In this world, the emperor is the son of heaven, the rightful ruler, a sovereign in flesh, naturally above the people.

When one is above the people, it also meant that there was no one who could walk next to you side by side, that you were truly on a solitary path.

Right now, when these occasional true feelings were exposed, in this chilly imperial palace, it instead seemed especially cheerless.

…

“I really don’t think being an emperor is anything good.”

Under Rudong City’s night scene, Lin Xi picked up a meat flat cake, eating it in satisfaction while strolling through an old street that specialized in selling tea leaves. “Everyone always has to kneel before you… you don’t even have an intimate friend who you can speak to, and you always have to worry about your position. The things you have to worry about are far too many, many times even doing arduous and thankless tasks.”

Gao Yanan nodded. “Since Principal Zhang originally wanted to use Green Luan Academy to keep the nine senators in check, the nine senators assisting the political scene, then there is no chance Principal Zhang had any interest towards that dragon throne.”

Lin Xi remained silent for a moment. Only after finishing the flat meat cake in his hands, did he say, “This type of structure actually doesn’t have any problems. In my opinion, it would have changed this world at a moderate and good pace because he established a deity-like glory. However, the rulers of this world only allow this type of deity-like existence to exist above them because they feel sincere reverence towards him. However, once someone like Principal Zhang disappears, this type of reverence would lose its most foundational core… I feel like since he adopted this type of structure, there is no way he doesn’t understand this point.”

Gao Yanan’s brows furrowed deeply together. “You are saying that Principal Zhang might have…”

“Not even the most beautiful scenery and cultivation methods could make a person abandon the world and people one cares about for so many years… When I entered Green Luan Academy, he already left Green Luan Academy for sixteen years.” Lin Xi turned around and looked at Gao Yanan’s pretty side profile, saying quietly, “I previously thought that perhaps it was because his knowledge regarding history was too little, that he also acted a bit too much on impulse when Yunqin was established, ending up with this type of weird royal court, but my previous judgment was clearly wrong. He wanted to slowly and gently change this world. Since he already thought so much about it, understood these things even more clearly than me, he should naturally understand extremely well what kind of consequences not appearing for seventeen or eighteen years will have… That is why after not returning to this world after so long, even though I cannot say for sure whether he is alive or dead, he definitely encountered something he didn’t foresee.”

Gao Yanan remained silent for a moment, and then she also turned around to look at Lin Xi. “This further proves that climbing Heaven Ascension Mountain Range is extremely dangerous. Even if you are as powerful as Principal Zhang, you might still suffer something unexpected.”

“This type of thing would always leave me quite conflicted, wondering what would happen if I leave my folks for too long, if it really is an utterly dangerous place. At this time, the best way is just to think that since it is still far off, I won’t think about it right now.” Lin Xi laughed in self-mockery and then said, “All of this will have to wait until after I reach Sacred Expert level.”

Gao Yanan released a light en sound. She thought that regardless of what decision he made at that time, if you decide to go, then I’ll just go with you.

Lin Xi held her hand.

Unlike before, she felt that Lin Xi’s hand quickly became extremely warm.

She lowered her head, seeing that Lin Xi’s fingertips were releasing pure radiance.

Since this seemingly gentle radiance was too bright and dazzling, she couldn’t even ascertain if this radiance was pure gold or if it was pure white.

She sensed that the scars between her thumb and forefinger left behind from the previous battles, under a slightly hot feeling, quickly came off.

“What’s wrong?”

She immediately cried out in worry and alarm, because she saw Lin Xi shake his head helplessly, some cold sweat appearing on his forehead.

“It hurts quite a bit.”

Lin Xi released a bitter chuckle. He looked at Gao Yanan and explained, “No wonder it is called Sacrifice… releasing this type of radiance is extremely painful.”

Gao Yanan released a breath of relief. However, unknown as to what she was thinking of, her face flushed with a bit of redness.

Lin Xi instead didn’t take note of it, saying quietly to himself, “Turns out this speed is just the speed at which soul force is separated out… it makes sense as well. This is equivalent to gathering light in soul force. If light and soul force separate, the speed will naturally be fast. However, just like ordinary sunlight, there is no power. However, to do it at the level Teacher Yuhua does it, calmly separate out light, this is also a type of cultivation in itself.”

“Cultivation idiot, where are you going to bring me next?” Gao Yanan looked at Lin Xi who was muttering to himself, unable to help but laugh, asking this quietly.

“I am going to bring you to a Rudong City rice and noodles shop.” Lin Xi laughed and said, “I am going to take a look at Yunqin’s rice and flour business in passing while not much has passed since dinner time, many shops are still opened. There should still be time to wander around.”

Gao Yanan caught something within Lin Xi’s mysterious and mischievous smile, gently tapping her feet. “You still have more secrets?”

Auspicious Virtue’s Zhantai Qiantang, Nangong Weiyang’s black market business, these were also some of Lin Xi’s greatest secrets.

Lin Xi indeed hadn’t told Gao Yanan anything yet.

Meanwhile, the fact that Vice Principal Xia could place Lin Xi in Auspicious Virtue’s small courtyard while feeling at ease meant that in all of Yunqin Empire, only Vice Principal Xia and a few other people knew about this.

…

This summer day when Yunqin’s Emperor saw off his own teacher, many places in the imperial palace also felt even more chilly.

