Chapter 1 Killing the Monster

Zhen Tan Mu (town altar wood) killed the fire monster Zheng Fuda with excessive force, directly killing him, which Ji Xiang had not expected.

The previous body didn't have such great power when using the Zhen Tan Mu.

No matter how high your kung fu is, you're still afraid of a kitchen knife; no matter how clever your spells are, a brick will knock you down.

"I haven't even used my full strength, and you're already dead."

Ji Xiang looked at the incense ash scattered all over the ground, and the ochre-robed fire attendant had already run away.

Damn it, I didn't manage to keep that fellow Daoist.

Now there's no one to answer my questions.

The shattered incense drifted in the air. Ji Xiang stepped forward, reaching out his hand. The incense automatically flowed along his fingertips and was swallowed by him.

Wave the wooden board, take away all the incense, don't waste it.

"The fire curse that burns people appeared from the incense, and the fire monster also used fire遁 (escape) to come and go freely... That should be fire遁... My previous body was really knowledgeable, even having seen this kind of magic."

"Killing the person who might solve the case before committing the crime, this is preparing to do something big."

"This palace is really dangerous, people don't have the intention to harm the tiger, but the tiger has the heart to harm people."

In Longde Hall, if I don't go out and call for help, no one will come in for three to five days.

So, if the goal is to create a sensational murder case in the Forbidden City, or to trigger some political storm, this is not a good place. Moreover, the imperial palace is the place where the national prestige of the Ming Dynasty is strongest. Normal wild ghosts and evil spirits will die violently if they enter.

"Moreover, the national prestige didn't suppress this person, which means he was recently rewarded. He is a person, or a ghost or god, but no matter what he is, he must now be a 'righteous god' with a position."

"But even if he becomes a righteous god, the fire kill curse can kill small Daoists with low cultivation, but it cannot kill members of the royal family protected by national prestige."

"So, if you can't use fire curses, you can only use ordinary arson methods..."

The truly high-end assassins always use the most simple and unpretentious means.

Ji Xiang deduced.

If this righteous god is really preparing to set fire to the imperial palace, then his target is at least a prince, and of course, it's not excluded to be the Wanli Emperor himself.

The so-called national prestige refers to the power of the country, which is linked to the national fortune. When the country is prosperous, the national prestige is at its peak. All demons and heretics, and even lonely souls and wild ghosts, will be crushed into dust if they approach a place shrouded in national prestige.

Of course, the state of national prestige is constantly changing. When the national fortune declines, the national prestige also declines. This power is only aimed at gods, ghosts, and cultivators. In war, ordinary people will be blessed by national prestige, so the wars of ordinary people can even determine the life and death of cultivators and gods and ghosts.

In the Forbidden City, as the only Taoist priest, I can observe but cannot act rashly, because I can only come here to work after being certified by the emperor. Without certification, under the shroud of national prestige, my supernatural powers will immediately collapse, and my mana will be completely locked, turning me into an ordinary person.

This is the Forbidden City.

This should be the biggest forbidden area in the world.

But now it seems to be somewhat unworthy of the name?

Ji Xiang inherited the small Daoist's level of cultivation, only the second realm, "Hundred Days of Foundation Building," but after this flesh and blood rebirth, the new bones are white as jade, and the meridians in the body are golden and have great flexibility.

Breaking and then establishing, this is the third realm, Golden Tendons and Jade Bones.

He found new clothes in Longde Hall to change into, wearing a green Lun towel on his head, a sky-blue tortoise-snake patterned crane cloak on his body, and white feathers draped over his shoulders.

The morning sun shone through the paper window into this dark room, and the dust floating in the sunlight was particularly obvious.

Ji Xiang put on his clothes and walked to the incense burner, straightening it.

The more enjoyable it was to throw the incense burner out just now, the more troublesome it is to clean up now.

After sweeping away the incense ash on the ground, he picked up some incense ash from it to examine.

It was at this moment.

The door of the courtyard outside Longde Hall was pushed open.

"Squeak..."

Longde Hall is at the innermost part of this courtyard. From a bird's-eye view, it is a long and narrow rectangle, facing south.

The sound was loud. Ji Xiang heard it and turned around from in front of the incense burner:

"Without notification, without any fanfare, they just came in like this?"

"In the previous body's memory, it seems that the last time the palace servants came to deliver clothes was two days ago. How come there's suddenly movement in this place where no one comes for three to five days?"

