Chapter 189

After Li Xianzhi finished speaking, he glanced at Chi Juluo with the corner of his eye.

The old monk used telepathy to transmit his thoughts, saying, "Chen Yufeng Fairy is surprised and suspicious in her heart, without any dissatisfaction or resentment."

"What is she suspicious of?"

Just as Li Xianzhi asked in his heart, Xiao Yu spoke up and asked, "Having just experienced the chaos of the Thirty-Six Kingdoms, does the Shu Kingdom have so much manpower and material resources?"

Li Xianzhi smiled and said, "The Shu Kingdom of today certainly does not have surplus population to migrate north, but the Northern Wilderness does!

In the coming years, or even decades, a large number of royal descendants will head to the Northern Wilderness to recruit wild people, establish city-states, and tame the wild into citizens.

In fact, many commoners in the north of Shu have Sha Man bloodlines.

Either they themselves are Sha Man, or their ancestors were.

The Chinese nobles who crossed west from Nanzhan Zhonghua back then were just like the Great Qin noble sons who have crossed west today; they were numerous, but it was impossible for them to establish a country relying solely on themselves.

The main ethnic group of Western Shu is a combination of a large number of mountain people and some Sha Man.

The so-called 'mountain people' are called 'Cave Barbarians' or 'Earth States' by the Central Plains.

There is no difference from the Sha Man."

He looked calm, without any embarrassment or intention to hide his emotions, and continued, "Our development of the Northern Wilderness in Western Shu is just like the ancestors of the Li family migrating from the Central Plains to the Western Sha Region back then.

What our ancestors could do, we, with our blood still hot, can do the same.

The initial investment is indeed a large sum of money, but the Shu Kingdom has never lacked money.

After smelting iron through 'iron-rod-pulling' in the north, a portion of the funds originally used for mining in the south can be withdrawn and transferred to the north."

Xiao Yu smiled and said, "This is a great thing! Previously, seeing the nobles from the Central Plains crossing west in an endless stream, I regretted that they were only willing to go to the wealthy Western vassal states and none were willing to go to Western Sha to civilize the barbarians.

Now it's good; the Western Shu royal family is no less than the nobles of the Central Plains, and the Sha Man in the Northern Wilderness are blessed."

Chi Juluo took the opportunity to transmit to Li Xianzhi via telepathy, "Benefactor Feather only feels relaxed and relieved, without a hint of unwillingness or hatred."

After a pause, he added, "This poor monk feels that using such trivial matters to test her is simply an insult to the bearing of a 'Heaven-Mandated Person.'

She genuinely admires the Immortal Dao, and the Sha Region is merely a burden to her."

Li Xianzhi said, "Little Fengxian, now you should understand the sincerity of the Li family, right?

We are not just imprisoning you, this 'Heaven-Mandated Person.'

We have been trying to solve the problem of 'Western Sha invading Shu' from the root.

Therefore, once the ten-year period is up, the Li family has no need to break their word.

At that time, we will definitely send you off from Western Shu with courtesy.

Even from now on, you are free.

You don't have to return to the Red Sleeve Workshop; you can live in the Howling Shanzhuang all along.

I can make the decision for Liu San to gift the Howling Shanzhuang to you."

Xiao Yu was not overjoyed, and her heart was not even deeply touched.

She was only eleven years old this year.

Even for an ordinary girl in the Red Sleeve Workshop, she would have to wait until she was fifteen or sixteen to start performing and making a name for herself.

Only after making a name could she be sold for a good price.

A "top courtesan of Tianmen Town" like Shao Yao is already nearly twenty-two now and is still a pure courtesan (she claims so anyway, and everyone basically accepts it).

And Xiao Yu had no intention of staying in Tianmen Town until she was fifteen or sixteen.

She planned to reach the realm of "Ghost and God Cannot Invade" within three years: being able to kill human immortals in frontal combat, and being able to detect and kill underworld ghosts and gods, heavenly talisman envoys, and duty-performing officials who track her.

If she couldn't achieve "Ghost and God Cannot Invade," even if she were truly physically free, left Tianmen Town, and left the Shu Kingdom. changing to the Lu Kingdom or the Ba Kingdom on the east bank of the Liusha River, would her situation have changed in essence?

Wouldn't she still have to adapt to a new environment, search everywhere for a "Foster Father," search for immortal fate, and still have to be cautious and careful not to let humans, gods, or ghosts discover the secret of "Great Father-Destroyer"?

