CHAPTER 1032: CHAPTER 1029: REBORN AS THE ELDEST PRINCE OF LOUYUE

Compared to the Godfather of the current world, Su Ming’an didn’t have deep feelings for the State Preceptor. But they... their attitude towards Su Shaoqing and Su Wensheng, towards the Savior... were similar.

... the most sincere concern and love.

"Do it." The State Preceptor said.

It was rumored that the State Preceptor had no humanity, no emotions. He could glimpse others’ destinies, even accurately predict their time of death, all secrets were laid bare before him. People feared him.

His gaze was always indifferent, without a trace of extra emotion.

Su Ming’an sighed softly.

... How could he bear so many people’s expectations?

"Sorry." He apologized once again and stepped forward.

"It’s okay." The State Preceptor responded indifferently.

Blood light burst forth, falling into the bright moonlight on the ground.

...

Li Mingyue was born in a remote village, without parents, only an old woman who took care of him.

The old woman was weak due to old age, surviving only by sewing, so he decided to strive to achieve fame and treat the old woman’s illness.

At the age of thirteen, using rudimentary fortune-telling skills he taught himself, he deceived a wealthy merchant who sought his predictions, saving money as he trudged alone to the capital. There, he diligently studied the science of astrology and destiny, showcasing astounding talent. At sixteen, he achieved fame, and with his ability to discern astrology and calculate destiny, everyone made way for him. He ascended swiftly, reaching the position of Prime Minister.

During this time, he was repeatedly persecuted by traitors, subjected to the sea of officialdom, demoted multiple times, and even imprisoned, only to be reinstated each time, leaving more and more scars. Yet he seemed unresentful, merely ignored it, focusing only on the astrology in the sky.

At the age of twenty-seven, in the high hall, he declared that the current His Majesty’s lifespan would not exceed three years, enraging His Majesty, who then exiled him to the frontier. The old woman died during this punishment. That night, he clutched the old woman’s withered hand, turning white-haired overnight.

People thought the prodigy met an untimely end, either dying on the way to exile or in the frontier. His life, already troubled, was expected to conclude here. Unexpectedly, three years later, the emperor passed away, even the precise moment of death aligning exactly with what Li Mingyue had foretold.

The Crown Prince ascended the throne and respectfully invited Li Mingyue back, offering him the position of State Preceptor. Li Mingyue resided in the National Preceptor Pavilion, reading books on astrology, studying stargazing day and night. His face no longer bore a smile.

From then on for decades, the royal family changed through three generations, yet the State Preceptor remained eternally youthful, unchanged from his younger years. The populace saw him as a demi-immortal; even the emperor dared not approach him. Whenever he spoke, he could foretell others’ time of death with absolute precision.

His eyes witnessed generations of changes, saw the sea transform into mulberry fields, mountains change hands, countless hardships, witnessed endless struggles and conspiracies within the royal family, saw generation after generation of commoners’ growth and death. Over time, no one knew where he came from; they only knew that in the National Preceptor Pavilion dwelled an ageless and immortal demi-immortal.

Only he recalled, in his youth, his diligent study for fame, persecution by traitors, suffering punishment in prison, exiled to the frontier... He once knew an old woman named Chen Niang, her hands were skillful, sewing white clothes for him, but she died due to His Majesty’s punishment, because of his crime of pronouncing destiny... Thereafter, he learned to remain silent. He should have been no different from ordinary people, but because he excelled in astrology, altering his own destiny, severing the line of longevity, he gained immortality.

Generations of dynasties pass, generations of affairs transmit.

A hundred years later, no one remembered the young Ali, no one remembered the old woman named Chen Niang.

Only a State Preceptor atop the Astrolabe Tower in the National Preceptor Pavilion, his three thousand white hairs like snow. At a glance, he could see through a person’s secrets, and with a word, he could determine a person’s death.

Who would dare approach such a demi-immortal, who would dare linger in front of such a person?

No one dares.

Who has no dark secrets in their heart, who would be willing to be seen through at a glance? Even whenever an emperor sought him, they only dared to converse through a curtain, never meeting his eyes. For a hundred years, no one dared to have a casual chat with him, they wouldn’t even dare approach him closely.

In daylight, he drinks alone, at night, he stargazes alone. Under the peach blossom tree, the white-haired demi-immortal gazes up, the night sky dotted with stars, tangled into chaotic causal lines, the country changes, decades pass, which star might be Chen Niang’s eyes?

