The Demon-Slaying Grandmaster

Chapter 249 Resignation and Return Home
Xia Shouzhong and Dai Quan obtained two extremely fine pearls.

While feeling happy, he became even more flattering towards Li Jingxiao.

The two old eunuchs were able to maintain their positions as chief eunuchs because they were naturally very eloquent.

Auspicious words are given out like they're free, one from you and one from me.

Li Jingxiao burst into laughter upon hearing this.

That's just how people are; even if they know the other person is flattering them, it still makes them happy to hear it.

They were invited into the main hall, where they drank tea and chatted for a while before getting down to business.

Li Jingxiao secretly rejoiced upon hearing the concerns of the retired emperor and the emperor.

They used to be so wary of me, but now that I've only been in Jinling for two months, the emperor and his son are already starting to miss me.

He said with a smile, "There have indeed been some things going on in Maoshan lately. If it weren't for my wife and sisters wanting to go back to the capital for the New Year..."

I was planning to just spend the New Year casually in Nanjing.

As for after the New Year, we will naturally still go to Maoshan during the day.

If there's nothing important, I'll be back tonight.

Xia Shouzhong and Dai Quan exchanged a glance; this was a journey of over two thousand li.

But in Li Jingxiao's words, it was as easy as going from the capital to a farm outside the city.

The two old eunuchs were immediately horrified, and their attitude towards Li Jingxiao became even more respectful.

Then he thought to himself, it seems that this Duke really loves his two wives.

He would rather travel longer each day than miss his wife's wish to return to Beijing for the Spring Festival.

The two old eunuchs secretly rejoiced, for Li Jingxiao was still young and unable to let go of fame, fortune, and women.

In particular, the retired emperor bestowed a marriage upon Li Jingxiao, marrying him to the eldest daughter of the Jia family.

Moreover, Li Jingxiao actually married the eldest daughter of the Wang family while in Jinling.

Although she was only a concubine, her status was higher than that of a mistress, which proves that Li Jingxiao was indeed interested in women.

That makes things much easier.

Although beautiful women are few in number, you can always find a few absolute beauties if you look carefully.

If Li Jingxiao knew what those two old eunuchs were thinking, he would definitely be secretly delighted.

Cultivating immortality, cultivating immortality, if one eventually cultivates to become a person without desires or wants.

Even if he could live forever, Li Jingxiao would find it meaningless.

Therefore, Li Jingxiao never thought of giving up women.

However, having too many women can be troublesome, so his attitude towards choosing women is to only choose the best.

As for gaining experience through wives and concubines, that was no longer of any use to Li Jingxiao at this point.

Lately, during his morning exercises, Li Jingxiao has stopped deliberately seeking out experience from his wife and concubines.

Compared to the experience gained from the Demon-Sealing Tower, the efficiency is indeed too low.

So although he still competes with his wife, he no longer feels the same way about winning.

I don't aim to win ten or eight times before stopping.

Sometimes he would even deliberately let him win, and his two wives and many concubines would be happy all day long whenever they won against him.

Their interest in martial arts training actually increased.

It was already past four in the afternoon when the two old eunuchs were seen off.

After thinking it over, Li Jingxiao still went to Zhenwu Temple.

Hu Xian'er and Liu Cuitong showed mournful expressions as soon as they saw him.

Li Jingxiao gave an awkward smile, noting that not only had the Monkey Spirit Wine been delayed for a month, but it had also been withheld.

It's really unreasonable to leave the two of them unattended at Zhenwu Temple.

So upon meeting, Li Jingxiao waved his hand and took out 60 jars of spirit wine from his inventory.

They even took out about a hundred spirit dates, which finally made Hu Xian'er and Liu Cuitong smile from ear to ear.

Having calmed the two down, Li Jingxiao respectfully offered incense and paid homage to the True Martial Emperor.

If one truly ascends to immortality in the future, having a powerful backer is always better than fighting alone.

When you lack the ability, you become someone else's slave.

Only when you have enough strength will people be willing to work for you.

Li Jingxiao naturally understood this principle.

She rested in Wang Xifeng's courtyard that night. Although she had moved into a new home, she was still somewhat uneasy.

So even though she was quite tired from packing in the afternoon, she still took good care of Li Jingxiao.

He was so exhausted that he fell asleep with his arm around Li Jingxiao's.

Li Jingxiao smiled and shook his head, then kissed Wang Xifeng on the forehead.

Wang Xifeng, who was already asleep, unconsciously tightened her arms around Li Jingxiao's arm, a faint smile appearing on her lips, and slept even more soundly.

Ping'er, who was sleeping in the side room, listened to the sound of cards being played for so long, but Li Jingxiao didn't go to her side to play cards with her.

I tossed and turned all night, unable to fall asleep.

However, unlike Wang Xifeng, she did not feel fear towards her unfamiliar new home.

At this moment, Wang Xifeng's mind was entirely focused on her husband, and her strong personality was completely suppressed by Li Jingxiao.

Therefore, after Ping'er came with her dowry, her life was actually more comfortable than when she was in the Wang family.

