The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 388 A Huge Question (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

"Thunder God's Gourd?" Zhao Ti glanced at the small, yellowish-brown gourd in his hand. "Is that the name of this thing?"

He couldn't help but weigh it again. The small gourd was heavy, unlike its normal weight, as if it were filled with lead and iron.

What exactly is it? He thought for a moment and reached out to pull off the lid of the small gourd, but the lid seemed to be cast in place and did not move at all.

Zhao Ti frowned and increased the pressure on his hands, but still couldn't pull off the gourd lid.

It seems that this is not how it should be opened. He walked back behind the desk, placed the small gourd on the desk, and pondered for a moment.

A moment later, Zhao Ti's expression suddenly changed. He silently recited a few incantations, raised his left hand, and saw a wisp of golden light swirling around it.

Then he pinched the gourd lid between two fingers, and the wisp of golden light immediately wrapped around it, like a small golden snake, completely enveloping the lid.

This is a Taoist technique for breaking restrictions, called the Lesser Mystery Removal Technique. It is one of the various spells that Wang Yuyan taught him, and it was obtained from Xiaoyaozi.

This technique is divided into nine levels. According to the general outline, once you reach the Great Perfection level, you can break through the restrictions on magic weapons, and even magic treasures, let alone magic artifacts. Then you can use this technique to refine and fix them again.

However, Zhao Ti only practiced the first level. Wang Yuyan had given him so many spells that he only scratched the surface of the simpler ones and pondered them for a while before going deeper into them later when he had more time.

According to the general principles, this first level of Minor Mystic Technique is already capable of breaking through the restrictions of newly-level magical artifacts.

There are two types of ritual implements. One type is unranked, which can be used immediately and is not rendered unusable even if the owner changes.

Another type is the "entry-level" item, which can be sealed with a restriction that only the owner can open. Others are restricted by the restriction and cannot control it even if they hold it in their hands.

The quality of ritual implements varies depending on their power and effect, with the lowest grade being called the initial grade.

Zhao Ti didn't know much about magical artifacts, since they were rare in the world at that time. The kaleidoscope magical artifact he obtained from attacking the Miechuan military command was probably not of high quality, because magical power could be directly input into it to activate it.

The Thunder God's Gourd is currently so tough that even the lid can't be opened. It must be a high-grade magic artifact. I wonder where Zhao Ji got it from, and whether this one-layered Lesser Mystic Art can refine the restriction.

At that moment, the sliver of golden light, like a small snake, swirled rapidly on the gourd lid. Zhao Ti silently activated his magic power, and just a dozen breaths later, a crisp "crack" sound, as if something had been shattered, rang out.

Then Zhao Ti felt his fingers loosen, and the gourd lid was pulled off.

"Refined?" Zhao Ti raised an eyebrow. Just as his gaze fell on the gourd's mouth, a terrifying "crackling" sound rang out from it. Then, the gourd's mouth seemed to be woven with a spider web, with flashes of purple lightning crackling and swirling, desperately squeezing outwards.

Hmm? Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes and quickly put the lid back on. This Thunder God Gourd seemed to be a magical artifact that stored lightning.

After he opened the lid, he did not use his magic to activate the gourd, but purple lightning spontaneously emanated from it. It was not an offensive weapon, but something that contained lightning.

Thinking of the various thunder techniques that the Shenxiao Dao sect excelled at, he immediately understood that this must be an artifact specifically for cultivating Shenxiao Dao magic, and it was designed to store lightning, otherwise it wouldn't be called the Thunder God's Gourd.

Zhao Ti held the gourd and pondered for a moment, then laughed. This thing was also of great use to him. Among the Taoist magic Wang Yuyan talked about were many lightning techniques, including Yang lightning, Yin lightning, and the Five Elements lightning techniques.

With this item, it's easy to practice. You can directly master thunder magic without having to draw heavenly thunder and earthly fire little by little, or manipulate it until you're familiar with it. Not only is that time-consuming and laborious, but if you're not careful, you can easily suffer backlash and injury.

He smiled slightly, hung the small gourd on his waist, sat for a while, and watched Bai Zhan return to report: "Your Highness, Prince Duan has been imprisoned, and General Zhou is guarding him."

Zhao Ti nodded, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Go and call Lin Lingsu here."

Bai Zhan accepted the order and went out to find Lin Lingsu outside the city. After a while, he saw the two of them enter from outside the hall. Lin Lingsu looked puzzled and bowed, saying, "This humble Taoist greets Your Highness. May I ask what Your Highness has for me?"

Zhao Ti glanced at him and said indifferently, "I have imprisoned Prince Duan."

"Huh?" Lin Lingsu was taken aback upon hearing this: "Your Highness, Prince Duan, he..."

“He attacked me, the king, which is insubordination, disloyalty, and disrespect. Tell him to reflect on his actions,” Zhao Ti said.

"Prince Duan attacked His Highness?" Lin Lingsu's lips twitched. "This, this..."

