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Chapter 37: The Emperor’s Recruitment
🕑 Added 2024-12-08 09:00:40 +0000 UTC"Three thousand years as the lifespan limit?"
Gu An was stunned by the information about the other’s lifespan. It was the first time he had encountered someone with such extraordinary potential.
Moreover, this person was in the Divine Transformation Realm, at the eighth level!
But the lifespan seemed oddly low—far below what Gu An expected for someone at the Divine Transformation Realm. Could it be that Divine Transformation cultivators could only live for 899 years?
Gu An guessed that this person must have suffered some injury that shortened his lifespan.
As Gu An approached, his mind raced. He speculated that the man might be a high-ranking member of the Tai Xuan Sect, but he couldn't act too respectful. After all, the man was suppressing his aura.
If Gu An showed he could perceive this man’s cultivation level, it could lead to endless trouble, perhaps even being mistaken for a spy from the demonic path.
Li Xuandao walked deeper into the valley, his gaze sweeping over the gardens.
Gu An came forward, clasped his hands, and said, “I am Gu An, the valley master of Xuan Valley. May I ask for your name and purpose in coming here?”
Li Xuandao turned his gaze to Gu An, his eyes cold and imposing.
But then he smiled, and the pressure vanished as if it had never been there. It was disorienting. With a gentle smile, he said, "I am Xuandao, from Changluo. I’ve come to visit my child in the Tai Xuan Sect. After a long journey, I’m quite fatigued and would like to rest in your valley for a few days to recover my spiritual energy. Would the valley master be kind enough to grant me shelter?"
Hearing this, Gu An had no reason to refuse. He immediately agreed and called Xiao Chuan, instructing him to arrange accommodations for Li Xuandao.
Gu An avoided staring at Li Xuandao to avoid suspicion.
“His surname is Li, and he’s here to visit his child. Could he be part of the royal family?” Gu An wondered.
Of all the medicine valleys in the Outer Sect, why did he come to Xuan Valley? It likely had something to do with Li Ya.
Gu An continued inspecting the gardens, keeping everything as usual.
Meanwhile, Xiao Chuan led Li Xuandao to an empty house. "The place is simple, but I hope you won’t mind. If you need anything, feel free to ask me or the other disciples."
Li Xuandao nodded and asked, “I noticed some sheep in the mountains and disciples tending to them. Isn’t this a medicine valley? Why are there so many sheep?”
Xiao Chuan didn’t hold back, explaining, "Originally, the valley only grew medicinal herbs. But my spiritual roots are limited, so I gave up on joining the Outer Sect. My senior brother knows I enjoy raising animals, so he allowed me to raise them here to help earn some spirit stones, which in turn helps more disciples cultivate and reach the Outer Sect earlier."
“Oh? Your senior brother is the valley master?”
“Yes.”
“He must be a good person to think so much of you.”
“Of course! My senior brother is the best person in the world…”
Hearing Li Xuandao praise Gu An, Xiao Chuan became animated, launching into a stream of compliments about his senior brother.
This piqued Li Xuandao’s interest in Gu An, and he continued asking about his deeds. Xiao Chuan, not suspecting anything, enthusiastically shared stories, even pulling Li Xuandao to sit down and chat at length.
While inspecting the gardens, Gu An smiled, thinking he hadn't pampered Xiao Chuan for nothing.
Whether Li Xuandao was connected to Li Ya or a high-ranking figure from the Tai Xuan Sect, it wouldn’t hurt to leave a good impression.
Surely, Li Xuandao couldn’t be from Thousand Autumn Pavillion, right?
Wait!
Thousand Autumn Pavillion!
Suddenly, Gu An felt a chill down his spine, his smile freezing.
Better to be cautious than regretful!
When dealing with Li Xuandao, Gu An would have to be extremely careful, just in case.
Li Xuandao’s arrival aroused the curiosity of the other disciples, as visitors were a rare sight in Xuan Valley.
That day, after settling in, Li Xuandao did not leave his residence, seemingly truly focusing on recovering his spiritual energy.
