My Longevity Simulation Chapter 3: A Mortal’s Desire to Capture Immortals

As Li Fan geared up for the 50th year in his third life, time appeared to speed up.

Li Fan carried out his strategy with careful precision, one phase at a time.

Drawing from the wisdom of his prior two existences, all progressed without a hitch.

He sat for the imperial exams once again.

Yet this round, bolstered by decades of administrative insight, his compositions outshone those from his earlier incarnation. From county level to provincial and national, he claimed top spots every time, earning fame across the realm!

Soon after, though still young, he secured a post in Wen County.

Having anchored there for 3 years previously, he returned to Wen County now.

In this lifetime, seizing authority proved far swifter than before. Leveraging his widespread fame and deep familiarity with regional authorities, he swiftly dominated Wen County.

Next, he advanced and nurtured the loyal followers from his past life, steadily amplifying his sway.

Meanwhile, he sketched blueprints for flintlock pistols and directed artisans to craft them, guiding them past every manufacturing obstacle he recalled. Following that, he dispatched agents to discreetly enlist talented workers, pushing to innovate superior armaments.

The mountain mines received no neglect. Li Fan eradicated every bandit group around Wen County and compelled them into mine labor. Using the site's riches, he set up numerous forges in the remote hills to churn out iron arms en masse. Concurrently, he assembled merchant convoys to roam the lands and gather wealth.

Four years in, Li Fan covertly hunted and ultimately located Emperor Xuanjing's body double. This impostor's presence had nearly doomed his assassination scheme before. Fortunately, his habitual wariness and array of contingencies kept him from defeat. Li Fan himself drilled the double to perfection within six months.

Five years later, a brutal drought struck Jiangnan. Li Fan instructed his followers to disguise as displaced folk and assault the Langya Prince's manor. Publicly, he led the relief operation, but covertly, he directed his team to slaughter the Prince of Langya and his kin. Simultaneously, he unveiled his prepared substitute.

From that point, Li Fan commanded the Langya Prince's holdings.

The slaughter of the Langya Prince's household, sparing only the Prince, stunned the nation. The Emperor raged and deployed forces against the migrants. For his role, Li Fan ascended to governor of Jiangnan Province.

Li Fan's authority swelled further. Yet afterward, he grew more guarded. Rather than pushing outward, he stayed understated and advanced innovations.

In the 7th year, the foretold locust swarm arrived. Li Fan's preparations ensured Jiangnan Province escaped major harm. He also urged the court to unlock granaries and distribute food to the sufferers, and they consented.

Seizing this chance, Li Fan won over vast crowds. Numerous displaced settled in his domain, fortifying his position.

By the 9th year, the Langya Prince's marriage to the Chief Grand Secretary's granddaughter proceeded on time. That evening, Li Fan burst into the wedding room under cover of darkness, terrifying the new bride nearly to fainting. Upon discovering Li Fan's murder of the original Prince and his use of a stand-in to usurp control, she furiously branded him a usurper. Li Fan merely chuckled and urged her to pen details of this shocking event in a missive.

Armed with that document, Li Fan masqueraded as the Prince of Langya’s envoy and slipped unnoticed into the capital to meet the Chief Grand Secretary.

Composed and steady, Li Fan disclosed his grasp over the full Langya assets. The Chief Grand Secretary, taken aback yet composed, inquired what Li Fan intended.

Li Fan assuredly stated that the Imperial Advisor, after decades of dominance, had amassed foes aplenty. Moreover, with his inept offspring, the Imperial Advisor's lineage might struggle to preserve fortune and rank post-Chief Grand Secretary's demise. Provided the Chief Grand Secretary intervened at a key juncture to aid Li Fan, Li Fan pledged to safeguard his family's future security and affluence.

The Chief Grand Secretary mulled it over extensively before inquiring the nature of the aid. Li Fan grinned and replied it would reveal itself soon enough, then departed.

Ten years on, Lady Langya bore a son. Clearly, this child was Li Fan's. Li Fan dispatched a note to the Chief Grand Secretary announcing the triumph.