But to not be detected by ghosts and gods regarding her secret, she still had to pursue the realm of "Ghost and God Cannot Invade."

If she lurked in Tianmen Town for three or four years and reached the realm of "Ghost and God Cannot Invade," who could humiliate her?

If she wanted to leave, who could stop her?

Moreover, after the "Heaven's Will Gambling Game" with Ge Qingyun, Xiao Yu became even less willing to leave Tianmen Town.

Because her immortal fate was almost severed.

No decent immortal dared to take her as a disciple.

Unless some big shot was playing a big game and happened to be short of a pawn that could be sacrificed at will.

Actually, reaching "Ghost and God Cannot Invade" was only the first step.

According to Xiao Yu's plan, for her second step, she had to master at least one escape technique that others couldn't catch up with, such as her "Physical Water Escape"—stepping on water with both feet and diving at high speed by borrowing the power of water.

It was okay if she couldn't win, but she had to be able to escape.

Then there was the third step, stealth and concealment that ghosts and gods couldn't detect.

After all, underworld ghosts and gods and heavenly palace divine envoys were not specialties of Tianmen Town.

On earth and in heaven, all human kingdoms were probably like this.

For the third step, Xiao Yu also had a plan and arrangement: the Book of Assassination aimed at Huchen's Thousand-Mile Eye.

If even the "Thousand-Mile Eye" couldn't find or detect her, avoiding the sight of ordinary ghosts and gods shouldn't be difficult, right?

During the process of the three-step walk, Xiao Yu was also constantly worshipping foster fathers, learning various sword techniques and sword-breaking styles, mastering more sword intent, and then using internal energy to cooperate with sword intent to warm and nourish the shattered sword bones, finally recasting the sword bones.

Immortal Martial Arts had five major elements: heart, god, intent, energy, and body. Besides being a sword energy amplifier, sword bones could also greatly enhance her physique, making up for her lack of advanced body-tempering techniques.

Since Xiao Yu had long had the plan of "three-step walk, cast sword bones," the benefits Li Xianzhi threw over now didn't have much attraction for her.

Xiao Yu's face showed a look of wild joy, "I am free, rid of the 'lowly status' of the Teaching Workshop?"

——Little brother, it's very hard to bribe me with just this!

She sighed somewhat boredly in her heart.

The old monk looked at the light of thoughts projected on his wall of heart and secretly transmitted to Li Xianzhi via telepathy: "Hmm, the Prince's move can be considered correct.

Chen Yufeng Fairy is full of joy, and also a bit uneasy, worried that you will propose additional conditions that she cannot easily satisfy."

He didn't directly steal Xiao Yu's inner voice via telepathy.

Knowing that the other party could use the Fierce Tiger Divine Intent to guard the "Main God" and was vigilant against him, wouldn't it be stupid to openly open telepathy and ask for trouble?

The old monk was a bit evil, but not stupid.

Now he was just using telepathy to sense the emotions revealed in Xiao Yu's heart.

Sensing emotions was not stealing secrets in the heart.

This was more real and accurate than observing emotions in expressions and tone, and worse than the effect of directly peeping into inner voices.

The old monk didn't know yet that Xiao Yu had already broken his telepathy; the emotional fluctuations of the heart revealed by the Purple Mansion at this moment were all fluctuations she simulated using the "New Heart Sea Art."

In his heart-to-heart communication with Li Xianzhi, he was full of confidence and indifference, without a hint of suspicion or alertness.

"It is limited freedom; you must stay in Yingxiang Mansion, preferably not leaving the scope of Tianmen Town. In the next ten years, there will be experts skilled in stealth tracking you, and there will also be ghosts and gods confirming that your tracks are always in Tianmen Town." Li Xianzhi said frankly.

Xiao Yu smiled and said, "Your Highness, Tianmen Town is the most prosperous place in the West. To be honest, I might not even leave after ten years."

Li Xianzhi waved his hand and said, "No, you must leave after ten years! This is one of the agreements."

——Actually being disliked.

Xiao Yu felt a bit unhappy in her heart.

Seeing that she was not very happy, Li Xianzhi sighed, "Little Fengxian, you can treat the Shu Kingdom as your hometown; your hometown welcomes you back at any time.

But if you don't leave Western Shu, how can you search for immortal fate?

You can travel outside for twenty or thirty years first; if you miss your hometown, you can return to Tianmen Town to settle down.

Didn't you take Divine Physician Min as your master?

He also left home as a youth and returned in old age.

With your talent, returning to Tianmen Town in the future will surely make you a grandmaster of a generation.

