Chapter 366: Emperor Zhiyue, A Sincere First Transaction

Emperor Zhiyue was a hunched old man.

But his spirit was exceptionally high, and he looked full of life.

With that kind of energy, Qi Suian suspected he could probably outlive the Crown Prince.

"I’ve heard about what happened at Lanlou Mansion. It was an accident."

Emperor Zhiyue spoke after the three of them arrived.

Whether out of confidence or sheer certainty, there was no one else in the study; just Emperor Zhiyue, reviewing official documents.

He was speaking to Yan Jingxing, not Qi Suian.

Now that they were here, it wouldn’t be right not to offer some explanation.

"The Ghost People were an accident, too?" Yan Jingxing questioned.

This wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

The Ghost People problem had never been solved.

If they were the result of some unforeseen mishap, Yan Jingxing would have had nothing to say.

But the fact that the Royal Family was involved was something he could not accept.

Qi Suian, however, remained silent, his eyes sweeping across the study. He had asked Nangong Yuan about the Royal Family before they came.

The so-called Royal Family wasn’t actually composed of imperial relatives. They were all ’spawned’ in; what family ties could they possibly have?

The Royal Family’s purpose was to research and counter ghosts, much like a scientific research institute, except it also dabbled in political strife.

The Exorcism Bureau was a sub-department that had split off from the Royal Family.

Back when the Ziyue Dynasty was first established, there was no Exorcism Bureau. The Royal Family itself bore the responsibility of handling ghosts.

Only later, as the enterprise grew, were these duties divided.

"The same goes for the Ghost People. Their origins are complex and involve certain secrets," Emperor Zhiyue said, putting down his pen.

"I have plenty of time, Your Majesty. You can take your time explaining, and I’ll take my time listening." Yan Jingxing showed no deference.

Normally, he would have taken the out, but not this time.

Emperor Zhiyue could see Yan Jingxing’s deadly resolve. If he didn’t get a clear explanation today, he would not let the matter rest.

"The Ghost People were once the Royal Shadow Guard, the guardians of our Ziyue Dynasty."

"They do what the Exorcism Bureau dares not."

"Their mortality rate is over a hundred times that of your Exorcism Bureau."

"When one’s specialty is dealing with ghosts, it’s inevitable that some will be corrupted by them. As a result, a portion of the Royal Shadow Guard had their minds twisted by ghosts, transforming into Ghost Slaves."

"That is the reason the Ghost People problem persists."

"While the situation has its drawbacks, it is of critical importance to the Ziyue Dynasty. The Royal Family has made repeated attempts to compensate for it, but with little success."

"The ghost tide at Lanlou Mansion was, indeed, an accident," Emperor Zhiyue stated calmly.

Hearing this, Yan Jingxing’s expression filled with confusion. A group of villains had suddenly been painted as heroes, a reversal he simply couldn’t accept.

"That may be so, but as I recall, Ghost People don’t cooperate with each other, do they? And it wasn’t just one Ghost Person who instigated the ghost tide at Lanlou Mansion," Qi Suian chimed in.

At that moment, Yan Jingxing thought that while Qi Suian could be a real pain, he was the kind of person who truly stepped up when it counted.

He genuinely hadn’t thought of that; it was only thanks to Qi Suian’s interjection that the point occurred to him.

"Those were newly transformed Ghost People. Before the ghost tide, they were still Royal Shadow Guards." Emperor Zhiyue fell silent for a moment, and it was hard to tell if Qi Suian had rendered him speechless or if he was just searching for an excuse.

"So, what were they doing at Lanlou Mansion?" Qi Suian pressed.

"Enough. His Majesty has said what he can. This clearly involves secrets, so don’t ask what you shouldn’t," Nangong Yuan interjected.

The conflict could not be allowed to escalate further; it had to be quelled as quickly as possible.

Yan Jingxing shot Nangong Yuan a glance but ultimately decided not to press the issue.

"If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave." Without waiting for Emperor Zhiyue to respond, Yan Jingxing turned and walked out.

A man who didn’t even want his own life certainly wouldn’t care about a so-called Emperor.

"Commander Nangong, see him on his way. We wouldn’t want any ’accidents’ to happen," said Emperor Zhiyue.

The message was clear: he wanted Nangong Yuan gone as well.

Nangong Yuan didn’t read too much into it. He hurried after Yan Jingxing, hoping to talk him out of doing anything foolish.

Soon, only Qi Suian and Emperor Zhiyue remained in the room.

Before Qi Suian could speak, Emperor Zhiyue spoke first. "Longevity Dew is best when refrigerated in a cool place and consumed quickly."

"When chilled, its flavor is exquisite, far surpassing that of any aged wine."

The moment Qi Suian heard the phrase "aged wine," he knew Emperor Zhiyue had some knowledge of the "truth layer."

The reason was simple: alcohol didn’t even exist in this world.

After all, alcohol had to be brewed, and the Ziyue Dynasty had never developed such a craft. So where could any wine have come from?

"I see." Qi Suian didn’t deny it this time. Instead, he continued, "So, you are Emperor Zhiyue. Is that right?"

A flicker of confusion crossed Emperor Zhiyue’s face. He couldn’t understand the point of Qi Suian’s question.

"Of course I am." Though bewildered, Emperor Zhiyue answered him.

This answer confirmed Emperor Zhiyue’s identity for Qi Suian.

’Before this, I thought he might be an avatar or projection of the World’s Will. Turns out, he isn’t.’

