Immortal Travel of Longevity

After chatting a while, Chen Changsheng dusted off his robes and left, leaving Meng Ziyi standing there in a daze. He remained beneath the tree for a long time, turning over the words the Mister had just spoken.

The principles within were profoundly deep. To Meng Ziyi, at least, they were like a bright lantern illuminating a long-darkened room. The inspiration they offered was a wondrous thing only he could understand.

Then, at a certain moment, Meng Ziyi seemed to finally understand.

"Seeking truth, seeking truth... marvelous, truly marvelous..."

He let out a loud laugh, no longer troubled by the matter. His mind had suddenly cleared, as if he had found his own Dao.

...

Chen Changsheng headed toward the Imperial Palace.

By comparison, the defenses here were not all that strict. To any determined demon or cultivator, strolling in without alerting a single soul was as easy as taking a step.

Yet over the long years, it was exceedingly rare for cultivators or monsters to trespass into the Imperial Palace.

In reality, the Imperial Seal was no longer in the Imperial Palace; it had been moved elsewhere long ago.

Chen Changsheng took a trip to the Library Pavilion within the Imperial Palace.

This place had also weathered the ravages of time. The peeling paint on the wood and faint traces of rot were plain to see, along with termite holes gnawed into the bases of the pillars.

The main doors were left ajar. An old eunuch guarded the entrance, as seemed to have always been the case.

Chen Changsheng's footsteps were incredibly light, not stirring even the slightest breeze. He walked right past the sleeping old eunuch without being noticed.

When Chen Changsheng flipped through the books in the Library Pavilion again, the feeling was vastly different from before.

'Whenever I came here in the past, I only cared about storybooks and sword manuals. I never actually took a close look at the other books inside.'

Chen Changsheng thought to himself. He flipped through the scattered, disorganized books, and the contents within made him inwardly praise their brilliance.

Only now did he realize what he had been missing.

The books filling this pavilion recorded the culture and history of bygone eras. The knowledge they contained was the result of countless people and countless years of compilation.

Chen Changsheng sat down, turning into a veritable bookworm. He read from morning until night without taking a single break.

The dozing old eunuch woke up late in the afternoon, just as the sun was setting.

He always woke up punctually. Once it turned dark, he would dust the pavilion's books, then close the doors and return to rest. It was, at its core, a leisurely job.

The old eunuch took his duster and swept it across the bookshelves one by one. This was his duty as the chief eunuch guarding the Library Pavilion; dust gathering on the books would be unseemly.

"Yawn..."

The old eunuch let out a yawn. But as he walked into the aisle, he was suddenly taken aback.

Seeing a figure sitting on the floor flipping through a book, he stood momentarily stunned.

The old eunuch's brow furrowed slightly. He was about to speak, but then hesitated, swallowing his words.

'An expert...'

The old eunuch was also a martial artist. Over the years, he had long since stepped into the ranks of the Seventh Grade within the Nine Grades of Martial Dao. If there was someone else's aura present, he should have noticed it long ago.

But now, as he looked directly at the person before him, he still failed to sense the man's aura.

He walked over step by step. Only when he drew a bit closer could he sense that faint presence. This was absolutely no ordinary mortal. The old eunuch had never encountered such an aura on a martial artist before, which left only one possibility.

This person was likely no mortal. He was either a demon or a cultivator.

But no matter which it was, the old eunuch was no match for him.

"Ahem..."

The old eunuch coughed softly.

Chen Changsheng shifted his gaze from the book and looked at the old eunuch standing nearby.

The two exchanged a glance, but both remained silent.

That was until Chen Changsheng lifted the book in his hand, gave it a slight wave, and asked, "Just reading for a bit. It's no bother, is it?"

The old eunuch let out a sigh of relief and said, "Sir, have you come to the wrong place? This is the Imperial Palace's Library Pavilion."

"I'm in the right place."

Hearing this, the old eunuch smacked his lips. From the looks of it, persuading the man to leave was impossible.

He didn't dare get too close. Keeping his distance, he said, "Read as you please, but you cannot take anything away, you cannot damage anything, and do not let anyone discover you are here."

Chen Changsheng paused for a moment. He then nodded and said, "Many thanks."

The old eunuch shook his head and sighed, leaving the man alone.

Otherwise, what could he do? Call someone to arrest him?

Setting aside whether they could even catch him, if they failed, the blame would surely fall on his head. He would be charged with negligence, and the senior eunuchs above him would certainly seize the chance to make an example of him.

Given all that, he could only let the man do as he pleased.

The old eunuch resumed dusting, keeping far away from Chen Changsheng the entire time.

Chen Changsheng also enjoyed the quiet, spared from needing to explain himself further.

He went back to reading.

A moment later, he heard the old eunuch say, "It's getting dark. If you plan to light a lamp, be careful. Don't burn this place down."

Chen Changsheng finished the final page and closed the book. He replied, "No need for a lamp. This Chen can see just fine."

The old eunuch nodded.

Chen Changsheng grew interested in the old eunuch. He asked, "I see your martial arts aren't shallow. How did you end up guarding the Library Pavilion?"

The old eunuch replied, "I'm old now. I don't have the heart to fight with those people over this and that. This place is quiet; it's perfectly suited for retirement."

"Life in The Imperial Court isn't easy, either," Chen Changsheng said.

"It's exceptionally difficult."

The old eunuch shook his head repeatedly. Only the people within The Imperial Court knew the bitterness involved.

He continued, "I've been in this palace for a full forty-one years. I entered at the age of twelve, and now I'm fifty-three. Once I walked through those gates, I never walked back out."

Chen Changsheng paused, then asked, "Do you want to leave?"

But the old eunuch shook his head again. "No. What would I even do on the outside?"

"Even after saying all that, you've never wanted to go out and take a look?"

"I haven't."

The old eunuch dusted off a book and said, "Whether I can leave is one thing. Whether the outside world will accept me is another entirely."

This was the tragedy of the people in the inner palace. Some spent their entire lives inside, only being sent out for burial after they died.

Chen Changsheng didn't press the matter. Instead, he changed the subject. "Speaking of which, why didn't you chase me out earlier?"

"I can't beat you."

The old eunuch answered bluntly.

Chen Changsheng chuckled. "How do you know if you don't try?"

"I value my life."

The old eunuch set down his duster. "Even though I've lived long enough, I can't just die in vain. Those who shouldn't be offended must absolutely never be offended. For the people in this inner palace, lacking a discerning eye is the deadliest flaw. A nobody like me might just be an ant in a grand figure's eyes. Crushing me to death would be exceptionally easy."

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!