A leisurely life in the world of cultivation

Chapter 148 All Streams Converge
Mountain City, Nanshan Restaurant.

Xiao Rui sipped her coffee while flipping through a thick folder.

In the bustling restaurant, no one would guess that this young woman was flipping through all the important recent affairs of a country.

Although she hasn't officially taken over yet, all the important officials in Shan State know of her existence and her future status, so even if she just writes a few words or draws a circle on a document, it will have a huge impact.

This will not only attract the attention of people in Shan State, but also of Dongda University.

As the saying goes: "Nourishment shapes the body, and living environment shapes the spirit."

The dramatic change in her status made her already graceful demeanor even more striking.

Especially her bright, large eyes; when she's focused, her demeanor is particularly striking.

Like characters from a novel, leaping off the page...

Naturally, this also attracted some self-important people who came to bother us.

Unfortunately, ever since Li Weizhou's uncle had an accident last time, and he showed extra care for Xiao Rui, the relevant departments have raised Xiao Rui's security to the highest level.

If some fool were to act recklessly and do something outrageous, the consequences would be far more severe than imagined.

Sure enough, before he even got close, he was forcibly taken away by two plainclothes female officers and taken away for a "lesson"...

There were six people sitting in the three directions, all of them women.

Xiao Rui didn't even look up or get distracted, occasionally taking out her electronic dictionary to check the meaning of some words in the document.

Around 7 p.m., Zhao Ling'er, Song Jia, and Xu Li rushed over and greeted each other, saying, "Is Your Majesty reviewing memorials again?"

Xiao Rui closed the file, looked up at the three of them, and asked, "Is there a traffic jam?"

Zhao Ling'er, who was the most beautiful and delicate, said angrily, "These lousy roads are always so congested!"

Song Jia asked Xiao Rui, "Has the boss come back recently?"

Xiao Rui shook her head and said, "I'm currently in seclusion, but it'll be over soon. Do you miss him?"

"roll!"

After cursing, Song Jia sighed, "Sometimes I wake up and it still feels like a dream. I went to find a tutoring job with the boss, and who knew it would turn out like this. The boss has become the king, and the boss has become the queen."

"Hahaha!"

Xiao Rui, Zhao Ling'er, and Xu Li all laughed.

Xu Li, always one to work hard, took a folder from her bag and said to Xiao Rui, "The auction house has already applied for approval; the relevant departments have given instructions. Otherwise, the process for auctioning cultural relics is extremely strict. Even before auctioning Shan royal artifacts, they need to be inspected by the relevant departments. Also, wild ginseng is not allowed to be sold. However…"

Xu Li seemed unsure how to continue.

Xiao Rui found her expression amusing and asked, "Has someone tried to get in touch with you?"

Xu Li said awkwardly, "It wasn't just me they came to me, but my brother's side too. They all wanted some ginseng, I don't know where they got the idea from. I made it clear, I really didn't have any. And the result... tsk tsk, I've finally experienced what it means for one person to achieve enlightenment and all their relatives to benefit. Those people couldn't do it openly, so they resorted to underhanded tactics. Some rich young men actually chased after me, they're incredibly naive. And some beautiful and wealthy women, who used to think my brother was dirty, are now secretly flirting with him. As for Jiajia, don't even mention it, they've tried to persuade all her relatives, now she doesn't even dare to go home."

Xiao Rui was overjoyed, and Song Jia found it both amusing and also joined in the laughter.

Zhao Ling'er asked with a mixture of envy and curiosity, "Why don't I have any bad romantic prospects?"

Song Jia giggled quietly, while Xu Li sneered, "With your stunning beauty, you're destined to be a royal concubine. Who would dare to touch the king's woman?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ling'er finally understood. Her pretty face flushed red, and she angrily retorted, "Bullshit! Nonsense!"

Xu Li looked thin but had quite a temper. She said, "I'm talking nonsense? Everyone has found out that besides the eldest son's family, only your family has ginseng wine!"

Zhao Ling'er: "..." She looked aggrieved but unable to refute him.

