Immortal Travel of Longevity

Wang Yingying looked away. "They naturally wouldn't dare say it."

Yan Nantian looked up at her words. "Why wouldn't they dare?"

Wang Yingying said, "Between heaven and earth, qi destiny has long been fixed. If there is more here, there will be less there. While Your Majesty's diligent governance can bring peace and prosperity to the people and increase the nation's destiny, that is only a minuscule fraction. What can truly grant Your Majesty longevity is grand qi destiny."

"And where does grand qi destiny come from?"

Wang Yingying met his gaze, and for a fleeting moment, a tremor ran through Yan Nantian's heart.

"Rob it!" Wang Yingying said. "Plunder it!"

After a heavy silence, Yan Nantian suddenly let out a sharp breath.

For some reason, in his daze, he found himself entirely convinced by the woman before him.

Can qi destiny truly grant me longevity?

Wang Yingying's face remained calm. "Your Majesty must understand that the obstacles on this path are immense. Drawing your saber and sword means Great Jing will step into an extraordinary realm. Entering this grand conflict means a war between immortals and mortals. At best, the dynasty will collapse; at worst, it means eternal damnation. The world will inevitably plunge into chaos. The human Dao is favored by heaven and earth precisely because it remains at peace. If conflict arises, it will lose that worldly protection. When that time comes, demons will scheme for the country, and cultivators will covet your qi destiny. If you cannot stop them, the people will suffer endlessly, and the nation's qi destiny will be gnawed away piece by piece until a new Human Sovereign emerges, returning everything to the beginning."

Yan Nantian's heart skipped a beat at these words.

The prospect genuinely startled him.

If he truly took that step, he would have absolutely no way to control the outcome.

When that time came and the world teetered on the brink of collapse, who would be able to turn the tide?

Yan Nantian snapped out of his reverie. He narrowed his eyes, reached out, and suddenly seized Wang Yingying by the throat.

Wang Yingying's expression did not change. Even with her neck trapped in his grip, she stared back at him calmly.

"Demon path!" Yan Nantian barked.

She held his gaze and forced the words out. "Isn't this exactly... what you... wanted to know?"

Yan Nantian violently hurled her aside.

Wang Yingying merely stumbled, quickly regaining her balance.

She looked up at him. "If Your Majesty is afraid, then govern the nation peacefully. Do not lead the country astray, and do not bring disaster upon the world. Otherwise, abdicate your imperial throne!"

"Insolent!"

Rage flared within Yan Nantian. He wanted to kill her to vent his anger.

Yet Wang Yingying remained unyielding. Resentment filled her eyes as she stared in silence at the lofty emperor.

"Guards!"

"Throw her into the Cold Palace! Keep a close watch on her!"

Yan Nantian ultimately suppressed his murderous intent. Panting heavily in anger, he left and returned to the Imperial Study.

Wang Yingying was escorted away to the Cold Palace.

She harbored no complaints. She was only doing this to repay her karma. What others did not dare say, she had said; what the consequences would be, she had laid bare. She had given Yan Nantian his answer.

She had nothing more to say. She only prayed for the safety of her sect.

The moment she learned she was being banished to the Cold Palace, Wang Yingying understood: Yan Nantian was tempted. He simply couldn't accept it at the moment, but one day, he would act on those thoughts.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have merely thrown her into the Cold Palace.

She was just a newly entered palace selection maiden with no background and no backing. She didn't even possess the qualifications to be imprisoned in the Cold Palace.

But on second thought, Wang Yingying despised this outcome.

If she truly had to choose...

She would rather be sentenced to death than wait for Yan Nantian to come looking for her again...

...

Years flowed by, and generations shifted within the jianghu.

New dynasties replaced the old, and the faces in the jianghu changed time and time again.

Young talents gradually built their reputations. A female escort leader operating in the Southern Parts, trained by Tower Master Wang of Nanbeilou, wandered the jianghu and earned considerable fame. Because of her name, the people of the jianghu dubbed her the Fish Maiden Sword, Yu Youyu.

These rising stars slowly took over the jianghu, one generation succeeding the last.

Rumors spread that the Fish Maiden Sword would eventually take her master's place and become the master of Nanbeilou. Yet others claimed Heroine Yu had personally admitted she had no such ambitions. Gossip was plentiful, and it brought Nanbeilou back into people's minds.

When one thought about it, Nanbeilou had grown old as well.

Over the years, Nanbeilou had rarely trained newcomers. Instead, it felt more like a retirement home for the older generation of the jianghu. Coupled with its lack of notable actions in recent years, its reputation had faded.

The illustrious prestige Nanbeilou once commanded was long gone.

With the sheer number of sects in the jianghu stealing the spotlight, Nanbeilou simply fell silent.

Sometimes, if one asked the younger generation, they wouldn't even know where Nanbeilou was or what sort of faction it represented.

But as the master of Nanbeilou, Wang Ping'an couldn't care less about any of that.

He was old now. His hair was a mix of black and white, and his long beard gave no hint of the youth he once was.

Clap, clap, clap...

A man sitting a short distance away was applauding. He was withered with age, his sunken eyes leaving him looking utterly haggard.

According to his own words, he was well over eighty years old. Having surpassed seventy long ago, he already had one foot in the grave.

"Hehe, Tower Master Wang's swordsmanship remains as sharp as ever..."

The old man's voice was hoarse. He smiled, though his expression was hidden beneath a thick beard.

Wang Ping'an sheathed his sword and turned toward him. "You still have the mood to come out and sunbathe?"

He glanced up at the sky. "The wind is cold. Careful it doesn't blow your life away."

The old man was none other than Zhao Wuji, who had fled to the Northwest back when Yan Land fell.

After all these years, he had aged beyond recognition.

Zhao Wuji chuckled. "To be able to die in Great Xiang, I am already deeply satisfied. I still must thank Tower Master Wang for taking me in."

Wang Ping'an said, "This is Great Jing. It hasn't been Great Xiang for a long time."

Zhao Wuji nodded. He had indeed accepted his fate.

Under the current circumstances, there was likely no chance for the word "Xiang" to rise again within his lifetime.

He looked at Wang Ping'an and said, "If I had fled to the Northern Desert back then, I might not have been entirely without a chance."

Wang Ping'an asked, "Do you regret it?"

Zhao Wuji shook his head. "They are foreigners, and their loyalties will always differ. My father was the Grand Ancestor; how could I ever surrender to a foreign enemy?"

Wang Ping'an's expression softened slightly at those words. "At least you still know a bit of reason."

Zhao Wuji smiled but did not reply.

He took a deep breath and looked up. The autumn colors were vibrant, and with the scattering of fallen leaves, it was clear that late autumn had arrived.

"Tower Master Wang."

"Hmm?"

"I've accomplished nothing of worth my entire life. The person I have failed most is the Grand Ancestor. I often wonder: if I hadn't run away back then, would the world still belong to my Zhao family?"

Wang Ping'an sat down. "For us people of the jianghu, it doesn't matter whose surname the world bears. As long as it isn't ruled by foreigners, and the ruler can give the common people peace and prosperity and keep the world stable, what does it matter whose world it is?"

Zhao Wuji felt a sense of relief. He let out a long sigh and murmured, "Indeed..."

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