Chapter 573 - 342: Fifteen-Year Countdown, Having a Son

The Imperial Capital City.

Beneath the brilliant moonlight, the golden glazed tiles of the Capital City shone with exceptional splendor.

Snowflakes danced through the air, and the evening wind was piercing. The frigid gusts cut like a knife, stinging any exposed skin.

The army entering the city left a chaotic trail in the snow, a great, dark tide of soldiers that streamed in endlessly from the distance.

GROAN!

Stalwart Imperial Guards heaved open several heavy iron gates. Three massive side gates were opened in total, wide enough to allow a thousand men to pass through at once.

The citizens all turned their heads, stopping in their tracks to watch.

"It’s the Holy Emperor’s triumphant return!"

"What? The Holy Emperor is back?"

"Those are the Dragon Banners of Great Yan, there’s no mistaking it! After so many months, the Holy Emperor has finally returned!"

From the vendors and laborers along the road to the fist masters of martial arts halls, the sword-wielding Qi Cultivators, and the scholars and students of the academies... everyone who heard the news was astonished.

"It seems the Demon Race was defeated by our Great Yan this time!"

"No matter how prosperous the Nanli Dynasty is, or how far its fame has spread, they still had to rely on our Holy Emperor in the end!"

Joyful chatter erupted among the crowd.

Now, this newly enthroned Emperor Longyuan was the new hope for the people of Great Yan.

For the past three months, the outcome of this expedition had been a topic of heated discussion all across Great Yan. Many people had been speculating about the war’s result.

If the Holy Emperor hadn’t returned, the Great Yan Dynasty would likely have plunged into a new period of turmoil.

Even returning from war, the Great Yan Soldiers’ bearing was impeccable. Their orderly ranks marched with a rhythmic "SHHH, SHHH, SHHH" sound.

Tall cavalrymen in black armor marched at the front, their armor caked with dried blood. Light cavalry followed, carrying soldiers who had lost arms and legs. Even the teahouse owners along the route couldn’t help but gaze upon these troops with looks of awe and admiration.

Inside the Nine Dragon Carriage.

Listening to the chatter on the streets, Lu Mingyuan felt some of the tension finally leave his body, which had been weary for months.

His sharp eyes gazed at the people lining the road, and the conviction in his heart grew stronger.

’As long as I am on this throne, I will not let the chaos of war befall my people.’

"How much time do we have left?"

"Fifteen years. Fifteen years from now, the contest for the Celestial Mandate will begin anew, and a great calamity will be upon us. I will not force Your Majesty to hand over the Ascension Platform, but when that time comes, everything will depend on you."

The conversation he’d had with the Yuqing Ancestor Master among the distant stars was still vivid in his mind.

Lu Mingyuan’s mind raced.

After learning the truth of their world, he had been told that the Central Plains World was running out of time.

The Yuqing Ancestor Master needed to sacrifice himself to sustain the Outer World Divine Stele for the next cycle.

When that happened, the entire Human Race would lose another of its main pillars of support.

The Yuqing Ancestor Master’s very existence kept the Holy Netherworld and the Wilderness World from acting rashly. The three powers had formed a delicate, unspoken balance.

If Yuqing performed his Sacrificial Dao, the Human Race would lose a core pillar, and the burden would indeed fall entirely on his shoulders.

’I must unify the Central Plains in the shortest time possible and become the lord of the Human Race.’

Like the Human Emperors of old, he was determined to put an end to this chaotic state of the world.

As he was thinking this, the carriage arrived at the Imperial Palace.

Aside from the Personal Guard Imperial Army that remained with Lu Mingyuan, the rest of the Great Yan Dragon Riders returned to their barracks in the Capital City to rest and reorganize.

Lu Mingyuan returned to the Imperial Palace.

Within the palace, maids bustled about, and the grand halls were as brightly lit as ever.

Lu Mingyuan took Qi Muxue’s delicate hand in his and slowly stepped down from the carriage.

"Your Majesty... Fairy Sui, she..."

Qi Muxue trailed off, seemingly hesitant to continue.

Lu Mingyuan cut her off. "I know. It’s not your fault. I was the one who was careless about the Heart Demon’s influence. The Dao Alliance’s Sun Wheel Celestial Monarch has already said he will personally capture Sui Yuqing. There’s no need to worry."

"When the time comes, we’ll find a way to cleanse her of that demonic influence."

The Dragon Peak Mountain expedition was finally over.

When he took stock of their gains, the greatest prize was undoubtedly the Ascension Platform.

The original purpose of the expedition to Dragon Peak Mountain had been to rescue the Nanli Dynasty and drive out the Demon Race.

But in the end, both the Human and Demon Races had suffered grievous losses.

The Six Great Countries of the Central Plains, including the Confucian Temple, had all suffered considerable losses. The main causes were the great war against the Demon Race, the destruction of both men and ships by the Immortal Evil Thought haunting the skies above the Returning Ruins Silent Sea, and the people in the underground ruins who were corrupted by the white mist.

The Dao Alliance’s losses, by contrast, were minimal. They had arrived last, after all.

And the Nanli Dynasty’s territory had still not been reclaimed.

Meanwhile, Sui Yuqing’s whereabouts were unknown.

"The Capital City at night... it hasn’t changed much."

"Who is managing the Imperial Court these days?"

A middle-aged man in Confucian robes, whose presence was as pleasant as a spring breeze, stepped down from the carriage behind them.

