The Great King Was a Good-for-Nothing!

"Zhao Gongming? How did he know something had happened in Chaoge? Could he be the one they called Uncle-Master Zhao?"

Di Xin's brow furrowed naturally, and he looked deep in thought. Given what had happened, Zhao Gongming had never introduced himself by name. Yang Jian had merely called him Uncle-Master Zhao. If Di Xin immediately knew who he was, it would make him look as if something were wrong with him.

Wen Zhong nodded slightly. "The Great King's guess is correct. It was indeed that man. He came to see me mainly to verify something. He wanted to ask whether the Great King was a member of the Daoist Sect and whether he possessed Magic Power."

At this, Wen Zhong chuckled and continued, "I've served at court for many years and know the Great King extremely well. The reason he asked was that he and two other senior fellow disciples had lost a magic treasure. Their cultivation was profound, so an ordinary person couldn't possibly have stolen it. And since the treasure had ended up in Chaoge, they searched for clues but found none. Naturally, they suspected everyone who had been there, and the Great King couldn't be ruled out either. But I've already put their doubts to rest. I assured them that the Great King wasn't a member of the Daoist Sect and had never cultivated."

Di Xin asked in confusion, "I heard them talking about the stolen treasure on the street, but I never imagined they suspected me. Can't people from the Daoist Sect tell who has Magic Power? Grand Tutor, thinking about it, could someone be trying to stir up trouble in Chaoge? A few days ago, a meteorite fell from the sky and smashed the Imperial Study. The next day, the boulder exploded and nearly hurt someone. Yesterday, the Crown Prince was abducted. Fortunately, an immortal came to our aid in secret, and the Crown Prince and I escaped unharmed. What do you think is going on?"

Wen Zhong pondered for a long while before replying, "These events are indeed suspicious. I'll have to investigate before I can learn the truth. I'll stay in Chaoge and look into this, while also protecting the Great King. Please don't leave the palace again without good reason."

Di Xin let out a long breath. "Then I'll leave it to you, Grand Tutor. That day on the street, I was trapped inside someone's magic treasure and barely escaped with my life. I nearly never saw you again. Only then did I realize how powerful Daoist arts are, so I issued a royal decree to recruit capable people from across the land. But those are outside forces. That's why I'd also like to learn some Daoist arts from you, if only to prolong my life."

Wen Zhong looked troubled, as if he wanted to speak but held back.

Di Xin leaned forward and asked with a frown, "Is something wrong?"

Wen Zhong smiled bitterly. "The Great King is the Human Emperor. You're occupied with governing day and night, buried in paperwork. How could you possibly find time to cultivate Daoist arts?"

Di Xin furrowed his brow again. "Tell me the truth."

Wen Zhong sighed. "Great King, the truth may be rather discouraging. Ten years ago, when you were still the Crown Prince, you fell ill, and I treated you. I examined your aptitude then. Cultivating Daoist arts requires great aptitude, and you simply can't succeed. And..."

"And what? Grand Tutor, don't hold back. Say whatever you have to say."

Di Xin stood up, but inwardly he sighed. When he'd first transmigrated, he'd thought he was the protagonist in a system novel. He hadn't expected to be stuck with the useless-protagonist trope as well.

At the moment, Wen Zhong was the only person he could rely on, so he wasn't about to give up until he got what he wanted.

Aside from what he'd already said, Wen Zhong had another concern.

He was a disciple of the Interception Sect. If he taught the Great King how to cultivate Daoist arts, that would make the Great King a member of the Interception Sect as well.

But the Great King was also the Human Emperor, whose domain belonged to the Human Sect and was within Laozi's sphere of influence. The Interception Sect meddling in the affairs of the Human Sect was the sort of trouble even Lord Tongtian wouldn't want.

But he couldn't say that outright. Given the Great King's current position, he wasn't yet privy to the Daoist Sect's deeper secrets.

After a brief pause, he said, "And even if the Great King managed to cultivate Daoist arts, you still wouldn't be a match for the people of the Daoist Sect."

Di Xin shook his head unconcernedly and recounted how he'd gone to rescue the Crown Prince, fallen off a cliff, and nearly died before being saved.

Then he looked at Wen Zhong and spoke again. "If I'd known even a little Daoist art back then, I wouldn't have had to watch the Crown Prince fall off the cliff, helpless. And after I fell, I wouldn't have had to close my eyes and wait to die. The more skills I have, the better my chances of staying alive. Don't you agree, Grand Tutor?"

Wen Zhong was at a loss for words.

After a moment's silence, he said, "Please give me some time to consider it, Great King. I'll give you an answer tomorrow."

Di Xin knew there was no point in rushing him, so he didn't force him to decide on the spot. He then discussed with Wen Zhong his reasons for withdrawing the troops and his plan to reduce the annual taxes across the realm.

The ruler and his minister talked for more than an hour before Wen Zhong finally took his leave.

Outside the palace gate, his attendants and mount, Ink Qilin, were already waiting. Wen Zhong climbed onto the tall, imposing Ink Qilin and left through the western gate beneath countless watching eyes.

Once they reached a secluded spot, white clouds appeared beneath Ink Qilin's feet. The qilin rose into the air and sped toward Chaoge Mountain.

They flew over Chaoge Mountain and continued west, traveling more than ten miles into the range before descending into a wooded valley.

"Daoist Wen, we parted yesterday. I didn't expect to see you again today."

In the woods, Zhao Gongming, Lady Yunxiao, Lady Bixiao, and Lady Qiongxiao were looking up as he approached. Zhao Gongming greeted him with a fist-and-palm salute.

Wen Zhong returned the salute and stepped down from Ink Qilin, looking from one to the next. "Respected Uncles-Master, your disciple pays his respects."

"Daoist Wen, since you and my elder brother address each other as fellow Daoists, there's no need for all these formalities," Lady Yunxiao said with a smile and a nod.

"Since you all say so, I won't stand on ceremony," Wen Zhong replied.

He had no objections. Getting straight to the point, he asked, "Was the Crown Prince's abduction a test by you fellow Daoists?"

Lady Bixiao didn't hide anything. She admitted at once, "Daoist Wen is right. My younger sister Qiongxiao and I were responsible."

Wen Zhong gave a helpless smile. "Zhao Gongming and I already discussed this. Perhaps you two didn't know that we'd met. Since it's already happened, there's nothing to be done. The Great King truly cannot use Daoist arts and isn't a member of the Daoist Sect, so you should be able to put your suspicions about him to rest. I can offer you another lead: a huge meteorite fell into the Royal Palace a few days ago. Perhaps the theft of your treasures is connected to that incident."

"Besides, you were focused only on what was happening on the streets. You may not realize that some fellow Daoists are skilled in earth escape. If the thief was underground, how could you have found them?"

Lady Bixiao's expression turned solemn. "Our repeated tests were unavoidable. The sect has lost three important treasures in succession, and that's no small matter. We did test Di Xin before my elder brother returned. But Lady Yunxiao went to Biyou Palace and met with the Cult Master. After making some deductions, he still couldn't uncover the truth about the missing treasures. Can you guess why, Daoist Wen?"