Young master, why not become a corpse immortal?

Chapter 323 We Should Go to the West
Without an emperor, Tianlai was like a pack of mad dogs that had lost their owner. The old-school Dianxing, who originally enjoyed prestige within Tianlai, tried to form cliques and jointly assume the responsibilities of the emperor; while the Dianxing who were scattered outside saw an opportunity and intensified their recruitment efforts, intending to invade the capital.

The vast imperial city was on the verge of collapse after only a little over ten years, and it was during this period that Zhao Liulang was born.

Lin Jiang roughly understood the subsequent changes. In short, this protracted chaos would completely reshuffle the world, ultimately giving rise to the Daxing Dynasty.

Indeed, there are very few records about the previous dynasty.

Even the Imperial Preceptor only knew that there had been an extremely prosperous country before the arrival of the Heavenly Emperor, but no cultivators were seen in that powerful country. If the first immortal had not appeared, the path of cultivation would probably never have been revealed in this world.

Upon learning this, Lin Jiang suddenly felt that the immortal who was the founder of the Heavenly Realm was like a pioneer who had learned the Dharma and was now benefiting all living beings.

But he probably never expected that the kingdom he built would end in such a way.

As for the founding dynasty, which had no clues whatsoever, Lin Jiang felt that it was most likely the dynasty in which the little golden men lived.

Based on their level of development of Tianya Haijiao and Jiehai, compared with the situation in Tianlai, Lin Jiang really couldn't say whether the establishment of Tianlai was a step forward or a step backward.

Clearly, his trip to Daxing would not allow him to uncover the past events of the original dynasty. If he wanted to conduct an in-depth investigation, he would probably have to try his luck at the ruins of the divine city.

With this thought in mind, Lin Jiang nudged the dazed Zhao Liulang beside him with his elbow.

The other person was startled and only then came to their senses:
"Master?"

"When you went to the ruins of that sacred city last time, didn't you get a black box?"

"Master, are you referring to... that box that holds the calamity?"

Even with Zhao Liulang's skill, his body trembled slightly when Lin Jiang mentioned that place.

"If I have the chance during this trip to the West, I plan to visit the Divine City," Lin Jiang said. "What did you experience in the Divine City?"

“That place…it’s hard to describe.” Upon hearing Lin Jiang’s desire to go there, Zhao Liulang’s expression immediately turned serious: “Master, you know that the death of Dianxing will cause strange phenomena in the heavens and earth, right?”

"know."

"The cultivation of the Star Pointers is profound. Their death will inevitably cause a resonance with the surrounding heaven and earth, which is itself an unparalleled opportunity. The Star Pointers who fell yesterday were spared from having their Dao mysteries affected by the old bald man's intervention to seal them. However, the Divine City is different: when the Divine City collapsed in the past, countless Star Pointers perished in the chaotic battle. Who can collect their bodies now?"

Zhao Liulang shook his head and explained:
"Currently, the divine city is filled with chaotic and strange phenomena: one foot is still firmly planted on the ground, while the other foot is lifted into the air by a flying stone; this room is so hot that it makes people sweat profusely, while the next room is enough to freeze a sixth-level expert to death instantly."

"I led a large group of skilled warriors to explore the place, but we were tormented by it and even lost a star."

That does sound quite dangerous.

Lin Jiang weighed his options and decided that he would only observe from the outside. If he could find some historical information inside, he would risk exploring; otherwise, he would cherish his life and take a detour.

Upon closer reflection, I realized that I actually had quite a lot to do on this trip to the West.

It will probably take quite a while.

……

A small town on the western outskirts of Beijing, it undertakes part of the livestock industry and supplies meat to the central Beijing area.

The leftover scraps were used to open many meat stalls on the spot, and there were large-scale producers who specialized in braised food, waiting for red cars and white cabinets to come and buy them every morning.

In a remote corner of the town, there is a braised meat shop. It is deserted, with only two or three regular customers coming to pick up their orders, which has kept it afloat until now.

Several figures emerged from the shop that day, all dressed in coarse hemp clothing, with withered faces, clearly of advanced age.

Several people sat around a wooden table. The aroma of braised meat wafted from the table, and the wine was clear and bright, but no one touched their chopsticks.

A cloud of worry hung between their brows, and some even kept scratching at their clothes, showing their utter discomfort.

"Put your chopsticks on, don't waste the food," an old man muttered.

"I have no appetite. After finishing this meal of meat and rice, I will be leaving the capital forever."

The other person sighed deeply.

They were civil officials in the capital, or perhaps they had made a mistake, or maybe they had used some emergency measures, but in any case, they managed to save their lives.

