59: Chapter 59 How could you not know?

Over half a year had passed since Lu Jinghan and the other three returned to Kunlun.

During this half-year, Jiang Changge had truly lived the life of a leisure-loving recluse.

Every month, he would descend the mountain to travel for a few days, wandering throughout the Southern Wilderness to see the sights, taste the delicacies, and occasionally chat with passing Cultivators to gather information on the movements in various regions.

Most of the time, he stayed within Kunlun.

Checking in, lying flat, and occasionally guiding his Disciples' cultivation.

His days were as calm as water, yet he found great joy in them.

[Ding! Daily check-in complete. Obtained bailing fruit * 100.]

When the System notification sounded in his mind, Jiang Changge was munching on a spirit fruit.

He chewed a few times, casually tossed the pit into a nearby jade tray, and sighed inwardly.

bailing fruit, bailing fruit again.

For the past six months, most of the rewards from the System check-ins were things he had no use for.

bailing fruits, low-rank Medicinal Pills, ordinary Magical Artifacts—it was considered a surprise if a Profound Rank treasure appeared occasionally.

However, it wasn't as if there were no gains at all.

During a check-in three months ago, the System had given him a Tribulation Pill—which could increase the probability of a Mahayana Peak Cultivator breaking through to the Tribulation Transcendence Stage by thirty percent.

Although he didn't need it at all, it was good to keep.

In Jiang Changge's view, it was impossible for him to Cultivate; he only waited to be fed by the System.

Two months ago, while traveling down the mountain, he happened upon an old man in an unremarkable small town.

The old man seemed ordinary, but his cultivation had actually reached the Body Integration Stage; he was living there incognito because his cultivation had plummeted after failing to transcend his tribulation.

Jiang Changge discussed the Dao with him for half a day, casually mentioning a few insights from the Creation Sutra.

The old man treated those words like a priceless treasure and had an Epiphany on the spot. Most of his cultivation was restored, and he left after offering endless thanks.

Jiang Changge hadn't done it intentionally; it was just a whim to offer a few pointers.

As for whether that old man would cross paths with Kunlun in the future, that was a story for another time.

At this moment, Jiang Changge extended his Divine Sense into the System warehouse, scanning the mountain-like piles of treasures while calculating in his head.

After checking in for over a hundred years, the foundation he had accumulated was more than enough.

Cultivation Techniques, Medicinal Pills, Magical Artifacts, Formation Plates, and Talismans—he had everything.

Heaven Rank treasures were piled into several mounds, while Earth Rank and Profound Rank items were too numerous to count.

As for Yellow Rank items, he didn't even bother to look at them, tossing them directly to the System for recycling.

The only things that caught his attention were those few ancient Cultivation Techniques without a specific rank.

The Creation Sutra, Time-Space Derivation Sutra, Scripture of Alchemy, and Minimalist Cultivation Method—each was incredibly profound and clearly not ordinary.

In the System warehouse, there were seven or eight more such techniques, their covers worn and tattered, emitting an ancient and mysterious aura.

“It seems these techniques are prepared for specific people.”

Jiang Changge muttered to himself as he withdrew his Divine Sense from the warehouse.

“Fated people are becoming harder and harder to find.”

In the past six months, he had traversed most of the Southern Wilderness, but he had yet to encounter a 'fated person' as prompted by the System.

“System, how long does it take to encounter a fated person?” Jiang Changge asked in his mind.

[Ding! The Opportunity has not yet arrived and cannot be forced. The host should wait patiently.]

Jiang Changge rolled his eyes and leaned back into his reclining chair.

This System was still as cryptic as ever.

North of the Southern Wilderness, in the Zhouwu Dynasty.

In the imperial study, Dynasty Lord Zhou Shanhe stood by the window with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance, his expression as gloomy as water.

Behind him, several ministers stood with their heads bowed, not daring even to breathe loudly.

“Your Majesty.”

An old minister finally couldn't help but speak, his voice tinged with anxiety.

“The Nanli and Xuanyuan dynasties have been making frequent moves lately. They have increased their troops by tens of thousands at the border, and there are even Body Integration Stage experts overseeing them. I fear—”

“Fear what?” Zhou Shanhe turned around, his gaze as sharp as a blade.

Stung by that gaze, the old minister swallowed the words at the tip of his tongue and lowered his head, not daring to speak further.

