After they sat down, Chen Changsheng asked Shang Lu about the events of these years.
Shang Lu slowly explained his experiences since leaving the mountain.
Back then, after leaving the mountain, he hadn’t stayed in Autumn Moon Market. He and his Junior Sister had settled in Liangzhong County, two hundred miles west of Yan County. At that ti, they had taken jobs at a rchant guild and later traveled with a trading caravan, transporting goods.
“The Proprietor had powerful backers and started doing business in cattle, sheep, and ores between Great Jing and the Northern Desert. Junior Sister and I followed the caravan to the Northern Desert.”
“No one expected that once we went, we’d end up stuck there for good.”
At first, the situation wasn’t so tense. But after the Northern Desert planned to march south with its army, things got out of hand.
The entire caravan was detained within the Northern Desert.
But the Northern Desert was anything but peaceful. The caravan abandoned all the cattle and sheep they’d collected, keeping only so jewelry and ores to load onto the carts. Even then, disaster still struck.
The whole caravan was killed. Shang Lu only managed to save himself and his Junior Sister by risking his life.
As he spoke, he pulled open his robe, revealing a deep scar running from his shoulder down to his chest.
Zi Su dragged him for dozens of miles. Finally, due to excessive blood loss, Shang Lu passed out.
“This scar was left from back then. I almost died. Fortunately, a woman from the Northern Desert rescued . She applied so herbs to my wounds, and I pulled through.”
“However… I lost touch with Junior Sister.”
When he said this, Shang Lu’s expression turned gloomy.
“And because my wounds hadn’t healed, I stayed in her tent. At first, I thought she was one of the Northern Desert Tribes. I only learned later she was originally one of the Jing people. Her family had been falsely accused and exiled to the Borderlands. She later fled to the Northern Desert.”
“She was following a small nomadic tribe of the Northern Desert at the ti. She found when fetching water by the river.”
“She taught the Northern Desert language. Since the fighting was intense and I couldn’t go back anymore, I decided to pose as one of them and join the small tribe. Usually, I pretended to be mute to avoid being recognized.”
The Northern Desert tribes admired strength. However, they didn’t truly understand Qi and Blood martial arts. Their fighting style relied mainly on physical hardening — pure raw strength without any real skill.
Because of this, Shang Lu had an advantage. He earned the tribe’s deep respect after several tis successfully defending their herds, making their livestock plentiful and their strength grow.
“About a year later, the original chieftain died of illness. All I wanted then was to return ho early. But unexpectedly, the people in the tribe wanted to be their new leader!”
“So…”
Shang Lu reluctantly took that position.
“Roughly another half year later, our tribe’s power started expanding. That drew the attention of the He’er Khan Tribe, who were raiding south against Great Jing.”
“Back then, their tribe was formidable. I was outmatched. I figured since I got this tribe by pure fortune anyway, I could just run if things went badly. So when they ca to negotiate, I surrendered imdiately. My entire tribe got absorbed into the He’er Khan Tribe.”
“A few more years passed. Great Jing was defeated. My original tribe achieved the highest credit during the war. By the will of the tribal people, I inexplicably got promoted to a Ten-Thousand-Man Commander.”
“Then, He’er Khan contracted smallpox after heading south. He didn’t have long to live. Various tribes grew restless, ready to make their moves.”
“And then…”
Shang Lu looked up at the Great Master and said, “I started a rebellion!”
Chen Changsheng sorted out these events, feeling astonished.
He simply didn’t know what to say.
It was like…
Getting handed an empire for free?
Shang Lu coughed and said, “To this day, none of them know I’m one of the Jing people.”
“You said earlier you pretended to be mute. Wouldn’t that invite suspicion?”
“By then, I’d learned the Northern Desert language well enough. Later, I found a shaman. After a Sacrificial Ceremony and so magical fussing, I was able to speak again. I explained it as the ‘Shaman Ancestor’s miraculous blessing.’ These Northern Desert folk didn’t doubt it at all. They firmly believed it was divine portent.”
Chen Changsheng smiled helplessly and said, “You…”
“Even I feel it’s unbelievable, Great Master.”
Shang Lu said, “I can hardly believe it myself. I quite unexpectedly beca an emperor.”
Chen Changsheng said, “No wonder the streets and the Imperial Palace of Western Xiao seem so similar to Great Jing.”
Shang Lu sighed. “Great Master, this gives such headaches. Fighting in martial contests? I excel! But being emperor? It’s truly beyond .”
“And I don’t have many capable subordinates. Worse, I can’t use Jing people. If they got suspicious, everything would be over.”
Chen Changsheng chuckled and asked, “Do you an to say you want to give up being emperor?”
Shang Lu looked at the Great Master. “Well, I’ve thought about it. I plan to search for Junior Sister afterward. I haven’t had any news of her for all these years.”
Hearing this, Chen Changsheng said, “You will not be able to find her.”
Shang Lu hesitated, “Great Master, do you… know where my Junior Sister is?”
Chen Changsheng said, “Think about that ti. Were you really able to survive such a heavy knife wound and lose so much blood solely through physical resilience?”
“I…”
Shang Lu thought back. He had always questioned it even then. He had believed he was beyond saving, yet sohow lived through it as if by a miracle.
“Zi Su now walks the Immortal Path. While you were unconscious in that state, a Celestial Immortal took notice of her. That’s the true reason why you survived.”
“That…that’s wonderful!”
Shang Lu exclaid.
But imdiately after, he froze. Several tis, he tried to speak but swallowed the words back.
His gaze wandered restlessly around the room. Finally, after a long silence, he spoke again.
“Great Master… Junior Sister… she wasn’t pressured into it, right?”
Chen Changsheng looked back. “The Immortal hadn’t coerced her. She made that choice herself. The price for it was saving your life.”
Shang Lu’s lips parted. He dropped his head, eyes vacant and unfocused.
Chen Changsheng watched him and said, “All n speak of Immortal Fate being so rare. Zi Su had this blessing.”
“I…”
Shang Lu hung his head low. “Great Master, I know it’s a fine thing. But I wonder… perhaps Zi Su wasn’t that eager for Immortal Fate.”
Chen Changsheng smiled a little. “Why do you feel so?”
Shang Lu replied, “Junior Sister’s single greatest lifelong dream was for the shidi Shixiong brothers to go back up the mountain together soday. To just… be as we once were. What a pity… Clearly it’s too late for that!”
Then he looked up at the Great Master.
“Great Master, you know the workings of the world beyond knowing. Would you let Shang Lu know? Does Zi Su… live well now? Is she happy? If she is happy, then I, her Senior Brother, would naturally rejoice for her. But if she is unhappy…”
Chen Changsheng stared back. “And if she is unhappy… then what?”
“What do you feel, Great Master…”
Shang Lu’s gaze suddenly hardened with resolve. He t Chen Changsheng’s fixed sight and stated slowly, firmly:
“If I raised an entire world… could it withstand the Immortals above?”
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