Xiao Rui smiled and comforted her, "Why do you care about what others say... Oh, by the way, did the ginseng wine I gave your mother last time have any effect?"

Zhao Ling'er nodded sullenly and said, "It worked. I should have known better than to accept it..."

Xiao Rui laughed and said, "Don't be so petty. I'm not even angry, why are you? You get caught up in someone's words and let them control you. If someone were to beat you up, would you need to lift a finger?" She then asked Xu Li, "Has anyone used underhanded tactics?"

Xu Li glanced at Zhao Ling'er and then said softly, "There's something fishy going on in their words. They talked about how convenient it would be to attend the meeting and how many benefits there would be, but the implication was that if they didn't give anything, there would be many difficulties... They even asked me to persuade you. It seems like they want to get something for nothing without contributing a single penny. There are also some people who seem completely clueless about the situation. People from the county have been contacting them, saying they want to get some shares or be offered some jobs, but their children are still young and can't work, otherwise there might be problems with water, electricity, sanitation, and environmental protection, haha!"

Xiao Rui stretched and yawned, then asked, "Have you memorized the entire list?"

Xu Li nodded and said, "I've written it all down..." But she paused and hesitated, then said, "Boss, I've been reading some books lately. They talk about a lot of things, like how you have to blend in and compromise to get things done. There's no absolute black or white in this world. They call this social experience, the art of struggle... We don't need to do that, do we?"

Xiao Rui scoffed and said, "Of course not. If we followed their logic, your boss would never have gotten to where he is today. Let's ignore them. My husband has already given up enough benefits, and his contributions are unprecedented. So, there's no need to associate with those scoundrels. I'll write a note after dinner, and you can send the list over along with it."

Hearing these words, the girls felt a sense of relief.

Song Jia shook his head and said, "In this turbulent world, it's already incredibly difficult to even stand firm. In this age where ambitions are hard to realize and everything is difficult to achieve, it's rare to find someone like Brother Xiao who has the heart to look to the future."

Everyone laughed, but Zhao Ling'er rolled her eyes at her and asked Xiao Rui, "Boss, when are you going over there?"

Xiao Rui said, "Let's wait a little longer."

"When?"

Xu Li also asked with concern, "We also want to go shopping in the boss's territory."

Xiao Rui smiled and said, "When the law is deeply rooted in people's hearts, it will benefit not only the police but also the people."

Song Jia was in despair and said, "Then we'll have to wait until we're seventy or eighty years old, won't we?"

Xiao Rui chuckled and said, "That's not necessarily true. Deepening people's hearts isn't always an active process; it can also be a passive one. In chaotic times, harsh measures are used, and they're already intensifying their efforts to popularize the law. Linking it to welfare has been very effective. The common people are actually doing alright; it's mainly the training within the government system that's taken time. But still, it's not too bad. They've taken away a bunch of officials and a few heads, but at least the surface work looks much better."

Next year, when next year is over, my ideal is to make that place, at least on the surface, a utopian place.

Actually, it has little to do with me. With a king like that in power, it doesn't matter who does the job; it's just a matter of time before things fall into place.

Xu Li exclaimed, "That's still quite remarkable, but it's much easier if you have money. I was shocked when I found out. That place is incredibly rich in resources. It ranks seventh in the world in natural gas reserves, and its medium and heavy rare earth resources are also among the world's best. Add to that its extremely abundant port resources, land resources, water resources, jade resources, and forest resources... If it weren't for the frequent earthquakes, it would be a paradise on earth. The boss has a really good eye."

Zhao Ling'er said, "Are we really going to rely on these resources to support those more than 50 million people indefinitely?"

Xiao Rui nodded and said, "That's how it is at first, after all, resources originally belong to the people. However, these benefits can only guarantee basic survival. If you want to live a better life, you still need to work."

Current regulations stipulate that if a monthly salary exceeds 5,000 RMB, basic welfare benefits will be cancelled, but improved benefits will be provided, such as assistance with home purchase.

Xu Li asked curiously, "Will they agree?"

