Immortal after a Hundred Reincarnations

After all, he hadn’t remembered the exact proportions, so he could only experiment again and again.

Now, he had finally landed on a ratio that felt right, creating an Explosive Firepowder with decent power.

Of course, the Explosive Firepowder produced by such a crude method still couldn’t compare to modern explosives from Earth.

Still, Xu Lei felt that reaching this stage was already quite an accomplishment.

At least, while no one else knew you could use Gunpowder to blow people up, it should prove quite useful.

As for the raw materials, Xu Lei had naturally requested them from that old physician.

It wasn’t a large amount, but it was enough to experiment with for a while.

"What’s going on?"

Just then, Zhou Ya rushed in. "Immortal," she asked with concern, "are... are you alright?"

"Of course I’m fine."

Xu Lei emerged from the smoke, glanced at her coolly, and said, "So, how was your audience with the Emperor?

I thought that now that you’ve earned the Emperor’s favor, you’d stopped taking me seriously.

That you didn’t plan on coming back at all!

That you were going to stay in the palace for good!"

The house he was currently living in was one Xu Lei had bought himself after arriving in the Capital City.

After all, he needed to conduct experiments, and living in an inn was inconvenient.

Earlier today, Zhou Ya had finally been granted an audience with the Emperor.

And she hadn’t returned.

Xu Lei had thought she wasn’t planning on coming back.

"Of course not."

Zhou Ya said, "How could I?

It is only because of you that I am alive today.

I certainly know what I must do.

The Empress Dowager insisted on keeping me in the palace for a long talk.

But the outcome was good. After all, the evidence was irrefutable.

Now that the evidence has been presented, His Majesty is furious.

That King Ning won’t be running wild for much longer!"

As she finished, her voice filled with the exhilarating thrill of vengeance finally within her grasp.

Xu Lei, however, wasn’t so optimistic.

’After all, getting rid of a Vassal Prince isn’t that simple.’

’It would probably require dispatching troops.’

’And that King Ning has been making his own preparations.’

’If they sent troops now, would it cause other repercussions?’

’An Emperor would have many other factors to consider.’

’Things probably weren’t as simple as Zhou Ya imagined.’

Of course, Xu Lei didn’t know the specifics of King Ning’s strength or the Emperor’s current military power.

So he didn’t offer any commentary on the matter.

"Since that matter is settled,"

Xu Lei said, "then today, you should fulfill your promise and formally receive my Charitable Giving, shouldn’t you?"

A blush crept onto Zhou Ya’s pretty face.

"I... I should."

Then she bit her lip and said, "But, Immortal... well... I... it’s that time of the month.

Really, I’m not lying to you.

It’ll have to be in a few days."

"No matter."

Xu Lei nodded. "Then a few days it is.

Now, come here.

Serve me, just like before."

"Yes."

Zhou Ya obediently came forward, knelt, and said, "Thank you for your understanding, Immortal."

「A few days passed in the blink of an eye.」

Xu Lei continued his daily routine of Cultivation and Gunpowder research.

Although his Cultivation progress remained slow, he still persisted in his training for a while each day.

He had, as mentioned, already developed the Gunpowder.

But he could still continue experimenting to see if he could formulate a better ratio.

Beyond that,

he wanted to produce as much Gunpowder as possible, make Gunpowder Packages, and store them away.

That way, if he ever needed them, he could just pull them right out of his Qiankun Cloth Bag.

But on this particular day,

Xu Lei had just stepped out of his laboratory.

He saw Zhou Ya, just back from the palace again, walking through the estate with a dazed, lost expression.

"What’s wrong?"

Xu Lei asked, "Did the Emperor say he can’t move against King Ning rashly?

Told you to be patient?

That your father’s name can’t be cleared?

That you’ll even have to live in hiding?"

Hearing this, Zhou Ya looked up at Xu Lei, a trace of surprise in her beautiful eyes.

Clearly, Xu Lei had guessed correctly.

Zhou Ya said nothing.

Her silent answer was the large tears that began to stream down her face.

After all the hardships she had endured and all the effort she had put in, this was the result.

She naturally felt helpless and wronged.

"What are you crying for? There’s no need to cry."

But Xu Lei just said, "The Emperor won’t avenge you.

So I will!

He’s just one insignificant King Ning!

I’ll kill him for you!"

’In the past, Xu Lei wouldn’t have considered making a move against royalty and the Nobility.’

’He’d have avoided provoking them for fear of being surrounded and annihilated by a great army.’

’Or perhaps they had connections to other Cultivators, or were even descended from a Cultivator bloodline themselves!’

’Any of those possibilities could lead to unfavorable consequences.’

’All things to be avoided!’

’But what did Xu Lei have to fear now?’

’He had already created his Explosive Firepowder.’

’If he didn’t like someone, he’d just blow them up!’

"What? The Emperor won’t help me get my revenge, so you will?"

Zhou Ya was stunned. "Are... are you serious?

But didn’t you used to say that a man of detachment shouldn’t get involved in worldly affairs?

Besides, can a man of detachment like you really kill a Vassal Prince?"

She was truly shocked.

’If men of detachment were this powerful,’ she thought, ’wouldn’t they be the ones ruling the world?’

’What would the Emperor and the Vassal Princes even be fighting over?’

"The old me did indeed need to be cautious."

Xu Lei simply said, "But now, it’s not a problem.

In this entire world, there is no one I need to take seriously!

Never mind King Ning. Even if it were the Emperor, if I wanted him dead, I’d kill him!"

As he spoke, Xu Lei reached out and gripped Zhou Ya’s delicate white chin. He looked down at her, his voice cold and hard. "Stop crying.

That’s an order.

You are my woman now.

If you’re going to cry, it will only be because I’ve made you cry!

You are forbidden from crying over anything else!"

Unexpectedly, however, after hearing Xu Lei’s words, Zhou Ya’s tears only flowed faster.

And as she cried, she began to remove her clothes, revealing her delicate, youthful body—a tantalizing mix of innocence and allure—to the open air and to Xu Lei’s eyes.