But I Refuse!

Yu Emperor picked up the tea and took a sip. The taste was acceptable, though not as good as the Cloud Mist Tea specially supplied to the Imperial Palace, but it had its own sweetness from the mountains and fields.

"You seem to have a good outlook on things," Yu Emperor chuckled.

"I'm used to the ways of the world now, and my heart finds peace wherever I go," Li Hao said with a casual smile.

Poetry and Literature experience +66.

Yu Emperor was slightly taken aback. He glanced at Li Hao, and his eyes flickered slightly as he thought of the young man's situation.

"No wonder those stubborn old men in the Hanlin Academy all like you so much."

He seemed to be sighing, or perhaps lamenting.

Li Hao was somewhat surprised. Wasn't the Hanlin Academy a place for scholars and literati? He didn't seem to have much interaction with them.

"Come on, let me see if your Chess have improved. Don't just pretend."

Yu Emperor lifted his robe and sat on the Meditation Cushion, speaking half-jokingly.

Seeing this, Li Hao also sat up straight. He knew that His Majesty had come here not just to Chess, but also to bring the answer Li Hao was waiting for.

But the answer was deeper and more profound than he had anticipated.

This made him feel somewhat ashamed.

After gathering the scattered pieces on the Go Board, the two players slowly placed their pieces.

Li Hao plays white.

"Don't you dare let me have my way; I don't need anyone to let me have my way," said Yu Emperor Nianzi.

Li Hao nodded. "I wouldn't dare."

Soon, on the Go Board, the White Stone pieces launched a fierce attack, quickly seizing the main position and establishing an impregnable layout. The Black Stone could only retreat step by step, surrounded by the White Stone and unable to break free.

"You little brat..."

Yu Emperor grinned slightly. "Good lad, you really mean it, saying you won't allow it."

Li Hao coughed lightly, seemingly taking things too seriously. He was currently Chess Dao Rank 6, though he had just reached that Sixth Dan and his experience wasn't yet maxed out. Back when he was Fifth Dan, he could easily defeat His Majesty.

"Again."

Yu Emperor was clearly unwilling to admit defeat, or rather, he had never experienced defeat since ascending the Empress Consort... except when playing chess with Li Hao.

In the three consecutive games, Li Hao still chose to go easy on His Majesty, allowing him to experience some of the fun of the game rather than being completely crushed.

Soon, Yu Emperor's addiction to chess was cured.

So in the fourth game, Yu Emperor's expression was no longer so serious and focused. As he placed his piece, he seemed to casually say:

"Did you consider the consequences when you killed the Buddha Master?"

Li Hao was also quite adept at the game. Seeing that the old man was getting serious, he slightly composed himself and said:

"I've thought about it."

"Oh? So what do you think?"

Yu Emperor placed a piece on the board and looked at Li Hao with great interest.

"I think you might have a lot of trouble, senior, and you'll be causing trouble for me," Li Hao sighed.

Yu Emperor was slightly taken aback, then asked, "So, what do you think I should do?"

Li Hao shook his head slightly. "I haven't thought about that in detail."

"Didn't think about it carefully?"

"Yes, I will accept whatever punishment I receive."

Li Hao added, "As long as it doesn't cost me my life."

"..."

Yu Emperor stared at the boy's serious expression for two seconds, then said with a mixture of amusement and exasperation:

"You're quite carefree. Aren't you afraid that the Buddhist Sect will put pressure on me, and that to quell public anger, I'll strip you of your Merit and Fame and take back the Third-Class Noble Title you worked so hard to obtain?"

"If that's all there is to it, then killing the Buddha Master was still worthwhile."

Li Hao said.

Yu Emperor was speechless, then said irritably, "You really are quite willing to spend that much."

"Give up a fleeting moment of Wind Moon, and gain eternal sky."

Li Hao smiled and said, "I came here alone, so there's nothing to be reluctant about. I have wine, meat, and friends; that's enough."

