Chapter 280: 画面不敢想

Ji Yuan's words momentarily stunned the old beggar. He glanced at the old emperor's corpse on the bed, then at the departing Ji Yuan, a rare complexity appearing on his face.

"Ah..." the old beggar sighed, then turned and left.

Inside and outside the imperial bedchamber, cries of sorrow echoed loudly. As news of the emperor's demise spread, everyone within the palace walls, from servants to guards, knelt facing the bedchamber. Emperor Yuande's death would soon be announced nationwide.

The old beggar walked a few steps out of the palace walls and saw the underworld emissaries departing in the distance.

At this moment, the old emperor's soul had just left his body. Protected by the shade umbrella, his soul remained unharmed and had not yet been touched by the night wind; a lingering trace of his vital energy had not yet dispersed. Essentially, he was not yet truly a ghost.

With a firm resolve, the old beggar channeled his magic. In a few strides, he moved like a blur, chasing after the soul. As he passed by the underworld emissaries, he pulled a thin, long red string from his ragged clothes and flung it towards the old emperor's soul.

Without either the emissaries or the old emperor noticing, the red string wrapped directly around the old emperor's waist.

Having done this, the old beggar clapped his hands and departed in another direction.

Ji Yuan, who had left earlier, paid no further mind to the old beggar. Although he had summoned him, he could not dictate another's freedom. He left the imperial palace alone, walking along Yongning Street in the bustling capital prefecture.

The streets were lively with merchants and people from all corners of the land. Even upon hearing the news of the old emperor's death, for these individuals, it was merely an "oh" or an "alas" over tea and after meals.

"Mr. Ji, wait! Mr. Ji, please wait!"

The old beggar's voice came from behind. Ji Yuan stopped and turned to watch him catch up.

Once the old beggar arrived, the two continued walking together.

"Mr. Ji, are you returning to Qizhou?"

"I'll go back for a while, then I'll travel again after some time."

Hearing Ji Yuan's reply, the old beggar simply said "Oh." With seemingly nothing more to say, the two walked towards the Earth God Temple.

Because they were walking at a normal pace, it wasn't until they reached the Earth God Temple that the old beggar suddenly asked another question.

"Mr. Ji, if the old emperor had held onto your mooncake tightly back then, would you have stepped in to advise him?"

Sometimes, Ji Yuan felt a bit helpless. These highly cultivated individuals always tended to overthink things, but to him, some matters were as simple as one and two.

The old beggar was probably wondering why Ji Yuan had suddenly taken an interest in the old emperor, or if he had always been interested. However, Ji Yuan's actions today were merely a spontaneous impulse driven by a momentary feeling.

"Elder Lu," Ji Yuan replied, "if he grasped it, he grasped it. I never even considered such a thing; it was just a cake."

"But didn't you give it to him intentionally?" the old beggar pressed.

The old beggar asked again. Ji Yuan initially thought of saying, "You're overthinking it," but then suddenly lost interest in continuing the conversation.

"At this point, Elder Lu, why dwell on such thoughts?"

The old beggar smiled.

"Mr. Ji, do you find conversing with this old beggar dull? Indeed, in terms of cultivation and mindset, this old beggar is far inferior to you. Yang Zong, in his final moments, truly deserved to be this old beggar's disciple. Perhaps I've disappointed you, sir."

"Regardless of whether he was a disciple for a few breaths of life, a single thought before or after death holds different meanings for both Yang Zong and me," Ji Yuan said. "As the saying goes, 'death is like a lamp extinguishing,' and an incomplete body and soul is no longer a complete person..."

Hearing the old beggar say this, Ji Yuan instinctively turned to look at him, sensing a deeper meaning in his words.

"What? Elder Lu, are you now thinking of taking Yang Zong as a disciple? But you just said that 'death is like a lamp extinguishing.' If you were concerned about the integrity of body and soul before, why have you changed your mind now?"

By now, the two had arrived at the Earth God Temple. The young beggar from inside the temple ran out, temporarily pausing their conversation.

Since Ji Yuan and the old beggar were openly visible and not using any illusionary spells, the Earth God did not appear.

"Grandpa Lu!"

Xiao You came running and skipping, his beggar's clothes bulging in the pocket. It was most likely offerings from the altar, but given the young beggar's character, he certainly hadn't stolen them.

"Mr. Ji!"

Upon reaching them, the young beggar first bowed to Ji Yuan, then approached the old beggar, proudly showing him the food in his pocket like a treasure.

"Let's go," Ji Yuan joked, "Even if the Earth God gave it to you, if the temple keeper sees it, he might chase you out with a broom!" This made the young beggar's face change drastically, and he quickly pulled the old beggar away.

The three simply cupped their hands towards the Earth God Temple, then turned and left. After walking for a while, Ji Yuan and the old beggar resumed their previous conversation.

The old beggar finally revealed something to Ji Yuan.

"Mr. Ji, you witnessed my beheading that day, didn't you find it somewhat miraculous?"

Ji Yuan couldn't possibly forget that event. He nodded and replied straightforwardly, "Elder, you were truly decapitated that day, not merely avoiding it with an illusion. The blood spilled was real. It was indeed miraculous. Normally, even an immortal cultivator, without employing special arts or a strong physical body for protection, would face a life-threatening situation if directly beheaded."

"Hehe..." The old beggar chuckled, thinking to himself, "Finally, there's something even you, Ji Yuan, admire about me and can't comprehend."

"I intend to take Yang Zong as my disciple," the old beggar stated. "Once he has undergone his underworld punishment, I will go to the capital prefecture's underworld to claim him. You don't need to accompany me, Mr. Ji, but I would appreciate it if you could leave a written decree. They show more respect to you in the capital prefecture."

