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

Chapter 157: The ultimate gift, settling down!
Xie An's heart was beating a little fast, and he felt it would be better to calm down first.

So Xie An paused slightly as he was untying the laces.

At this pause, the hearts of the people around him immediately rose to their throats and they all looked at Xie An.

Zhao Qing'er urged, "Chief Xie, why did you stop?"

Xie An found an excuse, "The princess is so kind, I am so worried."

Zhao Qing'er agreed, "That's true... I've been with the Princess in Nanyang Prefecture for quite a while, and I've never seen her think so highly of someone."

Chen Tie said with a chuckle, "Thank you, brother, for helping the princess wipe out the Corpse Refining Hall. You have made an unparalleled contribution. No matter how much you reward me, it is well-deserved."

Xie An secretly sighed that Chen Tie was really good at talking, which made people feel very comfortable listening to him.

Only after he had completely calmed down did Xie An untie the ropes and slowly unfold the scroll.

In addition to a contract written on the scroll, a purple metal token half the size of a palm slid onto the table.

Everyone's pupils gradually dilated as the scroll unfolded.

hiss!
Zhao Qing'er and Wei Haoran gasped again, the sound even louder than last time.

Zhao Qing'er, in particular, could no longer remain calm. "This is the identity token personally handed down by the Taiyi Dao Sect Leader. It has his name engraved on it, as well as the Taiyi Dao totem and the Sect Leader's personal seal!
This is an honor that countless martial artists dream of. Back then, my father sought the honor of being a direct disciple for my brother, but he went to the leader many times to ask for it, but it was unsuccessful.”

Wei Haoran was equally envious. "My father was the same. The leader is arrogant and aloof, and when he gets stubborn, he won't even give His Majesty face. The princess is truly formidable. This is already a supreme gift."

Compared to everyone else's shock, Xie An was naturally shocked as well, but he was shocked for a different reason.

Xie An had seen the contents of this scroll before.

When I first discussed cooperation with Su Yuqing, she gave me a letter of contract.

Xie An still keeps it to this day.

Xie An examined it carefully, and then thought of the scroll he had seen before. Comparing them, Xie An found that the inscription on this scroll was clearer and more magnificent.

It is obvious that Su Yuqing came in a hurry last time, and the personal agreement he brought was a draft, and Xie An's name was not written on it.

However, Xie An's name was clearly written on this letter of agreement.

What's more, it also comes with an identity token personally passed down by the leader of Taiyi Sect.

Su Yuqing has fulfilled her original promise.

Xie An smashed the big bronze bell and helped Su Yuqing break the deadlock that had lasted for a hundred years. After four years of suffering underground, Su Yuqing was not stingy and happily fulfilled the gift.

This deal was done quickly.

After listening to Wei Haoran and Zhao Qing'er's sour words, Xie An naturally knew that the weight of this identity token was far greater than the letter of appointment of a fifth-rank general.

The royal family is noble, official positions are good, and titles are scarce.

But these are all things that the imperial court can control freely. To put it bluntly, it is just a matter of a word from the royal family.

However, Taiyi Dao is the state religion, and martial arts govern the world. Daqian still needs to rely on the power of Taoism to maintain order in the court and rule the four seas and eight directions.

So, the royal family cannot just take Taoist things whenever they want.

Thinking of this, Xie An felt that he had gained a lot this time.

Four years of suffering, it was totally worth it.

Moreover, Xie An always felt that the eldest princess was a little too nice to him.

He broke the big bronze bell and made great contributions.

But this credit is not enough.

Su Yuqing's actions made Xie An feel that there were many unreasonable aspects.

Xie An always felt that something was wrong, as if this woman knew that he had mastered the Mingyu Gong... But this didn't make sense. Even Yuhe didn't know that she had mastered the Mingyu Gong. How did she know?

But I can't figure it out specifically.

This woman is so thoughtful. What on earth is she trying to do?
Even Xie An's character in two lifetimes could not be understood.

After being stunned for a long time, Xie An finally came to his senses.