"I have a Golden Body Ghost, and I’d like to trade it for something," Qi Suian said.

Emperor Zhiyue’s confusion vanished, replaced by a look of interest. "Show it to me. If it’s suitable, you can name your price."

He doubted Qi Suian would have the audacity to propose a trade based solely on the Golden Body Ghost’s ability to create gold.

’As for the other information he wanted, that could wait.’

When Qi Suian took the Golden Body Ghost from the Melting Furnace, Emperor Zhiyue saw what was different about it at a glance.

"It’s dormant. It can never kill again." With his expert eye, Emperor Zhiyue had perceived the crucial detail.

As the monarch of a land crawling with ghosts, how could he not understand them? His knowledge, in fact, far surpassed that of most chiefs in the Exorcism Bureau.

"How did you do it?" Emperor Zhiyue realized that the true value lay not just in the Golden Body Ghost itself, but in the method used to render it dormant.

"That costs extra," Qi Suian said with a grin.

’The sample is one thing, the technique is another.’

’You can’t just buy the sample and expect the technique to be thrown in for free.’

"Of course. Name your price." Emperor Zhiyue understood. He had to obtain it, no matter the cost. For them, this was a chance to rise.

"The Ghost Control Technique," Qi Suian said, uttering the three words.

Emperor Zhiyue froze. He truly hadn’t expected Qi Suian to ask for that.

"Done. I will arrange for someone from the Royal Family to teach you how to transplant ghosts." Emperor Zhiyue played a little trick, subtly changing the terms.

In the eyes of an ordinary person, the Ghost Control Technique was simply the art of transplanting ghosts.

But Qi Suian shook his head. "I said, the *Ghost Control Technique*."

He repeated it with emphasis, as if to say, ’Don’t embarrass yourself with your petty tricks.’

’I’m not actually sure if my guess is correct, but I might as well try a bluff,’ Qi Suian thought.

’If the bluff pays off, I’ll hit the jackpot.’

"Not enough." Emperor Zhiyue immediately demanded more. "The Ghost Control Technique is the very foundation upon which the Ziyue Dynasty was built. This Golden Body Ghost alone is nowhere near enough."

’The Emperor thinks I know the truth, not that I’m just guessing. Turns out, my guess was right on the money.’

Qi Suian found it difficult to suppress a smirk.

"A portion of Yang energy," Qi Suian continued. "I only have two portions on me. I’ll spare one for you."

Although Emperor Zhiyue didn’t know what "Yang energy" was, he vaguely guessed it had something to do with the Golden Body Ghost’s dormancy.

"We’ll also need the source," Emperor Zhiyue said.

After all, they couldn’t allow Qi Suian to have them by the throat. They needed to secure their own autonomy.

"Certainly. It’s inside the heads of the other survivors in the ’truth layer’." After a beat, Qi Suian added, "The extraction method... that’s a separate deal."

"’Truth layer’? You mean the Eternal Purgatory, don’t you?" Emperor Zhiyue had no objection but asked to confirm the location, just to be safe.

"The birthplace of Longevity Dew," Qi Suian offered as a case in point.

His own theory confirmed, Emperor Zhiyue then asked, "I’m curious. Why do you call it the ’truth’ layer?"

"It’s just a name. The survivors call it the Netherworld, you call it the Eternal Purgatory, and I call it the truth layer."

"They’re all just names for the same place," Qi Suian said casually.

’It’s not like I care what it’s called. Changing the name doesn’t change the place, does it?’

"You’re different from the other survivors. But like them, you are not a person of the Ziyue Dynasty. So why have you appeared here?" Emperor Zhiyue had noticed that Qi Suian was different from the typical survivors.

"Oh, I’m a survivor from a previous batch. The stronger you are, the higher the difficulty," Qi Suian said, lying through his teeth.

Emperor Zhiyue wasn’t the World’s Will of the Ghost World; he couldn’t see through Qi Suian. He could only perceive these differences through conversation.

"An elite among survivors, then? Are there many others as strong as you?" Emperor Zhiyue asked.

’To subdue a ghost so easily—and without using the power of another ghost—was a sign of absolute strength.’

"Within the Ziyue Dynasty, I’m the only one, I suppose." Qi Suian had no intention of giving a straight answer, preferring to sow an air of mystery.

"Perhaps. In that case, let’s discuss..." Emperor Zhiyue began, trying to get to the main topic.

’A peculiar group. If cooperation were possible, the benefits would be immense.’

’Especially regarding the situation in the ’truth layer’.’

"Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. You need to fulfill your promise first. I want the Ghost Control Technique I was promised."

"After all, I’ve already paid my deposit," Qi Suian said, gesturing toward the Golden Body Ghost.

’Cooperation? Not interested.’

’For me, there isn’t much in this Ghost World that I can actually use.’

’It’s not that there’s nothing suitable, but that the stuff here is too high-level. I can’t use it.’

’A bunch of rule-based creations, and on top of that, a World’s Will.’

’It’s all way beyond my current level. I couldn’t use it even if I got my hands on it.’

’Take the ghosts, for example. Even if I created one, I wouldn’t dare refine or use it within the Ghost World.’

’I might not have any intention of harming others right now, but my guard is always up.’

"Very well. We shall proceed as you wish." Emperor Zhiyue did not refuse. The young man had shown good faith, so he had to reciprocate to ensure smoother cooperation down the line.