Chapter 160: Rejuvenation?

After two days of waiting, Zhuge Liang's state of mind had changed from what it was two days prior.

Regarding the existence of the Tiangong and Li Li Shimin's true identity as the reincarnation of a True Lord, he had actually believed nine-tenths of it; the remaining tenth was the margin a wise man ought to keep.

Therefore, upon hearing Li Li Shimin's explanation, he immediately believed it.

However, such a youthful face was actually called an old servant by Your Majesty...

Could this person, like the immortals in legend, be ageless and eternally youthful?

Thinking of this, Zhuge Liang could not help but glance at Li Xian, seemingly puzzled by his appearance.

Li Li Shimin noticed Zhuge Liang's gaze, smiled slightly, turned his head, and glanced at Li Xian, saying:

"Switch mode."

"Yes!"

Li Xian immediately raised his right arm; the white sleeve slid down from his arm, revealing Bai Xi and delicate skin.

In the next second, the skin, so delicate it seemed almost unreal, appeared to melt away like ice; streams of nano-metal flowed out from his pores, adhering to his arm and extending continuously, instantly coalescing into a seven-foot-long metal curved blade.

The grim blade reflected cold light under the sun, also reflecting Zhuge Liang's face, which was full of shock.

Li Li Shimin smiled and asked, "How is it?"

Zhuge Liang steadied himself, looked at Li Xian whose right arm had turned into a long blade, and exclaimed, "Unimaginable!"

Li Li Shimin said with a smile, "Li Xian is not flesh and blood; therefore, his lifespan differs from that of mortals. Even after another thousand years, his appearance will not change in the slightest!"

Zhuge Liang's face showed sudden realization: "So that is how it is!"

Li Li Shimin smiled and waved his hand, instructing Li Xian to switch back to his previous form, then looked at Zhuge Liang seriously and said:

"I have already gone to the Tiangong and stayed for two days at Brother Lin's cultivation ground, obtaining many good things not found in the mortal world. Among them is something I sought for Uncle Yun."

"If Prime Minister Father trusts me, how about you try it for Uncle Yun?"

"Oh?" Zhuge Liang's heart stirred; he asked, "This old minister is dull and does not know what Your Majesty refers to; what exactly is this thing?"

Li Li Shimin smiled slightly and said, word by word, "Longevity Serum!"

What?!

Zhuge Liang's pupils suddenly contracted; he looked at Li Li Shimin with a face full of shock.

Li Li Shimin had been expecting this scene for a long time.

Seeing the shock on Zhuge Liang's face, a satisfied smile appeared on his own face.

"Prime Minister Father heard correctly; what I spoke of is precisely the treasure that Qin Shi Huang sought in vain back then!"

"As far as I know, this serum was created by the Immortal Fairy Ling Hua. If a mortal consumes it, their lifespan can be extended by several decades; furthermore, it has the effects of strengthening the body, reversing aging, and remaining eternally youthful!"

Zhuge Liang came to his senses, but the shock on his face was still uncontrollable.

"Is it true?"

"Would I deceive you?"

Li Li Shimin smiled, took out a storage bag, expelled his spiritual power, and retrieved a brocade box from the storage bag, handing it to Zhuge Liang.

The serum sold in the Group Shangcheng naturally would not come with such useless decoration; this brocade box was actually found by him in the Tianli Palace, specifically to package the Longevity Serum and make it look less cheap.

Facts proved that his effort was not in vain.

Zhuge Liang was indeed stunned by this magnificent brocade box from the Tianli Palace.

After all, this brocade box was indeed not an ordinary object; its exterior was gilded and inlaid with silver, with exquisite openwork, and decorated with various natural jade stones; it could be said to be a treasure rarely seen even in the Eastern Han Imperial Palace back then!

Such a treasure could only serve as a container; one can imagine how precious the Longevity Serum inside must be.

Thinking of this, Zhuge Liang, who always had extremely high psychological resilience, found his own arm trembling uncontrollably.

He solemnly accepted the brocade box and carefully opened it.

Inside the brocade box, soft velvet was laid out; a syringe storing blue liquid lay quietly amidst the white fur, reflecting a pale blue halo under the sun.

So... where is the Longevity Serum?

Seeing that strange-looking metal container, Zhuge Liang was slightly stunned and asked in confusion, "What is this thing?"

Li Li Shimin explained with a smile, "This thing is called a syringe; as the name suggests, it is an instrument for injecting the serum liquid into the body."

So this blue liquid is the serum liquid of the Longevity Serum?

Zhuge Liang's expression showed surprise, as if he had not expected that the so-called Longevity Serum would not be a solid pill.

Li Li Shimin took out that syringe, looked at Zhuge Liang, and smiled, saying, "I obtained a total of ten doses of such serum liquid; I wonder if Prime Minister Father is willing to be the first person to receive longevity?"

"..."

Facing the opportunity to extend one's life by several decades for free, it would be false to say one was not tempted.

Zhuge Liang hesitated slightly, quickly cast aside his pretense, and knelt down without hesitation.

"This subject is filled with awe and fear, deeply grateful in his heart, and bows his head to thank Your Majesty for the heavenly grace!"

"Prime Minister Father, please rise!"

Li Li Shimin immediately helped him up and said seriously, "There are no outsiders here; Prime Minister Father need not be overly polite; just tell me... are you ready?"

After spending many days with the various members of the group, Li Li Shimin, influenced by them, had unconsciously added more colloquial language to his speech.

Fortunately, colloquial language was easier to understand; Zhuge Liang did not care whether Li Li Shimin's wording was appropriate and immediately said solemnly:

"Your Majesty's holy grace, how could I not respectfully obey?"

"Good!"

