Following Yang Hong's instructions, Zhou Neng went out quietly for a day and a night before returning.
Not only did he silently kill Zhang Rang, but he also successfully brought back 4 martial arts manuals for Yang Hong.
These included "Chunyang Gong" for cultivating internal energy, "Tieshen Gong" for external force, "Jinzong Zhao" for both internal and external cultivation, and a fist and kick technique called "Manyiu Quan."
Zhou Neng was unaware that Yang Hong already possessed basic cultivation methods, so the techniques he found were primarily for cultivating internal energy and external force.
Even "Manyiu Quan" could be used to cultivate a rudimentary external force through its stances.
However, due to time constraints, he couldn't search thoroughly, so the martial arts he found were not profound.
Yang Hong naturally didn't blame Zhou Neng for his good intentions.
After all, with his system of divine infusion and returns, it was incredibly simple to improve no matter how many martial arts he cultivated.
"Ding~ You infused 30 days of true qi into the Green Jade Grape, gaining a 5x return. You received 150 days of true qi cultivation."
He infused the Green Jade Grape again, but this time the return multiplier was low, only 5x.
"Ding~ Cultivation return initiated. Please select the martial art to cultivate."
Huh? With more martial arts cultivated, can I now choose?
This was Yang Hong's first time encountering such a situation, but he didn't overthink it. He directly chose "Jinzong Zhao,"
After all, it was a technique that cultivated both internal and external strength. Yang Hong had focused on this one first after obtaining the manual.
"Ding~ Cultivated 'Jinzong Zhao' for 150 days. Due to true qi cultivation, Jinzong Zhao has been upgraded to Level 5."
'Holy crap! Five levels in one go! This true qi is awesome!'
There's no harm without comparison. He still remembered that when he previously practiced the Great Sui Body Strengthening Exercise, it required over three years of internal energy cultivation to upgrade by one level.
Now, cultivation was much faster.
For the remaining two infusions, Yang Hong used 20 days each, returning 120 and 200 days of cultivation respectively.
The return multiplier for divine infusion truly depended on luck.
With 320 days of true qi cultivation, Jinzong Zhao increased by another 2 levels.
Cultivating Jinzong Zhao to Level 7 in a single day would surely shock a great many people if it were known.
Just as Yang Hong was preparing to continue his efforts in developing discreetly, someone he never expected appeared at the [Wang Wen Ge].
"His Majesty has arrived!"
"His Majesty has arrived!"
That afternoon, Emperor Yang Jian, accompanied by the Commander of the Imperial Guard, the Crown Prince, Yang Guang, and others, arrived at Yang Hong's [Wang Wen Ge].
"Greetings, Your Majesty~ Greetings, Your Majesty."
Zhou Neng and Xiao Cao knelt in the front courtyard, their bodies trembling slightly.
This was the Emperor of the Great Sui, a ruler who could command life and death with a single word.
"Your humble son greets Father Emperor."
Despite his slight annoyance, Yang Hong obediently bowed.
However, he didn't need to kneel. Unlike the Great Yuan Dynasty, where kneeling was common, in the Great Sui, a mere bow was sufficient.
"Mmm~"
Yang Jian's tiger-like eyes stared intently at Yang Hong, making Yang Hong feel as if a thousand-pound weight was pressing down on him. He almost instinctively moved to retaliate with his true qi.
Fortunately, he diligently cultivated every night and was very familiar with his own true qi.
Just before his true qi was about to retaliate, he forcibly suppressed it.
'Holy crap! This old fox!'
Yang Hong cursed Yang Jian inwardly, cold sweat breaking out all over him.
Yang Jian had already broken through to the Grandmaster realm!
Furthermore, he was accompanied by no less than 500 Innate Grandmasters, and Yang Hong even sensed three presences far stronger than himself. With one wrong move, Yang Hong could be surrounded and killed on the spot.
Thinking of this, more cold sweat streamed down Yang Hong's face.
Seeing this, Yang Jian finally nodded in satisfaction.
In his eyes, this was Yang Hong being unable to withstand his Grandmaster's oppressive aura, exhibiting weakness.
Yang Jian: "I heard you've been doing a good job farming these past few years. From now on, just focus on farming and don't think about leaving the Cold Palace."
