Immortality Path: From the Blind Man at the Pharmacy-Chapter 358 - 197, 198. Searching the Body, Changing Dynasties, Father and Daughter, Song Cheng’s Plan (Subscription Request)_2

Chapter 358: 197, 198. Searching the Body, Changing Dynasties, Father and Daughter, Song Cheng’s Plan (Subscription Request)_2

For the common people, Song Cheng was already a deity.

But even deities experience sorrow.

He could destroy, but he could not redeem.

He could live eternally, but he could not share even a moment of his lifespan with the people he cherished the most.

...

...

Imperial Capital...

The entire family of King Song’s Mansion had completely moved into the Imperial Palace.

After Song An established unparalleled achievements and returned to the Imperial Capital, Zhao Hua transferred all responsibilities, and within less than two years, Song An had "thrice refused and thrice accepted," assuming the throne willingly ceded by the "Emperor of Dashang," and thus changed the dynasty to Song.

After becoming the Emperor, Song An initially governed with vigor, altering the existing model of "each sect managing its own territory" within the Martial Arts World to a centralized authority. However, after completing these reforms, he suddenly realized he was lost...

His achievements were vast, having expanded the territories of Dashang to the Empire of Ten Thousand Spirits.

His strength had reached the Qi Realm, and no matter how much he cultivated, his current life would stop at this point.

Holding immense power, he had become the founding Emperor, and had centralized authority.

As for the Longevity Medicine, he also knew the true nature of the "Immortality Peach" and understood that such a thing probably no longer existed in this world.

What more could he seek in this life?

Having suddenly lost direction, Song An realized there was still one thing he could do — indulge in pleasure!

Thus, Song An began to "favor the deceitful," "have three thousand beauties in his harem," "undertake massive palace constructions," and so on.

Madam Tong scolded him many times, and each time he obediently admitted his mistakes, but after Madame Tong went into seclusion, he quickly intensified his ways, and also swiftly killed those who dared to reveal his secrets.

However, regardless of his reckless behavior outside, he was exceptionally good to An Chenyu, Su Ningyu, and now Elder Princess Song Ting and Princess Song Mo.

At the same time, he was secretly searching for his father’s whereabouts.

But, he had long been accustomed to his father’s mysterious disappearances.

Having lived nearly forty years, he had understood: his father and he were not from the same world; his father was a supreme deity, he was the heavens, hence his title "Son of Heaven" was indeed fitting.

One day, Song An casually dealt with affairs, then leisurely sat in a goat-drawn cart.

The cart was unmanned, merely meandering through Imperial City on its own.

This was a new amusement Song An had thought of — wherever the goat cart stopped, he would alight, and the first beautiful young person he saw would be his favored companion for the night.

Having inherited Zhao Hua’s secretly trained Four Symbols Guard, personally cultivated several mysterious forces, and directly controlled the "Spirit Praying Guards" operating within the Empire of Ten Thousand Spirits, as well as being a former valiant warrior and the eldest son of the Song family... it could be said that in the entire Imperial Capital, very few could criticize him.

But now, who would dare to inform those few of Song An’s debauchery?

Clip-clop, clip-clop...

Baa-aa-aa-aa...

The goat, seemingly attracted by the winter-grown herbs, headed towards a particular spot.

Song An lay inside the luxurious, warm blankets of the carriage, drunkenly staring into the darkness, watching the light stream in through the fluttering curtains, absent-mindedly clutching a jug of wine, tilting his head back to gulp it down, listening to the bustle outside and the hurried sounds of people getting out of the way, vaguely hearing some discussions about "scriptures," including those from Xuanwu Taoist Temple and the current Filial Piety Scripture pushed by the dynasty... He thought "Filial Piety Scripture" quite appropriate, thus he used it.

For some reason, he suddenly remembered his current elder sister and third younger sister.

His elder sister was such a formidable person, but now...

His third sister had been foolish for over twenty years...

Life is so fragile, just as the marketplace proclaims — "Live for today, for tomorrow we’ll face new troubles; enjoy the moment, to not waste this life."

The current situation, solid as a rock.

As long as he, Song An, was alive, as long as Xuanwu Taoist Temple still stood, nothing could overturn it.

This was why Song An could indulge in pleasure with such peace of mind.

Baa-aa-aa-aa...

The goat cart slowed down further, seemingly finding today’s delights right here; Song An yawned, lifted the curtain, and glanced outside, his drunken eyes briefly scanning what seemed to be a scholar’s residence.

"This place will do."

...

...

"Cough...cough, cough..."

Loud coughing echoed through the desolate garden, accompanied by the urgent voices of maids calling for the "Elder Princess."