The candy hawker he met at thirty, the border soldier at fifty, the market-going woman at seventy, the prince’s child at ninety, the peasant girl at a hundred, at a hundred and twenty, a hundred and fifty...

Year after year flowers appear similar, each year the people differ.

Time slips away, no one can stay by his side long. His body seemingly condensed with millennia-old snow, even the ancient tree he often stood by has withered, having seen too much life and death, his chill repels others for miles.

No one will approach such dense frost and snow.

Yet...

"Are you the State Preceptor? I heard you know everything, can see destiny, adept in all talismans. Can you save this white fox?"

A young prince came running, out of breath.

At that time, he stood in the White Jade Pavilion, quietly standing. Because everyone feared seeing him, he would only stand in one place, gazing at the unchanging palace walls, until night descended. Time for him had become like an instant, even the long daylight was no different from a moment.

Someone broke through the frost and snow, approached him.

"... Are you not afraid of me?"

Through the frost and snow, he spoke slowly, having not spoken for a long time, his voice was already hoarse.

Even Princess Jing He showed fear, yet the young prince was unyielding, answering him:

"I have never done anything against my conscience in this life. Naturally, I am not afraid of you. If you wish to see my destiny and memories, you may. You can see the lines of destiny, even influence the fate of the nation, if this ability is used well, it would be a meritorious deed throughout the ages, I respect you, how could I fear you?"

In the White Jade Pavilion, the melting snow fell, like three thousand pear blossoms.

Hair merged with the snow, he suddenly turned around, only to see amidst the frost and snow, a pair of bright eyes.

Su Shaoqing.

The young prince’s temperament was the most perfect he had seen in generations, too perfect, too regrettable. At the first glance, he couldn’t help but see the young prince’s entire future—short and painful, without anything worth clinging to.

In dreams, people will eventually die, the kite of those who desire ideals will also fall, leaving only darkness, endless pain and bleeding.

For a hundred years, he had long known the truth that destiny cannot be changed. In earlier years, he had more than once tried to save people, to reverse the tragic destinies he had seen, but ultimately only created even more tragic outcomes. Destiny cannot be changed, he was merely an observer, not a changer. Those who could see through everything also understood they were the most powerless.

So, he looked at the young prince and said nothing.

Only reaching out, he healed the wounded white fox.

... Before your end comes, healing this insignificant wound of your white fox, was the last thing he could do.

Outside the peach blossom tree, it was still a peach blossom tree. Beyond the thick palace walls, were still palace walls. Outside of destiny, was still destiny. No one could escape, no one could leave.

The young prince stood dazed among the flying white petals, his nose filled only with the fragrance of peach blossoms.

The melting snow fell swiftly, in the White Jade Pavilion, there was no longer any figure of the white-haired man.

The young prince gradually grew up, yet always encountered the State Preceptor under the peach blossom tree. The State Preceptor, whom everyone avoided, whom everyone revered and feared, whom palace attendants almost never encountered, always appeared near him time and again.

Others sought him deliberately but found nothing. The young prince could just walk around and easily encounter him.

Thus, he continued to approach fearlessly, just like at the beginning, to chat. The State Preceptor always asked him if he feared, but he always answered that he did not fear.

Because knowing, brings no fear. Because there’s no intent to escape, there’s no fear. Because he’s prepared to face destiny, knowing how it will end, there’s no fear.

The State Preceptor always looked at him with an eye of faint sorrow, seeming to hesitate whether to save him, just needing to take him out of the Imperial City, and nothing would happen.

But in the end, he only heard the State Preceptor’s self-talk.

"This is already your best line of destiny..."

Among the countless destinies visible to the State Preceptor, there was no ending better than this. Even if he took the young prince out, when Xiao Jingsan controlled the court, sweeping cleanly afterward, the young prince would still voluntarily return. Destiny was like a lock around his neck, even if shattered, it would pulverize bone and tendons altogether.

Because he was just such a good person.

On the day he sensed was approaching, the young prince came to him for the last time.

"Yu Heng, I want a promise."

In the White Jade Pavilion, the white-haired person slowly turned his head.

"If the person who replaces me truly arrives, when he wants to escape, when he doesn’t want to take on my responsibilities, lead him away, far away. If he has any ideas of breaking away, try to agree with him."

