A master of comedy!

Anyone who has read the history of the Ming Dynasty will surely remember this name.

Prime Minister Yao Guangxiao in Black!
He assisted Prince Yan, Zhu Di, in launching the Jingnan Campaign, offering many ingenious strategies along the way and making great contributions, which earned him the lifelong respect of Emperor Yongle.

Legend has it that he was intelligent to the point of being supernatural, shrewd and resourceful, and possessed extraordinary talent and ability to govern the country. He single-handedly stirred up the world and assisted Zhu Di in raising an army of 800 men, ultimately defeating the Jianwen Emperor who had hundreds of thousands of troops, creating a miracle in history.

He served as tutor to two emperors and was posthumously honored with a place in the Hall of Meritorious Officials.

Of course, these are all things from Chinese history, and in this familiar yet unfamiliar world, due to various changes, it has long been unrecognizable.

The black-clad prime minister became the black-clad dragon king.

Yao Guangxiao became Liu Bowen's apprentice.

The only thing that remained unchanged was that he continued to tirelessly pursue the cause of rebellion.

A banquet at night.

Zhou Sheng finally met the Black-Clad Dragon King, who was known for his mystery within the Longhua Sect, again. Unlike before, the Black-Clad Dragon King now seemed to have truly become an enlightened monk, with a calm expression and a Zen-like demeanor in every gesture.

There was none of the madness and madness he displayed back then when he raised a dragon, unleashed a flood, and tried to destroy a city.

"It seems that the Dharma King has changed quite a bit over the years as he travels the world."

Zhou Sheng did not immediately accept the other party's surrender. Although he was in need of manpower at the moment, and Yao Guangxiao was indeed a great talent, he would undoubtedly be more cautious about such a clever person.

"Amitabha Buddha, with the guidance of Master Zhang, this humble monk has finally dispelled the fog and realized his true nature."

He clasped his hands together, smiled slightly, and didn't seem to care about Zhou Sheng's probing.

“Now I have let go of my obsession with raising dragons and have chosen another path.”

"What road?"

"Slaying the dragon."

When he uttered those two words, a flash of fanaticism and madness suddenly appeared on Yao Guangxiao's face, which was originally as calm as a high monk, and his dark and deep eyes instantly became as fierce as a snake.

However, these were all fleeting moments, which shows that there were some things he hadn't seen through, but rather that they were ingrained in his very being.

Yao Guangxiao was not afraid to show these things. As smart as he was, he knew that what superiors feared most was always the kind of person who was hard to understand. Showing some of his most genuine desires, dark side, and emotions would actually put his superiors at ease.

Zhou Sheng raised an eyebrow slightly, not continuing on the topic, but instead changing the subject, asking, "What benefits can I gain from using you?"

Limited by the secret technique of raising dragons, Yao Guangxiao could only reach the peak of the fourth tribulation after the dragon vein was severed, and could not make any further progress.

A fourth-level human immortal is already an extremely rare master in the world, but in Zhou Sheng's eyes now, he is dispensable.

Without reaching the Earthly Immortal Realm, one doesn't even have the right to fight him.

Moreover, with the addition of the Yinxi lineage, the power under his command has greatly increased, including his master at the Fifth Tribulation Realm, Yu Tianheng at the Fourth Tribulation Realm, and Hongxian at the Third Tribulation Realm...

With Jinse having recently survived her fourth Heavenly Tribulation, Zhou Sheng no longer lacks immortals under his command.

He himself carried the feat of defeating three Earth Immortals in succession, dominating the world and shaking the heavens with his might!
In this situation, having one more immortal doesn't make a difference, and having one less immortal doesn't make a difference either; they are dispensable.

Yao Guangxiao's spirits lifted, and he raised his pair of sharp, triangular eyes, knowing that this was a test from the Heavenly Venerable.

The greater the benefits he can offer, the more trust and power he will gain.

"This humble monk is not skilled in magical combat, but he is adept at governing a country. This vast nation of Hua, with its twenty-four prefectures and one hundred and seventy-six cities, cannot be governed by the mere warriors of the Longhua Sect..."

