We Agreed On Experiencing Life, So Why Did You Immortals Become Real? Chapter 611: I'm Curious

"Someone else truly holds power over the Four Seas?" Xiao Mo's brow furrowed. "What exactly does that mean?"

"Your Majesty, this servant does not know the specifics either."

Wei Xun continued, his tone carrying a note of unease.

"It's simply that, according to rumor, there exists within the Four Seas a true dragon, at that legendary Ascension realm cultivation level, who governs the entire territory of the Four Seas, revered by the myriad races of the Four Seas as their Ancestral Elder."

"But this Ancestral Elder has never once appeared in this world."

"Some say this Ancestral Elder remains in seclusion, striving toward an even higher cultivation level. Others say this so-called Ancestral Elder of the Four Seas does not exist at all. And still others say this Ancestral Elder forbids anyone from speaking her name, and so the various schools of thought within the Ten Thousand Laws Realm, led by the Confucians, have erased every record of this Ancestral Elder entirely."

"And so, whether this Ancestral Elder of the Four Seas truly exists or not, this servant genuinely has no way of determining."

The further along Wei Xun spoke, the more self-reproach he felt, and he suddenly dropped to his knees.

"This servant has handled matters poorly. I ask Your Majesty's punishment!"

In truth, this genuinely was not Wei Xun's fault.

Great Zhou was, after all, merely a small nation within this vast central realm.

Throughout the entirety of the Ten Thousand Laws Realm, if one were to ask "where is the Zhou Kingdom," most cultivators would surely be utterly baffled, and even a Nascent Soul realm cultivator would not spare it a second glance.

That the Zhou Kingdom had managed to secure a disciple of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect as its National Preceptor was, in truth, largely because Yan Zhen had offered generous benefits at the time, and had flattered them shamelessly besides.

Even within Great Zhou itself, no small number of common folk regarded Foundation Building realm cultivators as veritable immortals.

Only within the Zhou Kingdom's own capital did perceptions improve somewhat, though even there, most people's understanding of the world rarely extended beyond "the Nascent Soul realm."

And so, for such a small nation to attempt investigating the affairs of the vast Four Seas.

He had, indeed, placed Wei Xun in a genuinely difficult position.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Wei Xun knocked his head against the ground three times in gratitude, then slowly rose to his feet.

"How are matters with the Yan clan?" Xiao Mo continued asking Wei Xun.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, after Yan Shan'ao's death, leadership of the Yan clan fell to the Empress Dowager by rights, but the Empress Dowager delegated full authority over the clan's affairs to Minister of Rites Yan Zhen. The very day Yan Zhen learned of Yan Shan'ao's death, he personally went to the Yan clan's ancestral shrine, summoning the heads of every branch of the Yan clan, interrogating them one by one according to clan law."

"Within the Yan clan, anyone found guilty of corruption or exploitation of the common people has been punished according to clan law, and then transferred to the Ministry of Justice. This time, the Yan clan's own self-purge has been extraordinarily ruthless."

"Heh heh heh..." Xiao Mo smiled. "Ruthlessness was rather necessary, or else Zeng Qiang and the others would already have gone in to confiscate their estates."

"But this father-in-law of mine truly has proven himself capable, understanding well how to read the situation, and knowing exactly what he should and shouldn't do. I suppose he hasn't entirely squandered the favor I showed Consort Xue, after all."

Xiao Mo took a leisurely sip of tea.

"Go and tell my father-in-law, have him persuade the members of the Yan faction and those Yan clan generals who still hold military command to surrender their forces. Any who hand over their command will have their past actions forgiven entirely. Any who continue to resist, I will send troops to surround and eliminate them directly."

"And should any of the Yan faction's generals help suppress rebellion among their own clan, I will not be stingy in crediting them with merit either!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Wei Xun answered.

Wei Xun recalled how His Majesty had already instructed those border generals still loyal to the imperial house to secure the frontier defenses first, then lead their troops directly toward the strongholds of those Yan faction generals most likely to rebel, striking them by surprise.

And now, seeing His Majesty simultaneously having the Yan clan's new patriarch, Yan Zhen, persuade others to surrender, using members of the Yan faction to fight against their own faction.

It seemed as though everything had already been accounted for within His Majesty's plans.

Wei Xun felt that, before long, this storm sweeping through the court would settle entirely and the whole of Great Zhou would emerge with an entirely new face!

Just as Wei Xun was about to withdraw, having received his orders, a maid hurried in, “Your Majesty, the Ministry of Rites has sent a letter. Minister Yan says the matter is of great importance, one he dares not put into words himself, leaving the decision entirely to Your Majesty."

"What matter could possibly be this serious? My father-in-law considers this so grave?" Xiao Mo's brow furrowed. "Bring me the letter."

"Yes."

The maid brought the letter forward, placing it upon Xiao Mo's desk, then withdrew.

Xiao Mo opened the envelope, reading it over, again and again.

Wei Xun waited off to the side.

He stole a few glances at his own emperor's expression.

His Majesty's eyes carried surprise, astonishment, and delight, as though something quite extraordinary had occurred.

This left Wei Xun rather puzzled.

What exactly did this letter say?

And who exactly had sent it?

"This is truly strange..."

A full incense stick's time later, Xiao Mo set down the letter in his hand, shaking his head.

Xiao Mo raised his head, looking at Wei Xun beside him, “Wei Xun, let me ask you something. If the Four Seas were to send me a letter, saying they wish to establish friendly relations with the Zhou Kingdom, and that the Lord of the Four Seas intends to visit the Zhou Kingdom in person before long, what would that mean?"

…

The Dragon Palace of the Four Seas.

Countless treasures of gold and silver, along with rare treasures unique to the Four Seas, filled chest after chest.

To the vast Four Seas, these items amounted to essentially nothing at all but as a gift to a small nation, they seemed considerably more extravagant.

"Is everything prepared?"

The current "Lord of the Four Seas," Sizhu, walked over to these chests, asking a woman beside her.

"Everything's more or less ready. We can depart today."

The woman, named Yan Shuang, nodded.

She had not always been called Yan Shuang, but had once been named Yan Ruxue.

Only, at the age of ten, when she had fallen into the water and very nearly drowned, she had been saved by an extraordinarily beautiful woman, who had also taken her on as a disciple, and from that point on, she had taken a new name, setting foot upon the path of immortal cultivation.

Not long ago, she had received a letter, instructing her to accompany Sizhu, representing the North Sea, on a diplomatic mission to the Zhou Kingdom.

"We're returning to the Zhou Kingdom this time. Does Sister Yan feel any anticipation in her heart?"

Sizhu stepped forward, asking with a smile.

"As for my parents, I do feel some longing, but it's not too significant." Yan Shuang said flatly. "After all, I have long since become a person of the mountain path. Worldly ties should, by rights, already be severed."

"Little sister truly is heartless." Sizhu said with a smile.

"But there is one thing I'm curious about." Yan Shuang turned her head, looking at Sizhu.

"Oh?" Sizhu looked at Yan Shuang with keen interest. "Curious about what?"

Yan Shuang raised her head, gazing through the deep blue seawater toward the surface above, “I'm curious what kind of person this ruler of the Zhou Kingdom could possibly be, that he managed to win my master's favor. I'm curious whether he's truly worthy of it."