I am about to die of old age, and I have awakened the character of longevity.

Chapter 139: National Seal, the Power of National Destiny!
Not right.

There's something wrong with that talisman...

In the future, when absorbing faith energy and immortal energy, you must be extra careful and not absorb too much at once. Otherwise, if something like this happens again... that would be bad.

This time it's three months, what if next time it takes three to five years... or even ten to twenty years... what will happen then?

In addition, this time Su Yuqing arranged for Liu Chun to guard outside the door.

What if there is no one to protect you next time and a thief rushes in and stabs you to death?
Although a long life is good, it should still be used with caution.

After this incident, Xie An had a special feeling about the Taoist talisman, and vaguely felt that this talisman was not that simple.

When he first awakened the longevity character, Xie An simply thought it was a panel similar to proficiency, but later the longevity character began to absorb the immortal energy... Xie An felt that this fate was not simple.

Nowadays, the longevity character can also absorb the energy of faith.

What exactly is faith energy, how does it come about, how can it be obtained... Xie An didn't quite understand it.

Moreover, when Xie An saw the true appearance of the Taoist talisman, his spirit only stayed next to it for a short while... but it was three months outside.

He couldn't help but think, what is the relationship between the Taoist talisman and the longevity character?
And those big scarlet eyes look a bit scary no matter how you look at them.

Because there was too little information to refer to, Xie An was unable to figure out the truth, so he shook his head and stopped thinking about it.

A cheat that awakened on its own won't harm me, right?
"School?"

Liu Chun said, "Yes. Ever since the guillotine incident, Lord Su ordered the construction of a school under the name of the Demon Suppression Division. They also said the school didn't need to be too large; they could just use wood. So, they built it right where it was. Now, children from several surrounding towns go there, and it's bustling with activity."

"Thank you, Brother Chun. I'll go take a look."

"By the way, how did you deal with those four old men?"

"I'm starving..."

"..."

After bidding farewell to Liu Chun, Xie An walked through the corridors, looking at the students training hard in the martial arts field, the instructors practicing attentively, the busy pharmacy, the library, the weapons shop...

Everything was just as it was when Xie An first arrived at the hall.

Do not!
It is even more lively than before, and every child is in good spirits.

This made Xie An feel relieved.

The scene of first following Zhang Lin here and meeting Lin Yun and Wei Dian emerged in my mind.

Before I knew it, four years had passed.

Things are wrong.

Xie An stopped in the corridor and looked at the courtyard where Wei Dian had originally settled. He was lost in thought and muttered in his heart:

"Brother Wei, are you okay now?"

Although four years have passed, the image of Wei Dian riding away on horseback that day is still imprinted in Xie An's mind and cannot be erased.

Moreover, Wei Dian was of great help to him.

But... for the selfless kindness bestowed upon me.

Heavy Mountain Knife, Jingjin Pill...

These things are naturally not precious to Xie An now, but back then... they were the key to Xie An's rise in martial arts.

"Thank you, Master."

A passing disciple greeted Xie An.

Xie An finally came to his senses and smiled in response.

Someone spoke, and the young men nearby all looked over and called out to Master Xie.

Xie An was not arrogant and responded to the calls one after another. As he walked along, he saw the disciples hailing him. When passing by the martial arts training ground, the instructor even stopped to practice, and dozens of disciples also stopped practicing, looking at Xie An with fervent eyes and calling out "Master Xie".

Xie An waved his hand, signaling everyone to continue practicing, and then walked straight out of the courtyard.

Xie An, who had extraordinary senses, could also hear the discussions of his disciples behind him.

"Master Xie, in order to seek justice for the villagers, joined forces with the Demon Suppression Division to publicly execute the son of the King of Huainan. Such bravery! He is a true role model for warriors of my generation."

"That's right. We practice martial arts so that we can help others when we encounter injustice. Master Xie is a great hero."

"One day I want to be a hero like Master Xie."

"..."

Xie An felt a headache after hearing this.

He didn't really think it was a heroic act; it was simply a matter of conscience. Furthermore... he was able to do this because of the eldest princess.

Even so, Xie An estimated that... after the matter of Dayin Mountain was understood and the eldest princess left, he would have to flee to the ends of the earth.

The price is actually quite high.

But Xie An did not regret it.

Who made him experience that fire firsthand?

After leaving the hall, Xie An saw a crowd of people queuing at the door, and Wang Xiang was sitting next to the table, responsible for registration and collecting money.

