Returning to Qingzhou

From afar, Li Ji'an spotted Ning Sujin, whose gloomy face darkened another shade.

"Nothing out of the ordinary!" She spat out the words coldly, without even looking him in the eye.

Li Ji'an sighed inwardly.

Was this really necessary?

A whole month had passed, and she still hadn't cooled off?

Women in this world... they were all the same.

Had Ning Sujin lost interest in Li Ji'an because Ning Yutan had followed the Immortal Master to the Cultivation World, leaving her without a rival? Or did she simply think her rival was gone and stop cherishing him?

Perhaps she no longer saw herself as an outsider after that awkward incident in the attic.

Over the past two years, Ning Sujin had become much more casual with Li Ji'an. She no longer bothered to hide many of the little things she used to be so reserved about.

A month ago, Duke Dingguo Ning Haichan had invited Li Ji'an to the duke's residence. Ning Sujin had clearly warned him beforehand that if the duke tried to play matchmaker between them again, he had to refuse firmly. She was determined to go to the Immortal Realm in this life.

Li Ji'an had agreed.

At the banquet, Ning Yutan's birth mother had revealed her intention to bring Li Ji'an and Ning Sujin together. Following Ning Sujin's instructions, Li Ji'an had firmly refused in front of everyone.

Yet because of that, Ning Sujin had refused to give him the time of day for an entire month.

Whenever he asked, she said, "Why would I be angry over something like that? That's what I wanted anyway. The main thing is, you weren't firm enough when you refused."

Li Ji'an was preoccupied with his senior brother at the moment and had no mind to argue with her.

"Thanks, Sister Jin. But I'm planning to return to Purple Heaven Temple. Will the omens still be auspicious?"

"You're going to Qingzhou? You're so cautious that you usually won't even set foot outside the Immortal Palace..." At his words, Ning Sujin's irritation vanished, replaced by a trace of worry.

Two years ago, after the Immortal Master had rebuked him, the emperor had gone nearly mad trying to avoid disappointing the Immortal Master again over the next generation of Immortal Seeds. He had tried every means at his disposal.

The resources supplied to government-run martial academies had doubled, while the Martial Families had been granted even greater privileges. Naturally, the common people had to bear the cost.

As a result, public resentment had boiled over, and complaints filled the land.

Rebel forces had already risen in many places.

On top of that, relations between the emperor and Prince Yun were growing ever more strained. The realm was no longer at peace.

Still, after studying Li Ji'an for a moment, Ning Sujin let out a small breath. "Your journey will be safe."

"Thank you." Li Ji'an cupped his hands. He offered no explanation and paid no heed to her teasing, simply turning to leave.

"..." Watching Li Ji'an stride away with uncharacteristic ease, Ning Sujin furrowed her brows slightly.

"What happened?"

Though she sensed no danger on his journey, she still couldn't help worrying.

"Wait! I meant you'd be safe if I went with you. Otherwise..." Her greatest fixation was still achieving Organ Refining at the Immortal Ceremony eight years from now, and she hadn't wasted a moment of the past two years. Even so, she decided to go with Li Ji'an.

Li Ji'an stopped and glanced back at her, then smiled and slowly nodded.

At noon that day, after reporting their plans to the Immortal Palace, Li Ji'an and Ning Sujin each mounted a fine steed and headed toward Shangyi County.

The black-maned steeds, personally bestowed by Duke Dingguo, carried Spirit Beast bloodlines and could cover eight hundred li by day and another eight hundred by night. The journey from Chong'an Prefecture to the imperial capital had taken their slow-moving caravan two months before, but now they reached it in just five days.

"Sister Jin, let's rest here for the night." Seeing the foam flecking their steeds' mouths and their exhausted state, Li Ji'an decided they should stop in Chong'an Prefecture.

Ning Sujin had already reached Marrow Cleansing, and her abundant blood and qi, combined with her mastery of external training, let her stir her vital energy like a furnace. The wind and frost of the journey posed no threat to her. Still, now that she was back in her hometown, she was happy to stay a while and readily agreed.

"That damned emperor curries favor with the Immortal Master, and to please him, he doesn't care what happens to the people. He's unfit to rule!" At last, with no need to hurry onward, Ning Sujin vented the fury she'd built up over everything they'd seen and heard on the way.

