Chapter 8: Can Dragon Essence Do the Trick?
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Around four or five in the morning, Shen Hao was still half-asleep when someone knocked on his door.
"Your Majesty, it's time for the morning court."
"Your Majesty, it's time for the morning court..."
He had stayed up reading until eleven the night before and barely had a few hours of sleep—now someone was calling him up already? Who could stand this?
Having been used to the routines of the modern world, Shen Hao found it hard to adapt to this new life.
Groggily opening his eyes, he glanced outside. The morning star still twinkled faintly in the pitch-black sky.
His irritation flared instantly. He snapped, "What the hell is this—trying to summon my soul? It's not even light out yet!"
Xuan Dezhi could only reply awkwardly, "Your Majesty, it's almost Mao hour (around 5 a.m.). You need to wash and change for court."
Shen Hao didn't even bother replying. He turned over and pulled the blanket tighter.
What the hell's the point of being Emperor if I still have to be ordered around like this?
He shouted angrily, "Xuan Dezhi! Deliver my decree: Starting today, the morning court session is postponed to 8 a.m. sharp. Tell the ministers to go back and get more sleep. I'm going back to bed."
Xuan Dezhi was speechless. This emperor is way too willful—acting like a tyrant on his very first day in office.
He muttered, "Your Majesty, this goes against ancestral rules... You'll be condemned."
But at the mention of "breaking ancestral rules," Shen Hao suddenly perked up.
He sat up and said boldly, "Exactly! I'm meant to break ancestral rules. I'm the emperor now—I decide everything. Do as I say."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Xuan Dezhi replied, suppressing a sigh and leaving in silence.
If not for the system's reward, Xuan Dezhi would never have submitted so easily. But now, with Shen Hao on the throne, there was no Empress Dowager above him, no queen mother to restrain him. He could do as he pleased.
To be fair, the system-gifted Xuan Dezhi was proving to be quite useful. With his formidable strength, any opposition had already been silenced—only a few dozen eunuchs had been "taken care of."
Outside the palace, the officials were already lined up, waiting for the morning court.
When they saw Xuan Dezhi stepping out, they all straightened up, prepared to greet the emperor.
But before anyone could speak, Xuan Dezhi raised his voice and declared:
"By imperial edict: To show concern for his ministers, His Majesty has decreed that the morning court shall henceforth begin at Shi hour, fifth quarter (8 a.m.). Thus is the will of the Emperor!"
The officials were stunned. The new emperor is already behaving like a useless ruler who shirks his duties?
Li Shimin, Zhu Di, Zhao Guangyi, and the others secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As expected, just another pile of useless mud. This kind of emperor... works for us.
A few censors prepared to voice their objections, but the other ministers quickly pulled them back.
They realized... 8 a.m. court didn't sound so bad. At least they wouldn't have to wake up so early anymore.
It may have violated the Great Zhou's ancestral traditions, but hey—it was a royal edict, wasn't it?
All in all, it benefited them.
Pei Ju frowned. This emperor seems a bit too unruly...
The ministers glanced at one another—no one seemed ready to object.
So they all bowed and chanted, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your gracious care! Long live the Emperor, long live, long live!"
Even those censors who had felt uneasy remained silent. After all, this change served their interests too.
Just as the ministers dispersed, Shen Hao's system pinged again.
[Ding!
Congratulations, Host, for once again breaking ancestral tradition by altering the morning court schedule and receiving unanimous praise from the ministers.
Reward: The Four Ghosts of Xiangxi]
Shen Hao was startled. He hadn't expected the reward this time to be the famed bodyguards of Shen Wansan—the richest man from the World's Number One universe.
The Four Ghosts of Xiangxi were immensely powerful, not inferior to Zhu Wushi.
They were the only ones in the martial world to have mastered the Phantom God Technique—a skill designed to counterattack through defense. Anyone caught in their entangling moves would find their techniques rendered useless. It was a bit like internal energy nullification.
That's why they were nicknamed the "Undying Ghosts of Xiangxi."
Of course, in World's Number One, they eventually fell to the schemes of the Iron Gallant Marquis, mainly because Zhu Wushi was such a brilliant actor and discovered their fatal weakness.
In that world, their only nemeses were the Heaven Pool Mystic's dual legacies—Absorbing Skill Technique and Diamond Invincibility Technique.
But in this world, techniques like North Sea Mystic Art from the Xiaoyao Sect or Jiang Yuyan's Bride's Gown Divine Skill also had energy-absorbing capabilities.
Even so, the Four Ghosts of Xiangxi were as powerful as Grandmasters and incredibly fast on top of that—a key point that greatly pleased Shen Hao.
Now fully awake, Shen Hao summoned Xuan Dezhi.
"Your Majesty, what are your orders?" Xuan Dezhi asked curiously.
He had just declared he was going back to bed—what now?
"That so-called True Dragon Physique—what the hell is it?" Shen Hao asked the question that had been bothering him for a while.
Xuan Dezhi's face twitched. He replied awkwardly, "The True Dragon Physique is also known as the Pure Yang Body... But, um, Your Majesty seems to be... missing a component."
Shen Hao's expression darkened. "What the hell did you just say? What am I missing?! I'll drop my pants and scare you to death!"
Xuan Dezhi quickly clarified, "I mean someone tampered with your body when you were a child. That's why you're... currently unable to fulfill a man's duties."
Shen Hao's face turned pitch-black. No wonder he hadn't reacted to all those stunning palace ladies...
Thinking about it made him want to cough up blood.
You made me Emperor, gave me the Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic, and eight devastatingly beautiful women. And now you're telling me—I can't even get it up?
Then what the hell is the point of this?!
He was furious.
But then he reminded himself—this was a martial world filled with mystical techniques and divine treasures. With the system at his side, anything was possible.
His mood began to settle again.
So this Prince Ji Hao had it rough... This is the fate of having no maternal clan support. Even a commoner had it better.
Then he asked, "Do you know how I can become a True Dragon Physique?"
"You just need to be baptized with celestial-grade treasures—pure yang items, specifically. But those are as rare as phoenix feathers. I've never even heard of one appearing," Xuan Dezhi replied.
"But to restore your... functionality, that's simpler. I remember there's a martial art in the Great Ming Mirror called Divine Illumination Scripture that could heal your body. If Your Majesty wishes, I can retrieve it."
Shen Hao shook his head. As amazing as Divine Illumination Scripture is, it's nothing compared to the Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic. Once you've seen the finest jade, why settle for rubble?
"What about Dragon Essence? Can that temper the body?" he asked.
"Of course it can. But that kind of divine treasure... common folk shouldn't even dream of it," Xuan Dezhi replied, shaking his head.