Poetry and Literature experience +166.

"This is a Zen saying. Buddha Master could have understood it, perhaps he wouldn't have been killed by you," Yu Emperor said, shaking his head and sighing.

"Perhaps his cultivation is not yet sufficient," Li Hao said.

Yu Emperor glanced at him, and the two looked at each other and burst into laughter.

After finishing his laughter, Yu Emperor said to Li Hao, "If I were to revoke your Merit and Fame, would you resent me?"

Li Hao shook his head, Wu Hen placing a piece on the board. "How could that be? This was originally a gift from the senior."

"But it's something you've worked hard for."

"Even without this Merit and Fame, I would still be working this hard," Li Hao said.

Yu Emperor glanced at him, a smile appearing on his lips. He lowered his head to place a piece, but when he finished, he saw that Li Hao had placed a piece earlier, blocking his other path.

"That brat... "Yu Emperor was somewhat annoyed. "We're talking about serious matters, and this kid still has the mind to tamper with the Go Board."

It's not raining anymore!

Yu Emperor picked up Black Stone piece and tossed it into the Go Box, then flicked his sleeve and said:

"Let's get down to business. I should be thanking you. The Buddha Master had already fallen into demonic possession, and your actions can be seen as eliminating a potential threat for Great Yu."

Li Hao was taken aback and asked in surprise, "Senior knows that the Buddha Master's avatar is Mara?"

Yu Emperor nodded slightly and looked at Li Hao: "It seems you also know why you didn't tell me earlier?"

"I forgot." Li Hao coughed lightly.

Yu Emperor slightly pursed his lips, but his eyes were deep and unfathomable, as if something was swirling within them.

What did he forget? This kid is clearly worried that if he revealed it, it would make things even more difficult for him to handle this matter...

"You..."

Yu Emperor shook his head slightly and said, "This time, the remnants of the Buddhist Sect are putting pressure on me to strip you of your title. There are probably Demon behind this, trying to divide us and take advantage of our weakness."

"There is a way now, which is to temporarily inconvenience you. I will announce to the All Under Heaven that I will strip you of your Merit and Fame and imprison you in a fake break with me."

"This will lure the Demon into a counterattack, allowing us to wait for the Buddhist Sect to cause trouble and turn the tables."

Li Hao listened quietly and nodded slightly; this was indeed a good idea.

"But if that's the case, we have to make the act convincing, and you'll suffer a lot." Yu Emperor looked at Li Hao.

Li Hao nodded. "Okay."

Yu Emperor stared at him for a moment and said, "Afterwards, how do you want me to compensate you?"

"Compensate?"

Li Hao thought for a moment and said, "If possible, could you give me some calligraphy and paintings, Guqin Manual, or Chess Manual by Famed Master so I can admire them? And also some recipes..."

He counted them one by one on his fingers.

"..."

Yu Emperor remained silent.

Calligraphy and paintings? Guqin Manual? Chess Manual... what kind of junk is this?

For wealthy businessmen, it might be valuable, but for someone of Li Hao's power, wealth and power are readily available.

These things... can only be considered garbage.

"Besides these, do you have no other requests?" Yu Emperor gazed intently at him.

Li Hao thought for a moment, then shook his head slightly. "Nothing for now."

Seeing this, Yu Emperor gave him a deep look, said nothing more, and stood up, saying, "It's getting late, I should go back."

"I'll see you off," Li Hao said quickly.

"Need not."

Yu Emperor glanced at Feng Boping in the courtyard, his eyes flickering slightly, and said, "He must be that Thief Saint. It seems he knows many of the Buddha Master's secrets and that the Buddha Master has tampered with him. Is this a case of a missing soul?"

Li Hao said in a low voice, "That's right."

Yu Emperor patted Li Hao on the shoulder and said, "I'll talk to the Wang Family later. They control all the Mo River of the All Under Heaven. As long as it's within the territory of Great Yu, they can basically find it. We'll see if we can find his missing soul. If we can find which Mo River it's in, then we'll try to pass the test."

