With a casual gesture, Jinghongzi conjured a golden ball of light in his hand, which condensed into a ball about ten feet in size. He then tossed the ball towards Xu Le.
Xu Le's face lit up with joy as he caught the golden orb and stored it in his inner world, planning to distribute it later.
After accepting the gifts, Xu Le didn't bother to dwell on Jing Hongzi's previous attack. He had already realized that Jing Hongzi's obsession had turned him into a machine devoid of emotion, and there was no point in arguing with him. He said indifferently, "I will leave this world in a couple of days. I will keep my promise as a raider."
Jinghongzi nodded. In his vast mental analysis, he had calculated countless scenarios. The probability of Xu Le breaking the contract was less than one in ten thousand, so there was no need to worry. His body shattered and turned into starlight, dissipating into the world. He was already the Heavenly Dao of this world and no longer had a fixed form. Before, he was just a fake body condensed with the power of stars. He would throw it away after he was done using it.
Xu Le had no interest in looking at this empty landscape, so he used the blessed rabbit talisman to fly downwards.
……
On the battlefield, Yin Que commanded his soldiers to begin taking in the rebels and grassland people, while also sending men to bring Yin Henshui up.
Yin Henshui staggered forward, only to be kicked in the back of the knee by a guard behind him, falling to his knees. Due to the recent escape from the battlefield, his hair was disheveled and his armor was covered with mud and blood, making him look nothing like his former heroic figure.
Looking at this major threat, Yin Que was filled with mixed emotions. He sighed and said, "Wasn't it good to be your King Wuyai? Why did you have to rebel?"
Yin Henshui shook his head dejectedly, not answering the question, and smiled bitterly: "What's the use of saying this now? The victor is king, the loser is villain. Since I've lost, I'm not afraid of death. I only hope that His Majesty can spare my family."
"If you are willing to relinquish your military power and reside in the palace I have arranged for you in Chaoge, I can grant your request."
This was something Yin Que had carefully considered. After all, the area where Yin Henshui lived was still heavily guarded by soldiers. If they were to try to reclaim it, they would inevitably suffer heavy losses. However, if Yin Henshui, the original owner of the territory, were to surrender, it would not only cause his reputation to plummet, but also allow them to reclaim the land without bloodshed. It was a win-win situation.
"Hahaha, and then I'll either fall into the lake or die of illness in the palace, right?" Yin Henshui chuckled bitterly. Seeing the embarrassment on Yin Que's face, he said, "I agree, as long as you let my family's bloodline continue, even if it's just to let him be an ordinary person."
Yin Que looked at Yin Henshui being escorted to Chaoge and felt a pang of emotion. Suddenly, a streak of light flashed across the sky and arrived in front of him in an instant. It was Xu Le.
Xu Le looked at the emperor, who was extremely respectful to him, with a calm expression. He was no longer the ordinary orphan he once was. He had now advanced to the Qi Refining stage, and with the power of the twelve talismans, he could change the world and was invincible in the lower-level worlds. Before, he hadn't changed his mindset and thought he needed to treat these feudal emperors with a kind attitude. However, in his several encounters with Jing Hongzi, he realized that as long as his own power was strong enough, why bother wasting his energy on these insignificant people?
Although he had come to terms with it, Xu Le couldn't refuse someone who was smiling at him, so he said, "Your Majesty, I am about to return to my sect, so I have come to bid you farewell."
Yin Que, who was originally happy, was shocked to hear this and hurriedly asked, "Immortal Master, why are you leaving so early? Is it because I have not been hospitable enough? You can tell me, and I will do whatever I can to satisfy you."
Xu Le is now his talisman for stabilizing the country. As long as Xu Le is around, no country will dare to offend the might of the Great Shang Dynasty. Now that he hears that Xu Le is about to leave, how can he not be anxious?
Xu Le showed no reluctance to stay despite Yin Que's attempts to persuade him. He knew that the emperor in front of him only wanted to use his power to maintain the stability of his dynasty and, incidentally, give him a pill to refine for longevity. It was nothing more than human greed. To believe that the emperor was truly sincere to him would be foolish.
"Your Majesty, there's no need to detain me. My sect has ordered me to return after my extended stay in the mortal realm, especially given my interference in the rise and fall of dynasties." With that, Xu Le soared into the sky and vanished into the horizon.
He was able to explain to Yin Que because he had a great day and was in a good mood. In addition, he wanted to use Yi Ming as a pawn in this world, and with Yin Que's help, he would save a lot of effort. That's why he explained a few words to him.
"Wait..." Before Yin Que could finish speaking, Xu Lefei left. At this moment, he deeply felt his own insignificance and how humble he was in the eyes of these immortals.
