May I seek good fortune and avoid misfortune, and live a long and prosperous life.

Upon seeing Li Heng, Emperor Jingwu was suddenly filled with excitement.

He instantly thought of that towering figure from forty or fifty years ago, who had turned the tide several times, saved the nation from collapse, and pulled the Chu Kingdom back from the brink of extinction.

Whether it was pacifying the bandits in the northwest or conquering the barbarians in the north, he was the one who made the final decision.

One person can truly be worth a million!

"Are you the King of Zhen Kingdom, the Night Emperor?" Emperor Jingwu was so excited that his face turned red.

He finally met the Night Emperor!

Li Heng nodded slightly and sighed, "Since an old friend has so sincerely invited me, how can I refuse?"

"Quickly, quickly, present a seat to the King of the Town!"

Li Heng waved his hand, stopping him, saying, "No need, I came here to see an old friend."

At this moment, Ye Zhou and Li Hui were both extremely excited, and they respectfully bowed to Li Heng.

This expresses their profound respect for the Night Emperor.

This kind of etiquette, apart from Emperor Jingwu, can only be made to make them willingly submit.

Li Heng then looked at Ye Zhou and Li Hui, nodded slightly to them, and said with satisfaction, "You are both very good. You have both made great achievements. The little kids from back then are now capable of great things. It's true that fortunes change every thirty years."

When Ye Zhou and Li Hui heard Ye Tianzi call them "little kids," their hearts skipped a beat. Could it be that Ye Tianzi knew them before? This tone was clearly that of an elder addressing a junior!

"Senior King of Zhen, you seem to recognize us? But we have no recollection of you. Please enlighten us, senior." Ye Zhou stood up and clasped his hands in greeting.

Li Hui also stood up and cupped his hands, saying, "Senior, do you have some past connection with my predecessor? I have never met you before, please enlighten me."

"Heh, you really don't recognize me?"

Li Heng smiled slightly, then removed his black mask, revealing his true face.

The Scroll of Immortality also has a small function: it allows you to adjust your level of aging at will (not a disguise).

Therefore, Li Heng adjusted his appearance to match the age of his time.

At this time, his temples had turned slightly white, and a few wrinkles had appeared on his forehead, but his eyes still exuded a commanding aura.

This was the first time Li Heng had revealed his true colors to outsiders.

Ye Zhou, Li Hui, and Emperor Jingwu all stared intently at Li Heng.

When Ye Zhou and Li Hui saw Li Heng's true face, they were both extremely shocked. They recognized Li Heng instantly.

"My benefactor! You are my benefactor. I have always remembered your face. You were originally the famous King of Zhen!" Ye Zhou exclaimed.

"Teacher! So you are my teacher? This is unbelievable! The King of Zhen, who was famous throughout the world back then, is actually my teacher?" Li Hui immediately bowed again.

"My benefactor, please accept my bow. I will never forget your great kindness!" Ye Zhou immediately kowtowed as well.

Li Heng helped the two up and said, "You don't need to do this. I was just doing it on a whim back then. The reason you have achieved so much is due to your own efforts."

The two dared not be careless in the slightest and continued to respectfully pay homage to Li Heng.

Emperor Jingwu finally saw Li Heng's true colors. He said "good" three times, tears streaming down his face, and said, "King of Zhen, I also want to thank you. Everything we have today is thanks to you. Please accept my bow!"

After saying this, he tried to force himself up to bow to Li Heng, but Li Heng quickly used his inner strength to stop him from getting out of bed, saying:

"Your Majesty, there's no need for such politeness. The reason I'm helping the Chu Kingdom is for the sake of the people. They yearn for a peaceful life, and only you can provide that. Others, such as King Chen and the barbarian leaders, are all bloodthirsty and tyrannical. If they were to gain control of the country, the people would truly be living in dire straits!"

"Today's meeting has fulfilled one of Your Majesty's wishes. I wonder when we will meet again. Take care, Your Majesty!" Li Heng said, bowing to Emperor Jingwu.

Then, Li Heng looked at Ye Zhou and Li Hui and said:

"Ye Zhou, Li Hui, you two must remember this saying: water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. I hope you will assist the new emperor well in the future, treat the people kindly, and seek the well-being of the world. Then I will be extremely gratified for you."

Ye Zhou and Li Hui kowtowed deeply to Li Heng once again.

"My benefactor, rest assured, I will always remember your teachings!"

"Teacher, I have always remembered what you taught me."

"My friends, this farewell may be our last," Li Heng said to them in closing.

"King of Zhen, you are still so selfless. I am far inferior to you. It is a pity that my days are numbered and I will no longer be able to protect the great land you have conquered!" Emperor Jingwu said, tears streaming down his face.

Li Heng turned to look at Emperor Jingwu and said, "Your Majesty, as long as I remain in Chu, I will help the world. However, since ancient times, no family is immune to defeat, nor is any country immune to destruction. Your Majesty should take it easy. I'm leaving!"

After saying that, Li Heng transformed into a black shadow and disappeared into the Guixin Hall.

......

Three days later, devastating news arrived from the Chu royal palace: Emperor Jingwu had passed away in the Guixin Hall at the age of 71.

His posthumous title was Emperor Chengtian Xuyun Jingluan Suijiang Anmin Jianji Fuwen Hongdao Danglu Dingding Dachengwu, and his temple name was Zhongzong.

When the news spread, people in every state wept bitterly, and the whole country was dressed in mourning.

Half a month later, Crown Prince Jingming officially ascended the throne and changed the era name to Yanning, and was known as Emperor Yanning.

The enthronement edict was as follows:

[By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I have inherited the great throne, benefiting from the achievements of my predecessors in pacifying the land. The stench of war has been swept away in the northern deserts, and the swords of war have long been silenced across the eight directions. Yet, even in times of peace, we must not forget the dangers, and governance requires diligence. I hereby change the era name to Yanning, lest we be wary of the difficulties of maintaining complacency... From this day forward, may we only see smoke rising from chimneys along the streets, and hear no more alarming bugles at night; may we only hear the sounds of students reciting their lessons, and see no more beacon fires signaling alarms—this is called Yanning! This proclamation is issued throughout the realm, so that all may know my will.]

After Emperor Yan Ning ascended the throne, he granted another general amnesty and exempted the people from taxes for one year.

With the assistance of the two regents, Ye Zhou and Li Hui, the Chu state regime transitioned smoothly without major disruptions.

……

When news of Emperor Jingwu's death reached Li Heng, he was already in Yuncheng.

Li Heng sighed. A very important old friend had passed away, and his heart was filled with complex emotions.

Finally, in Yuncheng, he offered tea instead of wine to Emperor Jingwu from afar.

He also went to his parents' graves, cleared the weeds in front of them, offered them a cup of wine, and lit an incense stick.

Then he returned to the Poison Dragon Pool cave, preparing to go into seclusion to continue his cultivation and rebuild his strength.

In the blink of an eye, seven years have passed. Inside the Poison Dragon Pool cave, Li Heng opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them, and his entire body exuded an extremely powerful aura.

"I've finally reached the peak of Grandmaster again. I've already broken through my cultivation barrier and started over six times," Li Heng said with emotion.

His strength has improved significantly since then, and the speed of his two retraining sessions has also increased, with each retraining session averaging only three and a half years.

This is an extremely astonishing figure. If other martial artists at the Grandmaster level knew this, they would be so shocked that they would be speechless and unable to believe it.

"It's time to get some fresh air." Li Heng got up and walked out of the cave.