Xu Qing returned to the Court triumphantly, and the Capital Yingtian Prefecture was full of jubilation. This time, he made remarkable achievements in battle, and the Central Court had already discussed and decided to confer upon him the title of Prince’s Guardian.
Although this title of Prince’s Guardian is merely honorary and doesn’t have any substantial impact on the actual court layout, it holds a special significance in officialdom.
For those with a keen mind, the deep meaning behind it is significant.
Historically, there were two illustrious figures who once held the position of Prince’s Guardian. They both rendered unparalleled service to the nation but eventually died wronged. This undoubtedly casts a shadow over Xu Qing’s conferment, causing people to secretly speculate about future events. Follow current novᴇls on NovєlFіre.net
Moreover, this position of Prince’s Guardian is intimately connected to Prince Yu. As the de facto Crown Prince, the conflict between him and Xu Qing is no longer a secret.
On the other hand, the accumulation of military exploits makes Xu Qing’s power increasingly stable and his position as solid as a rock. His mansion is located on Wuyi Lane in Yingtian Prefecture, once a residential area for powerful ministers of the Southern Dynasty, where the likes of Duke Wei and other powerful figures resided.
Ever since the Xu Mansion settled here, Wuyi Lane has become even more prosperous and lively, with many of the Court’s senior officials who followed the Emperor southward purchasing properties here. Nowadays, the land here is worth its weight in gold, often in demand even at high prices.
But for Xu Qing, his true home is not this luxurious mansion, but where there is the Old Wutong Tree, and his wife and children.
Fortunately, the Old Wutong Tree has now been incorporated into his Inner Heaven and Earth, and his wife and children are all gathered in Yingtian Prefecture, so the family is ultimately not separated.
"Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance?" Feng Wu was slightly taken aback when she heard her husband mention this novel term.
She knew her husband too well; he could always come up with seemingly whimsical ideas, but upon careful consideration, one finds them profoundly meaningful.
Feng Wu quickly embraced the concept and curiously inquired about the reason. Xu Qing had no secrets from his wife and was candid with her. Since he had already proposed the concept of the Immortal Dynasty, the corresponding concept of the Cultivation World should naturally come into being.
Xu Qing understood that, ultimately, it was to find something meaningful for those nobles and powerful figures who were reaping enormous profits. Rather than letting them indulge in debauchery, it was better to guide them onto the righteous path of cultivation.
Since ancient times, the pursuit of longevity has been a timeless topic for the world, especially for those high-ranking "masters". Looking back at ancient myths and historical records of immortals, it’s not hard to see that most of those who achieved immortality came from the landlord class, with quite a few being influential in-laws.
Xu Qing’s creation of the concept of the "Cultivation World" was not based on imagination, but precisely catered to the greatest desires of those who controlled most of the social resources today.
The Buddhist faith speaks of reincarnation, using promises of fortune in the next life to deceive the populace. But Xu Qing took a different approach, advocating a cultivation path that emphasized cultivating this life and pursuing transcendence in the present.
Cultivation is an extremely resource-consuming endeavor, thus encouraging those nobles and powerful figures to circulate the resources in their possession.
In this way, those noble families that can keep up with the times have a chance to transform into Immortal Cultivation Families; those who can’t keep up with the times will just be swept away by its tide, with their class continuously declining.
Of course, regardless of whether Xu Qing implements these measures, during the historical process of dynastic change, most families will face class changes. Survival of the fittest is the inevitable law of Heavenly Dao, and Xu Qing even secretly believes that the Human Dao is also a part of the Heavenly Dao.
In Xu Qing’s vision, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance would provide various cultivation resources for cultivators, but acquiring these resources will not be easy. The nobles and powerful figures must either spend heavily to buy them or complete special tasks set by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. Many details still need to be gradually refined in the future.
"Does my husband plan to use the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance to either counterbalance or cooperate with the Demon Hunting Bureau?" Feng Wu, with her keen mind, perceptively sensed the deeper intentions of Xu Qing.
The Demon Hunting Bureau, a newly established special Government Office, operates in great secrecy, but for those in power, it can’t be hidden. Some prominent figures even speculate that the bureau’s responsibilities might not be limited to protecting the people, but could also be related to the Emperor’s alchemical elixirs.
After all, Demons, though harmful, are products of concentrated essence from heaven and earth and undoubtedly excellent materials for refining elixirs.
Throughout history, there have been countless stories of powerful immortals slaying demons. Lucky Demons might become the immortal’s mount, but immortals don’t need too many mounts. More often, powerful Demons would be sealed, and weaker ones would most likely become raw materials for refining elixirs.
Moreover, the power of sealed Demons would gradually weaken within the seal, ultimately unable to escape being used in alchemy. Why else would the place where Demons were sealed on Dragon Tiger Mountain be the Alchemy Well left by Heavenly Master Zhang?
In Ancient Times, Demon Beasts were numerous, while the Human Race was relatively weak. Some records suggest that the ancient people often lived long and were of large stature, possibly due to consuming the flesh and blood of Demon Beasts. Meanwhile, weaker humans could barely survive in such an environment.
In fact, formal historical records indicate that during the Pre-Qin period, wild beasts were abundant, and with a sparse population, eating meat was easier than today. Of course, wild game mostly couldn’t compare to the flavors of domesticated livestock, so seasonings and spices were especially important.