NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 264: Sudden Change
Chapter 264: Sudden Change
A few years later, King Hui passed away.
The power of the imperial court was taken over by Ling Ran’s elder brother and Xu Lian, ushering the empire into an era dominated by the nobility.
Several more years passed, and the original Lady Yong’an, now seventy-five years old, fell seriously ill.
The following year, the Marquis’ wife passed away.
Liu Qing, A Xian and Wang Heng returned once again to attend the funeral. They went through the motions and left shortly after. Before departing, the three of them cast peculiar glances at the white-haired Xu Lian, wondering when he would finally use his memories to exchange for cultivation talents.
A few more years passed, and the young emperor grew up. Ling Ran’s elder brother and Xu Lian discussed the matter and decided to relinquish their power and hand over the government to the new emperor.
Grateful for their help and recognizing their immense contributions, the new emperor elevated Ling Ran’s elder brother, Duke Wu Ling, to the title of Prince Wu Ling. Xu Lian, the Marquis of Yong’an, was promoted to Duke Yong’an.
With the new emperor now in full control, Ling Ran’s older brother and Xu Lian decided to retire from court affairs to avoid gossip among court officials. This decision pleased both the new emperor and the court officials.
The white-haired Xu Lian and the white-haired princess spent their days in the back garden of Duke Yong’an’s residence, tending to the flowers, basking in the sun, and occasionally venturing out for short walks. However, due to their advanced age and limited mobility, they never went very far.
Xu Lian and the princess had weathered decades of life’s storms together without ever quarreling, a truly loving couple.
Now, in their old age, surrounded by their children and grandchildren, they had come to accept that their offspring would go their own paths. They concentrated on enjoying their golden years and no longer worried about the affairs of their offspring.
The two often sat in rocking chairs and reminisced about their youth.
Whenever they spoke of the past, they always smiled, feeling that their lives had been full and free of regret.
When one begins to reminisce every day, it signifies that the soil has already reached their neck and the end is near.
“My Lord, do you remember Sister Ling Ran?”
On her deathbed, the princess held Xu Lian’s hand, her gaze still filled with affection, unchanged over the decades. She was undoubtedly a virtuous and devoted wife.
Xu Lian sighed, “Why bring her up now?”
The princess replied, “Sister Ling Ran is a cultivator. She must still look young. My lord, why not go to the Holy Land and seek her out? She could certainly prolong your life, and the two of you could spend a few more decades together. This has always been a lingering regret of mine, the feeling that I’ve monopolized you and wronged Sister Ling Ran.”
Xu Lian shook his head, “The Holy Land has rules against extending the lives of mortals. Otherwise, generations of emperors would have sought immortality. You have not wronged anyone. Ling Ran has always been devoted to cultivation and has never shared any marital feelings with me. You have always been the only one in my heart.”
The princess passed away with a smile, once again receiving the answer she had hoped for.
Several more years passed.
Xu Lian could no longer hold on.
He was torn – should he exchange his memories for longevity?
If he didn’t, he would pass away in this illusory world within a year or so, meaning that he would have gained nothing from the broken world, merely experiencing the life of an ordinary person.
If he did exchange his memories, he felt uneasy, as it would mean giving up parts of himself. What if someone in the broken world was watching and could peer into his memories?
“My core memories must not be exchanged, but some trivial ones should be fine.”
After careful consideration, Xu Lian made his decision.
He began sifting through his memories.
After much deliberation, he finally chose memories of watching live-streamed dances by young women… and exchanged them for ten years of life.
Who would have thought that watching young women dance could have the effect of “prolonging life”?
Ten years flew by.
Xu Lian’s life span was once again nearing its end.
He traded memories of playing video games… for another ten years of life.
Who would have thought that playing games could also “prolong life”?
Soon, another ten years passed.
Xu Lian had no choice but to exchange another small, insignificant memory for more life.
By the time he reached the age of one hundred, the entire capital was in an uproar.
In this world, it was rare to live to be eighty, let alone one hundred.
When Xu Lian turned one hundred and ten, even the now white-haired young emperor could no longer sit still and frequently visited Duke Yong’an’s residence in search of the secret of longevity.
The nobles and high officials did the same – who wouldn’t want to live longer?
Xu Lian cheerfully told them that the secret to longevity was maintaining a regular routine and a peaceful mindset.
Thus, a trend of “tranquility and peace” swept through the capital, which to some extent reduced the struggles for power and profit.
Indeed, it had some effect, increasing the average life span of the capital’s residents by three to five years.
However, it was only three to five years. When their time came, they still had to pass on.
At the age of one hundred and twenty, Xu Lian became a marvel in the capital.
Even the Holy Land was stirred up. How could a mortal live to be one hundred and twenty? Could he be possessed by a demon, or was there a mistake during the initial talent test?
To investigate, the holy land sent the elder who had originally tested Xu Lian’s cultivation talent to examine him thoroughly.
After the examination, the elder concluded, “There’s nothing unusual here. He has no cultivation ability, just a slightly longer lifespan than ordinary people. He probably won’t last more than a few more years.”
At one hundred and thirty, the elder returned and stared at Xu Lian in disbelief. “This makes no sense. How are you still alive?”
“…” Xu Lian replied, “I feel like I can live for a few more years. Don’t be too surprised.”
The elder was speechless. After some thought, he said, “One hundred and thirty is slightly longer than an ordinary lifespan, but it’s still within the realm of mortals. I don’t think you can live to one hundred and fifty.”
“If you can live past one hundred and fifty, regardless of whether you have cultivation talents or not, I will take you to the holy land to cultivate.”
Xu Lian was indifferent.
He just wanted to live in this illusory world and see what the end result of this journey to the broken world would be.
He still had no intention of exchanging his memories for cultivation talents. Even if he did that, what difference would it make? Thousands of others had already exchanged for supreme talents.
In this illusory world where golden fingers were useless, he didn’t believe that he had any advantage over thousands of powerful figures and geniuses. How could he possibly defeat them and emerge victorious?
Thus, his plan was to continue extending his lifespan, avoiding direct competition with the thousands who had exchanged for supreme talent, and see if he could seize an opportunity by outlasting them.
At one hundred and thirty-five, shocking news came from the holy land.
Liu Qing, A Xian, and Wang Heng had reached the rank of Supreme, forcing the Holy Land’s Supreme to step down. The three of them now ruled the Holy Land!
When the news reached the capital, the entire court was thrown into panic. Duke Yong’an’s two sisters and brother, with their extraordinary talents, now ruled the Holy Land. If they wished to overthrow the dynasty, it would be as simple as uttering a word.
Fortunately, Duke Yong’an had no such intentions. Nevertheless, the court hastily conferred the title of “Peer of the Realm” upon Xu Lian, elevating his status to the same as of the emperor.
Xu Lian couldn’t help but marvel at how memories could be exchanged for anything in this illusory world. The speed at which the three of them had ascended was astonishing.
At the same time, he knew that turbulent times were coming.
Now that the three of them ruled the Holy Land, the other outsiders had probably reached similar heights. Conflict was inevitable.