This guy is very cunning. Once we leave the palace, we’ll definitely encounter even more people, especially with those imperial guards outside. If the emperor is seen as being held hostage, not only will it damage his reputation, but it might also give some people other ideas. But if Edward Clark is said to be an immortal, that’s a different story. A wise and holy ruler on the throne, an immortal descending into the palace—if word gets out, it’s actually a good thing. In this situation, he’d rather insist that Edward Clark is an immortal.

This is also a good thing for Edward Clark.

That way, there’s hope that neither side will be forced into a confrontation.

He certainly didn’t expect that a single rifle, seven magazines, and a few grenades would really be enough to fight his way out of the palace.

“You’ve forgotten your disciple!”

The emperor said.

After speaking, he glanced at his daughter.

“Come here. Since you are fated to meet the immortal, you shall follow and serve him.”

He said.

The little princess was dumbfounded.

Then, seeing her father glare at her, she had no choice but to step forward, trembling.

“Your Majesty seems to have quite a few children!”

Edward Clark said.

“I have more than forty children.”

The emperor replied.

After saying this, he turned and walked ahead.

Edward Clark followed closely at his side with his pistol in hand. The poor little princess, her face full of grievance, also followed with small, shuffling steps. Eunuchs surrounded them on all sides, and their numbers kept increasing. His Majesty the Emperor walked calmly the whole time, completely unconcerned about the gun pointed at his back. He even acted as if he had truly received an immortal, ordering every palace maid and eunuch they encountered along the way to bow to Edward Clark. Not knowing anything, they all knelt on the ground. In this manner, they continued forward, passing through several grand palace halls.

These palaces were clearly not the modern museum, but they did bear some resemblance.

Eventually, they entered a very large hall. The emperor walked straight to the throne in the center and sat down, but the eunuchs stopped outside the door. With a wave of the emperor’s hand, they quietly closed the doors.

“Your Majesty?”

Edward Clark looked at him inquiringly.

“Daring to pretend to be an immortal just because you have a firearm—aren’t you bold.”

The emperor sneered.

Edward Clark looked around; only his female disciple was present.

“Your Majesty, I truly am an immortal.”

He said.

“If there really are immortals, then I am the Son of Heaven, and you are but a minor immortal. How dare you act so arrogantly before me? If there are no immortals, then you’re just a petty thief who snuck into the palace. To kill you, or to execute your entire clan, would take but a single decree. Daring to pretend to be an immortal before me with a firearm—I've killed plenty of charlatans like you. I’m only interested in that firearm of yours; it’s a fine thing, able to fire repeatedly without needing to be lit. I want to have it copied for military use.

Hand over that short gun of yours!

Don’t do anything foolish. I don’t want to kill you yet. Letting you pretend to be an immortal is no big deal; riches and honor await you. But if you do something stupid, you’ll lose everything.”

The emperor said.

Edward Clark hesitated for a moment. This guy really is cunning!

In the end, he handed the pistol to the little princess beside him. She shuffled forward, head lowered, and presented the pistol to her father.

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll fire it at you?”

Her father said to Edward Clark.

“Since you are the emperor, of course I must obey your command.”

Edward Clark replied.

The emperor took the pistol, imitating the way he had held it earlier, and pointed it at him.

Edward Clark looked on calmly...

With the way he was holding the gun, if he fired, the bullet would probably hit the ceiling. There was nothing to worry about.

“At least you know your place!”

The emperor put away the pistol and said.

He was shrewd as well—he only wanted the short gun, not the long one.

He played with the pistol for a while and soon discovered something interesting. He then ejected the magazine...

“I knew it. Since it’s a firearm, it must have some kind of powder.”

He said proudly.

Then he looked at Edward Clark...

“How many more do you have on you? Hand them all over. From now on, the long gun is yours, the short gun is mine.”

He said.

Edward Clark silently took off the magazine pouch and handed it to his female disciple, who quietly brought it to her father. Her father took it and pulled out the only spare magazine.

“Use it sparingly. This is all there is. Including what’s left in the gun, you can fire fourteen more shots.”

Edward Clark said sincerely.

“That’s it?”

The emperor said, dissatisfied.

“Your Majesty, it’s just for self-defense, for dealing with enemies who get too close. But in battle, we don’t let the enemy get that close. The long gun is for fighting; the short gun is only accurate at a few dozen paces. With the long gun, you can kill anyone you want from a hundred paces away. Your Majesty, I truly ended up here by accident. I never expected to suddenly fall into your palace. Rather than getting entangled and making things difficult for everyone, why not let each other go? I’ll leave the palace and live freely, and you can continue being the emperor.”

Edward Clark said sincerely.

“All under heaven belongs to the king. This whole land is mine—where do you think you can run?”

The emperor said mockingly.

“Well...”

Edward Clark was at a loss.

Indeed, even if he left the palace, where could he go?

The key is, what dynasty is this, and what kind of emperor is this?

“Your Majesty, could you tell me your dynastic title and reign year?”

He asked cautiously.

“The dynasty is the Great Ming, the reign is Hongwu, and it is the twenty-fifth year of Hongwu, eighth month, day of Gengxu.”

The emperor replied.