Unlike the letter of appointment for a fifth-rank general, Xie An did not hesitate about this identity token and put it directly in his pocket.

As the current state religion, Taiyi Dao not only commands world dominance through martial arts, but also specializes in the art of immortality. It's far more powerful than the former Changsheng Sect. This identity token is a protective amulet. In the future, Xie An might be able to discuss the Dao with the sect leader and explore the path to immortality.

Wei Haoran watched Xie An put away the token, his eyes almost watering with envy. "Congratulations, General Xie, for being so highly regarded by the Princess. With time, your future will be limitless."

Zhao Qing'er congratulated sourly, "Congratulations."

Chen Tie was also filled with envy. His father was a great master craftsman in Daqian, having forged many powerful weapons and held an extraordinary position. He also wanted to become a direct disciple of the Taiyi sect, but was unsuccessful.

However, Chen Tie was calm and composed, neither surprised nor happy. He smiled and said, "Congratulations, General Xie. The three scrolls are getting bigger and bigger. I wonder what kind of gift the third scroll will be?!"

Xie An bowed to everyone, then suppressed his excitement and picked up the third golden scroll.

With the experience of the first two scrolls, Xie An felt calmer when he unfolded the third scroll, but he was also very excited.

As the third scroll unfolded, everyone's heart rose to their throat again and they stared with wide eyes.

When the scroll was fully unfolded, everyone was a little confused.

Xie An was also stunned.

The scroll was blank, but it was stamped with a large red seal.

Zhao Qing'er was puzzled. "Hey, why is it blank?"

Chen Tie was stunned for a moment, then smiled and explained, "Don't you recognize this seal?"

With Chen Tie's reminder, Xie An's attention finally fell on the seal.

This is obviously not the seal of the state.

The seal of the national seal is as big as an adult's palm.

This square seal, about three centimeters long, is carved in relief with red characters on a white background, and contains nine folds of seal script, totaling fourteen characters. To those unfamiliar with seals, it would look unfamiliar and difficult to decipher.

Xie An hadn't figured out the content of the seal just now.

Zhao Qing'er and Wei Haoran leaned over to take a look, but couldn't tell either.

Chen Tie explained with a smile: "This is the seal of the Princess Taiping's envoy to the Southern Province."

Xie An was very surprised when he heard this.

It turns out that Su Yuqing's princess title was Princess Taiping.

Taiping means peace in the world.

This is consistent with Xie An's impression of the eldest princess. She does have such great ambitions.

But... Xie An always thought of Princess Taiping from the Tang Dynasty in his previous life. Leveraging her status as the empress's youngest daughter, she gradually ascended to the imperial court. She displayed great wisdom and skill, actively participating in numerous palace coups, and ultimately wielding immense power.

However, Princess Taiping's lust for power and political ambitions eventually aroused the dissatisfaction of Emperor Minghuang of Tang. Eventually, Princess Taiping was suspected of treason and was captured by the emperor's troops. She was executed at home and buried in Qianling Mausoleum.

In fact, Emperor Minghuang of Tang was able to ascend to the throne of the crown prince thanks to the Tanglong coup launched by Princess Taiping and Li Longji, who was the Prince of Linzi at the time.

It can be said that the crown prince Li Longji was supported by Princess Taiping. In the end...

Xie An sighed endlessly.

In imperial families, family affection is often weak. Because the interests involved are so great, there have been many cases of brothers and fathers being killed throughout history, and there have also been cases of emperors ordering the death of their sons. This is not uncommon.

I can't help but worry about Su Yuqing's future.

After a moment of distraction, Xie An came to his senses and paid attention to the other information on the seal.

The amount of information on this seal is enormous.

Xuanchai means an envoy specially appointed by the emperor. In Xie An's previous life, it meant the imperial envoy.

The proclamation sent the governor of Nanzhou... that is, Su Yuqing came as an imperial envoy to inspect Nanzhou. The significance of this can be imagined!

As for the word "precious seal", Xie An, as an old court official, naturally knew something about it.

