince."

Indeed, Guo Rong was Guo Wei's helpless compromise with fate, rather than a true choice.

Almost all of Guo Wei's relatives died under the executioner's blade of Emperor Yin of the Later Han Dynasty, so there was no bloodline to carry on.

Of course, it's only almost.

In fact, Guo Wei's nephew Li Chongjin and son-in-law Zhang Yongde are still alive.

Does a nephew have an adopted son?
Anyone would know that it doesn't exist.

Even a nephew is not as close as an adopted son, let alone a son-in-law from another family.

Furthermore, neither Li Chongjin nor Zhang Yongde are actually suitable to be successors.

Li Chongjin himself had a power conflict with Guo Rong and lacked the ability to govern the country, so Guo Wei would definitely not consider him.

Zhang Yongde's achievements and prestige are inferior to Guo Rong's. If he were forcibly made crown prince, even if he successfully ascended the throne, a civil war would likely break out. Therefore, Guo Rong appears to be the most suitable person to become the second emperor of the Later Zhou Dynasty.

Or perhaps, Guo Rong was Guo Wei's choice made under duress and a compromise of interests.

If Guo Wei had even one son or nephew with true blood of the Guo family, Guo Rong would not have been able to sit on the throne.

Guo Rong said very frankly, "What the immortal said is true. His Majesty made me the crown prince because he had no other choice."

He repeatedly addresses you as "Your Majesty," which clearly indicates his great ambition.

This can be seen from the fact that Guo Rong changed his surname back to Chai after ascending the throne.

Chen Yun continued, "Guo Wei is now over fifty years old, which seems quite old, but even if a man lives to sixty, he still has the ability to reproduce. I would like to ask Prince Jin, if Guo Wei has another child in the future, will your status as his adopted son be very awkward?"

Guo Rong's expression changed slightly, and he said with a wry smile, "If His Majesty were to have another son, I'm afraid I would become like Liu Feng, the one from Ji Hanzhong."

Liu Feng was originally the son of Luo Hou Kou and the nephew of a Liu family in Changsha Commandery.

After Liu Bei sought refuge with Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou, he temporarily settled in Jingzhou.

Because he had no children at the time, he adopted Liu Feng as his son.

At that time, Liu Bei was already forty years old, and his adoption of Liu Feng as his son clearly indicated that he intended to groom him as his successor.

Unfortunately, all of this changed after Liu Bei was 47 years old and had his first son, Liu Shan.

After that, he found various reasons to expel Liu Feng from the core of the Shu Han political system and sent him to Shangyong, where he and Meng Da formed a check and balance.

As for the final outcome, everyone knows it: Guan Yu was defeated at Maicheng, and Liu Feng and Meng Da failed to come to his rescue in time. The last one was killed by Liu Bei, and the other led his troops to surrender to Cao Wei.

Why did Liu Bei kill Liu Feng?
According to historical records, it was Zhuge Liang who advised Liu Feng, considering his fierce and brave nature, that he would be difficult to control after Liu Bei's death. Therefore, he advised Liu Bei to take this opportunity to eliminate him.

Therefore, Liu Bei ordered Liu Feng to commit suicide.

On the surface, it seems that Zhuge Liang suggested killing Liu Feng, but in reality, anyone would know that if Liu Bei hadn't intentionally or unintentionally revealed his true thoughts, why would Zhuge Liang have made such a suggestion?
After all, if Liu Bei didn't agree, Zhuge Liang would definitely be resented by Liu Feng in the future.

As Liu Feng was Liu Bei's adopted son, he was at least nominally the "eldest son of the legitimate wife" and should have become the next ruler of the Shu Han. Would Zhuge Liang still have a good life then?
Therefore, killing Liu Feng was actually Liu Bei's intention.

Guo Rong's current situation is very similar to Liu Feng's, the only difference being that Guo Wei does not yet have a biological son.

This was also what Guo Rong feared most. If Guo Wei had a son in the future, it would be a minor matter if he lost his position as crown prince; he might end up like Liu Feng.

Guo Rong's expression was uncertain; he didn't know how to answer.

Chen Yun said, seemingly casually, "If I were the Prince of Jin, I would definitely cultivate my own power in secret as soon as possible. Those famous generals or other high-ranking officials are basically Guo Wei's confidants. It would be almost impossible for you to recruit them into your ranks. Zhao Kuangyin is different. He doesn't hold a very high official position now. He is still a young general and hasn't entered the core of power. There is no possibility that he is anyone's confidant. If you recruit him into your ranks, wouldn't you be able to cultivate him as a confidant?"