Xiao Rui laughed and said, "Nowadays, the average salary in Shan State is no more than one thousand yuan. If basic benefits are canceled for those earning five thousand yuan a month, do you think the people will agree?"

Zhao Ling'er laughed and said, "They also resent the rich?"

Xiao Rui shook her head and said, "This is human nature, regardless of location. Since most people agree on something, it can naturally be implemented. After three to five years, it will become the norm. At the current rate of development, in five years at most, the average monthly salary will exceed this amount, and it will be on the right track."

In short, things will only get better.

Song Jia looked at Xiao Rui with a smile and said, "Boss, you're thinking about things at this level now. Can you still sing and go shopping like before?"

Xiao Rui asked, puzzled, "Why not? We'll go in a bit! Men have their mysteries, and we have our own fun. Let's eat first, then go sing karaoke. We'll stay up all night and drink until we drop!"

"Yay, long live the boss!"

"Rise, pour me some water first! Song Jia, go tell the security guards over there that I'm treating them to dinner tonight, make sure they eat well, and thank them for their hard work. I'm going over there, so they'll have to write reports to their superiors when they get back, so let's not add to their burden..."

……

Outside Qingzhou City, fifteen li south of Lijiabao.

In the north, the sun is scorching hot even in the summer, even at sunset.

Logically speaking, Zhou Zhixian, the Martial Saint, shouldn't feel the heat, but he couldn't resist the heat in his heart, so he inevitably felt hot.

Wu Lin, a fellow old brother of the Holy Sect, saw the Ming King's depression and chuckled as he comforted him, "It's alright. Having a peaceful place for us brothers to rest in isn't a bad thing."

Beneath their feet was a road more than ten feet wide, which was quite solidly constructed. This was not an ordinary rammed earth road; it was constructed by excavating the foundation, filling the soil in layers, laying crushed stone and gravel to enhance the load-bearing capacity, and then repeatedly compacting it with rammers. In addition, the road surface in the middle was slightly higher, and drainage ditches were dug on both sides of the road to prevent rainwater from washing away the roadbed.

Building such roads usually requires conscripting a large number of laborers, and the government must provide large livestock to assist in the work.

Here, there are nearly two thousand servants, but not many large livestock; any livestock they have are used primarily for work on the farmland.

Therefore, Zhou Zhixian and his more than twenty old brothers of the Holy Church were all being used like large livestock.

No, it's even better than large livestock.

If you're feeling down, you can go hunting in the Dayuan Mountains to vent your frustrations, and you can even throw your prey into the fortified pits to add to your rations...

His ungrateful son-in-law arranged everything perfectly.

Hearing Wu Lin's words of comfort, Zhou Zhi snorted coldly, used a stone mill to crush the uneven pebbles on the ground, and then rolled them over heavily, as if he were crushing some grandson.

The apprentice, Zhang Qian, carrying a huge takin on his back, walked over from the direction of Dayuan Mountain. He grinned when he saw his master and greeted him.

Wu Lin sized up the scruffy young man and praised Zhou Zhixian, saying, "The镖头 (bodyguard) has a good eye. This kid has already opened all five orifices, hasn't he? It's only been less than half a year."

Zhang Qian scratched his head and laughed, "It's been almost half a year, and the patriarch has been gone for more than five months. Master, when is the patriarch coming back? I miss him so much."

Wu Lin laughed in exasperation; this kid really knew how to bring up the most sensitive topics.

Sure enough, Zhou Zhi snorted coldly and said, "I don't know! Throw the things in first, and I'll teach you some boxing techniques when you come back later."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qian's face turned pale. He knew he had offended someone, so he dared not say anything more, agreed, and hurried on his way with his head down.

His master taught his disciples in a very unique way, always with a physical and visceral approach...

Wu Lin laughed and said, "Don't be angry. He made a great contribution to protecting the emperor and was awarded the title of Duke Protector of the Nation. Yue Niang has even become the Lady of the Nation. Why are you still angry?"

Zhou Zhixian sighed and said, "I don't care about those things anymore. It's just that my mother has been with us all these years, traveling the world. She has never been away from me, her father, for so long. And in two years, the Ascension Ceremony will be held..." That would be like saying goodbye forever.

