Chapter 574: Leaving Cheng Zhou

"Yu Lin,"

"You've been staying here for over ten years. Really not going to the Human World to take a look? Lao Jun hasn't seen you for over ten years; he must miss you a lot."

When Taiyi's words fell silent, Yu Lin still lay on the cloud couch, motionless.

Beside the couch stood two stunning maidservants: one holding a jade tray filled with freshly picked immortal fruit; the other wielding a feather fan, gently fanning the breeze to bring the fruit's fragrance into Yu Lin's nose.

Yu Lin opened his mouth, and the maid with the jade tray picked an immortal fruit and gently placed it into his mouth.

He chewed, swallowed, and a look of satisfaction spread across his face.

Taiyi stood at the foot of the couch, watching the scene, his helplessness almost spilling from his face.

Yu Lin finally opened his eyes and gave him a glance.

"Well, this..."

He swallowed another immortal fruit, then sat up, grinning broadly at the two maidservants.

"Thank you for your effort, you may go down first."

The two maidservants covered their mouths with light laughs, bowed to the two, and gracefully stepped back.

Yu Lin leapt down from the couch and stretched lazily.

"Aren't we waiting?"

Taiyi raised an eyebrow.

"Waiting for what?"

Yu Lin looked at him, his smile deepening.

"A deliberate question despite knowing the answer."

Taiyi fell silent for a moment.

Then he raised his hand.

A beam of light surged from his fingertips, rippling outward like a ripple.

Where the light passed, space began to warp, time to stall, and all perception was cut off.

A barrier formed.

Another barrier formed.

A third barrier formed.

Taiyi's movements accelerated, his hands weaving intricate seals; wave after wave of prohibitions surged like tides, enveloping the space layer by layer.

Finally, he clasped his hands—

This realm was completely stripped from the river of time.

It drifted beyond past, present, and future.

Having finished, Taiyi turned and walked to Yu Lin's side.

His lips twitched, and his voice turned into a thin thread that entered Yu Lin's ear:

"Father, father..."

A huge smile instantly blossomed on Yu Lin's face.

"Alright!"

He responded appreciatively, reaching out to pat Taiyi's shoulder.

"You have a point; after lying here so long, I should go down and take a look too."

He withdrew his hand and waved at Taiyi.

"Farewell, I'll come find you again next time, okay?"

As his words faded, his figure began to grow faint.

Like a wisp of smoke, like a drop of ink falling into clear water, it swiftly vanished into the air.

In the blink of an eye, it was gone.

Taiyi stood where he was, watching the direction of his disappearance, and let out a long sigh.

The sigh hadn't finished—

He suddenly halted his steps.

Because in his line of sight, somewhere in the river of time, a head quietly peeked out.

It was Di Jun.

Di Jun's face wore that smile Taiyi knows best, and now finds most detestable!

A cramped, theatrical, mischievous grin that makes one want to punch him!

Then—

The head retracted.

It sank into the river of time and vanished.

Taiyi stood there, stunned for a moment.

Then his face flushed red.

"Di Jun!"

He gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.

"If you have the ability, don't run!"

Human World.

Cheng Zhou.

In front of the Shou Cang Shi's door, Li Er turned his head back for a final glance.

The door he had entered and exited countless times was now tightly shut.

The copper lock on the gate gleamed with a cold light in the sunlight.

He had stayed here for nearly ten years.

Over these years, he read through all the classics in the Repository Chamber, and examined those records sealed for a thousand years.

He went from a youth to a middle-aged man.

Those bamboo slips, those bone fragments, those clay tablets, those yellowed ancient books—had been deeply etched into his bones.

But now, he must leave.

The reason is actually quite simple——

Exclusion by the powerful.

Lord Ganjian.

This newly appointed official has taken a dislike to him for quite some time.

It's not because he did something wrong, but because he does nothing wrong.

He forms no factions, seeks no private gain, flatters no one, and fawns over none.

Each day he simply buried himself in the Repository Chamber, reading books and translating those ancient texts no one can understand.

To those who spend all day scheming, a person like him is in itself a sin.

"A wild man from Chen State—by what right does he occupy the post of Keeper of the Repository Chamber?"

"That position—how many people are eyeing it?"

"If he doesn't leave, how can our people get up there?"

Li Er had heard these words more than once; he merely smiled and paid no heed.

But his ignoring them does not mean others will let him off.

Especially.

Zhou Ling Wang is already dead; now it's Zhou Jing Wang, and at court no one knows his identity.

First, someone slandered Li Er before Lord Ganjian, saying he privately hoarded classics, secretly copied them, and harbored rebellious intent.

Lord Ganjian sent people to investigate; they searched for three days and found nothing.

Then someone said Li Er's lowly birth made him unfit for the important post of Keeper of the Repository Chamber, a disgrace to the state.

Lord Ganjian again sent people to ask, inquiring about Li Er's origins.

Li Er truthfully replied—he was a person from Qu Ren Li in Chen State, his parents ordinary commoners.

He had no noble background, no family to rely on.

Then it's easy to handle.

Lord Ganjian did not appear in person.

He merely gave a light order:

"Keeper of the Repository Chamber Li Er, long neglecting his duties, is removed from office and must leave the city at once."

Just that one sentence.

Years of blood, sweat, and silent toil were wiped away by that single sentence.

No one spoke up for him.

Shang Rong has long since left Cheng Zhou and returned to Qi State.

And Yao Xian is also traveling abroad, unknown when he will return.............

Those historiographers who once followed him—either were removed, died of old age, resigned, or were newcomers—many now also want to take his place!

Li Er did not blame them.

He merely packed his belongings—a few scrolls of bamboo slips he himself had copied, a set of spare clothes, and that deerskin he had once received from a hunter.

Then he walked out of the Repository Chamber, out that door he had entered and exited countless times.

The green ox was already waiting outside the gate.

It stood there, quietly gazing at him, its dark eyes seeming to hide something.

Li Er walked over and raised his hand to pat its head.

"Let's go." he said.

He swung up onto the ox's back.

The green ox stepped forward, carrying him, unhurriedly toward the city gate.

The sunset sank west, stretching his shadow long and long.

The city gate lay ahead.

Li Er turned back, taking one last look at the capital where he had lived for over ten years.

Cheng Zhou's walls glowed gold-red in the sunset, majestic and silent.

He withdrew his gaze and lightly patted the green ox's head.

"Let's go." he said again.

The green ox lowed, bearing him, and slowly walked out of the city gate.

Behind him, the city gate slowly closed.

Ahead lay a road leading who knows where.