I play the role of Jiajing in Zongwu: What crime have I committed?

"This humble man, Zhu Chongba, pays his respects to the Emperor of Longevity."

"From this day forward, I am willing to follow the Emperor closely, even unto death."

"Very good, the Emperor of Longevity will bestow upon you a great fortune today."

With a thought, Zhu Houcong produced a large martial arts golden pill the size of a longan in his hand.

Do you want to become a martial artist?

Upon hearing this, Zhu Chongba's eyes widened, and he stammered.

"Is it...is it like those old men in the Longyang Sect, martial artists who can scale walls and split rocks?"

"hehe!"

Zhu Houcong chuckled lightly, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.

"Those are nothing but trash; how dare they compare to my Golden Core?"

He flicked his fingertips, and the golden elixir slowly floated toward Zhu Chongba.

"Once I swallow a golden pill, my fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of heaven."

"This Great Martial Arts Golden Pill can elevate you to the top, making you the most powerful expert in the martial world, a person of high status wherever you go."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Chongba gazed greedily at the golden elixir floating before him, his breathing becoming rapid.

He stretched out his hands, trembling, his eyes filled with piety and longing.

"This humble servant thanks the Emperor for his generous reward."

The moment Zhu Chongba received the golden pill, a burst of energy emanated from it, causing his palm to go numb.

It must be said that Zhu Chongba, this little beggar, is indeed quite clever.

Without the slightest hesitation, he took it and swallowed it.

Behind this seemingly reckless act lies the survival wisdom of this little beggar who has struggled on the streets for many years.

Perhaps countless thoughts flashed through his mind the moment he received the golden elixir.

Could this elixir be poisonous?

Why is this self-proclaimed Emperor of Longevity so kind to me?

Could there be some ulterior motive involved?

But then I thought about it again, and realized that I was just a beggar living hand to mouth, with no idea what I would eat tomorrow.

If this master in front of him really wanted to harm him, he could have made him vanish into thin air with a flick of his finger. Why bother with all this trouble?

Moreover, in this dog-eat-dog world, being used by others is actually a blessing.

At least it proves that I still have value.

A resolute glint flashed in Zhu Chongba's eyes, which had seen through the fickleness of human relationships far too early.

Rather than continuing to beg on the streets, not knowing when they might starve to death, it's better to take this gamble.

They won, and from then on, they achieved great success.

If I lose, the worst that can happen is I lose this worthless life; I have nothing else to lose anyway.

"Fortune favors the bold..."

Zhu Chongba silently recited the words he had heard from storytellers in teahouses, and swallowed the golden pill without hesitation.

This decision will completely change the trajectory of his life.

Zhu Houcong took in Zhu Chongba's actions, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

boom!

The moment the golden elixir entered his stomach, Zhu Chongba felt as if a blazing sun had exploded inside his body.

A violent energy surged through his meridians, his bones crackled and popped, and his muscles expanded at a visible speed.

He knelt down in agony, but gritted his teeth and didn't utter a sound.

After a few breaths, Zhu Chongba slowly stood up.

He has now been completely transformed.

His originally thin body became tall and strong, and firm muscle lines could be vaguely seen under his tattered clothes.

"How do you feel?" Zhu Houcong asked with a smile.

Zhu Chongba clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within him, and suddenly punched the ground.

boom!

The ground beneath the fist was instantly shattered into pieces.

"Is this...is this the power of a martial artist?"

Zhu Chongba looked at his hands in disbelief, then bowed deeply to Zhu Houcong.

"I will never forget the Emperor's grace in restoring my life."

Zhu Houcong waved his hand.

"You are now a ninth-rank martial artist. Remember who gave you this power. What I can give you, I can take back."

"Zhongba understands."

Chapter 214 The Ming Cult is Established, and Another Reward is Received

"Chongba, do you know any other little beggars?" Zhu Houcong asked again.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Chongba straightened his chest, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes.

"Replying to Your Majesty, I know seven or eight little beggars. They all listen to me; I'm their leader."

"very good."

Zhu Houcong nodded in satisfaction.