The young prince’s eyes were crystal clear:

"He is not from our era, he shouldn’t have to fulfill my responsibilities just because he has possessed me. He is innocent, and I respect his wishes. Can you... promise me? Yu Heng."

The scent of peach blossom brew filled the air.

He focused intently on the young prince, who had already grown taller.

"...Alright."

He didn’t know why his voice was so hoarse.

Even though he had seen countless people and witnessed the rise and fall of dozens of dynasties, he couldn’t fathom why this boy in his teens could stir his heart so deeply.

They sat across the table from each other, drinking their last cup of wine.

The young prince seemed drunk, talking about kites outside the palace, the palace maid sisters, and the prosperous era. His alcohol tolerance had always been terrible, and he fell asleep. The State Preceptor slowly stood up and personally took him to the high tower.

Tonight’s night sky was dark, as he carried the boy’s body, walking step by step up the stairs, entering that pitch-black room, as if he personally sent the boy into hell.

"...You’re even more ruthless than I am." Xiao Jingsan, holding a chain, said with a smile that also held tears.

"..." The State Preceptor remained silent, saying nothing.

He walked out of the high tower, step by step down the stairs, the lingering scent of wine gradually staining his snow-white cheeks. He tilted his head to look at the sky, with no stars or moon tonight, he could no longer see Chen Niang’s eyes.

The evening breeze lifted his snow-white hair, blowing away the lingering peach blossoms atop his head.

He felt a strong pain, suddenly coming over him, as if it was going to tear apart his heart.

If there were other worlds outside this world, would there also be such a heartless Li Mingyue, waiting for a Savior, sending his closest ones to the guillotine himself?

He didn’t know.

He didn’t know why a boy’s dream of a prosperous era could move him so deeply, knowing full well it could never be realized.

He didn’t know why he was reluctant to drink the last cup of wine with the boy.

He didn’t know why he suddenly cried.

"..."

Strange, gloomy, long unseen, bewildering... tears. They left him feeling deeply perplexed and uncertain. Falling down at the very moment he stepped outside the door and faced the evening breeze.

"...Huh."

Thus, after a hundred years, the white-haired State Preceptor let out a low, confused sigh. Even he hadn’t expected himself to cry.

He should have refused the young prince if that person from another world threatened him with a promise, asking him to help him escape. The young prince’s sacrifice would be in vain. But... he still acted on his emotions.

He shouldn’t have been emotional.

Li Mingyue shouldn’t be emotional.

The Savior shouldn’t be emotional.

...

[Diamond Pattern: ["Yu Heng, do you remember the promise you once made to me?"]]

...

...

Su Ming’an turned around.

The moon-white curved blade dripped with blood as he stood silently beneath the palace walls, peach blossoms brushing past his cheeks.

Tonight, the stars were vast, floating light filling the sky.

Outside the palace walls came the faint sound of the watchman’s voice, the crisp sound of the gong, and that... low-flying butterfly kite.

Li Mingyue would not fulfill his promise, nor would Su Ming’an go to Penglai Fairy Island, and Bailian wouldn’t destroy the city. Thus, everything became silent. That kind of... long-lost, peaceful, and silencing silence.

"Yu Heng." Su Ming’an called out, but the white-haired person could no longer respond to him. His snow-white hair scattered among the splendid peach blossom carpet, as if the State Preceptor was just asleep.

...Yu Heng.

Next time, next time... it won’t be like this.

Around Su Ming’an, everything began to freeze.

...

[Chapter 1: Yu Heng’s Promise, Achieved]

[Evaluation: "The 26th Year of Kang Yu, the promise ended here."]

[Make Choices: 2 Options.]

[Completion: 81%]

[Total Dream Spirit Points Earned: 150 Points]

[Please make your choice.]

[Proceed to the next Chapter/end the dream tour, return to reality?]

...

"Return to reality."

Su Ming’an took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

It was still the familiar starting point—Su Wensheng’s home. Broken doors and windows, an old calendar, a backpack full of patches.

As he was about to remove his helmet, his heart suddenly skipped a beat, and his gaze shifted slightly—

By the bedside, stood a pure white figure.

Those cold, light eyes, almost right next to him.

"I’ve been waiting for you a long time, Su Ming’an."