The woman appeared to age faster than normal.

Now barely forty, she already had many gray hairs.

Her body, cold as ever, couldn’t be warmed even by the dragon-heated floors of the Imperial Palace; holding a heater all day, she was still cold.

The cold from her early years worsened by midlife.

The woman now held a rabbit-shaped heater, sitting on a wicker chair covered with a wool blanket, in front of her, many maids holding ceremonial fans formed a fan wall to shield her from the winter chill.

"Cough..." The woman bowed her head, looking at the rabbit-shaped heater.

The heater was endearing, but she was no longer charming, suffering from the pain of her cold constitution.

She felt overwhelmingly sleepy, weakly gazing into the distance, no longer engaging in the sewing of small animals. It wasn’t because she was lazy or slothful, but rather tired, weary, and exhausted...

Today, even the slightest activity caused her entire body to suffer piercing pain, a pain that wasn’t in the flesh or bone, but came in unimaginable waves, a pain so severe it made one contemplate suicide.

She endured this pain, day after day, year after year.

Despite the numerous people who treated her and the many magical medicines she took, nothing helped; the situation only intensified.

Pale-faced, she looked into the distance, her body so thin as if a gust of wind could knock her over.

Her gaze drifted to the horizon, and she suddenly recalled that man.

Yet that thought was quickly replaced by fear.

In that man’s eyes, she had always been a beloved daughter.

But now, even when she looked into the mirror, she could no longer see any trace of cuteness.

A long sigh echoed in the harsh winter.

Though the sunshine fell, there were also flurries of light snow.

"It’s snowing," a maid said softly.

Another maid said, "Elder Princess, let’s go back inside."

The woman wrapped her thick coat around her and nodded.

She remembered how as a child she loved the snow, and how she and that man had built a snow rabbit together. To preserve the snow rabbit, that man had sewn a rabbit skin for her.

But now, with such a frail body, the mountains and rivers were of no concern to her anymore, thousands of ambiences, myriad sceneries, though existent, were no longer within her sight.

The woman turned around, yet plunged into a state of extreme astonishment as if she saw something, then became incredibly anxious.

"Quick, quick, quick! Hurry!" she urged, "I need to get on the bed.

The maids, never having seen the Elder Princess in such a state and not understanding the reason, hurried about their tasks.

Soon, the Elder Princess was hidden under the bedcovers.

But she was turned away from the door.

There was a noise outside the door.

A maid was asking, "Who are you and how did you enter the Imperial Palace?

Another maid was already about to shout "Assassin!"

But the voice of the Elder Princess interrupted them.

"Let him come in."

The maids, taken aback, scrutinized the unfamiliar young man, unclear which noble’s son he might be, yet... they had never heard of the Princess showing favor to any noble’s son.

The young man didn’t say much and stepped into the hall.

"Yuchen, you can leave too," the Elder Princess told her closest personal maid.

The maid hesitated, glanced strangely at the young man who entered, said nothing, bowed slightly, then withdrew.

"Close the door," the Elder Princess said again.

The maid called Yuchen looked even more puzzled but obediently closed the door and urged the other maids, who were recklessly trying to eavesdrop, to hurry to the outer courtyard.

Inside the hall, the young man seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, repeatedly murmuring, "Good, good."

At that moment, the Elder Princess’s eyes suddenly reddened, and she choked out, "Dad..."

Song Cheng said, "Why are you talking to dad with your back turned?"

The Elder Princess said, "It’s nothing, I just haven’t fully woken up yet."

She leaned against the window, tears streaming down.

She didn’t want her father to see her current aged state.

That way, she would no longer be Dad’s beloved daughter.

Song Cheng moved forward, sat by the bed, and after a moment, said, "Ting, dad might have a way."

"What is it?"

"In a while, dad plans to take you and Mo to the north."

"The north?"

"Yes, the north," Song Cheng conjectured from his notes on the Mountain God and his own understanding of the "Extinguished Country" that if... there were still an Extinguished Country, it would definitely be deep within the Barbarian Tribes, though there would certainly also be places inhabited by the Four Evil.

He couldn’t bear to watch Ting grow old and die, so... he had been thinking of a way: he planned to find a weaker "Extinguished Country," forcibly attempt Possession, and then give it to Ting and Mo.

Although he didn’t know if this method would work, it was the only way to save his daughter.

However, this process was likely to be extremely lengthy, even decades might be considered quick.

So, he had to take Ting and Mo together.

Before that, he still needed to find some guides among the Barbarian Tribes.

...

...

Note: The word count is indeed lower today... I will try to compensate tomorrow.