Chapter 224:

Inside the Golden Palace. Emperor Yonghe’s face kept changing. As the Emperor of Great Yan, being questioned so openly by his subjects, especially in front of the Golden Palace, was a first for him. But now that things have reached this point, can he stop pretending halfway? If he does that, his image as Emperor Yonghe in front of Captain Hai and the old soldiers might collapse soon. Emperor Yonghe plays the role of a humble and caring ruler, focusing more on the message than the acting. Because as the Emperor of Great Yan, even if he lacks acting skills, as long as he can deceive others in the court, the courtiers will still support him. The key point is whether he still wants to continue playing the role himself. Emperor Yonghe looked down at the Human Emperor Sword in his hand, his eyes showing a slightly deep expression. He felt a difficult frustration in his heart at this moment, almost unable to suppress the emotions churning within him. He had to bow down before the Immortal Gate, as the situation forced him to do so. When could an old man from the Qiao family dare to question him in the Golden Luang Hall? However, at this point, he was finding it hard to back out, so he could only continue down the same path. "You are right. Great Yan owes it to the old soldiers who have defended the lonely city for forty years," said Emperor Yonghe solemnly. "Immortal Gate is powerful and cunning, deceiving Great Yan for forty years. But now that I know the truth, I will not mistreat these veterans who have come out of the Inhuman War battlefield. I will reward them accordingly," the Emperor stated. "Hai Siyuan, for your leadership and bravery in defending the troops, I appoint you as the 3rd rank General of Guider. Emperor Yonghe declared thoughtfully. "Of the remaining three hundred soldiers, all officers and soldiers have been promoted five ranks for their military achievements and rewarded with gold and silver." "These elderly soldiers with white hair should not go to battle anymore. Let them enjoy their old age," Emperor Yonghe said solemnly. "As for the people in the isolated city, I will also consider resettling them to a safe place." The official position in Great Yan is at the 9th rank, which is the 18th level. The promotion of the three hundred elderly soldiers by five ranks means that even the most ordinary soldiers who have survived until now will be granted the 7th rank as military officials. As a current Sixth-ranked Captain in the army, Hai Siyuan has been promoted to the 3rd rank as a non-office general. Of course, these are all non-office officials with salaries but no real power. Great Yan cannot suddenly appoint over three hundred military officials with real power, so Captain Hai and others are naturally appointed as non-office officials without real power. seaʀᴄh thё Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "You have defended Great Yan for most of your lives, diligently guarding our borders," Emperor Yonghe said solemnly. "Great Yan is a magnificent country, how can we let white-headed soldiers over sixty continue to go to battle?" "Those who have survived many battles, should return home in glory, this is only right!" Emperor Yonghe said emotionally. "The forty years of hardship in the solitary city in the desert will be recorded by historians, leaving a mark in history and making Jiu Province famous." In reality, he wasn’t acting. The unwavering resistance of the old soldiers for forty years truly touched the heart of this Emperor in the Imperial Capital. However, as the Emperor of Great Yan, he couldn’t solely rely on emotions in his decisions, he needed to think carefully before acting. Of course. Pondering deeply doesn’t necessarily mean making the right decision, it’s two different things. Sometimes his pre-decisions actually delayed matters, leaving others feeling disheartened. Emperor Yonghe had made his words very clear this time. He can give Captain Hai and other old warriors a good reputation, promote them to higher ranks, and reward them with money and valuable items. But that’s it for now. Although he was touched by the old warriors’ brave resistance, the Inhuman War was already over, so he didn’t plan to promote Captain Hai and the others under the current circumstances. "Hai Siyuan represents the three hundred warriors, thanking Your Majesty for the honor," Captain Hai said loudly. However, for some reason, he still felt a bit empty inside. When he returned to the Imperial Capital Golden Palace, one of his goals was to speak up for the hundred thousand fallen warriors, to ensure they were not forgotten by the court and the people. He had actually achieved his goal now, but Captain Hai still felt a bit empty inside. This recognition was not something he sought, as it was partly earned through the efforts of Qiao Shui Mr. Qiao, who stood up for him. The deceased are remembered in history, while the living are rewarded with promotions and wealth… Captain Hai actually understood that for the old soldiers of the lonely city, this was actually a good ending. Now, forty years later, probably only a few old soldiers would not want to retire and go back to their hometown, to remove their armor and return to farming. Especially in the current situation of Jiu Province, which is very different from what they had envisioned before. He had achieved his goal. But… Captain Hai glanced at the courtiers around him from the corner of his eye. After the