Two years later, Li Weizhou would ascend to the Spirit Realm with Zhou Yueniang, a fact he only mentioned to this strategist brother.

Wu Lin comforted her, "It's a good thing, much better than us being trapped in this filthy world. Even someone as powerful as the Dharma Master and the Grand Minister of Justice are struggling, having to forcefully open the Heavenly Gate to seek a sliver of immortality. It's a good thing that Yue Niang has such good fortune. I reckon that this plank road wasn't just opened for the Li family by the young master, but also for us brothers. How can the Li family possibly defend it? Guarding this plank road will be enough for us brothers to live on for the rest of our lives. So let's endure the hardship, consider it as our own effort."

Zhou Zhi laughed and cursed, "That bastard is a heartless scoundrel! He's gone, but I still have to work for his Li family. Fine, as long as he treats Yue Niang well, I'll accept it. Damn it!"

He put down the stone mill weighing several hundred pounds, looked westward, and saw a blood-red setting sun slowly sinking into the foot of Dayuan Mountain.

……

late at night.

On the official road from Jinzhou to Qingzhou, an armored carriage sped along.

The driver was not Li Weizhou, but Zhou Yueniang.

Along the way, several women, including Ximei, who enjoy driving, were able to have a go at it.

Li Weizhou sat in the passenger seat, looking at the road ahead with a happy smile.

Such carefree and joyful days should indeed be cherished.

Once we reach the spirit world, who knows when we'll be able to live such carefree and joyful lives again...

"Buzz~~"

About a mile outside Qingzhou City, the carriage stopped, and Zhou Yueniang happily announced, "We're home!!"

"yeah!!"

Xi Mei was the first to cheer with joy. Having traveled all over the world, what she missed most was going home.

With smiles on their faces, the group got off the carriage and, after Li Weizhou put away the iron horse-drawn carriage, strode towards home.

……

"Slap, slap slap!"

The city of Qingzhou was quiet and peaceful in the inky darkness of midnight, but suddenly there was a knock on the vermilion gate of the Li family mansion.

After a moment, there was some reaction inside the courtyard. A wary female voice came through the door: "Who is it?" Xi Mei happily laughed: "Sister Meng Jun, it's me, we're back!"

After a moment of surprise inside, the door bolt rattled, and with a creak, the door was pushed open. Chu Mengjun and Yan Xue saw Li Weizhou, Zhou Yueniang, Ximei, Situ Qingyue, Feng Biwu, and... Qi Erniang?!
The whole family stood outside the door.

Yanxue exclaimed excitedly, "Young master... Master, Madam, you're back! Our young lady is back too!"

The little girl's smile is still so adorable, with sweet eyes and a sweet voice.

At the age of teens, they are as beautiful as daffodils.

Feeling several eyes looking over, Li Weizhou smiled and nodded, saying, "It's getting late, let's go back and rest first, we can talk about it tomorrow."

Yanxue nodded repeatedly: "Mmm-hmm."

Xi Mei was also quite excited and asked with concern, "Sister Yan Xue, are Dong'er and the others alright?"

Yanxue smiled and said, "I'm doing great. I get up early every day to practice martial arts, but I miss you so much. They'll be so happy to see you back soon!"

Xi Mei smiled broadly and said to Li Weizhou, "Brother, I'm going back to the courtyard now."

Li Weizhou nodded and smiled, "Go ahead."

Xi Mei also dragged Yan Xue along; the two little girls ran around like the wind, not afraid of falling even late at night.

Chu Mengjun didn't say much, standing obediently to the side. Situ Qingyue's aura was simply too strong, and even if she wanted to "catch up" with her old nemesis Qi Erniang, she didn't dare at the moment.

She was envious of Qi Erniang's return, but also felt somewhat aggrieved. Why did they go to such lengths to pick up a "sworn enemy," while ignoring her who was right next to them...

Unfortunately, no one paid any attention to her.

They went about their business in silence and each returned to their own room.