He paused for a moment, then said, "The most important thing is that you are grooming Zhao Kuangyin as a trusted confidant. Zhao Hongyin will naturally be determined to support him for the sake of his son's future. Do you think what I'm saying makes sense?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Kuangyi immediately realized that Chen Yun's words had struck at Guo Rong's Achilles' heel.

They had to admit that Chen Xuejiu was indeed a true immortal, and his wisdom was truly beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Although Guo Rong was conflicted inside, he remained outwardly calm. "What the immortal said is very true. However, your second reason is actually still related to the first reason and cannot make me willingly recruit Zhao Kuangyin into my ranks. May I ask what the third reason is?"

Chen Yun said, "The third reason is very simple. Zhao Kuangyin has been practicing martial arts and studying military strategy with me since he was a child. Not only is he exceptionally skilled in martial arts, but he is also extremely proficient in military strategy. I am not praising my student, but his military level is absolutely rare even in the entire Great Zhou Dynasty. If you don't believe me, you can test him."

This isn't just empty boasting; Zhao Kuangyin's military skills were indeed very high.

Since Qin Shi Huang ushered in the feudal era, Zhao Kuangyin's military prowess ranked among the top ten of all emperors, which shows just how formidable he was.

Zhao Kuangyin stepped forward and said, "The Prince of Jin is free to examine his subordinates."

Guo Rong pondered for a moment, then said, "Alright, then I'll test your skills in troop deployment first..."

He followed Guo Wei in his campaigns across the country for many years, so he was naturally a man of great military expertise.

Guo Rong first asked about the troop deployment, and Zhao Kuangyin answered fluently.

He then inquired about more aspects such as the military system, training, conscription mobilization, troop deployment and wartime command, provisions, weapons and horse administration.

Even some renowned military generals might not be able to handle all of these problems.

Surprisingly, Zhao Kuangyin not only answered all the questions correctly, but each answer was so satisfactory that it was impeccable.

It's hard to believe that Zhao Kuangyin, who is only twenty-five or twenty-six years old and hasn't experienced much war, could answer so perfectly.

After hearing Zhao Kuangyin's series of answers, Guo Rong's gaze towards him completely changed.

He knew that Zhao Kuangyin was so talented that, given a little opportunity, he would surely be able to demonstrate his abilities as a general.

A thousand troops are easy to get, but a general is hard to find.

Everyone knows what it means to have a confidant with such high military talent.

Our military strength could very well be elevated several levels because of this person!
Guo Rong was immediately moved and looked at Chen Yun, saying, "Immortal, even without the first two reasons, Kuangyin's military talent alone is enough to make me welcome him with open arms. I am willing to help him with his request!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Kuangyi breathed a sigh of relief, and their gazes toward Chen Yun became even more admiring and trusting.

They originally thought Chen Yun intended to "subdue people with force".

Who would have thought that after recruiting Guo Rong, he posed no threat whatsoever, and persuaded Guo Rong to willingly accept Zhao Kuangyin into his service with only three reasons.

At this moment, Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Kuangyi realized just how extraordinary Chen Yun's wisdom truly was.

Chen Yun smiled and nodded, saying, "I am naturally very pleased that the Prince of Jin is willing to recruit me, his student, into his service. Thank you."

"No, no," Guo Rong replied politely. Then, with a hint of curiosity, he raised his head and asked, "May I ask, immortal, who exactly are you? I have been talking with you for so long, but I still haven't learned your name. I am truly sorry."

Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Kuangyi couldn't help but prick up their ears.

They were actually quite interested in Chen Yun's identity.

The Zhao brothers only knew that Chen Yun was an immortal from Qingcheng Mountain, and knew nothing else. Now that Guo Rong was asking, they naturally wanted to know as well.

Chen Yun didn't hide anything. "Very well, since you asked, then I'll let you know. I am Chen Pu, the Great Emperor of the State of Heavenly Mirror and the Daoist Lord of the Nine Netherworlds, personally appointed by the Supreme Lord Laozi."

Wha...what?
Is Chen Xue really a Taoist emperor and Taoist master?
The Zhao brothers were greatly shocked.

Guo Rong was just as shocked.

These three people never expected that the seemingly young Taoist priest in front of them would actually possess such a noble and illustrious status, being a high-ranking deity in Taoism!
At this moment, Zhao Kuangyi finally understood why Chen Yun had said earlier that Guo Rong was not qualified for a personal visit.

It turns out that the other party's status and position are so high, they are truly extremely noble!

(End of this chapter)