Young Song: The Hidden Sword God, Han Yi and Her Child Arrive at the Door.

The destruction of the Crimson King's Mansion was like a sudden magnitude 10 earthquake, which not only instantly shattered the balance that the various forces in Tianqi City had painstakingly maintained for many years, but also shattered the majestic filter of "imperial power" that shrouded the imperial city.

Just half an hour ago, the arrogant and domineering Red King Xiao Yu, who secretly manipulated the situation, the ambitious man who held a large army and raised countless test soldiers and peerless assassins, along with his vast and impregnable royal palace, was razed to the ground by a vast sea of ​​thunder that fell from the sky in just a quarter of an hour!

There was no joint trial by the three judicial departments, no debate in the imperial court, no room for maneuver for the court officials who were dependent on him, and not even... a chance for the noble prince to beg for mercy or leave a last word.

The sky was filled with thunder like a world-ending divine punishment. Thick, purplish-black lightning tore through the sky above Tianqi City, plowing through every inch of the Crimson King's Mansion.

Those terrifying drug-infused corpses and ghouls were reduced to ashes before such immense power of heaven and earth.

This overwhelming power, this domineering method that transcends ordinary martial arts and is almost like that of immortals and demons, made all the nobles, families, and masters hidden in the shadows in Tianqi City feel a chill that penetrated to the bone.

At this very moment, countless eyes are hidden in the shadows of attics and behind high walls, staring intently at the ruins that are still emitting charred black smoke.

Those usually high-ranking figures were now all pale-faced, their legs trembling, and they didn't even dare to breathe.

Deep within the palace lies the Hall of Diligent Governance.

Emperor Mingde sat on the dragon throne, listening to the spies' reports. His aged face showed no emotion, but the hand holding the memorial was trembling slightly.

"Dead?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. The Crimson King's Palace... is gone. Even the foundation was scorched by lightning."

"Where is Su Changqing?"

"Your Majesty, he... he's coming towards the palace with Prince Yong'an and that little girl. He says... he says he's here to collect debts."

"Collecting debts?"

Emperor Mingde laughed in anger, throwing the memorial to the ground. "My empire! Someone dares to come and collect a debt from me? What does he want? My empire?"

"This... I don't know. But he only brought a few men with him, no troops."

"No troops brought?"

Emperor Mingde's eyes became deep.

He knew that for someone like Su Changqing, whether or not he led troops was irrelevant. He alone was worth a thousand soldiers!

"Send the order! Open the palace gates wide! I want to personally meet this 'Number One Under Heaven'!"

……

Outside the Vermilion Bird Gate.

The usually heavily guarded main gate of the palace was unusually quiet at this moment.

Two rows of imperial guards, clad in golden armor and wielding halberds, stood in neat formation on either side. Although they looked imposing, a deep fear lurked in the eyes of each of them.

Because the man who had just stomped on the Corpse King's mech and struck the Crimson King's Mansion with a bolt of lightning was slowly walking towards this place.

Su Changqing was still dressed in a blue robe, holding Xiao Nuomi, who was still eating candied hawthorns, in his arms. Behind him followed Xiao Se, Lei Wujie, Wushuang, and Li Hanyi, who was dressed in white.

This doesn't look like they're here to force a resignation; it looks like they're just strolling around the back garden.

"This is the palace?"

Lei Wujie looked up at the towering city walls and the magnificent glazed tiles, and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "So impressive! Much better than my Lei Family Fortress! Brother-in-law, if this wall plaster is made of gold, can we pry off a piece and take it with us?"

"Promising."

Su Changqing rolled his eyes at him, "What's so good about that kind of vulgar stuff? When we go inside later, take whatever you see that looks delicious, don't try to save me money."

"Alright!" Lei Wujie's eyes lit up immediately.

Upon reaching the palace gate, the commander of the guards steeled himself and stepped forward, intending to stop them.

"Halt! This is forbidden area of ​​the palace; unauthorized personnel are not permitted entry..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Se stepped forward and pulled out a gold medal from his pocket.

That was a gold medal symbolizing the status of the Prince of Yong'an!

"Get lost." Xiao Se uttered a single word indifferently.

Upon recognizing the gold medal, the commander's legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground with a thud: "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Yong'an! I was blind..."

"Get up, open the door."

"Yes! Open the door! Open the door now!"

The heavy palace gates slowly opened, emitting a muffled rumble.

Su Changqing and his entourage swaggered into the Forbidden Palace, which represented the highest power in Beili.

Along the way, although there were countless sentries and experts watching, no one dared to make any rash moves.

joke!

The huge pit in the Red King's Mansion is still smoking. Who would dare to provoke this evil star if they're tired of living?

After passing through layers of palaces, we finally arrived at the square in front of the Hall of Diligent Governance.

By this time, the square was already full of people.

