Chapter 6#
The Immortal Promotion Decree#
In this world, there are humans, demons, and also devils.
Many years ago, the three races of humans, demons, and devils fought in a chaotic war, causing great suffering to all living beings. However, heroes emerge in troubled times, and great figures appeared in each race, guarding their respective territories and keeping each other in check. Gradually, the world settled into a tripartite balance of power.
The demon race had the Golden Crow as their Emperor, unifying the demon realm.
The devil race had the Devil Lord consolidating various tribes and establishing the Devil Territory.
The human race had the Wulie Emperor, who founded the nation and established the capital at Chaoge, naming the country Li. He commanded the world, known as the Li Dynasty.
After the Wulie Emperor ascended to immortality, the current Emperor took the throne. He has reigned for three hundred and fifty years, yet he only has three children, and Yin Yuheng is the only legitimate son of the Empress.
At the age of seven, Yin Yuheng was appointed as the Crown Prince, considered the second most noble person in the entire Li Dynasty.
At this moment, this noble and precious Crown Prince was being sternly lectured by his Imperial Brother.
“Imperial Father is in seclusion, and the Crown Prince is overseeing the state. Since you have returned from the Devil Territory and your health has improved significantly, it’s time to get to work.”
The morning light was warm and gentle, filtering through the carved window lattices and casting a warm glow on Yin Yuheng’s side profile, hair, and the hem of his clothes. He sat at the desk, propping his face with one hand, and blinked: “Do you really want me to handle state affairs? I’m afraid some people in the court will jump for joy.”
Yin Shaozhuo looked at his younger brother’s high-spirited features and laughed: “Why, are you going to continue your ‘Immortal Promotion Decree’?”
A few years ago, Yin Yuheng first became involved in state affairs. At that time, he was only seventeen years old and physically weak. Many in the court were respectful on the surface but held contempt in their hearts, thinking that this young Crown Prince wouldn’t be able to achieve anything significant.
When the Immortal Promotion Decree was issued, the whole world was shocked.
The court and the common people were in an uproar, and everyone knew about it. The five major noble families of Chaoge joined forces to exert pressure, and memorials flew in like snowflakes. Some elderly officials even crashed their heads against the pillars in court, demanding that Yin Yuheng withdraw the order.
Looking around, the entire court was filled with enemies. Everyone thought Yin Yuheng would back down or compromise, especially the noble families who were used to being high and mighty, and they were already prepared to celebrate.
At that time, Yin Shaozhuo was full of worry and had made up his mind before going to court to support his younger brother.
But everyone miscalculated.
He was clearly just a young man, thin and gentle-voiced, but when he sat on the high platform, he had an aura of looking down on the world and being able to turn the tide.
Yin Yuheng watched coldly as the elderly official crashed his head against the pillar, the wound horrifying and blood flowing freely. He only faintly called for the court physician and said one sentence: Why bother?
At that moment, everyone suddenly realized that no matter how much blood stained the stone steps, it would not shake his determination. Although he was young, he had tactics. He arranged personnel and promoted policies in an orderly manner. By the time everyone came to their senses from the argument, the dust had already settled.
Later, whenever Yin Yuheng, dressed in light gold, walked past the green steps in front of the palace, everyone bowed sincerely—
Long live Your Highness.
Everyone understood that he was by no means a young man who could be bullied, but the true heir to this dynasty.
*
Recalling the scene at that time, Yin Shaozhuo couldn’t help but sigh: “You… you always do things in an earth-shattering way, and you won’t stop until you turn everything upside down. I heard that you met the young master of the An family recently and broke one of his hands?”
Yin Yuheng raised an eyebrow: “That happened. Why, did the An family come to complain?”
Yin Shaozhuo shook his head: “Not at all. The An family submitted a memorial, saying they hadn’t disciplined their son and nephew properly, and that he had offended you and the Imperial Advisor’s disciple. They were terrified and had already carried out family punishment.”
Yin Yuheng chuckled.
During the time he was implementing the Immortal Promotion Decree, the An family was one of the noble families that caused the most trouble. In order to clear the atmosphere and to set an example, he disciplined them thoroughly. From then on, whenever the An family saw him, the Crown Prince, they were respectful and didn’t dare to show the slightest disrespect—at least on the surface.
Yin Yuheng was reviewing memorials, and unknowingly it was afternoon. Suddenly, Xiao Bai’s voice came: “Heng-ge.”
Yin Yuheng’s hand reviewing memorials paused.
“Lu Yan has entered Chaoge.”
Lu Yan?
“An old acquaintance visiting, we should meet.”
Yin Yuheng threw the red brush aside, stood up with a smile, and said to Yin Shaozhuo: “Big brother, I have something to do, I’m going out of the palace.”
Yin Shaozhuo raised his eyelids and gave a hum. Seeing Yin Yuheng leave the door, he waved his hand towards the air.
His voice was slightly cold: “Follow him, protect the Crown Prince well, and don’t let him mess around.”
The hall remained empty, but a respectful voice came: “Yes.”
*
Yin Yuheng left the palace and turned into a small alley, suddenly ordering the carriage to stop.