Li Hao was taken aback, then quickly said, "I'll go now."

Yu Emperor glanced at him, saw the excitement in his eyes, smiled helplessly, and said:

"It's no use you going there first. You'll just be waiting around. There are many Buddhist Sect disciples in the Wang Family. If they find out about you, they might be foolish and offend you, causing more conflict. It's better if I let you know when I get news from them, and then you can go directly Past."

Upon hearing this, Li Hao thought for a moment and said, "That works too."

"Don't worry, I'll have them search thoroughly."

Yu Emperor said this, then walked out of the courtyard with his hands behind his back.

Li Hao watched his retreating figure disappear, vanishing as if by teleportation shortly after stepping out of the courtyard.

That trace... was not guided by the Dao Resonance, nor by the Dao Domain, but rather... the Aura of the Great Dao.

Is Your Majesty at the Dao Inquiry Realm?

Li Hao was slightly taken aback, but after a moment's thought, he felt relieved.

If even the Buddha Master could hide his secrets so well, who else wouldn't have something hidden?

As the courtyard gate closed, Ren Qianqian walked over curiously and asked, "Young Master, who is he?"

"An old man who knows how to Chess."

Li Hao looked in the direction where Yu Emperor had left.

Is he good at Chess?

Ren Qianqian was surprised; even the Little Chess Saint had never been praised like this by Li Hao.

His Chess are average, but his sportsmanship is excellent.

"Then isn't the young master winning all the time?"

No, I've been losing.

In the Imperial City Imperial Palace of Great Yu Province.

As Chu Jiuyue waited anxiously, Yu Emperor returned.

He first went to the Qian Dao Palace to confirm the answer, and then sent people to inform the Wang Family to search for Feng Boping's remnant soul in the Mo River. At the same time, he summoned a series of secret figures to the Imperial Palace.

These people are silent and ghostly; even high-ranking officials and ministers cannot see them on ordinary days.

Among them was a bird-like figure that landed in the Imperial Palace, retracted its wings, and transformed into the appearance of a young girl.

As secret orders were issued, the entire power behind the Divine Dynasty, with the Imperial Palace as its center, quietly began to operate.

"Your Majesty, news has come from the Buddhist Sect's Dark Armor that they are planning to cause trouble in various cities, making a big fuss in order to pressure Your Majesty."

Chu Jiuyue reported the news she had received.

Although Yu Emperor had temporarily suppressed the Buddhist Sect resistance in the court, the Buddhist Sect are now emotionally charged and demand an explanation.

Upon hearing Chu Jiuyue's words, Yu Emperor's expression remained unchanged, as if he had expected it. A slight, cold smile appeared on his lips.

"Let them make a scene then; they'll soon get the answer they want."

Chu Jiuyue glanced at Yu Emperor and whispered:

"Did Your Majesty go to Chess with General Haotian?"

"Good."

Hearing this answer, Chu Jiuyue, though somewhat expecting it, couldn't help but smile bitterly.

If Buddhist Sect disciples knew this, they would probably be so angry they'd have a stroke on the spot.

"What about General Haotian...?"

Yu Emperor glanced at him and chuckled, "I gave him a solution, the kind that Buddhist Sect hopes for."

Chu Jiuyue's expression changed slightly, and she asked expectantly, "Will General Haotian agree?"

Yu Emperor nodded. "I agreed without hesitation."

Chu Jiuyue was taken aback, then secretly breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "If General Haotian can understand His Majesty's difficulties and intentions, that would be the best outcome."

Yu Emperor smiled slightly, staring at the character "Buddha" on the desk, but his gaze slowly turned cold.

But I disagree.

Chu Jiuyue was taken aback.

"He's willing to endure this injustice, but I... I don't want to see him suffer like this!"

Yu Emperor turned to look at Chu Jiuyue and said, "Didn't you ask me earlier why I trusted him so much?"