In particular, Wang Xifeng often couldn't handle Li Jingxiao on her own, so she naturally needed Ping'er's help.

With the addition of a housekeeper, an assistant is even more needed.

Otherwise, where would they find so much time to cultivate internal energy techniques?
Without a certain foundation in internal strength, one cannot cultivate the Longevity and Immortality Technique.

The mere desire to maintain her appearance caused Wang Xifeng's attachment to power to shift towards eternal youth.

Therefore, Ping'er's current status is no different from that of a housekeeper.

And with Li Jingxiao's favor, life was indeed very comfortable.

She was better at interpersonal relationships than Wang Xifeng, and she handled all relationships, both inside and outside the family, extremely well.

Not only Qin Keqing and Yuan Chun praised her, but the three Jingxi sisters also liked her very much.

Wang Xifeng had heard from Li Jingxiao that the Longevity Technique, when practiced to a high level, could even extend one's lifespan.

Living to eighty or ninety years old shouldn't be a problem.

For people of this era, seventy is considered a rare age.

Living to eighty or ninety is definitely considered a long life.

Therefore, Wang Xifeng's attitude towards Ping'er was much friendlier than when she was a young girl.

Ping'er's treatment was also different from that of Baozhu and Ruizhu.

Having no other desires, I am content and in a good mood, which naturally makes life more comfortable.

Once Wang Xifeng was truly asleep, Li Jingxiao's attention naturally turned to the game.

After scanning all the maps, he closed his eyes, embraced Wang Xifeng, and began practicing the Longevity Technique.

The three essences of Ren water sent by the Dragon King of Dongting Lake were eaten in front of the old Dragon King.

The remaining two pills have been eaten by Li Jingxiao every few days, one at a time.

With just these three essences of Ren water, the Longevity Technique gained 1.2 proficiency points.

Moreover, as his true energy became more refined, his recovery speed also increased significantly.

In addition, over the past month or so, I have gained proficiency through the Monkey Spirit Wine and the practice I have made while meditating or sleeping.

At this point, the Longevity and Immortality Technique had already reached the Grandmaster level (31250/4).
In about a month, this divine skill will break through to the legendary level.

At that time, in addition to a surge in the amount of true qi, the speed at which true qi recovers will also increase significantly.

If I could rejuvenate again, I would definitely gain a lot more attribute points.

Meanwhile, Li Jingxiao also began to think about the time when he would reach the maximum level of the Longevity and Immortality Technique.

Perhaps we should think of a way to upgrade the grade of this cultivation technique. After all, Li Jingxiao has only encountered one cultivation technique in recent years that can increase attribute points.

The higher your base attributes, the faster you can cultivate other techniques.

It can also widen the width and resilience of the meridians, and with the Lightning Thunder Fist and Sword Control Technique, Li Jingxiao is indeed not lacking in attack methods.

As for the true cultivation techniques, they should be easier to obtain after ascension.
-
For the next few days, the whole family prepared for the Chinese New Year.

Even Li Jingxiao couldn't focus on cultivation and gaining experience during the holidays.

However, every morning, he would still go to Maoshan to grind experience points without fail.

After having lunch at home, I visited relatives and friends who came to visit.

Moreover, after gaining experience in Maoshan in the morning, as long as there is enough time, I will continue to hold the altar and preach the Dharma.

He taught the Maoshan disciples about the art of talismans, spear techniques, sword techniques, and even thunder magic such as palm lightning.

At this moment, Li Jingxiao's swordsmanship and spearmanship were, in the eyes of the Maoshan disciples, absolutely superb.

However, among the disciples, the most enthusiastic was still thunder magic.

Even though the talent required to master the Lightning Thunder Fist is so high that very few people can actually get the hang of it.

However, the requirements for the Palm Lightning are much lower.

In particular, disciples who know the Golden Light Mantra will find it much easier to learn the Palm Thunder technique.

However, Li Jingxiao could not preach at Maoshan forever.

After the New Year, he will take some time in the capital to teach the three brothers, Shi Delong, Lin Yi, and Liu Hongshi.

At Maoshan, they can only answer questions for a few highly talented disciples, and even then, they only do so once every ten days or half a month.

This matter had been informed to the sect leader and elders many days in advance.

So although everyone at Maoshan felt it was a pity, they had no choice but to agree.

The Maoshan disciples who have been listening to the lectures recently are all incredibly attentive and enthusiastic.

Moreover, although the sect leader and a dozen or so old Taoist priests were envious of the sword control technique, none of them spoke up.

Everyone knows this is Li Jingxiao's specialty, so it's better not to ask to avoid offending him.

This pleased Li Jingxiao greatly.
-
On the day before the Lunar New Year, Li Jingxiao returned to the capital at noon and had lunch with his wife and younger sister.

They also discussed visiting relatives.

I definitely have to go to my two fathers-in-law's places, and I can't avoid going to my second uncle's place either.

Moreover, the Li family's ancestral hall is right next to the old house, so you have to go even if you don't want to.