"Boss, you're finally here."

When Wang Xiang saw Xie An, he quickly put down his wolf-hair brush and came forward. "Ever since the leader killed Li Xiaoting three months ago, more and more people have come to join our sect."

As he spoke, he patted the heavy cloth bag in his hand and said, "My hands are numb from collecting cash."

Xie An was also infected by Wang Xiang's happy smile and said with a consoling smile: "Well done, you continue. I will go to the school."

"Okay." Wang Xiang was naturally full of energy because he had money to collect. He returned to the table and sat down, calling out to the group, "Don't crowd, come one by one. Anyone who is healthy can join the group."

Xie An walked through the crowd and came to the other side of the street.

I saw that in the area where the houses had been burned by the sea of ​​fire, rows of new wooden houses had been erected. Although they were not as sturdy as the houses with blue bricks and black tiles, they had their own style and were very exquisite.

The school was particularly impressive, with a plaque hanging above the entrance, inscribed with three large characters: "Shuideng Shuwu."

There was no guard at the door, the gate was open and anyone could come in and out.

Some older village women and farmers also went in to join in the fun, trying to learn a few words and listen to a few words from the teacher.

Some villagers recognized Xie An, hurriedly made way for him, and came forward to greet him enthusiastically.

"Thank you, Master."

"If it weren't for Master Xie, this school wouldn't be able to open."

"Thank you, Master, for doing such a great thing for the area around Shuideng Town."

"Thank you, Master. Have you recovered from your last burn?"

"..."

Feeling the enthusiasm of the villagers, Xie An felt very relieved and responded with a smile, indicating that his injuries were no longer a problem.

"Thank you, Master, you are finally here."

A resounding voice echoed, and the crowd parted. Zheng Bingxiang approached with a cane, eagerly grasping Xie An's arm. "You've done a great thing for Shuideng Town, and everyone remembers your kindness. A while ago, the villagers were clamoring to bring gifts to thank you, but when they heard you were in seclusion, they didn't bother. So, we all pooled some money and planned to host a banquet for the academy. We're waiting for Master Xie to attend."

Although Xie An was relieved, he was not very happy.

The villagers were unaware of the hidden dangers.

He raised his head and looked at a group of young men who were reading aloud in a pavilion in the distance. These young men were wearing tattered clothes, some of which were covered with patches.

Su Yuqing held a book in his hand and gave lectures to everyone.

Lang Lang's voice is particularly pleasant.

Even though Xie An was standing far away, he still felt a long-lost sense of tranquility and peace.

"Mr. Zheng, if everyone has the opportunity to learn to read and write, then they have the possibility to change their fate and become successful. This is a good thing.

"Let's forget about the banquet. It would be better to save the money for the school. Buy some writing brushes, inkstones, or hire teachers so that more children can have the opportunity to study."

As soon as these words were spoken, the villagers around looked at Xie An with awe.

Zheng Bingxiang was also full of admiration in his heart. Realizing Xie An's determination, he obeyed and said, "Thank you for your generosity, Master. I will do as you say."

"Thank you, Mr. Zheng."

Xie An bowed slightly to Zheng Bingxiang, then walked to the edge of the pavilion, where he noticed many adults gathered around to listen. Su Yuqing, who was in the classroom, also noticed Xie An but didn't respond. She continued lecturing for a full half hour before dismissing the get out of class.

The children and teenagers rushed out of the school in great joy, holding their parents' hands and going home. Some sensible adults would take their children to Xie An to express their gratitude.

Some children, six or seven years old, spoke in baby voices. When Xie An saw a cute and friendly child, he would pinch their pink cheeks and offer words of encouragement. After the crowd dispersed, Su Yuqing slowly approached and whispered, "You're quite popular now. Everyone who sees you has to call you Master Xie."

Xie An smiled bitterly: "Without the kindness of the Princess, this school would not be able to be run. The one that everyone should be most grateful to is you."

Su Yuqing said calmly, "Scholars value self-cultivation and self-improvement. I like this kind of atmosphere, and it can also be said that it is for my own selfish reasons. In fact, you should also read more. It can cultivate your temperament."

Xie An: “…”

In my previous life, I studied for more than ten years for the college entrance examination... I finally got rid of it...

However, when Xie An heard Su Yuqing call herself a concubine again, he had a special feeling.

Logically speaking, Su Yuqing's claim to be a concubine in order to hide her identity was fine. After all, she was also half a Jianghu person.

