Chapter 33: Carriage Conversation, The Xuanwu Kingdom's Emperor's End is Near
Inside the spacious carriage, Chen Changsheng quietly held a book and read it carefully.
Seeing this, Zuo Xinghe, who was beside him, immediately praised, "Mr. is incredibly learned, yet you still cannot put down a book."
"Such an attitude truly makes Xinghe admire you greatly."
"This time, heading to Chang'an, Xinghe originally should have arranged high-level magical beasts as Mr.'s mount."
"However, considering the special circumstances, being too ostentatious might bring unnecessary trouble to Mr."
"Once we reach Chang'an, Xinghe will definitely give Mr. a proper welcome."
Hearing this, Chen Changsheng silently put away the book in his hand and said.
"If you have anything you want to ask, just ask."
"I didn't talk to you before because I didn't want to get involved in the quagmire of the Xuanwu Kingdom's imperial family."
"Now that I've agreed to help you, I naturally won't be stingy."
"As the First Prince of the Xuanwu Kingdom, if you can't even solve this little bit of trouble, wouldn't that be quite laughable?"
Seeing his little scheme exposed, Zuo Xinghe smiled and didn't argue.
Traveling to Chang'an by magical beast would only take half a day at most.
But in that case, he would greatly reduce the time he had alone with Chen Changsheng.
Ten years ago, he was saved by Chen Changsheng in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. At that time, Chen Changsheng chatted with him for a night, and it was that night that benefited him immensely.
However, after he regained his identity and found Chen Changsheng again, Chen Changsheng never discussed anything with him anymore.
Now that the opportunity was presented again, how could Zuo Xinghe easily give it up?
Thinking of this, Zuo Xinghe organized his words and said.
"Mr., actually, there is a question that has puzzled me for a long time."
"As everyone knows, a Human's energy is limited, and Cultivators are the same."
"But Mr. not only has good cultivation, but is also proficient in Alchemy, Formation, medical skills, Feng Shui, and many other things."
"With so many things, how is Mr. able to learn all of them and be proficient in every single one?"
Hearing this, Chen Changsheng smacked his lips and said.
"How old are you this year?"
"Xinghe is exactly one hundred years old this year."
"At the age of one hundred, to have your level of cultivation, you can indeed be considered quite talented."
"You are exactly one hundred years old, which means you have been alive for one hundred years since you were born from your Mother's womb."
"Let's say you were young and ignorant for the first twenty years, so you didn't learn much."
"But in the eighty years that followed, what did you do?"
"A year has three hundred and sixty-five days, and eighty years is over twenty thousand days and nights. This is a relatively long period of time."
"Eighty years, for a Mortal, could very well be a lifetime."
"But unlike Mortals, a Cultivator's eighty years are more valuable than a Mortal's eighty years."
"Mortals are always wasting most of their time due to various factors like illness, hunger, and fatigue."
"However, Cultivators are not affected by these. Cultivators can abstain from grains and live by absorbing the spiritual energy of The World."
"The diseases that Mortals contract also do not befall Cultivators. At the same time, Cultivators can use meditation to replace sleep."
"Yet, after such a long time has passed, what have you gained?"
Facing Chen Changsheng's question, Zuo Xinghe thought carefully for a moment before speaking.
"In these eighty years, I have gained cultivation, power, and a beautiful Daoist companion."
"That's a good summary. What about besides these?"
"A day has twelve hours. Did you spend all your time on these things?"
"If I'm not mistaken, besides spending time on these three aspects, you also spent some time on other things."
"For example, traveling, indulging in romance, and competing for dominance. These things also occupied a large portion of your time."
"I am not some Genius, nor do I have an incredibly powerful Master."
"I just picked up the time that you all discarded, that's all."
"Cultivate the body first, cultivate the mind. If the state of mind is not sufficient, how can one sing loudly on the path of cultivation?"
After listening, Zuo Xinghe let out a long sigh of relief, and the admiration in his eyes for Chen Changsheng grew even stronger.
"What a great 'that's all'. This single sentence from Mr. is enough to make all Cultivators in The World feel ashamed."
"Mr. is such a great talent, the Xuanwu Kingdom is willing to treat you as a national scholar. What do you think, Mr.?"
Facing the olive branch extended by Zuo Xinghe once again, Chen Changsheng smiled and waved his hand, saying.
"Let's forget it. My focus is not on this."
"Furthermore, the fact that you paid such a high price to invite me out this time indicates that the situation in Chang'an City is already very grim."
"How much longer can your Father Emperor live?"
Hearing this, Zuo Xinghe sighed and said, "Father Emperor is the strongest monarch in the history of the Xuanwu Kingdom."
"But no matter how high his cultivation, or how refined his Divine Power, Father Emperor ultimately cannot resist the Five Decays of Heaven and Man."
"Currently, Father Emperor's end is less than a year away."
"Some time ago, Father Emperor issued a decree, stating that whoever can find the location of the Dragon's Lair will inherit the throne of the Xuanwu Kingdom."
Hearing this, Chen Changsheng frowned and said.
"Zuo Huang has lived for two thousand three hundred years so far. I believe the Xuanwu Kingdom must have used all possible methods to extend his Lifespan."
"Now that Zuo Huang is so eagerly searching for a burial ground, I think what he is looking for is not a Dragon's Lair, but a place that can allow someone to live a second life in reverse, right?"
"Such a place is not that easy to find."
Seeing Chen Changsheng directly state the hidden meaning behind it, Zuo Xinghe smiled bitterly and said.
"If this place were so easy to find, then Xinghe wouldn't have come to invite Mr. out."
"My several imperial brothers have all found experts to help them. I truly do not have the confidence to defeat them."
"As a last resort, Xinghe came to disturb Mr.'s peaceful cultivation."
"I just don't know how confident Mr. is about this matter."
"I wouldn't dare say 100% confidence, but I have about 50 to 60%."
Zuo Xinghe: ???
As soon as these words came out, Zuo Xinghe was instantly dumbfounded.
He had visited countless reclusive experts in the Xuanwu Kingdom, but most of their answers were that they had no confidence, or only about five percent confidence.
How did it suddenly jump to fifty or sixty percent confidence when it came from Chen Changsheng's mouth?
If he didn't understand Chen Changsheng's character, Zuo Xinghe would definitely think Chen Changsheng was bragging.
"Mr., do you truly have such great confidence?"
"I have the confidence to find that place, but finding it doesn't mean success."
"Whether it can succeed depends on how much the Xuanwu Kingdom is willing to pay."
"Also, don't blame me for not reminding you, living a second life in reverse is something everyone nearing the end of their Lifespan desires."
"But very few people can achieve it. You had best persuade your Father Emperor to give up this idea."
Facing Chen Changsheng's suggestion, Zuo Xinghe's face was full of bitter smiles.
He naturally understood this principle, but how could anyone change Father Emperor's will?