Longzang

Chapter 947 Sunbathing Together
The aftershocks of the sermon lingered long afterward, and the news that Qingming possessed 20,000 Dao Foundation cultivators spread instantly, shocking the surrounding countries beyond measure.

The Dharma Assembly boosted the morale of Qingming beyond imagination. Many mortals saw their future in the unprecedented number of Dao Foundation cultivators, and Wei Yuan successively gained over a million Dao Luck.

Only half a month had passed since the commencement of the Dharma teachings. Wei Yuan was watching the completion of a massive teleportation array with Yu Zhizhuo. They watched as the last array stone, weighing 100,000 jin, was carefully placed into the center of the array by more than ten Foundation Establishment cultivators.

As the formation activated, a glimmer of light appeared in the center, faintly radiating an intense aura. Yu Zhizhuo finally breathed a sigh of relief. Wei Yuan, smelling that familiar scent, perked up and exclaimed, "That's it! It's the Desolate Realm!"

Yu Zhizhuo, however, was somewhat worried and asked, "Should we double-check the landing point? What if it teleports directly to Tianwu's side?"

Wei Yuan said, "That's fine, as long as it's the Desolate Realm. Right now, a single Heavenly Witch would probably find it difficult to attack me."

"We still need to be careful, what if they become desperate and do something rash?"

Wei Yuan readily agreed: "I will bring the Yin Bullet with me."

Yu Zhizhuo knew that opening up the passage to the Desolate Realm was of utmost importance, so he stopped trying to dissuade Wei Yuan and simply told him to bring as many powerful magical artifacts as possible.

As the two were discussing, a follower suddenly flew over at full speed and shouted from afar, "Lord of the Realm! The imperial edict from the Western Jin Dynasty has arrived!"

An imperial edict from the Western Jin Dynasty?

Wei Yuan was somewhat confused, so he flew to the border town where the imperial envoy was located. In the blink of an eye, he entered the post station and saw an old acquaintance, Zhao Tong.

This powerful eunuch was well-fed and plump, with fair and delicate skin, making him appear much younger. Upon seeing Wei Yuan, he shuffled forward and bowed deeply, saying, "Congratulations, Lord Wei! Congratulations, Lord Wei!"

Wei Yuan laughed heartily, casually stuffing a thick wad of green coins into Zhao Tong's sleeve, and then asked, "What's the joy?"

Zhao Tong then summoned two young eunuchs with rosy lips and white teeth, took the imperial edict from their hands, and said, "This is a joyous occasion."

Zhao Tong then unfolded the imperial edict and said, "Wei Yuan, receive the edict!"

Wei Yuan merely bowed, without kneeling, and said, "Your subject is here!"

The two junior eunuchs kept their eyes down, their gazes fixed on the ground, never straying anywhere else.

Zhao Tong didn't even look at Wei Yuan, and directly read aloud: "...Wei Yuan has long guarded the border, repeatedly repelling foreign tribes and enhancing the prestige of our Great Jin!...Now, Wei Yuan is specially granted the title of King of Wei, bestowed with the Nine Bestowments, and granted the privilege of wearing a sword and shoes in court, and being allowed to pay homage without naming his name~~~"

Even Wei Yuan, with his composure, was startled and hurriedly asked, "Didn't the King of Wei have someone? It was that prince again?"

Zhao Tong laughed and said, "He has already been enfeoffed as the Prince of Chen."

Wei Yuan hurriedly said, "Then I can't bestow a title upon him, that would be presumptuous! A minor title of Marquis is enough, and besides, I haven't accomplished anything, so how can I be granted a title?"

Zhao Tong felt the thickness of the blue elixir in his sleeve and gave the two eunuchs a wink. The eunuchs immediately went outside and thoughtfully closed the door.

Zhao Tong whispered, "What the Holy King means is that although he has extended his lifespan, he is still not far from his end. At that time, the overall situation of the Western Jin Dynasty will still depend on you as the pillar of stability. When the time is almost up, you will have to go to the capital again to ask for your opinion on the matter of the crown prince."

Wei Yuan was taken aback again and hurriedly said, "How dare I, a mere official outside the capital, participate in the struggle for the throne?"

Zhao Tong laughed and said, "Times have changed! In the current situation, how can the selection of this important person be made without your presence?"

Wei Yuan was dumbfounded. Why was he being invited to participate in the struggle for the throne? How outrageous!

Wei Yuan once again firmly declined the offer.

Zhao Tong smiled broadly and said, "I knew you were good at declining three times. Alright, I'll just make a few more trips and it'll be fine."

Wei Yuan stuffed another stack of green coins into his hand, saying, "No need for more, I really can't accept this! Besides, there are still the Prince of Ying and the Prince of Cheng in charge of the overall situation, how could it be my turn?"

Zhao Tong pushed the stack of green coins back, saying, "There were already too many. I took them thinking of distributing them back at the palace so that everyone would remember your kindness and be grateful for your favor. But these are really too many. I am not a greedy person, so I absolutely cannot accept them."

Wei Yuan tried to persuade Zhao Tong several times, but Zhao Tong resolutely refused each time, so he had no choice but to give up.