Li Li Shimin clapped his hands and laughed, then immediately signaled Li Xian to come forward, clear the soft couch in the pavilion, and let Zhuge Liang lie down on it.

After Zhuge Liang lay down as instructed and rolled up his sleeve, Li Li Shimin picked up that syringe, aimed it at the slightly aged arm before him, and injected the entire tube of pale blue liquid.

"Hmm..."

Zhuge Liang let out a muffled groan, frowned tightly, as if sensing intense changes within his body.

Li Li Shimin placed the empty syringe back into the brocade box, then summoned Li Xian, instructing him to sit beside the bed and monitor Zhuge Liang's various vital signs.

Once any abnormal situation arises, immediately take him through the teleportation gate to seek help from Lin Yu or the Fairy Ling Hua.

Fortunately, his worry was unnecessary; the serum improved by Ling Hua had no side effects, targeted only cells, and would not affect Zhuge Liang's future cultivation of the "Wuhou Qimen."

Gradually, Zhuge Liang's loose skin became tight, and the wrinkles on his face slowly vanished.

In just a few minutes, a handsome, refined man with a face like jade, brows holding the beauty of mountains and rivers, a chest hiding the secrets of heaven and earth, and an air of a celestial being appeared before Li Li Shimin.

Compared to the middle-aged handsome man he was before, Zhuge Liang now looked to be only around thirty years old.

Paired with his neatly trimmed beard, he was at the absolute peak of both looks and temperament!

Li Li Shimin himself was a lover of good looks; the important ministers he favored all possessed remarkable appearances.

Yet even among the famous ministers of the Great Tang in later generations, few could compare to the young Zhuge Liang in temperament and appearance.

A smile appeared on Li Li Shimin's face as he sat by the bedside, waiting for Zhuge Liang to recover from the effects of the medicine.

About the time it takes to burn one stick of incense, Zhuge Liang finally regained control of his body. He raised his arm with some difficulty, gazed at the skin on his arm which was now noticeably finer and fairer, and could not help but show joy on his face.

"Your Majesty, this old minister..."

"Father Prime Minister, say no more!"

Li Li Shimin hurriedly stopped him, then said with a smile: "The Longevity Pill has taken effect. According to the Fairy Ling Hua, absorbing the full effect of the medicine requires one double-hour."

"During this period, Father Prime Minister should simply sit in meditation and try not to move around."

Zhuge Liang nodded, then closed his eyes and lay down again.

Two double-hours later, in the Imperial Study.

Li Li Shimin, wearing the dragon robe of the Shu Han, sat upright on the dragon bed. Beside him stood Li Xian in a white robe, her eyes bright as she gazed at the five old and young generals of varying ages before her.

These five were the candidates for the five super-soldier serums in his hand!

Among them, the one most qualified to receive the serum was naturally Zhao Yun, whom he had been thinking of constantly.

Whether in personal affection or past military achievements, Zhao Yun deserved his heavy investment.

As for the remaining four, they were currently on the reserve list. Li Li Shimin had summoned them only to witness Zhao Yun's transformation; whether they would receive the serum he bestowed would depend on their future performance.

These four were Guan Xing, son of Guan Yu; Zhang Bao, son of Zhang Fei; Wei Yan, the Chancellor's Sima; and Jiang Wei, courtesy name Boyue, who was subdued by Zhuge Liang during the First Northern Expedition.

Among them, Guan Xing and Zhang Bao were chosen by him out of personal affection.

In this world, although there was no story of the Peach Garden Oath, the bond between Liu Bei and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei was undeniably real; even Li Li Shimin, after crossing over, could not help but envy it.

Out of love for the house and the birds within it, Li Li Shimin showed exceptional care for Guan Xing and Zhang Bao.

The reason he selected them for the serum list was to let them gain martial power surpassing their fathers and recreate their fathers' history, becoming his Li Li Shimin's Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

The remaining two: Wei Yan had an arrogant personality; every civil and military official in Shu avoided his sharp edge, making his character truly detestable.

Even Zhuge Liang did not like him; during every Northern Expedition, he did not use Wei Yan's strategies, guarding against Wei Yan just as he guarded against Han Xin in the past.

But putting aside his personality, this man was indeed skilled at caring for soldiers and possessed unmatched bravery; he was one of the few brave generals currently in Shu Han.

Li Li Shimin believed he could keep him in check, which was why he included him in the candidate list.

Finally, Jiang Wei, although highly valued by Zhuge Liang, was after all a surrendered general who had not yet achieved merit; including him on the list would surely cause dissatisfaction among others.

However, Li Li Shimin knew Jiang Wei's abilities, so he had great confidence in this prodigy.

He believed that with the support of the serum and various technologies, during the Second Northern Expedition next spring, Jiang Wei would surely shine brilliantly, making his early investment a celebrated story...

Thinking of this, the corner of Li Li Shimin's mouth curled slightly. His gaze swept over the crowd kneeling on one knee with five puzzled faces, and he suddenly said:

"Father Prime Minister, you may come out."

Before the words had fully faded, the young version of Zhuge Liang, holding a feather fan and wearing a silk turban, immediately walked out from behind the curtain.

Everyone turned their gaze toward him, and their expressions immediately froze in surprise.

Especially Zhao Yun and Wei Yan, who had seen Zhuge Liang in his youth, their eyes widened, staring at this handsome, refined young scholar with faces full of disbelief.

"Chancellor?!"

Shouts of surprise rang out in the Imperial Study.

Guan Xing, who often accompanied Li Li Shimin and understood these supernatural phenomena best, had his pupils suddenly contract. As if realizing something, his whole body trembled with excitement.

"Your Majesty, could it be..."

"Indeed." Li Li Shimin swept his gaze over the crowd and said in a calm tone, "I have already been to the Tiangong!"

(End of this chapter)