Chapter 444: Self-knowledge

Yang Yong must have been holding his breath, just waiting to see Li Rui one last time.

He saw him.

And that breath dissipated.

In the end, he still couldn't wait for Li Rui to hold a grand hundred-year birthday banquet for him.

Yang Yong never married in his life, and didn't have a single child.

He came alone, and left alone.

The mourning hall was set up for three days.

It was set up according to the specifications of a Count, which was a breach of protocol.

But with Li Rui, a real Count, present, no one would say anything.

Most of those who came to pay their respects were aiming at Li Rui, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate; few people knew the little old man who had been a guard for the Zhu family.

Li Rui was an old man.

When he was in the Zhu family, he had sent off countless batches of new and old people, so naturally, he had to give this old companion a proper and decent send-off.

Yang Yong hadn't lived a bad life.

In the past, he never dared to imagine living to over ninety, and still being able to die inside the General's Mansion.

On the last day.

Wang Zhao finally rushed back from the Wu Kingdom.

A big man with red eyes kept watch in the mourning hall for a whole day and night.

Then, according to Yang Yong's request, he was buried on a small hill outside Qinghe.

This location.

Was chosen by Li Rui and Yang Yong together back then.

Originally, they thought that when Li Rui left, Yang Yong would bury him here; they didn't expect Yang Yong to use it himself first.

People always say cultivators are heartless and cut off the red dust.

But in fact, this isn't cutting off; most are just worn out.

Li Rui had long been accustomed to sending people off.

In Qinghe, for an ordinary person to live to over ninety, it was a joyous funeral, and there wasn't too much sadness.

At most, he just carried a pot of wine and chatted at Old Yang's grave for an extra day and night.

Nostalgic.

Immortal cultivation is just like this; one always has to send off the young before the old, though it could also be the old before the young.

Fortunately, Li Rui had done it often before and had long since let go.

His heart for seeking the Dao became even clearer.

A few days later, he got back into the carriage.

And returned to the Profound Micro Sect.

"The Northern Garrison has already reached a truce with the Northern Polar Demon Sect, and both sides have retreated ten li."

Li Rui looked at the letter Ning Ning Zhongtian sent from the Northern Plains.

He also understood why the usually aggressive Northern Garrison and the Northern Polar Demon Sect were willing to negotiate.

It was nothing more than too many people dying.

Everyone was afraid.

Perhaps neither the Northern Garrison nor the Northern Polar Demon Sect expected that this battle would kill so many people.

Fighting a war is for seizing spirit mines.

Not to truly exhaust their foundations.

If they continued to fight, both sides' foundations would be thin, and at that time, it would only benefit those Immortal Sects that had long been eyeing them covetously.

A truce was inevitable.

Cultivators treat the life and death of mortals as ants, but in the Northern Plains, cultivators are the same.

Who knows how many cultivators and martial artists were buried in the wilderness.

Cultivating truth starts with cultivating life.

To put it plainly, it means to survive first.

Compared to those cultivators, the people on Mount Changqing Peak were undoubtedly much happier.

Of course.

All of this was actually the result of Li Rui's painstaking management behind the scenes.

Otherwise, for a single pill, one would have to risk their life.

Even an Imperial Prince sometimes cannot avoid the mundane.

Spirit Mine, Wei Wang Mansion.

"Your Highness."

An old man walked into Zhu Gan's room.

Zhu Gan looked at Zhou Tong walking into the room, his eyes showing anticipation: "Sir, what did my uncle-in-law instruct?"

Ever since the last breakthrough failure.

Zhu Gan didn't lose heart, but instead put all his effort into charging at the Heavenly Phenomenon realm again.

But as the saying goes, one burst of energy, then exhaustion.

Once failed, how easy is it to break through again?

Even for an Imperial Prince, it is as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Zhu Gan really had no bottom, which is why he sent Zhou Tong back to the capital to find his uncle-in-law, the State Preceptor, to seek help.

Today, Zhou Tong finally returned.

Zhou Tong looked at Zhu Gan with a smile: "The State Preceptor said, Your Highness need not panic."

"The reason Your Highness failed is because you are naturally close to water, so the Great Dao is obstructed. The State Preceptor said to change to another path."

Zhu Gan was somewhat surprised:

"Change to another path?"

He didn't understand what his uncle-in-law meant.

Zhou Tong smiled slightly:

"The State Preceptor has a set of techniques for changing bones and shifting souls, which might help Your Highness re-ascend to the Heavenly Phenomenon."

Zhu Gan's pupils shrank violently, and he blurted out:

"Changing bones and shifting souls?!"

Late at night.

Li Rui, who was practicing in his room, only felt a chill behind his back.

'Where did this cold wind come from?'

Li Rui thought to himself.

Then he dived into the quilt.

Opening his eyes again.

The clouds and mist dissipated, and he had already arrived before the White Jade Steps.

Ever since last time, Li Rui decided not to meet Wu De for the time being.

He strode onto the White Jade Steps.

Soon he arrived at the mansion of the Longevity Dao Lord located in the corner of the Grand Void Dao Field.

It was still the same old look.

The phantom of the kind old man, the Longevity Dao Lord, seemed to have triggered a mechanism; as soon as Li Rui entered the door, a gentle yet slightly hoarse voice slowly sounded.

"The essence of the Supreme Dao is dark and mysterious; the limit of the Supreme Dao is dim and silent; without sight or hearing, embrace the spirit to be still, and the form will naturally be upright. Be still and be clear, do not labor your form, do not shake your essence, and then you can attain longevity."