"That's no trouble," Ji Yuan replied. "But now I'm very curious. From what you're saying, you can make Yang Zong's body and soul whole again?"

Ghost cultivation is difficult, and even pursuing the path of a deity is fraught with challenges, mainly because their bodies are incomplete. When ghosts and deities cultivate their Dharma bodies or golden forms, it is precisely to achieve completeness. However, the old beggar's implication didn't seem to suggest he intended for his disciple to follow the path of a deity.

It was rare to see Ji Yuan looking so earnest and curious, and a great sense of accomplishment swelled in the old beggar's heart.

"This old beggar has a unique art I've researched for a long time," he began. "My beheading back then was merely one manifestation of it. A hundred years ago, I cultivated several segments of azure jade lotus. Now I have three to five blossoms and more than a dozen root segments. This item is extremely precious, similar to some immortal bamboos in the world, and it is most adept at nurturing souls separated from their bodies. It can prevent Yang Zong's new soul from falling into the ghost realm. After that, Mr. Ji, why don't you guess what this old beggar intends to do?"

As the old beggar mentioned the azure jade lotus, an image immediately popped into Ji Yuan's mind: a chubby child, wearing a red bellyband, holding a red silk ribbon, and stepping on a fiery ring.

"Elder Lu, you're not trying to tell me that you intend to use the lotus roots of the azure jade lotus to completely reshape a true physical body for Yang Zong, are you?"

The old beggar had been waiting for Ji Yuan to say "I have no idea," before revealing a surprising answer. Instead, upon hearing Ji Yuan's words, he was momentarily stunned and blurted out, "You could guess that?!"

*Do I even need to guess that?*

Ji Yuan's mouth twitched involuntarily. Another image appeared in his mind: the gaunt, mottled, yet inherently imposing figure of the old Emperor Yang Zong. And gradually, the emperor's image began to merge with that of Nezha beside him.

*Hiss...*

He didn't dare to imagine that sight.

"Uh, Mr. Ji, what's wrong?"

"Elder Lu," Ji Yuan asked, "when you reshape Yang Zong's body, will you make him a child or maintain his original appearance?"

The old beggar grew even more confused. Ji Yuan, far from being surprised, showed not a hint of unusual expression and instead asked odd questions.

"Naturally, I'll maintain his original appearance," the old beggar replied. "Is there some advantage to shaping him as a child?"

Ji Yuan's reaction made the old beggar wonder if there was indeed such a benefit.

"No, no, no, maintaining his original appearance is perfectly fine. There's no benefit to a child form!" Ji Yuan waved his hand, his demeanor making the old beggar look at him with suspicion. To the old beggar, Ji Yuan had always been mysterious, and he never knew what was on his mind. So, after obtaining the written decree, he took Xiao You and departed for the underworld.

Unfortunately, Ji Yuan wouldn't be able to see anything for a while. Yang Zong's punishment in the underworld was set to last for quite some time, and watching others endure torture was not his hobby.

The old beggar's azure jade lotus was cultivated elsewhere, and he was always reluctant to reveal his true origins. Moreover, as it was a special secret technique, it certainly wouldn't be shown to outsiders.

After several attempts to pry, the old beggar simply feigned ignorance. Ji Yuan surmised he wouldn't get to witness the process of reshaping the body, so he eventually bid farewell and left.

The old emperor's death was indeed a significant event for Da Zhen, yet it also seemed insignificant, at least for the common people.

Beyond the initial few days of excited chatter over tea and after meals, life simply continued as before.

In the blink of an eye, it was the last day of the Dinghai year.

On the eve of the Lunar New Year, every household in Qizhou had adorned their windows with paper-cuts and red couplets. Those who could afford it hung large red lanterns, and wealthy families had prepared firecrackers and other festive items well in advance. Not to mention the grand feast that every family meticulously prepared.

In the Wei family residence in Desheng Prefecture, a woman sat in a room, gazing blankly out the door.

"It's Lunar New Year's Eve again..."

In that moment, snow began to fall outside.

"Madam, it's getting cold. Shall I close the door?" her maid asked, noticing the wind and snow.

"No, it's fine," she replied. "It's rather nice to watch the snow."

At that very moment, four figures approached the entrance of the Wei Manor. The two leading them walked briskly, looking impatient.

"Halt! Who are you, sirs? And what brings you to the Wei Manor?"

Wei Wuwei lowered the hood of his cloak, revealing a plump face.

"What do you think?!" he retorted.

"Patriarch!" "Patriarch!"

The gatekeepers and household retainers standing nearby immediately cried out in excitement. Wei Yuansheng, already impatient, bolted directly into the manor, yelling and rushing towards the inner quarters.

"Mother... I'm home... Mother, Yuansheng is back...!"

His voice was not only loud but also penetrating, carrying far into the depths of the inner manor.

The woman sitting in the room instantly stood up.

"Xiaocui, did you hear that?"

"It sounds like Young Master is back?"

As they spoke, Wei Yuansheng, his steps swift as wind, had already run to his mother's chambers, guided by memory.

"Mother!"

Madam Mu gazed at the child, now seven or eight years old. Though much grown, she instantly recognized him as Wei Yuansheng.

"Yuansheng!" "Mother!"

Wei Yuansheng threw himself into Madam Mu's arms, skillfully cushioning his embrace so as not to knock her over.

"Why did you take so long to come back and see me? Why did you take so long to come home... I thought I'd never see you again..."

The past five years had been an agonizing wait, and Madam Mu couldn't hold back her tears, breaking into sobs.