Chapter 793: Even the Fading Tiger Softens in His Twilight Years

The Imperial City, outside a quiet courtyard.

Ye Lan folded her arms around her sword and leaned quietly against the cold wall.

Ever since she had sensed something off about the maidservant last time, she had simply stayed put here. Although her cultivation alone could accomplish nothing in this Imperial City, at least aside from the Immortal Department, the Human Emperor still had a channel through which news could be sent out.

She lifted her gaze toward the dark, heavy sky, her thoughts drifting toward those great continents she had never set foot upon.

Just then, a flurry of footsteps drew near in haste.

Ye Lan turned her head to look — the woman clad in armor was none other than General Gu Li, who had brought news last time.

She could not help but straighten up, staring blankly at the other.

"…"

Gu Li likewise studied this close attendant by the Human Emperor's side — this sword cultivator of merely the fourth-rank realm, who, apart from Lin Shuya, was the only one permitted to come and go freely from this courtyard.

Although she did not know what matters this person was in charge of, she could read the tension in Ye Lan's eyes that could not be concealed no matter what.

After a brief moment of thought, Gu Li smiled: "Come along — it's good news."

The two women stepped quickly into the courtyard, and after waiting for the maidservant to announce them, headed straight for the Wine Pool.

"Heh!"

In the Wine Pool, the doddering old man stretched himself vigorously. These days, aside from letters from that boy, there was little that could rouse his interest.

Of course, the Human Emperor's steadily waning vigor could no longer support him in thinking about too many things — he had even begun to forget his past experiences. That was the telltale sign of being eroded too deeply by Imperial Qi.

Gu Li was about to speak when she heard heavy breathing outside, followed by a panting, lean middle-aged man who hurried over and bowed respectfully toward the Wine Pool.

"Shuya pays his respects to Your Majesty."

"…"

Ye Lan's expression did not change, but a hint of wariness rose in her eyes.

From the moment General Gu Li had appeared until now — barely a quarter of an hour — this Lord Lin had already received word and hurried over without pause.

She had guessed right after all.

This Imperial City had likely long since been thoroughly infiltrated by the Immortal Department.

Yet Gu Li did not find it strange — after all, before Ye Lan came along, Lin Shuya had always been the one constantly by Your Majesty's side, never leaving his presence.

"Reporting to Your Majesty — glad tidings!"

Gu Li dropped to one knee and excitedly recounted what she had witnessed along the way: "The two great sects have clashed once more. The chief disciple of Elder Chi Yun Grotto has fallen in Nanping, killed at the hands of the Great Freedom Lotus Bead Bodhisattva. The immortal houses of Beizhou have all come out, led by their first disciple Taixu Zhenjun, sweeping across the Eastern Continent with the force of a thunderbolt — those monks are retreating at every step."

"To vie for incense and offerings, a host of cultivators have followed Taixu Zhenjun's example, repeating the same tactic in the Eastern Continent. The common folk have finally been given a chance to recover and catch their breath."

"Now, apart from Xizhou, the other three continents are all at peace. The two sects have suffered grievous losses — this is the great fortune of our Divine Dynasty!"

"…"

Before the former had finished speaking, Lin Shuya, who had rushed over, had already stared blankly in that direction — and then his face broke into wild joy.

He spent every day buried in memorials from every continent, exhausted to the bone, yet never able to make the slightest improvement in the situation. He had never expected those two sects to start fighting each other.

A heaven-sent opportunity — the Divine Dynasty, nearly on the verge of death, had miraculously been granted a chance to catch its breath.

Lin Shuya did not care how many immortals and divine buddhas had died; he only hoped that more of the mortal common folk under heaven could survive.

Thinking of this, he instinctively glanced toward the Human Emperor — only to find that he… and the sword-bearing woman beside him, unlike himself and Gu Li, were not overjoyed at all, but rather quiet in a rather frightening way.

In an instant, Lin Shuya suddenly felt a pang of dejection.

Sure enough — in those people's eyes, the things he cared about carried no weight.

"Your Majesty?"

Gu Li called out softly. Even if, by all appearances, reclaiming the four continents was still hopeless, the situation was in any case far better than before — one ought to be glad.

"You've met him?" the man turned his head slowly.

"I…" Gu Li faltered for a moment, then lowered her eyes helplessly. Sure enough, nothing could be hidden from Your Majesty's mind. She said, somewhat ashamed: "This subject did not collude with the great sects — I was simply too curious about this person, and I truly did wish to thank him on behalf of all living souls under heaven, even if it was only his unintentional doing."

"What did you think of him?" the man did not seem angry.

"Not bad at all — none of the arrogance those prodigies carry, and bold enough to stand up for his fellow disciples, even willing to throw away his future without a second thought. He has a certain…"

As Gu Li spoke, she suddenly realized something was off, and in a panic corrected herself: "This subject means — for the Sanxian Sect, he is truly a rare and outstanding talent, but for our Divine Dynasty he is a great menace, and we ought to take precautions in advance!"

