Hall of Imperial Mausoleum.
Looking at the ground littered with corpses, Zhu Houzhao wore an expressionless face.
There was not even the slightest ripple in his heart.
Including the old Daoist, only three people remained in the hall.
Other than Zhao Pu, there was also Shi Shouxin.
According to outside rumors, these founding ministers of the Song Dynasty had all received a peaceful end under Zhao Kuangyin's care.
Now it seemed that those so-called peaceful endings were just decoys.
In Zhu Houzhao's eyes, Zhao Kuangyin's actions were filled with contradictions.
Even a bit unbelievable.
The more he thought about it, the more bizarre it seemed.
He even faintly developed a suspicion deep in his heart.
This suspicion still needed further investigation.
If it was confirmed, then the matter would become even more interesting.
"Hmm? Judging by your expressions, you don't seem all that upset?"
"You all lived together for a hundred years. Do you really feel no emotion at all?"
Zhu Houzhao looked at the three in front of him with a hint of sarcasm.
"After a century of existence, we've long been the living dead."
"Whether we die a moment earlier or later, what difference does it make?"
"They are not dead. They are truly liberated."
To Zhu Houzhao's words, none of them responded directly.
Especially Zhao Pu, whose expression was calm and composed.
"You three aren't bad. At least your mental fortitude is stronger than the others."
"In a hundred years, you all crazily devoured so much of the National Fortune to forcibly increase your strength."
"Now that the Song Dragon Vein is destroyed and its National Fortune is broken, you can still withstand the backlash and remain clear-minded. At least it shows your cultivation over the years wasn't in vain."
"What? You mean the change in us just now was because of the backlash of the National Fortune?"
Hearing Zhu Houzhao's sigh, Zhao Pu and Shi Shouxin remained calm.
But the old Daoist's eyes widened in surprise.
A trace of curiosity appeared on his face.
"Hmm? You didn't know?"
"You thought your breakthroughs to the Land Immortal Realm over the past hundred years were due to your talent and effort?"
"That's giving yourselves too much credit."
"Especially just now, some of you had such terrible talent that even an ordinary martial arts genius could surpass you."
"How could you possibly break through to the Land Immortal Realm? Even becoming a Grandmaster or Great Grandmaster would have been impossible."
"Didn't you find it strange?"
"You mean... it was because of the National Fortune!"
"Exactly. It was the National Fortune. You relied on it to forcibly raise your cultivation, but at the same time, you became overly dependent on it."
"You were bound together with the National Fortune. When it flourished, you flourished. When it declined, you declined."
"Now that the Song Dragon Vein and National Fortune are both destroyed, you who relied on it to live naturally suffered the backlash first."
"When you went mad just now, I didn't realize it."
"Now that I've thought about it, it's clear. They were all struck by the backlash of the National Fortune."
"I suppose Zhao Kuangyin imprisoned you here back then to let you cultivate with the help of the National Fortune."
"Once you grew stronger, you could guard the Song Dragon Vein and National Fortune."
"Perhaps, Zhao Kuangyin truly considered you as his trusted aides and trump cards."
"Unfortunately, before he could fully implement his plan or even explain it to you, he fell into a power struggle with Zhao Kuangyi."
"He even ended up trapped in the Southern Song Dragon Vein."
"You all were left in complete ignorance."
"You didn't even understand what your greatest reliance was."
"This is both your greatest fortune and your greatest tragedy."
"How ironic."
"Alas, years of doubts have finally been answered. Even if I die now, I have no regrets."
"For so many years, I have hated Zhao Kuangyin."
"In the end, it turned out to be for this reason."
"I really don't know what to feel toward Zhao Kuangyin anymore."
"I only hope that in the next life, I'll have no further ties to him."
"However, I do have one more question. Who exactly are you?"
"You came here alone and even had the power to destroy the Song Dragon Vein and National Fortune."
"It seems you're an enemy of the Song Dynasty."
"I am the current Ming Emperor."
Zhu Houzhao didn't conceal anything and directly revealed his identity.
"The Ming Emperor? Impossible!"
"You're an emperor? How can you be this powerful?"
"Judging by your age, you're definitely not over thirty!"
"A God Demon Realm before the age of thirty?"
"Could it be that you truly are one of those so-called reincarnated immortals?"
"Enough. No more idle chatter."
"Right now, even if you want to die, it won't be easy."
"But before that, Daoist, can you answer a few of my questions?"
"Your Majesty, please ask."
"Who are you?"
"With Your Majesty's wisdom, you should have already guessed."
"If I'm not mistaken, you're the one who once played chess with Zhao Kuangyin and won an entire mountain, Ancestor Chen Tuan, correct?"
"Indeed. I am that very Chen Tuan."
"Letting Your Majesty witness this pathetic state, I must say, looking back now, I never truly won against him."
"From the very beginning, Zhao Kuangyin was scheming against me."
"His purpose was to bind me to the fate of the Song Dynasty."
"Unfortunately, man proposes, but heaven disposes. He didn't expect to be betrayed not by external enemies, but by his own blood brother."
"In the end, all his plans came to nothing."
Chen Tuan sighed bitterly.
Ever since he began cultivating the Dao, he had held himself in high regard.
He hadn't even taken the Founding Emperor Zhao Kuangyin seriously.
Instead, he had arrogantly approached Zhao Kuangyin himself.
He wanted to win a mountain and establish his Daoist sect.
At the same time, he hoped to use the emperor's name to build fame for himself.
How laughable.
While he was scheming against Zhao Kuangyin, he didn't realize he was the one being schemed against.
In the end, he met a tragic fate.
If not for his solid Dao heart, he would've long gone mad in these past years.
He might have already been one of the people killed by Zhu Houzhao.
"Ancestor Chen Tuan, I've long heard of your great name."
This was a symbolic figure in Daoism.
Zhu Houzhao had naturally guessed his identity from the beginning.
Sure enough.
But now, he was unsure of how to deal with Chen Tuan.
Kill him?
Chen Tuan was no burden.
He was a true talent.
Used wisely, his potential was unimaginable.
As for the other two, Zhao Pu and Shi Shouxin.
Because they had firm hearts and resisted the backlash, Zhu Houzhao viewed them with newfound respect.
A sense of admiration arose in his heart.
Whether to recruit them still needed further consideration.
But one thing was certain.
He had already dismissed the thought of killing them.
Instead of execution, he was now inclined toward using them.
If they performed well in the future, he would not hesitate to bring them under his banner.