Whenever it was like this, Ye Guhan’s expression was incredibly complex; tinged with melancholy, wistful sadness, loss, and yet… a faint shimmer of happiness! His gaze was deep yet unwavering, agonizing yet sweet; his lips constantly formed the shape of a single name, though no sound escaped—those two characters, always… Xiu Xiu…

And then there was the poem, a verse Ye Guhan often murmured to himself, the same one he recited when gravely wounded and certain of death that day.

Regretless this life for deep affection sown, Willingly I wander, forlorn and alone; Long I lament that lovers meet only in dream, Better to forsake Heaven than abandon my Queen!

However, Ye Guhan had changed the final two lines, altering them to: “Should fate not end in this next life, Better to forsake Heaven than abandon my Queen!” This single alteration was a sublimation of Ye Guhan’s soul. No longer regret, but hope vested in the next life…

Next life—that... that could also be considered a beautiful aspiration—

The two people, separated only by a wall, felt as though they were divided by oceans and mountains, heaven and earth!

It seemed this wall was an eternal, massive chasm, one that could never be crossed—

Should fate not end in this next life, Better to forsake Heaven than abandon my Queen… Xiu Xiu, these two melodies were your favorites when we were together back then. Now, I finally hear them again… Ye Guhan wept silently, tears tracing paths down his face…

“Uncle Ye, I never knew Mother could play the xiao, and that she could play so exquisitely…” Princess Ling Meng rested her cheek in her hand, the sunlight appearing hazy; “It’s the first time I’ve ever heard Mother play an instrument.”

“You say this is the first time you’ve heard your Empress play?” The speaker meant nothing by it, but the listener took heed. Ye Guhan’s entire body jolted. He suddenly lifted his head, his eyes blazing with light, an extraordinary contentment shining in their depths!

“Yes, I’ve never seen Mother touch an instrument since I was born, and rarely heard music. I actually thought she disliked melody… Today is a real surprise.” Princess Ling Meng said innocently.

Ye Guhan smiled, a smile born from the deepest part of his heart.

At this moment, he was completely satisfied, asking for nothing more.

A tune of Accompaniment While Listening to the Wind on his arrival, a tune of Tears at the End of the World upon his departure…

Xiu Xiu, thank you! It turns out that in this world, I ultimately possessed the most beautiful thing of all… which is your affection… Thank you! It seems I long ago received the reward I yearned for; all the sacrifice was worth it!

I am content, truly content… Ye Guhan leaned back against the flowering tree, leaves fluttering down around his head, blossoms raining in splendor. His demeanor, in that instant, became strangely tranquil, extraordinarily serene…

And beginning from that very day, Ye Guhan, whose cultivation was utterly ruined and had become a mere wastrel, never again displayed a look of despondency, never again erupted in hysterics, never again acted madly… Even when the pain was unbearable, he never uttered so much as a single groan.

Because, in that moment, Ye Guhan finally understood clearly: my long years of devotion were, after all, worth it… I am no longer Gu Han, no longer solitary, no longer lonely; no regrets, no remorse… Simply because, in this mortal world, you exist for me…

The days continued to pass one by one, and news from the southern frontiers trickled in. From that day on, His Majesty the Emperor often visited Jun Zhantian for conversation, reminiscing about old times. Consequently, the Jun residence grew even livelier, and naturally, the security became exceptionally tight.

Each time His Majesty visited, he sometimes heard the faint, distant sound of the xiao. Whenever this happened, the Emperor would always let out a long sigh, his gaze distant, sitting quietly, sipping tea, listening to the wind… Sometimes, even a trace of guilt and remembrance would flicker across his eyes…

Entangled grievances, the impermanence of the mortal world…

Just as the great families began their unavoidable internal conflicts, Old Master Jun stroked his beard, wearing an air of utter calm, watching one thrilling spectacle after another with a faint smile. He felt absolutely ecstatic!

Old Master Jun’s enthusiasm surpassed even that he felt watching his favorite opera. Seeing his old peers and rivals growing so angry their limbs went cold, Old Master Jun Zhantian maintained a placid facade, but inwardly, he was reveling in their misfortune. Hmph, you old fools always mocked my grandson, and now you’re all suffering the consequences, aren’t you?

Thus, Old Master Jun was genuinely happy. Though he had decided to retire from court, he now frequented the halls daily. Naturally, almost everyone in the grand court wore faces clouded with worry, but the Old Master’s hearty laughter never ceased. Moreover, his jabs and sarcastic remarks were effortless, causing the gathering of old masters to itch with resentment whenever they saw Jun Zhantian’s gloating demeanor, yet they were utterly powerless against the old man—who could blame them when their own descendants were causing trouble?

Once, when Old Master Jun saw Old Master Murong Fengyun of the Murong family so enraged his face was contorted, he even offered a cool, barbed comment…

“Tell me, Old Murong, you old scoundrel, why get so angry? The direct descendants fighting over the position of Family Head—that’s a good sign! It’s called what again? Ah yes, a virtuous cycle! It shows the Murong family’s prosperity.”

