Free Web NovelChapter 357: Chapter 130: Building a Cottage by the East Sea, Fulfillment in Cultivation
Afterward, "she" saw the Prime Minister, who was drunk, and also saw the one-armed man raising his glass to the sky amidst the wind and snow.
The one-armed man looked at "her," and called out: "Third... Third Sister."
Yan Fangbai saluted from a distance.
The more he understood this Divine Martial Monarch, the more his reverence grew.
Li Xuan stepped forward and said, "Third Sister, can you drink?"
Previously, Yan Fangbai would have said no, but today he smiled and said, "I can."
Li Xuan continued, "I once apprenticed under the Prime Minister and received much care from fellow disciples. Are there any of those brothers still around?"
He counted on his fingers, one by one, "Jiang Zhenshan, Yan Beige, Pang Wuyue..."
Yan Fangbai replied, "They’re all here, and... right outside the door."
Li Xuan laughed and said, "Then invite them all in."
The celebrations at the Li Mansion lasted for several days, the air of festivity yet to dissipate.
And soon, Lin Jianfeng, Yao Qiu, Zuo Hong, Zhang Fanyang, and others from the Qing River Canal Gang of Hundred Flowers Mansion also came to pay their respects...
Li Xuan publicly pointed out many people who had helped him before and gave them tokens, saying, "With this token, you may go to the Sect and take the test. If you pass, you may join the Sect."
Firstly, he was repaying kindness. Having become prosperous, he wished to help those old brothers who had been kind to him, and indeed Lingyi Sect needed to recruit more people. Since recruitment was necessary, it was only right to prioritize his own people;
Secondly, he was announcing to everyone... the Li family had a great backing.
Everyone expressed their gratitude...
Thus, time swiftly passed, and winter came to an end.
During this time, many familiar to Li Xuan traveled northward, including the Prime Minister.
Li Xuan advised him to try cultivating immortality. The Prime Minister initially refused, repeatedly saying, "Old man like me, going to cultivate immortality, what a joke," but then Li Xuan said, "If you can’t cultivate immortality, just stay at the Sect where the Spiritual Qi is abundant. I have that influence," and the Prime Minister went away happily.
...
In a blink of an eye, it was March, the early spring...
Xinci Temple of Cyan Wood Province was gone, but the Yang family unprecedentedly conferred the title of "Queen" — Prince Ci.
"Prince Ci" was none other than Cao Yi after returning to secular life.
Now, Cao Yi busied herself with numerous affairs, only then noticing the many messages sent from afar.
As she opened them and read, her gaze completely locked onto them.
There were many messages and records, but she only saw one sentence: The Divine Martial Monarch has returned to Xiongshan County.
"Divine Martial Monarch..."
With compassion emanating from her, like a bodhisattva, the lady prince murmured this name.
She stared at those three characters for a long time, feeling her emotions becoming extremely complex.
Initially, she thought her heart was completely calm, but unexpectedly those three words struck her heart like a foreign object from the sky... causing her mind to become chaotic.
As she pondered, someone reported from outside the door.
The messenger said, "The Divine Martial Monarch requests an audience..."
Earlier this year, the Yang family had changed the country name from "Great Yin" to "Great Zhou."
Though "Divine Martial Monarch" was a title from the previous dynasty, it turned into a code name that no one would change.
"Divine Martial Monarch?" Cao Yi was startled.
She hurriedly rose and ran to the front of the mansion to greet him.
Li Xuan saluted her from afar and said, "Greetings, Prince Ci."
Cao Yi looked at him, at a loss, and after a moment of silence, somehow, she blurted out, "Would you like to have a meal?"
Li Xuan laughed.
Seeing him laugh, Cao Yi gradually started to smile as well.
From the carriage, the curtain opened, and Rose poked her head out and said, "I want it too."
Once a Master Jing Miao, now the Master Prince Ci, in that instant, her heart suddenly felt at ease.
...
The next day, evening.
In the quiet room...
Two people.
Li Xuan said, "Follow me north, you too can cultivate."
Cao Yi shook her head.
Li Xuan said, "You can come anytime."
Cao Yi suddenly smiled and said, "Someone has to prepare meals, the daily amount for ten thousand is no small task."
Li Xuan looked at her, and suddenly moved forward.
Cao Yi did not retreat, her heart chaotic, chaotic to the extreme. She found herself coming full circle, as if returning to the starting point. The scripture once said: Seeing the mountain is the mountain, seeing the water is the water; seeing the mountain is not the mountain, seeing the water is not the water; seeing the mountain is still the mountain, seeing the water is still the water.
After learning certain truths, she circled widely, realizing that... she was still with that man.
Since they were together, why retreat?
