Immortality: Starting with a grave, I'm invincible when burying corpses.

On the night of the Lantern Festival, two lanterns rose from above Lingxiao Pavilion, their hazy glow carrying them into the night sky, drifting in an unknown direction.

The long night will eventually end, and the dawn can bring either hope or the deepest sorrow.

Lin Li dug Jun Yunxin's grave with her own hands.

Mu An did not stop her from her almost insane behavior, but when she couldn't take it anymore, she helped her treat her injuries so that her body would not be worn down as a result.

Emotions need an outlet, even if it's irrational, it's better than keeping them all bottled up inside.

But when the grave was dug, Lin Li discovered that apart from a few clothes that Jun Yunxin had worn and toys that she had played with, there was nothing there.

Jun Yunxin left no body behind, but turned into specks of light and dissipated into the world, blown away by the evening breeze. Lin Li tried her best to grab them, but ultimately caught nothing. She chased after the specks of light and jumped off Lingxiao Pavilion.

If Mu An hadn't been keeping a close eye on things, there would probably be another grave here today.

Mu An could not truly understand Lin Li's sorrow, and he was indeed saddened by Jun Yunxin's departure.

But it was nowhere near as heartbreaking as Lin Li's grief.

Ultimately, this wasn't the first time he had experienced the death of a loved one.

Neither in this life nor in the past.

Therefore, he can stand here calmly, reflecting on last night's conversation and contemplating the future.

He always keeps the promises he makes to Jun Yunxin; this is both a matter of cause and effect and a principle he adheres to in his conduct.

He still doesn't know exactly how many rare treasures Jun Yunxin left for him, but he can make a rough estimate, since he personally took them out of the imperial palace treasury.

Although he and Jun Yunxin had used some of it these days, there was still more left, enough for him to cultivate for a long time.

It might also include some things that Jun Yunxin already had, after all, the little princess has always been wealthy.

Having taken so much from Jun Yunxin, Mu An indirectly laid the foundation for his initial path. Whether the karmic debts involved could truly be settled was unclear to Mu An. He could only do what he could to the best of his ability.

The words of the painting master contained a lot of information, which made the puzzle in Mu An's mind much more complete.

We will have to wait several hundred years for Him to descend to earth again.

In other words, several hundred years ago, a being similar to Jun Yunxin appeared in this world.

Moreover, something must have happened to attract the attention of such a powerful being as the Painting Saint, and for him to stay by Jun Yunxin's side after she appeared.

The Celestial Master must have been in the know, otherwise there would be no reason for him to appear in Qi'an City.

The painting master painted four paintings: joy, sorrow, contemplation, and grief.

Four of the seven emotions were obtained through his exchange with Jun Yunxin, exchanging the right to paint for equivalent conditions.

It's not hard to guess that the Sage of Painting was trying to glean the Dao of the Seven Emotions from Jun Yunxin.

He dared not rob or take advantage of the situation; he only dared to exchange for what was worth the price.

Two paintings were exchanged for the children in Lingzhou, and the palace also agreed to provide two paintings.

However, because the painting master did not do much while in the palace, the last painting was not finished until last night.

It's even possible that the Sage of Painting agreed to some conditions for Jun Yunxin in exchange for the right to paint.

People only like to reason when faced with a more powerful being, and between these two, Jun Yunxin, or rather the being that Jun Yunxin represents, is the true power.

As for the old Celestial Master, only Jun Yunxin herself probably knows what kind of exchange of benefits they reached.

But she didn't say it herself, presumably because she didn't want them to know.

There is also Tianzhu Mountain, or Tiansheng Mountain.

The Great Qi Dynasty now calls it Tianzhu Mountain, but in the mouth of the Painting Sage, a being whose lifespan is unknown, this highest peak in the Nine Realms is called Tiansheng Mountain.

Using the name of a saint is enough to explain a lot.

The Heavenly Sacred Mountain mentioned by the Painting Sage and the mountain that Mu An saw were completely different. Apart from the snow-covered landscape, their scenes had almost no overlap.

The Sage of Painting saw only a snow-capped mountain surrounded by fierce winds, while Mu An saw the cycle of the four seasons and the birth and death of all things.

Mu An didn't tell the Painting Saint what he saw, and the Painting Saint wasn't fixated on knowing the answer.

This performance further confirmed Mu An's suspicions.

The existence of Tian Sheng Mountain involves deep-seated mysteries, and whether it truly exists in this world remains an open question.

Mu An could see so many things, partly because Jun Yunxin was at the foot of the mountain that day, which caused some changes.

On the other hand, it may be because the ancient book within him elevated his status and sublimated his soul.

So much so that his perspective was elevated to an infinitely higher level, and he eventually saw the scene he had witnessed that day.

These matters are not something he is qualified to participate in now; they are things that Mu An should do in the future.

……

Lin Li was stronger than expected. Mu An didn't know what Jun Yunxin said to her in the end, but Lin Li didn't dwell on her grief for too long.

She stayed by the grave for seven days, and then the usual desolation returned.

To be more precise, Mu An felt that Lin Li was radiating a cold aura, making her difficult to approach.

When the news reached the palace, the court reacted strongly.

Emperor Jun Yunhua was stunned during the court assembly and burst into tears, even demanding that Jun Yunxin be buried according to the highest royal standards.

The retired emperor, who was recuperating in Tianqi Garden, spent the whole day in a daze. If it weren't for the group of old eunuchs trying to dissuade him, the old emperor would have wanted to travel to Lingzhou to see Jun Yunxin off on her final journey.

Whether his feelings were genuine or feigned, and regardless of whether the old emperor was relieved or grieving over his daughter's passing, at least on the surface he did what a loving father should do.

He pretended for his whole life while Jun Yunxin was alive, and what was fake naturally became real.

Jun Cheng'an, who treated the Wenchang Hall as his own home, also stepped out of the hall and wrote a deeply moving eulogy for his sister, whom he was not very close to.

If it weren't for the two secret letters on his desk, Mu An might have actually believed the deep affection this family shared.

They've really figured out how to handle the deep bond between siblings.

The secret letter on the left side came from the reigning emperor, Jun Yunhua. He offered the position of commander of the imperial guards of Qi'an City as a bargaining chip, hoping that Mu'an would bring people to the capital to serve him.

He also promised to bestow upon Mu An the title of Duke within the next three years, which shows his sincerity.

The secret letter on the right side came from the original Ninth Prince, Jun Cheng'an. His letter was much longer, spanning four pages.

The above provides a detailed account of the current situation, explaining the circumstances of Mu An and his family after Princess Yongning's death.

The letter was very detailed, even describing in detail the factional divisions in the capital, their respective inclinations, and concluding that Jun Yunhua was doomed to defeat.

He even offered Mu An advice and pointed out how he could maximize his benefits under his current circumstances.

At the end of the letter, Jun Cheng'an did not ask Mu An to pledge allegiance to him, but only hoped that Mu An would see the situation clearly and not get involved in the conflicts in the capital.

He promised that as long as Mu An did not interfere in the affairs of the capital, he would not touch any other members of the Mu family except for Mu An's eldest uncle, and all the previous titles would remain valid and unchanged for a hundred years.

If Mu An is willing, he can enter the court as an official with the treatment of a first-rank official. If Mu An is not willing, he can remain in Lingzhou. He will not make any major adjustments to the official system of Lingzhou.

He respects Princess Yongning and the painting master, and will never break his promise to the painting master.

If Mu An's future offspring aspire to serve in the imperial court, they may be promoted without regard to precedent, and the matter may be handled expediently.