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

The group was processing the information they had just received.

Jiang Yan expressed her desire to host a banquet.

Chen Jingyuan put down his teacup and stood up.

"No need for that." He waved his hand. "I'll just wander around Chang'an. You don't need to worry about me."

After speaking, his gaze fell on Jiang Yan and paused for a moment.

A hint of regret flashed in those calm, still eyes.

He figured it out.

Jiang Yan's internal condition is far less optimistic than it appears on the surface.

Chen Jingyuan took out a pill from his sleeve.

It is emerald green all over and has a clear, refreshing fragrance; just one whiff of it is enough to invigorate the spirit.

"Take this." He handed over the pill without further explanation.

Jiang Yan accepted the pill with both hands, feeling the immense vitality contained within the small pill in his palm.

He looked up at Chen Jingyuan, whose voice echoed in his mind: "It will allow you to live a few more days."

Jiang Yan carefully put the pill into his pocket, took a step back, and bowed deeply to Chen Jingyuan.

Chen Jingyuan nodded and turned to walk out of the hall.

In just a few steps, they reached the palace gate; with another step, their figure disappeared into the hustle and bustle of the market.

The hall was quiet for a while.

Xiao Xiao spoke first, her voice still somewhat dazed: "Mr. Chen is actually a fragment of the Dao Ancestor's soul... This is too..."

She couldn't find the right words, so Cangyao gently patted her sister's shoulder.

"No matter what, he will always be the Mr. Chen we know," Cang Yao said. "Without him, there would be no Lin Chu later on."

She nodded slightly.

Jiang Yan sat down again, examined the emerald green pill several times, and looked up at the outside of the hall.

Dao Ancestor.

These two words were not unfamiliar to him; he had seen related records when he was studying in the Vast Domain and flipping through ancient books.

In the great war between humans and demons ten thousand years ago, the foremost of the three patriarchs of the human race was the Dao Ancestor—the creator of the Shangqing Domain, and also the closest being to an immortal in the history of the Xuantian Realm.

After the great battle, the Dao Ancestor ascended to the Spirit Realm and was never heard from again.

Jiang Yan leaned back in her chair, recalling the image of Mr. Chen sitting under the eaves in Qinghe Village, holding a teapot, leaning on a bamboo cane, and squinting in the sun. She couldn't reconcile that image with the words "Taoist Ancestor".

But regardless of who Mr. Chen really is, in his heart, the old man who adopted him in Qinghe Village, taught him to read and write, and took him to take the imperial examination with a bamboo cane will always be his teacher.

……

The days that followed were unusually peaceful.

After Jiang Yan took the pill given to her by Chen Jingyuan, the persistent feeling of weakness in her body subsided by more than half.

Although the withered meridians had not fully recovered, they had stopped deteriorating, and warmth had returned to the flesh and blood. Even the white hair had regained a silvery sheen.

Ruoshui circled around him several times, her fox ears standing straight up: "White fur is actually quite good-looking."

Jiang Yan chuckled and tapped her on the head.

The people of Chang'an continued to pray for their city lord every day.

The incense in front of the Monument to the Fallen Heroes burns day and night, and people meditate and contemplate at the Monument to the Preachers from morning till night.

Merit and fortune are slowly but steadily returning to Jiang Yan's body.

During this period, Yu Qian and Wen Chaosheng kept the entire operation of Chang'an City running smoothly.

Liu Qingyi and Jiang Shouzhuo continued doing what they had done before in the Chang'an army—punishing evildoers in various places.

Liu Qingyi's leg has long since healed, and her armor makes her look sharp and energetic. When training soldiers, her voice is just as loud as Pei Xiao's.

Jiang Shouzhou stood beside him, the old sword on his back now replaced with a new one. The sword intent of the Golden Core stage was contained in the sheath, its sharpness not revealed but not to be underestimated.

Jiang Yan completely relinquished his responsibilities as a manager.

I spent two days with Cang Yao, two days with Ruo Shui, and the remaining two days were divided among Xiao Xiao, Jian Li, and Zhou Caiwei.

Ao Tianxin would occasionally appear in his courtyard for all sorts of strange reasons. One day she would say she was there to deliver medicine, the next day she would say she was there to check on his injuries, and the day after that she would simply sit on the stone bench, pick up her wine glass, and not leave.

He was busier than when he was prime minister in the Haoran Domain.

Today it's Cangyao's turn.