The man looked at her in this state, then suddenly smiled meaningfully at Ye Lan.

His own General Who Pacifies the South was indeed no ordinary person — even when their standpoints differed, he could still earn such high praise from Ah Li. Let alone within that great sect, where he had no idea how many peach blossoms of romance he had stirred up around him.

"…"

Ye Lan kept her gaze straight ahead and did not find anything strange about it.

Anyone who had come into contact with Shen Yi having such a feeling was only normal — anyone who didn't was blind.

"Is there something you wish to say?"

The man shifted his gaze toward Lin Shuya beside him.

"Reporting to Your Majesty — Shuya has received word that in the Southern Province a great sun has appeared across the sky, bearing raging flames as it heads straight for Mount Nan Xumi. From its appearance, it faintly resembles the form of that Ancestral God recorded in the ancient texts."

"Understood. You may go."

The Human Emperor gave a slight nod of his chin, then waved his hand.

Those beings who were embodiments of Heaven's order — even if they entered the mortal world, would not stand on the side of mortal creatures, but would only uphold the rules they themselves cared about. There was no need to pay them too much heed.

"This subject takes his leave."

Lin Shuya bowed, then withdrew from the Wine Pool together with Gu Li.

Once there were no outsiders left around.

Ye Lan's taut body finally trembled. She had been waiting all this time for news of Shen Yi, yet she had never imagined that the moment he had just settled down, he would, in the blink of an eye, have fought his way to the Eastern Continent!

The chief disciple of the Sanxian Sect, leading a host of immortals — the Eastern Nan Xumi in retreat…

That youth who had once stood before the Earth God Temple had now reached the very pinnacle of this world!

"A third-rank Daluo Immortal's cultivation, seeking to turn the tide for four continents — sheer arrogance."

The Human Sovereign soaked in the wine pool, his gaze murky, a smile curling at the corner of his lips: "But the fact that he actually managed most of it makes him a world-shocking prodigy."

Even as one of the exalted Six Imperials, he could never have imagined that a Great Luo immortal could stir up waves across an entire Sanzhou.

"He's going to become an Immortal Emperor."

The Human Sovereign slowly closed his eyes and let out a long breath. A cultivator with no backing whatsoever, burdened by a killing tribulation, had still managed to reach his present position in such a short time.

The great tribulation unleashed by the two teachings seemed to have already found its answer.

"He won't." Ye Lan's voice was not loud, yet it rang firm and clear. Even facing the Lord of the Mortal World, her gaze remained resolute, refusing to yield a single step.

Silence hung around the wine pool for a long while, before finally a sigh of lament rose, tinged with ruefulness.

"Sigh."

The Human Sovereign plunged his entire head into the wine, held his breath for a long moment, then burst back out headfirst.

He stared fixedly into the void.

Ever since Shen Yi's last reply, the Human Sovereign had sensed an ominous trace, but he hadn't believed a third-rank cultivator could achieve such a feat.

Yet now, every word Gu Li spoke proved that the General Who Pacifies the South truly possessed the means to shake the entire tribulation.

Was this a good thing?

For the mortal world, for the realm of dust, of course it was.

But for the Human Sovereign, perhaps not.

He had wagered seventy percent of the divine dynasty's living beings to let the two teachings fall into internal strife naturally. Now Shen Yi had proven through action that seventy percent of the living beings were unnecessary — a single person on the opposing side could achieve the same effect.

But though the results looked similar, the former was letting things take their course, while the latter was deliberately stirred up by someone with intent, very likely to rouse those cult leaders and make them react in advance.

Therefore, the Human Sovereign had spoken those words earlier, trying to convince himself that once a cultivator had finally won his present standing, his thinking would change.

The throne of the Immortal Emperor was within easy reach — why bother with the common folk before one's eyes?

Only thus could he ignore Shen Yi and single-mindedly carry out his original plan.

But faced with this Miss's rebuttal, the Human Sovereign could only smile wryly. Becoming an Immortal Emperor was a normal person's ambition, yet his own General Who Pacifies the South had never acted in the least like a normal person.

"I also feel he won't."

The Human Sovereign lazily leaned back against the stone edge again, his breath faint as a gossamer thread, like a man on the verge of death.

What manner of cultivator was this — fighting bodhisattvas in Da Nanzhou, battling immortal houses in Beizhou, battling until all three continents knew peace. A prodigy of ghosts and gods with such a heart for great righteousness — how could he possibly become a puppet Immortal Emperor bound in shackles?

The Human Sovereign loathed the gods and buddhas for their arrogance toward the mortal world, no longer trusted the Immortal Court, and so personally erased his own indecisiveness, his mercy deep within, and his impractical delusions.

Only after becoming iron-hearted, even to the point of madness, did he have the courage to stake everything, determined to make a clean end with all the filth that filled the skies.

