Chapter 85 - 82: An Unfettered Return
After touring the mainland of Great Chen, Chen Ye took a boat out to sea. First, he visited the island nations that had been brought into the empire’s territory. Then, he sailed a small skiff to even more distant, unknown waters, seeking out Martial Dao civilizations completely different from those of the Central Plains.
Time flew by, and another ten years passed.
On this day, a travel-worn traveler appeared on the bustling streets of the Capital City.
He wore common linen clothes and had an average appearance, drawing no attention.
No one could have imagined that this seemingly ordinary merchant was Chen Ye, the man who had single-handedly founded the Great Chen Dynasty and was revered by later generations as the Emperor of the Ages.
After many years of traveling abroad, he had finally returned on a whim to see the place where it all began.
The Capital City before him was several times more prosperous than when he had left. The streets teemed with people and carriages, a picture of a golden age.
’It seems that son of mine has done a decent job.’
Chen Ye had no intention of returning to the Imperial Palace.
He knew that for all these years, both his son the Emperor and the entire imperial court had been sparing no effort to find him, but he really didn’t want to go back to that kind of tedious life.
Chen Ye then took up residence in the Capital City, spending his days drinking tea and listening to music, living a life of leisure and contentment.
Half a year passed like this. On this day, Chen Ye found a tea stall by the roadside. He ordered a pot of coarse tea and a plate of pastries, then began sipping his tea while admiring the bustling street scene.
Just then, a few muffled cannon shots suddenly echoed from the direction of the Imperial City.
The entire tea stall, and indeed the whole street, fell silent in an instant.
Everyone’s face showed shock and sorrow.
"Is that... the funeral cannon for a Prince’s passing?"
"Heavens, which Prince could it be..."
Soon, a fast horse was seen galloping from the direction of the Imperial City. The rider’s hoarse voice carried throughout the street.
"King Wu’an is dead!"
Chen Ye’s hand, holding his teacup, paused mid-air.
Because this King Wu’an was none other than Wang Xing, who had followed him for many years.
’He’s dead?’
Chen Ye was stunned for a moment, then let out a long sigh.
’Time... truly is the fairest, and most ruthless, Law in the world.’
Decades had passed. People had grown old, and old friends were like autumn leaves in the wind, scattering one by one.
Leaving money for the tea, Chen Ye stood up and walked toward the Wu’an Prince’s Mansion.
Before he even got close, he could see a sea of people in front of the Prince’s Mansion. Countless commoners had come of their own accord, wanting to see this Prince, who had rendered illustrious military service to Great Chen, on his final journey.
Chen Ye passed through the crowd and entered the mansion.
Inside the mourning hall, everything was draped in white.
An old man with graying hair, but whose figure was still tall and straight, stood before the memorial altar, staring blankly at the white-draped courtyard.
It was Meng Xu.
His father, Meng Yi, had passed away from old age more than twenty years ago.
Now, it was finally their generation’s turn.
Meng Xu was filled with emotion. Just as he was about to step forward to offer a stick of incense for his old brother, the corner of his eye caught sight of an ordinary-looking merchant who had appeared in the mourning hall at some point. The man was quietly gazing at Wang Xing’s memorial tablet.
Meng Xu froze. His alertness as the Grand Commander of the Imperial Guard made him subconsciously want to shout out a challenge.
But just then, the merchant seemed to sense his gaze. He slowly turned his head and gave him a slight smile.
Just one look.
Meng Xu felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His whole body began to tremble violently, and his eyes instantly turned red.
That smile, those eyes...
’He would never forget them, even in death!’
’It’s... it’s him!’
Meng Xu was so agitated he almost cried out, but he forced the words back down his throat. He just stood where he was, hands respectfully lowered, not even daring to breathe loudly.
Chen Ye walked to the memorial altar, picked up three sticks of incense, lit them, and placed them in the incense burner. Then, without turning his head, he asked.
"How have you all been recently?"
THUD!
Meng Xu could no longer hold back. He dropped heavily to his knees, his voice choked with sobs. "We’re... we’re all fine. It’s just that the Empress Dowager, His Majesty, and all of us... we’ve missed you so much..."
"All meetings must eventually end." Chen Ye waved his hand, cutting him off. "I saw on my way back. My son has done a fine job, and the realm is peaceful. Now that I’ve seen you, I have no regrets."
"But..."
Meng Xu was about to say something more, but he saw Chen Ye take a single step and vanish from the mourning hall into thin air.
Only a single sentence was left, slowly echoing in the empty hall.
"Guard this realm well. Don’t forget why we started all this."
"Your Majesty!"
Meng Xu chased out of the mourning hall but found no trace of Chen Ye. Tears streamed down his face as he fell to his knees, kowtowing heavily toward the sky several times.
Soon after, atop the highest peak outside the Capital City, Chen Ye stood with his hands clasped behind his back. He took one last look down at the magnificent city, the culmination of half a lifetime of his blood and sweat.
’No more attachments to this mortal world.’
’It’s time to go.’
With a thought, the Boat of the Other Shore in his Sea of Consciousness burst forth with a brilliant light.
In the next instant, Chen Ye felt the ground beneath his feet disappear as the surrounding scenery receded like a tide.
Then, a series of scenes flashed rapidly before his eyes.
From the desperate flight from Cyan Bamboo Mountain, to the patient endurance as a conscripted laborer in Pingyang Town; from the earth-shattering blow of a hurled boulder on the battlefield, to the fearless, bloody struggle before the commander’s banner; from the swift and decisive rule over Great Liang, to the imperial majesty of unifying the world...
Finally, the images settled on the prosperous scene of the Capital City.
These images transformed into the purest form of nourishment and were completely absorbed by the Boat of the Other Shore beneath his feet.
The small canoe, which could originally hold only one person, swelled in the wind, transforming in the blink of an eye into an imposing and ornately decorated Tower Ship!
The magnificence of this Tower Ship far surpassed that of his first return!
This was the Boat of the Other Shore’s extremely high evaluation of his life.
Immediately after, Chen Ye felt his body lighten. Flashes of light flickered before his eyes, and the Professions flashed past in sequence: from bandits to Military Warriors, and then to Army-breaking Captain and National Guardian Dragon General.
Finally, the light condensed into three words: Divine-Seeing Grandmaster!
Chen Ye’s heart shook, and he was immediately overjoyed.
’I did it!’
’As expected, the evaluation was extremely high. I even managed to bring the Divine-Seeing Grandmaster back with me.’
Just then, Chen Ye felt himself enter the Tower Ship, which then carried him into the vast river ahead that flowed through the endless void.
Although he had seen it once before, Chen Ye was still profoundly shaken when he saw this River of Fate, formed by the convergence of countless tributaries and flowing into the infinite distance.
At that moment, the Tower Ship suddenly plunged downward. Chen Ye was startled and promptly opened his eyes.
Before him was the familiar Pearl Collection Ship.
He was sitting in the ship’s cabin, and his hair wasn’t even dry yet.
The memories of several decades began to blur. This was a measure to protect Chen Ye’s mind from being overwhelmed.
After all, with so many transmigrations in his future, if the memories of every world remained crystal clear, Chen Ye would go mad after just a few.
Chen Ye let out a long breath, first steadying his Heart Spirit, then immediately opened the system panel.