He watched quietly in the direction Xu Le left, the setting sun casting a long shadow on him.
After a long while, Yin Que summoned a eunuch and said, "Go and find me someone who received the immortal's teachings back then. I want..."
……
In the desolate desert, above the endless yellow sand, a large purple bird glides low through the air.
After flying for an unknown amount of time, a dilapidated ancient city, mostly buried by yellow sand, came into its view. Excitedly, it cried out and flew to the ruins, searching around.
After an unknown amount of time, it found a jar with a yellow talisman attached, tore the talisman open with its beak, and transformed into a beam of purple light, disappearing into the jar...
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Chapter Sixty-Three: Departure
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Inside the Tianji Pavilion, Xu Le lay among a group of beautiful women, enjoying their service, while Yi Ming and Wan'er waited respectfully on the side.
Yi Ming stared intently at the ground, his eyes fixed straight ahead, as if something was drawing him in. He remained expressionless even when he heard Xu Le playing with a group of beauties.
Wan'er looked at the group of women trying to seduce her immortal brother and puffed out her cheeks in anger. However, since what happened with Xue Lingyun, she had matured a lot in an instant. Although she was dissatisfied, she did not dare to speak up without Xu Le's permission.
After Xu Le drank the wine offered to him by the beauty, the wanton look on his face disappeared, replaced by a calm expression. The group of beautiful women around him were also intelligent and immediately understood that their master was about to talk about serious matters, so they obediently stepped aside and stood there.
Xu Le sat in a chair and said softly, "Yiming, Wan'er, come here."
Upon hearing Xu Le's call, Yi Ming and Wan'er immediately stepped forward. Xu Le looked at these two natives, whom he had first met in this world, and a sense of emotion flashed through his mind. He continued, "I'm leaving this Great Shang Dynasty tonight, so I'm entrusting the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion to you from now on."
"What!" Yiming and Wan'er exclaimed in unison, somewhat incredulous. The beauties beside them were also shocked by the news.
"It's only been less than a month, why are you leaving already?" Compared to Yiming's composure, Wan'er was getting impatient and asked anxiously, "Immortal Brother, why are you leaving? Did Wan'er make you angry? Tell me, I'll definitely change."
Looking at the girl who had become increasingly radiant and beautiful after he had healed her, Xu Le smiled and said, "It has nothing to do with you. I wasn't going to stay here for long anyway. Now that my time is up, I'm going back."
Xu Le turned to look at the group of beautiful women behind him, a gentle smile on his face. He said, "You have taken good care of me for so long, which is commendable. But I don't know how long it will be before I return. So, I'll give you two choices: one, I'll give each of you one hundred taels of gold, revoke your slave status, and grant you freedom; two, you can stay in this Tianji Pavilion and help Yiming manage the household finances. However, you will be my people for life. If I don't return, you will live out your days alone. No matter what choice you make, I won't be angry."
The ten beauties hesitated, which was understandable. After all, one side offered freedom, but the future was uncertain; the other offered wealth and glory, but meant a lonely old age. Anyone would be torn by such a choice.
Xu Le watched their choices with a smile, offering no interference. After a moment, eight beauties chose to stay, while only two wanted to leave. Xu Le glanced at them; these two were precisely his favorites, named Xiao Lan and Xiao Yu, the two with the most beautiful legs among the ten beauties. Their long, slender legs were irresistible to him. Seeing the shame on their faces, Xu Le wasn't angry; after all, everyone had the right to choose. He summoned a shadowy warrior and gave each of them one hundred taels of silver.
"Thank you for the gift, Master!"
"You two are truly shameless, not only ungrateful to your master, but also thinking of leaving." Yi Ming's face showed anger. These two women dared to choose to leave, which in his eyes was nothing short of betrayal. This was a great provocation to his loyalty. His blood surged, and his fists clenched so tightly that they cracked. Xiao Lan and Xiao Yu were so frightened that they collapsed to the ground, kowtowing and begging for mercy.
Although Wan'er felt some pity, she turned her head away and ignored them when she thought about how these two had betrayed her most beloved immortal brother.
"Let them go," Xu Le said gently, looking at the two who were half-dead with fright.
"If it weren't for the master's kind heart, you would surely be dead today." Yi Ming snorted coldly, stepped aside, and gave the two women a sharp look.
Xiao Lan and Xiao Yu accepted the one hundred taels of silver, knelt down to express their gratitude, and then left the living room under the watchful eyes of everyone, returning to their rooms to pack their things.
After tidying up the exquisite clothes bestowed upon her by her mistress, Xiaolan suddenly felt a pang of regret. However, when she thought about how she could buy a large house in her hometown with this money and hire many servants instead of being a servant herself, she quickly suppressed her regret.