But now, not to mention Xie An, many senior officials in Qingwu County know about it.

She actually still calls herself "concubine" instead of "this palace"...

Generally speaking, when a princess reaches this position, she usually calls herself "Ben Gong" in public. Only when facing the emperor and the elders of the clan would she modestly call herself "Qi Shen".

Xie An couldn't help but look up at the woman in front of him. He saw that she was elegant, yet humble and gentle. The word "concubine" gave her a sense of the free and easy spirit of the Jianghu, and also a sense of being able to let go of others and live on equal terms for the rest of her life.

An indescribable feeling.

After recovering from his shock, Xie An said, "The princess is right."

Seeing Xie An's agreement, Su Yuqing became interested in talking. "Although Daqian was founded on military power, to govern this world well, we must read, enlighten the ignorant, and continue the teachings of the sages. Once everyone has gained wisdom, they will be able to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, and understand the black and white of the universe. Then, everyone in the world will understand reason, forming a surging trend. This will become a sharp sword hanging over the emperor's head, constantly warning him. Only in this way can Daqian achieve long-term peace and stability."

When Xie An listened to these words, he always felt that the eldest princess had long-term thoughts, which somewhat exceeded the standards of a feudal dynasty.

Thinking of this, Xie An couldn't help but look at the woman again.

She has changed back into women's clothing and is no longer pretending.

She must have known her identity was exposed after the guillotine incident three months ago. Although the villagers didn't know where she came from, the county officials and the evil cultists in Dayin Mountain... surely knew about it.

There is no need to hide.

Or perhaps, she had revealed her true identity to the demon and the King of Huainan, with the intention of intimidating them and preventing arson and the like from happening again.

After finishing the book discussion, Su Yuqing turned back to look at Xie An, "You've been in seclusion for three months. Are you feeling well?"

"Thank you, Princess, for your protection. I am not feeling unwell."

"That's good. Yes, three months ago, Li Changchun went to Nanzhou City to look for the King of Huainan. He hasn't returned yet."

Xie An immediately realized the problem. "Li Xiaoting came here on behalf of the King of Huainan to discuss cooperation with Dayinshan... He died tragically on the way, and the bridge collapsed. So Li Changchun went to see the King of Huainan himself?"

Su Yuqing said "hmm".

Xie An: "The Prince of Huainan... after all, he is the King of the Other Side of Daqian, holding a high position and great power. He knew that the Corpse Refining Hall was a cult... why did he act so rebelliously? Aren't you afraid of incurring the wrath of His Majesty Jingtai?"

Su Yuqing snorted softly, "You know everything, so my father naturally knows it too. Do you think the King of Huainan is so easy to deal with? How do you think he got the title of King of the Opposite Sex?"

As the officialdom was complicated, Xie An stopped asking questions and was not very interested.

Su Yuqing continued, "It's not that easy to move the King of Huainan. He Nanfeng, the second-highest martial arts master in Nanzhou, has become his advisor. Moreover, although the Mingyu Gong can't grant immortality, it can restore youth... who wouldn't want that?"

Xie An understood.

What I thought about, the King of Huainan naturally thought about as well.

Thinking of this, Xie An stood up and asked, "When does the princess plan to take action against the Corpse Refining Hall?"

Su Yuqing chuckled and said, "You finally asked. I thought you were going to keep silent.

When you are able to break the big bronze bell, it will be time for me to take action."

"How can I break the big bronze bell?"

Su Yuqing said, "Don't worry. You only have one chance to attack. If you can't break it in one go, you'll be in trouble."

"Why is this?"

"This agreement was originally engraved by He Nanfeng, representing the royal family and the Demon Suppression Prefecture. It is a common agreement. To break it rashly... would be a violation. However, outsiders do not know my intentions, so if I break it once and for all, it will be broken. If I fail to break it and cause a stir among all parties, then... I will be powerless. All the hard work I have put in place for over twenty years will be wasted."

Xie An felt a lot of pressure.

The eldest princess had been planning for more than 20 years, and she was betting everything on herself.

Sensing that Xie An was under a lot of pressure, Su Yuqing said, "I see you even dared to kill Li Xiaoting, you are not someone who is afraid of trouble. Don't worry about disappointing me. I chose you, so even if you lose, I should bear all the consequences."

Xie An didn't expect that this princess was so considerate...

But the more this happened, the more pressure Xie An felt.

