Chapter 2263: The Changing World, The Rise and Fall of the Human Sea

When he first met Helian Chuan, Dong Rui's ghost ape attacked. Helian Chuan shielded Mrs. Ying from a blow and was injured himself. Afterward, Helian Chuan visited him, bringing gifts of gratitude: besides Mrs. Ying's mutton-fat white jade, there were two packs of strawberries and one pack of large red dates.

Sun Hongye sat down and casually picked up a strawberry, putting it into his mouth. It was very sweet, with a hint of milk. So many years had passed, yet the Great Emperor of Nine Hells still remembered such a small detail and hadn't forgotten his old acquaintance.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a flash of light appeared in the open space outside the door, and the Haoyuan Golden Mirror materialized. Sun Hongye saw the shadows of trees swaying outside the pavilion, as if someone was approaching. The two guards also bowed: "Your Majesty!" Then, they withdrew.

Sun Hongye quickly stood up. Just then, a mountain breeze swept through, and he saw a person elegantly step over the threshold, as if carried by the wind. That figure, those grand strides, were exactly as he remembered. Sun Hongye didn't dare to look closely and immediately prostrated himself: "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Although the other person was clearly still a zhang away, as Sun Hongye bent his waist and extended his hand, Helian Chuan reached out and supported his arm. "Dispense with the formalities. Sit!"

Sun Hongye instinctively sat down, his body reacting faster than his thoughts, which momentarily surprised him. Although Helian Chuan intentionally restrained himself, the majesty of the Great Emperor of Nine Hells unconsciously emanated from him. Sun Hongye sat with a very straight back and proper posture, yet he appeared a bit stiff.

The person before him looked familiar, but he understood that this was no longer the son of the border prefect of the State of Yuan from back then, but the reborn Dragon God who had slain gods and demons, the Great Emperor of Nine Hells who had unified the entire Blazegold Plain! His extraordinary achievements alone were enough to make anyone on this plain kneel before him. Especially since Helian Chuan's gaze, though peaceful, made him feel somewhat constrained. Sun Hongye had imagined countless times how he would react upon seeing the Great Emperor of Nine Hells. But when the day truly arrived, his palms still sweated, his back felt warm, and none of his prepared words came to mind.

It was Helian Chuan who spoke first: "We haven't seen each other in over a decade. You've gotten darker and thinner." Sun Hongye was choked up for a moment, filled with countless emotions. The last time they met, both were under twenty, full of youthful vigor, and naturally compatible. Reunited, they were now past thirty. One had become the Great Emperor of Nine Hells, renowned throughout the world, while the other had roamed the earth, wandering far and wide. The world had changed, and people had risen and fallen.

Finally, he could only say, "Your Majesty's demeanor is even grander than before."

"What demeanor did I have before?" Helian Chuan chuckled. When Sun Hongye worked under him, he still acted like a dandy, just to avoid making He Chunhua too suspicious. "Back then, I had to act according to others' expressions."

The Sun Hongye before him had sunken eyes and skin clinging to his bones. He had shed his youthful exuberance, gaining instead a sense of calm and depth. Sun Hongye sighed, "In the blink of an eye, over a decade has passed, and we are no longer who we once were." Alas, it was all the tempering of time.

With a glance, Helian Chuan knew Sun Hongye also had cultivation, and it wasn't weak: "You've also cultivated divine abilities?" Cultivators' gazes, postures, and gaits differ from ordinary people.

"I've only dabbled, just for physical well-being." With the revival of spiritual energy, a wave of cultivation enthusiasm swept through the human world. People who were previously unable to cultivate due to limited spiritual energy now had the opportunity to try. Even if they couldn't achieve true enlightenment, they could at least gain physical health and immunity from illness, which was immensely beneficial.

Helian Chuan casually picked up a strawberry and put it into his mouth. "After all these years, you really gave me a tough search. I thought you had gone east to Beijia or Mou State, but who knew you went south?" The world was vast; even for the all-powerful Great Emperor of Nine Hells, finding an unknown person wasn't easy.

"After leaving Yuan State, I first went to Beijia, where I worked in the Tongya County Office in Baoshu State. Two years later, I was promoted to county registrar, still doing clerical work."

Helian Chuan nodded. He had been to the vassal demon state of Baoshu and knew that a county registrar was a subordinate appointed by the county magistrate, but their status was low, not even comparable to a county captain.

"That county town wasn't big, but the paperwork was extremely cumbersome. Often, a minor official matter required seven or eight sets of documents. County affairs also had long procedures, difficult approvals, and slow progress. The county magistrate also lacked motivation. I offered him suggestions twice, but he ignored them, only to regret it when the opportunity passed, then called me over to scold me harshly a few times. I initially wanted to quit, but it wasn't easy to get to Beijia, so I thought I'd persevere a bit longer." At this point, Sun Hongye suddenly realized, "Oh, I shouldn't be talking about these trivial matters and wasting Your Majesty's time!" The preciousness of the Great Emperor of Nine Hells' time could not be fully described even by the saying "an inch of time is worth an inch of gold."

"No, no, please continue," Helian Chuan listened quite attentively.

"Yes... during my time as county registrar, I found some irregularities in the county accounts that couldn't withstand scrutiny. Just then, King Baoshu suddenly ordered a rectification of official governance, investigating corruption and preparing the army."

"Was the Tongya county magistrate caught in that storm?"

"Yes, the superiors always needed to arrest some people to report to their own superiors. The Tongya county magistrate's weaknesses had probably been seized upon long ago. Within three days, three groups of people arrived, practically turning the county office upside down."

"You must have slipped away beforehand, right? Otherwise, how could any egg remain unbroken in a toppling nest?"

"Your Majesty knows me well." Sun Hongye scratched his head. "When the first group of people entered the county office, they didn't pay much attention to me, so I slipped away that very day. Before leaving, I shot an arrow into their courtyard, with the pages of incriminating account books tied to the arrowhead."

"About a month later, I heard that the Tongya County Office had been thoroughly purged, from top to bottom. However, my own wanted poster was also put up; it seemed they still needed a few more scapegoats. As a 'fugitive fearing punishment,' I was just perfect."

"So you left Beijia?"

"Without looking back." Being pursued by a northern demon state was a great psychological burden, and Sun Hongye wished to be as far away from it as possible.

Helian Chuan laughed, "Truly my strategist, wanted by Beijia just like me."

Sun Hongye immediately nodded, "Indeed, I'm honored. But you are number one on the Heavenly Ranking; how can I compare?" He knew about that.

"However, the wanted warrant for Your Majesty has long been withdrawn." Even if Beijia hadn't actively rescinded it back then, they would pretend to be oblivious now. Issuing a warrant for a head of state would only make the warrant itself look foolish.

"Later, I wandered south, stayed in sects, lived in small states, and encountered bandits four or five times. The most absurd thing was that less than three days after I joined the Tongming Sect, it was invaded by the Baiyi State. Fortunately, I escaped quickly once again. The Tongming Sect was in a terrible state, and I heard they eventually evacuated the entire sect."

"So you were in the Tongming Sect then," Helian Chuan remarked, "What a coincidence. Before Beijia launched its major attack on Mou State, it first incited its subordinate forces to attack Mou State's allies. You were caught in the crossfire."