Li Rui skillfully pulled the prayer mat in the courtyard.

And sat down casually.

Every time he came, what the Longevity Dao Lord said was different.

He also gradually figured out what this Immortal Lord's inheritance actually was.

Let's put it this way.

The Longevity Dao Lord's inheritance is in these words.

The Great Dao is hidden in the bits and pieces of teachings.

Once you enter the door, you are qualified to become a student, and you can listen to the teacher's lectures; how much you learn depends on your own fortune.

Some students are clever and understand at a single point.

That is obtaining the inheritance.

Some students are stupid, and even if taught hand-in-hand, it is still useless.

Li Rui belongs to the former.

After years of listening, he gradually gained some insights.

What the Longevity True Person spoke of was the Great Dao of Longevity.

The two words 'Great Dao' are profound and mysterious.

Li Rui doesn't necessarily have to follow the Longevity Dao Lord's path, but listening to more is always beneficial.

Listening to the Dao all night.

Early morning.

Li Rui sat up from the bed, looking spirited.

Listening to the Longevity Dao Lord's lecture last night, he actually gained some insights, as if he were about to capture that thread of ethereal Great Dao aura.

If those stuck at the peak of Below Tongxuan knew about this, they would surely be jealous to the point of red eyes.

Even an Imperial Prince like Zhu Gan, whose family learning is terrifyingly profound, only dared to touch the Great Dao when he reached the peak of Below Tongxuan.

In contrast, Li Rui.

Having only just reached the mid-stage of Below Tongxuan, he actually gained insights.

Li Rui was in a good mood.

He pushed the door and walked into the small courtyard; the green bamboos outside were extremely pleasing.

At this time.

A noble-looking young man slowly walked out from the bamboo sea.

"Master."

Yuan An saw Li Rui in the courtyard and bowed with a smile.

Li Rui: "Your Highness, the Heir Apparent."

Yuan An is worthy of being Yuan Yuan Dingting's son.

Over these years, he has constantly traveled down the mountain, not only without causing trouble but even performing extremely well.

If it weren't for his status as the Heir Apparent, the Profound Micro Sect would have long had countless Elders wanting to take him as a true disciple.

Yuan An: "Master, the Wu Kingdom discovered several villages where demon cultivators had refined people into human puppets. The Wu Kingdom's government wanted to ask the Profound Micro Sect disciples to help investigate. I accepted the mission, but there are still several points I don't understand, so I came to ask for your guidance, Master."

Li Rui smiled slightly:

"Your Highness, please speak."

Just as Yuan Yuan Dingting said when he asked him to be an instructor back then.

In terms of martial arts, there were plenty of people in the Marquis Mansion better than him.

The reason Yuan Yuan Dingting let the young Heir Apparent take Li Rui as an instructor was to learn temperament.

Specifically, it was the experience of walking the Jianghu.

Every time Yuan An returned from his travels over these years, he would come to find Li Rui and ask his master to help him review.

He would gain something every time.

This had become his habit.

This sounds mysterious, but it's actually just the experience of the older generation. He didn't care at first, but as the number of times he asked for guidance increased, his admiration for Li Rui grew.

Yuan An spoke: "The affairs of the world are nothing more than fame and profit. Although demon cultivators act wildly, it is nothing more than for profit. But I have read the files, and that demon cultivator is very strange. He only refines people into human puppets, but has no extra actions."

The Profound Micro Sect and other Immortal Sects.

In order to encourage disciples to sharpen themselves, they would issue missions for disciples to complete to obtain rewards.

Besides the missions issued by Elders in the sect, the missions of the imperial courts of the Yu and Wu Kingdoms accounted for the vast majority.

It was precisely because of this reason.

The people of the two countries also began to gradually get used to these immortal cultivators.

One could often see Immortal Sect disciples going down the mountain to slay demons and eliminate evil.

Li Rui didn't answer, but asked instead: "Your Highness, do you know the principle that a mature Jianghu person must understand?"

Yuan An blinked:

"I don't know."

Li Rui spoke slowly:

"None of my business."

"..."

Yuan An was stunned: "None... none of my business?"

Li Rui nodded: "Correct, none of your business."

"Since you can't figure it out, then don't do it. When you figure it out, then do it."

Yuan An scratched his head: "Master, that's not quite right, is it? If you retreat from everything, how can you become a powerhouse in the future? You can't just keep retreating."

Li Rui smiled:

"Your Highness, people should have self-knowledge."

"You must be good at using your own status."

"What is your status?"

"You are the Heir Apparent of the Annan Marquis, the future little Marquis. Your father is the eleventh in the world, your mother is the legitimate daughter of the Cui clan. No matter how approachable you are, it is useless, and personally taking risks is even more stupid."

"Since you can't figure it out, you don't need to think about it. No one in the world can force you."

"If I were the Heir Apparent, I would choose to find your Brother Pei and directly flatten the village for him."

Don't need to think...

Directly flatten the village...

Yuan An widened his eyes; Li Rui's few words had a huge impact on him.

When he went up to Mount Changqing Peak, he originally thought Li Rui's answer would be something like 'be careful and cautious, think three times before acting'.

But he never expected Li Rui to say this.

Far beyond his expectations.

But soon, his eyes lit up.

"Right, my father is the eleventh in the world!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 445 =====