Chapter 65: As long as you have sufficient strength, everyone around you is good!

“This,” Xiao Ming hesitated, his mind not catching up.

“Heh, if you can’t even accept this, how can you claim to be sincere? She’s willing to give everything and endure pain for you, yet you think she’s not clean and no longer like her, right?”

Xiao Ming’s next response was something the Sage’s lingering soul could guess with his foot.

“No! If it’s her, I can accept anything—even our child taking her surname! But do I still have a chance?”

Xiao Ming rushed straight to the palace because he felt there was no hope—better to fight to the death.

The Sage’s lingering soul had already guessed Xiao Ming would say this; Xiao Ming now only needed hope—a big pie.

And drawing big pies was the Sage’s specialty.

“If you want it, your master can point you to a clear path to win over the Chu girl.”

“Master, please tell me quickly—I can’t live without her!”

Xiao Ming’s words nearly choked the Sage’s lingering soul.

As a former Sage, he had seen countless storms, but he’d never seen anyone this desperate.

Still, it was within his tolerance.

The Sage’s lingering soul said: “You can enter imperial service. With your talent and my help, in no more than three or five years you’ll achieve modest success; after another decade or so, you might become a powerful minister—then you can sideline the dog emperor, and everything will be yours! The Chu girl will naturally return to your arms!”

To trick Xiao Ming, the Sage’s lingering soul urged him to polish his character in officialdom, offering him a plausible hope of contacting Chu Ruoyan.

The Sage’s lingering soul had also considered having Xiao Ming seclude himself to cultivate.

But this kid had no patience, and his luck was extraordinary—just like from the frontier to the capital, every time he left one woman, another appeared.

He might meet an even prettier woman, fall into his dog-like habits again, and become a fish—then all this effort would be wasted.

If he enters officialdom and occasionally maintains even distant contact with the Chu girl—even just glimpsing her from afar—he can stabilize his heart.

The Sage’s lingering soul couldn’t let Xiao Ming give up on Chu Ruoyan.

“Master, is there a simpler way?”

“Sure—become a eunuch, and you’ll see her soon.”

“Then never mind. Let’s talk about becoming an official.”

Seeing Xiao Ming had taken the bait, the Sage’s lingering soul began explaining how to become an official.

In the Tian Ce Dynasty, entering officialdom through graduation from a top school was undoubtedly the best choice.

But that would take too long—Xiao Ming probably lacked the patience.

Next came taking various examinations.

These exams, in truth, were just formalities.

To pass the interview, you needed connections; everyone else was just running the course.

Whenever a position opened in the capital’s departments, many powerful nobles shoved their people in—most were already prearranged.

Though Breakthrough Realm is decent, this is the capital—the capital has no shortage of talent.

Hearing this, Xiao Ming asked doubtfully: “Then I can’t get in at all?”

The Sage’s lingering soul sighed: “See? You’re impatient again. If I’m saying this, there’s definitely a way.”

The capital’s departments also had a category called “outsourced personnel”—low pay, no official status.

With Xiao Ming’s strength, he was more than qualified to be an outsourced officer.

The best way to quickly transition from outsourced to official status was to earn merit.

Which department in the capital made merit easiest?

Naturally, the Ministry of Justice.

Other departments judged by seniority and tenure—basically, just waiting it out.

The Ministry of Justice had a backlog of cases; if Xiao Ming solved several major ones, he’d be officially appointed in no time.

Then climb the ranks quickly.

Officials in the Ministry of Justice held immense power, and many strong cultivators worked there.

The Sage’s lingering soul brought up Xiao Ming’s family’s massacre.

If Xiao Ming became a mid- to high-ranking official in the Ministry of Justice, wouldn’t it be easy to crush his enemies?

Not to mention mobilizing the Ministry’s power—even local governors would gladly cooperate.

Officials sent from the capital—even the lowest—were never dared to offend by local officials. And through his official status, he could bribe eunuchs and palace maids to see the Chu girl.

Who else had a chance to enter the palace?

Perhaps, he could even find an opportunity to elope with the Chu girl.

Isn’t that much faster than locking yourself away to cultivate to the Sage Realm, then challenging the emperor to a duel?

Finally, the Sage’s lingering soul concluded: if Xiao Ming became an official, all his problems would be solved.

If they weren’t solved, it was only because his rank wasn’t high enough.

Look at the new emperor—he’s powerful, so he can do whatever he wants.

In short, the Sage’s lingering soul was just spinning tales to stabilize Xiao Ming for now; his own resurrection still depended entirely on Xiao Ming.

“Fine, Master, I’ll follow your advice—I’m off to report to the Ministry of Justice!”

Xiao Ming didn’t want to wait a second—he wanted to drown himself in work.

!

The moment he had free time, his mind conjured images of his goddess with the ugly, fat emperor.

Inside the palace, when Li Chen stepped out of his room, night was nearly upon them—evidencing just how strong his stamina was.

At that moment, Li Si came over with a wicked grin, her expression as evil as it could be.

“Brother, are you really that powerful, or are you just dragging things out, afraid I’ll think less of you?”

Li Chen gave her a glare and said nothing.

Can’t you see your sister-in-law can’t even get out of bed? Do you still doubt me?

In this area, Li Chen was an old hand—Chu Ruoyan couldn’t possibly withstand him; she’d fainted multiple times.

“Has anything happened recently?”

Li Chen changed the subject, avoiding further talk with Li Si.

“Oh, the Empress Dowager came at first, but Eunuch Cui blocked her.”

Li Si said that when she saw Li Chen and Chu Ruoyan getting into the groove, she slipped out.

Then she ordered the eunuchs not to disturb Li Chen.

Li Chen was satisfied—indeed, a considerate sister.

Who knew this triggered the Empress Dowager’s interruption routine.

Li Si wanted to block her, but she was terrified of the Empress Dowager—terrified since childhood.

To her, the Empress Dowager was a shadow more fearsome than the late emperor.

Just as she braced herself to step out, Eunuch Cui arrived in time.

According to Li Si, the Empress Dowager was furious—a chief eunuch daring to block her path? Did he want to be expelled from the palace?

The Empress Dowager’s aura alone made Li Si, hiding in the corner, tremble.

Eunuch Cui smiled apologetically and explained: Li Chen was currently “busy.”

When the Empress Dowager heard it was that kind of business, she chuckled lightly, mocking something about “midday,” but Li Si couldn’t hear clearly from afar.

Before leaving, the Empress Dowager ordered Eunuch Cui to guard the place—if anyone disturbed His Majesty’s affairs, he’d lose his position as chief eunuch.

But no one knew why the Empress Dowager had come to see Li Chen.

Yet Li Si realized one thing: Eunuch Cui was truly loyal!

She didn’t understand how Li Chen had won such loyalty from palace staff.

After all, Li Chen hadn’t done anything since ascending the throne.

“When you reach the Sage Realm, you’ll understand.”

As long as you have sufficient strength, everyone around you is good.

Li Chen knew this well—so he didn’t even bother stepping out until he reached the peak of the Sage Realm.

As if remembering something, Li Chen said to Li Si: “I need to see the Empress Dowager—do you want to come with me?”

“No, no! I haven’t finished the cultivation tasks you assigned me—I’ll go practice now.” With that, Li Si bolted away, not even asking about the earlier scene.

Sending her to meet the Empress Dowager was worse than making her cultivate.

After a while, Li Chen entered the Empress Dowager’s chambers, finding the room warm and elegant, the Empress Dowager seated gracefully on a soft couch, chatting merrily with a beautiful, unfamiliar woman.

(End of Chapter)