After the spiritual energy was restored: Goddess girlfriends came knocking.

Inside the main hall of the city lord's mansion, Jiang Yan and Cang Yao sat at the head of the table.

Yu Qian and Zhou Caiwei took their seats below.

Yu Qian glanced at Cang Yao and bowed respectfully.

He had fought with Cang Yao, who was traveling through the river, once before, so they were naturally familiar with each other.

His gaze unconsciously drifted towards Zhou Caiwei, but she didn't seem to notice anything unusual about her expression.

Yu Qian knew what Zhou Caiwei's feelings were for the lord when they worked together in Yunzhou Prefecture.

However, he didn't need to worry about adult matters; in Yu Qian's mind, there was nothing in this world that adults couldn't solve.

He looked away, deciding not to waste any more time on the matter.

Jiang Yan looked at Yu Qian with a touch of emotion in her eyes.

"I didn't expect you to be such a powerful being in the Integration Stage now. Not bad."

Yu Qian bowed slightly: "You flatter me, sir."

Jiang Yan leaned back in her chair, her gaze sweeping over Yu Qian and Zhou Caiwei, as if she had returned to the time when she worked together in Yunzhou Prefecture.

The scene before my eyes was exactly the same as it had been back then.

After a moment of silence, he asked, "How are things going with Shen Mingyuan and Gu Changfeng?"

Yu Qian paused for a moment, then sighed.

"They stopped at the Nascent Soul stage and failed to break through. They passed away a hundred years ago."

Jiang Yan tapped her fingers lightly on the armrest a few times.

After a long while, he slowly nodded.

These are two students he took on in Jingzhou back then.

On the path of cultivation, talent is more important than effort; it cannot be forced.

Not everyone can walk the path to marriage like Caiwei and Yuqian.

Zhou Caiwei added, "They passed away peacefully, surrounded by their children and grandchildren."

Jiang Yan nodded and didn't say anything more.

He turned to look at Zhou Caiwei and changed the subject.

"Caiwei, you brought so many people from Shangqing Domain this time. Please convey my gratitude to Lingxu Sword Sect."

Zhou Caiwei shook her head: "No need, the sect leader and elders are all doing it voluntarily."

"Many people in the Shangqing Domain are watching what you've done in the Ten Thousand Demon Domain."

The three chatted for a while longer.

Zhou Caiwei said she needed to settle her fellow disciples with her.

Jiang Yan then had a courtyard arranged for Yu Qian.

Yu Qian got up to take his leave, but turned back to look at the palace gate one last time.

The adult and Cang Yao were talking in hushed tones. Cang Yao smiled and reached out to wipe away a bit of ink stain from his sleeve.

He shook his head, smiled contentedly, and left.

The hall fell silent again.

Jiang Yan took a sip of tea and continued reviewing official documents.

Cang Yao sat beside him, resting her chin on her hand as she watched him, occasionally reaching out to refill his teacup.

……

Half an hour later, footsteps were heard outside the palace gate.

Jiang Yan raised her head.

A disheveled man walked in.

The guards at the palace kept their eyes straight ahead, as if they hadn't seen the person at all.

Jiang Yan's expression turned serious.

Mahayana period.

And it was someone I didn't even know.

Cang Yao put down the teapot and her gaze fell on that person.

"Don't be nervous." The slovenly man grinned, stepped over the threshold, and stood in the center of the hall. "I mean no harm. I just wanted to come and see Lord Jiang."

Jiang Yan stood up, cupped his hands in a respectful bow, and asked, "May I ask who you are, senior?"

The disheveled man's gaze swept around the hall before finally settling on his face, his tone carrying a hint of something ambiguous.

"My name is Wen Chaosheng."

Jiang Yan was stunned.

Hearing the tide rise, gazing upon the city of Chao.

A half-demon, the first person in ten thousand years to attempt to establish a human city in the Demon Realm.

His deeds are widely known among the human race throughout the entire Demon Realm. It can be said that Wen Chaosheng was the earliest pioneer of the path that Jiang Yan is taking today.

Unlike me, he didn't have the Dragon Court's assistance or so many high-level combatants.

