Return to Chang'an
"You truly are worthy of being cultivators sent by our master!"
Zhang Xuezhou held up the Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle with both hands, while Ren Anran quickly cultivated the Great Wilderness Creation Scripture. This situation gave Zhu Jiuyin a strong ideological shock.
Zhu Jiuyin was a highly respected elder among many Demon Cultivator, but he became timid and submissive in front of Hongjun, behaving in completely different ways.
His behavior pattern isn't new; officials who fawn over their superiors and bully their subordinates are usually like this.
Ren Anran collected the life essence of four bottles of Spirit Gathering Banners, but had to give up due to a lack of spirit jade. Zhang Xuezhou, on the other hand, carried the Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle out of the secret place.
A gust of wind swept up, Zhang Xuezhou lifted the Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle, which floated and began to fly, with Ren Anran accompanying him. Zhu Jiuyin circled around the two of them for a while, boasting.
Zhang Xuezhou and the others were going back to Chang'an City to make adjustments, Zhu Jiuyin also wanted to go with them to check on Dou Ying and the others, to see what the Yang Soul Body was like after the physical body died, and whether it could survive for a long time.
Each of the three parties had its own agenda, and because of their different circumstances, they maintained a relatively balanced flight speed.
Occasionally, a demonic bird would notice the three directions, prompting a cacophony of complaints, Zhu Jiuyin ignored.
He's now in a desperate situation, his body has been taken away, so he has no mind to manage the secret place or seek revenge, let alone care about these bird demons.
Just as Daojun cultivates himself, Zhu Jiuyin is also cultivating himself. It is only because demons from all over the world seek protection that they gather here in groups, which in turn leads to actions such as power and control.
Falling from the highest position of power, it's impossible to say it had no impact whatsoever. At the very least, Zhu Jiuyin didn't want to see anyone right now, maintaining a cold indifference towards bird demons that could fly nearby, keeping strangers at bay. He even transformed his Yang Soul Body, losing all his former characteristics, only appearing kind and approachable when facing Zhang Xuezhou and the others.
Are there any powered vehicles around here?
"Here, people travel on foot, and for long distances, they ride horses. For us to be able to fly long distances is like a game-changer. This ability makes me unique in the Great Han Dynasty and hard to be replaced!"
What kind of emperor was he?
He's a really good person, driven, capable, and of impeccable character!
What about the two wives you married here? What are they like?
"Ahem~"
As Ren Anran continued to learn about this world, she became quite curious about Zhang Xuezhou's interpersonal relationships, and even showed great interest in A Qiao, Yi Shuo, and others.
She commanded her Yang Soul Body, stepping and following behind Zhang Xuezhou Zhang Xuezhou, using his flying power to keep up.
The perilous journey into the Three Realms has passed, and Yang Po's body has returned to normal and is even stronger than before. Although he is not sure what the situation is like in the real world, Ren Anran's mind is very calm, and he can face everything he needs to witness with ease.
"Without actually coming here, it's hard to imagine how wonderful you are in this world!"
Zhang Xuezhou's life was not long, but his experiences far exceeded those of ordinary people. In just over a decade, he accomplished what others take decades or even centuries to achieve.
This was indeed something that others could hardly reach, and it made Ren Anran understand why she had always felt close to Zhang Xuezhou, yet there was an insurmountable distance between them.
"I was being rushed forward; I didn't have a chance to stop at all," Zhang Xuezhou said with a wry smile. "Sometimes I feel it's a wonderful journey through life, and sometimes I feel my life shouldn't be like this!"
"So what kind of life do you want?" Ren Anran asked with interest.
"In the past, I imagined two people growing old together, eventually dying like most people. Now, I want to see every world together, learn from the strengths of each world, and thus contribute to the development of our world!"
Does what we're doing right now count?
"Calculate!"
Zhang Xuezhou nodded quickly.
Although these past few days have been fraught with risks, many things become easier with practice. Once he succeeds once, Zhang Xuezhou can replicate a similar success the next time, thus avoiding various unforeseen factors.