Even so, if someone were to actually see them gathering here, they might lose their heads.

Just as these people were frowning in worry, an old and deep voice came from outside the house:

"Such fine wine and meat, if you gentlemen do not wish to try them, then I shall gladly accept them."

Upon hearing this, everyone felt a chill run down their spines and instinctively turned to look.

At first, they thought the people were sent by the imperial court to arrest them, but when they saw the faces of the people who came, they were all stunned.

"Old Zhou... Old Zhou? Aren't you dead?"

The visitor was none other than Zhou Canshen!
At this moment, two young men stood beside Zhou Canshen, seemingly acting as guards, but their eyes remained fixed on Zhou Canshen, as if they would not allow him to leave.

After listening to their words, Zhou Canshen vaguely replied, "Having spent so many years in the capital, I must have some ways to save my life."

Upon hearing this, the elderly men exchanged bewildered glances.

They knew perfectly well how profound the emperor's virtue was, and it would be extremely difficult to deceive him under his watchful eye; faking their deaths was absolutely impossible.

So the person who actually died in the main hall wasn't Zhou Canshen?
Was that his fake body? Or something else?
While the old men were still lost in their own thoughts, Zhou Shenshen strode to the table, picked up some meat and drank some wine, completely ignoring the strange looks they were giving him.

Seeing that the old men were still cowering in fear, Zhou Canshen was instantly enraged:

“You shameless old codgers, who are you trying to impress with that life-or-death look on your faces? That Zhao fellow is heartless and unjust, he doesn’t care about the lives of us old ministers. If you’re so upset, then go straight to the capital and find his henchmen. They’ll show you what it’s like to be skinned alive.”

His shout startled the old men, making them tremble.

"Well... Elder Zhou, it's not that we want this to happen, it's just that we don't know what to do next." An old man couldn't help but sigh deeply, "The world is vast, but looking around, it seems there's nowhere to belong."

While wolfing down his food, Zhou Shen cursed, "Even if your accumulated salary over the years is investigated, you must have spare money. Don't try to fob me off with that nonsense. If you have nowhere to go, I do know a place."

"Please speak!" The elderly men immediately perked up.

"Heading west, beyond Daxing lies the Kingdom of Dust, where many of our forces reside, seeking the wondrous method of ascending to immortality. If they succeed, that ungrateful Zhao will surely face retribution."

The elderly people looked at each other in bewilderment upon hearing this.

"I've heard a little about this Dust Kingdom you mentioned. It seems to be a lineage of scavenging barbarians who mainly make a living by scavenging remnants of the divine city. It's probably not safe to make a living in this place."

"If that place is not comparable to the neighboring divine city, then what use is there for us to go there? Only with risks can we reap rewards!"

Several of them looked visibly hesitant, and no one responded for a moment.

Zhou Canshen's words are indeed reasonable, but the journey there is quite risky, and the western region is simply too barren to enjoy life.

not to mention……

Although they spoke with righteous indignation, most of them did not have the courage to confront Daxing head-on.

One of the old men murmured:
"Although His Majesty was a bit harsh on us, betraying Daxing is ultimately not a good thing..."

"Even though that Zhao guy is like this, you still stay by his side."

"It's not about never leaving each other."

The old man suddenly perked up, even raising his voice several notches:

"We are, after all, former officials of the Great Xing Dynasty. Even if the Great Xing Dynasty does not welcome us, we should not turn against each other like this! This is the fundamental principle of being a decent human being!"

His words were filled with righteous indignation, and indeed some people at the table turned their heads in his direction.

However, no one moved.

The old man felt as if his body had lost a lot of strength and he had no energy left.

"Then do as you please. Find your own place." Zhou Canshen did not speak, but one of the young men behind him spoke slowly.

The voice was completely devoid of emotion.

The old man pursed his lips twice, but ultimately stepped out of the room in silence.

After leaving, he glanced back wistfully and let out a long sigh.

I felt not only estranged from Daxing, but also out of place with these old friends.

The moment this thought arose, a sudden, sharp pain shot through my chest.

He looked down in horror and saw a sharp blade piercing his chest.

……

A short while later, the old man who had just left returned to the place.

The others looked bewildered, all turning their heads to look at him, wondering why he had suddenly returned.
The old man's face was slightly stiff, lacking color, and even appearing somewhat pale.

His gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on Zhou Canshen's face:

"Upon careful consideration, it would be best to travel to the West with you all."

Zhou Canshen's expression remained unchanged, but the two young men behind him both smiled.

Several teeth were white and bright.

(End of this chapter)