“It shows they have ambition, indeed; they possess a spirit of striving and progress. I say, you old bastard should be delighted… I, on the other hand, am truly envious. Look at me, at this age, I’m still struggling to prop up the Jun family; it’s so exhausting! If Mo Yi or Mo Hui wanted to usurp my position, I would cheer them on with both hands and both feet! Right now, I’m just hoping they’ll come and take over quickly so I can retire and rest… Look at you, look at you… What’s with that expression? Hurry up and get into the coffin, and yet you cling so tightly to the family power. You should give the younger generation a chance too; don’t take things so hard…”

With those pointed, passive-aggressive words, Old Master Murong trembled from head to toe, his eyes fixed, his hands and feet icy cold; even his white beard under his chin shook as if dancing. “You old rascal Jun! Standing there talking doesn't hurt! Aside from watching the show with malicious glee, what else do you know? Damn it, your Jun family has barely one branch, so what’s there to fight over? But I have over thirty branches! Try it yourself if you were me?”

“Hahahaha… Old Murong, you really have many branches, over thirty? Impressive…” Jun Zhantian laughed until his eyes crinkled, utterly delighted: “Old ghost Murong, didn't you used to run around excitedly telling everyone whenever you had a new grandson, showing off to me? Do you remember what you said the year before last? You old bastard sang a ballad in front of all the great families, saying, ‘My family prospers mightily, my grandson boasts thirty-three sharp spears…’”

Jun Zhantian spat: “And now you’re being troubled by your thirty-three spears? Serves you right! Damn it! I say your thirty-plus spears are all just decorative showpieces—looks good, but utterly useless!”

The Old Master pointed at the other old masters one by one, laughing heartily: “You, and you, and you, you, you—humph! Back then, you all boasted to me about your family’s reproductive capabilities. Every time you had a child, you rushed to me demanding celebratory money, and after taking the money, you’d mock me a few times… Now what? What happened? All deflated? All wilted? Why aren’t you showing off anymore! Hahahaha… It truly fills my heart with joy! My grandson, though he has only one spear, one is worth ten, worth a hundred! Ahahaha…”

Carried away by his triumph and revelry, Old Master Jun drew the ire of the others. Seven or eight white-bearded elders, their eyes red, rushed forward, practically about to attack him en masse. The Old Master laughed heartily and fled in disarray.

Though he fled in haste, he had finally vented a suffocating anger held for decades—a comfortable release, though painful. Old Master Jun had a wonderful morning!

Extreme joy is often followed by sorrow!

The subsequent storm, however, was something he never, ever anticipated; he never dreamed that the grandson he had just prided himself on—one spear equaling a hundred—would immediately stab him in the back, creating a monumental disaster!

Old Master Jun, feeling triumphant and humming a little tune, returned home to an incoming message delivered by a flying eagle. Opening it, the smile hadn't quite faded from the Old Master’s face before it froze completely, his mouth suddenly gaping wide, like a catfish dying of thirst!

“My dear mother! How could this be?” The Old Master managed to utter those words only after a long moment. His eyes widened like bronze bells, and he fell backward, sitting down so hard that the Zitan wood chair splintered to pieces. He ended up squarely seated on the floor, yet seemed entirely unaware.

“My dearest grandson! You are the ancestor who will kill me! Something like this could have happened in half a year, even two or three months from now, but why did it have to happen at this critical, life-threatening moment… Now, Grandpa will be laughed to death by those old ghosts… Where will I show my face… I just managed to offend all those old cronies, completely alienated them all…”

The Old Master was deeply shaken, crying out for his mother and then his grandson in genuine agitation! Yet, even now, the Old Master was still worried about losing face in front of his old friends… This demonstrated a truly astonishing nerve…

“Master… What’s wrong? Did something happen to… Third General and Young Master? Didn't we just receive news that they passed through safely and were about to return?” Old Pang was startled and rushed over to help him up.

“What happened?… Something big happened!” The Old Master stood up shakily, let out a long sigh, and then roared suddenly, “This is absurd!” He brought his hand down, smashing the table before him into pieces!

“Ah?” Old Pang’s face changed, and a killing intent immediately emanated from him as he asked through gritted teeth, “Did… Third General and Young Master… really run into trouble again?”

Jun Zhantian slowly straightened up. After the initial shock, the Old Master gradually regained his usual composure, his face smoothing out as he paced back and forth with a frown.

Finally, he sighed lightly and said, “Look at this, and you will understand.” He handed the intelligence report in his hand over.

Old Pang took it, let out a cry of shock, his eyes widening the more he read, and his mouth opening wider and wider. Suddenly, cha-la, he let out a cry of pain—his jaw had dislocated…

Such an unbelievable event—unheard of and unseen since antiquity! It was simply an act of pure fantasy. Old Pang hastily popped his jaw back into place, while sucking in air sharply from the pain, he suddenly couldn't stop laughing loudly… It was too comical! The sheer absurdity of the situation made the old steward forget the trouble about to descend… (End) [Note to Dear Reader: The current chapter has reached the final page of this book]