Longevity, starting from traveling and telling stories

Chapter 223 Family Banquet
A group of women, looking flustered, rushed over.

The woman at the head of the group was dignified, virtuous, elegant, and graceful, wearing a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe; she was none other than Empress Zhu Rongwei.

Judging from her flustered expression, she was clearly extremely anxious at that moment.

The sharp-eyed nanny next to her immediately noticed that a young man was affectionately holding the little prince, so she immediately shouted, "How dare you! Put His Highness down right now!"

The Empress followed the nanny's gaze and quickly locked onto her son.

Today, she was resting in her bedroom with her son when she fell asleep. Due to a moment of carelessness on the part of the maid, her son secretly slipped away, which frightened her so much that she broke out in a cold sweat.

At this moment, her son was being held in the arms of a stranger. If anything happened to him, she would be held responsible to the death.

"Mother..." the little prince called out in his childish voice, but he showed no intention of leaving this warm embrace.

"Guards..." Seeing Ye Beixuan standing still, the old nanny pointed at the surrounding guards and shouted, "Take him down!"

The guards looked at each other, exchanging bewildered glances.

They didn't even know when there had been another person there.

But since the Empress has given the order, this person must be no good.

Just as they were about to make their move, an angry shout interrupted them: "How dare you!"

Everyone was startled. The voice was all too familiar; who else could it be but His Majesty?
Jiang Pingfan was briefly taken aback, but the noise outside pulled him back to his senses. Realizing it was a misunderstanding, he quickly spoke up to stop it.

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty..." The Empress and the others hurriedly knelt down to pay their respects.

As the old nanny lowered her head, she secretly glanced at Ye Beixuan, who was standing quietly holding the little prince. The little prince was happily playing with the rattle drum that Ye Beixuan had just given him.

She also discovered that this person did not kneel when he saw His Majesty.

"No need for formalities!" Jiang Pingfan turned to the Empress and said, "Rongwei, go and invite the Empress Dowager here."

"But the Empress Dowager has been chanting scriptures and reciting Buddhist prayers for a long time, I'm afraid..."

"Just report the truth, and the Empress Dowager will definitely come."

After everyone stood up, the Empress, who had been so worried about her son's safety, hadn't noticed what the person holding her son looked like.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that this person bore an uncanny resemblance to His Majesty.

Could this be His Majesty's illegitimate son from his early years? Has he come knocking on our door now? Will this affect his son's position as crown prince?

Despite a series of questions, she did not show her expression, but simply bowed obediently and said, "Yes."

As she spoke, she glanced at Ye Beixuan curiously, but didn't dare to ask any more questions. She then took the little prince from his hands and hurriedly went to invite the Empress Dowager.

After everyone left, Jiang Pingfan knelt down, cupped his hands, and respectfully said, "Father..."

"No need..." Ye Beixuan was still not used to it. Sigh, a man is a boy until he dies; for a middle-aged son to call him "father" was truly...

Although I am indeed an old man in terms of age, I am really not ready to be a father.

"I have lived up to my mission these past years, managing the empire that my mother left me in a very orderly manner." Jiang Pingfan was like a child who had done something right and was asking his father for a reward.

Ye Beixuan could tell that his son was working very hard, and from some of his actions, he even seemed to have no desire to be the emperor.

"Just tell me what you want to say!"

Jiang Pingfan hesitated, wanting to speak but not daring to, before finally saying, "Father, your son... your son doesn't want to be an emperor. Your son wants to be like you, seeking the Dao and asking about immortality..."

He had heard his mother say that his father was an immortal. Since he was an immortal, he must be able to ask about immortality. As the child of an immortal, he was naturally qualified to ask about immortality as well.

Just then, a woman who was sixty years old but looked like she was forty, thanks to her long years of quiet life and daily chanting of Buddhist scriptures, rushed over in a hurry. It was none other than Empress Dowager Hanmei.

As soon as she came up, her eyes were filled with tears, and she had an expression that seemed both angry and resentful. She kept pounding on Ye Beixuan's chest and sobbing.

The Empress and her entourage, who were secretly watching from a distance, were utterly dumbfounded. This didn't look like a grandmother seeing her grandson at all; it was clearly the attitude of someone seeing their lover.

No wonder the Empress Dowager was so excited after I simply mentioned that someone who looked very much like His Majesty had appeared.

In her memory, nothing had ever excited the Empress Dowager since His Majesty came to power.

Thinking of this, the Empress was startled. Could it be that he was...? She dared not think of it. It was rumored that His Majesty's biological father was an immortal. If this was His Majesty's biological father, then everything would make sense.

