Sheng Fu

Chapter 1079 The King of Ping's True Intentions

The human palace.

Upon returning, perhaps moved by Li Xiunian's integrity, or perhaps touched by the return to the old plum grove, Yuwen Jun's mind softened, and his aura merged seamlessly with the myriad principles of heaven and earth. Subconsciously, he began to meditate and cultivate in the Taoist temple of the Human King's Palace.

Yuwen Jun has now reached the late stage of the Returning Origin Realm.

Since accidentally cultivating the Chaos Emperor Qi, Yuwen Jun's cultivation speed has surpassed that of the past. Every move he makes, every moment, is accompanied by the surging Chaos Emperor Qi within his body.

Normally, Yuwen Jun rarely paid attention to these things, because he was busy with government affairs and the situation was turbulent, and he was never able to calm down and properly cultivate.

Tonight, our hearts are in sync; it's destined to be a wonderful night.

As for when he could cultivate to the peak of the Returning to Origin realm, Yuwen Jun had never thought about such things.

To achieve the fastest pace of spiritual cultivation, one must constantly experience life-and-death battles on the battlefield, and engage in meticulous and profound insights into the moments of life and death. Only then can one break through the many shackles that limit one's daily life.

But that's risky. Sometimes you feel like you're about to break through a barrier, but the enemy is just as fierce and valiant.

On the battlefield, countless soldiers, after touching the threshold of breaking through, met a tragic end under the enemy's sword.

……

Nothing happened all night.

The next day, early in the morning.

Yuwen Jun walked out of the temple with satisfaction.

This was also the first time he had conducted such a detailed cultivation in the Daoist temple of the Human King's Palace. The chaotic imperial energy in his body surged up again. Although he was not close to the peak of returning to the origin, his understanding of the Dao and the law was naturally better than before, and so was his killing power.

Inside the main hall, the butler, Qu Li, had already arranged for the kitchen to prepare a sumptuous breakfast.

Yuwen Jun walked slowly through the corridor on the side of the courtyard toward the inner hall. A thin layer of mist still lingered on the lake in the courtyard, and the koi carp in the water were only wriggling slowly. Although the scenery was beautiful, this was not a place where Yuwen Jun felt at ease.

Upon entering the inner hall, Yuwen Jun looked at the dishes on the table. He couldn't say he had a great appetite, nor could he say he had no appetite at all. In short, it was just an ordinary breakfast.

After breakfast, Yuwen Jun leaned back in his chair, enjoying the beautiful woman's graceful singing and dancing. There were his favorite fruits and snacks on the table. He wondered if he would have a happy and joyful day.

Unfortunately, the good times didn't last long, and someone came to visit.

Qu Li approached Yuwen Jun and bowed deeply, saying, "Your Highness, Prince Ping has arrived."

Yuwen Jun was slightly taken aback and asked curiously, "What is he doing here?"

Qu Li looked slightly flustered, wondering if Prince Ping's visit had disturbed Yuwen Jun's leisurely mood. He carefully considered his words and said, "I don't know, but to visit so early in the morning, there must be something quite important."

Yuwen Jun nodded slightly and said, "Let him come."

Qu Li turned and went down to greet Prince Ping. Yuwen Jun looked at the girls singing and dancing, and thought to himself when he could have Jing Peiyao wear a cool dress and be extremely charming and alluring in front of him.

Jing Peiyao is a resolute woman with a firm Daoist heart. If one can maintain this, it will naturally be a great pleasure in life.

However, Yuwen Jun also knew that this was impossible.

It is precisely because it is impossible that we can feel extremely proud and happy if it were to be realized.

With a slight wave of her hand, the dancer slowly and deliberately withdrew.

A moment later, Prince Ping arrived.

She was also carrying gifts in her hand.

Upon seeing this, Yuwen Jun looked puzzled and asked, "What is the reason for this?" King Ping was not angry at Yuwen Jun's lazy and carefree appearance. Many formalities were meaningless to this young dragon prince.

Prince Ping placed the gift box on the table with both hands and said with a gentle expression, "I would be grateful if Your Highness would be so kind as to help us with the joint efforts of the human race and the spirit race to mine resources in the demon realm."

"I have come today to thank Your Highness."

"This is a small gift; please accept it with a smile."

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Jun subconsciously looked at the gift box.

If King Ping could call it a meager gift, it meant it was definitely not a meager gift at all.

The dragon's eyes were like torches, and the gift box was filled with gold notes, estimated to be no less than a million gold coins.

Yuwen Jun immediately looked at Prince Ping with a suspicious expression and asked, "Where did you get so much money?"

King Ping replied tactfully, "The throne is hereditary and has been passed down through generations. I have also run many businesses in private, and there is still some stock in my household."

"If we were to give Your Highness any other gifts, they would be rather inadequate. But money is different. With this money, Your Highness can build more Hengchang Academy, take better care of the people, and reward the soldiers."

"I have always been an honest man, Your Highness. I hope you will forgive my ignorance."

Yuwen Jun chuckled and quickly poured tea and water for the Prince of Ping, saying, "You are so thoughtful; I really like this gift."

"However, even if it were hereditary and accumulated over generations, it would be difficult to amass such a large sum of silver. Could there be some influence from the abuse of power involved?"

Yuwen Jun was not a corrupt official. His way of making money relied entirely on his own abilities, such as occupying the auspicious land of Henglong Mountain, developing trade through his personal connections, and the support of powerful families like the Guo family.

Overall, Yuwen Jun had heard about the ways officials made money, but he was not clear about the specifics.

Having said all that, King Ping smiled awkwardly and, after much thought, decided to tell the truth.

King Ping said with great embarrassment, "If I said there was no power involved, it would obviously be unworthy of the title of King Ping. However, our lineage as a whole is relatively clean and honest."

"At most, some local officials have given us some conveniences, but these minor conveniences are beyond the reach of ordinary people."

"Adding in my salary, occasional income, and social obligations, all these things together have led to this amount of savings. In fact, there are many accounts that even I can't keep track of."

Yuwen Jun smiled and gave Prince Ping a thumbs up, saying, "Honest man, you are an honest man. I have heard a legend, but I don't know if it is true or not. I would appreciate it if you could answer my question."

Prince Ping nodded humbly and said, "Please enlighten me, Your Highness."

Yuwen Jun took a slight breath and said, "I have heard that the wealth of so-called wealthy merchants is only a drop in the ocean compared to that of corrupt officials. Is this true or false?"

"The accumulated wealth of aristocratic families is even more substantial, but they simply keep it very well hidden."

Prince Ping paused, looking suspicious, and said, "I thought Your Highness knew, but I didn't expect Your Highness to be unaware of these things."

Yuwen Jun smiled awkwardly and said, "Sometimes I'm so focused on taking drastic measures against powerful families that I really don't know anything about the specific accounts. I apologize for making you laugh."

King Ping was momentarily stunned, touched by Yuwen Jun's frankness.

“Actually, this statement is correct,” King Ping replied with utmost restraint.

A sinister glint flashed in Yuwen Jun's eyes.

King Ping added, "But many accounts are actually difficult to investigate. Some accounts involve historical gaps, and some accounts have been smoothed over over time."

"If we're talking about evidence, there are actually many accounts and cases that are unverifiable."