"Mr. Qi, it is Chen Ke."

Lu Mingyuan greeted Qi Xingyan with a bow befitting a teacher.

"Chen Ke..."

Qi Xingyan repeated the name thoughtfully, then said with a slight smile,

"I always thought he was a man of great potential. I just never expected him to hold the position of Chief Minister at such a young age. It also goes to show that Your Majesty places unwavering trust in those you appoint."

Lu Mingyuan’s eyes shone with intensity. "Still, you are the most prestigious candidate for the position of Chief Minister, Mr. Qi..."

But Qi Xingyan waved his hand. "Since Your Majesty saw fit to choose Chen Ke, it proves he can bear the responsibility. I won’t compete with the younger generation for the position. My greatest desire in this life is to return to the Academy and teach once the world is at peace."

"You are a man of great principle, Teacher."

Lu Mingyuan nodded. He turned to a young Waiting Eunuch at his side and announced in a deep voice, "Relay my decree. Convene the court assembly tomorrow at 5:00 AM. I intend to discuss national strategy and how we will unify the Central Plains."

Hearing this, Qi Xingyan smiled faintly. "Your Majesty plans to make a move against the Six Kingdoms?"

"Yes. It’s time to set things in order."

...

As the conflict in the Dragon Peak Cave Heaven concluded, news of what transpired immediately spread out from the Celestial Treasure Continent, reaching every corner of the world.

The one who drew the most attention was, naturally, Lu Mingyuan.

First, he had single-handedly fought his way to the Ascension Mountain Peak, battling four Demon Monarchs and challenging the throne itself.

Then, he had overcome the Purple Cloud Divine Thunder Tribulation and broken through to the Martial Saint Realm, becoming the first Martial Saint in a century.

This news made one thing undeniably clear to the world.

The Great Yan of today was at the zenith of its power, with not the slightest sign of its National Fortune being in decline.

The second piece of major news was the return of Qi Xingyan.

This news shocked the world.

It meant that the Great Yan Dynasty had gained two top-tier Great Powers out of thin air.

A Confucian Saint and a Martial Saint.

With their combined strength, they were virtually unstoppable in the Central Plains World.

In all the Central Plains, who could possibly stand against the Great Yan Dynasty now?

The world was in awe. That Lu Mingyuan could resurrect Qi Xingyan and break through to the Martial Saint Realm was an unprecedented feat. Whether anyone would follow in his footsteps was unknown, but he was certainly the first to ever achieve such a thing.

In the Imperial Capital City, the wind was bleak and cold.

Compared to the heavy snow of the Far North, the cold here was a damp and biting one. The only way to find warmth was to huddle around a burning coal stove.

They had set out on the expedition in late autumn. By the time they returned, the New Year had already arrived.

With the New Year imminent, everyone, whether cultivator or commoner, returned to their hometowns to be with family and relatives.

Cultivators, of course, had families too. Those who were ancient and utterly alone were, after all, a minority.

The majority were still young disciples from various sects.

The sects were considerate enough to allow their disciples to go down from their mountains during the New Year holiday to visit their parents and families.

"That Yun Qinghe... she’s run off to the border by herself again. Said she’s going to offer incense for her parents and visit the folks back home. Who knows when she’ll be back."

Lu Mingyuan was the very picture of nobility in his White Jade Dragon Pattern Robe and Gilded Hair Crown. He leaned against a railing, looking out from atop one of the jade mansions. Qi Muxue stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him, and together, they looked like the perfect immortal couple—a Golden Boy and Jade Girl.

"How free-spirited!"

Qi Muxue turned and stood behind Lu Mingyuan, her eyes filled with admiration.

"You want to be like her?" Lu Mingyuan raised an eyebrow.

Qi Muxue shook her head, smiling. "I could never be."

"Why not?"

Qi Muxue looked at him with her bright, limpid eyes. "Because Miss Yun never compromises or yields. She’s proud and self-assured. But in front of you, I find it impossible to be that way."

Lu Mingyuan chuckled. "Perhaps it has to do with your upbringing."

"Perhaps."

A glint appeared in Qi Muxue’s eyes as her thoughts drifted. "I’ve always been constrained by Confucian rites, and my father protected me too well. I never experienced much of the world’s dangers. I’ll tell you a secret... back during the Lantern Festival, after we met that night in the Cold Palace, I spent the entire next day thinking about how I could see you again."

"It wasn’t until the Eldest Prince’s rebellion that I finally did. Every meeting after that, I was both excited and nervous. After all, no one else knew we were meeting. I’ll admit, there was a thrill in breaking free from the constraints of etiquette. I was afraid of how others would look at me, but I still desperately wanted to see you."

Lu Mingyuan gazed at her ethereal, jade-like beauty, so close he could touch it. He seized the moment, pulling her delicate body into his embrace. He rested a hand on her flat stomach and whispered in her ear,

"So it’s true. Every woman has a secret side she’s good at hiding. Let me tell you a secret, too."

"I want a son. A daughter would be fine, too."

Hearing this, Qi Muxue buried her face in his chest, a charming blush unknowingly creeping across her snow-white cheeks.

"Here? Isn’t it a little..."

At some point, one of Lu Mingyuan’s hands had already slipped inside the collar of her robes. With his other hand, he swept aside her sleek black hair and pulled her head firmly toward his, capturing her moist lips in a deep, intertwining kiss.

That night, the wind howled and the snow fell heavily, a scene beautiful enough to mesmerize any onlooker.

...