My Scales Can Make Equivalent Exchange
Chapter 286: Human Emperor, Earthly Immortal

Chapter 286: Chapter 286: Human Emperor, Earthly Immortal

"Alright, let’s settle on Xiang Fei for now. You should also go and prepare. I foresee that Senior Brother Nong should wrap things up in about ten days. Try to finalize the affairs of the subordinate sect within half a month, before we set off for the return journey to the Sect. We can’t have everyone waiting for us indefinitely." Wang Zijia instructed.

"Yes, disciple will go and take care of it now!" Having spoken, An Xingsheng did not leave immediately, but stole a glance at Wang Zijia, cautiously saying, "Martial Uncle, if we are really going to establish a sect and aim to gather a hundred thousand ordinary disciples, it might be best for you to meet with the old emperor."

Wang Zijia paused, immediately comprehending An Xingsheng’s implied meaning.

Banned from setting up a dynasty-like clan, their influence in the Mortal World was largely dependent on the attitude of this emperor. If willing to assist in their promotion, perhaps even establishing it as the state religion, or issuing an imperial edict for compulsory labor to construct the sect, the outcome would inevitably be different.

"Alright, I understand!" Wang Zijia nonchalantly nodded.

Seeing Wang Zijia refrain from showing anger, An Xingsheng subtly breathed a sigh of relief. After all, although Wang Zijia appeared nonjudgmental towards mortals, his consistent avoidance of the old emperor was also a fact.

······

That night, in the Imperial Palace, at the Qintian Observatory’s Star Picking Tower.

Wang Zijia ambled around in the Star Picking Tower, being cautiously led around by a eunuch for sightseeing in the tower.

After a while, Wang Zijia suddenly asked, "Does Master Ma have any disciples?"

The elderly eunuch attentively serving Wang Zijia immediately shook his head, replying, "To answer the Exalted Immortal, Master Ma does not have any disciples."

"What about offspring or consorts?" Despite already knowing the answer, Wang Zijia asked with a hint of hope.

"Master Ma has stood alone throughout his decades in Tianhong, without settling on any particular girl even in the red-light districts." Upon saying this, the old eunuch added, "This includes the Star Picking Tower here. It should have been opened to other cultivators or Immortal Children capable of cultivation as assistants."

"Ever since Master Ma arrived, he requested the emperor for us, these slaves, to serve him. Throughout seventy years of service across two dynasties, not a single child has been able to enter this tower and acquire the fortune of the Immortals. The only one fortunate enough to play in the tower was the emperor back when he was a child."

"Sigh..." Wang Zijia sighed, saying, "Master Ma truly stands alone. It appears I now owe him a lifetime debt!"

The only ones with any connection to him were his three disciples on Jingchan Mountain. Regrettably, during the grand battle that day, not a trace of the bodies of those three was left behind.

Upon hearing this, the old eunuch did not respond, only silently leading Wang Zijia through the tower.

In their conversation, they already reached the rooftop of the Star Picking Tower. This was an unusually open high platform. On the ground was a massive Taiji Eight Trigrams Diagram, akin to a sacrificial altar, one could see the entire Imperial Palace from the rooftop, and even half of Tianhong City was in sight.

Raising one’s head, one could see the stars filling the sky. Due to the absence of industrial pollution, the night sky was exceptionally clear, with an excellent view.

"This is indeed a remarkable place!" Wang Zijia exclaimed.

"Master Ma also used to love the night view of the Star Picking Tower, often observing the stars from here," replied the old eunuch.

"The Emperor arrives!"

"Quiet!"

At that moment, a summon from downstairs along with the old emperor’s rebuke were heard.

"Thump, thump, thump!"

Following this was a series of somewhat wavering and hasty footsteps. It was clear from the footsteps alone how eager the person was on the inside.

After a moment, the old emperor arrived at the rooftop, looked at the eunuchs around him. All of them promptly understood and quietly departed, including the one who accompanied Wang Zijia. Only the two of them were left on the rooftop.

"It is I, Chang Mingde, greeting the Exalted Immortal Wang!" After everyone left, the old emperor surprisingly paid a formal disciple’s respect to Wang Zijia, just like a monk would.

Wang Zijia stood with his hands behind his back, not looking back.

The old emperor also said nothing, remarkably composed.

The gentle night breeze fluttered his long gown and hair strands, giving him an unparalleled air, as if riding the wind away.

Such a celestial grace, an existence entirely unreachable by secular imperial power!

After a silent moment, Wang Zijia finally broke the quietness, "I have a rough idea of what you desire, nothing more than cultivation and lifespan."

The old emperor, staring at Wang Zijia who still haven’t turned around, looked at him fervently, saying, "Could I request the Exalted Immortal to fulfill my desire?"

"As per lifespan, I can bestow upon you a bottle of elixir. It will ensure that you live to the limit of a mortal lifespan without illness or disaster. However, if you seek cultivation..."

At this point, Wang Zijia paused momentarily before speaking, "If you are willing to abdicate the throne to another clan, I might grant you your wish. However, I believe Master Ma had presented you with this choice before."

The old emperor unhappily asked, "Can’t True Immortal be more flexible?"

"I could make an exception for you!" For the first time, Wang Zijia looked back at him. The boyish face, exceptionally handsome to an inhuman extent, brightened the old emperor’s face with joy.

Wang Zijia changed the topic, saying, "I can do a spiritual root detection once for your Chang clan. Or you could recommend a prince to me, regardless of whether he has Spirit Roots, I will take him back to the sect and provide him an opportunity to cultivate."

"The prerequisite condition is, he must sever all ties with your Chang clan. In addition, even if he grows up, the foreign assignment would certainly not be in Tianhong. However, by choosing this, you renounce the elixir."

The joy on the face of the old emperor froze, he stuttered, "This, This..."

"There are no other alternatives. You can ponder over it. But I can clarify to you, within Wanyu territory, it’s the strict rule of the sect that royal families cannot cultivate. There have been quite a few royals secretly cultivating in the past, their outcomes being stripped of royal status and faced with certain punishment."

Wang Zijia did not look at the old emperor again, he turned back, standing on the edge of the rooftop, looking at the vast night, his clothes floating, seeming as if he could take off anytime.

After a long silence, the old emperor still couldn’t accept it, asking, "Is there not a shred of possibility for flexibility?"

"People, after all, cannot be too greedy! Otherwise, they risk losing everything!" Without responding to the old emperor’s meaningless words, Wang Zijia merely gave a sigh.

"Then I, emperor, want the elixir!" The old emperor declared.

’Heh!’ Wang Zijia, having anticipated this, pulled out a jade bottle, saying, "This medicine has a total of three pills. Considering your health condition and lifespan, you should have one pill now, then another one after ten years, and the remainder should be taken when you reach ninety years or when you feel your health deteriorating."

"After thirty years? How many years can this last pill extend my lifespan?" The old emperor asked instinctively.

"Do you really take me for a True Immortal, capriciously granting life and extending lifespan?" Wang Zijia simply asked back.

The old emperor fell silent for a while, then said, "What does True Immortal need me to do?"

A smile adorned the corner of Wang Zijia’s mouth, indeed, as expected of an emperor, he does see things clearly.