Madam, please ascend.

Chapter 398 Passing Through the Human World
Before meeting Yun Yi, Su Chengqian had imagined what this genius swordsman would be like.

However, when he and Su Qing left Panlong Tower and happened to witness the end of the great battle in the palace, he realized that he had been too conservative in his thinking.

This gave Su Chengqian a strange feeling of "I'm really getting old." His daughter's achievement of reaching the Dao Integration Realm was an eye-opener for him, and her beloved was even more amazing.

Such sword cultivation skills are practically indistinguishable from those of immortals in the mortal world.

The rain of swords finally dissipated, tearing the white clouds in the sky into wisps of mist. Yun Yi, sword in hand, soared through the air like a banished immortal descending to earth.

At this point, he had already removed his flawless disguise, so the assembled ministers who were watching the spectacle finally saw his true face.

It's not some Prince Xian, Su Xin.

That makes sense. Su Xin is just a spoiled brat, how could he become a sword immortal in such a short time?

Feng Jingchen's mortal seed was shattered, causing his Void Returning Realm cultivation to plummet. Unable to bear the strain, he fainted. Upon seeing this, the fat Minister quickly took his son and took his leave. As for whether he would be punished later, that was something to worry about.

Yun Yi did not intervene. In his view, Feng Jingchen was just an insignificant pawn of the Futian Pavilion, and he had no need to kill him.

Besides, the old emperor has already woken up, so it's perfect to leave these messes to him to handle.

A general named Jiang Jing, who was acquainted with Prime Minister Qin, stepped forward and asked, "What is the background of this sword immortal?"

Qin Dingfeng said mysteriously, "It can't be explained in just a few words."

"You old fox, you knew all along that His Highness Prince Xian was an imposter, didn't you?!"

"Uh... that's right."

"So, the person who committed the murder in the main hall and saved the day during the fire in Dong'an City was also this person?"

As Jiang Jing was speaking, he suddenly remembered a name, "Could this person be Yun Yi? He even saved Tie Hong back then!"

Qin Dingfeng asked in surprise, "You actually know him?"

"Hehe, Tie Hong and I are both generals guarding the border. I've heard him mention it quite often when we drink and brag."

Jiang Jing suddenly jumped up, his face displeased, and said, "That's not right! When he was impersonating Prince Xian, he stayed at Prince Xian's residence the whole time. Could my daughter have been violated by him?!"

His daughter was none other than Princess Xian, Jiang Miaojin.

Qin Dingfeng said speechlessly, "Save your breath. Our eldest princess and this person have a very close relationship."

"Tsk, what a pity."

"You old codger, do you feel like you were taken advantage of, or that you got a good deal?!"

Jiang Jing pursed his lips and stopped speaking, thinking to himself that the Prince Xian was just a little rascal, how could he compare to this sword immortal young master? Besides, although my daughter is married, she is still a virgin, what is there about a mere princess who can't compare?

The more he thought about it, the more guilty he felt, realizing that he really couldn't compare... Oh well.

As they were talking, Su Chengqian, supported by his beloved daughter, slowly walked over here.

The civil and military officials stared wide-eyed at the sight. No one had expected that the old emperor, who had retired for many years due to illness and whose whereabouts were unknown, would return at this time.

Su Rui rushed over first, immediately knelt down and kowtowed upon meeting him, his face full of smiles.

He was about to say something when all the officials behind him followed suit and knelt down. Su Chengqian simply waved his hand, and the entire hall fell silent.

The old emperor gestured for his daughter to release him, then strode over to Yun Yi, looking at the young man who was very likely to abduct his daughter.

When the father-in-law met his son-in-law, he didn't want to lose face, so he exclaimed, "What a magnificent display of using the sky as a scroll and the sword as a pen! Such a grandeur is truly astonishing."

Su Qing chuckled upon hearing this, her eyes gleaming with pride. She waved her hand lightly, dispersing the remaining spiritual energy, and asked Yun Yi, "Are you alright?"

Yun Yi nodded, then bowed to Su Chengqian and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty the Emperor."

Although he looked down on that brat Su Rui, he had great respect for Su Chengqian.

If this emperor had not been assassinated, the situation in both the Great Xia and Great Yan would certainly not have been so dire.

Su Chengqian smiled as he looked Yun Yi up and down. Although he was somewhat displeased with him, he couldn't help but find him more and more pleasing to the eye.

This young man's attacks were measured and controlled, leaving room for maneuver in his moves, clearly out of fear that his sword energy might harm the innocent officials present.

It's rare to find someone with his level of cultivation to have such a temperament.

However, the moment his daughter saw him, she never looked at her foolish father again, which was truly heartbreaking.

Su Chengqian shook off the complicated thoughts in his mind and smiled, "You are an immortal from the mountain, not a mortal, so there is no need to call me Emperor. If you don't mind, just call me Uncle."