Jiang Yan was reading a book under the tree, while she was picking vegetables beside her, just like back then.

Then she put the vegetable basket aside, took Jiang Yan's hand, and said she wanted to eat grilled fish.

Jiang Yan asked where to get it now. Cang Yao blinked, pulled him to the stream outside the city, rolled up her sleeves, stepped barefoot into the stream, bent down and felt around in the water for a while. With a splash, she lifted up a lively carp.

"How was it?" She stood in the stream and gestured with her chin towards him, her peach blossom eyes sparkling.

"Impressive." Jiang Yan smiled as she started a fire on the shore.

Cang Yao smiled and expertly placed the fish on the fire to grill.

Smoke curls up from the chimneys.

Another day, Ruoshui pulled Jiang Yan through the streets and markets of Chang'an.

She stopped in front of a dessert shop, ordered a bowl of sweet osmanthus rice wine dumplings, took a bite and said it wasn't sweet enough, then pushed the bowl to Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan took it and finished eating.

Ruoshui watched him eat, resting her chin on her hand, and suddenly snorted, "Is the grilled fish that Cangyao gave you better, or the dumplings that I gave you better?"

Jiang Yan put down her bowl, her expression unchanged, and said sincerely, "Of course it's glutinous rice balls."

Ruoshui raised her chin, indicating her satisfaction with the answer.

And so, two months later.

That day, Jiang Yan stood at the entrance of the city lord's mansion and looked up at the sky.

"Want to go out and have some fun?"

Cang Yao's voice came from behind: "Where are you going?"

Ruoshui peeked out from beside her, her fox ears standing straight up: "I'm going too."

Xiao Xiao ran over from the other end of the corridor, with Jian Li following closely behind, clutching her scabbard.

Zhou Caiwei leaned against the pillar without saying a word, but she had already stood up straight.

Ao Tianxin walked out of the side hall carrying a wine pot and glanced at Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan scratched his head; he knew this would happen.

However, he no longer needed to worry about Chang'an City, as it was already a top-tier power even without them.

Yu Qian focused on internal affairs while Wen Chaosheng focused on external affairs. Every day, cultivators from all over the country would meditate and gain insights at the foot of the Preaching Stele, and the incense in front of the Heroes' Stele never stopped burning.

Everyone was relieved.

……

First stop, Qin Dynasty.

The Qin emperor personally greeted them outside Xianyang.

The emperor who unified the central kingdoms of the Vast Domain stood at the city gate, dressed in a black dragon robe, with civil and military officials behind him. His grand entourage made Jiang Yan feel a little embarrassed.

The Qin emperor's attitude was just right, maintaining the dignity of a monarch while also giving Jiang Yan ample face.

Jiang Yan said that she was just there for sightseeing, and the Qin Emperor was very tactful and did not bother her.

He dismissed all the officials, leaving only a few guards to follow him at a distance. He then personally recommended several scenic spots before taking his leave and returning to the palace.

The group headed north along the straight road.

The Great Wall of Qin Dynasty stretches across the towering mountains and extends along the ridges, seemingly without end.

The surface of the city wall is covered with dense defensive array patterns, and each brick has been tempered by spiritual energy, giving it a dark blue luster under the sunlight.

Jiang Yan and Cang Yao stood side by side on the city wall.

"It's more than ten thousand miles," Cang Yao sighed softly.

The wind blows from beyond the Great Wall, carrying the scent of sand and withered grass.

Cang Yao's hair was blown by the wind and brushed against Jiang Yan's face. She didn't try to gather it up, but instead held his hand tighter.

In the distance, the horizon stretches to the endless Gobi Desert, and further north lies the territory of the demon race.

Thousands of years ago, when the artisans and cultivators of the Qin Dynasty built this barrier on this wasteland, they shed countless drops of blood and sweat.

Little Xiao ran over, carrying the sweet cakes she had just bought, and pointed into the distance on tiptoe: "What's that over there!"

"Beyond the Great Wall," Jiang Yan said.

"Is it pretty?"

"The sandstorms are too strong; it's not as beautiful as Chang'an."

"Oh." Xiao Xiao instantly lost interest and lowered her head to continue eating the sugar cake.

Ruoshui stood not far away, gazing at the scenery beyond the Great Wall alongside Ao Tianxin.

Ruoshui glanced at Ao Tianxin discreetly, and Ao Tianxin noticed but did not turn around.