Just then, Zhu Shou's tall figure silently walked out of the teahouse entrance and came up behind Zhu Houcong.

He exuded a chilling aura.

Clearly, the bloody atmosphere from the rampage in the teahouse had not completely dissipated.

Zhu Houcong pointed at Zhu Shou and said.

"This man is named Zhu Shou, and he is actually from your clan."

"From now on, you will work for him."

Gudong!

Zhu Chongba unconsciously swallowed and subconsciously took two steps back.

Just now in the teahouse, he had personally witnessed how this expressionless man chopped four burly men into minced meat.

Moreover, the young master of the Longyang Sect was literally stabbed to death by him like a skewer.

Standing so close to him now, Zhu Shou's lifeless eyes sent chills down his spine.

But then he remembered that he was now under the command of the Emperor of Longevity, so he mustered his courage and respectfully bowed.

"Zhongba greets Your Excellency."

Zhu Shou nodded but did not speak.

This was also to show Zhu Chongba that Zhu Houcong was the one of the most honorable.

Zhu Houcong continued, "Take Zhu Shou to see the other little beggars. He will explain what you need to do."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Watching Zhu Houcong's receding figure, Zhu Chongba felt both excited and apprehensive.

He secretly glanced at Zhu Shou, who looked like a ghost beside him, and clenched his fist.

He knew that his life would be completely changed from this moment on.

Meanwhile, Zhu Houcong, in the distance, watched all of this through Zhu Shou's gaze.

A faint smile played on his lips as he pondered his next move.

After subduing Zhu Chongba and his group of beggars, they led them to destroy the Longyang Sect.

Firstly, they seized the money and resources of Longyangmen to prepare for future development.

Secondly, it will also allow Zhu Chongba and his men to make rapid progress in actual combat, and such things will be inevitable in the future.

The rest was naturally not something he needed to do personally; he could simply control Zhu Shou to handle it.

Zhu Houcong strolled leisurely through the bustling streets of eastern Yizhou City, enjoying the unique atmosphere of this important southwestern town.

I visited Chengdu several times in my past life.

It's really great!

He casually bought a skewer of candied hawthorns, tasting them while nodding to himself.

Although the prosperity of Yizhou City cannot compare to that of Jinling.

But it has a unique flavor.

As dusk fell, Zhu Houcong finally arrived at "Chuanyulou," the largest restaurant in Yizhou City.

This restaurant is five stories high, with upturned eaves and corners, and two rows of large red lanterns hanging in front of the door.

It looked particularly grand in the twilight.

"Manager, a superior room, please."

Zhu Houcong casually tossed out a silver ingot.

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up, and he quickly led the way himself.

"This way, sir. This is room number three, our best room. You can see the river view right outside the window."

After settling in, Zhu Houcong continued to cultivate the secret techniques of the Taoist Heavenly Sect.

We'll set off after we've got Zhu Shou under control and finished what we've done.

After all, Zhu Shou was a puppet nurtured by the Super Heavenly General Pill, and his strength was even three points stronger than his master.

He could only feel at ease with Zhu Shou by his side.

We haven't seen the beauties in "Lotus Pavilion" yet.

What if he encounters some reclusive master on the way and kills him? Wouldn't that be a huge loss?

Meanwhile, Zhu Shou had already subdued ten little beggars, giving each of them a martial arts golden pill.

They all successfully became sixth-rank martial artists.

Zhu Houcong controlled Zhu Shou and spoke calmly.

"From this day forward, you are all disciples of Emperor Wanshou, and Zhu Chongba will henceforth be your hall master."

The little beggars looked at each other, both excited and apprehensive.

Zhu Chongba, mustering his courage, asked, "Sir, what kind of sect are we in?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houcong in the Sichuan-Chongqing Building was stunned.

Yes!

If we're going to build up a force, we need to come up with a catchy name!

He pondered for a moment, then a wicked idea suddenly popped into his head.

The next second, Zhu Shou's voice suddenly rose eight octaves.

"Listen up, all of you. From this day forward, you are all members of the Ming Cult."

"Mingjiao?"

Zhu Chongba and the others repeated the unfamiliar name in unison.