Yun Yi naturally understood the old emperor's implied meaning, "Uncle."

Su Chengqian nodded in satisfaction: "I still have some trivial matters to attend to. Why don't you accompany Yunyi for a stroll, Qing'er?"

Now that he has woken up, the young emperor Su Rui can obediently hand over power.

Over the years, the Great Xia has accumulated many problems, and we still need to unravel them one by one, which is a very painstaking and time-consuming task.

Seeing this, Su Rui also planned to leave with his sister, but his father grabbed him by the back of the neck, saying, "Trying to run away? No way!"

Su Chengqian could tell that Su Qing cared deeply for Yun Yi and, given his own advanced cultivation, was unlikely to remain in the mortal world. Therefore, Su Rui became the only remaining successor, and he couldn't afford to act like a child.

However, thanks to the effects of the awakened gentian, his lifespan should not be too short, so he still has plenty of time to nurture Su Rui.

It can be considered a blessing in disguise.

Su Chengqian turned around and looked at the dense crowd of civil and military officials, who bowed their heads one after another like wheat fields swaying in the wind.

He said casually, "Go back to court."

After saying this, he led the way into the main hall. The hem of his black dragon-patterned robe seemed to sweep over the heads of the kneeling officials, silently announcing one thing—the heavens of the Great Xia have returned.

The officials remained silent, holding their breath and bowing their heads as they followed behind the emperor, only daring to glance out of the corner of their eyes at the jade steps trodden by the dragon-embroidered boots.

Although they hadn't been involved in state affairs for many years, the oppressive feeling of being in a high position still sent chills down everyone's spines. Even the old foxes led by Jiang Jing didn't dare to utter a sound at this moment.

What is the demeanor of an emperor?

Even when facing cultivators on the mountain, civil and military officials might not be so respectful, but they were completely convinced and utterly devoted to Su Chengqian.

Having experienced the usurpation of power by Prince Xian and Prince Duan, and with constant friction with the Great Yan in recent years, the Great Xia has long been on the verge of collapse.

The old emperor's return was a huge relief to everyone.

……

Knowing that Yun Yi wasn't interested in these trivial matters, Su Qing said, "Father will probably be busy for a while. You've come all this way to Dong'an City, where would you like to go for a stroll?"

Yun Yi said, "This palace is really not interesting. The palace rules are strict and there is a sense of oppression."

"Should we go to Prince Xian's residence to see your princess?"

"what?"

Su Qing covered her mouth and chuckled: "Miao Jin is really strange. She begged me to allow her to divorce Su Xin, but she's been dragging her feet and hasn't done it yet. She's still using the title of Princess Xian." Yun Yi had dealt with that intelligent princess before and immediately guessed her thoughts: "She wants to use the title of Princess Xian to drive away those unwanted suitors."

As a renowned beauty in Dong'an City, if the news of Jiang Miaojin's divorce were to spread, countless people would be tempted to pursue her.

But all she wanted was to grow flowers in peace; she was most annoyed by her suitors.

The two walked together towards the outside of the palace, and the palace servants all lowered their heads and dared not look at them for long.

Although the old emperor has returned, the power held by the eldest princess must be returned in full. But everyone knows that the eldest princess is the emperor's favorite, and she is now the most precious woman in the capital.

Of course, the man whose arm she was holding was even more noble.

Yun Yi glanced at Su Qing, who seemed quite enthusiastic about going out for a stroll, and realized that she had finally put down the heavy burden on her shoulders, untied the knot in her heart, and looked completely refreshed.

It actually has a more girlish and innocent feel to it.

Hmm, it must be an illusion. Her chest is much larger than a young girl's.

Yun Yi tried to ignore the soft touch on her arm. This time, she didn't use the wind to travel, so she simply followed her slowly out of the palace.

When I left Dong'an City last time, the people of Da Yan set a huge fire here, leaving it riddled with holes and unrecognizable.

It has now been restored to its original state, but the atmosphere among the people is somewhat somber.

After all, there was too much friction between the Great Xia and Great Yan, and there were often rumors of an impending war, making the situation seem like it could break out at any moment.

In addition, some people deliberately spread various rumors, including the outrageous rumor that the eldest princess was cursed and had caused the deaths of the old emperor and her own brothers.

Su Qing smiled and said, "Now that Father Emperor is back, everything will be alright."

She had great confidence in Su Chengqian, believing that as long as her father was there, the difficulties facing the Great Xia would be overcome, and the problems left over from before would be solved.

In fact, it wasn't just her; the entire Great Xia Dynasty held an almost fanatical trust in Su Chengqian.

A group of people poured out of the palace and galloped wildly out of the city, spreading the news of the old emperor Su Chengqian's return throughout the capital.

Next, they would travel to all corners of the Great Xia to spread the news to every inch of its territory.

