Chapter 584: Gods Face to Face

By the time Yin Zhong returned to his home in the capital, summer had already arrived. All his men, including those who had been tracking and investigating, had returned safely with him to the capital's prefecture, with the exception of two who were lost during the initial encounter.

For the past few months, they had endured harsh conditions and barely slept soundly. Even Yin Zhong felt some fatigue, but he regarded it as high-intensity training, which he found incredibly fulfilling.

After inquiring with the household servants, he learned that Yin Zhaoxian and Yin Qing were still at the government office, and Mr. Ji had not yet departed. So, Yin Zhong naturally went directly to the guesthouse to see Ji Yuan.

Upon entering the guesthouse courtyard, Yin Zhong saw Ji Yuan writing. He slowed his steps and approached, his attention drawn to the paper. The calligraphy was excellent, and the writing seemed profound, but he figured it was beyond mortal comprehension; at least, he couldn't understand it.

"You're back? Did everything go smoothly?"

Ji Yuan looked up at the dust-covered Yin Zhong and asked casually as he lowered his head to continue writing.

"It went well enough. Aside from the initial encounter, there weren't many major complications later on..."

Yin Zhong specifically recounted the various attacks to Ji Yuan, emphasizing that the first one was the most dangerous. The armored soldiers were highly trained and skilled, equipped with powerful military crossbows. Their coordination and fighting spirit far surpassed that of any common martial artist. While subsequent attacks involved some skilled martial artists, they exerted far less pressure and were easier to handle.

"You didn't leave any alive to question?"

Yin Zhong straddled a stone stool and chuckled. "Leaving survivors would have been more troublesome; we eliminated everyone each time. As for who was behind it, I can probably infer some things. My father and elder brother, needless to say, can guess even more — some they can deduce, and some they wouldn't dare to."

Ji Yuan dipped his brush in ink, then looked at Yin Zhong with a smile. "I think you'd also have a great future as a civil official!"

"Oh, please, sir, don't joke! Government offices have endless documents to process and endless worries from morning till night. While military life isn't a leisure activity, it's far more gratifying!"

At this point, Yin Zhong suddenly leaned closer, looking at Ji Yuan's writing, and spoke. "Mr. Ji, I've always wanted to ask: Are you particularly unique, or are all immortals as kind and approachable as you?"

"Sir, I am not always kind. Most cultivators treat the good with kindness and the wicked with severity; in that regard, we are not much different from ordinary people."

Yin Zhong grinned. "Immortals and mortals are still very different. At the very least, immortals are immortal and do not die. For instance, Mr. Ji, chances are you'll still look exactly like this when I'm old."

Ji Yuan finished the last character on the page, put down his brush, pondered seriously for a moment, and then replied. "Perhaps I will indeed look the same when you're old, but longevity and eternal life are not the same concept. I merely live relatively longer; there is no one in this world who is truly immortal. So, do you wish to cultivate immortality?"

When Ji Yuan asked this, Yin Zhong nodded and replied frankly. "I have indeed considered it. Who wouldn't envy immortals? However, observing your state, Mr. Ji, it seems many wonders merely elicit a calm smile from you. I feel one would lose much joy. I'm more comfortable as I am now. Besides, looking at my father and elder brother, living too long can be exhausting. To live a brilliant life and be remembered afterward—that's the best."

A divine light flickered in Ji Yuan's ancient eyes as he looked at Yin Zhong, his heart deeply resonating with his words. "To have one's writings endure or one's deeds be remembered by future generations is a form of legacy, no less significant than cultivating immortality."

"Like my father, for instance?"

Yin Zhong then asked, and Ji Yuan nodded in earnest. "Precisely, your father!"

They chatted casually for a while before Yin Zhong shifted the topic to the current situation at court.

To Yin Zhong's surprise, Ji Yuan, who seemed unconcerned, was fully aware of all the changes that had transpired. This made Yin Zhong realize that his father and elder brother had, within a few months, gained control of the situation using strategies like 'divide and conquer' and 'discretionary handling.' During this period, Emperor Yang Hao's imperial authority had grown stronger than before, yet the court's ceremonial and legal power also became more stringent without losing flexibility.

Even Yin Zhong, from Ji Yuan's brief remarks, could easily imagine that in a few generations, it might become exceedingly difficult for emperors to disregard established rites and laws. Yet, this might also inadvertently protect imperial authority.

Yin Zhong's return coincided with the apparent conclusion of a significant struggle. That afternoon, when Yin Zhaoxian and Yin Qing returned home and saw him, they immediately instructed the servants to prepare a celebratory banquet.

Having known Ji Yuan for more than just a day or two, or even a year or two, Yin Zhaoxian and Yin Qing, while not claiming to fully understand him, vaguely comprehended certain matters. With the capital's affairs largely settled and Yin Zhong back, they surmised that Ji Yuan would soon depart.

After raising their cups together at the banquet the previous night, Ji Yuan bid farewell to the Yin family the next day. This entire struggle, from the moment Emperor Hongwu compromised, had already predetermined its outcome. Although it would still take time for certain policies to be fully implemented across Dazhen, there was now little resistance left to threaten the reformists.