Inspection Division began to operate in an organized manner. As officials were investigated one after another, even more officials began to feel that this Yunqin summer day was extremely cold.

Lin Xi’s misgivings towards Liu Xueqeing, this type of upright and righteous subject, were completely unnecessary.

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

It was because this Inspection Division, unknown if it was because it was founded quickly, from the very start, it already didn’t have anything to do with Liu Xueqing’s wishes. It is because even if Liu Xueqing, this type of capable and outstanding subject, understood the effects of clearing out corruption on the current situation, wishing to take it a bit slower, if there were officials that were brought into Inspection Division with proof one after another, their criminal charges clear right before your face, how could you not deal with them?

Corruption and disgrace weren’t things that were produced in one morning and evening. In Yunqin Empire, it wasn’t that there weren’t any departments that specialized in eliminating corruption. However, in the royal court, in the massive Justice Sector, there were many officials who, to a large degree, already operated without doing anything substantial for many years. There were many officials who didn’t choose not to do their work, but rather couldn’t. It was because one case didn’t only draw out one individual, but rather a string of corruption.

Previously, when the imperial princess got involved in Justice Sector, personally investigating locally, the reason why even the nine senators didn’t approve of it in the end, turning a blind eye and letting Rudong City’s events happen, was precisely because the nine senators and many influential figures in the royal court understood extremely clearly that this wasn’t an issue a single person ruthlessly killing some people could solve.

If there weren’t some conclusive government decrees and changes in structure, those corrupt officials would be like large rats in warehouses. Even if you killed a group, another group would then be produced.

Inspection Division, this type of structure was actually something the nine senators and Grand Secretary Zhou wanted to push into the works a long time ago. However, back then, Grand Secretary Zhou’s plan was even more strict, changing the style of the royal court’s evaluation laws and other things. Even during the times when Dragon Snake Border Pass was facing the cave barbarian crisis, Grand Secretary Zhou was still constantly thinking this over, while the nine senators all had their own ideas, unable to reach a unanimous decision.

It was instead when Yunqin’s southern expedition failed, the emperor starting to have absolute authority in the royal court, some civil officials and righteous subjects, under the surging support of the people even overwhelmed the military that originally had the absolute advantage, that the Inspection Division appeared unstoppably on Yunqin’s stage.

When a random grave and serious case of corruption was caught, it would then involve a string of other situations. It already wasn’t a case of whether Liu Xueqing wanted to search for corruption or not, but rather that Inspection Division even felt a bit overwhelmed.

With the royal court like this, on the business side, during this Yunqin summer day, it also felt especially chilly for many of Auspicious Virtue’s competitors.

Those dozen or so allied families who previously tried to deal with Auspicious Virtue already only remained in name, in reality already gone.

After these merchant companies couldn’t suppress Auspicious Virtue in rice and grain at all, when faced with the decline in their businesses, many issues appearing as a result, they discovered that Auspicious Virtue already became an opponent that was already far more powerful than them.

Meanwhile, even Revival Friend Company, one of the three greatest grain industry companies, after Yunqin and Great Mang’s war continued, the supply of grain and profits becoming more and more tense, they already suddenly discovered that they were pressured by Auspicious Virtue to the point where it was hard for them to continue surviving.

This danger came from Jadefall City!

This company who was one of Auspicious Virtue’s current greatest rivals discovered that Auspicious Virtue already established many farms and pastures earlier than all of their competitors. The first batch of food produced from their farms was already starting to circulate through Yunqin’s various lands.

In a situation where great amounts of military recruitment were carried out in Yunqin, lack of laborers everywhere, fertile land dropping in their yield, Auspicious Virtue basically already prepared a massive bread basket that could crush most of Yunqin’s grain business!

Revival Friend Company was in shock and horror that Auspicious Virtue actually had this level of foresight and business operation ability. Meanwhile, all of Revival Friend Company’s shopkeepers also discovered that if they wanted to survive, currently, the only way was to follow Auspicious Virtue’s footsteps.

After all, even though they were much further behind, after Jadefall City was divided into two provinces, they still had large amounts of land and they still lacked people… With Revival Friend Company’s previous accumulation and influence in Yunqin Empire, they could seize a bit of preferential treatment, perhaps able to pull some of the gap closer, reduce some of the collapsing danger.

Revival Friend Company’s third shopkeeper Xue Jingyin was precisely in charge of this heavy responsibility of reversing this death situation.

During this especially chilly summer day, together with a large fleet carrying many first-rate seeds, as well as the tools needed for the earliest stages of building a farm, he entered Mountain Sun Path, starting to enter the Jadewater Province which emerged after Jadefall City’s division.[1]

This massive loaded fleet moved under the blue sky and green grass.

While in the luxurious carriage at the very front, Xue Jingyin was always worried. Who knew what would happen after Revival Friend Company friend copied Auspicious Virtue, what kind of shocking moves Auspicious Virtue’s great shopkeeper who was like a deity in the business world would make.

As for safety, he was actually not worried in the slightest.

It was because there would soon be a military troop who would come to receive them. Moreover, they had quite a few soldiers and cultivators in their fleet.

However, when night approached, a cold and fierce radiance flew out from the abundant underbrush, penetrating his carriage.

1. Jadewater Province is the half of Jadefall City that has Heaven's Lens Lake.