Civil and military officials lined both sides, while Grand Eunuch Jin Xuan, along with the other four Grand Eunuchs, stood at the foot of the steps, as if facing a formidable enemy. High on those steps, Emperor Mingde sat regally on his dragon throne, his gaze majestically fixed on the approaching crowd.

"How dare you, Su Changqing! You don't even kneel before His Majesty?!"

The Grand Eunuch Jin Xuan shouted sternly, his aura of being a half-step Divine Traveler suddenly erupting, wanting to give Su Changqing a taste of his power.

however.

Su Changqing acted as if he hadn't heard, still holding the child, and even wiped the sugar stains from the corner of Xiao Nuomi's mouth.

"kneel?"

Su Changqing raised his head, glanced at the lofty Emperor Mingde, and a mocking smile appeared on his lips.

"These knees of mine have never knelt before anyone but my wife and daughter. What, you old emperor, want to try?"

"presumptuous!"

Jin Xuan was furious. In a flash, he transformed into a red shadow and rushed towards Su Changqing, his whisk whipping out like a steel whip!

"Get out of my way!"

Before Su Changqing could make a move, a white shadow flashed by.

Li Hanyi drew his Iron Horse Ice River sword and slashed out!

"Moonlit Evening and Flowery Morning!"

Although there was no shower of flowers to enhance the effect, this casual sword strike still carried a chilling aura.

"when!"

A crisp sound.

Jin Xuan's whisk was cut in half, and he was knocked back several feet, his face turning pale and then red.

"Snow Moon Sword Immortal?!" Jin Xuan gritted his teeth.

"If you want to touch my husband, you'll have to ask the sword in my hand first," Li Hanyi said coldly, her domineering aura no less than that of any man.

"Excellent! What a fine Snow Moon Sword Immortal! What a fine Su Changqing!"

Emperor Mingde suddenly burst into laughter, stood up from his dragon throne, and slowly walked down the steps.

"Your Majesty!" The ministers were shocked and tried to stop him.

Emperor Mingde waved his hand, signaling everyone to step back. He walked until he was three zhang away from Su Changqing before stopping. In his old eyes, which had seen through the ways of the world, there was no anger, but rather a hint of appreciation and...complexity.

"Mr. Su, I have long admired your name. Meeting you today, I can see that you are indeed an outstanding person."

"You're too kind, Your Majesty."

Su Changqing also dropped his nonchalant attitude; after all, one can't hit a smiling face. "I'm a straightforward person and don't like beating around the bush. I'm here today for two things."

"Speaking."

"First, Crimson King Xiao Yu colluded with Nan Jue to create corpse demons and even tried to kill my entire family. I killed him, you have no objection, right?"

This statement caused an uproar in the room.

Although everyone knows that the Red Prince's Mansion has been destroyed, admitting to killing a prince in front of the emperor is just too arrogant!

A flicker of pain crossed Emperor Mingde's eyes; after all, that was his own son. But he took a deep breath and nodded.

"Your unfilial son has committed numerous evils and deserves to die. You are cleaning up my family for me, and I... have no objection."

"happy!"

Su Changqing snapped his fingers. "Then the second thing. Xiao Se, oh no, Xiao Chuhe. This kid has been working in my shop for so long, and not only has he paid off his debts to me, but he has also helped me make a lot of money. I think he has potential, so I took the opportunity to cure his hidden meridians."

"What?! The hidden pulse is cured?!"

Emperor Mingde suddenly looked at Xiao Se, who had been standing behind Su Changqing, his eyes filled with shock and surprise.

Xiao Se slowly stepped forward, knelt down before Emperor Mingde, and performed a grand salute.

"Father, your son... has returned."

"Chuhe..."

Emperor Mingde, his hand trembling, reached out and helped up his most beloved and most guilt-ridden son. Feeling the surging vitality and true energy within Xiao Se's body, this iron-blooded emperor couldn't help but shed tears.

"Good! Good! It's good that you're back!"

"Alright, stop with the father-son drama, I'm in a hurry."

Su Changqing interrupted this touching scene inappropriately, taking out an abacus and an account book from his pocket.

"Now that the person has been returned to you, let's settle the score."

"Settle accounts?" Emperor Mingde was taken aback.

"yes."

Su Changqing frantically tapped away on the abacus, "Xiao Se stayed at my place for a few months, so there were expenses for his food, lodging, and the consultation fees I paid for treating his illness... Oh right, there were also the travel expenses to Tianqi this time, and the lightning (compensation for emotional distress) that was wasted in cleaning up the Crimson King's Mansion just now..."

"All things considered, the total is... one million taels of gold!"

Su Changqing slammed the account book in front of Emperor Mingde and said, "Pay up."

The entire room fell silent.

Everyone felt their heads were buzzing.

One million taels of gold?!

This is so bad that even emptying the national treasury wouldn't be enough!

