Zhu Yuanzhang: My second son is invincible!

Zhu Hui put away his axe, scratched his head, and said, "It seems... I used a bit too much force?"

He walked up to Fairy Yaoguang, looked at the fairy with blood at the corner of her mouth, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Um, I'm sorry, I thought this formation was quite strong, so I used a little more force."

Fairy Yaoguang looked up at him, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

Shock, fear, resentment, and... a trace of bewilderment.

"Your Highness...who exactly are you?" Her voice trembled.

"I am Zhu Hui! The Prince of Wu of the Ming Dynasty. My father is Zhu Yuanzhang, and my elder brother is Zhu Biao," Zhu Hui answered honestly.

"No... I'm asking about Your Highness's cultivation level and this axe..."

"Oh, you mean this! It's a craft item I bought. It's been with me all this time, and it seems to work quite well," Zhu Hui said, brandishing the axe.

Crafts...

Fairy Yaoguang almost coughed up blood again.

Is the weapon that shattered an ancient formation with a single axe stroke a work of art?

"Then... Your Highness's cultivation level..." she said, unwilling to accept it.

"Cultivation? I have no cultivation. I'm just strong. Really, my older brother tested me, and there's nothing in my dantian. I'm just an ordinary person."

Zhu Li said earnestly

Fairy Yaoguang was completely speechless.

An ordinary person... an ordinary person who shattered the Jade Pool Immortal Array with a single axe stroke.

Is there any reason left in this world?

"Fairy, can you give me that array diagram? My elder brother is waiting for it!" Zhu Hui said, rubbing her hands together.

Fairy Yaoguang remained silent for a long time before finally sighing.

She took out a white jade scroll from her sleeve and presented it with both hands, saying, "The diagram of the Yaochi Grand Array is here. Please pass it on to the Crown Prince, Your Highness."

Jiang Huan stepped forward, took it, carefully examined it, and then put it away.

"Thanks! Oh, right, there's something else." Zhu Li grinned.

"Please speak, Your Highness."

"Can we pick some of those snow lotuses on your mountain? I want to make soup for my wife to help her recover," Zhu said, pointing to the distant hillside.

Fairy Yaoguang: "..."

She took a deep breath and tried to remain calm as she asked, "How much does Your Highness want?"

"Three or five flowers will do, they should be old ones, they're good for nourishing the body," Zhu Li gestured.

Fairy Yaoguang turned to a disciple and said, "Go to the herb garden and fetch five thousand-year-old snow lotuses."

"Yes!" The disciple quickly left.

Before long, five crystal-clear snow lotuses were presented to Zhu Hui.

Each flower is as big as a bowl, with petals as white as jade, and emits a faint fragrance.

Zhu Hui took it, smelled it, and said, "Mmm, it smells good. Thank you, fairy!"

He carefully wrapped the snow lotus and tucked it into his bosom.

Looking at his cautious manner, Fairy Yaoguang suddenly felt that this invincible King Wu was... not so scary after all.

At least, he still remembers to make soup for his wife.

Bullshit!

"Your Highness, Kunlun... has agreed. From today onwards, Kunlun disciples will be registered, pay taxes according to the law, and obey the imperial court's orders," Fairy Yaoguang said softly.

"Okay...that's great! I'm off then, I still have to go to the next place!" Zhu Li said happily.

"The next one... is Mount Shu..." Fairy Yaoguang asked.

"Yes, the Sword Saint of Mount Shu, I've heard his swordsmanship is amazing. I've never seen a master swordsman before!" Zhu Hui said with some anticipation.

Fairy Yaoguang was silent for a moment, then said, "Your Highness, Dugu Sheng is of a strong and unyielding character, I'm afraid..."

"It's okay. My older brother said that if he doesn't bend, he should be interrupted until he does," Zhu Li said with a simple smile.

Fairy Yaoguang: "....."

She suddenly felt a little sorry for Dugu Sheng.

"Your Highness, please take care." She clasped her hands in a gesture of respect.

