Return of the Immortal Emperor Daddy

The Chief Minister descended into the deep, textured tunnel. He was exhausted, and the path seemed endless. "Master, oh Master, can you hear my voice? Are you aware of the crisis facing the Great Fusang Empire? Do you know that the glorious, thousand-year legacy of Fusang might be destroyed by the hands of a scoundrel from Dragon Country?"

An unyielding conviction sustained Chief Minister Anbei Saburo as he walked, roaring with all his might. He knew that Fusang now had only two saviors. One was the United States of America, Fusang’s ally—in short, its junior partner. The second was the master of the Sixth Heavenly Demon Shogunate. In his time, Oda Nobunaga’s reputation was legendary, and he, too, had coveted eternal life. His moniker was the Sixth Heavenly Demon, and he had dispatched men to search every corner of the land for the Art of Immortality, eventually establishing the Sixth Heavenly Demon Shogunate.

"Young one, are you looking for me?" In the pitch-black tunnel where a man couldn’t see his own hand, a sinister green flame suddenly flickered to life. The person had not yet appeared, but his voice arrived first. It was a voice that seemed to emanate from the Eighteen Levels of Hell, its tone grim and chilling. Upon hearing it, the Chief Minister’s scalp prickled with fear.

Despite this, the Chief Minister immediately dropped to one knee. "Master, please lend your aid to save the Great Fusang Empire."

"That is my country, after all. What has happened to it?" The voice was so cold it seeped into one’s very marrow, as if he were conversing with a demon. The Chief Minister clenched his teeth, forcing himself not to give in to fear.

"The people of Dragon Country... I trust you are familiar with them. It was on your advice that the faction of the Emperor of Fusang attempted to invade Dragon Country all those years ago," the Chief Minister said.

Master Hidenari nodded. "You speak of the Country of the Setting Sun? Of course, I remember. What of it? Do they still seek revenge?"

The Chief Minister naturally avoided any mention of his kidnapping of Wu Tian’s daughter. He replied, "Indeed. For years, it seemed Dragon Country and Fusang kept to their own affairs, but in truth, the people of Dragon Country are the most vengeful race on earth. They remember every last bit of harm we inflicted upon them. This generation has produced an incredibly powerful figure named Wu Tian. Known as the Martial Emperor, he has fought his way across Dragon Country and is unmatched in Fusang."

The Chief Minister intended to use this appeal to "righteousness" to persuade Master Hidenari to act. The Chief Minister was certainly not as powerful as Master Hidenari, but he knew how to manipulate the hearts of men.

As expected, upon hearing the Chief Minister’s words, Master Hidenari’s fists clenched. His voice grew hoarse and icy. "The people of Dragon Country! Back then, they were nothing but ants, yet they resisted stubbornly. Good! Today, I shall extinguish the hope of Dragon Country once again!"

Master Hidenari grabbed the Chief Minister’s shoulder, and with a single motion, shot away at incredible speed. In an instant, they appeared at the mouth of the tunnel, standing before Wu Tian and the assembled reporters.

"Master, that’s him! Please, eliminate him!" the Chief Minister exclaimed, pointing at Wu Tian.

The reporters were stunned. "The Counselor of Fusang seems very confident in this old man," one muttered.

"Who is he?" another wondered. The international journalists were completely perplexed.

A Fusang reporter, however, suddenly cried out, "He... he looks like Hidenari Kuroda... Yes, that’s Hidenari Kuroda! My God... he’s not dead?"

Just as no one in Dragon Country was unaware of Zhuge Liang, no one in Fusang was unaware of Hidenari Kuroda. He possessed exceptional military prowess and diplomatic skills. Along with Chikamatsu Banbei, he was known as one of Toyotomi’s two great strategists and was the single greatest contributor to Hideyoshi’s unification of Fusang. He fought countless campaigns in his life and was especially skilled in unconventional strategies. His fame was bolstered by masterpieces such as the celebrated Battle of Ageura, the flooding of Takamatsu Castle in Bitchu, the great return from the Chugoku region, the conquests of Shikoku and Kyushu, the siege of Odawara Castle, and the domination of Northern Kyushu. Within Fusang, he was known as "The Greatest Military Strategist under Heaven."

This was the public record. What was unknown to all was that while searching for the Elixir of Immortality for Nobunaga, he had stumbled upon the ruins of a demonic cultivator. He cast aside his renowned intellect in exchange for over a thousand years of life and power.

Master Hidenari walked toward Wu Tian. "Why not forget the grudges of old? Unification is for the sake of long-term peace and stability; some sacrifice is inevitable. Had your Dragon Country submitted to our Fusang back then, we would all be one family—a developed nation, no longer a developing one! You cast aside the hope of becoming a developed nation, only to hate Fusang for it. That is pure ingratitude."

As Master Hidenari approached Wu Tian, the Chief Minister stood by, his worries finally melting away. With Master Hidenari taking action, he was one hundred percent certain that Wu Tian’s death was assured.

"You are no match for me," Wu Tian said calmly. "Besides, I have my friend with me today."

Master Hidenari extended a hand, and from within his black robe, he produced a sword scabbard. With the scabbard now in his hand, it began to radiate threads of light, appearing sacred and inviolable.

At this sight, the Counselor of Fusang’s expression turned awkward. He had not told Master Hidenari or anyone else that he hadn’t found the scabbard through any great effort; he had simply picked it up.

Now, as Master Hidenari held the glowing scabbard, the Fusang journalists were filled with awe, driven into a frenzy.

"Is this the bearing of a god?"

"This is true invincibility."

The Fusangs watching the live broadcast erupted in cheers. Of course, they hoped Fusang would win.

Master Hidenari raised the scabbard and waved it gently, yet the gesture carried an aura powerful enough to dominate the world. Martial Artists from various nations watching the live broadcast were rendered speechless. They knew they were no match for him. Furthermore, their own weapons were absolutely inferior to the sword scabbard in Master Hidenari’s hands.

Just then, however, Wu Tian suddenly spoke. "Have you forgotten me?"

It was a simple question, but no one understood what he meant.

Master Hidenari was also confused. Thinking Wu Tian was speaking to him, he chuckled, "Am I supposed to know you?"

But upon hearing Wu Tian’s voice, the scabbard began to vibrate. A girl’s voice, sweet and youthful, emanated from within. "Big brother, is that you?"

She was overjoyed. She had been searching for Wu Tian all this time, and now, here, they were finally reunited. She had started as a useless, discarded scabbard, and Wu Tian was the first to show her kindness. She would never forget it.

"Come back to me," Wu Tian said, holding out his right hand.

"No, you can’t!" Master Hidenari now understood what was happening. He refused to allow the scabbard to return to Wu Tian. The scabbard was clearly a sentient being, and Hidenari believed it held the secret to immortality. Fortunately, the scabbard seemed naive. With just a few simple words, Master Hidenari had convinced it to trust him. He would not allow it to leave his side.

"Get out of my way!" But now that the scabbard had found Wu Tian, no one else mattered. It wrenched itself free from Master Hidenari’s grasp and shot into the palm of Wu Tian’s outstretched right hand.

"How can this be!" Master Hidenari cried out in a panic. "By what right do you possess her? Her true master should be an immortal!"

"An immortal?" the scabbard scoffed. "He is above the immortals!"