Chapter 786: Did He Die in the End?

Chen Changsheng smiled. "Back then, even Yan Xun himself believed in Elixir Pills and long life. Why would he have the mind to care about any of this?"

Prince Wei had heard as much. He nodded. "That's true."

He caught himself and asked, "How did we get onto this topic?"

"What's the rush?" Chen Changsheng said.

He continued his story.

"Later, when his imperial brother took the throne, he originally intended to keep King Yu by his side. But by that time, King Yu cared only for seeking out immortals and historic ruins. He slipped out of the palace in secret and traveled the realm."

"He had a lifelong fondness for bamboo and orchids. Not only was he obsessed with Daoist arts, but he was also an accomplished poet and painter. After roaming the world for so long, he gradually made a name for himself. Thus, he took the courtesy name Zhulan, becoming the figure later generations would revere as Mister Zhulan."

Prince Wei asked, "Seeking immortals and ruins—did he actually find them? He probably didn't. If he had, how could he have died back then?"

Chen Changsheng glanced at him. "What if This Chen told you he really did learn Immortal Arts?"

Prince Wei's pupils contracted.

He opened his mouth. "How is that possible? Then how could he have died? That's impossible."

Chen Changsheng smiled. "Do you think he died during the rebellion?"

Prince Wei froze.

Then, realization struck him.

Right.

Perhaps he hadn't died back then at all.

Prince Wei paused, frowning. "Doesn't that mean the history books are fake? If King Yu was capable of learning Immortal Arts, he couldn't possibly have been a fool."

Chen Changsheng shook his head. "The history books are true."

"Hmm?"

"They are exactly what he wanted people to see."

Chen Changsheng explained, "To him, the less the history books recorded about his life, the easier it would be for the world to forget him. That way, everyone would believe he was truly dead."

Only under those circumstances could the karmic backlash and Heavenly Tribulation be reduced to a minimum.

"He didn't die."

Prince Wei stood up abruptly. "Why? Why would he do all this?"

"That costs extra."

Chen Changsheng smiled. "This Chen is only answering questions about your painting this time. Everything else just now was a complimentary bonus."

Prince Wei hesitated for a moment, then said, "I have plenty of silver taels!"

Chen Changsheng shook his head. "This cannot be exchanged for silver taels."

Prince Wei opened his mouth, then suddenly understood.

Chen Changsheng went on, "Prince Wei, sometimes knowing too much is a bad thing. Even though these events happened in the past, they are still taboo."

Prince Wei lowered his head. After a moment of hesitation, he waved his hand. "Tell me about the portrait first."

Chen Changsheng nodded. "King Yu learned Immortal Arts and delved deeply into the path of divination. But for someone walking through the Mortal World, that was not a good thing. Especially for a man with such heavy obsessions."

"The further into the future he could divine, the deeper his obsessions grew."

"Until one day, he divined the Lifespan of Great Jing."

The King of Wei's eyes widened. "That's something that can be calculated?"

"As long as one is willing to pay the corresponding price, naturally it can be calculated," Chen Changsheng replied.

The King of Wei opened his mouth. Concepts this far beyond his understanding left him struggling to react for a moment.

"Like what price?" the King of Wei asked.

Chen Changsheng thought for a moment. "Have you ever heard of the Five Signs of Heavenly Decay?"

"I understand..."

The King of Wei nodded slightly, his expression growing heavy.

He pondered for a moment before asking, "So King Yu's obsession was to change Great Jing's ending?"

"Correct."

Chen Changsheng nodded.

Prince Wei swallowed hard, shaking his head. "That's impossible. It shouldn't be like that. If such things truly existed, what would the Mortal World become? Impossible. It's impossible."

He could not accept it.

Chen Changsheng said, "You are right. This is indeed something heaven and earth can scarcely tolerate. For a cultivator, it is tantamount to severing their own path forward. Only a fool would do it. But King Yu was not a pure cultivator."

"He actually did it. He even divined nearly a hundred years into the future because of it."

Prince Wei looked up, staring intently at Chen Changsheng. "But Great Jing still fell, didn't it? So he fundamentally changed nothing."

Chen Changsheng merely smiled in silence. He continued, "Once he thought of a countermeasure, he gradually arranged everything. He even selected his candidates and paved the way for what would follow."

"This Qingshan City is one of them."

"As is that painting."

Prince Wei frowned. He looked at Chen Changsheng and asked, "What is in the painting?"

Chen Changsheng smiled. "Prince Wei, since it is no longer yours, it is best you don't know."

Prince Wei felt deeply troubled. He opened his mouth, but ultimately just sighed. "You're right. It's better I don't know."

The old man running the noodle stall brought their food over.

"Here are your noodles!"

Prince Wei accepted the bowl with both hands and offered a word of thanks.

The old man smiled. "Take your time."

With that, he went back to work.

Prince Wei took a bite of his noodles and asked, "What happened next?"

Chen Changsheng blinked. "There is no next."

Prince Wei's chopsticks paused. He glared at Chen Changsheng. "Hey, Chen, I gave you a gold ingot!"

"This Chen only asked for twenty taels."

"Hmm?"

"Oh..." Chen Changsheng said. "I assumed Prince Wei was so wealthy and generous that he treated a single gold ingot like twenty taels of silver."

Prince Wei stared in utter disbelief. "You really are shameless. In fact, calling you shameless is a compliment."

"This Chen can't make change anyway."

Prince Wei pressed his lips together. Now that the silver taels had entered Chen Changsheng's pocket, he was likely never getting them back.

He lowered his head. "This King wants to keep listening."

Chen Changsheng shook his head. "You cannot listen anymore."

"This King wishes to hear it."

Prince Wei suddenly looked up, a hint of commanding majesty appearing in his eyes.

In that moment, the solemn authority unique to a prince was laid bare.

A sudden, heavy silence fell over the table.

Several breaths passed.

Chen Changsheng looked at him calmly. "If you keep putting on airs, This Chen is going to toss your bowl of noodles into the street!"

Prince Wei blinked, his regal composure instantly shattering. "Wait, wasn't I being intimidating just now?"

Chen Changsheng rolled his eyes at him. "It really doesn't suit you at all."

Prince Wei looked a little embarrassed. He scratched his head and let out a light cough. "You're really looking down on me, you know."

Chen Changsheng said, "Well, This Chen has already told you. Some things are better left unknown."

Prince Wei nodded, but after a moment's thought, he still asked.

"I still have one question. Did King Yu die in the end?"

Chen Changsheng's chopsticks paused slightly in the air.

After a brief pause, he nodded.