Before departing Dazhen's capital, Ji Yuan leisurely strolled towards the imperial city, then entered the imperial palace. As he passed by the guards outside the Meridian Gate and the patrolling imperial guards, no one reacted.

Observing the palace's aura, Ji Yuan made his way to the Imperial Study, where he saw Emperor Hongwu reading a book. A eunuch was indeed busy with a stack of memorials on the desk, all already annotated and ready to be sent back to their respective government offices.

It must be acknowledged that Emperor Yang Hao's diligence in governance was several notches above his father, Yang Zong. For the entirety of Dazhen, calling him a good emperor would be no exaggeration. At that moment, Yang Hao uncharacteristically held a seemingly lighthearted book, and Ji Yuan could discern its nature from the emperor's occasional smiles.

Ji Yuan had no other intention; he simply wished to see the emperor, whose life was nearing its end, before departing, perhaps to exchange a few words, directly or indirectly.

Indeed, Yang Hao had little time left to live. He knew it himself, as did Grand Eunuch Li Jingchun and two imperial physicians. Du Changsheng, who had been privately summoned several times, was also aware, and so was Ji Yuan. Beyond them, even Yin Zhaoxian, his son Yang Sheng, and the palace concubines remained oblivious.

Had he not been aware of his impending demise, Yang Hao might not have made such clear compromises with the reformists after Yin Zhaoxian reassumed control of court affairs.

Because the book Yang Hao held was quite ordinary, Ji Yuan had to get closer to vaguely discern the title on its cover: *Wild Fox's Shame*. From the title alone, Ji Yuan knew it was a rather unconventional collection of miscellaneous tales.

"Hehehe... hehe..."

Yang Hao chuckled softly, seemingly engrossed in the book's content. He reached for a piece of candied fruit from a plate on the desk and put it into his mouth, then turned the page. There was an illustration there. Ji Yuan specifically moved to the other side of the desk and found the drawing surprisingly clear. The figures in the illustration displayed alluring and voluptuous poses, which must have taken considerable effort from the author to be so discernible to Ji Yuan.

'The desires for food and sex are human nature!'

Ji Yuan couldn't help but smile. With court affairs settled, Yin Zhaoxian safe, and the Crown Prince proving capable, Yang Hao was relatively at ease. Even so, for a monarch to possess such a mindset when facing death was truly rare and commendable.

After reading the page, Yang Hao turned it over, then repeatedly flipped back to revisit the illustration. As he continued to gaze, his attention drifted from the book. He suddenly felt a refreshing clarity in the Imperial Study, a stark contrast to what now, in retrospect, felt like a murky, oppressive atmosphere. What was peculiar was that he hadn't felt anything amiss before, yet now he experienced this clear distinction.

Yang Hao's gaze shifted to his left, then to his right, towards where Ji Yuan stood. Ji Yuan knew Yang Hao couldn't truly see him, but it was remarkably coincidental how his gaze seemed to intersect with Ji Yuan's presence.

"Is, is anyone there?"

Yang Hao, sensing something vaguely, subconsciously uttered the words. The next moment, Li Jingchun, who had been outside, scurried in.

"Your Majesty, what are your commands?"

Yang Hao glanced at the old eunuch, then put down his book and stood up, looking around the room, even behind himself. The feeling in his heart seemed to intensify.

"Is anyone here?"

The old eunuch below opened his mouth but remained silent, knowing the emperor wasn't speaking to him. Yet, the scene before him inexplicably made him uneasy. Just as he was about to quietly summon an imperial physician, a calm voice filled the room.

"Yes."

The old eunuch was startled, a jolt running through him. He leaped to the emperor's side, scanning the room with a tense expression.

"Your Majesty, be careful! Guards! Guards!"

At that very moment, Ji Yuan's figure naturally appeared beside the imperial desk, not materializing from thin air, but as if he had always been there.

"Guards, protect His Majesty! Your Majesty..."

The old eunuch was urgently calling out, but Yang Hao raised a hand to stop him. It was then that the eunuch suddenly realized why, despite his repeated calls, no armed guards had entered.

"You, you..."

Yang Hao pointed at Ji Yuan with a slightly trembling hand, his face etched with surprise. "I... I think I've seen you before. I must have seen you somewhere..."

Ji Yuan offered no riddles, simply smiling and bowing to Emperor Yuande. "My name is Ji Yuan. We met briefly many years ago, Your Majesty. Witnessing your present leisurely and carefree disposition, I decided to reveal myself."

"Ji Yuan... Ji Yuan! Is that... Mr. Ji? The one from Prime Minister Yin's residence?"

"Your Majesty has a good memory."

With that single sentence, Ji Yuan confirmed it.

"You, this..."

Yang Hao's thoughts were a little muddled, but he quickly cleared his mind and understood something profound. "Mr. Ji is an immortal?"

It was a peculiar sensation. When he met Du Changsheng, despite knowing his formidable abilities, Yang Hao never felt he was an immortal. Yet, with Ji Yuan, who outwardly displayed nothing, Yang Hao instinctively knew he was in the presence of a true immortal.