Yin Yuheng jumped off the carriage and said to the driver: “Wait here.”
The driver respectfully agreed.
Yin Yuheng, wearing a large cloak, walked slowly under the locust tree: “Xiao Bai, someone is following me, right?”
“Yes,” Xiao Bai said, “Several of them. Commander Qin is responsible for guarding you and has been following in the shadows; Eunuch De is also there, probably arranged by your big brother.”
As the Crown Prince, how could there be no one around him when he travels?
If anyone wanted to harm Yin Yuheng, they would probably die silently as soon as they reached out, without even touching a corner of his clothes.
“It seems that my big brother still had doubts about the Yellow Spring Flower. I made him worry.” Yin Yuheng’s eyes were smiling, “But I can’t let them follow me today…”
Xiao Bai worriedly said: “You want to get rid of them? Both Commander Qin and Eunuch De are in the Nascent Soul stage, so it might not be easy.”
Yin Yuheng laughed lightly: “Nourish the troops for a thousand days and use them for a single moment, it’s up to you, Xiao Bai!”
Xiao Bai has no other skills, but its spiritual sense is extremely strong, even better than those in the Spirit-Severing stage. It can hide in Yin Yuheng’s sea of consciousness, and even those in the Spirit-Severing stage can’t detect it, which shows how strong it is.
Xiao Bai’s spiritual sense spread out, cutting off the prying eyes in the shadows. Yin Yuheng turned his steps, turned into another small path, and quickly disappeared.
The originally empty alley suddenly rippled like water. Two figures appeared, looked at each other with serious expressions, and blamed each other.
“Where is His Highness?”
“Find him!”
*
The spring light was bright, and the green willows on both sides of the bluestone road swayed. Small children played around the trees. Peddlers shouted along the street, making it very lively.
Lu Yan, dressed in black gauze and dark robes, stood in front of a small stall.
““One Hundred Days of Foundation Building, Essential Explanations”?”
Lu Yan looked at the books on the stall, feeling a bit dazed. He picked up a copy and flipped through it, finding it to be a serious guide to cultivation insights, with well-organized content, clearly a legitimate cultivation method.
“300 coins each.” The stall owner stretched out three fingers, “If you take another copy of “99 Questions on the Road to Cultivation”, I can give you a 50-coin discount.”
Lu Yan looked at the book in his hand and fell into a state of confusion.
300 coins?
—He hadn’t been to the human territory for several years. Has this kind of treasure, which should be cherished by sects and noble families, reached the point of being sold everywhere on the street?
Seeing his reaction, the stall owner lowered his eyelids and gave him a look as if he were looking at a country bumpkin: “These are all legitimate cultivation methods published by the imperial court, they are not fakes. You’re not a local of Chaoge, right?”
Lu Yan nodded blankly.
The stall owner had a face that said “I thought so.”
“These cultivation methods were originally good things only available in noble families and sects. They could be said to be worth a thousand pieces of gold, and ordinary people wouldn’t even be able to find a way to take a look.” The stall owner held his hands and chuckled, “But since four years ago, when the Crown Prince implemented the Immortal Promotion Decree, one of the rules was to vigorously print cultivation books, forcibly bringing the price down to this level.”
“…The Immortal Promotion Decree?” Lu Yan had an impression, “The Immortal Promotion Decree that caused a stir a few years ago? Did it actually succeed?”
He wasn’t from the Li Dynasty, but even he had heard of the uproar caused by the Immortal Promotion Decree back then.
But he didn’t expect that this kind of decree, which obviously harmed the interests of noble families and sects, could actually be implemented. The resistance must have been unimaginably great.
Lu Yan couldn’t help but be a bit curious about what kind of brilliant and extraordinary figure that Crown Prince Heng, whom he had only heard of but never seen, actually was.
Lu Yan paid for those two books, “One Hundred Days of Foundation Building, Essential Explanations” and “99 Questions on the Road to Cultivation”, which cost a total of 550 coins after the discount.
Lu Yan was about to leave when he suddenly paused.
At the street corner, a gentleman wearing a large cloak with silver threads forming cloud patterns leaned against a willow tree, looking over with a smile.
“Bai Heng?”
Lu Yan was stunned, a flash of surprise in his eyes. He was about to speak when suddenly the sky darkened.
Dark clouds hung overhead, and the sunlight dimmed.
There was killing intent!
Lu Yan was suddenly shocked, and his heart sank. Before he could react, he saw a point of cold light piercing towards his brow!
He subconsciously wanted to lift his sword and counterattack, but found that he couldn’t move.
The world’s killing intent came head-on.
The strong wind blew Lu Yan’s hair, but the expected pain did not arrive.
At the critical moment, that point of cold light stopped less than half an inch away from Lu Yan’s brow.
It was a three-inch-long silver needle, held firmly in someone’s hand.
Blood flowed down the fingers, staining the sleeves.
“We meet again. It seems you and I are indeed destined.” Yin Yuheng let go, and the blood-stained silver needle fell to the ground, “Hurry and go, someone wants to kill you.”
Lu Yan’s gaze fell on Yin Yuheng’s fingertips: “…Are you injured?”