Zhao Tong suddenly straightened up, coughed, and said, "That person has something else to tell you." Wei Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and he said, "Please speak."

Zhao Tong stared straight ahead, his eyes vacant and lifeless, as if possessed. His voice was completely flat as he said, "You damned fool, you never even come back to see your son! If you don't come back soon, your son will be all grown up..."

Wei Yuan lunged forward and covered Zhao Tong's mouth, but it was too late. A chilling wind blew around them, as if a divine sense had just passed by, but they didn't know who it was.

Wei Yuan's face turned pale and then red, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Next time there is a message, say it outside Qingming."

Zhao Tong looked aggrieved and said, "I don't know what message they're trying to convey! I only memorized the pronunciation, not the words. Do you have any reply?"

“…No!” Wei Yuan’s expression was uncertain.

Wei Yuan then firmly declined all the titles and rewards bestowed upon him by the King of Wei, and even sent the imperial edict back to Zhao Tong.

Zhao Tong had no choice but to obey, and then said, "Then I'll go back and report. Oh, by the way, there's something I wanted to say to you privately, it has nothing to do with the Holy King, I'm just saying a few words on behalf of the Prince of Ying."

Since the King of Wei was transferred to the title of King of Chen, the tax revenue of Ganzhou has decreased by more than half. Now the Northern army is short of food and clothing, and their rations have been several months overdue; they are suffering greatly. The King of Ying is personally subsidizing the soldiers, but it's only a drop in the ocean. Alright, we've finished speaking; it's time to get going.”

Watching Zhao Tong lead the palace officials onto the small flying boat and take off into the distance, Wei Yuan pondered continuously, but could not make up his mind.

This seems to be a golden opportunity. The Xu family is preoccupied with its own problems, and the relationship between Song and Cui has stabilized. Lü Changhe can only speak for himself; he can't make a difference on his own. Wei Yuan, backed by the Taichu Palace, is naturally not afraid.

In terms of military strength, not long ago the Wu tribe's army of millions pressed in, but it still failed to sway Qingming. Then, in the months that Wei Yuan was away, Qingming ravaged the surrounding area, leaving nothing but barren land; even rabbits would starve to death.

Apart from its three million elite northern troops, the Western Jin Dynasty was otherwise insignificant. Moreover, Wei Yuan felt he could easily defeat those three million northern troops…

Judging from this situation, it seems that the King of Jin is determined to establish the King of Chu as his successor. But Wei Yuan couldn't understand what the difference was between establishing the King of Chu and establishing the King of Wei or the King of Fu.

The thought of the blue-eyed woman beside the Prince of Jin startled Wei Yuan, and he decided that he should not get involved in this mess. Instead, he should focus on building up reserves and delaying his claim to the throne.

He then sent someone to fetch Cui Yu.

Upon seeing Cui Yu, Wei Yuan felt inexplicably good and smiled, "You're not angry with me for not being able to get the elixir from Song Cui this time, are you?"

Cui Yu said solemnly, "It's my own fault for not being talented enough, I can't blame anyone else. Besides, my own path shouldn't affect the future of the entire Qingming Sect. You should have asked me first last time."

Wei Yuan put his arm around Cui Yu's shoulder and laughed, "Alright, alright, why are you being so serious? We don't have the elixir of immortality, but I've found a better way. Come on, let's go sunbathe!"

Before Cui Yu could answer, Xiao Yu's voice rang out from the side: "...Sunbathing?"

Wei Yuan turned around and saw Xiao Yu standing not far away, looking at the two of them with a deep gaze and a strange expression. Wei Yuan said, "Yes, I was just about to invite Brother Cui to go sunbathing together. Would you like to come along?"

Xiao Yu didn't answer, her gaze fixed on Wei Yuan's arm around Cui Yu's shoulder, and said, "You two really do have a special relationship!"

Wei Yuan was taken aback, then explained, "We're all best brothers, there's no difference. I just think sunbathing might not be very helpful for you, but if you want to go, that's fine with me."

Wei Yuan walked over to Xiao Yu, put his arm around his shoulder, and said, "Alright, don't be upset, let's go together! With more people, we can chat on the way."

When Xiaoyu was embraced like that, her body stiffened for a moment, and then, as if kicked by an immortal, she was sent flying into the air! Then, as if slapped by an immortal, she vanished in an instant, disappearing without a trace!
Wei Yuan stood frozen in place, his hand still in the same spot. It took him a moment to react, and he scratched his head, not understanding what was wrong with Xiao Yu.

Cui Yu was also puzzled and asked in surprise, "What's wrong with him?"

Wei Yuan said, "How would I know? Forget it, let's go. The portal won't be open for long."

Knowing that such interdimensional teleportation portals were extremely costly and could not be delayed, Cui Yu followed Wei Yuan toward the portal, asking as they walked, "What brings the Western Jin imperial envoy here just now?"

Wei Yuan said, "It's not important, let's go sunbathe first!"

In Wei Yuan's heart, the power and rewards of the Western Jin Dynasty were far less important than taking his good brothers out to bask in the sun. He just didn't understand why Xiao Yu suddenly became emotional and refused to go. Otherwise, the three of them going together would have been much more fun.

(End of this chapter)