"Mr. Su... isn't this... a bit too much?" Jin Xuan couldn't help but interject.

"many?"

Su Changqing sneered, "Isn't a Prince of Yong'an in the Free and Unfettered Heaven Realm worth a million taels of gold? Or do you think the emperor's son is a bargain?"

"This..." Jin Xuan was speechless.

Emperor Mingde looked at the account book, then at the desolate scene that had returned to normal, and suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Worth it! Of course it's worth it!"

"Don't even mention a million taels; even if you were given half of this empire, it would be worth it!"

"Guards! Open the national treasury! Take one million taels of gold! Send it to Changqing Tower immediately!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Su Changqing nodded in satisfaction. "Looks like this trip wasn't in vain. Now that the accounts are settled, we should head out."

"Sir, please wait!"

Emperor Mingde suddenly stopped him, "I have another request."

"explain."

"Now that the Red King is dead, and the White King has regained his power, his foundation is unstable. Although Chu He has returned, the situation in the court remains complex. I wish to request that you... serve as the Imperial Advisor and assist Chu He in ascending the throne!"

These words shocked all the officials.

Imperial Advisor!

That's a position of immense power and influence, second only to the emperor!

Xiao Se also looked at Su Changqing, a hint of anticipation in his eyes. If Su Changqing were in charge, who in Tianqi City would dare to act recklessly?

however.

Su Changqing refused without even thinking.

"Not interested."

"Why?" Emperor Mingde asked, puzzled. "With wealth, honor, and immense power, are you not tempted, sir?"

"Wealth and luxury?"

Su Changqing glanced at the little glutinous rice in his arms, then at Li Hanyi beside him, and a smile appeared on his face that would make even the Mingde Emperor envious.

"I have the most beautiful wife in the world, the most adorable daughter, and a tavern that makes a fortune every day. This is my greatest wealth and glory."

"As for power? Heh, that kind of thing that's exhausting and easy to lose your head over, you can keep it to yourselves."

"All I want to do is go home and cook for my daughter, and incidentally... open my Changqinglou restaurants all over the world!"

After saying that, he didn't linger and turned to leave.

Li Hanyi, Lei Wujie, and Wushuang followed closely behind.

Xiao Se stood there, watching the figure leave gracefully, a warm feeling welling up in his heart.

He knew that Su Changqing refused not only because he didn't want to be tied down, but also because he wanted to leave this stage to him.

"Take care, sir."

Xiao Se silently thought to himself, "Once I've cleaned up this mess, I'll definitely go back to Changqing Tower and drink your wine!"

……

Outside Tianqi City.

As the sun set, it cast long shadows on everyone.

"Brother-in-law, are we really leaving like this? One million taels of gold! How are we going to transport it back?" Lei Wujie was still heartbroken over the money (even though it wasn't his).

"Don't worry, I've already had Xiao Se arrange for people to transport it back to Snowmoon City by water."

Su Changqing was in high spirits. "With this money, we can buy a few hills in Snowmoon City to grow vegetables and raise pigs. We won't need to buy ingredients anymore!"

"Huh? We have to grow vegetables too?" Wushuang looked miserable.

"Of course! Labor is the most glorious thing!"

"Father! Father!"

Little Nuomi suddenly pointed ahead, "Look! Who's that?"

Everyone looked in the direction she was pointing.

In the pavilion beside the official road, a man dressed in purple robes and holding a jade flute stood quietly.

Bai Wang, Xiao Chong.

He came alone, without any guards. His newly regained eyes shone with wisdom and determination.

"Mr. Su."

Xiao Chong bowed and greeted the approaching carriage.

"What? You want to come and give me money too?" Su Changqing teased.

"No."

Xiao Chong shook his head. "I'm here to see you off. By the way... I have some news for you, sir."

"What news?"

"News regarding...immortal mountains overseas."

Xiao Chong said in a deep voice, "Although Sixth Brother's hidden meridians have been healed, the internal force he forcibly used back then damaged his foundation. If he wants to fully recover to his peak, or even go further, he still needs to go to the overseas immortal mountain to find that legendary immortal."

"Overseas fairyland?"

Su Changqing's eyes lit up.

In the original story, that was a wonderful place! Not only were there immortals, but also... all sorts of rare ingredients!

"Perfect timing, we were also planning a trip."

Su Changqing slapped his thigh. "Then let's go to the overseas immortal mountains! I heard the seafood there is especially fresh! Nuonuo, do you want to eat some lobster?"

"I want to eat a big lobster!" Little Nuomi's mouth was watering.

"Alright! Let's set off! Destination—the mythical overseas mountain!"

With Su Changqing's command, the carriage started again, carrying this group of energetic and dream-filled people towards an unknown future.

The journey through life is long, but with wine, meat, and the company of family and friends, there is hope.

That's enough.