7: Brother, I can't bear to leave you.

Subsequently, Yang Yun sent people outside the city to bring Yang Jian and others back to the palace, and Empress Dugu Yue and Yang Xue also returned to the palace.

"What!"

Empress Dugu Yue's eyes widened when she heard of Sima Long's rebellion, and she anxiously asked, "Then, Yun'er, what is the situation now?"

Yang Yun smiled, "Mother, the rebels have been executed, and I have killed all of Sima Long's associates."

"Now, all those in the imperial court are loyal to the Imperial Family."

Yang Jian looked at Yang Yun in disbelief, then sighed, as if lamenting his own incompetence, and also as if praising Yang Yun's iron-fisted methods.

"Yun'er, you will surely become the Emperor who revitalizes our Dachu."

Yang Jian had already decided to delegate all authority to Yang Yun.

Yang Yun thus became the de facto ruler of Chu, the Executive Vice Emperor.

..............

Empress Dugu Yue held Yang Yun's hand, looking at his tender Face, yet possessing a mature and resolute character, and couldn't help but cry, "Our Yun'er has grown up."

Yang Xue came to Yang Yun's side and whispered, "Imperial Brother, you are truly amazing."

"Hmph."

Yang Yun proudly raised his head, thinking to himself, 'Just basic operations.'

After strengthening the palace's security, Yang Yun led dozens of East Palace guards to the Prime Minister's Residence.

"Oh, wow."

"Sima Long's prestige is truly great; the Prime Minister's Residence is almost comparable to the Imperial Palace."

He then ordered the Prime Minister's Residence to be raided, all male family members to be conscripted and exiled, and the women to be sent to the Imperial Entertainment Bureau to serve as official courtesans and maids.

As he stepped into the Prime Minister's Residence, the System's voice came.

"[Host successfully checked in.]"

"[Reward: One month of lifespan.]"

"[Remaining lifespan: 63 days.]"

"Hmm..."

"Now I can rest a little easier."

Yang Yun looked at the Sima family members being escorted out, men and women, old and young, totaling several hundred people; they were a thriving family, even more numerous than the Imperial Family.

Yang Yun watched for a while, seeing that they were all Mortals and couldn't cause any trouble, so he left.

Li Xiaosan, with the guards, came to the main courtyard after searching the property.

He looked at the women of the Sima family, a flock of beauties, and among them was a beautiful woman, Sima Long's concubine.

Li Xiaosan's mouth curved upwards, and he led the beautiful woman into a room, "Hehe, such a beautiful woman cannot be wasted."

"How dare you!"

The woman angrily retorted.

"Hahaha, you ask if I dare."

"Brothers, do you dare?"

The guards shouted, "With Steward Li's command, we dare do anything!"

"Good!"

Li Xiaosan waved his hand, "Haha, all of you line up outside."

Then, the women of the Sima family were taken in turns by the guards, even the sixty-year-old mother...

...............

Yang Yun naturally did not know what these guards were doing; after returning to the East Palace, he lay on the couch, enjoying Xiao Xiang's massage and Xiao Qing's foot rub.

Xiao Feng, meanwhile, held a fruit platter, feeding him fruit.

"Come, Your Highness, ah~"

Yang Yun opened his mouth, and Xiao Feng's delicate hand held a grape, feeding it into Yang Yun's mouth.

"Hmm..."

"Delicious."

Yang Yun lay comfortably on the couch, looking at the three stunning maidservants; he truly wished to live like this forever, after all, he had wealth, power, status, and beautiful women.

But... his lifespan didn't allow it. Thinking of this, Yang Yun lost interest and closed his eyes, falling asleep.

The three women saw Yang Yun asleep and quietly withdrew, Xiao Feng not forgetting to cover Yang Yun with a quilt.

A few days passed like this, and seeing that the System still hadn't issued a mission, Yang Yun continued to slack off.

Li Xiaosan came before Yang Yun, kneeling on the ground:

"Your Highness, the Empress has sent word, asking you to go to the palace."

