Simulated immortality allows me to calculate talent stats.

[Xiang Che surveyed the carriage, its spine recast, his eyes gleaming with a golden, imposing aura.]

Ignoring the sorrowful-looking woman, their wary gaze fixed on the disheveled old Taoist priest.

[Zuo Shi looked at the Xiangyang city wall, hundreds of meters of which had collapsed. On the remaining half of the city gate tower, two coffins lay overturned.]

Tears welled in her eyes; she suppressed her grief, lifted her skirt, and struggled to walk along the pile of rubble towards the city wall.

The soldier looked questioningly at the Overlord, only to find that his attention was fixed on the old Taoist priest.

They then did not obstruct it.

From the woman's previous words, we can already guess her identity.

[The elder sister of the young marshal Pang Hai, and the wife of the Marquis of Wen.]

The former's spirit and will captivated everyone in the battle, regardless of friend or foe.

The latter, possessing the power of the Innate Realm, instilled fear in our side; even with the combined efforts of those at the Fifth Realm of Destiny Wheel and the Sixth Realm of Palace, they were unable to quell his attack.

Even two celestial beings who descended escaped.

Even as enemies, both of them deserve their utmost respect.

Therefore, they did not want to make things difficult for the widow in terms of burial arrangements.

They deserve a peaceful end, a safe burial, to conclude their extraordinary lives.

Zuo Shi has been taking nourishing and beautifying pills to maintain her health for many years, but she remains an ordinary person who has not yet entered the martial arts world.

The rubble was rugged and steep, making progress extremely difficult with each step.

Finally, with a thin layer of sweat on his forehead and his breath ragged, he arrived before the city gate. His eyes fixed on the two coffins, he hesitated to proceed.

After a moment's hesitation, he stepped forward.

[Her hand rested on the closed coffin, her eyes filled with sorrow, then she looked around, searching for the figure of her beloved.]

However, all they could find was a broken, eight-sided sword among the rubble.

"Where is Wen...Wen Yu?"

A gentle, soft voice rang out as she stubbornly questioned Xiang Che, unfazed by his imposing presence.

Xiang Che withdrew his gaze and fixed it on her.

Despite concealing his aura, the invisible and imperceptible pressure still forced him to retreat step by step.

[A low, cold snort: "Dare to draw your sword against me with your innate realm? You will surely vanish into thin air."]

[A slight stirring of consciousness.]

【call out!】

The eight broken swords on the ground floated into the air, flying away swiftly, startling a few strands of hair as they passed Zuo Shi.

[It ultimately ended up in an empty coffin.]

Zuo Shi's face was pale, her thin lips bloodless, her body swaying precariously, and her expression sorrowful.

[It wasn't the flying sword that startled me, but rather the words Xiang Che spoke.]

[Thinking of your fate, to be reduced to ashes.]

[Having persevered all the way, climbing the high wall to question the tyrant, the stubborn and resilient Zuo Shi.]

[Finally, she couldn't hold back and two lines of tears streamed down her face.]

[Holding onto the coffin to keep from collapsing, she choked back tears, saying, "I'll take you home..."]

Before he could finish speaking, he fell silent.

Home? What constitutes a home?

[A tofu stall? A courtyard in Jinlin City? Or perhaps the Young Marshal's Mansion and the Marquis Wen's Mansion in Xiangyang City?]

My family is all gone...

Zuo Shi wanted to take the two coffins with her, but then realized that her frail body couldn't possibly carry such heavy coffins.

The pleading look fell upon the disheveled old Taoist priest.

"Hey, you little rascal, remember to give me two more roast chickens."

The old Taoist priest spat out the chicken bone from his mouth and scratched his disheveled hair.

"Thank you, Daoist Master."

[Zuo Shiyu's face was streaked with tears as she bowed in respect.]

[The old Taoist priest made no move, yet the two coffins and the poem on the left, along with the array formations beneath his feet, emitted a mysterious aura.]

The intricate patterns spread out, vanishing in an instant.