He shook his head and smiled, saying, "This will undoubtedly play right into the court's hands."

Zhou Sheng tapped his fingers lightly and said, "Continue."

"The reason why the imperial court ceded such a large area of ​​land was not only because it lost the war and feared the divine power of the Heavenly Venerable, but also because it harbored a sinister intention."

Yao Guangxiao said slowly, "It is easy to conquer the world, but difficult to govern it. Take Li Zicheng for example. He was an incompetent ruler. After establishing the Great Shun Dynasty, he indulged in pleasure and allowed his soldiers to become bandits. What blocked his path was not only the imperial lineage, but also his inherent incompetence."

"Similarly, there are not many educated people in the Longhua Sect. Su Yulong was a talented person, but unfortunately he is dead. The imperial court is probably wondering whether our Holy Sect will become as degenerate as Li Zicheng after establishing the Hua Kingdom."

The world's most fortified castles often begin to rot from the inside out.

“The Celestial Venerable must concentrate on his cultivation and cannot do everything personally. Since I have no hope of cultivation anyway, I can protect Luoyang for the Celestial Venerable and the Master.” He paused, then looked deeply at Zhou Sheng, seemingly with a deeper meaning, and said, “Remove the dragon vein beneath Luoyang for the Celestial Venerable.”

Zhou Sheng's fingers, which were tapping the table, suddenly paused.

He looked up at Yao Guangxiao with a look of great interest and exclaimed, "The Dharma King has really kept this a secret."

Yao Guangxiao had a deep understanding of dragon veins and even tried to forge one himself, so it's not surprising that he could see the secret of Luoyang.

What truly surprised Zhou Sheng was that he suddenly discovered that this seemingly invisible black-clad dragon king was probably the mastermind behind Ying Fantian's attack on Luoyang, thus setting the stage for this earth-shattering war.

How did Ying Fantian know that there was a dragon vein under Luoyang?

It was probably Yao Guangxiao who revealed it.

But Yao Guangxiao was clever in that he always kept himself clean, observing the changing situation from behind the scenes without interfering, until he had a clear understanding of the situation and made his choice.

Even Zhou Sheng didn't notice any trace of his scheme.

"Speaking of which, the Dharma King can be considered a disciple of the Louguan Sect. Now that I am the head of this sect, it is quite appropriate for me to use you."

Zhou Sheng stroked the Xuanji Jade Balance ring on his finger, his eyes flashing.

"However, when someone is too clever and too cunning, it is inevitable that they will frighten others."

Yao Guangxiao gently put down his teacup and said only one sentence.

"Even the Celestial Venerable is afraid?"

Zhou Sheng smiled slightly and said, "I appoint you as the Left Prime Minister of China, giving you full authority over all political affairs. You are free to display your talents boldly. Of course, I also have one request."

"Please speak, Heavenly Venerable."

Zhou Sheng looked at him and said, word by word, "Ten years from now, I will see the dragon vein emerge from Luoyang."

Yao Guangxiao shook his head.

"Can't do it?"

"Five years."

Yao Guangxiao held up five fingers, his calm voice concealing a deep-seated pride and confidence.

"If the dragon vein does not emerge from Luoyang in five years, please behead me."

……

Chang'an, the Imperial Palace.

The old emperor lay on his sickbed, his skin pale, his face withered, and he was weak and listless, half asleep and half awake.

"Your Majesty, it's time to take your medicine."

A eunuch brought him some medicine and fed it to him.

The old emperor swallowed the medicine in a daze, when suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the hand that was holding the spoon and feeding him the medicine.

Her fingers were fair and slender, adorned with a dragon-shaped jade thumb ring.

In an instant, the old emperor shuddered, and with a sudden burst of strength, he sat up in bed, his eyes filled with fear.

"You! It's you who's here?"

"Hehe, it seems this medicine is quite effective. His Majesty's life is not destined to end."

The old eunuch smiled slightly and said, "Your Majesty, the promise I made back then still stands."

"Now, will you choose the legacy of your ancestors, or... your own destiny?"

...(End of this chapter)