Chapter 429: Chapter 261: A Way to Resurrect Mr. Qi, the Whereabouts of the Ascension Platform, Princess Jinwu’s Plea for Help
’She couldn’t be the reincarnation of some Great Power, could she?’
"Your Majesty..."
In just that short moment, Yang Yingchan’s face had turned deathly pale. She clutched her head, clearly in considerable distress.
"This matter cannot be rushed. We’ll discuss it after we see Prince Zhenbei."
Lu Mingyuan soothed her, speaking softly.
"Before that, let’s leave the palace and get some fresh air."
...
In the Inner City’s Hundred Workshops, shops stood in great numbers, their wares a dazzling array.
A sea of people moved through the streets, bustling with excitement.
It seemed the people of the Capital City had not grown too depressed or pessimistic over the change of emperor or the death knell of war. Their days went on, and life had to continue.
A man and a woman, their faces concealed, walked along the street.
The woman looked ceaselessly at all sorts of Hairpin Jades, her eyes filled with excitement and joy at everything she saw.
Lu Mingyuan glanced at the bracelet on his wrist and couldn’t help but sigh.
It was a Concealing Face Jade Bracelet, which made anyone who saw the wearer perceive only a plain, unremarkable face.
Yang Yingchan herself had requested it, saying that if they were really going out, it would be best not to reveal their whereabouts. Disguising themselves as ordinary people would be enough.
To be honest, it made sense.
After all, with Yang Yingchan’s beauty, she would undoubtedly turn every head if she walked the streets.
Could there be any dispute in calling her the greatest beauty in all of Great Yan?
But who would have thought that the dignified Princess Consort Zhao would be shopping with all the relish of a little girl?
He couldn’t blame her. After all, she hadn’t been out on the streets for so long that everything seemed novel and fascinating. It wasn’t that she had never seen these things before; rather, it was the feeling of the experience itself that was so precious.
"Reporting to the Holy Emperor, Chen Ke requests an audience."
Just as Lu Mingyuan stopped to rest beneath a luxurious pavilion, a woman’s voice reached his ears with a message.
When the Emperor went out, he was naturally watched from all sides.
Agents from the Bright Lamp Bureau and Imperial Experts were hidden among the crowds in every direction.
Lu Mingyuan realized that the woman delivering the message was, coincidentally, the same Female Knight he had designated as the top Imperial Expert.
He smiled faintly. "Let him come."
’Chen Ke must be looking for me about something important.’
At that morning’s court session, he had finalized the initial members of the Cabinet, which included Su Youhuai, Shen Yuanxi, Wang He’fu, Chen Ke, and others.
Most of them didn’t need the title of Grand Scholar or a long list of qualifications. Based on ability and knowledge alone, they were already among the most virtuous and talented individuals in the land.
Lu Mingyuan glanced at Yang Yingchan, who was trying on some clothes. After giving her a few instructions, he headed to the designated restaurant.
A scholar in a white Confucian Shirt had already poured tea and was waiting for him. It was none other than Chen Ke.
He had always been handsome and dashing, and now, after comprehending the Dao in the Wenyuan Pavilion and systematically compiling the texts of the Learning of the Mind, the long-term scholarly immersion had given him an even more stately presence. While he might still be some way from leading the court, there was no doubt he looked every bit the part of a great talent from Jiangnan.
Upon seeing Lu Mingyuan, Chen Ke first bowed with cupped hands before reporting earnestly, "Greetings, Holy Emperor. I have made some progress on the matter Your Majesty entrusted to me."
Even though he was a co-founder of the Learning of the Mind and could have established his own academy to be called a Great Scholar, he remained as humble as a subject before Lu Mingyuan.
Hearing this, Lu Mingyuan’s eyes lit up, and his voice was tinged with excitement. "You’ve found a way to resurrect Mr. Qi?"
Ever since returning to the Capital City, he had been searching for a way to resurrect Qi Xingyan, but all the information he’d gathered had been discouraging.
The methods either required a Cultivator with immense Cultivation to sacrifice their own life as a catalyst for a Soul Summoning Technique, or they were only effective on low-Realm Cultivators.
In short, using the methods of the Taoist Sect to resurrect one of the Saints and Sages was as difficult as ascending to the heavens!
Qi Xingyan’s Cultivation was simply too high.
Resurrecting him would require an extremely high price.
It would require the sacrifice of at least one Great Power from the Upper Three Grades.
The problem was, how could any Cultivator above the Thirteenth Realm possibly be willing to sacrifice their own life to help him?
Those who had reached the level of Bodhisattva, Human Immortal, or Saint through their Cultivation were all towering figures, renowned throughout the Central Plains.
Would any of them sacrifice their own lives to resurrect one of the Saints and Sages?
Obviously not.
Yet now, Chen Ke was claiming to have found another way. How could Lu Mingyuan not be overjoyed?
"Your Majesty, don’t get your hopes up too soon. I have scoured the ancient texts, searching through a collection of a million books, and have found only one potentially viable method."
Chen Ke’s expression did not look at all relaxed.
"Go on," Lu Mingyuan said.
Lu Mingyuan reined in his excitement and listened intently.
Chen Ke drew upon the Literary Qi in his chest, extended a finger, and using the tea on the table as ink, sketched a scene for Lu Mingyuan.
"Long ago, in the Mythical Era, there was a now-vanished Dynasty in the Mortal World, ruled by a young and promising Emperor. During a tour of the south, he met the love of his life among the common people and married her, making her his Empress. However, this passionate love was cut short by an assassination plot from a rival nation, and the young Emperor was devastated by his wife’s death."
"In his quest to resurrect his wife, he exhausted every known method of the time. He went so far as to invade a Divine Temple, plundering its Ascension Platform and using its terrifying power to forcibly reconstruct the Empress’s Flesh Body."
"At the same time, he defied the heavens, using the Destiny of his entire Dynasty as a sacrifice to summon her soul from the Celestial Dao. In the end, the Empress was indeed resurrected, but the Dynasty was destroyed in the process, ushering in an age of chaos. When the Empress learned the truth, she was overcome with guilt. As an act of redemption for her people, she ultimately sacrificed herself and died once more. Upon hearing the news, the young Emperor fell to his Heart Demon, gave up on himself, and was finally cursed by the Celestial Dao to never again enter the cycle of Reincarnation."
After finishing the story, Chen Ke’s expression grew solemn. He took a deep breath and said, "Therefore, to resurrect Elder Mr. Qi, we must first obtain the blessing of a vast amount of Celestial Destiny and Fortune. This will be used to perform a soul summoning from the Celestial Dao and reclaim his soul."