[The two coffins, Zuo Shi, had already disappeared from the city gate tower and appeared inside the carriage.]

【"drive!"】

The old Taoist priest spurred the carriage and drove away.

Aside from replying to Zuo Shi, Xiang Che kept his gaze fixed on the disheveled old Taoist priest, whose domineering and imposing aura was surrounded by golden light.

[We've already taken precautions to the extreme.]

The psychological trauma Pang Hai inflicted on him was too deep.

Having barely recovered, another old Taoist priest has appeared, posing a threat to his fighting instincts. How could he not be on tenterhooks and prepared for battle?

[In case I encounter a ghost again and do something shameful.]

He was too ashamed to face the officials of Qi at dawn, so he decided to commit suicide.

……

The old Taoist priest drove the carriage towards Zhenwu Mountain, the hooves clattering.

[Finally, it stopped at the foot of Zhenwu Mountain, nestled in a tranquil and serene forest.]

Nestled among maple trees and a stream, there is a courtyard.

[A dozen or so figures stood frozen in place, each with a different expression.]

With a flick of his finger, the old Taoist priest freed more than a dozen people.

They scattered and surrounded the carriage, countless life wheels appearing, and powerful auras causing a whirlwind to rise in the mountains and forests.

[Among them, a figure further stirred the strange phenomena with tangible divine sense.]

【"stop."】

A gentle voice rang out, and Zuo Shi lifted the curtain and stepped down from the carriage.

【"lady!"】

More than ten people concealed their auras and bowed respectfully.

They are the top experts in the Chu Kingdom's Censorate, in charge of the six realms of palaces and the remaining five realms of destiny wheels.

[These are the absolute loyalists you've gathered over the years.]

[Before the Battle of Xiangyang, I received your orders to escort Zuo Shi to the secret residence on Zhenwu Mountain.]

Over the years, you accompanied Zuo Shi to Zhenwu Mountain, where you often encountered the old Taoist priest. Each time you chatted for a few words, you gradually became acquainted.

You've probably guessed his identity.

[Mount Zhenwu is home to the Celestial Master's Mansion, one of the three sacred sites of Taoism, hidden in a sea of ​​clouds and difficult to find.]

This old Taoist priest must be a very important figure in the Celestial Master's Mansion.

[It could even be a celestial being in charge.]

You wrote a letter and sent it out, hoping he would look after Zuo Shi, who was living in seclusion at the foot of the mountain.

[Don't worry about the old Taoist not receiving it; if he wanted to, he could intercept the letter even if it was sent in the opposite direction.]

Zuo Shi offered no resistance or argument to your arrangement and obediently left Xiangyang.

She knew that after this battle, the State of Chu would perish, and you and Pang Hai would also die for your country.

As your wife, she respects your choices and arrangements, but she also has her own convictions.

Therefore, I am determined to go and protect you and Pang Hai, even if it means facing a life-or-death crisis.

More than ten loyal followers obeyed your orders to stop them.

[When Zuo Shi, left with no other choice, threatened suicide, the old Taoist priest sighed and stepped forward, imprisoning them.]

[He drove the carriage, taking Zuo Shi to Xiangyang City.]

Two new graves stood quietly beside the courtyard. Zuo Shi, dressed in white, knelt silently before them.

[He kept watch for three days and three nights before he could no longer hold on and returned inside to rest.]

[From the shadows of the nearby maple trees, darkness surged, and a figure in a dark blue robe emerged.]

"How strange, little brat, you've escaped death again. Even I, an old Taoist, can't see through you..."

A sudden voice sounded behind you, but you remained unmoved, as if you had expected it.

Turning around and bowing, she said, "Thank you for your help, Daoist Master."

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

The old Taoist priest sized you up and down several times, shaking his head repeatedly before finally withdrawing his scrutinizing gaze.

Looking out at the desolate courtyard in the darkness.

"Why don't you show yourself?"

You hesitated, then said, "I'm afraid of letting her experience another life-or-death separation."