Free Web NovelChapter 356: Chapter 130: Wishing to Build a Retreat by the East Sea, Fulfillment in Cultivation Together
He walked out the door.
Xiaojing followed him and ran outside.
Li Jin didn’t want to go anywhere; claiming he wasn’t acclimated to the area, he asked the old lady to arrange a quiet room for him alone, then shut the door, and commenced training!
...
Li Xuan walked down the familiar streets.
He glanced at the surrounding familiar buildings, and to his surprise, he spotted the "Yinfu Paper Shop."
The shop was empty, usually unvisited, with the owner sitting alone in the dim-lit house, unbothered by the solitude. As he glimpsed towards the street, he noticed Li Xuan walking by. Hastily, he stood up and respectfully saluted him from afar.
Although the Buddha was gone, the Fushou Sect remained, and its branches had opened in various places.
As the passersby saw Li Xuan, they initially felt the one-armed man holding a little girl’s hand seemed familiar. Slowly, someone finally recognized him, each showing expressions of astonishment, awe, and respect.
Someone tentatively called out, "Prince?"
Li Xuan nodded.
All of Xiongshan County was astir.
Li Xuan continued walking, holding Xiaojing’s hand.
Ahead was Ruan Yu Building, where Rose once worked as a courtesan, a venue formerly under the Ding family’s business, but now part of the Li family commerce.
To attract patrons, Ruan Yu Building had invited a storyteller.
The storyteller was narrating the tale of "Divine Martial Monarch’s Northern Campaign against Yong."
The clapper fell with a bang as he spoke, "Amidst the stormy weather, it was said the Divine Martial Monarch clad in mourning clothes, wielding the Eight-Treasure Glazed Spear, astride the celestial jade lion, bid farewell to the capital, saying to the folks back home, ’Today, I wear mourning for the people of the realm’..."
The storyteller spoke with fervor.
The story of the Divine Martial Monarch never grows tiresome, for across several centuries of Great Yin, none has quite matched the heroism, tragic hues, nor the intertwined legends with "Buddha Mother" and "Buddha" like him.
Whenever he began his tale, a crowd would always gather to listen.
But today, as he reached the climax, the audience suddenly rushed to the railings, shouting, "Divine Martial Monarch, Divine Martial Monarch!"
The storyteller turned back in surprise, squeezing through the crowd to peer over the railing, there he saw a casually dressed one-armed man walking down the street, holding a girl’s hand.
The man had black hair flowing over his shoulders, a warm smile, a demeanor at ease yet filled with an unspoken aura of majesty, his right sleeve empty, fluttering in the wind.
This storyteller was an elder of Xiongshan County, and had seen Li Xuan before; at this moment, he was utterly stupefied, his face showing joy and surprise, he could not help but burst into laughter, his hands trembling uncontrollably as he exclaimed, "Good, good indeed, the hero lives! The hero is still here! Divine Martial Immortality!"
He usually infused himself into the life of the Divine Martial Monarch while narrating, often shedding tears late at night over the heroic yet tragic ending. Seeing Li Xuan alive now, his excitement was palpable.
When Li Xuan arrived at the Prime Minister’s residence, a crowd had already gathered behind him.
The Prime Minister was already standing at the doorstep to welcome him.
Seeing the man approaching from afar, excitement flickered in the Prime Minister’s eyes.
In previous years, he had resigned himself to grimly await death, yet unexpectedly found two pills in his house.
Beside them was a note: Purify the body, clear vestiges of toxins, and prolong life.
The scent of those pills was refreshing; just a few sniffs rejuvenated the spirit.
The Prime Minister took them, and indeed, his aged appearance improved significantly, resembling at times a rejuvenated youth.
From that day, the Prime Minister had a hunch, yet... whether it was himself or Yan Fangbai, they seemed to be subsiding from this "rapidly changing" history, unable to affect anything beyond their secluded corners.
Thus, the Prime Minister could only wait.
He knew if his speculation was correct, eventually he’d meet the one he wished to see.
Even if that person had already died.
Now, his speculation was confirmed.
He looked at Li Xuan, his aged face breaking into a smile, his eyes reddening slightly as he stepped forward, saying, "Have you come?"
Li Xuan smiled, "I have."
The Prime Minister said, "Drink wine?"
Li Xuan replied, "Hasn’t my foster father always preferred tea? Besides, you..."
The Prime Minister said, "Happy day today, no tea, wine it is."
With that, he sidestepped, gesturing towards the entrance with a "please."
Li Xuan didn’t enter but said, "Today I’m here to invite you, my third brother, and your family to a feast at the Li Mansion."
The Prime Minister chuckled, "We’ll go, certainly."
Having said that, his reddened eyes were already filled with tears of joy, continuing, "I’ve witnessed four generations of Great Yin Sovereigns, observed the rise of a new dynasty, seen the ebb and flow of history, what a blessed fortune, what a blessed fortune!"
Li Xuan grinned, leaned in and whispered, "You could do more than just those things; perhaps you can try cultivating immortality."
"Me? Cultivate immortality?" The Prime Minister was startled, waving his hand, "Take Fangbai instead, I’m totally not cut out for immortality."
Li Xuan said, "How do you know if you don’t try? With the great changes in the world, perhaps the Prime Minister also has the aptitude for cultivation?"
The Prime Minister was stunned for a moment.
Soon after, the Prime Minister’s residence prepared carriages.
Li Xuan took Xiao Jing onto the carriage, conversing with the Prime Minister all the way back to the mansion.
Upon returning to the mansion, Li Zhili had also come back, seeing Li Xuan, they silently faced each other, his eyes suddenly reddened, laughing and crying, he embraced Li Xuan, repeatedly calling "big brother."
A feast ensued, none remained sober.
As evening descended, the sky dimmed, a chill wind swept up, carrying snowflakes through the night sky.
Rose played in the courtyard snow.
A group of gray-clad figures hurried from afar, stopping near the Li Mansion, the leader instructed the group to halt, then "she" slowly approached Li Mansion, reported, then entered.
