Chapter 270 - 265: People Remain, Things Change; What Is Eternal?

Ai Miao did not report back to the Sect immediately. He simply made a mental note of the young man, planning to observe him for a while longer.

’For instance... maybe observe him for twenty years?’

For a Cultivator past the Core Formation Realm, twenty years was barely the time for a short nap.

For a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, twenty years was a little longer, but it was just the necessary amount of time to truly understand a person.

Ai Miao calculated that if the young man’s aptitude was actually ordinary, he might not even have reached the Qi Cultivation Late Stage after twenty years.

If he truly was exceptionally talented, then in twenty years, the young man might be preparing for Foundation Establishment and worrying about how to acquire a Foundation Establishment Pill.

At that time, if he were to guide him into the Sect, he would naturally form a good bond.

Moreover, it would be the perfect time to have the boy change his Cultivation Technique before his Foundation Establishment.

As a Sword Dao Sect, the Lingxiao Sword Pavilion’s cultivation direction and methods were vastly different from other Sects.

If a Foundation Establishment Cultivator tried to join with pre-existing skills, the Holy Blood Sect and the Taihe Sect might accept them, but the Lingxiao Sword Pavilion absolutely would not.

Because their paths were different.

Other Sects generally speak of "No Regrets for Pill Formation."

But for the Lingxiao Sword Pavilion, it was "No Regrets for Foundation Establishment."

Ai Miao was only hoping to form a good bond; he didn’t actually think this young man could become a major figure in the Core Formation Realm, someone worth latching onto.

How rare were Core Formation Masters?

As for the possibility of this young man awakening his past life memories and wisdom, that was even smaller than the possibility of him becoming a Core Formation Master.

In the past eight thousand years in Momenan, there had been countless talented youths suspected of being reincarnated Core Formation Masters, but how many of them had ever fully awakened their past life memories?

Even if they managed to return to the Core Formation Realm, they could at most recover only a small, vague portion of their memories.

Therefore, Ai Miao decided to simply observe this talented young man—who might be the reincarnation of a Lingxiao Sword Pavilion senior—from a distance for the time being, taking a detached approach.

Of course, it was still necessary to write a letter to his grandmaster, Zeng Baoming, to lay some groundwork.

He wasn’t worried about Zeng Baoming rushing him. Even though Sword Cultivators were known for their impatient nature, with a Core Formation Master’s sense of time, it would probably be decades before his grandmaster remembered the matter again.

~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, Du Youqian had no intention of contacting Lin Sha and the others for the time being. As planned, he left the Tengguo Mountain Sacred Land and returned to the small city of Quhuai County, only to discover that it had, at some point, become a major base for the Jinyiwei.

The residents of the small city would likely run into seven Jinyiwei just by stepping out to buy some soy sauce.

Upon seeing Du Youqian, the Jinyiwei swarmed forward with a SWISH, frightening the common folk into scattering. ’Could they be arresting some notorious bandit?’ they thought.

Du Youqian remained composed and fearless. Even when he was a mere mortal, killing all these Jinyiwei would have been as easy as cutting grass.

Now, he was at the Qi Cultivation Third Layer and had a Top Grade Spiritual Artifact at his disposal.

Never mind these Jinyiwei; even if a Foundation Establishment Cultivator showed up, he could still put up a fight.

Great power brought with it immense confidence, composure, and a calm spirit.

So, upon seeing his calm and collected demeanor, the residents immediately changed their minds. ’This isn’t an arrest of a notorious bandit, but protection for a Prince or Commandery Prince traveling incognito, right?’

"Prince Baili, the Jinyiwei’s Commanding Minister, Lord Xu, has arrived in the county. I wonder if Your Highness could spare a moment to meet with the Minister?" Hundred Households Hao said in a nearly fawning tone.

Over the past month, these Jinyiwei had been at their wit’s end.

The urgent dispatches from the Capital City had become increasingly harsh in their wording and were arriving more and more frequently.

Ever since Emperor Shunde learned that Prince Baili had apparently formed a connection with a powerful Immortal Master, he had become unbearably eager to have Prince Baili return to the capital and inherit his title.

Hundred Households Hao speculated that in the Monarch’s political landscape, an Elder Zhongyong on good terms with an Immortal Master would likely play an extremely important role.

Du Youqian naturally had no objections. ’If I want to become the National Guardian Celestial Master, the Jinyiwei is a force I have to keep firmly in my grasp, one I cannot allow anyone else to touch.’

’If the Jinyiwei were controlled by the Emperor, it could lead to disaster, for the human heart is selfish.’

’With a sharp weapon in hand, the intent to kill arises naturally.’

’An Emperor who controlled the Jinyiwei would only grow more arrogant and tyrannical.’

’But I am not an Emperor. I am the selfless National Guardian Celestial Master (who only leeches Human Dao Fortune).’

’For me to control the Jinyiwei would naturally be for the best.’

In the courtyard of a wealthy family’s residence, Du Youqian met the Jinyiwei’s Commanding Minister, Xu Jinwei.

Xu Jinwei had the appearance of a scholar, with a refined and scholarly air. He was around fifty years old, and his power was quite impressive; he had already reached the Postnatal Peak.

In front of Du Youqian, Xu Jinwei was extremely polite, adopting a very humble posture.

He was a smart man. If Du Youqian inherited the title, he would be a First-class Count, a status far above his own.

Moreover, according to their analysis, an unfathomable Immortal Master stood behind Du Youqian—a power that far surpassed the secular world.

In any case, there was no harm in being more respectful to this "Prince Baili."

After a maid brought in the tea, she withdrew from the room.

Xu Jinwei personally poured the tea and said with a smile, "This is a tea I brought from the Capital City. It’s a tribute gift bestowed by His Majesty. Prince Baili, please!"