In Daqian, seal carving is divided into two types: positive carving and negative carving. The positive carving is to display the text in a raised form. The printed text is red on a white background, representing authority and formality. It is mostly used in formal official occasions.

Intaglio engraving is the process of carving text into the flat surface of an object, and the printed text appears as white text on a red background.

Moreover, Daqian was very particular about the names of seals.

Only the seal of the emperor can be called a seal. The seal of princes and above is called a treasure (usually a treasure seal), the seal of officials below the rank of prince is called a seal, and the seal of a private individual is called a tuzhang.

Xie An knew, of course, that different dynasties had different names for seals. For example, in the Han Dynasty, although it inherited the Qin system, the emperor's seal was called a "xi." The seals of the empress, the empress dowager, the grand empress dowager, and the princes could also be called "xi."

However, Daqian was more strict about this one. There was only one seal in the world: the Emperor's Seal.

Although the eldest princess is not a title, her status is equal to that of a prince. In addition, with the title, she can use the imperial seal.

As soon as the seal came out, Xie An probably knew what Su Yuqing was planning: he had been in Nanyang Prefecture for more than 20 years, not only to wipe out the remnants of the Changsheng Sect, but also to target the entire Nanzhou.

Just as everyone was stunned, Chen Tie said, "Don't you understand what I mean? If Brother Xie has anything to ask for in the future, you can fill it out yourself. This is already a top-notch gift. There have only been a few such rewards in our dynasty in the past hundred years."

Everyone suddenly realized and was amazed.

"It's really a top-notch gift."

"Congratulations, Chief Xie!"

"..."

Chen Tie waved his hand and said, "Okay, let's give Director Xie some time alone to digest these great gifts.

Miss Yuhe, please follow me. The princess has also left a gift for you."

As everyone left, the entire room became empty, leaving Xie An alone sitting at the tea table in a daze. He held a blank scroll and stared at most of Qingwu County outside the railing, looking at the rows of buildings and the carriages and people coming and going on the streets.

If the first two scrolls surprised Xie An.

Then the third scroll made Xie An feel very pressured.

A blank scroll bearing the princess's seal was like a half-imperial decree. Simply write down your wishes, whatever you wished to do, and it would take effect immediately.

Appointing yourself as a fourth or third rank official, or asking for some other treasures... in principle, it is all possible.

This gift is too heavy!

If Xie An accepted the seal scroll, he would truly become the eldest princess's man. He would be labeled the eldest princess for the rest of his life.

This is undoubtedly the treatment that countless people dream of, a step to success.

But Xie An knew that once he accepted it, he would have no choice.

"Forget it, I won't think about it. I just want to find some resources to practice martial arts and cultivate longevity in a low-key manner. Whether it's the court or the princess, if it's beneficial to my practice, we can exchange resources and benefit each other. If it doesn't fit my idea, then keep your distance and don't get involved easily."

After Xie An made up his mind, he felt more confident and was not tempted by external things, so he did not hesitate so much.

When your mind is calm, your thoughts will be clear.

"You can consider keeping the identity token personally handed down by the leader and the letter of appointment as a fifth-rank general. They will be of great benefit to my future cultivation. As for this blank seal, I'd better refuse it."

Xie An made a decision.

Not long after, Chen Tie and the other two returned with Yu He. Yu He was in a good mood, chatting and laughing along the way. It seemed that the princess had given Yu He quite a few benefits.

Xie An planned to say goodbye and go to Tangjiabao to visit his elder brother Tang.

Well, he missed Little Red Sugar too.

I haven't seen her for four years. I wonder if Xiao Hongtang has grown into a little girl now.

At that moment, Chen Tie spoke up, "Thank you, Chief. I have prepared some light wine. If you are not in a hurry, you can have a couple of drinks before leaving."

Xie An naturally couldn't refuse such a generous gift, so he agreed.

……

At dusk, the setting sun hangs low over the hills, casting a golden afterglow over Qingwu County, making this remote town appear golden against the backdrop.