Zhao Ti snorted, "If it weren't for brotherly affection, I would have killed him on the spot. Daring to attack the commander-in-chief during wartime, isn't that treason?"

"This..." Sweat immediately dripped down Lin Lingsu's forehead, and her face looked extremely pale.

"You taught him his magic, didn't you? Do you have an explanation?" Zhao Ti looked intently at Lin Lingsu.

Lin Lingsu wiped her face and hurriedly said, "Your Highness, Prince Duan wanted to cultivate, and I couldn't refuse, so I had to teach him. But, but I really didn't expect Prince Duan to attack Your Highness..."

"Didn't expect that?" Zhao Ti sneered. "Not only did he make a move, but he also wanted to seize power. Who knows what he's really up to? Is he planning to lead a large army to defect to the enemy and betray the court!"

"Your Highness, this, this seems unlikely..." Lin Lingsu hurriedly said, "Prince Duan said before, he said before..."

"What did he say?" Zhao Ti raised an eyebrow.

“Prince Duan said he wanted to achieve great things, recover Yan and Yun, and make a name for himself in history. Perhaps he was blinded by the desire for fame and fortune and acted rashly, which led him to do this wrong thing…” Lin Lingsu said cautiously, carefully considering her words.

"Blinded by ambition?" Zhao Ti snorted. "Didn't you step in and encourage him?"

"No, no, how dare I speak of such important matters of the imperial family? I even tried to advise Prince Duan a few times, but how could His Majesty listen to my words..." Lin Lingsu's expression changed.

Zhao Ti looked at him for a moment: "We will attack Yanjing today. If Yanjing falls, the Liao Kingdom will open its northern gate, and the Yan-Yun region will be almost recovered. The other prefectures will be able to relax. Will you be willing to contribute then?"

Lin Lingsu took a breath: "This humble Taoist is naturally willing to serve Your Highness, to make contributions to the country, and to devote myself wholeheartedly without any complaints."

Zhao Ti nodded: "On that day, rewards will be given according to merit, and the Emperor will be informed. You will not be shortchanged in the slightest for your contributions."

"Yes, I understand. I will spare no effort to defeat the enemy and will not hold back in the slightest," Lin Lingsu said urgently upon hearing this.

Zhao Ti nodded: "You may step down."

Lin Lingsu bowed, turned and left the hall. His face was grim, and he kept complaining in his heart that Zhao Ji had acted too hastily. But at this moment, he had no other choice. He couldn't very well break the prison and rescue the other party.

He left the governor's mansion and had only taken a few steps when he saw a burly old man walking towards him.

The old man had silver hair flowing down his back, white eyebrows and beard, bright eyes, a square face, and a ruddy complexion; he was none other than Murong Longcheng. Lin Lingsu was stunned, a sense of familiarity welling up in her heart, and she couldn't help but stop and look at him.

Murong Longcheng came to tell Zhao Ti about his dreams. Recently, the situations in his dreams have become increasingly strange, with the appearance of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, human dynasties, and all sorts of rights and wrongs, which puzzled him.

When he saw Lin Lingsu come out of the governor's mansion, his heart stirred, and he felt his blood rushing to his head. Suddenly, the thought of making a move flashed through his mind.

Murong Longcheng frowned slightly. Who was this person? Why did he suddenly feel angry and want to suppress him so badly?
Neither of them spoke, and they brushed past each other with extremely unfriendly expressions, making a "crackling" sound like knives tearing jade. It turned out that they were both releasing their internal energy, and the friction produced a terrifying sound.

Murong Longcheng snorted, walked to the gate of the Jiedushi's mansion, and stepped up the steps.

Lin Lingsu turned to look at his back, reached out and stroked the black beard under her chin, her expression thoughtful yet containing a hint of inexplicable anger. After a long while, she finally left with a furrowed brow.

Zhao Ti sat in the hall, playing with the Thunder God's Gourd. When he saw Murong Longcheng enter with a strange expression, he said, "Senior Brother, why do you look like that?"

Murong Longcheng said, "Your Highness, who was that Taoist priest who just went out? For some reason, seeing him suddenly filled me with anger, almost uncontrollably, and I wanted to attack him..."

"Oh?" Zhao Ti's eyes flashed upon hearing this, and he leaned forward slightly, saying, "Senior brother saw Lin Lingsu and became angry, wanting to take action?"

"Yes, that's right." Murong Longcheng nodded. "I noticed that his gaze towards me wasn't friendly either, so I suppose we share the same thought. His name is Lin Lingsu?"

Zhao Ti said, "That's right. He was the founder of the Shenxiao Sect and joined the Duan Prince's sect. His magical skills are quite good."

“Shenxiao Dao, Lin Lingsu…” Murong Longcheng repeatedly chewed on these two words, but had no recollection of them: “I thought they were old enemies, but this name is really unfamiliar, I really don’t recognize it.”

"An old enemy?" Zhao Ti tapped his fingers lightly on the table. There must be a cause and effect between them that could make Murong Longcheng react so strongly and have such an urgent desire to take action.