After drinking the tea and exchanging a few pleasantries, Xu Jinwei said tactfully, "This past month, the Jinyiwei have practically turned Celestial Dog Mountain upside down, yet we couldn’t find a trace of you, Prince Baili. I presume Your Highness has his own fortuitous encounters."

Du Youqian nodded slightly.

"To be honest, we were forced into it. His Majesty in the Capital City is waiting with bated breath for Your Highness to return and inherit your title. I wonder, does Your Highness intend to return to the Capital City?"

If it were anyone else the Emperor wished to see, they would have just been tied up and dragged back.

But this one... no one really dared to use force on him.

Hadn’t an Immortal Master and an Innate Grandmaster leading over a hundred Death Warriors already met their doom?

Du Youqian thought for a moment. Over the past month, he had come to understand more and more the boosting effect of Human Dao Fortune on his Body Refining Technique.

His Spirit Root was entwined with poison. Without the aid of Human Dao Fortune, it was impossible for him to guide Qi into his body. No amount of elixirs would work—this was something he had verified repeatedly over the past month.

Since he needed to cultivate quickly and gain a certain degree of self-preservation ability even in front of a Core Formation Master as soon as possible, he would naturally need a large amount of Human Dao Fortune to aid his cultivation.

Therefore, stepping into the Capital City to find a way to leech some Human Dao Fortune was now a matter of great urgency.

He immediately nodded and said, "I have nothing else to do. I don’t mind returning to the Capital City with Lord Xu."

Xu Jinwei was overjoyed—though it was more likely a deliberate expression. For a sly old fox like him, his control over his expressions ought to be masterful.

After a few more words of flattery, Xu Jinwei lowered his voice. "After inheriting the title of Elder Zhongyong, I wonder if you plan to stay in the Capital City or return to your fief to rebuild? Xianlai Castle was burned to the ground; rebuilding it might be somewhat difficult."

What kind of human schemes and machinations had Du Youqian not seen before?

’I know what shit he’s about to take just by seeing which way his ass is pointing.’

He gave a slight smile. "I was just getting a headache over this matter myself. I wonder if Lord Xu could enlighten me?"

"I wouldn’t dare to enlighten you, but if you are to decide on a course of action, it would be best to first understand some of the current trends in the Capital City." Xu Jinwei suppressed the joy in his heart and patiently began to explain the capital’s situation to Du Youqian.

This included the various political factions in the imperial court, the budding rivalries between the major figures in the Cabinet, the conflicts between the Nobility and the Civil Servants...

...and... the mind of a capable Monarch, wrestling with the power of his chancellors without breaking the balance, wanting to gain the upper hand and implement his own will in the governance of the nation.

Of course, he hadn’t come up with these words himself. Even if he had, he wouldn’t dare say them casually. Speculating on the mind of the sovereign—how many heads did he have to lose?

Naturally, someone of much higher status and power wanted him to convey this message.

An hour later, the conversation concluded to both parties’ satisfaction, and they bid each other farewell with smiles.

Xu Jinwei had a stunningly beautiful dancing girl escort Du Youqian to his guest room to rest. Upon arrival, the dancing girl wanted to stay and serve him, but she was mercilessly rejected by Du Youqian.

After listening to the dancing girl’s report, Xu Jinwei frowned and thought for a moment.

’This dancing girl was handpicked by me, a true national beauty. It’s impossible for any young man in the prime of his youth not to be moved by her.’

’But Prince Baili rejected her without a second thought.’

’There are only two possibilities.’

’This prince is plotting something grand.’

’Or, this prince prefers the company of men.’

’I’ll try again tomorrow.’

If Du Youqian had known Xu Jinwei’s plans, the Jinyiwei would have tragically lost a Commanding Minister that very night.

But the next day, before Xu Jinwei had a chance to test his theory, he received another 800-li express dispatch ordering him to send Du Youqian back to the capital immediately.

Du Youqian, for his part, did not dally.

When Du Yuxi had just ascended the throne and begun his reforms, those measures were branded as "Emperor You De’s last will." They brought about a huge improvement in the living standards of the common people of the Wu Kingdom, so the Human Dao Fortune Du Youqian shared in at that time was considerable.

But now, several hundred years later, the lives of the Wu Kingdom’s common people had not only failed to improve further but had even slightly declined.

And "Emperor You De" was gradually being forgotten.

The Human Dao Fortune he received in his capacity as "Emperor You De" was now just a drop in the bucket for him.

Therefore, he urgently needed to find a new source of Human Dao Fortune.

The journey here had taken a month.

That was because Du Youqian had traveled at a leisurely pace, enjoying the scenery and observing the lives of the common people along the way.

But on the return trip to the Capital City, under the Jinyiwei’s arrangements, they traveled downstream to the Capital Region, then spurred their horses on, arriving back in the Capital City in just one week.

Reining in his horse, he lingered outside the city, gazing at the city walls. They were as majestic and ancient as they had been hundreds of years ago, yet differed in many details due to repeated repairs. Du Youqian was filled with a thousand emotions.

’In the end, it was always the person who remained while the things changed.’

’What in this world can last forever?’

His gaze shifted downward, and he saw a troop of horsemen, their clothes bright and armor gleaming, looking majestic and imposing. They carried a banner with the character "Rui" and were galloping toward him.

Since they showed no killing intent or anger, and instead had smiles on their faces, it didn’t seem like they were looking for trouble.

As Du Youqian was wondering, a middle-aged man in short, practical riding clothes but no armor took the lead, breaking away from the troop.

He stopped about ten paces away, his burning gaze sizing up Du Youqian with clear admiration. He called out in a loud voice, "Are you my dear nephew, Jianxin?"