Chapter 365: Chapter 365

News of Great Chu’s territorial losses reached Fan Li swiftly. However, with four of his bodies diligently cultivating, only his Great Jin clone remained to manage the myriad affairs of state.

“Your Majesty,” Hu Zongxian stepped forward and reported:

“The Great Ming has lost Hongzhou, and Great Chu, Xiongzhou. I’ve received intelligence that Emperor Jiajing personally executed the Tang envoy and dispatched Crown Prince Wanli to reclaim Hongzhou. As for Great Chu, it has been confirmed that the Later Jin forces have invaded.”

The officials of Great Jin, given Fan Li’s own imperial title, referred to Shi Jingtang’s forces occupying Xiongzhou as the “Later Jin.”

“A Later Jin envoy has also appeared in the Great Chu Imperial Palace, bearing a so-called sacred decree from the Celestial Emperor.”

“The decree explicitly states that all of Great Chu, from Emperor Xiang Chong down to his officials and commoners, should submit to the Later Jin Emperor, Shi Jingtang.”

“Xiang Chong should abdicate, retaining only the status of a commoner of the Later Jin.”

“As for the remaining officials of Great Chu, their fates will be determined on a case-by-case basis, either demoted to commoners or retained in service.”

Hu Zongxian’s intelligence came courtesy of the Fan Clan Trading Company. Fan Li, consumed by his cultivation recently, maximized his time in secluded practice, delegating intelligence gathering to Hu Zongxian.

“Oh?” Fan Li smiled upon hearing the report. “Shi Jingtang is quite audacious, isn’t he? Sending an envoy with such a message, is he truly seeking surrender, or is this a declaration of war?”

Even an incompetent ruler like Xiang Chong, Fan Li believed, wouldn't accept such humiliating terms of surrender without a fight.

“I’ve also heard that Xiang Chong was so angry that he ordered his Head Eunuch to apprehend the Later Jin envoy,” Hu Zongxian added.

“And what was the outcome?” Fan Li’s interest was piqued.

“The old eunuch, surnamed Chen, was no match for the Later Jin envoy. He suffered a crushing defeat and was gravely injured.”

“However, Bai Rong, the Empress of Chu, hidden in the shadows, seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, wounding the envoy. Despite his injuries, the Later Jin envoy escaped. No one in the Chu court could stop him.”

“Oh?” From this, Fan Li gleaned a rough estimate of the Later Jin envoy’s strength. Likely a high-ranking Unity Realm cultivator, but perhaps not yet Great Vehicle.

Strange. Very strange.

A Celestial Empire… Fan Li thought Shi Jingtang dispatching a Great Vehicle expert as an envoy would be reasonable. But that wasn't the case.

A high-ranking Unity Realm cultivator, though powerful, wasn't someone to be overly concerned about. Could it be that the Later Jin’s strength wasn’t as formidable as he had assumed?

Fan Li’s greatest concern was the possibility of these three Celestial Empires possessing power beyond the mortal realm, power on the level of immortals.

“Your servant is present.” Wang Ban, the third generation Guiguzi, stepped forward from the assembled officials.

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Inhabiting the body of his predecessor, Fan Li was already considered a brilliant young talent, a man of considerable learning. However, in terms of true scholarship and erudition, at least two individuals surpassed him. One was Lu Chunqiu. The other was Wang Ban.

“Chancellor,” Fan Li addressed Wang Ban with a serious expression. “Since the Qin Dynasty, are there any records of immortals descending to the mortal realm? Or any descriptions of the power of the immortal realm?”

He expected this question to stump Wang Ban, perhaps even leaving him speechless. But to his surprise, the Chancellor answered swiftly and decisively.

“Your Majesty, since Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s burning of books, records of ancient history are scarce.”

“However, through oral tradition, my Guiguzi lineage possesses knowledge far exceeding that of ordinary families.”

“As for the immortal realm, no clear records exist from ancient times to the present day.”

“The only universally acknowledged fact is that immortals transcend mortality and have unending lifespans.”

Immortality, an endless lifespan?

He shook his head. “Esteemed officials, if one were to achieve immortality, to enjoy eternal life, to what terrifying heights would their cultivation soar?”

His officials, understanding his unspoken question, knew he had more to say. Wang Ban, Hu Zongxian, and the others waited expectantly.

Fan Li continued, “Shi Jingtang, Li Yu, and their ilk are figures from the Warring States period. If they ascended to immortality then, thousands of years have passed. Why then, were their envoys so easily defeated, one killed, one injured?”

His words highlighted the crux of the matter. Emperor Jiajing effortlessly slaying the Tang envoy, and Bai Rong’s successful ambush of the Later Jin envoy… it was too strange. Weren’t these envoys supposed to be immortals, descended from the Heavenly Gate?

“Could it be… that cultivation is impossible in the immortal realm?” Huang Longshi murmured.

Hu Zongxian shook his head. “If cultivation were impossible in the immortal realm, wouldn't that make it inferior to the mortal world? Furthermore, the immortals’ endless lifespans prove the superiority of their realm.”

“Oh, right,” Huang Longshi conceded.

Fan Li smiled wryly. He had posed an unanswerable question. The secrets of the immortal realm, how could mortals possibly comprehend them? Unless… they asked an immortal directly?

“Is there truly a kingdom here?”

“Two cities! And a Golden Luan Palace, so magnificent, so grand! Truly… a sparrow may be small, but it possesses all the vital organs!”

As Fan Li and his officials discussed the matter, a melodious, seductive laughter echoed from the sky above the Golden Luan Palace. The laughter, though sweet and alluring, carried a hint of immense power, enough to make even Wang Ban’s expression turn serious.

“Your Majesty, be careful! It’s a Great Vehicle expert!” Wang Ban warned.

“Understood.” Fan Li nodded, grasping the Emperor’s Sword in one hand and the Imperial Seal in the other. Since reaching the Nascent Soul realm, he could wield these treasures. They were particularly effective for protection. However, the vast gap between Nascent Soul and Great Vehicle remained. Even with these imperial treasures, he doubted they could fully protect him.

‘Fortunately, this is only a clone.’

The thought had barely formed when a breathtakingly beautiful woman descended from the sky outside the Golden Luan Palace. Her features possessed a heroic air. She as prideful. Her attire was bold and alluring, even more so than the Pure Land’s Sage Ruler Miaoyin.

Fan Li, however, found her clothing strangely familiar, resembling the Tang Dynasty attire depicted in history books from his previous life.

“Who stands outside?” Fan Li called out.

“Oh?” The beautiful woman smiled as she glanced the assembled officials. Gradually, her expression turned serious.

Was that praise, or an insult?

Fan Li was uncertain. What level of power did she possess, to assess Wang Ban, Hu Zongxian, and the others with a single glance and deem them merely “not bad”?

“You are the Emperor?” She turned to Fan Li. “With such weak cultivation, you command their loyalty? It seems you are not only handsome, but also… a person of some ability.”

Hu Zongxian and the others shouted, but Fan Li silenced them with a wave of his hand. This newcomer was not to be underestimated. His low cultivation often drew scorn, but this woman, after assessing his strength, seemed… impressed. This insight alone spoke volumes.

“I am Shangguan Wan’er, Chancellor of Great Zhou, sent by His Imperial Majesty to gather four exceptional individuals – Wine, Sex, Wealth, and Power – to serve the Celestial Emperor.”

The woman introduced herself. The name, Shangguan Wan’er, was strangely familiar to Fan Li.

“You!” Shangguan Wan’er pointed at Fan Li.

“You are worthy of being one of the four. Come with me.”