Immortal Refiner

Three years passed in the blink of an eye.

In the third year of the Kaiyuan era, Tuwa Ha’er, who had established the Wu Dynasty three years prior, finally understood the true meaning of the saying, ”Warriors use martial arts to defy imperial decree.”

”Your Majesty, the Holy Sovereign, Prince Pingyun’s two sons were killed by Jianghu Warriors in a brothel. That same night, Prince Pingyun himself was attacked. Had it not been for the protective talisman granted by Your Majesty, Prince Pingyun might have...”

In the opulent and majestic Golden Hall, the Wu Dynasty official’s report echoed through the hall.

The leaders of various Grassland Tribes present, along with newly sworn subjects of the Wu Dynasty from the Maple Country, wore grave expressions.

Tuwa Ha’er, the Holy Sovereign seated on the Dragon Throne, wore a face as dark as thunderclouds.

”Since the start of spring, this is the fourth incident of Jianghu Warriors attacking meritorious officials and powerful nobles, isn’t it?” Tuwa Ha’er, who styled himself the Sage Ruler, spoke in a low voice, his voice carrying an innate authority.

Five officials below responded in unison. He sighed and said, ”They say ruling an empire is harder than conquering it. Now, I truly understand the truth of that saying.”

”My esteemed ministers, speak! What should we do?!”

...

Prince Pingyun was a tribal chieftain who had distinguished himself in the conquest of Yun Province.

After establishing the empire, Tuwa Ha’er had generously bestowed titles and honors upon the most meritorious tribes, instantly creating a powerful aristocratic collective bound by shared interests.

Prince Pingyun, his most loyal tribal chieftain, was directly granted the title of a non-royal prince!

Yet this very non-royal prince had nearly died in his own home. Had it not been for the Immortal Dao Talisman Tuwa Ha’er had bestowed upon him, the entire nation would likely be in mourning today.

The ministers below remained silent, and a nameless rage surged within Tuwa Ha’er.

Bang!

He slammed his fist on the Dragon Throne’s armrest and roared, ”Because I listened to your counsel, the Martial Artist Pursuit Order was suspended from the beginning of the second year of Kaiyuan!”

”And what did we get in return? Instead of the Martial Artists becoming more subdued, they’ve become even more brazen!”

”Now, Prince Pingyun nearly died in his own home. Tell me, what should we do?!”

After three years on the throne, this Grassland Tyrant had cultivated the formidable aura befitting a founding monarch, leaving every official in the Golden Hall trembling in awe.

”Holy Sovereign, I have a word!”

The speaker was Gao Yudong, the former Grand Councilor of the Maple Country, now serving as a Vice Minister.

”Beloved Minister Gao, what brilliant strategy do you propose? Speak freely,” Tuwa Ha’er said, slowly smoothing the anger from his face. His eyes, filled with satisfaction, turned toward the Maple Country defector.

Initially, Tuwa Ha’er had harbored some distrust toward him. But over the years, this former high-ranking official of the Maple Country had proven his sincerity.

He repeatedly offered ruthless schemes, ruthlessly subjugating the former citizens of the Maple Country, demonstrating unwavering loyalty.

Tuwa Ha’er had even heard that in Southern Maple, the bounty on Gao Yudong’s head had reached a staggering 100,000 taels, surpassing even the amount he had embezzled in the past.

How could Tuwa Ha’er not trust this enemy official who had defected mid-war?!

Indeed, traitors were always the most ruthless when turning against their former comrades.

”Your Majesty, I propose we revive the Martial Artist Pursuit Order and set bounties on the heads of prominent Jianghu Warriors. The stronger and more renowned they are, the higher the reward!”

”Under great reward, there will be brave men. Everyone loves money. As long as the price is right, even those who once served Maple Country will be tempted. Anyone who provides information will be rewarded.”

”We could even recruit some of the more docile Martial Artists, offering them various benefits to turn them against each other!”

”Furthermore, though Southern Maple is weak now, the former Maple Kingdom had a Martial Artist organization called the Maple Guard. I suspect the recent attacks and resistance from Jianghu Warriors are connected to Southern Maple.”

”I implore Your Majesty to launch a military campaign against Southern Maple, south of Small Jade Ridge!”

Set bounties on the heads of Jianghu Warriors.

Launch a military campaign against Southern Maple.

These two strategies were clearly designed with ruthless precision.

Every word was sharp and decisive, ringing with authority!

Tuwa Ha’er chuckled and declared, ”Excellent! Very good!”

”Setting bounties on the heads of these outlawed Martial Artists and inciting them to fight among themselves is a brilliant plan!”

