Chapter 37

Editor: Henyee Translations

“`

The gloaming was heavy and deep.

To the southeast of Chen Clan Gully stood a colossal grave mound.

The ghosts in the village saw the corpses interred, their resentment dissipating into wisps of blue smoke, all but Old Chen’s wronged spirit.

Zhou Yi found a piece of bluestone, his mana shaped it into a long stele, and with his finger acting as a pen, he inscribed upon it.

“Chen Clan Gully, the grave of three hundred and twenty-seven, in the eighteenth year of Emperor Hongchang’s reign, on the twenty-seventh of the fifth month!”

His finger was like refined steel, penetrating three fen into the stone.

Old Chen knelt in thanks, “For such great kindness, the Chen clan has nothing with which to repay. We will pray for benefactor’s blessings in the Netherworld, and if there is an afterlife, we are surely to be oxen and horses to repay the debt!”

“What do you intend to do now?”

Zhou Yi, holding the swaddled infant, protected Chen Ya’er with a barrier of mana.

Many ghosts had dissipated not long ago, leaving behind a dense, chilling aura of death, and children or elders passing by this place might very well fall ill with evil spirits entering their bodies.

“Now at my life’s end, I must trouble the benefactor with one more thing,”

said Old Chen. “Please may the benefactor lend his power to disperse my soul.”

Zhou Yi asked in confusion, “Why is this?”

Old Chen explained, “Originally just a fragment of a soul, it would have faded in a few days, but who knew that in this cold place, it even congealed a bit more.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

If Zhou Yi had not had the Longevity Dao Fruit, when his time approached, he would definitely have tried every possible means to extend his life.

Orthodox methods, bizarre practices, heretical scriptures, none would he reject.

Methods like seizing a body with a spirit to extend life, or becoming a ghost cultivator after death, or simply being buried in an extremely yin place to transform into a longevous zombie.

Influenced by the information explosion of a former life, he believed that as long as one maintains one’s self-awareness, becoming a demon or ghost is of no consequence.

“Being eroded by this Yin energy, many desires have started to form in my heart, such as absorbing Yang energy or consuming fresh blood,”

Old Chen clarified. “This is just the beginning and already I am restless. Given more time, I would inevitably become an evil vengeful spirit, bringing calamity to others. Better to kill off these wicked thoughts while I am still rational, so I plead with the benefactor to end them!”

“Old Brother Chen is truly a remarkable man!”

Zhou Yi exclaimed, “You are a hundred, a thousand times better than those Dog Emperors who, knowing their imminent death, still bring disaster upon the world in their quest for longevity.”

“Ha ha, you flatter me too much, benefactor. I’m just a poor scholar who never even passed the imperial examination,”

Old Chen laughed. “Had I become the Emperor, living in wealth and luxury, maybe I would have become fearful of death.”

“Farewell, Old Brother Chen!”

Zhou Yi gave a formal bow. Although Old Chen was not an Emperor, Emperors did not have the chance to become wronged spirits, and compared to the chance of longevity, Old Chen was much closer to it.

All things in this world revolve around what one can relinquish or acquire.

Many people are greedy for gain but few can let go. Zhou Yi was the same.

Old Chen declared unburdened, “I wish for the benefactor to live forever, and in the next life, I shall repay you!”

“…”

Zhou Yi didn’t know what to say for a moment, so he waved his hand, and his mana turned into a sword light, shattering the aggrieved spirit to pieces.

Looking down at the swaddle, Chen Ya’er stared blankly at the gravestone, as if imprinting it in her memory.

“Old Brother Chen urged repeatedly, to not harbor thoughts of revenge. But the deep-seated vengeance for the blood of parents and relatives, such karma, how could one hide from it or lay it aside!”

Zhou Yi watched the little girl’s lips, rosy and tempting to ruffle a few times.

Giggling, giggling, giggling!

Chen Ya’er let out a crisp laugh, adding a touch of warmth to the new grave, the misty haze, and the cold wind.

…

Thunderous, thunderous, thunderous!

The sound of horse hooves was like thunder.

More than ten black-clothed cavalrymen rushed past on the official road.

The cavalry carried bright yellow small flags, and whether officials or merchants, all quickly moved aside, for delaying the Imperial edict was a great disrespect.

Zhou Yi, with one arm holding the swaddled infant, gently pulled on the reins with the other, and the red horse beneath him neatly stepped aside.

“`

“Emperor Hongchang has actually collapsed!”

Zhou Yi, anxious to take Chen Ya’er back to Divine Capital to find her wet nurse, sped along the imperial road day and night after leaving Chen Clan’s valley, already encountering four different groups of messenger cavalry.