Although with their martial arts skills, this journey fatigue was nothing, they were inevitably mentally exhausted.

Returning to her familiar bedroom, Zhou Yueniang looked at the clean and tidy room and felt a surge of joy. She smiled and said, "Home is the best... Husband, Chu Mengjun is quite thoughtful. What will happen to her in the future?"

Li Weizhou shook his head and said, "I'm not a savior. Everyone has their own destiny."

Zhou Yueniang smiled and didn't say anything more.

She knew how proud her man was. Even though Feng Biwu was a peerless beauty, if Li Weizhou hadn't risked her life to save him several times when he was in danger, things wouldn't be like this today.

She was in a similar situation, but even luckier, thanks to her childhood betrothal...

Even the stunningly beautiful Situ Qingyue told her personally that the reason someone rushed to confess their feelings to her was most likely to save their life.

That's good, it will save us a lot of trouble in the future.

Sitting comfortably on the edge of the bed, Zhou Yueniang watched her husband tinker with the battery... or so it was called, as he used it to power a light bulb.

During her two-month trip, she heard Li Weizhou and Situ Qingyue talk about a lot of knowledge about lightning. The two even conducted an experiment for two days and two nights to help Situ Qingyue understand the nature of lightning and the relationship between lightning and magnetic force.

She naturally found it all like listening to gibberish, unable to understand anything, only remembering that the power of lightning and the power of magnetic fields were like two sides of a coin, interdependent.

But what it means, I don't understand even the slightest bit.

Since that day, Situ Qingyue has never spoken again. She only told them when she entered the city that she was going into seclusion for a long time and that they should not worry or disturb her.

After Li Weizhou finished arranging things, he glanced at the not-too-bright light and felt relieved. He walked to the bedside, picked up Zhou Yueniang, looked into her eyes, and smiled, praising her, "Every time I see you, you look even more beautiful."

Zhou Yueniang smiled, equally pleased, and asked Li Weizhou, "After Sister Situ's seclusion this time, will her skills improve greatly again?"

Li Weizhou nodded and said, "Her speed is probably going to be even faster."

He simply explained to Situ Qingyue in detail the nature of lightning, the relationship of electromagnetic induction, and the magnetic force that she might carry when she restrains her lightning powers, which might interact with the Earth's magnetic force.

These theories had an unparalleled impact on Situ Qingyue, as if a door had been opened, revealing a completely new world behind it, whose endless mysteries captivated her.

In particular, the use of magnetism, although it is far from being able to fly off the ground by relying on the interaction of its own magnetic force and the Earth's magnetic force, has been found to be able to enhance the use of movement techniques.

Even though the current amount of energy stored in its own energy pool is not much, the magnetic field it senses is not strong enough.

However, it can be foreseen that as the lightning imprints within the Hidden God Palace continue to absorb the power of lightning, the magnetic force will also become stronger and stronger.

This effect will bring immeasurable benefits even after one goes to the spirit world.

Actually, that's secondary. There's an even more powerful effect: if an enemy fights her with a sword or other metal weapon, those weapons will quickly cut through Situ Qingyue's magnetic field, thus generating a certain amount of induced current.

This induced current is not strong; it is the enemy's internal current and does not harm the enemy, so they will not be on guard.

However, when Situ Qingyue's sword collides with the enemy's weapon, they will form the same closed circuit.

The lightning power emitted by Situ Qingyue can instantly connect with the induced current inside the enemy, merging into one, thus ignoring the enemy's protective energy and directly attacking the enemy!
It's equivalent to a critical hit that ignores armor!

It became a trump card capable of defeating enemies of higher levels!

Of course, this is the theory, but how to implement it in practice still needs to be continuously refined and explored.

Zhou Yueniang said enviously, "She's really amazing."

Li Weizhou laughed and said, "No matter how powerful you are, you're still family. Besides, your metal-type divine abilities become more and more powerful as you progress. With the Golden Rainbow Technique combined with the Undying Golden Body, your offense and defense are unparalleled in the world. You're an invincible being. Why would you envy others?"

