Why did you provoke that old man? He's a reincarnation of a deity!

Jiang Wangshu deliberately changed the subject: "Do you know what that kid Wen Chuchen is up to?"

"I know," Xiao Nian nodded. "The vice president of the Pill Refining Guild has gone to the capital for a medical consultation."

Jiang Wangshu grinned.

"That kid's really lucky. He was the one with the worst physical talent in the class back then, and now he's doing way better than anyone else. His alchemy skills are still pretty good. Does he even know you're still alive?"

"He didn't know. When I went there, he was in Kyoto for a medical consultation."

"Haha, if he knew, he'd be terrified. This is a medical miracle."

Jiang Wangshu's smile faded.

He remained silent for a few moments, then his voice grew softer.

"There's something else. Do you remember Du Yuanzhou, the third brother?"

Xiao Nian shook her head.

Xiao Nian was the youngest in their dormitory, followed by Du Yuanzhou, who came from a poor family, was not tall, and spoke slowly.

He was incredibly meticulous, always mending their clothes and making their beds.

Jiang Wangshu lowered her head, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke.

"He went to the Yellow Sea Fleet. Last year he became a captain, in charge of a large ship."

Looking at his hesitant profile, Xiao Nian had a bad feeling.

Jiang Wangshu paused for a long time, then took a deep breath.

"A few days ago, in the Yellow Sea, the Great Xia fought a naval battle with the Japanese pirates. The ship he was leading was damaged, so he ordered the entire ship to be abandoned, and he stayed on the bridge, ramming the Japanese pirates' capital ship with that ship."

His voice became choked with emotion.

Both ships sank. His body has still not been recovered.

The night wind rustled through the trees.

The moonlight fell on the open ground, shining on the two silent people.

Xiao Nian leaned on his cane, his face expressionless.

Xiao Nian spoke up, asking, "Did he sink it?"

"One was sunk. The Japanese capital ship is now crippled."

"Then his death wasn't in vain."

Jiang Wangshu looked up at him and suddenly smiled.

"You're still the same. You always speak bluntly and bluntly. I think it's all because the Great Xia Kingdom is incompetent. They're a foreign race, what do they know about governing a country?"

Xiao Nian shook his head. He was only truly relaxed when he was with old friends, and at those times he didn't want to talk about national affairs.

"Let's go back and talk."

"What's between Old Man Meng and you?"

"Let's talk again when we get back."

Jiang Wangshu looked at that hunched back and recalled Xiao Nian's figure from her memory; the two images overlapped.

"Fourth brother," he called out from behind.

"Don't call me that name. Call me Old Man Meng from now on."

Jiang Wangshu's lips twitched.

"Alright, old man Meng."

When Xiao Nian passed by Qian Yukun, his eyes were filled with complex emotions. He was shocked by the identity of Old Man Meng. The Limit Breaking Martial Emperor Xiao Nian was still alive, and he was actually on this old man.

None of this can be explained by common sense. The only explanation is that the old man is so powerful because he was originally a Martial Emperor who had broken through the limits.

"Don't forget what I've planted in you. If you ever betray me or say anything detrimental to me, you'll explode and die."

Xiao Nian said calmly.

Qian Yukun's forehead was covered in sweat, and he nodded repeatedly.

The two walked back along the path through the woods.

After walking about a mile, Jiang Wangshu suddenly stopped.

He stood under an old pine tree, turning to look at Xiao Nian.

There's something else I need to tell you.

Xiao Nian also stopped and turned to look at him.

"Does the Ye family know you're still alive?"

"have no idea."

He paused.

"I have a suggestion. I recently received information that something is amiss with the Ye family. They're getting very close to people from outside the region; at least a branch of the Ye family is already doing business with foreign countries."

Xiao Nian did not respond immediately.

Jiang Wangshu continued, "I've also heard that your death is related to the Ye and Li families."

Xiao Nian stopped; this was the last thing he wanted to accept.

"Ye Jingtang isn't stupid," Xiao Nian said. "He wouldn't do something like this."

Jiang Wangshu was silent for two seconds, then nodded:

"What you say makes sense. But one should always be wary of others. The Ye family is such a large operation; Ye Jingtang alone may not be able to manage the branches. I advise you to be careful."

Xiao Nian hummed in agreement. He suddenly remembered that Ye Jingtang was also an extraordinary person, so the place where he was invited must have been a place rich in spiritual energy that only he and Ye Jingtang knew about.

Qingshiling, the dilapidated pavilion halfway up the mountain in Mizhou City, is where he and Ye Jingtang once had a long talk.

"Qingshi Ridge, I've got it." Xiao Nian mentally calculated the days; there were still half a month until the Autumn Equinox. "Half a month is enough."

"Half a month is enough? What are you planning to do with it?"

Xiao Nian pointed his cane southeast.

"Taihang Mountains. Are you going?"

Jiang Wangshu raised an eyebrow: "Taihang Mountains? Now? In the middle of the night?"

"I need to cultivate in a place with abundant spiritual energy for a period of time."

"The Taihang Mountains are home to demonic beasts, spiritual herbs, and possibly spirit stones. I lack medicinal herbs to refine Foundation Establishment Pills and materials to forge magical artifacts. Since you are a True Qi Martial King, you are my boss this time, and you will protect me."

"Hahaha, a Martial Emperor who has broken through the limits wants me to protect him? Of course, no problem." Jiang Wangshu laughed heartily.

Xiao Nian turned around and glanced at Qian Yukun.

"Your Excellency, are you going to the Taihang Mountains?"

"Okay, you go back first. I'll give you 100,000 taels of silver. When you get back, refine a kind of pill for me, called the Spirit Nourishing Pill. I'll check its quality when you come back." Xiao Nian nodded.

Qian Yukun wanted to say something but swallowed it back.

He glanced at Xiao Nian, then at Jiang Wangshu; too many shocking things had happened today for him to process.

"Your Excellency, please be careful on your journey. I will continue to collect materials and refine pills."

Xiao Nian took out a bunch of silver notes from his pocket and threw them to him.

Qian Yukun accepted the silver notes with both hands and nodded vigorously.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Xiao Nian and Jiang Wangshu had already set off.

Xiao Nian rode on the back of Hei Yun, his cane resting on his knees, his hunched figure resembling an old country man going to the market.

Jiang Wangshu changed into a gray cloth short shirt, rode a white horse, and looked like a laborer.

After leaving the city, Black Cloud took off running, moving at an extremely fast yet very steady pace.

"Is this your old horse?" Jiang Wangshu asked as she ran.

"How could I not get my inheritance?" Xiao Nian didn't even reply.

Jiang Wangshu cursed, "Damn it, just keep pretending."

The Taihang Mountains span five provinces and stretch for thousands of miles.

The two entered the mountain from the southern foothills. Xiao Nian's spiritual power was exceptionally sensitive to spiritual energy. Following the faint spiritual energy in the mountain range, the deeper they went, the higher the concentration of spiritual energy in the air became.

Although it's nothing compared to the real cultivation world, the concentration of spiritual energy is twice as high as in the city.

No wonder those old Taoist priests choose to cultivate immortality in some remote mountain ranges.

The two entered the Taihang Mountains, where the mountain paths became increasingly treacherous.

Xiao Nian dismounted from the back of the black cloud, and the two horses, one human and one Martial King, climbed up the gravel slope.

Jiang Wangshu led the way, his long sword parting thorns and vines, his true energy sweeping across to clear a passage wide enough for one person.

Xiao Nian followed behind, occasionally squatting down, her withered fingers parting the grass to pick out a few herbs with intact roots and put them into her storage bag.