Chapter 138: Twenty-Six Years Into the Fourth Lifetime

The Emperor had begun a crackdown on the noble families and aristocratic clans shortly after the three year tax exemption ended.

Initially, the measures appeared relatively ordinary.

The Imperial Court had dispatched officials to investigate tax evasion, review land ownership records, and examine the accounts of several powerful families.

Such actions were hardly unprecedented.

After all, the national treasury needed to be replenished, and the powerful families had long enjoyed privileges that ordinary people could scarcely imagine.

However, as time passed, the scope of these investigations continued to expand.

More families were implicated, more officials were dismissed, and several influential figures were even imprisoned.

The Emperor’s actions gradually became impossible to dismiss as a mere financial measure.

He was consolidating his authority, and he intended to do so at the expense of anyone who might obstruct him.

Lu Yang could understand the reasoning behind such a decision.

A dynasty that had existed for several centuries inevitably accumulated entrenched interests. Many noble families had become so powerful that even the Imperial Court had to consider their reactions before implementing certain policies.

For an ambitious Emperor, such circumstances were naturally unacceptable.

By weakening these families, he could replenish the treasury, eliminate potential opposition, and ensure that more authority returned to the throne.

Three objectives achieved through a single campaign; it was a very efficient approach.

However, efficiency did not necessarily mean that the consequences would be beneficial.

The noble families were not the only ones affected by these changes. Their businesses, tenants, retainers, and countless ordinary people who depended on them would inevitably feel the repercussions.

Furthermore, once the Emperor became accustomed to eliminating opposition in the name of consolidating his authority, there was no guarantee that he would stop after achieving his original objectives.

Power had a peculiar tendency to encourage those who possessed it to seek even more.

Lu Yang did not wish to involve himself in the Imperial Court’s deep affairs, but neither could he pretend that these developments had nothing to do with him.

After all, his father was serving in Wuyuan Province.

Any significant political upheaval there would inevitably affect Lu Shishui’s official career and, potentially, the safety of his family.

There was also the matter of the Wuyuan King.

Even this cousin of the Emperor had not escaped the crackdown.

His authority was restricted, his subordinate officials had come under increased scrutiny, and the Imperial Court had begun intervening in matters that had previously fallen under his jurisdiction.

Familial ties?

Cousins?

In the Imperial Family, such things were worth less than a piece of official paper.

Lu Yang had never placed much faith in the idea that blood relations would necessarily protect someone when power and personal interests came into conflict.

He had seen too many examples to believe otherwise.

Therefore, he decided to investigate the situation personally during his upcoming visit to Wuyuan Province.

He wanted to understand how far the Emperor’s influence had extended, what the Wuyuan King was truly facing, and whether these developments posed any danger to his father.

There was no need to interfere without understanding the circumstances, but remaining ignorant was equally unwise.

Having made his decision, Lu Yang stopped thinking about the matter for the time being.

He rose from his seat inside the cultivation chamber and walked towards the dining hall.

It was time to eat.

...

By the time Lu Yang arrived, Lu Hai and Aunt Lin were already seated at the table.

Several dishes had been prepared, and Aunt Lin were arranging the final portions.

Lu Hai sat at the head of the table, his back still straight despite the passage of years.

However, compared to his appearance six years ago, the changes were unmistakable.

His hair had grown considerably whiter, the wrinkles on his face had deepened, and his movements were no longer as vigorous as before.

He still possessed the imposing presence of someone who had spent decades working within the Imperial Prison, but beneath that familiar bearing was an undeniable trace of exhaustion.

After all, Lu Hai was only a cultivator of the Body Tempering Realm and was already approaching the end of his life.

Lu Yang glanced at his grandfather before taking his seat.

"Grandfather, have you been feeling unwell recently?"

Lu Hai raised his eyebrows.

"What? Do I look that old?"

Lu Yang looked at him for a moment before asking.

"Would you like me to answer honestly?"

"Forget it." Lu Hai snorted and picked up his chopsticks, "Eat your food."

Lu Yang smiled faintly and did not continue teasing him.

In truth, he had already noticed the changes in Lu Hai’s condition.

His grandfather’s Blood Qi was still vigorous due to being at the absolute pinnacle of the Body Tempering Realm, but the effects of age could not be completely resisted.

For an ordinary Body Tempering cultivator, this was inevitable.

Unless Lu Hai encountered some extraordinary opportunity, he would not be able to extend his lifespan much further.

Lu Hai himself understood this.

He did not expect to live forever, and his greatest wish now was to see Lu Yang reach the Ninth Stage of Body Tempering Realm and inherit his position as one of the four Prison Wardens.

Once that happened, he could finally retire without worrying about the future of the Lu Family.

As for whether Lu Yang would continue serving in the Imperial Prison afterwards, that would be his grandson’s decision.

Lu Hai had always been rather proud of his grandson.

Even now, whenever someone mentioned Lu Yang’s cultivation progress, he could not resist boasting about it.

Unfortunately, the old man still believed that Lu Yang was only at the Eighth Stage of the Body Tempering Realm.

Aunt Lin sat beside them, quietly serving food.

Compared to Lu Hai, the changes in her appearance were different but no less noticeable.

When Lu Yang first saw her in this life, it was during a rainy night twenty-six years ago.

At that time, she was a young woman barely into her twenties, carrying a premature infant through the blood and darkness.

Now, twenty-six years had passed.

Aunt Lin was already in middle age, and the signs of time had gradually appeared on her face.

She was not a cultivator. Without the benefits of cultivation, an ordinary person’s lifespan in this era was limited.

If she lived another forty years, that would already be considered a long life.

Lu Yang quietly watched her place a dish before him.

"Young Master, why are you staring at me?"

Aunt Lin noticed his gaze and frowned slightly.

"Have you been cultivating too much lately? You look distracted."

"Nothing. I was just thinking about something." Lu Yang replied absentmindedly.

"What is there to think about during a meal? Eat properly."

She placed another portion of food in his bowl.

Lu Yang looked at the additional food and fell silent.

Some things truly never changed.

He had lived three previous lives and accumulated experiences that ordinary people could barely imagine, yet Aunt Lin still treated him like a child who needed reminding to eat.

For some reason, he did not find it unpleasant. Instead, he felt a faint warmth in his heart.

He lowered his head and continued eating.

Unknowingly, it had already been twenty-six years since his reincarnation.