People were coming and going on the streets, and the shops on both sides were lighting up their lights, making the streets look prosperous.

Xie An and Yu He walked side by side on the street, strolling leisurely.

Listening to the hawking from the stalls on both sides and the chatter of the neighbors, Xie An felt a rare sense of relaxation and comfort in his heart.

After all, humans are social animals. If they stay in the cellar for too long, they will long to hear human voices.

Yuhe took Xie An's arm affectionately and asked, "Master, where are we going now?"

Xie An said, "Let's stay in the county town tonight and take a look at the house my two disciples bought for me. By the way, what did your young lady give you as a reward?"

Yuhe smiled and made a riddle, "Guess."

Xie An was stunned.

If it was an ordinary lady, Xie An could still make a guess.

But the eldest princess was too thoughtful and could not be figured out at all.

Finally, Xie An shook his head and smiled, "I can't guess, but seeing how happy you are... I must have given you the gift you wanted most."

"Master is very clever. The young lady has given me my freedom."

free……

Xie An suddenly felt a little sad.

It turned out that Yuhe, like herself, had a body indenture.

Yu He saw what Xie An was thinking and explained, "It's not what the master thinks. I was born in the Princess's mansion and have been hers ever since I was little. The young lady has been very kind to me, but this time she let me leave the Princess's mansion, and I won't be bound by it in the future. From now on, I will be a free citizen of Daqian."

"I see."

Seeing Yuhe so happy, Xie An was very pleased. It seemed that this eldest princess was okay. Although she was deep-minded, her character was still reliable.

Yu He suddenly whispered, "I never thought that old lady Jin was actually the empress of the previous dynasty. The leader of the Changsheng Sect, the Immortal Queen... and the aunt of the high priest Jin Hai'er."

Chen Tie had just brought up this matter during dinner, and he also said that the establishment of the Qingwu Town Demon House was largely due to finding this old lady Jin.

Live to see people, die to see corpses.

Xie An frowned: "That Mr. Chen Haiming should be the Tianbao Emperor of the previous dynasty."

Thinking back to his previous experience, Xie An couldn't help feeling a little scared.

The woman sitting in the shrine was actually the empress of the previous dynasty. She was also the leader of the Changsheng Sect. Together with Lord Chen, she founded the Tianbao Dynasty, which lasted for three hundred years.

They are all extraordinary people with all-powerful abilities.

Xie An had never expected that he would have an intersection with such a big shot in this way.

Even more terrifying was the fact that the former Empress and leader of the Immortality Cult had actually crawled away from the passageway. Her whereabouts were still unknown.

I don’t know if the fairy queen saw what happened between me and Yuhe. If she did... what would happen?

This woman is much more terrifying than Li Changchun.

Thinking of this, Xie An couldn't help but tighten the identity token in his pocket that was personally passed down by the leader of Taiyi Sect.

Yu He asked, "Master, are you still going to be the Chief of the Qingwu Demon Suppression Command?"

"I need to think about this matter again. Let's go back first."

According to the location Han Li had mentioned before, Xie An came to Tongluo Lane and found his house.

The house was in a good location, just a few dozen steps away was the Yong'an Pawnshop. There were also several other large pawnshops nearby, which was in line with Xie An's main business.

It’s only three miles away from Tangjiabao.

The house is not particularly big, but it is very exquisite, with white walls, black tiles, and flying eaves and pointed corners. The pomegranate tree in the yard has grown taller, and several branches protrude from the wall, hanging with heavy half-red pomegranates.

The two words "Xie Mansion" on the red door give people a sense of belonging.

Baiyutang was sold to the Giant Whale Gang, and the hall could no longer be inhabited, so Xie An thought that this would be his home in the future.

There are two disciples here, and there is also Yuhe.

They are all people I cherish very much, and living together... is also nice.

Tangjiabao was not far away either. Xie An had promised Tang Zhengyang that he would take care of Tangjiabao. It was also not far away, so the location was very good.