The way he held his son just now clearly showed the affection and care of an elder for a younger generation.

And he was just holding his son...

Exhausted from pounding, Hanmei hugged Ye Beixuan and wept silently, as if she wanted to pour out all the grievances and longing she had felt all these years of being alone.

"Father, Mother, your son has prepared a family feast. Please come and join us," Jiang Pingfan said respectfully from the side.

"Let's eat first!" Ye Beixuan gently touched Hanmei's slightly aged face and said in a gentle tone, "You're getting old too."

Hanmei nestled against his chest, her voice choked with sobs, and said, "Do you know? For the past thirty years since you left with the late emperor's body, I have been hoping for you every single moment, longing for your return, but all I have received has been disappointment after disappointment."

"I had already given up hope, so why did you reappear when I am so old?"

The reward of passing the years like the sun was something Ye Beixuan himself had never expected. It was only because of Yunshang's death that he had attained enlightenment in a single day, and in the blink of an eye, thirty years had passed.

Everything has changed now; the old friends of yesteryear have all grown old. Perhaps this is the price of immortality! Mortals are far too fragile.

At a family dinner.

At the head of a large table, the Empress Dowager and Ye Beixuan sat solemnly, while below them were several imperial concubines, the Empress, and several princes and princesses.

Upon hearing the news, Qin Shaoyou and Ye Xiaobei dragged Zhou Boran along and rushed to the palace. On the surface, everyone appeared cheerful, but they all knew in their hearts that this was probably their last gathering, yet no one mentioned it.

The princes and princesses were very curious about this grandfather, wondering why he looked younger than their father.

However, for their not-so-bright little minds, the fact that their father and mother allowed them to play freely today was the best gift.

During this time, seeing that the children started to make a fuss after they had eaten their fill, Jiang Pingfan told the Consort and the Empress to each take their own children and leave.

With the children's noise gone, the atmosphere among the remaining few people suddenly became quiet.

After a long silence, Ye Xiaobei, who had been with Ye Beixuan the longest, was the first to speak and ask, "Master, when are you leaving?"

Hanmei's hand suddenly stopped moving. It wasn't that she didn't know the question, but she had been subconsciously avoiding it, even unwilling and afraid to ask.

"Soon..." Ye Beixuan picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and said casually.

"Master, there's something I don't understand," Ye Xiaobei said. "What realm are you at now, Master?"

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned.

They knew about certain cultivation levels; Ye Xiaobei, at most, only knew about the Golden Core Dao.

Looking at the eager eyes of the crowd, Ye Beixuan said calmly, "I am currently at the Nascent Soul stage, but I will soon break through to the Divine Transformation stage and ascend to immortality."

Ye Xiaobei asked in surprise, "Is ascension really possible? Wasn't it said that no one can ascend anymore?"

“Father, your son also yearns to seek immortality and ask questions,” Jiang Pingfan said suddenly, as if he had made a great decision.

"You dare! If you go to seek immortality, what will happen to the Great Zhou? Will it be left to you, these young children? Look at how the imperial concubines and the empress are fighting openly and secretly for the position of crown prince. In private, all the powerful families have already chosen their sides. Without you, who can keep things in check?" Hanmei frowned. She had worked so hard to raise him and finally stabilized the court. Now the emperor just wanted to quit?
"Do you really want to seek immortality?" Ye Beixuan took a sip of tea and asked in a calm tone, "You should think carefully. Becoming an immortal is not necessarily a happy thing. The responsibilities involved may be far beyond your imagination."

Upon hearing that there was hope, Jiang Pingfan immediately stood up, knelt before Ye Beixuan, and pleaded, "Father, please grant my request..."

Alas! Looking at his son's state, Ye Beixuan sighed inwardly. It seems every emperor desires immortality, and Qin Shi Huang was no exception.
"You should think this through carefully. If you insist on seeking immortality and enlightenment, you can no longer interfere in worldly affairs. Can you give up the temptation of the power you hold in your hands?"

"This..." Jiang Pingfan hesitated. If one seeks immortality, one cannot become an emperor; if one becomes an emperor, one cannot seek immortality. Why can't one have both?
Ye Xiaobei seemed to understand something. No wonder he had made no progress over the years. So that's why. Even the remaining outer disciples of the various immortal academies were gradually catching up with him.

"Bring me your imperial seal." Seeing Jiang Pingfan hesitate, Ye Beixuan's tone suddenly became indifferent.

He didn't want to interfere with his son's choice; he could pave two paths for his son and let him choose for himself.

Without hesitation, Jiang Pingfan immediately presented the imperial seal with both hands and respectfully handed it to his father.

