Zhu Yuanzhang: My second son is invincible!

Seven days after Lady Lü's head fell to the ground, the imperial court was still filled with the lingering stench of blood.

When civil and military officials went to court, they all lowered their heads and walked with their feet lighter than cats.

They were terrified that swords and knives would fall on them.

Those who were originally close to the Lü family have been claiming illness or resigning from their posts these past few days, fearing that they will be invited for tea by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Zhu Biao sat below Zhu Yuanzhang, listening calmly as the Minister of War reported on the military situation in the northern border.

"...General Xu Da has wiped out the remaining demons, beheading 30,000 and capturing 50,000, and the northern border is temporarily at peace."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, his gaze sweeping over the prince as he said, "The north is at peace, but the south is in turmoil again. In Huguang, the White Lotus Sect is causing trouble and has occupied three counties. The government sent troops to suppress them, but they were caught in an illusion and ended up killing their own people, with more than two thousand dying."

The hall was completely silent.

"We've heard that the leader of the White Lotus Sect claims to be the reincarnation of the Eternal Mother, capable of summoning wind and rain and turning beans into soldiers. What do you think we should do?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked, tapping the armrest of his dragon throne.

The civil officials looked at each other in bewilderment, while the military officers rubbed their hands together in anticipation.

"I am willing to go!" Lan Yu was the first to step forward.

"I am also willing to go!" Fu Youde followed closely behind.

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't speak, but looked at Zhu Biao.

Zhu Biao stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Father, the White Lotus Sect is skilled in illusions and bewitching people. Ordinary soldiers might fall for it. I recommend someone who can break this trap."

"Who?"

"Second brother, Zhu Hui."

A murmur rippled through the hall.

Zhu Hui was sitting in the ranks of military officers, secretly yawning. When he heard his name called, he was startled and looked up at Zhu Biao.

Zhu Biao smiled slightly at him.

"Li'er, go to Huguang and wipe out that damned White Lotus Sect for us, okay?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

Zhu Hui stood up, scratched his head, and said, "That's fine, but I don't know how to lead troops."

"You don't need to lead troops. Just break their illusions, and let the government troops handle the rest," Zhu Biao said.

"Alright then," Zhu Li readily agreed.

After the court session, Zhu Biao summoned Zhu Hui to the warm pavilion of the East Palace.

"Second brother, there are a few things you must remember on your trip to Huguang. First, the root of the White Lotus Sect lies not in force, but in the hearts of the people. Breaking the illusion and rescuing the bewitched people is more useful than killing ten thousand followers."

Zhu Biao handed him a cup of tea and then said.

Zhu Hui nodded and replied, "Understood, no indiscriminate killing."

"Secondly, you take Zhang Han and five hundred personal guards with you on the flying boat. You yourself... can ride that big bird." Zhu Biao paused and then smiled.

Zhu Hui was taken aback upon hearing this, thinking of the golden-winged roc he had captured, which seemed to be a suitable mount.

"Alright! Then I'll just ride the giant eagle..." Zhu Hui said excitedly.

"Third, there might be someone behind the White Lotus Sect. Investigate carefully, but don't alert them. Send a message back if you find any clues," Zhu Biao said with a more serious expression.

"clear."

Zhu Li left the East Palace and headed straight for the animal garden behind the palace.

In the animal garden, a large golden bird with a wingspan of three zhang was lying listlessly on the ground. When it saw Zhu Hui coming, all its feathers stood up.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I'll take you out to play," Zhu Liu said, patting its head.

It seems that the last axe blow really frightened this big bird.

The large bird shrank its neck and resignedly lowered its body.

Zhu Hui flipped over and sat down securely.

A simple saddle was tied to the bird's back; the older brother had thought of that quite thoroughly.

"Walk!"

The large bird flapped its wings, a sudden gust of wind arose, and sand and stones flew from the ground.

It soared into the sky, transforming into a golden ray of light that headed straight south.

On the ground, Zhang Han led five hundred personal guards onto a thirty-zhang-long flying boat.

The flying boat was the same one the Northern Demon Clan had used last time, engraved with a wind-controlling array, capable of traveling a thousand miles a day, but it consumed spirit stones.

"His Highness ran off first," Zhang Han said with a wry smile.