Chu Jiuyue was bewildered.

"Because I can understand this child."

Yu Emperor said softly, "You can't understand, it's like a mayfly looking at the Blue Heaven. Your world is too small, that child's world is too big."

Chu Jiuyue was shocked. He hadn't expected that Yu Emperor would value that child to such an extent, far exceeding his imagination.

Just as Buddhist disciples in the cities of the Nineteen Provinces were about to launch a rebellion, Imperial Edict was issued from the Imperial Palace of Great Yu Province, announcing that the true culprit who killed the Buddha Master had been found!

With corroboration from both the Ministry of Justice and the Demon Suppression Division, the murderer has been identified.

The culprit is none other than the Desolate God behind the seven top Demon forces!

The Demon Emperor from the Great Wasteland Heaven!

The wars in Qing Prefecture, Liang Prefecture, You Province, and other places were all orchestrated by the Demon Emperor!

The Demon Emperor infiltrated Boundless Mountain, pretending to be General Haotian, and fought a great battle with the Buddha Master, killing Buddha Master!

As soon as the Imperial Edict was issued, the news spread throughout the states, causing a stir All Under Heaven.

Previously, the battles between the Great Yu Dynasty and the Demon were fought in secret. Now, Yu Emperor has brought this matter into the open, directly pointing out the existence of the Desolate God.

"Demon Emperor? Desolate God?!"

"I knew it! How could General Haotian kill the Buddha Master for a Thief Saint?"

"So it was all the work of Demon! How insidious! They actually used such methods to frame General Haotian!"

"General Haotian is a genius who saved three states, and the Future hope of our Great Yu Dynasty. How could he possibly do such a thing?"

"The Buddhist Sect disciples keep claiming to have seen it with their own eyes, it's laughable! Does seeing it with your own eyes equate to the truth? What kind of Demon Art is that? Let alone Demon, even a Spirit Wandering Realm cultivator can use illusions to completely fool Circulation Realm Warrior!"

"Nonsense! It's clearly His Majesty protecting them! There are no demons or Demon!"

"I think it's your Buddhist Sect that's the Demon. Why would General Haotian kill the Buddha Master? What reason could he have for doing so?"

The prestige of the Great Yu Imperial Clan was extremely high. Although there were still some who questioned it, they were mostly Buddhist Sect disciples. The people, noble Aristocratic Clan, and other powerful figures in the Nineteen Provinces had largely come to believe that it was the work of Demon.

The people's belief stemmed from their trust in the imperial authority and in Li Hao's past deeds.

Some powerful and influential Aristocratic Clan trusted the imperial power, while others believed in pure self-interest.

They couldn't see any benefit in General Haotian killing the Buddha Master, which forced them to believe.

The high-ranking members of the Buddhist Sect who received the news were nearly furious.

Instead of helping the Buddhist Sect condemn the evildoers, His Majesty intends to use them Buddhist Sect, using the Buddha Master's death to make them exorcise demons?

That's too cruel! This emperor is too ruthless!

This news naturally reached the Demon, and also spread to the Secret Hall outside the Great Yu Province.

Upon hearing this news, the three Desolate God, including Demon Sheep Venerable, were stunned, and their expressions immediately turned grim.

These Human Race only saw that the emperor had cleverly diverted the hatred from the Buddha Master's death, but they knew that the emperor's edict was not merely an attempt to exonerate that terrifying youth, but rather... a direct declaration of war against the three of them!

This means that the opportunity they are waiting for does not exist.

They had anticipated the possibility that the other party might feign a break, and had prepared countermeasures to turn the tables on them.

But this emperor disdained even feigning concern and did not use this incident to give them a weakness to attack. Instead, he redirected the anger of the Buddhist Sect onto the Demon, using Buddhist Sect to raise a sharp spear to defend Great Yu.

"Damn it!"

Demon Sheep Venerable's face was grim.