117: Chapter 117 Departure

Her husband was gone, her son was gone, and now her daughter was also going to seek her own path.

In truth, compared to this magnificent sleeping palace, she preferred that little home you had in Yunjin City—happy, with the family reunited. But following the successive deaths of her son and husband, she only had you left.

And wherever you were, that was her home. Now that her daughter was also going to seek her own path, this vast imperial palace held no meaning for her.

She wanted to go to a temple.

To chant scriptures and pray to Buddha for her Wanwan.

Outside the hall, at the end of the long corridor.

Crown Prince Lin Chengan was wearing that bright yellow dragon robe, standing straight under the corridor waiting for you.

Seeing you come out, he hurried to meet you.

You glanced at his dragon robe; his shoulders were level, his waist straight, his pace steady. He had a bit more of an emperor's bearing than when he ascended the throne three months ago.

"Not bad," you commented. "You look like an emperor now."

Crown Prince Lin Chengan scratched his head, looking a bit shy. "Aunt, you're leaving, I have to see you off, right?"

"No need to see me off," you shook your head. "It's best if no one else knows my whereabouts."

Crown Prince Lin Chengan nodded and did not insist further.

You looked at him, thought for a moment, and spoke. "Chengan."

"Here." He subconsciously straightened his back.

"The common people are the water, and the emperor is the boat. Water can carry the boat, but it can also capsize it. I have said this many times, but I will say it one last time today." Your tone was not like an emperor's, but more like an elder about to travel far. "The Foundation of Great Li is not on the dragon throne; it is in the fields, in the workshops, and in every commoner who can eat their fill. Whenever the people start going hungry, your time as emperor will have come to an end."

"Rest assured, Aunt," Crown Prince Lin Chengan said solemnly. "I remember everything you taught me."

He paused, then added another sentence. "Besides, it's not like you aren't coming back. When you become an Immortal Cultivator... or whatever... if you come back to visit one day, I guarantee this realm will be better than when you left, and the people will be wealthier than when you were here."

You nodded, suddenly remembering something, and the corners of your mouth curled up.

"Right, one more thing."

"Please go ahead, Aunt."

"You must exercise restraint with women."

The solemnity on Crown Prince Lin Chengan's face shattered in an instant.

"...Huh?"

"You and your little empress make quite a racket every night." You remained impassive. "My sleeping palace is only separated from yours by two walls. Do you think my ears are just for show?"

Crown Prince Lin Chengan's face turned visibly red, the heat burning from his neck all the way to his ears.

"Aunt, Aunt! You're an Earthly Immortal, how can you eavesdrop on such..."

"It's not eavesdropping," you corrected him. "It's that you are too loud."

"..."

You laughed out loud.

As the laughter subsided, you took a deep breath and looked at him one last time.

"I'm leaving."

Your Qi surged, and your figure instantly turned into an afterimage, flashing past Crown Prince Lin Chengan's field of vision and vanishing.

It was so fast that his eyes couldn't even capture a silhouette.

Crown Prince Lin Chengan stared blankly in the direction you disappeared, only coming back to his senses after a long while.

He straightened his dragon robe, bowed solemnly in that direction, and remained bent for a long time.

"Aunt," he said in a low voice. "The path to immortality is long. May your journey be smooth, and may you overcome all dangers. Chengan will certainly not fail your trust. By the day you return, this world... will only be better than it is today."

Half an hour later.

Seventy li north of the Imperial City, an unnamed barren mountain.

You stood on the mountain ridge, the night wind howling.

Your black martial outfit was covered in a bit of dew, and on your back was a humanoid bundle wrapped in seven or eight layers of coarse burlap, standing half a head taller than you, looking both cumbersome and eerie.

The Black-robed Puppet.

You only had one Spirit Stone left, and you dared not waste it on driving the Puppet to walk, so you had to use the most primitive method: carrying it.

Fortunately, you were an Earthly Immortal, so five or six hundred catties of dead weight was not too heavy for you.

It was just that the scene was indeed a bit... eerie...

Next, you raised your hand to press against your cheeks, activating the Thousand-Face Faceless Art.

A soreness from the slight dislocation of your bones washed over you, and your facial contours slowly changed under your palms.

Those alluring peach-blossom eyes narrowed, turning into ordinary almond eyes; the bridge of your nose lowered slightly; your lip shape thinned; your jawline became rounder and duller; even the lustrous sheen on your skin was suppressed, turning into the yellowish texture that an ordinary person should have.

You lowered your hands, picked up a bronze mirror, and took a look at your current appearance.

The Thousand-Face Faceless Art had taken effect; your features had become bland and mediocre, your cheekbones slightly high, your complexion darkened by two shades. You looked like an ordinary woman in her thirties, with delicate but absolutely unremarkable features.

Plus the bundle on your back that was taller than a person.

Late at night, in the middle of a barren mountain, a lone woman carrying a large humanoid bundle.

You imagined the perspective of a passerby, and your mouth twitched; they would probably be scared out of their wits.

But you did not set off immediately.

You detoured first, heading to Daliang Mountain.

In the mountains, deep at night.

You stepped on the gravel, following the small path in your memory, and found that familiar cave.

The bushes at the cave entrance were denser than they had been two years ago, almost completely blocking the entrance.

You pushed aside the branches and leaves, tiptoeing inside.

It was very dark inside the cave.

A warm, beastly breath rushed toward you, mixed with a gamey odor.

Your vision was unimpeded in the darkness, and you saw the scene deep in the cave at a glance.

Xiao Wang was lying on a flat boulder, its massive white body rising and falling, breathing evenly.

You approached gently.

Xiao Wang's ears twitched.

Then it raised its head, its cloudy tiger eyes glowing faintly in the darkness, looking toward you.

It had grown old.

The body that was once as sturdy as a calf had clearly thinned, its white fur mixed with grayish-yellow patches, and its movements were far less agile than before.

But when it recognized the scent on you, a low whimper came from its throat, as if it were acting spoiled, or perhaps complaining about why you had only just arrived.

You walked over, crouched down, and reached out to stroke its forehead.

Xiao Wang rubbed its massive head into your palm, and its rough tongue licked your wrist.

"You've become Old Wang, huh," you said with a smile.

Xiao Wang let out two whimpering hums, as if it understood what you said, or perhaps it was just acting spoiled.

You sat beside it, leaning against its warm body, and stayed quietly for a while.

You had thought about taking it with you.

But you looked at the massive bundle on your back, then at Xiao Wang's increasingly aging body, and gave up the idea.

You couldn't exactly carry a Puppet on your back while leading a tiger on the road.

Moreover, the road ahead was unknown, and you had no idea what was in the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Once you had blazed a path, it wouldn't be too late to bring it along next time you simulated.

Besides, you had always felt that Xiao Wang was not an ordinary white tiger.

In this world, there were Immortal Cultivators and Yao Beasts, and Xiao Wang's Bloodline... was perhaps deeper than you imagined.

But that was a matter for the future.

You stood up and gave Xiao Wang's ears one last rub.

"I'll bring you next time."

Xiao Wang raised its head to look at you, your reflection in its tiger eyes.

You turned and walked out of the cave.

Behind you, Xiao Wang struggled to stand up, stumbled two steps, walked to the entrance, and stared blankly in the direction you were leaving.

It did not chase after you.

It only let out a low call, as if saying goodbye.