Chen Nian calmly replied, "Let's hurry up and catch up, lest we arrive before His Highness finishes fighting."

The flying boat took off, chasing after the golden light.

……

In the sky, Zhu Hui sat on the bird's back, watching the mountains and rivers rush past below, finding it quite novel.

The wind was strong, blowing his hair wildly, but he sat firmly, pressing his left hand on the bird's neck, so the bird didn't dare to sway.

After flying for half a day, we crossed the Yangtze River and entered the Hubei and Hunan region.

The view below started to look strange.

The fields were barren, the villages were silent, and there were no travelers on the official road.

Occasionally, you can see a few burnt-down houses, standing blackened by the roadside like tombstones.

Zhu Li frowned.

After flying for a while, a city appeared ahead, with white lotus flags fluttering on the city walls and the city gates tightly closed.

Outside the city, there were countless tents set up, belonging to the government troops.

But the government troops' camp was in chaos; some were crying, some were laughing, and some were slashing each other with knives.

Zhu Li instructed the large bird to lower its altitude.

Now we can see clearly that the government soldiers all have blank stares and strange smiles on their faces as they brandish their weapons and fight each other.

Blood stained the camp, but the soldiers seemed to feel no pain, cutting down the fallen and getting up to continue fighting.

In the center of the camp, a large white lotus flag was planted.

Several people dressed in white robes stood beneath the banner, chanting incantations with their eyes closed.

Illusion.

Zhu Hui recalled Zhu Biao's words.

The White Lotus Sect is skilled in using illusions to bewitch people.

He patted the bird's neck: "Get down."

The large bird swooped down, and a gust of wind whipped up the dust on the ground.

The men in white robes sensed something was amiss and looked up to see a large golden bird descending from the sky, with a person sitting on its back. They were all stunned.

"Who goes there!" the white-robed man at the head shouted.

Zhu Li ignored him, jumped off the bird's back, and landed with a thud, leaving two footprints in the ground.

He glanced at the government troops fighting amongst themselves around him, then at the men in white robes, and asked, "Did you do this?"

Seeing that he was alone, the white-robed man's courage immediately grew: "Amitabha! This is the Red Lotus Illusion bestowed by the Eternal Mother. All who enter this realm will see the demons in their hearts and kill each other. Who are you, daring to come and die?"

Zhu Li nodded: "Then you guys did it."

He raised his right hand and pressed it against the tattoo on his left arm.

A bronze axe appeared in his hand.

The white-robed man's expression changed drastically as he shouted, "Cultivator...form the formation!"

The seven people quickly formed the Big Dipper formation, chanting incantations.

Ripples spread through the air, and ethereal red lotuses bloomed in the sky, filling the air with fragrance.

Zhu Hui sniffed, then said with some disgust, "The smell is quite strong."

He took a step forward.

The Crimson Lotus Illusion descended, and the scene before him changed: mountains of corpses and seas of blood, howling ghosts, and countless hideous faces lunging at him.

Zhu Li blinked.

The illusion remained intact, but he didn't seem to feel anything.

These ghosts and monsters aren't as scary as the real monsters in the mountains.

He continued walking forward.

Sweat beaded on the foreheads of the people in white robes as they chanted the incantations even more urgently.

The red lotus blossoms are blooming more and more profusely, their fragrance so strong it's nauseating.

The fighting among the government troops intensified, with some soldiers even chopping off their own hands and feet.

Zhu Li frowned.

He stopped, handed the axe to his left hand, raised his right hand, and pressed it down lightly.

The tattoo on his left arm caught his eye.

A large bronze shield appeared out of thin air, its surface engraved with ferocious beast heads.

The moment the shield hit the ground, an invisible wave spread out.

Where the waves passed, the red lotus withered and its fragrance dissipated.

The mountains of corpses and seas of blood shattered like a mirror, revealing the original campsite.

The soldiers were all stunned for a moment, then their eyes regained their clarity.

They stared at the knife in their hands, at their companions beside them, at the blood and corpses on the ground, and remained motionless for a moment. Then some began to vomit, some collapsed to the ground, and some wailed loudly.

The illusion has shattered.

The seven white-robed men simultaneously coughed up blood, suffering a backlash from the formation, and collapsed to the ground.