If it were this life, it would be nothing more than the founding emperor and some figures from that era, but these people have all passed away and do not possess any special Taoist magic or supernatural powers, so it is unlikely that they would be reincarnated as Lin Lingsu.

Could it be someone from a previous life? But who could it be? For someone to evoke such intense emotions in Murong Longcheng, it must be someone of similar stature.

Zhunti? Jieyin? Or even Nuwa? But none of them seem to have such a strong grudge against Laozi.

Besides these three, there was no one else who was comparable to Laozi at that time. Yuanshi was already confirmed to be Xiaoyaozi, so who else could it be?
Could it be... a connection to the heavens?
But that doesn't make sense. Tongtian is either hiding in Kunlun or in the shamanistic religion of the grasslands. How could he possibly be Lin Lingsu?
Zhao Ti was completely baffled. At this moment, Mo Ronglongcheng said, "Your Highness, I have been having a lot of dreams lately, and they are getting stranger and stranger. I have come to tell you about them."

Zhao Ti said, "There are no outsiders in the hall, Senior Brother, why be so polite? Sit down and let's talk."

Bai Zhan moved a chair over for Murong Longcheng to sit down, and Zhao Ti continued, "What happened in the dream? Please tell me in detail, Senior Brother."

Murong Longcheng said, "Your Highness... Junior Brother, I have been cultivating in my dreams for countless years. My Taoist skills are profound. I left the mountain and established a Taoist temple to cultivate there, regardless of the cold or heat. Many years have passed. During this time, I have taken on one disciple and several nominal disciples..."

"Oh?" Zhao Ti stroked his chin: "Where did you open your dojo, and who are your disciples?"

Murong Longcheng said, "He cultivates at the Eight Views Palace in the Kunlun Mountains. His personal disciple is named Xuandu, and he is known to the outside world as Master Xuandu."

Zhao Ti nodded, just as he had thought, and then asked, "How is Second Senior Brother? Where is he cultivating?"

Murong Longcheng said, "My second junior brother is also in Kunlun Mountain, cultivating in the Jade Void Palace not far from me. He has taken in quite a few disciples, about a dozen."

Zhao Ti nodded: "I didn't expect my second senior brother to have taken in so many disciples."

Murong Longcheng said, "Having many disciples is not a good thing. They often cause trouble outside, and Second Junior Brother has to clean up their messes."

Zhao Ti asked doubtfully, "What trouble could it possibly cause?"

Murong Longcheng shook his head and said, "In the secular world, dynasties rise and fall, and there are wandering immortals everywhere. When they travel the world, it is inevitable that they will have friction and fight. If they are beaten and come back to rant and rave, they will seek revenge. If they kill someone and come back to hide, their masters and elders will come looking for them, and they will have to deal with them. If things go wrong, they may fight again."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "That makes sense."

Murong Longcheng sighed, "That's why I only accept one disciple. Accepting more is pointless. I don't care about the affairs of registered disciples. Don't come to me if there's trouble outside. Xuandu can get involved if they want. If you get beaten, don't ask me for revenge either."

Zhao Ti pondered, "Isn't this wonderful?"

Murong Longcheng smiled bitterly, "It would have been better if things had continued like this. I could have been free and easy, cultivating in a carefree manner. Although I couldn't become the Heavenly Dao like my master, I was still an immortal being as a saint. Unfortunately, some changes happened later."

Zhao Ti asked, "What has happened?"

Murong Longcheng said, "It is a change in the Investiture of the Gods, mixed with worldly right and wrong, entangled with cause and effect, a calamity in the dark..."

Zhao Ti smiled slightly upon hearing this: "Senior brother, please tell me in detail."

Murong Longcheng said, "This matter is a long story, junior brother, let me tell you slowly."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "No rush, have someone bring tea and let's start from the beginning."

He then asked Bai Zhan to go out and brew some tea. The two sat down at the table, and Murong Longcheng began to recount the events of his dream, including many rights and wrongs, struggles, births and deaths, rises and falls, and even the setting of the sun and the rising of the moon, before finally finishing his account of the Investiture of the Gods.

Murong Longcheng let out a long sigh: "Junior brother, have you heard Zhou Xiang?"

Zhao Ti nodded, and it wasn't too different from what he knew about the Investiture of the Gods. He asked, "Senior brother, does the dream end here?"

Murong Longcheng said, "When the dream reached the point where the gods were being enfeoffed, I felt it was complete, so I came to tell my junior brother about it."

Zhao Ti said, "It must have been hard for you, Senior Brother."

Murong Longcheng said, "But I have some doubts. If this dream is real, many things seem a bit off."

Zhao Ti asked, "What's wrong?"

Murong Longcheng said, "When the Shang Dynasty fell and the Zhou Dynasty rose, we were already immortal saints when the Investiture of the Gods was held. The years that have passed since the Zhou Dynasty are not very long, so why have we all perished and been reincarnated in the mortal world?"

“This…” Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes upon hearing this, as this was precisely what he couldn’t understand.

(End of this chapter)