Fifteen years later, the Emperor fell gravely ill at last. Upon the summons decree for the Langya Prince, Li Fan gathered his confidants, journeyed relentlessly, and reached the capital.

Once the Prince of Langya claimed the throne, Li Fan harnessed imperial might to steer the bureaucracy and elevate his allies. Thanks to the Chief Grand Secretary’s hidden alliance, no alarms sounded as Li Fan assumed total dominance.

Sixteen years in, uprisings erupted nationwide. Li Fan exploited this to weave his loyalists into military ranks and, amid victories over insurgents, showered promotions. Within mere three to four years, the forces bowed utterly to Li Fan's command.

Twenty years passed, and the realm slowly healed from the imperial passing's chaos. Li Fan then boldly administered poison to the false Emperor, eliminating the final peril.

Having installed his son upon the throne, Li Fan named himself Imperial Advisor, stepping from shadows into spotlight anew, wielding vast power and reach.

Henceforth, the Grand Xuan Kingdom's progress in technology surged under Li Fan's directive.

In the 35th year, within the Imperial Advisor’s Mansion.

Li Fan examined the confidential dispatch from his agents. After scrutinizing it briefly, a frown creased his brow.

"So, you're saying that the mists over the Ruins Abyss will disperse for half a day every fifteen years?"

"Reporting to the Imperial Advisor, this is exactly the case. Our Immortal Seeking Battalion was ordered to station beside the Ruins Abyss and observe it day and night. Finally, a few days ago there was a harvest." The Immortal Seeking Official kneeling on the ground recalled the scene at that time, a look of awe still remaining on his face. "After the fog cleared, there was a faint light shining out from the bottom of the abyss. We used telescopes to observe it and discerned all sorts of wondrous sights."

"Although what each person saw was not the same, the sights included a mountain range with thousands of peaks rising and falling, with majestic buildings scattered throughout, vaguely visible; there were towering cities situated on the plains, with no less than a million people each; there is even a city in the sky enveloped in radiant light, and all kinds of rare birds and exotic beasts were flying in between, it was really…” the Immortal Seeking Official paused, before expressing the feelings in his heart. "It was truly incredible."

“They really were from the Ruins Abyss.” Although he had suspected this for a long time, now that it had been personally confirmed by his subordinate, Li Fan was still a little excited in his heart. However, his many years of experience had long since tempered his self-control.

He asked indifferently, "Can you find a way to get down to the bottom of the abyss?"

The Immortal Seeking Official's breath stuttered, and then his face turned a little white. He quickly kowtowed and said, “Subordinate is incompetent. We tried various methods, but as soon as we descended to a certain depth, we were cut to pieces by an astral wind. The astral wind is so powerful that even our toughest armor cannot resist it for a moment."

Upon hearing this, Li Fan did not look disappointed.

After waving his hand and letting the Immortal Seeking Official leave, Li Fan muttered to himself, "It seems that I still have to wait for you guys."

......

50th year, Grand Xuan Kingdom, Xuanjing.

Xuanjing City, which used to be incomparably lively, was now silent and somewhat eerie.

The vast majority of the people of Xuanjing had been forcibly relocated to the neighboring cities a month ago under the decree of the Imperial Advisor, who claimed that it was in order to avoid a calamity. This ridiculous excuse was met with heavy skepticism. However, the Imperial Advisor did not go too far and force those who didn’t want to move, only suggesting that they build underground shelters to hide. These warnings were mostly treated as jokes.

When Li Fan got the report, he did not bother. He had already done his best.

In the streets and alleys of Xuanjing City, ambushes were waiting in place consisting of the special troops that he had carefully prepared over the years to use against the two immortals.

Now that everything was ready, all that was needed were the protagonists!

At night, under the bright moon, the two immortal cultivators arrived as expected!

"Dao Xuanzi! Don't you oppress people too much!"

Kou Hong's angry shouts spread throughout Xuanjing City.

“Ratatatatat...”

Countless tongues of fire suddenly lit up, and tens of thousands of bullets poured forth like waterfalls, suddenly bombarding the two immortals in unison!