Chapter 557: Picking Up Lord Luo

At this very moment, in the Imperial Palace of the capital.

The elderly Emperor personally leaned over the desk and picked up a brush, writing down all his worries about his descendants and the country's mountains and rivers, stroke by stroke.

Before the founding monarchs of the past abdicated, what they worried about most was that their descendants couldn't suppress the group of founding heroes. This Emperor neither had such worries nor did he slaughter the founding heroes, because he had already personally worn them out, and personally sent them off with tears. For the remaining forces in the court, the Crown Prince had been supervising the country for many years and had prestige,

However, he had other worries as well.

As the Emperor was writing, a eunuch suddenly entered and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, the Eastern Palace has sent a written reply."

"He didn't come himself?"

The Emperor looked up and knew what was going on at a glance.

Following behind the eunuch was a high-ranking official from the Eastern Palace.

"It's come to this, and I am about to follow an immortal into the mountains to cultivate and enjoy peace, yet they are still playing these games of 'three refusals and three yieldings' with me!" Lord Luo said angrily. "When they were vying for power with me, they didn't know how to yield; yesterday they didn't know how to yield; earlier this morning they didn't know how to yield. They just had to wait until now, when the immortal is almost here to collect me, to come and pull this on me!"

He took the letter and looked at it; sure enough, it was written in very cautious and formal language, filled with humble words.

It mostly said that the Father Emperor was the one destined by Heaven, the Emperor with the best virtue and achievements, and that the Father Emperor was still in good health. The son's virtue and achievements were not as great as the Father Emperor's, so he could not succeed to the throne and requested that he continue to serve as Emperor.

"Skillful in form, but lacking in substance!" Lord Luo quickly gave his evaluation.

He tossed the letter back. "Go back and tell your master: if he wants to serve, he can serve; if he doesn't, let his younger brother serve!"

"Hiss..."

This high-ranking official from the Eastern Palace was nine times out of ten the next dynasty's prime minister, and certainly no ordinary person. Yet, facing this Emperor who had carved his way out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood with sword, horse, and spear, and who possessed such a heavy aura of blood—not to mention the many stories of immortals, demons, and ghosts associated with him, which added a touch of the strange and mysterious to that blood-aura—he still felt afraid.

He hurriedly picked up the letter, turned, and trotted back.

The Emperor sighed, then sat back in his original seat.

He picked up his brush and wiped it clean on the inkstone.

This brush was a fine Xuan brush, the ink was fine Hui ink, and even this inkstone was a She inkstone presented as tribute from Huizhou. A moment of distraction reminded him of his youthful, high-spirited days, riding his horse through Huizhou.

He had only written two or three characters when he couldn't help but stop again.

The images in his mind were truly flooding out.

Back then, he had been a warrior with sword, spear, and horse leaving the capital, thinking he would return home alone. Unexpectedly, warriors in the capital who admired his name came to follow him. Some brought their own horses and provisions; some bought horses overnight; some had no schemes or ambitions, just wanting to follow him; others wished to seek wealth with him, or to help him overthrow this absurd and corrupt court, to change the sun and moon, and recreate a new world.

All the way out of Qinzhou, people kept coming to follow him.

Who knows how many of those martial artists from the jianghu ever thought they would truly create a new dynasty?

But in the past few decades, they had gradually aged and passed away. The graves of those who died earliest, while not overgrown with deep grass, were no longer as prominent as they once were. Just like the fallen flowers in the courtyard last night, they withered and fell one after another in the wind and rain, leaving only himself.

Even in this inner palace, those who had accompanied him back then, those who could truly speak with him, had all passed away.

Whether it was loneliness or exhaustion, the time for release had finally come.

Suddenly, a clamor came from outside, and the light filtering through the window became much brighter, filled with a sense of unreal fantasy.

Then came a leisurely voice:

"Your Majesty's merit is complete, and you are advanced in years. Why not follow me into the mountains to cultivate immortality and enjoy true freedom?"

Palace maids walking with trays stopped in a daze; guards outside the palace looked up in astonishment; and a eunuch fell to his knees with a thud, calling out to the immortals.

The Emperor was telling the truth.

There really were immortals coming to collect him.

A eunuch also hurriedly ran inside to report to the Emperor, but as soon as he opened the door, he saw the Emperor coming out and almost collided with him.

The eunuch was terrified and hurriedly said:

"Your Majesty, forgive me! Your Majesty, forgive me! This servant was too impatient and almost bumped into Your Majesty! I came to inform Your Majesty that outside there are suddenly five-colored auspicious clouds, with immortals standing on the clouds, cranes dancing together, and immortal music playing. There is also a huge nine-tailed immortal fox standing behind them, saying they are here to invite Your Majesty to cultivate in the deep mountains and enjoy freedom..."

"I heard it."

If it were the Emperor of the past, even if he didn't punish him, he would have scolded him twice. Now, however, he was very kind, like an ordinary old man, and just patted the eunuch on the shoulder and said:

"Do not be so reckless in the palace in the future."

He then stepped past the eunuch and walked straight out.

It was truly as the eunuch had said—

Above his head was a patch of five-colored auspicious clouds, just like the five-colored clouds plated by sunlight and moonlight in the ordinary sky, but they almost covered the entire imperial palace. Huge cranes and egrets were dancing in the air, faint immortal music could be heard, and on the white clouds was a huge seven-tailed white fox—the nine-tailed one the eunuch spoke of, because he couldn't see clearly.