His Wangchao City was like a shooting star, briefly illuminating the darkness of the human race in the Ten Thousand Demon Realm, before quickly falling and leaving not even ashes behind.

Everyone thought he was dead.

Jiang Yan invited him to sit down and personally poured a cup of tea, pushing it in front of Wen Chaosheng.

"Senior..." Jiang Yan looked at the disheveled man in front of him and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Wen Chaosheng waved his hand, his face expressionless, but his eyes held a complex look.

"I've been observing you for a long time," he said, "from the moment you renamed Bloodflag City to Chang'an and began taking in large numbers of humans."

"You've done a lot of things that I haven't been able to do, and to be honest, you're much better than me."

"Building a city is not difficult, recruiting soldiers is not difficult, and sheltering refugees is not difficult either."

"What's difficult is that you can think of erecting a monument to your mission and a monument to your heroes. What's even more difficult is that you can make everyone believe in you and be willing to die for you."

Wen Chaosheng picked up his teacup but didn't drink it. He looked down at his reflection in the tea, his voice filled with emotion.

Jiang Yan suddenly remembered something.

On the battlefield of the Heavenly Wolf King's capital, a golden light shot from an extremely distant place.

He sensed the direction from which he was coming, but found nothing.

"Senior, may I ask, back then outside the capital of the Heavenly Wolf King..." He looked at Wen Chaosheng, "was that golden light that shone from the far distance your doing?"

Wen Chaosheng grinned.

"It was just a small favor."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yan solemnly stood up and thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your help back then, senior."

"If you don't mind, senior, why don't you stay at the City Lord's Mansion for now? I'll arrange accommodations for you."

Wen Chaosheng waved his hand.

"No need, I'm used to being carefree." His gaze fell on Jiang Yan. "I came here just to let you know. If a real fight breaks out, just leave some of Yu Sheng's people for me to fight."

Jiang Yan nodded: "Then let's do as you say, senior."

Wen Chaosheng nodded, got up and walked out, but stopped after taking two steps.

As if remembering something, he reached into his pocket and rummaged around for a while before pulling out a yellowed booklet and placing it on the table.

The cover was undecorated, and the edges of the paper were worn and frayed, indicating that it had been flipped through many times.

"I obtained this by chance while traveling in the Brahma Realm." He glanced at the booklet. "Perhaps you will find it useful."

He paused for a moment.

"However, I hope you won't need to use it."

After saying that, he turned around, swaying his wine gourd, and walked away with a loose gait, like a drunkard you could see anywhere on the street.

Jiang Yan picked up the booklet and opened it.

The first page has only four characters.

The Method of Lighting Lamps to Illuminate the Night.

The booklet was very thin, with only a few hundred words in the main text.

The method of lighting lamps to illuminate the night is an extremely rare and esoteric technique for accumulating merit. The threshold for its practice is extremely high, and only those who have accumulated great merit can perform it.

This technique can detect and manipulate one's own merits, which is similar to the Haoran Yangqi Technique, except that the Haoran Yangqi Technique uses luck.

It also records three usages.

Firstly, by integrating it into oneself, one can push one's cultivation level to a point far exceeding one's own realm in a short period of time, unleashing it all at once.

Secondly, when applied to others, it can provide them with protection.

Thirdly, performing rituals to deliver the souls of the deceased can guide vengeful spirits in the world, resolve their obsessions, and allow them to rest in peace.

The power of this technique is directly proportional to the amount of merit one possesses; the greater the merit, the more astonishing the power it unleashes.

The drawbacks are also clear: apart from the third option which allows for free control over consumption, the merit points will be completely depleted after using the first two, leading to a period of weakness that requires a long time to accumulate again.

Jiang Yan closed the booklet.

This secret technique, if combined with the Haoran Nourishing Qi Technique...

It's practically tailor-made for me.

"My lord, this technique—"

"I know," Jiang Yan interrupted her, her tone calm. "If you don't need to, then don't."

Cang Yao knew that if the moment truly came when it was needed, no one could stop her.

So she didn't say much, but just leaned into Jiang Yan's arms and buried her face in his chest.

"This time," her voice was muffled, "no matter what happens, you're not allowed to leave me."

Jiang Yan gently patted the top of her head and nodded lightly to reassure her.