Fortunately, Li Jingxiao's attitude towards his second uncle and aunt is much better now than it was two years ago.

My second uncle and aunt have been staying at home for the past two years and haven't caused any trouble, so they're letting me off the hook because of my three sisters.

When Li Jingxiao visited with his two wives and Wang Xifeng, he chatted and laughed with his second uncle and aunt.

Unlike the previous two years, they hardly speak at all.

The three Jingxi sisters were naturally overjoyed and chattered incessantly.

Qin Keqing, Yuan Chun, and Wang Xifeng were all clever women, and with their deliberate flattery, the smiles on the faces of the second uncle and aunt were truly radiant.

However, even Second Uncle had his worries.

Li Jingxiao has been married to Qin Keqing and Yuan Chun for two years, but there's still no sign of pregnancy.

In particular, Yuan Chun was his second wife, and the children she bore were also descendants of his second wife.

It would be strange if my second uncle wasn't worried.

But neither he nor his second aunt could openly discuss this matter, lest it make things awkward for everyone.

I could only think of asking when the three Jingxi sisters stayed at home that night.

The next day, Li Jingxiao took Qin Keqing to Qin Ye's place to deliver New Year's gifts.

The old man had only one son and one daughter. Most of the servants in his household were bought by Qin Keqing after she married Li Jingxiao.

The population is small, so it's a bit quiet, but there aren't as many worries either.

However, during their casual conversation, Qin Ye suddenly said, "My dear son-in-law, I plan to submit my resignation after the New Year and return to my ancestral home to enjoy my later years."

Li Jingxiao and Qin Keqing were both taken aback, but then they understood what Qin Ye meant.

Firstly, I am indeed getting old.

Rather than having to resign and return to one's hometown when one reaches a certain age, it is better to voluntarily give up one's position to others.

You can also gain some goodwill from the incense offerings.

Moreover, even if the standard is lowered, it should still be one or half a grade higher.

Secondly, given Wang Boteng's precedent, there will certainly be more people trying to curry favor with Qin Ye.

If he were ten or eight years younger, the old man might have some ideas.

Now that he's older and has spent his entire life as a low- to mid-level official, he's long lost his ambition.

It would be better to step down to avoid causing trouble for the son-in-law and daughter.

Incidentally, Li Jingxiao and Qin Keqing will pay more attention to Qin Zhong and take better care of him in the future.

Li Jingxiao even thought that the old man might want to return to his hometown so that he would have a reason to hand over Qin Ye to his son-in-law and daughter for care.

Qin Keqing quickly looked at Li Jingxiao, who only thought for a few seconds.

He smiled and said, "My father-in-law has been an official in the capital for twenty or thirty years. He might not be used to returning to his hometown now."

It would be better for my father-in-law to work in the Daolu Si (a government office), where he doesn't have much to do and can simply receive a government salary to live on in his old age.

There's no need to worry about suddenly dropping back and feeling uncomfortable, which could be detrimental to your health.

After saying that, he looked at Qin Zhong and continued, "In a few years, I will also reach the age to get married. Although there are many good girls in the countryside."

But ultimately, their habits and living environments are different from Zhongdi's.

If the father-in-law stays in the capital, he can also help Zhong find a good wife.

When Zhongdi marries and has children, he will pass the imperial examination with flying colors.

With his grandson providing filial care by his side, the father-in-law wouldn't think about returning to his hometown.

Qin Keqing nodded repeatedly, while Qin Zhong blushed, but he certainly didn't want to go back to his hometown.

As for Qin Ye, frankly, Li Jingxiao didn't even need to guess.

How could an old man who has served as an official for many years really let go?

If he really goes back to his hometown, his health might collapse within three to five years.

At that time, it was Li Jingxiao who should have a headache.

When Li Jingxiao mentioned 'grandson,' it must be his and Qin Keqing's child.

Qin Ye thought about it and realized that he really couldn't go back to his hometown.

Otherwise, just thinking about her grandson might keep her up at night.

Thinking about it this way, he readily nodded and stopped mentioning returning to his hometown.

Moreover, if he were to actually become an official in the Daolu Division, upon closer examination, it would actually suit his wishes quite well.

This government office was originally a quiet one, although it has received a lot of attention in the last two years because of Li Jingxiao.

However, very few scholars were willing to deal with demons and evil spirits.

As a result, not many people were willing to serve as officials there.

Moreover, in those days, information was scarce, and the more outrageous the rumors became, the more people would not believe them.

So, apart from better treatment than before, the Daolu Division gradually returned to its former state and hardly anyone paid attention to it anymore.

Li Jingxiao also concurrently managed the Daolu Division, and Shen Boping was Li Jingxiao's former superior.

Shi Delong and his two companions had long established themselves in the Daoist Registry and even became the backbone of the force for exorcising demons.

In addition, there were Hu Xinrong and his nephew Hu Rou'er, and Liu Yixiu and his sister Liu Yizhi.

It's foreseeable that once Qin Ye goes there, not only will no one dare to neglect him, but it will truly be no different from retirement.

(End of this chapter)