Yang Jian's voice was resonant and authoritative, issuing another confinement order to Yang Hong.
"Your humble son obeys. Thank you for Your Majesty's grace."
Yang Hong bowed again, his head reaching the ground in gratitude.
This confinement order suited Yang Hong perfectly. He could grow stronger by farming, and there was no safer place than the Cold Palace.
Yang Jian: "I will have the Ministry of Agriculture send you some farming manuals and seeds. Just focus on your farming."
"Thank you for Your Majesty's benevolence."
Yang Hong was first stunned, then bowed again to express his thanks.
He truly hadn't expected Yang Jian to give him farming manuals, especially since Yang Yong had confiscated all his books only a little over a month ago.
Yang Jian was directly slapping Yang Yong in the face.
Yang Hong's gaze subtly flickered towards Yang Yong, whose face was indeed ashen.
Yang Jian: "Since I'm giving you so many seeds, one small courtyard won't be enough for you to plant them. Tomorrow, I'll have someone connect the adjacent courtyard to yours."
"Ah~ Thank you, Father Emperor~"
Yang Hong was a bit confused about Yang Jian's intentions.
However, Yang Jian did not look at Yang Hong any further but turned his gaze to the old eunuch Zhou Neng, who was kneeling on the ground.
Yang Jian: "Zhou Neng, I recall assigning you to Concubine Wu Hui back then, don't I?"
"Yes, this old servant served Your Majesty for 8 years before being assigned to Concubine Wu Hui. It has been 19 years now."
Zhou Neng lowered his head, his voice slightly choked as he replied.
Yang Jian: "I have no one reliable by my side now. Are you willing to return?"
Yang Jian looked at Zhou Neng expectantly. Zhou Neng was his true objective today!
He had initially heard from the Commander of the Imperial Guard, Yuwen Lang, that Zhou Neng might be an expert at the peak of the Innate realm, which prompted him to come and see if he needed to be eliminated.
Unexpectedly, upon seeing Zhou Neng, through the mutual sensing between Grandmasters, he immediately recognized Zhou Neng as a Grandmaster!
This sparked his desire to recruit Zhou Neng, which was also why he bestowed those favors upon Yang Hong.
Zhou Neng paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "This old servant is Your Majesty's household slave. Wherever Your Majesty wishes this servant to go, this servant will go."
"Good~ Good~ Good~"
Yang Jian uttered the word "good" three times in a row, indicating his immense excitement.
Zhou Neng's prompt agreement stemmed not only from his lifelong loyalty to the emperor instilled since childhood but also from his hope that by serving by the emperor's side, he could slowly change the emperor's attitude towards Yang Hong.
Yang Yong, Yang Guang, Yuwen Lang, and further back, Chancellor Gao Ying and General Yang Su, all looked at the kneeling old eunuch with astonishment.
"Grandmaster!"
They had been marveling at the emperor's generosity and the sudden change in his demeanor, but by the end, they all understood that this unremarkable old eunuch was the emperor's true objective for today.
Yang Jian: "Zhou Neng, tidy yourself up. Report to the Grand Study the day after tomorrow. I wish for you to take up the post of Chief Eunuch."
"This old servant thanks Your Majesty for your great favor!"
Zhou Neng slammed his head down forcefully. The blue bricks beneath his head directly shattered,
but his forehead remained unmarked.
"Hiss~"
"Hiss~ A Grandmaster!"
"Hiss~ Fortunately, I didn't offend him!"
Yang Jian accepted Zhou Neng's kowtow with a smile and then gestured for Zhou Neng to rise.
The imperial guards behind him, however, changed their expressions, and they all understood why Yang Jian's attitude had shifted so drastically and why he was being so solicitous.
For a Grandmaster, such an approach was entirely warranted.
Yang Hong also understood Yang Jian's elaborate scheme for the day.
"Sly~ So sly~"
Yang Hong muttered inwardly, feeling that he, the biological son, was not as popular as an old eunuch.
To be honest, he felt a bit jealous.
However, he would not be foolish enough to show it.
Moreover, even if Zhou Neng left, he was confident that Zhou Neng would not betray him. As a transmigrator, especially one with a system, if he couldn't even exert this much personal charm?
Then he wouldn't be worth mentioning.
Besides, he still had his trump cards.