At that time, opening a martial arts hall, taking in hundreds of disciples, and being respected by all the people of Tianmen Town, wouldn't that be a wonderful thing?"

If she traveled outside for twenty or thirty years and could still return to Tianmen Town alive, the karma of the "Eight Immortals of the West" would probably have been settled long ago.

By the time that really happened, even if he had become an immortal, upon hearing the news of her return, he would definitely come back to welcome her in person.

Uh, if Xiao Yu knew his thoughts, she would definitely spit on his face: By that time, who becomes an immortal is not yet certain!

Actually, even now Xiao Yu wanted to complain loudly: Your Highness, you look a bit feminine and beautiful, but you are far from as beautiful as you think.

"Your Highness, you just said the 'Ten-Year Agreement' is only one of the agreements; what other agreements are there?" She asked.

Li Xianzhi held up two fingers, "There are two more agreements. First, you must make a solemn promise that now and in the future, you will not interfere in the affairs of the Northern Wilderness.

Second, you must cooperate with us to sever the karma with my father the Prince and the Li family from all aspects."

Xiao Yu frowned and said, "I never intended to interfere in the affairs of the Northern Wilderness. If this counts as a promise, I have already promised it.

As for severing karma, I am willing, but how should I do it?

Do you want me to write a document and post it at the city gate—I have no relationship with the Prince, no matter who wants to take revenge on me, just seek me directly, don't implicate others?"

"I will answer your second question first." Li Xianzhi smiled slightly and asked back, "How did you sever karma with the Guan family?"

Xiao Yu was stunned for a moment and said, "I don't understand the specific situation. The Guan family didn't want me anymore, threw me to the Prince, and the Prince threw me into the Teaching Workshop?"

Li Xianzhi said, "Sending you to the Red Sleeve Workshop was mainly to cooperate with Dou Gengyan to lure out the remnants of the Eight Immortals of the West.

By the way, it was also to test the strange attitude of the Lieyang Marquis toward you.

You look very much like his mother; if we don't figure out his attitude, the Monarch and my father the Prince will be at a loss."

He gave her a "you understand" expression and continued, "If you were just an ordinary girl, didn't shine brilliantly in the Battle of Feixian Ferry, and didn't provoke the Eight Immortals of the West, the Monarch would probably have imprisoned you in some remote cold palace or placed you in a royal garden in the suburbs where few people go."

Although not of lowly status, she would still belong to the servants, among the servant register.

But he only thought this in his heart and didn't say it out loud.

"I don't know if Liu San told you, but after you recovered from the blow of having your sword bones crippled, my father the Prince once intended to adopt you as his foster daughter. Sigh, the karma on you is too great; my father the Prince was really muddled at the time.

In short, the day the Guan family handed you over to the Li family, they actively severed their connection with you, which everyone knew, so the Eight Immortals of the West took revenge on my father the Prince instead of finding trouble with the Guan family.

Today, the Li family intends to hand you over to Great Qin, from now on having only a gentleman's agreement with you, and no other connection."

"Can this deceive the Eight Immortals of the West?" Xiao Yu asked skeptically.

Li Xianzhi instantly lost his indifference and elegance, and said somewhat excitedly, "How can it be considered deception? This is the fact!"

Xiao Yu said truthfully, "It's useless what I say; it depends on what they think. I feel they will think they have been fooled."

Li Xianzhi said loudly, "This is not deception, not fooling! You are now a Qin person, and Lord Dongfang Shuo has also acknowledged your Great Qin household registration!"

"I became a Qin person? And have Great Qin household registration?" Xiao Yu's expression was strange.

Li Xianzhi nodded heavily and said, "That's right, as long as you complete the 'Three-Chapter Agreement' with me, representing the Li family, under the witness of Master Chi Juluo, you will immediately become a noble person of the Central Plains.

Don't doubt it, you are a noble person!

Do you understand Great Qin's military rank system?

Great Qin has twenty levels of military ranks; I won't say much specifically, but you now belong to the second-level 'Great Qin Shangzao'."

Xiao Yu suddenly felt that this world was very fantasy-like.

Last time she intended to use her military exploits from the Feixian Ferry to exchange for an opportunity to serve Great Qin.

The Daoist boy Qingsong refused, saying that Western Shu would never let her go no matter what.

Now she hadn't done anything, not only hadn't made any contributions, but also implicated the Prince of Qinghe in having his whole body's bones shattered by an oar.

As a result, she instead obtained something she could only get in her dreams before.

It was too absurd.