Zhou Yueniang's eyes were full of love as she looked at Li Weizhou and said, "It's all thanks to you that you've brought me so much refined gold every day. I think, let alone the Eight Kings and Eight Sects, even among cultivators in the Spirit Realm, there aren't many who have such luxurious cultivation conditions. My dear husband, thank you for your hard work."

She now absorbs and refines 40,000 catties of high-grade steel every night. In the past six months, that's several million catties. It truly deserves the word "luxury".

Li Weizhou smiled and said, "You said yourself that you are the head of the family... As long as our family is doing well, everything else is secondary."

Zhou Yueniang looked at him and said, "But Sister Situ said that the chances of our family being assigned to a sect after we go up are very low."

Li Weizhou smiled and said, "I will do my best to reunite the family... But if a sect really doesn't have any metal-type cultivation techniques or resources, and with your talent, if a sect begs and pleads to take you as a disciple, then go for it. The prerequisite is that the sect must agree that once you've cultivated to a certain level, we can be reunited as a family. If they don't agree, that's fine too. Anyway, you've opened the Hidden God Palace and obtained metal-type divine abilities. I'll find resources everywhere to nurture you and raise you into an unparalleled master."

Zhou Yueniang smiled and said, "If we were separated, would you miss me?"

Li Weizhou simply stripped off his clothes, which were in the way, and after the two were together, he said, "How could I not want to? I know your feelings. If I just asked, whether it's you or Biwu and the others, they would all stay by my side, not caring about their future. But I won't be that selfish. This is a matter of great importance, concerning the great cause of immortality and longevity. Between momentary pleasure and eternal companionship, I choose the latter. But there's no need to think too much about it too soon. Maybe there's a powerful sect in the upper realm that will take our whole family under its wing."

Zhou Yueniang chuckled, her amber eyes shimmering with tears as she said, "Sister Situ said she's read some ancient texts, and there happens to be a Five Elements Sect!"

Li Weizhou laughed heartily, then snarled, "Fine! You were testing me on purpose just now! You little vixen from the Demonic Sect, let's see how I deal with you!"

"No... Ah~"

……

The next morning.

Li Weizhou came out of Feng Biwu's room with a look of joy on his face.

Feng Biwu's Hidden God Palace was finally opened by him, and the innate divine power he awakened was indeed water-based!

As he expected, it was probably because she had the most water...

His hard work in the middle of the night for several months was worth it!
The Hidden God Palace can only be opened in the mortal realm, and there isn't much time left.

The key was Feng Biwu's awakened innate supernatural power, which truly surprised and delighted him!
Although only one supernatural technique was created, and it was neither offensive nor defensive, it was the life-saving supernatural technique that Li Weizhou had been most looking forward to:
Wanliu Chaozong!

This innate supernatural power allows one to choose a river as its ancestral river, and place the Dao seal containing a trace of true spirit into it. Once the Dao seal merges with the water veins of the ancestral river, a river connecting to the heavens will appear within the Hidden God Palace.

This Tongtian River can borrow the power of the Zonghe River to continuously generate illusory seals of water patterns, which fall into the myriad streams of the world, absorb the spiritual energy of the water system, nourish the Tongtian River, and then provide sustenance for those with great supernatural powers to cultivate.

Most importantly, as long as the Zonghe River continues, a trace of true spirit will never perish!
As long as a trace of true spirit remains, there is always a chance for resurrection.

This life-saving supernatural ability can definitely be called a top-tier supernatural ability!

Now all we need to do is find a good tributary river in the mortal realm.

There's no need to worry about anyone trying to destroy the Zonghe River, because under the rules of Heaven, those who can descend to the mortal realm must be sealed in the Xuan Guan Three Realms, and such a realm cannot destroy a mighty river.

Unfortunately, Li Weizhou dared not take this bit of true spirit through time and space, because it would most likely be killed off; otherwise, it would truly be immortal.

However, having such a life-saving ability is already quite remarkable.

This supernatural ability greatly relieved Li Weizhou, because Feng Biwu's personality was really strong-willed, while Zhou Yueniang and Situ Qingyue were indifferent to life and death in their hearts and mouths, but cautious in their actions.

