Just as Li Yaotie collapsed, and his older sister prepared to take her younger brother back to save his life.
Suddenly, a figure appeared before her.
Ah Hei came forward and asked, "Holy Maiden, I have a presumptuous request."
Hearing this, Li Yaoqing glanced at the Dao Domain whose seal was being broken. "Since it's a presumptuous request, then don't ask."
"..."
Ah Hei choked on his words. But thinking of how even His Majesty treated Li Yaoqing with special favor, he couldn't spit out the curses he wanted to hurl.
He hurriedly said, "Holy Maiden, hold on. I've waited in Azure Cloud Prefecture for a year, and it was actually on His Majesty's orders."
Li Yaoqing stared at him.
Seeing this kind of gaze, Ah Hei always felt a chilling dread.
Back when Li Yaoqing was in the imperial palace, she cured all the consorts' illnesses, including their hypocritical affectations.
He simply spoke frankly, "His Majesty ordered me to bring back Uncle Rain's corpse. He made a mistake, but His Majesty hasn't forgotten his hard work."
"His Majesty..."
Ah Hei gave a bitter smile.
"His Majesty said that when he returns to heaven, he wants Uncle Rain by his side."
Li Yaoqing frowned; she didn't understand.
At least in her view, Uncle Rain was an invader to their Li Clan. If Uncle Rain didn't die, their Li Clan would have to die. Furthermore, Uncle Rain was also a traitor to the Imperial Dynasty.
If the Human Emperor wanted to help Uncle Rain so badly, he could have just sent people to save him. Why this sudden display of deep affection between monarch and subject?
Her eldest brother always said she had long hair but short insight.
She touched her hair, waved over at the deep-in-thought Li Chang, and then glanced at Ah Hei.
"You talk to our Chang. Right, tell His Majesty that I won't be an imperial physician anymore. He can buy the Human Emperor's Pain Relief Elixir at our family's merchant guild."
"..." Seeing Li Yaoqing's departing figure, the center of Ah Hei's brows darkened.
Hundreds of years have passed, and you've stolen all the spiritual medicines in the imperial palace, and now you're saying this?
"You're going to live a long time, really." Ah Hei's temper completely vanished.
Subsequently, Li Chang arrived in front of Ah Hei.
Ah Hei was not so polite anymore; he raised his chin, flew a bit higher, and looked down at Li Chang's pretty-boy face.
For decades, rumors had spread throughout the Imperial Dynasty that Li Chang was the Empress's paramour.
Everyone in the Imperial Capital had to give this kid face, which made Ah Hei look down on him the most.
He just relied on his good looks; what was the big deal? He, Ah Hei, had those too!
He then said coldly, "I want Uncle Rain's remains."
Ah Hei secretly rejoiced in his heart. Being able to speak like Li Yaoqing felt really good.
"You may," Li Chang smiled faintly.
Such an easy agreement startled Ah Hei, but he didn't delay. He immediately turned around, intending to take the remains.
However, he suddenly heard Li Chang's slighting voice from behind: "Commander Ah Hei, did you forget to leave something behind?"
Ah Hei's expression changed, but he didn't dare to turn his head.
"What? Leave what behind? What else do you want me to leave behind?"
Li Chang raised an eyebrow.
"I'm guessing that Commander Ah Hei came under His Majesty's orders.
The Emberwing Guard belongs to the Grand Preceptor, but the Grand Preceptor had you stay in the Imperial Capital to protect His Majesty.
Moreover, I often met with the Grand Preceptor in the Heavenly Prison and never heard him mention this. Therefore, it could only be His Majesty's order."
"So what if it was His Majesty's order?" Ah Hei gnashed his teeth.
"Though it may be highly disrespectful, based on my understanding of His Majesty, he is magnanimous and profoundly knows how much our Li Clan lacks a corpse like Uncle Rain's.
Looking at it now, generation after generation of power-holders have harmed our Li Clan.
His Majesty would absolutely not seize it by force; otherwise, he would be driving our Li Clan into a corner."
Li Chang spoke softly with his hands behind his back.
"Commander Ah Hei, you protected the Li Clan this year and didn't interfere in the battle with Uncle Rain. His Majesty obviously calculated today's outcome.
Since that is the case, His Majesty should also have given an explanation.
Presumably, he had Commander Ah Hei bring something here, at least something that wouldn't leave our Li Clan dissatisfied."
"..."
The black lines between Ah Hei's brows formed deep creases.
In the past in the Imperial Capital, he only knew this guy as a pretty boy; who would have thought he could see through everything so completely? He let out a cold snort, "No."
"Then you may take the remains away, and I will send a message to His Majesty."
"You dare?!!"
"I'll also send a message to the Grand Preceptor while I'm at it."
"I... you..."
"I will go to the imperial court to file a complaint."
Li Chang raised his head. The next moment, Ah Hei was already right in front of him.
Li Chang's nose almost bumped into Ah Hei's. He hurriedly leaned back, only to see that the face beneath Ah Hei's veil was twisted, making the mask itself contort.
Clearly, his expression was distorted to the extreme.
His left hand grabbed Li Chang's collar, while his right hand formed a fist with the index finger extended, pointing right at Li Chang's nose.
His words were squeezed out through gritted teeth: "I guarded Azure Cloud Prefecture for over a year for nothing. Even if I don't have merits, I still have hard work!"
"The item His Majesty bestowed must be very precious," Li Chang said with a serious expression.
"Don't you ever fall into my fucking hands, kid! Otherwise, when Wenren Xianyi kisses you, even she will feel you're unclean!" Ah Hei was enraged to the extreme.
"I can also file a complaint about this matter. By the way, you can have Uncle Rain's remains, but our Li Clan will keep the treasures on his body."
"Hehe," Ah Hei sneered.
Then, he tossed a spatial ring into Li Chang's embrace.
When Ah Hei left with Uncle Rain's remains, he only left behind a devastated Li Chang.
His clothes were disheveled, and his hair had been rubbed into a bird's nest by Ah Hei.
At the edge of this place.
The cultivators hiding in the shadows saw the Old Tree that had revealed its true form, the departing cultivators of Azure Cloud Prefecture, and the distancing Ah Hei.
Every single one of them left weighed down by heavy hearts.
The crowd in Azure Cloud Prefecture was suddenly shocked.
Following Uncle Rain's death, heavy rain drifted down, and a blue gate opened in the sky above the City of Merit.
"Omm!"
A flying sword resonated from the Sword Pavilion, tearing through the sky like morning light.
This flying sword pierced through the light rain drifting over Azure Cloud Prefecture and stabbed into the Dao Gate.
A Dao rhythm that moistened and nourished the world washed over the entire Azure Cloud Prefecture anew.
Li Wei flew in the sky above the City of Merit, calmly watching Sword Venerable Drizzle step into the Dao Gate step by step.
An almighty figure who could once be called a god had fallen.
Another person stepped into his Great Dao. Li Wei couldn't help but sigh with deep emotion.
Amidst his thoughts.
Li Yaoqing, who had already sent Ah Tie back for treatment, arrived by Li Wei's side.
Li Wei still had time remaining in the mortal realm, so he couldn't waste his Family Will Points.
He only heard Li Yaoqing say respectfully, "Old Ancestor, he is born."
"The Nirvana Sage Elder has been born."
Li Wei's expression turned odd.
Turning his head, he glanced towards a direction in Azure Cloud Prefecture.
Over there, a new life had been reincarnated and born.
Unable to open his eyes, he let out his first clear cry of returning to the mortal realm.
---
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