Yang Yun waved his hand, "I understand."

"Let Xiao Feng and the others come in; I need to bathe and change."

Li Xiaosan, while instructing someone to prepare the wooden tub and hot water, went to find Xiao Feng and the other two.

Soon, everything was ready; Xiao Feng held new clothes, Xiao Qing held men's underwear, and Xiao Xiang untied Yang Yun's clothes.

Yang Yun entered the wooden tub naked, and the three women also took off their clothes and followed him in.

Yang Yun's eyes were tightly closed; the quality of this hot water was truly good, and soaking in it was quite comfortable.

The three women washed Yang Yun's entire body, from his hair to his toes, a full-service treatment.

As expected of maidservants trained from a young age by the Imperial Entertainment Bureau, Yang Yun gave the three women a thumbs up.

.............

Yang Yun changed into his clothes and came to the palace; Yang Jian and Empress Dugu Yue still sat on either side of the throne, with Yang Xue seated beside them.

"Greetings, Royal Father, Royal Mother."

Yang Yun bowed in salute.

"Yun'er, quickly sit down."

Empress Dugu Yue pointed to the chair next to Yang Xue and said.

"Yun'er, Mother called you here to tell you that Xue'er will be going to the Heaven Sword Sect tomorrow."

"Oh?"

Yang Yun looked at Yang Xue; at this moment, Yang Xue was puffing out her chest, her head held high with a proud expression.

"Xue'er, Imperial Brother congratulates you."

Yang Yun stroked Yang Xue's little head, saying dotingly.

"Hehe."

Yang Xue smiled cheerfully at Yang Yun, "Thank you, Imperial Brother."

"Tomorrow, an Elder from the Heaven Sword Sect will come to pick up Xue'er; at that time, all our civil and military officials must line up to greet him, and we must not be negligent."

Yang Jian said seriously; in the past, a king of a secular country was directly killed with a single sword because he glared at a Heaven Sword Sect Elder.

He was present at the time, and after witnessing the power of an Immortal, he treated every Immortal with utmost respect, not daring to show any neglect.

"Alright."

Yang Yun nodded, "Tomorrow, I will personally greet him; that should be giving him Face, right?"

"Yun'er, you must never say such words again!"

Yang Jian stopped Yang Yun, carefully looking up, as if an Immortal was watching him from the heavens.

Yang Yun shrugged and walked away indifferently, Yang Xue followed him.

"Imperial Brother."

"Wait for me."

The siblings walked out of the main hall, strolling on the stone steps of the palace.

"Imperial Brother, once I go, I don't know how many years it will be until I can return."

"By then, you might even have white hair."

Yang Xue said with some reluctance, a few tears already in the corners of her eyes.

After all, Immortals and Mortals are different; a Mortal who lives to sixty is considered long-lived, while a Cultivator in the Qi Refinement Stage can live at least two hundred years, so what Yang Xue said was not false at all.

Yang Yun looked at the little girl in front of him; in his memory, Yang Xue had followed him around since childhood, like a little shadow.

The siblings had a very good relationship, sharing everything, and even after growing up, there was no estrangement, still as close as ever.

"Xue'er, Cultivate with peace of mind; if you don't come back, I'll come find you."

"Really?"

Yang Xue's beautiful eyes lit up, and she happily clung to Yang Yun's hand, "Imperial Brother, you mustn't lie to Xue'er."

"Mm."

Yang Yun nodded, looking at Yang Xue gently, "When has Imperial Brother ever lied to you? Trust me."

After pinching Yang Xue's little cheek, Yang Yun returned to the East Palace.

Yang Xue looked at Yang Yun's retreating figure, unable to help but cry.

"Imperial Brother, Xue'er knows you're lying to me."

Although Yang Xue was simple and innocent, she still understood that an Immortal was a great mountain that Mortals could never hope to reach in a lifetime; Yang Yun saying he would go find her was simply a joke.

But she didn't understand that Yang Yun was, in fact, not a Mortal at all, but the strongest, most awesome, most incredible badass in the Universe.