Feng Biwu was different; she took life and death lightly in her actions. Of the four women in the family, she was the one Li Weizhou worried about the most.

Now that we have this safety net, at least we won't be in despair no matter what happens in the future.

Furthermore, the Myriad Streams Converging Divine Power allows him to draw upon the spiritual energy of all the streams in the world, saving him the trouble of traveling around for water resources.

It's been so tough, finally someone can support themselves...

Of course, if one wants to draw inspiration from the myriad streams of the Void Seal, one must also consider whether one will be defeated and scattered by the local "tigers" of various rivers.

Competition for resources is extremely fierce in any world.

But these are all issues to consider after we go to the spirit world.

Now Li Weizhou needs to find a good river for Feng Biwu, one that is both secluded and has a strong current.

As for his own Zonghe River, it's even simpler: just choose the one with the largest current in the mortal realm and make it a bit arrogant.

If someone in the spirit world is truly willing to pay a huge price to sever their ancestral river, they will likely only have one chance to act, because once they do, it will be considered forcibly opening the Heavenly Gate, forcing them to face divine punishment before ascending to heaven.

Given that, they will definitely choose his Zonghe.

With the Blood Sea present, such life-saving abilities are nothing to worry about.

If that day ever comes, it will be quite a sight to see those who tried to steal a chicken but ended up losing more than they gained.

Having resolved a major concern, Li Weizhou hummed a little tune as he went to find Zhou Yueniang to go out together. He needed to see his father-in-law; otherwise, it would be rather inappropriate.

Although everything he did was for his father-in-law's good.

"Master, Madam, are you going out?"

At the gate, Chu Mengjun, having washed away all her makeup and wearing only a gray robe, stood in the front yard holding a broom and asked a question.

Li Weizhou chuckled and said, "Yes, let's go for a walk."

Chu Mengjun quickly said, "Do you want me to hitch up the carriage? I can drive a carriage too!"

Li Weizhou laughed and scolded, "Go play somewhere else! Aren't you and your second aunt very close friends? And Sister Feng too, you haven't seen each other in a while, have a chat."

After saying that, he took Zhou Yueniang's hand and went out the door.

Pedestrians passing by on the street were often surprised when they saw this, but Li Weizhou didn't care, and neither did Zhou Yueniang.

On the way, he encountered the county magistrate who was on his way to pay his respects. This magistrate had already received an imperial edict informing him that from this day forward, Qingzhou City belonged to the Li family…

Li Weizhou dismissed Magistrate Zhu, whose expression was a mix of laughter and tears, and led his wife to the fortified village. Gazing at the vast forests covering Dayuan Mountain, he felt an intense craving for the scenery.

If it could absorb all the life force of the entire forest of Dayuan Mountain, perhaps the Jianmu tree could grow to the point where it could extract its own wood spirit energy.

In that case... the Purple Heaven Divine Lightning will probably come down.

This world is governed by the laws of nature.

But it doesn't matter, there's plenty of time, we can take it slow.

Looking at her smiling husband, Zhou Yueniang asked, "Why are you in such a good mood today? Is it because Sister Feng opened the Hidden God Palace that you're so happy?"

Li Weizhou denied it with a righteous expression, saying, "What are you talking about? I'm so happy because I'm about to meet my father-in-law... Ah! Yue Niang, look, it's my father-in-law!!"

Ahead, a dark-skinned old man, resembling a farmer, was carrying a large stone millstone and walking heavily towards Dayuan Mountain...

……

P.S.: The countdown to the mortal realm arc has begun, about two more days. This journey has been bumpy and fraught with problems; the transition has been exhausting and has disappointed many readers. This is purely a matter of personal ability, but thankfully, the writing flow remains clear and coherent. I'll keep going. I haven't checked the chapter statistics, but the overall numbers have rebounded for two days now; I hope readers will be understanding. I hope the Spirit Realm arc will be more engaging, otherwise I'll truly feel guilty towards my readers who have supported me. I'm ashamed, but I'll keep going!

(End of this chapter)