"Senior," Ruoshui said.

"Um."

"What kind of person was Lin Chu before?"

Ao Tianxin was silent for a moment, then a slight smile appeared on her lips: "An idiot."

Ruoshui paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"And it is now."

……

The second stop was Shangqingyu.

The news somehow reached the Lingxu Sword Sect.

As soon as the group stepped into the Shangqing Domain, they were greeted by a welcoming party that came flying on swords.

Leading the group was the head of the Lingxu Sword Sect, dressed in white robes with a thin face, followed by several elders; the entourage was even larger than that of the Emperor of Qin.

The sect leader personally led the group on a tour of the Lingxu Sword Sect, explaining each of the Sword Tomb, Sword Pavilion, and Sword Debate Platform in great detail.

When Jian Li passed by the Sword Tomb, her eyes lit up. She stared at the ancient swords stuck in the cracks of the rocks, unable to move her feet.

Of course, the old men from Shangqing Domain had been staring at Jian Li ever since they saw the group, their eyes practically glued to her.

Cang Xiaoxiao tugged at her sleeve and said, "Let's go." Only then did Jian Li come to her senses and jog to catch up.

Finally, Zhou Caiwei couldn't stand it anymore and stepped forward, saying that she would take the rest of the tour.

The sect leader and elders then regretfully took their leave.

Zhou Caiwei led them around from the back of the mountain, explaining that the sect leader wasn't usually this enthusiastic.

The bamboo forest on the back mountain is lush and green, and the bamboo leaves make a metallic crisp sound when they collide in the wind.

Zhou Caiwei walked at the front, knowing these paths as well as the lines on her palm.

Jianli followed behind her and asked if Sister Zhou used to practice swordsmanship here. Zhou Caiwei nodded.

Jian Li felt that the sword energy here was very strong, and that she would definitely improve her swordsmanship quickly if she practiced here. Then she naturally asked her master if they could come here often in the future.

Seeing that Jian Li was finally interested in something, Jiang Yan looked at Zhou Caiwei.

Zhou Caiwei nodded, a slight smile curving her lips.

……

The third stop: Brahma Realm.

Unlike the previous two stops, no one came to greet me this time.

Jiang Yan had just breathed a sigh of relief when, as soon as she arrived at the entrance of Xichan Temple, the gate slowly opened from the inside.

An old monk wearing a kasaya stood on the inside of the threshold, his hands clasped together and his body slightly bowed.

This is the abbot of Xichan Temple, a highly respected Buddhist master throughout the entire Brahma Realm and even the Xuantian Realm.

He addressed Jiang Yan as "Benefactor Jiang" in a calm and gentle tone, lacking both the respect due to the Emperor of Qin and the enthusiasm of the leader of the Lingxu Sword Sect; it was simply pure goodwill.

As the group entered the temple, an ancient Bodhi tree stood in the center of the courtyard, its canopy blocking out the sun, and its branches were covered with red ribbons tied to the branches for the believers' prayers, which fluttered gently in the wind.

The distant sound of the bell at Xichan Temple and the aroma of incense permeated every corridor.

Ruoshui also calmed down for once, looking up at the red ribbons, lost in thought.

Jianli and Xiaoxiao sat on the stone steps sharing the vegetarian cakes they had just bought. As Xiaoxiao ate, she grumbled that the cakes didn't taste good because they didn't have any meat. Jianli said that these were vegetarian cakes and didn't have any meat, which was why Xiaoxiao said they didn't taste good.

Zhou Caiwei stood next to Jian Li, her gaze sweeping over Cang Yao under the Bodhi tree, then over Ruo Shui who was looking up at the red silk, and finally landing on Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan was standing under the corridor of the ancient temple, gazing at the Bodhi tree in the courtyard, his white hair swaying slightly in the incense smoke.

She withdrew her gaze, looked down at the sword in her hand, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

That's enough. Just being able to stand beside him like this is enough.

It was nearly dusk when the group left the temple.

The setting sun cast long shadows of the Bodhi tree, and the bell rang again, echoing through the mountains.

Jiang Yan walked at the back of the group and glanced back at the ancient temple.

Incense smoke rises in the sunset, and red ribbons flutter gently in the wind.

Ruoshui ran back from the front and took his arm: "Let's go."

Jiang Yan turned her head and smiled at her.

The setting sun cast long shadows of the group onto the bluestone slabs of the ancient temple.