"Sister!"

In front of the courtyard, just as Little Green was anxiously looking around, her sister's figure appeared on the distant path.

Little Green's eyes lit up. She breathed a sigh of relief and quickly ran over.

"Sister, you scared Little Green to death. If something had happened to you, what would Little Green have done?"

Little Green looked like she was about to cry.

It wasn't that she hadn't gone looking for her sister but Bai Ruxue's cultivation level was higher than Little Green's. Even though Bai Ruxue had lost her memory, some demon clan inheritances remained, and concealing form and aura was one of the snake clan's innate divine abilities.

So after Bai Ruxue concealed her form and aura, Little Green couldn't find her at all.

"Little Green..." Bai Ruxue raised her head, tears covering the woman's clear black and white eyes with a thin layer of mist. "How many years did I sleep?"

"Eh?" Little Green stared blankly at her sister's eyes, only then noticing that the confusion in her sister's eyes was gone. "Sister, could it be that you've already..."

"I remember everything." Tears gradually slid down from the corners of the woman's eyes.

Bai Ruxue reached out and tightly gripped her sister's wrist, "Little Green, exactly how long did sister sleep? Tell sister..."

Little Green lowered her head, her eyes full of loneliness.

"Forty-eight years."

After a long while, Little Green's voice reached Bai Ruxue's ears.

"Sister, you've already slept for forty-eight years."

"Forty-eight years..." Bai Ruxue stepped back two paces, her eyes full of shock.

She knew what forty-eight years meant for an ordinary person.

"Could Xiao Mo already be..." Bai Ruxue looked at her sister in a daze.

"No." Little Green quickly shook her head. "Sister, Big Brother Xiao is fine. Big Brother Xiao is currently serving as an official in the imperial capital."

Bai Ruxue raised her head and said urgently, "Little Green, let's pack up. We'll go find him right now..."

"Sister, that won't work."

Little Green quickly pulled back her sister.

"Sister, you are now a great demon at the Nascent Soul realm. If sister's cultivation were low, it would be fine, but if you go now, you'll definitely be noticed by the imperial city's dragon energy. Then, forget about entering the city, you'd probably be struck down just approaching the city gates.

Moreover, sister, you just awakened and your spirit soul is weak. You need to rest quietly now. Even if you don't enter the imperial city, the closer you get to it, the more cultivators there will be.

Furthermore, sister, you still have ancestral features.

If discovered, you'll definitely be hunted down."

"Then Little Green, what should we do..." The woman's voice was already tinged with sobs.

"Sister, don't worry first. I'll write a letter right away and personally deliver it to Big Brother Xiao tomorrow." Little Green comforted her sister. "Sister, rest assured, Big Brother Xiao and I will definitely return as soon as possible."

"..."

Bai Ruxue lowered her head, pressing her thin lips tightly together, still looking like she wanted to go with Little Green but Bai Ruxue also understood that now wasn't the time to act on her emotions.

Finally, Bai Ruxue could only nod.

That night, Bai Ruxue wrote a letter and gave it to Little Green for her to take to the imperial city.

The next morning, after Bai Ruxue instructed her sister with a few words about "travel safely and be careful in all things," she watched Little Green fly into the distance.

Only after Little Green disappeared from her sight did Bai Ruxue anxiously withdraw her gaze.

Just as Little Green was flying toward the imperial city on the third day, outside Qingshan County city,

Qingshan County Magistrate Qin Xiao, along with the entire government office staff and various gentry and wealthy citizens of Qingshan County, all stood together at the city gate.

Everyone gazed into the distance, waiting for that great man's arrival.

"He's coming, he's coming!" Just as everyone had been standing outside the city for two hours, a servant came running and tumbling over. "Sir, the Prime Minister's carriage has arrived!"

"Good, good, good!" County Magistrate Qin said "good" three times. "Everyone, please gather your spirits and prepare to welcome the Prime Minister's return home!"

Soon, a carriage driven by a coachman appeared in everyone's sight.

Although the carriage was unremarkable, the horse pulling it was a fine Ferghana blood dragon steed, bestowed upon Prime Minister Xiao by the current emperor.

Among current officials, only Prime Minister Xiao could use such a precious horse to pull his carriage.

"Light the firecrackers! Play music!"

"Crackle, pop, bang!"

"Clap, clap, clap!"

With County Magistrate Qin's command, firecracker sounds, suona sounds, and gong and drum sounds all rang out simultaneously.

The Ferghana blood dragon steed wasn't startled, just snorted and continued walking steadily step by step toward the city gate.

As the last firecracker fell silent, led by County Magistrate Qin, all the important figures of Qingshan City quickly stepped forward and bowed, "Qingshan City respectfully welcomes Prime Minister Xiao's return home!"

The carriage curtain opened, and an old man with completely white hair slowly stepped down from the carriage.

No maidservants.

No attendants.

They had heard that before leaving the capital, this old man had given his maidservants and servants a large severance payment and hadn't brought a single person with him.

Forty-eight years ago, when the young man went to the capital for examinations, he went alone.

Forty-eight years later, when the old man, famous throughout the land, returned home in glory, he was still alone but in these forty-eight years, this old man had done countless good deeds that would benefit future generations.

Whenever they thought of this, they felt that before them stood not just an ordinary prime minister, but a sage whose name would be remembered for millennia.

"This old fellow's return has troubled you all to come and greet me. What a sin."

The old man stepped forward and bowed to everyone.

Although the old man was nearly seventy, his posture remained upright, especially those eyes, gentle yet dignified, as if with just one glance, he could see right through you.

The others dared not receive this bow and quickly stepped aside, simultaneously clearing a path.

"Prime Minister, you must not say such things. This junior is truly terrified." County Magistrate Qin quickly stepped forward, supporting the old gentleman like a servant but County Magistrate Qin didn't feel humble at all. In fact, he felt that being able to support such an old gentleman was the greatest honor of his life.

"Prime Minister, you must be tired from the journey. We've arranged food and lodging. Please rest well."

"Thank you for County Magistrate Qin's thoughtfulness." The old man smiled. "However, this old fellow won't trouble County Magistrate Qin. Here is this old man's household registration document. Please trouble County Magistrate Qin to process it."

After officials of the Qi Kingdom retired and returned home, they all had a household registration document that needed to be submitted to the local county. After receiving it, the county magistrate had to report to the emperor, indicating that the person had safely returned home and was properly settled.

"No trouble at all." County Magistrate Qin quickly received it with both hands and tucked it close to his chest. "But will the old gentleman really not enter the city? The people in the city are all eagerly waiting to welcome the old gentleman home."

"Forget it, forget it. Why should this old fellow trouble the people to welcome me?"

The old man smiled and shook his head, looking toward a village.

"The people's good intentions, this old man has received them, but this old fellow has been away for so long, it's time to go home."