The cavalry carried the Imperial Court’s edicts, rushing to all the provinces and counties of Fengyang Country, to post the news of the new sovereign’s accession.

“His lasting achievements and faults shall be left to posterity to evaluate!”

Since Emperor Chongming set a precedent, Zhou Yi didn’t hold much animosity toward Emperor Hongchang; for emperors, killing meritorious subjects wasn’t really considered a stain.

Looking back through history, the struggle for power between the emperor and his subjects occurred in every dynasty.

Reclaiming lost lands and streamlining mountains and rivers, lightening labor service and reducing taxes, Emperor Hongchang will surely have a place in the history books.

“What a pity that he chose to ensure the stability of imperial power even at the expense of the National Dynasty’s decline. Perhaps Emperor Hongchang saw the defeat at the Northern Border before his death. People truly cannot learn from history; because when faced with overwhelming forces, the choices they make are all selfish!”

Early June.

Zhou Yi saw from afar the walls of Divine Capital City, still towering and stable.

At the West City Gate.

Bustling and jam-packed, a queue stretched for two or three miles.

Hundreds of the Imperial Guards clad in armor stood on duty, meticulously inspecting every carriage and pedestrian entering and leaving the city, turning over even the boxes over three feet in size.

“No travel permit? Arrest him, lock him up!”

“Is this blade registered with the government office? No? Arrest him!”

“A bow and arrows? The Imperial Court has issued an edict, temporarily banning hunting, confiscate those…”

The Imperial Guards were thorough in their searches, showing no favoritism, and a man claiming to be the son of a Capital judge was punched, kicked, and dragged away to be clamped in heavy shackles on the spot.

Dozens of people lined up neatly at the base of the city wall, bearing hundred-pound shackles around their necks, and within mere days, a person would be ruined.

The head of the Imperial Guards bellowed, “Assaulting the Imperial Guards is tantamount to rebellion. Take my name card to the Capital’s government office and summon Judge Li for questioning!”

This approach frightened many merchants and officials; after all, the truly lucrative deals were explicitly written in the law. In contrast, most common people showed respect, thinking the general was a good official.

No other reason than justice!

A plump merchant stepped forward, slipping several silver notes into the officer’s hand, “General, our Wantong Bank has been a renowned establishment in Divine Capital for two hundred years, can we have some convenience?”

“Wantong Bank, of course, is well-known.”

The head of the Imperial Guards pocketed the silver notes into his sleeve and ordered his soldiers, “First, inspect his merchandise to see if there is anything contraband; otherwise, why would he bribe me.”

Startled, the merchant let out a cry but couldn’t stop the Imperial Guards from finding several sets of armor in his wagon.

“Secretly manufacturing armor, does Wantong Bank seek to rebel?”

Seeing this, other merchants either left with their carriages or sent people to the Capital to find connections.

Zhou Yi waited in the queue for a long time before showing his prison guard badge to the Imperial Guards.

To his surprise, the head of the Imperial Guards recognized Zhou Yi and even joked, “I’ve long heard of Mr. Zhou, the notorious demon of the blood prison, and at last I get to meet him in person.”

“It’s just a nickname from the jianghu, not to be compared with the general.”

Zhou Yi wasn’t surprised by this; among the several million people in Divine Capital City, to pick out just fifty top experts is to find the rare few, and as a guard in the sky prison, Zhou Yi couldn’t escape the attention of those who were interested.

The head asked, “I hear sir lives alone, who is this child with you?”

Zhou Yi explained, “She’s a girl from a distant relative’s family. She doesn’t have a formal name yet, so we just call her Ya’er. Her family couldn’t afford to keep her, so they sent her to me, at least she won’t starve here.”

“I see, Mr. Zhou, please come in.”

The head didn’t ask any further questions and ordered the Imperial Guards to clear the way, sending someone to inform his superiors after Zhou Yi had left.

It has only been a few days since His Majesty ascended the throne, and suddenly, many rumors have spread in Divine Capital.

Rumors such as the second prince’s ascension was illegitimate, and the original edict proclaimed the sixth prince as the next emperor…

Rumors that of the four great appointed ministers, two died on the spot…

Rumors that the second prince was ruthless, in front of the late Emperor’s corpse, he personally killed Imperial Consort Sun and the sixth prince…

Such rumors painted a vivid picture to the extent that the undercurrents of Divine Capital surged, and many harbored ulterior motives.

The strict searches by the Imperial Court’s guards at the city gates and the scrutiny of carriages and pedestrians were just the beginnings of a storm!