Ye Beixuan grasped the cold jade seal, and with a flash, he stood in mid-air above the palace.

Then, he tossed the imperial seal into the air, his hands forming hand seals incessantly. The seal emitted wisps of golden light that spread outwards, eventually covering the entire capital like a net.

Finally, he swung his hand in mid-air, severing Jiang Pingfan's palm and flicking out a drop of blood essence, which fell onto the jade seal. The light dimmed instantly, as if nothing had ever happened.

After doing all this, he slowly floated down and placed the jade seal and a book on the table.

"I have already set up an array in the capital. This array can kill even Golden Core cultivators, and only those at the Nascent Soul stage can break it."

“To activate this formation, you must rely on the fortune of the Imperial Seal and the power of your bloodline; neither can be lacking. In addition, the Imperial Seal itself is also a killing formation, sufficient to withstand the attacks of a Golden Core expert.” Ye Beixuan said calmly, then slowly added, “And this manual is a cultivation technique that everyone in the royal family can practice.”

He paused, then continued slowly, "As for whether one can become an immortal, even I dare not say for sure. It all depends on the cultivator's own destiny. In addition, those who cultivate this technique cannot bear the fortune of the Imperial Seal, and naturally cannot activate this formation. One cannot have both."

These are the two paths that lie before Jiang Pingfan. Both paths start smoothly, but the rugged mountain roads that follow are something he must face on his own.

Ye Beixuan, as the father, did not intend to interfere with the decision.

"Thank you, Father! Thank you, Father!" Jiang Pingfan held the two items carefully in his arms as if they were precious treasures.

He had already made up his mind that once the princes grew up, he would establish a new emperor and then go to seek immortality.

“Master, your disciple has failed your teachings.” Just then, Ye Xiaobei seemed to have an epiphany and suddenly knelt down, saying, “I have now figured out what wasted these thirty years. I will return to the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion and lead the outer disciples to rebuild the Immortal Abode.”

“Okay…” Ye Beixuan nodded, looking at his family. He sensed that his worldly ties were severed, and the nascent soul within his body began to generate vortexes, indicating that he was about to break through and enter the realm of the God Transformation.

"Brother-in-law, could you tell us one last story?" Qin Shaoyou suddenly said from the side.

"A story, huh!" Ye Beixuan pondered for a moment and nodded, "There is indeed a story, and I don't mind telling it to you."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately took a serious look, as they hadn't heard Ye Beixuan tell a story in a long time.

Seeing the expectant look on everyone's faces, Ye Beixuan smiled slightly and said loudly, "Once upon a time, there was a scholar named Xu Xun. Legend has it that his mother dreamed of a golden phoenix carrying a pearl, after which she became pregnant." (From Xu Xun's "Complete Book of Pure Brightness, Loyalty, and Filial Piety," which describes his ascension to immortality in broad daylight)
Then, he began to recount his story. Xu Xun had once shot a pregnant doe, causing the fawn to be born prematurely. The doe died while licking her calf. This scene deeply moved Xu Xun, who ultimately broke his bow and arrow and vowed never to kill again.

Later, he met a fellow Daoist, and the two of them went into seclusion on Xiaoyao Mountain to cultivate. However, due to devastating floods that caused great suffering to the people, they had no choice but to leave the mountain to manage the floods.

"Finally, after he had done what he was supposed to do, he sensed that the country was about to fall into chaos, so he resigned and went into seclusion. But then he encountered a great flood."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked rather strange, wondering if Xu Xun was incompatible with water, as he always seemed to encounter floods.

Ye Beixuan continued loudly to the crowd: "The Heavenly Emperor, grateful for his achievements in controlling floods and pacifying plagues, has decided to bestow upon him the title of Grand Historian of the Capital Immortals, and has even sent a dragon chariot to guide him to immortality and ascension to heaven..."

Upon hearing this, everyone was momentarily stunned. Could this be the imperial decree granting immortality? Could it be that as long as one performs great deeds, one can become an immortal?
"Therefore, I don't know how to become an immortal. Everyone's path is different. Some people study and may become immortals as they study; some doctors practice medicine to help the world and may become immortals as they heal; and some people focus on cultivation and may reach the realm of deity transformation as they practice."

Then, his tone shifted to a deep voice, "If you believe it's the right path, then stick to it firmly."

Everyone who heard this was deeply shocked.

If someone else had told this story, people might have just taken it as a joke, but when Ye Beixuan said it…

Just as everyone was immersed in thought, they suddenly felt a gust of air pass by. Looking up, they saw Ye Beixuan standing in mid-air, his whole body still slowly rising.

"Could this be ascension?"

(End of this chapter)