Just like how he used to be!
Li couldn't help but notice the similarities.
He had heard many rumors about the Emperor and his Empresses when he was at the heavenly courts.
Most of the rumors were of similar tone and content.
The Emperor had a loving and harmonious relationship with his wives.
This was one of many reasons why the people adored their ruler.
He knew there was no need to withhold anything from the two queens, "Your majesty, there's something else you need to know.".
Chu Yu looked at him.
Chu Yu had tried to correct his address before but his efforts were futile.
Li Hong Ru looked somber, "Since this city was sealed by an almighty being, we can't be the only one.".
A flash of epiphany crossed Chu Yu's eyes.
Li Hong Ru had just reported a set of accurate numbers to him.
There were about 4327 saints in this city! They ranged from beginners to masters in the saint realm.
There were 13,600,000 practitioners at the Legendary Emperor Realm.
Beneath that, it was uncountable.
Every household had practitioners in them, even their servants were at least at the level of a True Lord.
The military capacity here was remarkable. If they were to descend upon the mortal world now, they would be put in the spotlight for sure!
Although they might not be an unstoppable force, they would be a critical addition to Chu Yu's forces.
They would be invincible as long as they didn't enter the Bastion of Stars.
Now, Li was telling him that there were other cities like this?
Which translated to three or more clusters of forces they could utilize!
It was amazing.
And it was wonderful news. Chu Yu couldn't believe his ears.
"I've been browsing through the ancient scripts and texts but I never managed to find out who was the almighty being that did this. He had managed to seal these great cities and hide them for centuries. I have a feeling it's not the Yellow Emperor's doing, could you solve the mystery?"
Li Hong Ru laughed nervously, "I don't think we have the rights to know about this, but I have heard things about the rumor mill.".
Chu Yu urged him on.
"Some people say that it was an almighty being from the immortal realm."
"Huh?"
Xu Xiao Xian and Lin Shi gasped in unison.
They wore an astounded expression on their faces.
They had been trying to figure this out on their own too.
But how could anyone have any concrete ideas if even Li didn't know for sure?
Chu Yu wore a similar expression on his face.
"Exactly who it was, I really have no clue. I had a feeling that the rumor has some elements of truth in it. After all, many mortal practitioners have ascended to the heavens…"
This cleared their minds a little bit.
That's right, there were a lot of practitioners from the mortal realm who had managed to enter the immortal realm.
Even if they cut off all ties with their mortal past, they must have had some sentiments remaining for what was once their home.
If the deities had wanted to massacre all the mortals, then these practitioners had no place to resist or defy their colleagues.
Perhaps helping the mortals in the dark was their only solution.
To carry on the seed of mankind.
"Some people have also postulated that it was Confucius, it is quite likely too. He started his journey here back then," Li continued.
"Confucius?"
Li Hong Ru nodded his head, "Yeah, he was a respectable man too. His wisdom and knowledge were boundless and he was an academic. It's possible that he protected this city with his powers.".
Chu Yu felt that this was a more reasonable explanation.
He got the Confucius Superclass here and became his disciple in this city too.
The city felt as if it was Confucius' Dao arena.
Li Hong Ru didn't seem like he wanted to talk more about Confucius.
Chu Yu pressed him on, "I've received Confucius' legacy here, this place…".
"What? You… you received his legacy?" Li Hong Ru looked surprised.
He even stood up and took a couple of steps towards Chu Yu.
But he quickly composed himself, "Pardon my brashness, your majesty.".
"No worries, can you fill me in properly?"
"Well…" Li Hong Ru sighed heavily, "Seems like your majesty didn't recover your memory of the past even after reading all these books and texts.".
"Confucius was once, the teacher of the Yellow Emperor!"
Teacher!
He was the teacher of the Yellow Emperor!
It wasn't easy to pry this from Li Hong Ru lips. It was hard for this city chief to admit it.
Li Hong Ru seemed reluctant to continue, but he had to answer Chu Yu's queries.
"When the Yellow Emperor was young, he was admitted into Confucius' academy. Back then, he already had the ambition to overhaul the three realms and reign as the supreme leader…"
"…" Chu Yu looked grim.
He didn't think that he was really the reincarnation of the Yellow Emperor, or the emperor himself.
"The Emperor advocated for the use of extreme methods to destroy the barriers between the three realms."
"Confucius on the other hand, advocated for the spread of his teachings to influence the three realms, unifying them without shedding a single drop of blood."
"So afterward…"
Li Hong Ru looked sickly, "Your majesty, I am but a humble servant and I dare not comment on what happened.".
"I didn't ask you to comment, I just asked you to narrate the truth," Chu Yu looked firmly at him.