Zhou Shanhe withdrew his gaze and paced a few steps in the hall, his voice low.

“Nanli and Xuanyuan have joined forces simply because they fear the friendship between our Zhouwu Dynasty and Senior Jiang. They are afraid—afraid that Senior would take action and break the balance held by the three Great Imperial Dynasties for tens of thousands of years.”

He paused, a cold sneer curling his lips.

“But they don't stop to think: if that Senior really wanted to act, why would he wait until now?”

Everyone in the hall looked at each other; no one dared to respond.

Zhou Shanhe was right. If Senior Jiang truly wanted to deal with Nanli and Xuanyuan, with his strength, he wouldn't need the Zhouwu Dynasty to do anything at all.

But the problem was, Nanli and Xuanyuan wouldn't think that way.

In their eyes, the Zhouwu Dynasty had befriended a powerful and mysterious force, significantly increasing its strength and breaking the balance between the three Great Imperial Dynasties.

They would not sit idly by and would inevitably join forces to suppress them.

The movements of the two dynasties at the border over the past six months were the best proof of this.

“Pass down the order.”

Zhou Shanhe stopped walking, his voice steady.

“Strengthen the border defenses and have the generals of each city stand ready. Additionally, send envoys to Nanli and Xuanyuan with official diplomatic letters stating that our dynasty has no intention of being their enemy.”

“Understood.” A minister bowed to accept the command and hurriedly departed.

Zhou Shanhe walked back to the window, looking into the distance.

He knew that a diplomatic letter wouldn't solve the problem.

The wariness of Nanli and Xuanyuan couldn't be dispelled with just a few words.

But for now, this was all he could do.

Outside the imperial study, a figure hurried over and stopped at the door.

“Your Majesty, an envoy from the Liuli Sect requests an audience.”

Zhou Shanhe's brow furrowed as he turned around. “Liuli Sect? The Liuli Sect from the Western Regions?”

“Precisely,” the guard bowed. “The visitor claims to be an inner Sect Elder of the Liuli Sect and says he has urgent matters to discuss with Your Majesty.”

Zhou Shanhe was silent for a moment before waving his hand. “Let him in.”

A short while later, a grey-robed old man entered the imperial study under the guard's guidance.

The old man had a thin face and sharp eyes. His aura was unfathomable—he was impressively a Peak Body Integration Stage powerhouse.

He stepped into the hall and slightly cupped his hands toward Zhou Shanhe. His attitude wasn't exactly respectful, but it wasn't something one could find fault with either.

“Yin Tianzheng of the Liuli Sect inner Sect, greetings to the Zhou Emperor.”

Zhou Shanhe nodded slightly and gestured. “Elder Yin, no need for formalities. Please, have a seat.”

Yin Tianzheng didn't stand on ceremony and took a seat in the guest chair, then spoke up:

“Emperor Zhou, I have come here to find someone.”

“Find someone?” Zhou Shanhe's brow furrowed slightly. “Who?”

“A young man named Lu Jinghan.” Yin Tianzheng looked directly at Zhou Shanhe.

“According to reports from my Sect's Disciples, this person emerged from the Zhouwu Dynasty's Great Family Ranking Battle. Emperor Zhou should know of him, shouldn't you?”

Zhou Shanhe's expression remained unchanged, but his heart sank.

Lu Jinghan—of course he knew him; he was Senior Jiang's eldest Disciple.

What did the Liuli Sect want with him?

“What business does Elder Yin have with this person?” Zhou Shanhe asked calmly.

Yin Tianzheng was silent for a moment before slowly speaking, “This person possesses something that my Liuli Sect is determined to obtain.”

He didn't say what it was, and Zhou Shanhe didn't press him.

After the two stared at each other for a moment, Zhou Shanhe shook his head.

“Elder Yin has come too late. Lu Jinghan left the Zhouwu Dynasty half a year ago. As for his current whereabouts, I do not know.”

Yin Tianzheng's brow knitted, and his voice deepened. “Emperor Zhou, my grandson Yin Wuji saw him together with the Prince of Zhao, Zhou Tianyuan. How could you not know?”

His words already carried a hint of interrogation.

The heart-cleansing bamboo was extremely important to a certain Tribulation Old Ancestor of the Liuli Sect. If it were brought back, Yin Tianzheng's lineage would gain many benefits.