”As for military action against Southern Maple, we must deliberate further. I shall consider this matter further.”

With those words, Tuwa Ha’er waved his hand, signaling the end of the court session.

Amidst cries of ”Long live the Sage Ruler!” Tuwa Ha’er rose from the Dragon Throne and walked toward the secluded depths of the palace.

”Long live? How wonderful it would be to truly live for ten thousand years.”

Walking along a palace path, Tuwa Ha’er sighed, finally understanding why rulers throughout history had sought the elixir of immortality.

Having tasted the intoxicating pleasure of absolute power, he could no longer bear to relinquish his position.

Alas, while Immortal Cultivators who could truly live long lives did exist in this world, he, as the ruler of a nation, was forbidden from entering their ranks.

What a pity! What a tragedy!

Lost in thought, the Grassland Tyrant arrived at a quiet, secluded corner of the palace.

Standing before the gate, Tuwa Ha’er dismissed his attendants and, with a slight bow, entered respectfully.

This was a courtyard with artificial mountains, flowing water, and several unfamiliar medicinal herbs growing in the corners. One of these herbs was shrouded in a wisp of mist, appearing utterly magical.

As soon as he entered, the Sage Ruler, who was known for his might, adopted a humble expression.

”Yellow-Robed Immortal, how have you been lately?”

On the artificial mountain, a strange figure in a yellow robe sat in meditation, eyes half-closed, radiating an air of serene self-satisfaction.

In response to Tuwa Ha’er’s greeting, the Yellow-Robed Old Monster remained silent, not even bothering to open his eyes.

”Immortal, I wish to request a few more protective talismans. What can I offer in exchange?” Tuwa Ha’er asked through gritted teeth.

At this, the Yellow-Robed Old Monster opened his eyes, glanced at Tuwa Ha’er with a cold indifference, and said, ”I’m only interested in pseudo-magical artifacts and rare materials. Nothing else holds any value for me.”

Tuwa Ha’er’s face twisted with bitterness. The Martial Artist Pursuit Order he had issued during the founding year was specifically aimed at collecting Peerless Divine Weapons scattered throughout the Jianghu.

For the past two years, he had poured the nation’s resources into a relentless search for these legendary weapons and other extraordinary minerals.

Yet, in the end, all he had to show for his efforts was the cultivation manual he had so desperately sought and a few protective talismans.

Though Tuwa Ha’er didn’t know the value of the cultivation manual called the Earth Origin Manual and the few talismans, he was certain that the treasures he had gathered were worth far more.

But what could he do? The Yellow-Robed Old Monster before him was the only Immortal Cultivator he could contact. Even if the trade was unfair, the founding Sage Ruler had no choice but to grit his teeth and agree.

”Immortal, I’ve turned almost every province of the Wu Dynasty upside down. I fear those things you mentioned are nowhere to be found.”

After a moment of thought, Tuwa Ha’er spoke again, ”Immortal, I plan to send troops to Southern Maple. I’m sure there are still many magical weapons and the strange minerals you seek there.”

”As you wish,” the Yellow-Robed Old Monster replied indifferently.

Tuwa Ha’er was stunned at first, then his face lit up with wild joy.

Previously, the Yellow-Robed Immortal had strictly forbidden his troops from crossing Small Jade Ridge, as if fearing something.

But the Yellow-Robed Old Monster’s next words dispelled Tuwa Ha’er’s confusion and filled him with a deep sense of unease.

”Do as you please. I’m planning to leave. The spiritual energy in this mortal realm is too thin. There’s no point in staying.”

”You can do whatever you want about Southern Maple. But if you find any more pseudo-magical artifacts or strange minerals, keep collecting them. I might come back later, and we can continue our trade then.”

Tuwa Ha’er stood frozen, his mouth agape. He stammered, ”Immortal, why are you leaving so suddenly? Did I fail to treat you well? I’ll change!”

The Yellow-Robed Old Monster chuckled softly. ”The spiritual energy here is too thin. I must seek a place with a Spiritual Vein to cultivate in peace and see if I can break through my bottleneck and advance further.”

”There’s no need to try to persuade me. My mind is made up.”

With the matter settled, Tuwa Ha’er knew he couldn’t force the Immortal to stay. He clasped his hands in a respectful bow and said, ”If that’s the case, I won’t say more. May the Immortal’s Dao prosper forever.”

Turning away, a ruthless glint flashed in Tuwa Ha’er’s eyes, quickly replaced by resignation.

Could he really force such a powerful Immortal Cultivator to stay?

He’d considered it, but the thought was quickly dismissed.

It was simply too difficult. How could a mortal possibly slay an Immortal?

(End of the Chapter)

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