Zhu Yuanzhang: My second son is invincible!

After a long while.

Zhang Tianshi forced a smile and said, "Your Highness is joking. This is a sacred place for our sect; how could we allow Your Highness to act so casually..."

"What do you mean, 'anywhere you want'? Under the whole sky, all land belongs to the emperor. My second brother can go wherever he wants. Or... is there something shameful about your sects that you can't let others see...?"

Zhu Biao interrupted him, speaking with a gentle smile.

That's a harsh statement.

Fairy Yaoguang coldly replied, "Your Highness, our sect has a history of ten thousand years and has its own rules."

"Rules... The Ming Dynasty also has rules. The first rule of the Ming Dynasty is... Within the territory of the Ming Dynasty, there is no place that the court cannot investigate. Are your sects within the territory of the Ming Dynasty?" Zhu Biao nodded.

The four were speechless.

Zhu Biao continued, "Originally, the imperial court didn't want to interfere too much. But you all insist on holding a disciple competition to make friends through martial arts. Very well, my second brother will go to your sects and have a proper meeting."

He raised his wine glass and toasted the four of them, saying, "Don't worry, my second brother knows what he's doing. He won't destroy your mountain gates. At most... he might dismantle the protective formation or something."

Click.

The wine cup in Dugu Sheng's hand shattered.

The drinks were spilled all over the table.

Zhu Biao seemed not to see anything and continued drinking.

The atmosphere inside the hall was frozen.

After a long silence, Master Huiming sighed and said, "Amitabha, Your Highness, why force me to this point?"

"I'm not forcing you, I'm just being reasonable... If you all want self-governance, that's fine, but there are conditions." Zhu Biao put down his wine glass and said seriously.

"What are the conditions?"

"Three things: First, all disciples of the sect must be registered and recorded, and those who commit crimes will be dealt with according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty. Second, the sect's land and mineral properties must be taxed according to regulations."

third…"

Zhu Biao paused for a moment, then looked at the four people: "Submit all the diagrams of the mountain-protecting formations for the Ministry of Works to file."

"Impossible!" Dugu Sheng suddenly stood up.

Handing over the diagrams of the mountain-protecting formation is tantamount to handing over one's lifeline to the imperial court!

Zhu Biao looked at him calmly and said, "Sword Saint Dugu, sit down and talk. This is a banquet, not a battlefield."

Dugu Sheng stood still, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

The two Shushan disciples behind him also stood up, their hands on their sword hilts.

The palace guards placed their hands on the hilts of their swords.

Tensions.

Just then, Zhu Li yawned.

A very ordinary yawn.

But the moment he yawned, an invisible pressure spread out.

The pressure wasn't heavy, but it was unique.

It resembles the desolation of antiquity, the carnage of a battlefield, and... the chaos at the beginning of time.

Thump...

The two disciples behind Dugu Sheng knelt down without warning.

The knee slammed into the floor tiles with a crisp sound.

It's not that they want to kneel, it's that their legs won't obey them.

Dugu Sheng himself felt his legs go weak and his nascent soul tremble.

He looked at Zhu Li in horror.

Zhu Li was still gnawing on a lamb leg, as if he hadn't done anything.

But that pressure did indeed emanate from him.

Zhang Tianshi's face was deathly pale, Yaoguang Fairy's fingers trembled, and Master Huiming's forehead was covered in sweat.

They finally experienced it firsthand.

The oppressive aura of Xing Tian.

Even the slightest hint, even the slightest unintentional leak, is enough to terrify a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Zhu Biao smiled gently and said, "Sword Saint Dugu, why is your disciple kneeling? Quickly help him up."

Dugu Sheng gritted his teeth, helped his disciple up, and sat down again.

My hands are still shaking.

Zhu Biao continued, "These are the three conditions. If you agree, the sect will remain a sect, and the imperial court will not interfere in its internal affairs. If you don't agree..."

He looked at Zhu Hui: "Second brother, what do you say?"

