Shi Feiyang in his previous life delved into the study of ancient Chinese sciences, exhaustively probing their origins and analyzing their underlying logic.

Yin Yang, Five Elements, Eight Diagrams, Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches, and even the Sixty-Four Trigrams were all initially used by the ancients to calculate astronomy and devise calendars; the subsequent development of mathematics, music, medicine, architecture, and so on were all framed within this context.

At the time, he studied the relationship between the Five Elements and the Five Musical Notes, discovering that simply fitting the Five Elements to the Five Notes was an oversimplification. There was an intrinsic set of logic to establish pitch and tone. As he delved into the subject of music, he then discovered a name he had never heard of before in textbooks or in any other kind of reading material—Zhu Zaiyu.

Zhu Zaiyu was of the same generation as the Longqing Emperor Zhu Zaihou, essentially making him an uncle to Emperor Wanli.

He used a colossal abacus with eighty-one ranks to perform calculations for square roots and cube roots with an accuracy up to twenty-five significant figures. He invented the Twelve Equal Temperaments, made precise measurements of mercury's density among other materials, designed the world's earliest pitch pipe instruments, created the prototype for the modern piano, and established a comprehensive outline for the study of dance... He was one of the greatest astronomers, historians, mathematicians, musicians, and dance theorists in Chinese history.

Initially, Shi Feiyang was astounded by Zhu Zaiyu's massive abacus, trying to imagine what it might look like. The deeper he dug, the more unfathomable he found it to be.

Unfortunately, at the time, he was facing the high school entrance exams. Music was neither a part of his curriculum nor ancient sciences, so he treated it as extracurricular knowledge. After understanding how the ancients tuned instruments, he no longer delved deeper, until the time when he fathomed the usage of the Cave Spirit Zither that he recalled this extraordinary person. One could say that without prior knowledge of Zhu Zaiyu and the related music theory, he would not have been able to play the Cave Spirit Zither in such a short period; even if he had later grasped the methodology, it would have taken at least ten years, if not decades.

He remembered that Zhu Zaiyu lived from the Jiajing Dynasty to the Wanli Dynasty, but the specifics were unknown, so he asked Emperor Wanli for more information.

Upon hearing the name Zhu Zaiyu, Emperor Wanli knew of him as well. There were thousands of princes in the Ming Dynasty, and the emperor could only remember a small part of them, yet Zhu Zaiyu was indeed a remarkable person.

From the emperor's perspective, the term "remarkable" didn't refer to his scholarly contributions, but to the fact that Zhu Zaiyu's father, Zhu Houwan, had angered Emperor Jiajing and was placed under house arrest in Fengyang until Emperor Jiajing's death, when Emperor Longqing took the throne and pardoned Zhu Houwan, allowing him to return home and be reinstated as Prince of Zheng.

Later, after Zhu Houwan's death, it was logical for Zhu Zaiyu to succeed as the Prince of Zheng, but he had instead repeatedly petitioned to allow other family members to inherit the title.

Emperor Wanli, having taken the Five Mountains Soul Suppressing Pill, woke up the next day feeling refreshed and invigorated; his toothache had disappeared without a trace, and after four more days of rest, his leg injury had also healed.

His leg injury was very severe, having rotted to the bone and was spreading from his leg to his foot. He had sought many famous doctors and Taoist healers over the years to no avail, with the condition only worsening. But now, not only had the injury improved, but within a few days, new flesh had grown over, and his skin was reborn, smooth and whiter than the rest of his leg's skin, as tender as a baby's.

When Shi Feiyang arrived that day, Emperor Wanli could barely walk without a limp and needed assistance from the palace servants, but this time, he was walking briskly on his own, with a spring in his step!

He regarded Shi Feiyang as a real Immortal, inviting him to feasts for several days in a row, seeking guidance on how to achieve eternal youth, how to cultivate the Immortal Law, and how to ascend to Heaven.

Shi Feiyang indeed possessed Cultivation Techniques that could fulfill these desires, but he was reluctant to teach Emperor Wanli. First, he did not know what consequences might arise should the Emperor truly master a Spell, considering that Emperor Wanli's reputation was not the best in history. Second, since Xia Qi there had been no emperor who pursued Immortal Cultivation. Only King Wen was skilled in ancient sciences and managed to create the Acquired Eight Diagrams, not living to see the establishment of the Zhou Dynasty. Shi Feiyang was unsure what kind of dramatic chain reactions this might trigger.

However, when he thought of the Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns from ancient times, each capable of moving mountains and seas, shifting stars and changing constellations, his heart kindled with some expectation, wanting to give it a try...

