After entering the Dongyang King's manor, Qin Sang was settled into a small courtyard where meals were delivered three times a day. However, he was forbidden from wandering outside.
For several days, Qin Sang did not see the Dongyang Lady or receive a summons from the Dongyang King. The only visitor was Bai Jianglan, who came by once.
As he was here in search of immortality, Qin Sang patiently waited.
This environment was quite suitable for cultivation, and Qin Sang devoted himself entirely to studying the Netherworld Scripture.
With the aid of Soul Pills, Qin Sang felt that his cultivation speed was even faster than when he first started. If the supply of Soul Pills remained steady, he estimated he could break through to the third stage of the Netherworld Scripture within a year.
Of course, this was the ideal scenario.
In his intense training, each Soul Pill lasted no more than half a month. After consuming two Soul Pills, he was about to take a third when King Yan's form had become faint, like a flickering candle in the wind.
At this rate, taking another Soul Pill would likely cause King Yan to collapse completely.
Qin Sang was uncertain whether King Yan could recover after being depleted and was unwilling to exhaust him further. His primary concern was how to continuously obtain Soul Pills.
Understanding malevolent yin qi was challenging for Qin Sang in such a short time.
Human souls were seemingly inexhaustible, but he would have to slaughter village after village to meet his cultivation needs.
Massacring innocents was not only a moral dilemma but also a practical risk. With little improvement in his own strength, he could easily become a target for other immortal masters. He still vividly remembered the grisly fate of the black-robed demon who had been cut in half.
Feeling a slight pain in his meridians, Qin Sang stopped his cultivation. Opening his eyes, he saw that the sky was beginning to brighten. Despite practicing all night, he felt invigorated but was used to resting briefly or sometimes sleeping an entire day, considering it true rest.
Just as he was about to lie down fully clothed, a knock sounded at the courtyard door.
"Brother Bai, you’ve come."
Qin Sang opened the door to find Bai Jianglan standing outside. Light rain was falling, and Bai Jianglan was wearing a bamboo hat and a raincoat, carrying a treasured sword, looking like a wandering hero from the martial world.
Qin Sang set down his teacup, sitting up straight with a serious expression, and replied, "Brother Bai, I have admired the path of immortality since my youth. This heart of mine has never changed!"
A month ago, Bai Jianglan had visited Qin Sang in the small courtyard, subtly probing into Qin Sang's future plans.
Qin Sang knew that Bai Jianglan was sent by the Dongyang Lady to test him.
Dongyang King, being second only to the emperor in Great Sui, was one of the people with the greatest opportunity to meet an immortal master.
Having received life-saving favors from Dongyang Lady twice, Qin Sang could also clearly sense her high regard for him during their journey back to Dongyang Commandery. Qin Sang, ever perceptive, had decided to be upfront about his desire to seek immortality.
He was unsure what answer Bai Jianglan would bring, and he felt a quiet anxiety.
In fact, Bai Jianglan had seen through Qin Sang’s thoughts last year while they were on the ship, but he hadn’t expected Qin Sang to be so determined. After a moment of contemplation, Bai Jianglan said, "According to the ancient customs of the Great Sui, when a new emperor ascends the throne, a grand coronation ceremony must be held at the Holy Mountain Zhao in the capital. This ceremony involves celestial phenomena and divine music, and a crane from heaven is supposed to bring the imperial seal to symbolize that the emperor’s authority is divinely granted."
Qin Sang was familiar with these customs. This world had many differences from his previous one, but some things were similar, such as the methods used to deceive the common people.
However, since martial arts and immortals genuinely existed, the methods were more convincing than those in his past life.
"However..."
Bai Jianglan paused, then continued, "I only recently learned that the so-called divine mandate is merely an illusion, but the crane delivering the seal is real. The imperial seal does not come from heaven but from an immortal master."
Qin Sang was taken aback, his heart racing with surprise. "Brother Bai, does that mean that to become emperor, one needs the recognition of an immortal master?"
Bai Jianglan nodded.
Qin Sang frowned. "Then does this mean the appointment of the emperor is determined by the immortal master? What is there left to fight for?"
1. Qinggong (ching-kung) is a training technique for jumping off vertical surfaces from the Chinese martial arts. One way of training is to run up a slightly inclined ramp, gradually increasing the steepness of the incline until it is vertical. The use of qinggong has been exaggerated in wuxia fiction, in which martial artists have the ability to move swiftly and lightly at superhuman speed, and perform gravity-defying moves such as running on water surfaces, traversing across rooftops, and even balancing on a stalk of grass. ☜