This is indeed what Zhang Xuezhou is pursuing, and if everything succeeds, it will inevitably bring positive feedback.
Zhang Xuezhou doesn't seek to make the real world any more powerful; what he really doesn't want to see is the place where he grew up turned into ruins where humanity in Qinmeng was wiped out.
In this world, he also hoped that the Great Han Dynasty could prosper and flourish, so that his relatives, friends and even his descendants could survive, instead of turning into flesh and blood under the shadow of swords, or even being cooked and eaten.
Zhang Xuezhou has always maintained contact with high-level officials, but his eyes have never left the perspective of ordinary people.
Although he appears to be surrounded by the wealthy and powerful and frequently interacts with high-level cultivators, ninety-nine percent of the people in the world are ordinary people.
Upon hearing that the humans of the Xiong State gained power by grafting Demon Power and then devoured the soldiers of the Great Han Dynasty, Ren Anran's brows furrowed and his scalp tingled.
The Louvre dynasty perished because it treated people like livestock, and eventually even the upper echelons were not spared, leading to a rebellion.
The Scarlet Alliance State received relevant education from a young age, Ren Anran undoubtedly abhorred this behavior.
"My own body has been taken away; I'm afraid I won't escape having my heart ripped out and my abdomen disemboweled. I've already received my retribution!"
She learned from Zhang Xuezhou about Zhu Jiuyin's misjudgment, and stammered out a few rebukes in the Sacred Land Language.
Zhu Jiuyin's response was extremely helpless. This was the order of the Demon Race: humans could eat demons, and demons could eat humans. As for those hybrids grafted with Demon Power, they were beyond his control.
He went on and on about how the great demons were besieged and devoured by humans, and that the Demon Race was the one who suffered.
If we let them argue amongst themselves, it will become a situation where both sides have their own reasons, and in the end, neither of them will be able to win their argument.
After Zhang Xuezhou translated for a moment, Ren Anran had fully understood. After a simple comparison, she knew very well that it was absolutely impossible to leave behind a non-human intelligent race to reproduce in reality.
Regardless of their intentions or purposes, only a single, pure race can avoid this contradiction that has been torn apart for thousands of years.
The Southern Jambudvipa Continent is plagued by endless wars and countless demons. Coupled with humanity's penchant for shortcuts and risk-taking, social development has been slow for hundreds or even thousands of years.
As Ren Anran followed Zhang Xuezhou flying, she saw the city with its tall stone walls below, as well as the wooden and thatched houses of ordinary people.
When passing through Henan and Hexi, the land was a desolate scene. The destruction of the war had left this grain-producing plain barren and large numbers of homeless disaster victims waiting in groups for the government to distribute relief food. Some wandered around the mountains and forests to dig for wild vegetables, while others could not bear the disaster and died and were buried in designated areas outside the city. There were many people wailing beside the rows of raised earthen slopes.
"Oh, you're actually pretty law-abiding?"
When passing through war zones, Ren Anran stopped asking questions and chose to see the world with her own eyes, constantly comparing it with reality. Her journey became less active.
It wasn't until Zhang Xuezhou stepped into the waves and went downhill that Zhu Jiuyin spoke with a hint of surprise, Ren Anran finally looked at Zhang Xuezhou.
"Following the rules is a good thing!"
The closer Zhang Xuezhou got to Chang'an City, the faster his heart raced.
He had been killed once by the Demon-Revealing Mirror. If he could still swagger back to his mansion now, Zhang Xuezhou felt that he must have a screw loose to do such a thing.
He concealed his Yao Qi very well, but Zhang Xuezhou was also worried that the Demon-Revealing Mirror might have the ability to detect things and thus target him again.
Upon returning to Chang'an City, he could only attempt to approach the Demon-Revealing Mirror, and only dared to return to his residence after confirming that he was safe from its dangers.
He paid no attention to Zhu Jiuyin's surprise and chose to land outside the range of the Demon-Revealing Demon-Revealing Mirror. When he was near the city gate, he called a carriage to enter the city.