"I'm leaving now. Take good care of your injuries. As for that... I'll have my brother find someone to fix it, but it'll take a while." Zhu Li jumped onto the flying boat and waved goodbye.

The airship took off and headed east.

Fairy Yaoguang stood in the snow, watching the flying boat recede into the distance, remaining silent for a long time.

An elder struggled to his feet, and said with a wry smile, "Holy Mother, are you just...giving up like this?"

"Otherwise what! Did you feel that axe blow?" Fairy Yaoguang sighed softly.

The elders all fell silent.

They felt it.

That's not power, it's... the rules.

The axe shattered not only the Jade Pool Formation, but also the pride in their hearts that the immortal path was superior to the mortal realm.

"Pass down the order: all disciples must register within three days and prepare to... pay taxes." Fairy Yaoguang turned around, her steps slightly unsteady.

The white clothes stained with blood stood out starkly against the snow.

......

On the flying boat, Zhu Hui lay on the deck, five snow lotuses tucked into her arms, looking quite pleased with herself.

"Jiang Huan, what's the best way to stew this snow lotus? Should we boil it directly, or add chicken?"

Jiang Huan replied expressionlessly, "Your Highness, the thousand-year-old snow lotus needs to be used in medicine in combination with other spiritual ingredients. Simply stewing it in soup... is a waste."

"No waste, no waste. It's good for my wife's health, nothing is wasted. By the way, how far is Mount Shu?" Zhu Li turned over and asked.

"At this rate, we should arrive by noon tomorrow. Your Highness, the Shu Mountain sword cultivators are the best in offensive combat. Dugu Sheng's 'Ten Thousand Swords Return to One' technique is said to be able to slay a Dao Lord. You..."

"I can slay a Dao Lord...that's great! I've never seen a Dao Lord cultivator before! Tell me, how many times can his 'Myriad Swords Return to Origin' technique block my axe strike?" Zhu Hui's eyes lit up.

Jiang Huan: "..."

He decided to shut up.

His Highness's thinking is always in another dimension.

The flying boat glides through the clouds, with the vast rivers and mountains below.

Looking at the scenery, Zhu Hui suddenly remembered something and said, "By the way, Jiang Huan, didn't my elder brother say that there was a traitor in Mount Shu who stole the Mountain-Suppressing Sword Manual and fled to the north?"

Jiang Huan was taken aback and asked, "How did Your Highness know?"

"My older brother mentioned it to me when we were chatting, saying that person's name was... what was it again?" Zhu Liang scratched his head.

"Dugu Bai, Dugu Sheng's younger brother, stole the first volume of the Shushan Sword Manual thirty years ago and joined the Northern Yuan. Now he is the number one swordsman in the Northern Yuan."

Jiang Huan said in a low voice.

"Oh! Right, Dugu Bai. My elder brother said that if Dugu Sheng is not convinced, he should expose this matter and see if he still has the face to call himself the orthodox master of swordsmanship."

Zhu Li nodded.

Jiang Huan felt a chill run down his spine.

His Highness the Crown Prince... truly a master strategist.

They even dug up these old stories and were preparing to use them as bargaining chips.

"Your Highness, regarding this matter..."

"I know, I can't say anything carelessly. I'll just ask around when my older brother makes arrangements. I'm going to get some sleep! Wake me up when we get there," Zhu Li said, waving her hand.

After he finished speaking, he actually closed his eyes, and soon a soft snoring sound began to fill the air.

Jiang Huan stood on the deck, looking at the sleeping King of Wu, and then at the faint outline of the Shu Mountains in the distance, and sighed softly.

The Sword Saint of Mount Shu is probably in for some bad luck.

This prince may look simple-minded, but behind him stands that ruthless crown prince...

One is in the light, the other in the dark; one is naive, the other ruthless.

Who in this world can stop this...?

The airship continued eastward.

In the distance, the seventy-two peaks of Mount Shu point to the sky like swords, their sword-like energy soaring into the heavens.

Tomorrow will be another good show.