Upon hearing the news, the gloomy atmosphere of the people of Dong'an City vanished instantly, and they became cheerful in the blink of an eye.

Some people even plan to get drunk, and I heard that Zuixianlou has opened for business ahead of schedule.

Seeing this scene, Yun Yi thought that if he couldn't save Su Chengqian, Great Xia would most likely become a burden that dragged Su Qing to her death.

Moreover, the Overturning Heaven Pavilion is also eyeing this place covetously. Sooner or later, this place will fall into their hands. When all the pillars of heaven collapse... war will rage everywhere in the human world, causing immense suffering and death, with lives sacrificed to the heavens.

Fortunately, Su Chengqian, as the pillar of the Great Xia Dynasty, can protect the peace and stability of this place.

The next problem arose with the Great Yan Dynasty.

Before Qin Dingfeng entered the palace, he told Yun Yi that he had something important to discuss, which must be because Lu Ziwei had some news to share.

Yun Yi pondered that if both the Great Xia and Great Yan dynasties could maintain a stable political situation and the people could live in peace, then even if the sky were to fall, it might not be the worst-case scenario.

The two strolled along until they reached the vicinity of the Prince Xian's Mansion, where they happened to pass by a tofu pudding stall.

One person surprised Yun Yi: Dou Li's hardworking mother was still selling tofu pudding at a stall here.

Earning only one penny per bowl, life was undeniably hard.

However, Yun Yi remembered that before he took Dou Li to the Burial Sword Valley for cultivation, he had visited Dou Li's mother and left her some money, telling her to go to the Prince Xian's Mansion for help if she needed anything.

But no one knows why she still chooses to live such a poor life.

Su Qing paid close attention to Yun Yi's movements in Dong'an City, and naturally knew about Dou Li and his mother's affairs.

She explained, "Miaojin told me about this young lady. She said she doesn't want anyone's help, she won't accept any money, and she doesn't want the house either. She's still selling tofu pudding here."

Yun Yi smiled and said, "This is because she trusts her son so much that she will not owe anyone any favors, so that her son will not be burdened by her worldly favors when he becomes a cultivator in the future."

"That's what she... was thinking?"

"That's why I sometimes like to go back to the secular world. Compared to those high and mighty monks, the way ordinary people conduct themselves often reminds me—never forget your original intention."

The celestial realm is superior to the human realm, and the cultivation realm is superior to the secular realm; this world is never fair.

However, Yun Yi felt that whether one was a mortal or a cultivator, the way of dealing with the world was essentially the same.

The proprietress didn't recognize Yun Yi; she had only seen "Prince Xian Su Xin" before. Therefore, she didn't pay attention to the two men with extraordinary appearances, nor did she go up to solicit customers.

Unexpectedly, Yun Yi actually ordered two bowls of tofu pudding and ate them with Su Qing on the street.

Su Qing, ever understanding, said softly, "Do you really like the human world right now?"

Yun Yi: "I wouldn't say I like it. Sometimes I even think this world is absolutely terrible. But since it's already this bad, it's best if it doesn't get any worse."

"You're just being stubborn; you clearly can't bear to part with it."

"Aren't you the same? You gave up being the beautiful Fairy Su and insisted on getting involved in the murky waters of the world, making yourself exhausted."

The two exchanged a smile; their views on the matter were exactly the same.

There is a type of person who believes that the greater one's ability, the greater one's responsibility. However, they do not see this as pressure, but rather as something that is taken for granted.

As the saying goes, if the sky falls, someone will hold it up; that's exactly the kind of person they are.

Although Yun Yi was unwilling to admit it, he had become this kind of person ever since he made up his mind to challenge the Futian Pavilion.

The same applies to Song Xinci in the celestial realm; her ability to forget emotions is also a form of ultimate selflessness.

After finishing their tofu pudding, Yun Yi and Su Qing went to the Prince Xian's residence again and ran into Jiang Miaojin.

The Princess Consort was radiant and could tell at a glance that the two had taken their relationship to the next level, but she did not bring it up herself.

She finally ran into an old friend and couldn't wait to show off her backyard.

If there were different levels of cultivation in planting flowers and grass, Jiang Miaojin was very confident that she was at least at the Dao Integration Realm.

Not wanting to spoil her enjoyment, Yun Yi took a good look at the plant. However, when his gaze swept over a certain corner, he recognized the "Hu Bugui" plant that he had once given to her.

Jiang Miaojin remained calm and said, "I'll be going to the Righteous Qi Sect to cultivate in a few days. I wonder if I can bring these flowers and plants with me then."

Yun Yi: "Go to the Righteous Qi Sect?"

Jiang Miaojin: "What, does your Burial Sword Valley also intend to take me as a disciple?"

"Zhuque would probably really like it if you called her Master."

"Hmph, wishful thinking! I hold a very high position in the Righteous Qi Sect!"

(End of this chapter)