A small heavenly soldier?
Pfft!
Who believed him?
"Ay, I believe that Confucius had a terrible fight with the Yellow Emperor, back then, the Emperor was still young…"
"No need to emphasize on that, there's no need to view me as the Emperor too. Just tell me the story like how you would tell your friend."
"Anyways, the Emperor left the academy and rumor has it that… Confucius told him that he will be back one day kneeling at his door. No student of his has ever left before."
"According to the temperament of the Emperor, we never thought he would be kneeling at the academy again."
"Not even up till the great war."
Li Hong Ru looked perplexed as he stared at Chu Yu, "Who knew…".
Chu Yu understood where he was going with this.
He gave a light-hearted chuckle, "Confucius is a respectable man, and he taught me good things. Without his teachings, I wouldn't be who I am today, neither would I be able to save you all here.".
Li Hong Ru suddenly knelt on his knees, "Pardon me, your majesty, I lied to you previously.".
"You don't owe me anything, I know I am not the same Emperor in your heart. But I am me, so really, you don't have to be sorry," Chu Yu sighed.
"No, you are the Great Emperor!" Li was firm and convinced.
He looked at Chu Yu guiltily, "I was no ordinary soldier of the heavenly courts, I was a clerk by the Emperor's side, in charge of scribing all that happens around the world…".
Chu Yu looked at him incredulously.
This guy was a real trusted minister by the Emperor's side!
He must have held a high rank.
According to what Chu Yu had read so far, a clerk by the Emperor side was the equivalence of a third-grade minister.
It also depended on what kind of clerk he was, the highest ranking one was the first-grade minister!
He must have known the Emperor extremely well!
Chu Yu had guessed it all along.
How could a mere soldier know so much about the Emperor?
How could a soldier return here to hold a dignified position?
How could a mere soldier carry himself with such poise and charisma?
Li Hong Ru's demeanor was far more sophisticated than a lowly soldier.
Before reading the texts, Chu Yu hadn't noticed the mismatch.
But after reading all these about the practices back then, it would be naïve to not notice anything fishy.
Perhaps even childish.
Li Hong Ru explained to Chu Yu in greater detail.
Lin Shi and Xu Xiao Xian had been silently listening to the conversation, the two of them didn't interject the men at all.
"Legend says that the Yellow Emperor was the descended version of an almighty being in the immortal realm, a tad different from reincarnation. Haha, a smuggled form?"
"That explained his choices when he grew up. The Emperor didn't tell me much, however, but I am sure that he knew what he was doing."
"I remember him telling me to head back here, to Ming Kong city. I thought he was chasing me away, but he told me that I would be serving him again eventually. He also told me that I'll recognize him instantly if I saw him again."
Tears were welling up in Li Hong Ru's eyes, he was choking up, "When I woke up from the curse, I saw your majesty immediately. In my confused state, my first thought was how your Majesty got so young again.".
"I had my reservations when I lied to you that day. I knew that you were the Emperor! But you had forgotten everything."
"You once joked with me that your greatest regret was not walking through the six cycles of reincarnation. I was so terrified I told the Emperor not to joke around…"
"So, your majesty, now you can tell me what it felt like to go through the six cycles of reincarnation."
Chu Yu was silent, lines were furrowed into his forehead. How would he know what it felt like?
If I knew, I would have overturned the three realms!
Upheave the three realms?
The phrase had a catch to it.
Chu Yu's expression changed.
Am I really the manic Yellow Emperor?
He thought to himself.
But I am so normal!
…
…
By the riverside beneath the ruins of San Xing Dui.
There was a bunch of people dressed in luxurious robes.
Leading the pack was an eighteen-year-old boy.
He was expressionless, staring straight at another cautious young man.
The young man was the same guy who watched the boat sail away.
He looked like he was in trepidation, his legs were trembling.
He resented himself for giving it away so early.
The young boy, on the other hand, he looked stoic and firm.
The young practitioner had been waiting around for twenty days or so!
The young master's father had heard about this situation.
But the master of the clan had been put into a coma by this terrifying elder beside the young practitioner.
The young master had been so scared.
Thankfully, the young practitioner reassured him that his father wasn't dead.
"He'll be fine once this matter is closed, and your family will enjoy bountiful rewards."
The young master knew that they could only enjoy their rewards if this man got what he wanted.
If not, they would be facing a catastrophe.
It was too late to understand that now.
He was ashamed of himself.
He was also cursing the boat, why was it gone for so many days?
He might really die here if it still didn't show itself.
He finally understood that he had no place in an adult's game.
Suddenly, someone shouted, "Boat!".