Zhu Hui finally finished gnawing on the lamb leg, wiped his mouth, and said in a simple and honest manner, "If they won't agree, then let's fight! I haven't chopped anything hard with my axe in ages."

He spoke casually, as if he were saying the moonlight was nice tonight.

The four sect leaders, however, detected the smell of blood.

Zhang Tianshi took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, he had regained his composure.

"Your Highness, this matter is of great importance. I must return to the mountain to discuss it with the Ancestor."

"Okay, I'll give you a month. After a month, my second brother will start visiting them one by one, beginning from Longhu Mountain," Zhu Biao said, nodding.

He stood up, raised his glass, and said, "Come, let's drink. Tonight, let's talk about romance and not politics."

The officials followed suit and raised their cups.

The four sect leaders also raised their glasses, but the wine tasted like cardboard.

The banquet returned to its superficial liveliness.

The singing and dancing continued, and people toasted each other.

But everyone knows that some things are already decided.

……

The banquet ended at midnight.

The four sect leaders returned to the Court of State Ceremonial, packed their belongings overnight, and left before dawn.

They left in a hurry, without even saying goodbye.

Zhu Biao stood on the East Palace Pavilion, watching four streaks of light pierce the night sky and fly in four directions.

That was a unique flying artifact of the sect, faster than a flying boat.

Jiang Huan, standing behind him, whispered, "Your Highness, are we just going to let them go like this?"

"What else? Kill them all. Killing them is easy, but dealing with the elders in seclusion in the sect is not so good. Five fifth-realm experts, if they really fight to the death, even the Great Ming will suffer serious damage."

Zhu Biao chuckled.

"Then why does Your Highness still…?"

"Scare them. The existence of my second brother is the biggest scare. If they go back now, they will definitely tell the ancestors about my second brother's situation. Those ancestors have lived for thousands of years and are more afraid of death than anyone else."

"Seeing Xing Tian's legacy, they know how to choose," Zhu Biao said slowly, turning around.

"What if they still disagree?"

"Then let's really fight. A month later, my second brother will come to our door. Whichever sect is not convinced, we'll demolish it... demolish one, and the rest will behave." Zhu Biao said, his smile fading.

He spoke of it casually, as if he were talking about demolishing a house.

Jiang Huan bowed and said, "Your subordinate understands."

"Go and prepare! In a month, I'll accompany my second brother on a trip." Zhu Biao smiled as he looked towards the direction of the Wu Prince's Mansion.

It's so great to have an invincible second brother...

"Yes."

Jiang Huan withdrew.

Zhu Biao stood alone in the attic, looking at the night sky.

Moon stars are rare.

He murmured to himself, "Father, why are there always people in this world who refuse to be obeyed?"

No one answered.

Only the night breeze blows.

……

Inside the Wu Prince's residence, Zhu Hui was already asleep, snoring loudly.

Guanyin Nu lay beside him, her eyes open.

She couldn't sleep.

At the banquet tonight, my husband only yawned, and the disciples of the four major sects knelt down.

Although her cultivation level was not high, she could feel the pressure.

That wasn't pressure from cultivation; it was more like... crushing on a different level of life.

Like a rabbit meeting a tiger, like a flock of sheep meeting a wolf.

I'm naturally afraid.

She turned to the side and looked at Zhu Hui's profile.

This face looks silly, and it even drools while sleeping.

Yet this is the very person who instilled fear in the leaders of the four major sects of the world.

She reached out and gently touched his face.

Zhu Li smacked his lips, turned over, and pulled her into his arms.

The movement was natural, like hugging a pillow.

Guanyinnu blushed, but did not struggle.

She leaned against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat.

Suddenly I realized that this is really good.

Forget about Xing Tian's legacy, forget about ancient war gods, this is her husband, and that's enough.

Outside the window, the night watchman walked by, striking his clapper.

"The weather is dry, be careful with fire..."

The sound faded into the distance.