Due to Li Xuandao’s presence, Gu An refrained from visiting Eight Views Heavenly Cave that night, staying obediently in his pavilion.
The next morning, as usual, Gu An led the disciples in their morning exercises. Hearing the commotion, Li Xuandao came out to observe, and Xiao Chuan cheerfully greeted him.
Gu An simply nodded at Li Xuandao, showing no intention of avoiding him.
As the morning exercises began, Li Xuandao initially watched with disinterest. However, the more he watched, the more intrigued he became.
After the exercises, Gu An dismissed the disciples, pulled out a book, and began reading while heading back to his pavilion.
He needed to maintain composure and not let Li Xuandao’s presence disrupt his routine.
But just as he reached his courtyard, Li Xuandao caught up with him.
"Valley master, what are you reading?" Li Xuandao asked with a friendly smile.
Gu An turned and raised the book in his hand. “Investiture of the Gods. Have you read it?”
Li Xuandao’s smile grew wider. "Indeed I have. I’ve even memorized it by heart."
"Oh? So you’re a fellow enthusiast?"
“Hahaha, the moment I saw the valley master, I had a feeling we’d get along. Shall we discuss Investiture of the Gods?”
Hearing Li Xuandao’s insincere flattery, Gu An had no choice but to smile and agree.
He invited Li Xuandao upstairs, and after Li Xuandao sat down, Gu An busied himself with boiling water for tea, using spiritual energy to light the fire.
As Li Xuandao glanced around the room, he suddenly asked, "Valley master, what do you think of King Zhou?"
Wow! Testing me right off the bat?
Facing away from Li Xuandao, Gu An calmly placed tea leaves into the cups and said, "If we only consider the story, he appears cruel and tyrannical. But if we analyze it further, his actions seem somewhat illogical."
Li Xuandao nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, the first time I read it, I thought King Zhou was foolish and violent. But upon a second reading, I realized something was off. In that world, immortals and gods truly existed. King Zhou couldn’t have been ignorant of this. Given that knowledge, how could he dare defile Nuwa’s sacred statue? That’s not how a ruler should act."
"Furthermore, Nuwa, a goddess, responded to this blasphemy not by punishing him directly, but by sending a fox spirit to corrupt his heart, leading to chaos throughout the land. Can such behavior really be considered divine?"
Gu An turned, bringing the tea to the table in front of Li Xuandao.
Smiling, Gu An replied, "There are indeed many inconsistencies, but it’s a fictional story. To make it entertaining, contradictions are inevitable. It’s understandable."
Gu An couldn’t determine Li Xuandao’s true identity, so he remained neutral in his responses.
Li Xuandao shook his head. "Perhaps the story is fabricated, but the truths it reveals about the world are real: that is, heaven and earth have deities, and mortals cannot defy fate."
Gu An hadn’t expected him to interpret Investiture of the Gods in this way.
“If King Zhou had been powerful enough to surpass all the gods and immortals, how do you think the story would have ended?” Li Xuandao asked.
Gu An thought for a moment and replied, “Then the final battle wouldn’t have been against the Grandmaster of Heaven, but against King Zhou himself.”
Li Xuandao was momentarily taken aback before bursting into laughter. He lifted the tea cup, blowing away the steam.
Unsure of how to read his reaction, Gu An remained silent.
After taking a sip of tea, Li Xuandao shifted the conversation to Xuan Valley’s cultivation methods, even asking about specific techniques. Gu An answered each question patiently.
“You’ve joined the Tai Xuan Sect not to seek immortality, but to grow flowers and herbs. Is this out of necessity or genuine interest?” Li Xuandao asked.
Gu An chuckled bitterly. “It’s a mix of both. Everyone has their own pursuits. Immortality isn’t the only goal. Of course, if I had great potential, I would still pursue eternal life.”
Li Xuandao teased, “You’re quite a candid man, not hiding anything.”
“In life, when we look back and then ahead, there are only four words: ‘find joy in hardship,’” Gu An shrugged.