If she is a heartless and ungrateful woman, then if she fails, then she fails...there is no need to feel guilty.

Xie An quickly adjusted his mindset and turned serious. "Don't worry, Princess. I will definitely do my best. But... I have never seen the big bronze bell, nor the national seal, let alone felt the national destiny contained therein... If there is only one chance, shouldn't I go and see it in person?"

Su Yuqing shook her head. "Although Li Changchun is gone, the High Priestess is still in Dayin Mountain. She has already cultivated the Mingyu Gong to over 19th level, comparable to a martial arts master. If I were to enter the mountain, I would be discovered. And you've been targeted by the High Priestess and Li Changchun. Rashly climbing the mountain alone... would be tantamount to committing suicide."

Xie An frowned.

No information reference... One chance...

This is undoubtedly hellish difficulty.

But on second thought, Xie An felt that the princess was not such a person without a plan, so he asked: "Does the princess have any other ideas?"

"follow me."

The matter was of great importance, so Xie An did not dare to be careless. He followed Su Yuqing out of the school and returned to the backyard of the courtyard in the hall.

Click.

Su Yuqing closed the courtyard door and led Xie An into a room where all the sundries were stored. However, the room was empty except for a bronze stele about one meter high and half a meter wide.

The surface of the bronze tablet was very flat and smooth, and it must have been cut from a single piece. A seal was stamped in the center, about the size of two palms, and inside it were eight eye-catching characters:
If you receive orders from Heaven, you will live a long and prosperous life!
Xie An was stunned for a moment.

These eight characters are actually the same as the imperial seal carved by the First Emperor in his previous life?
Xie An knew the history of his previous life.

The Imperial Seal is important... and it is indeed important:

Ever since the First Emperor unified the six kingdoms and established his rule over the world, and created this imperial seal, subsequent emperors have been desperate to obtain it, as if only this seal could represent legitimacy, legitimacy, and the destiny of the country, and could protect the dynasty for thousands of years.

It's not important, it's not important:

When Wang Mang usurped the throne in the late Western Han Dynasty, Empress Xiaoyuan of the Han Dynasty broke a piece of the jade seal, which was later repaired with gold. Later, Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Liu Xiu, obtained the jade seal and it was passed down from generation to generation.

However, during the Five Dynasties period, the deposed emperor of the Later Tang Dynasty, Li Congke, burned himself to death with the imperial seal... and the imperial seal that had been passed down for a thousand years was lost.

Subsequent dynasties devised alternatives. The Song dynasty created the "Great Song Mandate Seal" as a replacement. The Yuan dynasty created the "Yuan Chuan Guo Xi" as a replacement. The Ming and Qing dynasties also created their own replacements.

Even if homemade substitutes were made, subsequent dynasties all developed normally, and there was no such thing as a country's fortune lasting for thousands of years.

Of course, this was in the previous life, and it was scientific.

Xie An did not dare to make a conclusion about what the world was like.

Seeing Xie An looking at the eight words in shock, Su Yuqing asked, "Have you seen these eight words?"

Xie An recovered and quickly shook his head, "No. I was just quite shocked when I first saw the inscription on the jade seal."

Su Yuqing nodded, "Well, you are not an official, so you have never seen the imperial seal. Even ordinary officials cannot see it."

Xie An couldn't help but ask, "Is this stamped with the imperial seal?"

"Ah."

Xie An pointed at the raised steel seal on the bronze stele and asked, "How could a jade seal leave such a deep mark on a bronze stele?"

Su Yuqing snorted, "The Imperial Seal can suppress demons, so where can it not be used?"

Xie An secretly thought that the imperial seal in this world was really awesome...

Su Yuqing said, "I secretly used my father's imperial seal to seal this, and brought it out as a test."

Xie An secretly praised the eldest princess for being so awesome that she even dared to steal the imperial seal...

But at this moment, Xie An did not have time to think about it. "Test?"

Su Yuqing said, "This bronze tablet is the leftover scrap of a large bronze bell that Yuhe took from the ancient pagoda of the Corpse Refining Hall in her early years. If you can break this piece of copper, you can also break the large bronze bell."

Come on, give it a try."

Xie An couldn't help but admire the princess's meticulous planning.

However, the scraps of the big bronze bell are so big, so how big should the big bronze bell be?

No wonder she wanted Yuhe to hide in the Corpse Refining Hall... I haven't seen Yuhe for a long time recently, so I think she should be there. I wonder if she's doing well...

(End of this chapter)