They'd passed refugees strewn across the roads and barren lands stretching for a thousand li. They'd witnessed far too many horrors.

Even outside the gates of Chong'an Prefecture, crowds of refugees were begging for alms.

Li Ji'an sighed. "You can't blame him entirely. With a system that concentrates all power in the hands of the ruler, anyone who reached that position would be the same. Unless that system changes, the common people can only pin their hopes on a heaven-sent wise ruler, generation after generation."

His casual lament, so far ahead of its time, nearly made Ning Sujin's mind freeze.

The history of the Immortal Bestowed Dynasty was brief. Before it, the realm had been divided among feudal lords; further back, there had been tribal wars; earlier still, people had struggled to survive in the wilderness.

In the earliest days, people faced the might of nature and wild beasts, and could only huddle together for warmth.

Once gathered, the group needed strong people to stand at the front and protect everyone in times of danger. So the group chose its strongest through the rights to mate and distribute resources, and leaders were born.

As groups grew larger and larger, they became tribes.

Tribal conflicts grew ever fiercer. Beyond power, tribal leaders were entrusted with the duty of protecting their people. Everyone accepted this willingly, glad to choose a leader who would shield them and bear the greatest risks.

But when tribes merged and feudal lords rose, the leaders who gradually gained access to the collective power that came with authority no longer rushed to the front to protect their people. Instead, they realized they could use that power to suppress them and preserve their own positions and privileges. They no longer had to compete with anyone.

After unification, once external threats had disappeared within a given territory, the original leaders could fully enjoy the status and privileges that came with power, keeping that power within a small circle.

At that point, they cared about only one thing: holding on to their power and passing it down.

Without some great external crisis or opportunity, this system could endure for millions of years, with only two things ever happening: rebellion and the suppression of rebellion!

But the Immortal Master's descent had given the Zhao Imperial Clan a new opportunity—and a new crisis. So they could only wring every last resource from the realm to curry favor with the Immortal Master.

As Li Ji'an saw it, this was still the better outcome.

At least the people only had to suffer a little.

Otherwise, if the emperor failed to please the Immortal Master and the Immortal Master decided to move against him, that would be when the people of the realm suffered most.

To save his own life and position, the emperor would surely urge the people to fight the Immortal Master.

The result would be rivers of blood, a sea of corpses.

After living four lives, Li Ji'an had seen enough to make peace with himself. He neither approved nor condemned; he accepted reality, adapted, and strove to transcend it.

"Anyone would be the same as emperor?"

Li Ji'an gave an awkward smile. "Why not try it yourself?"

"Are you mad?" Ning Sujin's eyes widened again. These outrageous words left her more and more unable to fathom Li Ji'an.

Li Ji'an didn't answer. He rode through the long line of people waiting to enter the city.

In the Immortal Bestowed Dynasty, the people truly suffered. Those who had a chance to become Immortal Seeds—or to raise one—really did enjoy special privileges.

Smack! You lowly bastards got a death wish or something? Make way for the Immortal Seed!

"Please, young master, go ahead..."

Seated high on his horse, Li Ji'an flashed his reserve Immortal Seed identity token. The guards at the gate hurried over, fawning over him.

Under the envious gazes of the suffering common folk, Li Ji'an and Ning Sujin rode slowly through the city gate.

"Y-you... you... are you Chang'an?" Just before they passed through the gate, one of the guards cautiously stepped forward to ask.

"Uncle Ma." Recognizing the man as one of Xiao Wu's former subordinates, Li Ji'an smiled in reply.

"Good heavens, it's really you! Quick, go save Uncle Xiao—he's about to be executed!" Uncle Ma cried, overjoyed.

Li Ji'an frowned. "What happened to Uncle Xiao?"

Uncle Ma looked around and rose onto his toes to whisper, "The people up top say he colluded with the rebels. They're going to behead him in public!"

"And the truth?"

"The truth... the truth is... ah, a beauty brings disaster!" Uncle Ma didn't dare say more.

"Auntie..." Li Ji'an let out a breath, already guessing the cause.

Weak and yet too clever, poor and yet with a beautiful wife, powerless and yet wealthy... the three unforgivable sins of feudal society!