But perhaps it is true that men grow foolish with age.

He was now actually beginning to dream again.

Could it be… that there was no need for so many to die, and the Severance of Heaven and Earth could still be completed, freeing the mortal world from the interference of those immortals, buddhas, and ancestors?

After all, that lad had already worked so many miracles.

He need only take a slight risk, acquiesce to all of this unfolding, and he could save countless living beings… each and every one a living, breathing human life!

"……"

Ye Lan watched the Human Sovereign in silence. She suddenly realized that beneath the deliberately displayed dissolute exterior, he was still, at his core, that sovereign of restoration who carried the world in his heart.

Rivers and mountains are easy to change; a man's nature is hard to shift.

She did not know what he was wrestling with, but she could see that Your Majesty had softened.

"If I remember correctly, you came from Zhan Yao Si, didn't you?"

The man did not turn his head. He reached out and set a token down at the pool's edge: "Would you be interested in taking a post in the Immortal Department? With this warrant, you and Lin Shuya may jointly govern the Immortal Department."

Once the Human Sovereign realized he could not return to his former mindset of burning his boats, he had to begin preparing for the risks that might arise.

Previously he had felt that no matter what Lin Shuya schemed, he could not stir up any waves; now he had to guard against it in advance.

With this Miss's strength and seniority, she naturally could not out-contend Lin Shuya, who had managed the Immortal Department for many years, but at least she could scout out information for him in advance, so he would not be completely hoodwinked.

Killing Lin Shuya outright, with no one to replace him, would make even the imperial court's current stability hard to maintain.

But if there were enough time, once this Miss had grown, the head of the Immortal Department could be replaced as well.

"Me?"

Ye Lan was stunned. In the past, of course she would never have dared to involve herself in such matters.

But now, even if there were the slightest hope of helping Shen Yi, she would never let it slip.

She pressed her lips together, bent down, and picked up the waist token.

"Go."

The Human Sovereign seemed utterly exhausted. Ever since founding the Immortal Department, he had never trusted another person.

This was the first time.

He was willing, for the sake of those seventy percent of living beings, to trust Shen Yi once, to gamble alongside him, ignoring the thick, extreme peril sensed by the Imperial Lord.

Even though the two had actually only met once.

And just as Ye Lan quietly left the courtyard.

Deep within the imperial palace.

Lin Shuya, led by guards, slowly came to stand before a certain palace hall.

"Your servant Lin Shuya requests an audience with the Crown Prince."

Once the Human Sovereign entered the wine pool, it was the Crown Prince who governed in his stead, managing the affairs of state for Your Majesty.

Unfortunately, the Crown Prince was a mortal. Though he too was blessed with imperial qi, granting him a longer lifespan than ordinary men, he possessed no great ability. Faced with the divine dynasty's mess, he was already at his wits' end, able only to watch helplessly as the lofty halls collapsed.

On the soft couch of the palace, the Crown Prince, his jaw bristling with blue stubble, looked somewhat disheveled. He sat up slightly, gazing with some bewilderment at this close minister by his father's side: "Lord Lin…"

Lin Shuya's overflowing joy had no one to share it with, so he had come to find the Crown Prince, who was likewise a mortal — surely the other man could better understand that helplessness of being an ordinary living being.

He knelt on the ground and first carefully recounted the recent changes across Sizhou.

The Crown Prince still looked somewhat confused.

Lin Shuyi then spoke softly: "Your subject observes the state of the world—it may soon undergo great change. I beg Your Highness to rouse yourself and not miss this precious opportunity."

Your Majesty's heart has always been fixed on the Severing of Heaven and Earth, seeking to establish unparalleled achievements.

But as mortals, we must learn to save ourselves, and to save one another!

This heavenly-given opportunity demands that all mortals rise together and jointly grasp it.

"Are you saying, my lord, that the world still can be saved… that I still have a day to ascend the throne?"

At last, light returned to the Crown Prince's eyes. From his perspective, Sizhou had long become the domain of the Great Sects, and he himself was merely a wretched creature, tossing and turning in sleep, always ready to have his head casually plucked away by gods, buddhas, and immortal lords riding the clouds.

"There certainly is."

Lin Shuyi lifted his head, his gaze sincere.

The bloodline of the Emperor-King has been passed down through generations, each heir capable of stirring the Wine Pool's Imperial Qi—though not much, it is still usable.

And the Crown Prince before me is the only one in this world who possesses the power to halt the Severing of Heaven and Earth, and prevent the gods and buddhas from being utterly enraged.

No matter what comes next, it is right to prepare the Crown Prince in advance.

"Your subject takes his leave."

Lin Shuyi quietly departed the deep palace, yet did not return home; instead, he boarded his carriage and began visiting the residences of all the court officials.

The Immortal Department once stood independent of court and state, forbidden from interfering in governance—that is an old calendar now.

In this current situation, any method that can save the world must be pursued without restriction.

(End of Chapter)