Miaoni of Xinci Temple, now the proud Prince Ci of Great Zhou, did not retreat but advanced, raised her head to look at the nearby man, and then said, "Having cooked for ten years, it would feel strange not to do it anymore."
Li Xuan’s broad right arm suddenly grew out, embracing the wondrous woman in front of him closely.
A moment of silence.
Suddenly, Cao Yi seemed to have noticed something and let out a scream.
...
A few days later.
Prince Ci, seemingly calm like a still well to outsiders, remained incredibly serene. Once the woman closest to Buddha and the sole queen of Great Zhou, she commanded unparalleled status, putting her above all others.
Yet, inside her heart, she finally held space for someone.
That person made her feel fulfilled, satisfied.
That person wanted to make their relationship public, but she refused.
She was no longer an unaware little girl or a capricious young woman.
She understood that she was still the abbess of Xinci Temple, worshipped by an endless number of Buddhists, and a rich and renowned Prince Ci. Such a person, of course, could not have a man.
Otherwise, everything she had would vanish into thin air.
She did not crave power but was accustomed to living alone and to cooking for another person.
Now, being able to share good evenings with that person was enough.
"You can come to eat anytime."
Li Xuan laughed, "What if I don’t eat?"
Prince Ci’s heart raced, "Just come."
Li Xuan said, "I’ll bring cultivation manuals and Spirit Stones like Ice Crystal Stone over, you set up a cultivation chamber."
Prince Ci nodded slightly.
Li Xuan added, "This land cannot burn incense temporarily."
Prince Ci solemnly nodded again.
...
A dozen days later.
The traveling carriage slowly made its way along the East Sea coast.
The weather warmed, flowers bloomed everywhere.
Through this journey, Li Xuan’s mindset began to change; although he was extremely hungry, his strong physique merely endured the hunger and weakness without starving to death.
Looking at the azure sea, a thought suddenly arose. One night during a wilderness sleepover, he ran alone to the seaside, stripped nude, and jumped into the sea.
As he gradually delved deeper, his flesh transformed, turning into a terrifying giant whale.
With a whale mouth, he engulfed the ocean, swallowing fish, shrimp, and sea water all together.
The taste was bitter, yet the hunger relieved, and his weakness quickly recovered.
The whale Li Xuan swam happily; this feast lasted for more than two hours, before he followed the tide back to the shore, transforming back to his original form, using blood energy to evaporate the dew from his body, then dressed and returned.
The seaside journey lasted a long time, so long that Li Xuan was unwilling to detour elsewhere.
"Father really likes the sea."
Xiaojing covered her mouth giggling.
Li Xuan said, "How beautiful is the sea, standing by it, my outlook broadens, my mood soars. Once I return and meet your mother, I plan to build a small house by the sea and live there alone."
Xiaojing looked at him in surprise, "Father is leaving again?"
Li Xuan felt a bit helpless.
During these days, he had filled his stomach, the sensation was so comfortable, he said, "It’s not really leaving; the west side of Bronze Plain connects to the sea as well. I’ll choose a spot closest to Lingyi Sect to build my house, then return in a few days to accompany you and your mother."
Xiaojing was a bit unhappy, "Alright then..."
...
A few more days.
When Li Xuan’s carriage returned to Lingyi Sect.
The sect was bustling.
Outside the nine towns, two groups faced each other.
One group comprised mostly of Li Xuan’s acquaintances, including Prime Minister Yan Fujing, Yan Fangbai, Yan Beige, Pang Wuyue, and several members of the Li family, practically from Li Xuan’s distant relatives... In addition, even Lin Jianfeng, Yao Qiu, Zuo Hong, and Zhang Fanyang were there.
Upon hearing of the opportunity to cultivate in the sect, many were overjoyed, quickly arranging mundane matters, then headed north.
As time passed, these people would increase.
After all, no one could resist the allure of becoming a cultivator.
The other group consisted of town residents from the nine towns.
Li Xuan remembered them at a glance; the leading town residents were from the Feng family.
He stepped forward, approached Prime Minister’s side, asking, "What’s going on?"
The Prime Minister replied, "The immortal family said you must come personally, to verify our identity."
Li Xuan turned to look at the distance.
A youth from the Feng family seemed to be holding in anger, yet upon seeing Li Xuan refrained from it, approached respectfully and greeted, "Master Uncle."
Li Xuan was the Sect Leader’s youngest disciple, a third-generation disciple of Lingyi Sect, alongside Luo E, Feng Mengrou, and others.
As for the first generation, they were the founders of the sect.
The second generation included the Sect Leader Jin Tianchan, Purple Mist Peak Master Hua Xiaoying, and White Cloud Peak Master Shuichengzi.