He was increasingly convinced that Li Xuandao was from Thousand Autumn Pavillion, testing his views on Xuan Valley.
Setting down his cup, Li Xuandao asked, “What do you think of the current emperor? Do you think he is like King Zhou?”
Gu An froze.
That’s quite the awkward transition!
How did we go from King Zhou to discussing the Emperor of Tai Cang Dynasty?
Could it be that he isn’t from Thousand Autumn Pavillion but is truly related to Li Ya?
Thoughts swirling, Gu An cautiously replied, “I don’t know much. Before joining the Tai Xuan Sect, I was just a servant. Now, living in this valley, I hardly hear news of the outside world. Has something happened with the Emperor?”
Li Xuandao chuckled. “Not particularly. It’s just that he’s been on the throne for a long time, and there are many rumors both in court and among the people. Some believe an emperor shouldn’t rule for too long, as a long reign inevitably leads to corruption. Meanwhile, those in the cultivation world fear an emperor who cultivates might let imperial power overshadow the cultivation world.”
Gu An grew anxious.
This conversation was starting to touch on many sensitive topics. He had to tread carefully.
Seeing Gu An’s hesitation, Li Xuandao smiled mischievously. “In your opinion, is it better for an emperor to rule for a long time, or should the throne change hands every few decades?”
Knowing that Li Xuandao was in the Divine Transformation Realm at the eighth level, Gu An dared not avoid the question.
After a moment’s thought, Gu An replied, “I think it depends on the character of the emperor. If he is virtuous and capable of ruling the land, a long reign shouldn’t be an issue. However, if a good emperor still has many years to live but abdicates to a foolish son, that would be a disaster for the people. The common folk don’t care about dynasties lasting for thousands of years. They only live a century. If their lives are bitter, they will curse the emperor for abdicating.”
Li Xuandao laughed again, and Gu An could sense his mood improving.
Wait a minute!
Li Ya’s relative, surname Li, asking about King Zhou and then the current emperor…
Gu An recalled hearing from the Ji family that the Emperor of Tai Cang had been cultivating and had reigned for over two hundred years.
“You’re right. I shouldn’t listen to all those voices. I should go out and see how the people are living,” Li Xuandao said, smiling.
The moment those words left his mouth, Gu An’s expression changed dramatically. He exclaimed in shock, “You… you’re the current Emperor?”
As he spoke, he tried to stand up.
Li Xuandao raised his hand, and an overwhelming pressure forced Gu An to sit back down. Gu An didn’t resist, fearing the emperor might see through his cultivation level.
“Keep your voice down. No need to treat me like an emperor. Just think of me as Li Ya’s father. You can call me uncle,” Li Xuandao said with a gentle smile, showing none of the authority of an emperor.
Gu An, however, was at a loss for words.
A Divine Transformation Realm emperor!
This was a serious situation!
Li Xuandao then said, “Take out Heavenly Solemn.”
Hearing this, Gu An quickly retrieved the Heavenly Solemn Sword from his storage bag.
The moment Li Xuandao saw the sword, his expression grew complicated. He gently stroked the sheath.
Gu An remembered what Li Ya had told him—the Heavenly Solemn Sword was a gift from his father to his mother. After her death, the sword was passed to him…
Now, seeing Li Xuandao’s expression, Gu An couldn’t help but imagine the complex emotions and history between Li Xuandao and Li Ya’s mother.
After a long while, Li Xuandao set the sword down and pushed it toward Gu An, saying, “In the Tai Xuan Sect, Li Ya is closest to you. I heard you even saved his life. This sword now belongs to you. Consider it a gift from me. From now on, you are the rightful owner of the Heavenly Solemn Sword.”
“In addition, I plan to establish a new medicine valley near the Tai Xuan Sect, where many high-level herbs will be grown. I want you to manage it. Don’t worry, I won’t treat you unfairly. In time, I’ll help you reach Foundation Establishment, perhaps even Core Formation. But you must remember one thing: while you may appear to be a disciple of the Tai Xuan Sect, your loyalty will belong to me.”
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