Eternal Life: I Have the Favor System

Zhang Xuan offered a reminder.

"I appreciate the thought, Senior Brother."

Chu Lingguang nodded.

No one could shake Yuanchu Mountain's resolve to eradicate the demons, and Chu Lingguang was powerless to stop them. The only way to ensure Guo Wei's safety was to make more people see through Yuanchu Mountain's facade, letting those who craved a breakthrough fuse with the strange entities.

However, none of them—not Chu Lingguang, not Yan Zhen, not even Qin Yu—had been able to figure out the secret to fusing with the strange entities.

Even Yan Zhen and Qin Yu, who had already fused with strange entities, only had hazy memories of the process. All they knew was that the entities had sought them out.

At first, they resisted.

But then, they felt an unprecedented power emanating from the entities. Compelled by this force, they eventually stopped resisting and chose to fuse.

This was true for Qin Yu, and for Yan Zhen as well.

They both remained completely ignorant of the so-called fusion Skill.

All three had failed to complete the mission assigned by the Seventh Prince.

Fortunately, this operation to eradicate the strange entities and hunt down demons and monsters required the cooperation of the Demon Suppression Bureau. This was a silver lining, even if the Bureau was ultimately under Yuanchu Mountain's control.

But after they descended the mountain and met with the personnel from the Demon Suppression Bureau, Chu Lingguang, Yan Zhen, and the others spotted the Seventh Prince, Yun Shu, among them.

Yun Hong, Yun Shu's older brother and a former Prince, saw his younger brother in the crowd and went over to greet him.

The two brothers spoke for a long time.

"Demons and monsters are running rampant throughout the Great Yuan, and strange entities are spreading beneath the earth. An Artifact Refiner from Yuanchu Mountain tempered this sword of mine. It can slay demons and ward off evil. Here, little brother, take it for protection."

In full view of Zhang Xuan and the others, Yun Hong presented the sword to Yun Shu with both hands.

"Thank you, Brother!"

Yun Shu accepted it with both hands.

"Whether the people of Great Yuan can survive this catastrophe depends on you Immortal Masters. I am at your disposal."

The Emperor of Great Yuan was speaking with Zhang Xuan.

Chu Lingguang stood to the side. As a former Military Scholar, he had seen the Emperor of Great Yuan during his Palace Examination. The emperor's lofty, sacred, and inviolable demeanor was etched into his memory.

He never thought he'd see the Emperor now, acting so cautiously before Zhang Xuan. The man even bowed in greeting when his gaze fell upon Chu Lingguang.

Chu Lingguang found it jarring at first.

He started to bow in return but was stopped by Li Mao, so he settled for cupping his fists in salute. Chu Lingguang remembered that the Emperor had pardoned Guo Xiaotian. Furthermore, given that he, the Seventh Prince, and Yun Hong shared the common goal of overthrowing Yuanchu Mountain, Chu Lingguang held no great animosity toward the Emperor.

"Any news of Guo Wei?"

Zhang Xuan asked.

"To my shame, I have searched nearly every corner of the Great Yuan, but I have not been able to find any trace of Master Guo."

The Emperor of Great Yuan sighed.

"Guo Wei would never abandon his children. Post men to watch Baiyang County. Whether he has fused with a strange entity or not, do not let him disappear again. When the time comes, my junior brother will handle Guo Wei as the situation demands."

Zhang Xuan instructed.

"I understand."

The Emperor of Great Yuan nodded.

He couldn't help but steal another glance at Chu Lingguang. The Great Yuan Dynasty placed great importance on respecting one's master. 'If Guo Wei has become a demon,' he wondered, 'would Chu Lingguang have the heart to kill him?'

The Emperor of Great Yuan remembered a fair bit about Chu Lingguang. He knew that Chu Lingguang had turned back to save Yan Zhen at the Imperial City Hunting Ground. He also knew of the final round of the Palace Examination, where Chu Lingguang had aimed his spear Thrust at three True Martial Realm experts.

He even knew how Chu Lingguang had led ten thousand soldiers from Wolf Valley Pass on a night march across the Hundred Thousand Mountains to launch a surprise attack on the Turkic Headquarters, winning a decisive victory with the help of a Wolf Demon.

He also knew that Chu Lingguang had been demoted to West Warehouse.

And he knew that over two thousand of his men had been implicated because of him, stripped of their military status by the Court, and had lost all their wages.

Initially, the Emperor of Great Yuan had felt a pang of guilt.

But now, seeing Chu Lingguang as a member of Yuanchu Mountain, he felt a sense of relief. He had worried that Chu Lingguang wouldn't understand him or the difficult position the imperial family was in.