After much deliberation, he told Emperor Wanli, "The Dao nurtures all beings, and all beings may practice immortal cultivation, yet their inherent natures differ, and the paths to immortality are varied. Your Majesty is an emperor, distinct from ordinary mortals. Could Your Majesty possibly renounce wine, women, wealth, and temper, like the Yellow Emperor of old, who donated his lands, built a special chamber, laid white reeds, and dwelt in solitude for three months, forgetting benevolence and righteousness, forgetting rituals and music, purifying his mind, sitting in oblivion, becoming one with the Great Communication?"

"This..." Emperor Wanli was at a loss for words.

Shi Feiyang said, "I will first impart to Your Majesty a Foundation Building Skill to prolong life and promote health. If Your Majesty can follow it, while simultaneously comprehending the Dao, and if several years hence Your Majesty makes some accomplishments, I will then teach you the Immortal Law."

Emperor Wanli nodded, "That sounds good. It's not that I cannot let go of these things; it's really that...in these recent years, battered by illness, I have cocooned myself in the inner palace, idly passing the days. Now, looking back at the former court, there appears a like a multitude of matters neglected. What the Dragon Master says is not unwished for by me, but truly beyond my ability... Once the governance is smooth, the people harmonious, and the nation peaceful and secure, I myself will retreat and sit in oblivion, in hopes of achieving the Immortal Path."

Shi Feiyang expressed his approval, "That would be very good indeed."

Emperor Wanli wished to bestow upon Shi Feiyang a title, offer him the rank of a first-class official's stipend, cast a seal for him, and inquired which renowned mountain he fancied in the world below, offering it to him for use as a Daoist site, appointing him as the leader of all the Daoist sects, to manage the prayers and rituals in the Xianling Palace for the national court, so as to ensure favorable winds and timely rain, and requesting him to oversee and arrange a grand sacrificial ceremony...

Shi Feiyang, looking at the string of words "protector of the nation," "supreme," "Master Yuan Yang," and so on, a total of eighteen characters, ending with the title of "Heavenly Master," couldn't help but laugh and shake his head, "None of these are my wishes."

His trip to the capital was almost impromptu, and he surely would not reside there long-term. As for those rewards, even more so trivial to him, they would only stir up trouble; could he really expect Emperor Wanli to grant him Emei Mountain, and then lead a team to Emei Mountain to clear mountains and demolish temples?

Emperor Wanli wished to express his gratitude time and again, also wanting to keep him by his side.

Shi Feiyang said, "Your Majesty, these rewards you offer are far less valuable than a single Zhu Zaiyu."

Emperor Wanli failed to understand, and Shi Feiyang began to recount the various achievements and virtues of Zhu Zaiyu, suggesting the Emperor should also learn from them and thus further comprehend the Dao, "In ancient times, calculating the Heavenly Dao involved dividing the circle by the Circulation's three hundred and sixty, to calculate the celestial sphere's latitudes and longitudes, fixing the circumference number. Heaven descends to earth, hence producing Pythagorean numerals, sectors, chords, and other numbers. By using this, one can indirectly deduce the Heavenly Number, which is also a means to perceive the Heavenly Dao. Music, Natural Science, Astronomy, Calendrical Science, Medicine, and even the methods of governing a state are all the same."

In China's history, there is no distinction between disciplines; it often produces polymaths because all Chinese disciplines share a common source—the Heavenly Dao, the logic at their core is interconnected. Thus, including Mozi, Zu Chongzhi, Shen Kuo, Guo Shoujing, Zhu Zaiyu, and others, all were masters of multiple fields.

After hearing this, Emperor Wanli nodded repeatedly; whether or not he truly acknowledged it, at the very least, he appeared outwardly like a student attentively listening to a teacher, eager to learn.

Afterward, he wished to issue a royal decree to summon Zhu Zaiyu to the capital, but Shi Feiyang quickly said, "There's no need to trouble the old master with such a long, arduous journey, I'll go myself."

Emperor Wanli, seeing him disregard his own rewards as if they mattered not and yet show such respect for Zhu Zaiyu, felt a hint of jealousy rise within his heart. Nevertheless, he could say nothing, fearing he would annoy Shi Feiyang and cause him to fly away, never to return.

In the end, Shi Feiyang stayed in the capital for half a month, and Emperor Wanli ultimately bestowed upon him the title "Master Yuan Yang of the Nine Heavens," prepared a seal, and proclaimed it throughout the land. He also found people to select a site within the capital to construct the Yuan Yang Palace for Shi Feiyang. Regardless of whether Shi Feiyang wanted it or not, he was determined to have it built. Then, he would assign young Taoists to maintain it daily, always waiting for Shi Feiyang's return.

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