Inhuman War, the backbone of civil and military officials has been lost, and in this generation of courtiers, there are more smart people who go with the wind. The questioning and scolding of the courtiers just now, he remembered clearly, and he also took note of Emperor Yonghe’s stance. Even though he had achieved his goal and had made a name for himself for the fallen comrades of the past battles, he couldn’t say he was very happy. As for the Qiao family members who died in battle… Emperor Yonghe furrowed his brow slightly. Among the Qiao family members, there were assassins like Qiao Zhong who he personally ordered to be executed, and there were martial artists like Qiao Shuangsen, who claimed to be part of the Great Yan Immortal Slaying Army, which Emperor Yonghe considered as bringing glory to Great Yan. Let’s address each issue separately. Qiao Zhong is responsible for what he did, and Qiao Shuangsen is responsible for his actions. "The Qiao family members who died in battle will also receive rewards, and the fallen warriors will be compensated." For the Qiao family members, they are rewarded with money as compensation for their sacrifice, without official titles or honors. The court officials continued their discussions, while Qiao Mu, a martial artist not involved in court affairs, was naturally escorted out by the palace guards. It wasn’t until Qiao Shui and Captain Hai were escorted away that Emperor Yonghe finally breathed a sigh of relief. Today’s drama has finally come to an end. The king was humble, and there was peace between him and his officials. They honored the white-headed soldier in the lonely city with great rewards. If this event were recorded in history or passed down through generations, it would be considered a beautiful tale. With these thoughts in mind, Emperor Yonghe continued the morning court session. The group that walked out from the solitary city in the desert consisted not only of three hundred elderly soldiers but also many women, children, and elderly people from the city. Finding a proper place for these extra people was a significant task. At the same time, he ordered Minister of Rites Hai Wuya from Great Yan to go to the Anxi Pass monument forest to pay respects to the deceased. ……………….. One day later. Inside Hai Wuya’s mansion. "A reward of five thousand taels of silver?" Qiao Mu was very surprised. He thought Emperor Yonghe would just pretend, but surprisingly, he wasn’t stingy with money and riches. In terms of purchasing power, five thousand taels of silver is a huge amount that most people can’t earn in their lifetime. "This is the allowance for Qiao Shuangsen, Qiao Ruosen, Qiao Zhuosen… and others," explained Hai Wuya. Five thousand taels of silver is not just one allowance, but four. This amount made Qiao Mu quite tempted and of course he didn’t refuse. Not only did he not refuse, but he even had an impulse to fake his death multiple times to cheat… to cheat the royal family’s allowance. Just the thought of the long dream after death, Qiao Mu just went through this idea in his mind, not taking it seriously. "I couldn’t hold back even in the Golden Dragon Hall yesterday. After seeing Emperor Yonghe, I really couldn’t control myself…" sighed Qiao Mu. Pretending to be cool for a moment. Crematorium afterwards. Before, Qiao Mu had no good qualities, he only liked to appear holy in front of people, regardless of cremation, burial, or water burial, he liked them all. The more tragic the death, the happier he was. But that was all in the past. Now, he is Qiao Shui. Before, he only temporarily suppressed himself in the Gold Palace and still unconsciously acted according to his previous style. From now on, he will naturally not be the same. "What are your plans for the future, Elder Lao?" Hai Wuya politely asked. He had interacted with several Qiao family members before, and now the Qiao family members paid with their own lives to save his son Hai Siyuan from the Hundred-mile Desert, allowing him to reunite with his son in his old age, naturally increasing his goodwill towards the Qiao family members. Apart from gratitude, he was actually more curious inside. He was very curious about the future activities of the Qiao family members, always feeling that the Qiao family members would eventually create other major events. Plans for the future? This question left Qiao Mu speechless. "For over two hundred years, I haven’t really enjoyed life. Most of my memories so far are just about hard work…" Qiao Mu looked at the five thousand silver tickets in his hand, feeling a bit weary. Having just come out of isolation after five years, all he wanted to do now was to have some fun. After dying many times and meditating for over two hundred years, can’t he have a little enjoyment? "I’m thinking of buying him a few houses in the suburbs of the Imperial Capital to rent out," Qiao Mu casually said. Hai Wuya and his son were slightly shocked. He didn’t expect Qiao Mu’s future plans to be so…ordinary. It doesn’t seem like the usual style of a Qiao family member. If Qiao Mu said that he was planning to attack the Royal Palace tomorrow, the Immortal Gate Taoist Temple the day after tomorrow, and the Great Dao Sect the day after that, it wouldn’t be surprising at all. "What else can I do? I’m already old," Qiao Mu said with a hint of sadness. He aged before he could enjoy life to the fullest. Luckily, his Iron Crotch Skill had reached its peak, making him strong and resilient despite his age. "Being a wealthy man and enjoying life isn’t so bad." Qiao Mu left with a bunch of silver coins. Next, Hai Wuya was about to leave the Imperial Capital for Anxi Pass. He hadn’t seen Hai Siyuan Captain Hai in forty years. Qiao Mu, being observant, wanted to give the father and son some time to bond. As Qiao Mu walked away, Hai Wuya watched him go, his eyes shimmering with admiration. "I never imagined that a member of the Qiao family would be in the solitary city in the desert spreading the ‘Xumi Mountain King Sutra.’ It’s quite a coincidence." Hai Wuya coughed softly, a faint sickly flush appearing on his face. During this time, he had listened to Hai Siyuan talking about the lonely city’s stories of the past forty years many times, hearing about the Qiao family member’s sacrifice and the remarkable achievements of Earth Sword Immortal, feeling quite emotional. "Father, the gap between immortals and mortals is like a vast chasm, do us martial artists really have hope?" Hai Siyuan finally asked this question out loud. Even though he had left the desert’s solitary city, after the joy of surviving the disaster, seeing the current state of Jiu Province, he felt even more disappointed. "The gap between immortals and mortals is indeed huge, that is an undeniable fact," Hai Wuya sighed. "Those with spiritual roots who can step onto the path of immortality are rare elites, geniuses, and those with exceptional spiritual roots are the elite among elites." "For us ordinary martial artists, any cultivator who has successfully built their Foundation on the path of immortality is considered elite." Immortals have long lifespans, something that cultivators find hard to match. Throughout history, mortal dynasties don’t usually last more than three hundred years, while immortal cultivators with high cultivation levels often have accumulations of several hundred or even thousands of years. If they can be easily killed by martial artists, it would indeed be a wonder. "But because of this, there are actually not many cultivators on the path to immortality." Hai Wuya said. "It may seem like a lot, but in reality, these are the elites and talents accumulated over hundreds and thousands of years in Jiu Province’s history, from past dynasties to now." "In today’s era, becoming a successful cultivator in the path of immortality takes a long time, although it’s not as if one person is lost after another." Upon mentioning this, Hai Wuya grew slightly melancholic. The smartest and most talented people in Jiu Province, those with spiritual roots, have mostly embarked on the path of immortality. There are not many fools who would hang themselves on a crooked tree of martial arts. Those who walk the path of immortality are already elites, and the best among them are the elite of the elites. Why would they stand on the same side as ordinary people? Even someone as talented as Earth Sword Immortal, the foremost martial artist of the generation… in reality, for him to catch up to the Nine Immortal Gates in the path of immortality, the hope is extremely slim. Even if he were to succeed, it would likely take over a thousand or even thousands of years. In a thousand years, a mortal kingdom could change rulers three or four times; even if he truly succeeded, Great Yan would have long ceased to exist. Moreover, as an outsider who practices alone with no temple to worship at, how can he compare himself to the Nine Immortal Gates? "Although Earth Sword Immortal is strong, he is not a Martial Saint," said Hai Wuya calmly. "His Heavenly Slashing Swordsmanship can only be considered a ‘skill’, not a ‘path’." For example, in a small poor country, there arises a naturally talented sprinter who breaks a world record with one swift move. Does this mean that the sprinting project of this small country has already reached the top level in the world? Other athletes in the small country may find it difficult to replicate his achievements due to their lack of talent. Individuals like the Martial Saint, who are both top athletes and coaches capable of nurturing first-class and top athletes, represent the forefront of martial arts in Hai Wuya’s view. "With the city besieged for forty years, your strength has been spent on survival and fighting against inhuman forces, leaving you with no energy to explore martial arts," said Hai Wuya solemnly. "The Qiao family members were not completely lying. In these forty years, the martial arts in Jiu Province have undergone dramatic changes, with a clear distinction between ancient and modern methods." Just looking at their martial arts skills, the veteran soldiers of the isolated city who hadn’t been in the world for forty years were actually falling behind. Even if there is an Earth Sword Immortal in the Hundred-mile Desert, it cannot represent the cutting edge of martial arts today. When Hai Wuya went to Anxi Pass this time, he not only wanted to pay respects to the deceased. He was more eager to see the three hundred veteran soldiers and the elderly who couldn’t go to the battlefield. The harsh and extraordinary environment of the Hundred-mile Desert was carefully created by the Immortal Gate as a "soul nurturing place", also considered as a "spiritual refining sanctuary" for martial artists. But for martial artists to improve in martial arts, they need a lot of nourishing food… It seems that the veterans who can survive countless battles in that environment are extraordinary.