Now that Chu Lingguang was part of Yuanchu Mountain, surely he understood what it meant to have one's hands tied.

He even found himself looking forward to it. 'If Guo Wei really has become a demon, fused with a strange entity, and appears before Chu Lingguang... what choice will he make?'

'Will he uphold justice and turn on his own, betraying his master to the point of killing him, just to remain a disciple of Yuanchu Mountain? Or will his character hold true, and he'll fight side-by-side with Guo Wei against the sect?'

'Surely,' the emperor mused, 'anyone with an ounce of self-interest would never choose the latter.'

"Junior Brother, let me introduce you to the people from the Demon Suppression Bureau and the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion,"

Zhang Xuan said with a smile.

"The Celestial Fragrance Pavilion?"

Chu Lingguang was startled.

"I usually manage both the Demon Suppression Bureau and the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion. You could say I founded them myself,"

Zhang Xuan explained.

"Zhang's path of cultivation involves tempering himself with worldly tribulations. He likes to spend his time in the mortal realm,"

Li Mao explained.

"The Celestial Fragrance Pavilion was founded by Zhang?"

Chu Lingguang's eyes widened.

"It's rather embarrassing, but the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion has had its conflicts with you, Junior Brother. That's all in the past, though. One must look forward. I hope you won't hold a grudge,"

Zhang Xuan said with a smile.

"Last time, at the Divine Land Mansion, Eldest Brother killed quite a few people from the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion. Did he not know they were all your men?"

Chu Lingguang asked.

"Of course he knew. But how can the lives of mere mortals compare to ours? It was their honor to die by Eldest Brother's hand. Their entire purpose is to handle matters in the mortal world that are inconvenient for Yuanchu Mountain."

"Now, with demons running rampant and strange entities lying in wait everywhere, it is their time to be of service to us,"

Zhang Xuan said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"How can the lives of mere mortals compare to ours?"

Chu Lingguang repeated Zhang Xuan's words, a fire smoldering in his heart. He couldn't hold back any longer. "I can overlook that you don't care whether mortals live or die, Zhang. But you made the Great Yuan Dynasty strip my two thousand-plus soldiers of their pay and military status. You even had them take back the silver taels I gave them. Aren't you going to give me an explanation for that?"

"Er..."

"Junior Brother, you are now an Inner Sect Disciple of Yuanchu Mountain. You should forget about mortal affairs if you can,"

Zhang Xuan's expression stiffened as he reminded him.

"Some things can never be forgotten!"

Chu Lingguang declared, his voice ringing with conviction.

"Junior Brother, the Emperor of Great Yuan is right here. It's not too late to fix this!"

Li Mao advised.

"Your Majesty, I want you to restore the honor due to my ten thousand soldiers! For every man who followed me to fight the Turkic—whether they died there or were forced to return home to suffer—I have demands. For the dead, I want their souls brought home to rest and their families to receive compensation. For the living, I want them to return to their homes in glory and live the rest of their days in prosperity!"

Chu Lingguang raged at the Emperor of Great Yuan.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor of Great Yuan glanced first at Zhang Xuan and Li Mao. When neither of them spoke, he smiled. "I understand. I will give you a satisfactory reply, and I will certainly not let the soldiers' hearts grow cold."

"See to it at once. I will be waiting for word."

Chu Lingguang clenched his fists. 'How dare the Emperor say he wouldn't let the soldiers' hearts grow cold? If he actually meant that, how could he have let Zhang Xuan run roughshod over them?'

'Even if Zhang Xuan is an Inner Sect Disciple of Yuanchu Mountain with boundless Magical Power, if the Emperor had just been a little firmer at the critical moment, at least the silver taels I gave my brothers wouldn't have been confiscated.'

"Very well."

The Emperor of Great Yuan kept a smile on his face the whole time.

"Junior Brother, let the Emperor of Great Yuan handle the matter of the Wolf Valley Pass soldiers. We need to take our people to eliminate the strange entities and eradicate all the demons now. Both matters are equally important,"

Li Mao said placatingly.

Chu Lingguang looked at Zhang Xuan.

Zhang Xuan said with a devil-may-care attitude, "I've long heard that you're a man of great loyalty, Junior Brother. But don't let your emotions get the better of you; rashness clouds judgment. As for the Wolf Valley Pass soldiers... let's just say it was my fault. We'll consider the matter closed."

"Fine."

Chu Lingguang said, taking a deep breath.

'Once my cultivation surpasses Zhang Xuan's,' Chu Lingguang thought, 'I'll make sure we settle this account properly.'