“`
Whew.
Everyone stood up and let out a long breath, wiping the cold sweat from their foreheads.
The Li Shui King looked at Andrew Chen and curiously asked, “Andrew, before we arrived, did the gentleman ever leave the courtyard?”
Andrew Chen gave a dry laugh, “Your Majesty, since the gentleman moved into the courtyard, apart from the last time and last night’s demon extermination, he hasn’t taken a single step outside. That’s what I’ve seen.”
Andrew Chen’s last sentence implied that the gentleman’s abilities were vast, and even if he had gone out sometimes, he wouldn’t have known.
“I see…”
The Li Shui King rolled his eyes, then rather ungracefully hooked his arm around Andrew Chen’s neck, quickly turning him around to face away from the other officials.
The officials were dumbfounded. Your Majesty, you are the ruler of the empire, please mind your decorum, will you?
Can’t you say whatever you need to openly?
What does this mean?
The Li Shui King glanced at the bewildered Andrew Chen, then felt a surge of hope and excitement in his heart. In a very low voice, he asked,
“Andrew, be honest with me, have you ever asked the gentleman about cultivation?”
Andrew Chen was taken aback, recalling that night’s conversation. However, he didn’t mention it to the Li Shui King and instead forced a smile,
“The gentleman said my roots are not good, and I cannot cultivate.”
The Li Shui King patted his shoulder and sighed lightly, “That’s a pity.”
Then he asked again, “What about me? Can I cultivate?”
As the Li Shui King, although he had interacted with disciples of the Cyan Cloud Sect during times of demon trouble in the empire, those disciples came and went quickly, and he never had the chance to bring it up.
What the Li Shui King didn’t know was that even if he had mentioned it, it would have been of little use.
Most of the so-called immortals he had seen were merely at the Qi Refining stage…
Their cultivation levels were not high, and they had no significant influence within their sects.
“Your Majesty, I am just a mortal, how could I tell?” Andrew Chen said awkwardly, scratching his head.
The Li Shui King nodded, hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said,
“Andrew, you are close to the gentleman. When you get the chance, could you mention it to him for me? Don’t worry, whether it works out or not, I will reward you handsomely with money or a position of your choice!”
Andrew Chen was slightly stunned and said sadly, “Your Majesty, I’m sorry, I… can’t help you.”
The Li Shui King paused, a hint of displeasure appearing on his face, “Are you afraid that I have the roots for cultivation and can’t bear to see me succeed?”
Andrew Chen’s face showed fear, “Your Majesty, it’s not that I don’t want to help you, it’s just that I…”
Then, Andrew Chen had no choice but to recount to the Li Shui King the night he begged Ambrose Lu to exterminate the demon, and how he had to choose between cultivation and saving lives.
The Li Shui King was stunned after hearing it.
Guilt quickly spread in his heart, making him feel numb and tingly.
He truly deserved to die…
“Andrew, I wronged you. You… did well.”
After saying this, the Li Shui King turned back around, no longer mentioning the request.
He sighed inwardly, if he were in Andrew Chen’s position, would he choose cultivation or saving the people?
For a moment, he had no answer in his heart.
“Your Majesty, now that the demons have been exterminated by the gentleman and Immortal Gu, when shall we return to the capital?” Caleb Dong asked.
Upon hearing this, the other officials also looked at the Li Shui King, their eyes filled with confusion.
The demons had been exterminated several days ago, yet the King had not mentioned returning. What was the reason…
The Li Shui King scanned them and said in a solemn voice, “That night, after Immortal Gu exterminated those dozens of demons, he privately told me that the matter of the demons was not over yet and advised us and the people to stay in Moyu Town for the time being.”
Not over yet?!
The officials turned pale and looked at each other in dismay!
…
…
On the street.
The appearance of the man in cyan cloth did not cause much of a stir.
Because on the night of the demon extermination, Ambrose Lu had appeared high in the sky. Given the distance and the night, the common people naturally couldn’t see his face clearly.
However, he still attracted some attention, solely due to his aura.
Ambrose Lu strolled leisurely on the street, looking here and there.
Occasionally, he would stop at stalls on both sides of the street, buying some snacks to taste.
“Little girl, how much for these fruits?”
Ambrose Lu squatted down, looking at the two baskets of unknown red fruits and asked.
The little girl stared blankly at the man in cyan cloth in front of her, nervously saying, “Brother, how many do you want?”
Ambrose Lu’s eyes moved slightly, and he looked up with a gentle smile, “If they taste good, I might buy them all. Can I try one first?”
“Ah?” The little girl was stunned, looking a bit at a loss, then she reacted with surprise, “Yes, yes, of course!”
Ambrose Lu nodded slightly, reached into the basket, and picked up a small red fruit, which could be held between two fingers.
Then, under the little girl’s expectant gaze, he tossed it into his mouth.
Ambrose Lu smacked his lips and smiled at the little girl, “This fruit is sour at first, then sweet.”
The little girl’s black eyes widened, not understanding what this brother meant. She was the one selling these fruits, didn’t she know their taste?
She had secretly eaten quite a few herself.
The little girl just wanted to know if this brother found them tasty. Even if he didn’t buy them all, buying some would be good…
“Not bad, they’re tasty. I’ll take both baskets. How much are they worth?”
Ambrose Lu asked, looking at the little girl.
“Great! Brother, wait a moment, I’ll calculate.” The little girl said joyfully, then seriously started counting on her fingers.
Ambrose Lu wasn’t in a hurry, grabbing a handful of red fruits and eating them while waiting.
A moment later,
The little girl spread her two small palms toward Ambrose Lu. Her fingers were spread apart as she said seriously, “Brother, just give me ten copper coins.”
Ambrose Lu took out fifteen copper coins from his pocket and handed them to the little girl, then bent down to carry the two baskets of fruits and prepared to leave.
The little girl, holding the handful of copper coins, counted them with alternating hands and said urgently, “Brother, you gave too much!”
Ambrose Lu paused and said softly, “The extra five copper coins are for the baskets and the carrying pole.”
With that, he carried the two baskets of fruits and walked away, leaving the little girl with bright eyes watching him go.
These baskets and the carrying pole weren’t worth five copper coins…
The little girl tightly clutched the copper coins in her hand. After all, she was still a child, and she soon smiled happily.
Today, she actually earned fifteen copper coins, wow!
“Little Amelia, grandma just sold the woven goods to the merchant, hehe, grandma bought your favorite scallion oil cake. Uh, where are the fruits?”
An old woman carrying a cloth bag walked over, her face originally full of kind smiles, but when she saw the empty space in front of the little girl, her face turned pale.
Could it be that in such a short time, Little Amelia was deceived?
“Hehe, grandma, a brother bought all the fruits. Look, he gave me fifteen copper coins.”
Little Amelia spread her palm and said happily.
The old woman was stunned. Fifteen copper coins for just two baskets of fruits, that’s too much. She thought Little Amelia didn’t understand and urgently asked,
“Where is he?”
…
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