Two other immortals stood on the clouds, looking down.

If not old friends, who could they be?

The entire palace and even the capital were shocked.

History books had recorded some fantastic events, mostly about the origins of great emperors. The exits of emperors were usually unremarkable. There were emperors who became monks in their later years and were said to have achieved something, but none had immortals come in person to guide them to cultivate the Dao and enjoy freedom.

How many emperors dreamed of immortality in their later years? How many emperors went mad seeking immortals and the Dao? Only this one had it come without any effort.

A five-colored auspicious cloud descended, close to the ground.

The Emperor bowed to the sky, took a step forward, and stepped steadily onto the five-colored auspicious cloud.

"Does Your Majesty still have any unfulfilled wishes?" Lin Jue said deliberately. "After leaving the capital and the palace to go into the mountains, Your Majesty will no longer be an Emperor, but just a Daoist in the mountains."

"The world today has no external threats or internal worries. My old friends have all passed away, leaving only me to struggle on. The Crown Prince's virtue is complete, and he is fit to sit on the throne. I have left behind the words I should leave. To continue sitting on the dragon throne would be nothing but enjoying the world's offerings in vain and suffering from worries," Lord Luo replied. "Let us go."

A crane's cry rang out, and the immortal music swelled.

The five-colored auspicious cloud carried the Emperor up into the sky and away.

At this moment, countless eyes were watching this scene, not knowing if the look in their eyes was wonder or envy.

This Emperor, who had been associated with immortals even before he raised his army and had appeared in legends of immortals ever since he gained the throne, had finally ushered in the most suitable exit for himself—a unique entry in history.

However, as soon as the auspicious clouds flew into the sky and out of the capital, the three of them looked at each other and smiled.

"Daoist, where did the five-colored auspicious clouds, cranes, and immortal music come from?"

"The five-colored auspicious clouds are my Xiao Xiao Shimei's; she spent a long time searching for them in Yunzhou. The cranes are just an illusion, though the egret friend is real," Lin Jue said to him. "As for the immortal music, we specially borrowed it from another immortal in Nanshan before we set out."

"After all, this is an important moment for Lord Luo. Lord Luo's virtue is complete and his achievements are unparalleled, so we had to put on a show for him," the Xiao Xiao Shimei said. "It's also to let the world and future generations know that Lord Luo is extraordinary."

"Hahaha..."

This was naturally something they had already agreed upon.

Lord Luo had eaten the Yuanqiu Fruit, and his lifespan was too long. If he didn't want to sit on the throne forever, enduring the loneliness of seeing his old friends and consorts pass away one by one, and outliving his descendants only to feel their resentment, the only path left was to become a monk and cultivate. But since he was becoming a monk, why not seek a true immortal, seek an old friend, and cultivate in peace and freedom with him?

? ￠〇

Lord Luo had also long since made up his mind.

However, people are inherently contradictory. Even though he had long since thought it through and made arrangements, when he was up on the clouds, leaving the capital and heading into the deep mountains, he couldn't help but look back at the capital and the palace within it.

"Are you reluctant?"

"I am just worried about my Crown Prince."

"Lord Luo, please rest assured. Your descendants will surely not be inferior to you."

The Xiao Xiao Shimei couldn't help but glance at him, thinking this Third Third Shixiong was going to comfort him.

Then she heard the Third Third Shixiong say: "Future generations have their own blessings. Spring comes and autumn goes, flowers bloom and fade; which dynasty does not decline or change?"

Only an immortal could say such a thing.

If an ordinary person said such things recklessly, nine times out of ten, they would be beheaded.

"Sigh, how could I not understand this principle? The so-called 'ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years' is just a pleasant-sounding phrase," Lord Luo sighed. "When my children were first born, I was determined to educate them to be better than me. Later, seeing them grow up, despite having famous teachers and me as their father, they still appeared mediocre. After listening to the Daoist's advice, I thought I had accepted their shortcomings. I never expected that even now, I am still afraid that he will fail the people of this world."

Lord Luo paused, shook his head, and sighed: "My state of mind now is truly completely different from when my children were first born."

"It is always like this," Lin Jue sighed. "How could I be any different?"

"Oh? The Daoist is the same?"

"I am the exact opposite of Lord Luo," Lin Jue said, shaking his head. "Originally, when I took in disciples, I only thought that fate was enough. I didn't value their talent, nor did I have any requirements for them. I felt that their cultivation was their own fortune; whatever Dao they could attain, they would attain; whatever skills they could learn, they would learn; however many years they could live, they would live. But human hearts are made of flesh, after all. As time passed, the affection grew deeper. Even without any other purpose, I wanted them to attain the Dao and be with us for a longer time, to avoid the pain of separation. This is indeed a contradiction."

The Xiao Xiao Shimei beside him was also silent.

"Immortals are also human."

Lord Luo sighed at the things even immortals couldn't let go of, and then sighed that it was better to be an immortal Daoist. Even if there was reluctance, it was emotional reluctance, unrelated to any interests. Even if there was worry, it was a light, clear worry.

The five-colored auspicious clouds drifted toward Mount Feng, drawing the gaze of the people below.

The clouds drifted very slowly. On the clouds were a clear breeze, an egret, and a white fox. The few of them chatted in the wind, and unconsciously, the twilight and trivialities of the palace had been blown away.