Putting his thoughts aside, Xie An pulled the copper ring on the door and knocked three times.

dong dong dong.

"Master, you are finally here!" It was He Chunli who opened the door. He smiled with ecstasy when he saw Xie An, and hurriedly welcomed Xie An and Yuhe in, then closed the door.

The entrance was a small martial arts arena with weapon racks on both sides. Han Li was practicing swordsmanship. He didn't stop when he saw Xie An, "Master, what do you think of my swordsmanship?"

Xie An glanced at it casually, "Where did you learn that?"

"Weisheng Martial Arts School, Instructor Chen is a swordsman at the Chongxue Realm, and has been studying swordsmanship for over ten years. He's in his early thirties, and in another year or two he'll be able to break through to the Martial Master level. He has a bright future. The school values ​​him very much."

Xie An laughed and said, "Your swordsmanship is quite impressive, but the transitions are too stiff, and the moves are superficial. It must be that Instructor Chen didn't teach you the real skills. Go back and buy two bottles of old wine, visit him more often during the holidays, and show him more filial piety. Only then will he teach you the real skills."

Han Li suddenly stopped and slapped his thigh. "Damn it, I've always had this intuition. Master is so insightful."

Xie An smiled bitterly.

Although Xie An was not proficient in swordsmanship, there were many similarities between knife and swordsmanship. In addition, Xie An's Mingyu skills had reached a very high level and his five senses were extraordinary. He could see the shortcomings with just a quick glance.

Cross the martial arts field, go around the screen wall, walk through the hanging flower gate and enter the main courtyard.

This house has three courtyards. The one Xie An just walked through was the front courtyard.

Entering the main courtyard, there are the east and west wing rooms on the left and right, the main room in front, and the east and west side rooms connected to the main room. Behind it is the backyard.

The backyard was the kitchen, the back room where the maids lived, the stables, etc. Male servants usually lived in the back house in the front yard.

He Chunli had already made arrangements, with Xie An staying in the main house and Yu He in the west wing. Han Li and He Chunli lived in the back house in the front yard, which was quite thoughtful.

"Master, I have put all your things in the living room. Just call me if you need anything. Han Li and I are busy in the front yard." After making all the arrangements, He Chunli left excitedly.

Xie An went into the living room and counted the items.

Ice marrow, a tree stump for preservation, and two wrapped spirit tablets. Everything was missing. There was no sign of them having been opened.

When they were at the gate of the Demon Suppression Division, Xie An asked He Chunli to take these things back.

There is nothing much to preserve about the ice marrow and the spirit tablet, but the tree stump... Don't let it die if it leaves the soil.

"Yuhe, go get a bucket of water. I'll dig a hole in the yard and plant this tree stump in the soil first."

After some hard work, the two of them finally planted the tree stump in the southeast corner of the yard and watered it with a large bucket of well water.

The tree stump looks so loose and sagging, as if it is about to die at any time.

But Xie An had no other choice, given his qualifications and professional level. He would wait and see how Su Yuqing responded.

After finishing all this, it was already late at night. Xie An took a bath and then fell asleep.

He is too tired.

Badly need rest.

The next day, Xie An slept until noon. A good night's sleep was more comfortable than the fetal breathing exercises, and his body had recovered greatly. He practiced the exercises several times, fully adapting to his new body before washing and getting dressed.

The two disciples went to the Weisheng Martial Arts School early to learn martial arts, and left a small note: Breakfast is ready.

After dinner, Yuhe made a list and went shopping for daily necessities. Xie An bought a few strings of candied haws and sugar figurines, along with a portion of pastries to take away. He then took two scrolls and headed straight for Tangjiabao.

In addition to visiting Xiao Hongtang, Xie An also wanted to find Tang Zhengyang to ask about Taiyi Dao's personal teaching and the Fifth-Rank Demon Suppression General.

Tang Zhengyang had lived for over a hundred years and knew much more than Xie An. It was extremely important for Xie An to consult Tang Zhengyang's opinion.

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(End of this chapter)