Important people must be notified before they come here to pray for blessings... Forget it, it seems that no important people have come to this hall since the Wanli Emperor ascended the throne.

Ji Xiang flicked the incense ash from his fingertips, turned around and opened the door of Longde Hall, suddenly remembering.

Didn't that attendant just say that a master was coming here to see his corpse?

Ji Xiang's gaze suddenly became a little serious.

Opening the door, the first thing he saw was an eunuch.

Then, glancing past him, he could see a royal teenager wearing ordinary clothes.

A black gauze hat with folded wings, a scarlet round-necked narrow-sleeved robe, with gold-woven dragons on the front and back, and on each shoulder, jade belt and leather boots.

His appearance was not bad, but his mental state didn't seem very good, and there was always a hint of gloom between his eyebrows.

He also had few attendants. Apart from the leading eunuch, he only had two palace servant attendants by his side, and no palace maids.

From the moment he came in, the teenager's demeanor and movements made Ji Xiang feel that something was wrong. He didn't announce himself loudly, but walked in quietly. Although he was wearing royal clothes, the color was obviously dull, not bright new clothes.

Ji Xiang didn't remember seeing this person in his memory at all. He was a complete stranger. This person should be coming here for the first time.

The eunuch quickly came over. Ji Xiang greeted him, and the eunuch said:

"His Royal Highness the First Prince has come to Longde Hall to pray for the Gong Consort."

The First Prince?

Ji Xiang lowered his gaze, his brow furrowed.

The Wanli Emperor's son should be...

Zhu Changluo, Emperor Guangzong of Ming, Emperor Taichang.

The future Emperor Guangzong of Ming, the current First Prince Zhu Changluo, was born in the tenth year of Wanli, and is fifteen years old this year.

This person's resume is very tragic. His birth mother was a palace maid, and he was not liked by the Wanli Emperor, so that the emperor and another "Consort Zheng" were constantly thinking about getting rid of him. Since his birth, he has been ostracized in the palace.

The Wanli Emperor kept delaying and didn't want to make him the crown prince, so it wasn't until he was thirteen years old, two years ago, that he was allowed to leave the cabinet and receive education, but he was not allowed to wear the clothes of the crown prince, let alone follow the regulations of a prince.

So his formal attire is just ordinary clothes from someone else.

His constant rejection made his personality appear dull and gloomy.

Ji Xiang slowly opened the door, stood aside, not knowing what to say, just standing with his eyes closed, giving a big salute when the person came in.

But that teenager was a bit strange.

From the moment he came in, he had been staring at Ji Xiang, without blinking.

Ji Xiang didn't look up, but he could feel the strangeness in this gaze... a sense of doubt.

He wondered if the so-called "master" of the attendant just now was this First Prince?

This is a bit interesting, but it can't be confirmed yet.

After all, a suspect is just a suspect.

An eunuch next to him offered incense. At this time, the gloomy First Prince suddenly spoke to Ji Xiang:

"Daoist priest, I have never prayed for blessings before, and I don't know the methods and rules. Can you please guide me?"

Because the First Prince Zhu Changluo was not conferred as a prince, nor was he the crown prince, and he was not an adult, he used the word "I" to refer to himself, just like ordinary people. He couldn't call himself "Ben Gong," nor could he call himself "Ben Wang," let alone call himself lonely.

Ji Xiang saluted Zhu Changluo again, then looked at Zhu Changluo picking up the incense, standing in front of the incense burner. At this time, Ji Xiang didn't know what the First Prince was up to, so he just followed his question and responded to him. After thinking for a while, he began to chant:

"Please light three incense sticks, face the statue of the god, bow and salute, offer the incense with your left hand..."

"The three incense sticks should be inserted straight and flat, with an inch of space between each other."

"Use your thumb and middle finger to insert the first incense stick in the middle."

"Use your thumb and ring finger to insert the second incense stick on the left."

"Use your thumb and index finger to insert the third incense stick on the right."

After Zhu Changluo inserted the three incense sticks, green smoke curled up, but he didn't stare at the statues of the Three Purities, but kept looking at the three incense sticks.

"Daoist priest..."

Zhu Changluo slightly turned his head at this time, the corner of his eye looking at Ji Xiang, who was expressionless.

"....."

Ji Xiang felt a very familiar aura from the First Prince in front of him.

It was very similar to the aura of the two fire monsters he had just encountered, a kind of incense aura!

The corners of Zhu Changluo's mouth curled up into an arc:

"You said..."

"Can the dead be resurrected?"