Hou Pijing stood before the two elders of the Poison Curse Sect, grinning as he said, "Looking for me? Feng Biqing, you're getting more stiff and rigid with age, and as for you, Tong Kong, you're so fat you look like a balloon. You two have been chasing after me for nearly ten years now. If I were a woman, you might have caught me by now. But seeing as you're both so sincere, I'm getting tired of running. Let's be friends, shall we?"

The tall Feng Biqing looked surprised as he stammered, "You, you, you--!"

The short and chubby Tong Kong reacted more quickly, shouting, "Oh no, he's dissolved the Heartless Curse."

Feng Biqing's hands flew as he made various signs and shot out thin black threads from his fingertips. But Hou Pijing remained unmoved, and a look of shocked panic appeared on the faces of both elders.

If it weren't for the Heartless Curse controlling him, they would have been no match for him even if all the experts of the Poison Curse Sect were to join forces. "Hahaha! I've been avoiding you two for ten years now. You're really something! You've been chasing me around in circles. Impressive!" Hou Pijing extended his thumb and without warning, delivered two Yin-Yang slaps to each of them.

He stood there with his thumb still up, while the two others were paralyzed with fear. Suddenly, they both spat out several teeth.

Zhang Lei and his three companions hid in the trees and watched clandestinely. Only Zhang Lei could faintly see Hou Pijing's swift movements. The other three were perplexed, not understanding how he could stand still and still beat people up.

Feng Biqing and Tong Kong exchanged glances, both making a strange sign. Feng Biqing's sign opened up a canopy of black threads that swarmed toward Hou Pijing like living things from every direction. Tong Kong's sign turned into an eerie blue mist that floated into the black threads.

The "Endless Cursing Heart" was the most powerful attack curse of the Poison Curse Sect. Hou Pijing laughed, "This thing is useless in front of me. Haha! The Endless Cursing Heart can only bully children." He flicked his hand, and a huge hand as big as a tabletop, emitting a chill and flashing with white light, flew out from his wrist. The black threads were as flimsy as snowflakes, and in an instant, they disappeared into oblivion. Both elders spat out blood and sustained serious injuries.

Zheng Peng exclaimed, "That's the 'Cold Spirit Giant Palm.' Fantastic, I've learned it too." Zhao Hao chuckled, "To reach the level of our master, you have to practice for at least hundreds of years." Zheng Peng rolled his eyes and said, "You're ruining my confidence again." Feng Biqing shouted, "This old guy is too powerful. Let's get out of here!" The two of them then vanished into thin air.

Hou Pijing sneered, "You think you can escape? I haven't had the chance to get close to you yet." As soon as he finished speaking, they were heard crashing not far away. Tong Kong called out, "We surrender! You are a respected senior, how can we juniors compete with you?"

Translated by: @SerenadeSkyfall (Only for practice purposes)

Hou Pijing said with a smile: "I won't hold a grudge. I won't kill you two fools. I just want to get closer to you and repay your ten years of chasing after me!" Slowly walking towards them, to the surprise of Zhang Lei and the others, Hou Pijing actually punched and kicked them like thugs fighting on the street, hitting them hard and making them unable to fight back. After a short while, the two of them were lying on the ground like mud, and Hou Pijing didn't hesitate to search them and take a bunch of things, saying: "Tell your leader that I will come to him sooner or later. Tell him to be prepared and get the hell out of here!"

Zhang Lei and his four companions applauded and flattered Hou Pijing. Mei Jingjing, in particular, praised him for his bravery and courage. Hou Pijing shook his head, saying: "Don't flatter me. You are just a little bad girl. I know what's on your mind." The four of them laughed, and Hou Pijing said: "Hey, I've been doing evil in my past life to meet you little bad guys. Here, this is for you, and this is for the black guy."

Zhao Hao asked: "Master, what about mine?" Zhang Lei also joined in the fun and said: "What about me?" Hou Pijing was at a loss and shook his hands repeatedly, saying: "There's nothing left. These two guys only have this valuable thing, nothing else. If you ask for more, I might have to take even their pants." Mei Jingjing and Zheng Peng got 'storage belts', which were very practical things. Although they were not as good as Zhang Lei's bracelet, they could still store many items. Zhao Hao didn't get anything, but he wasn't upset. After all, he had been roaming the rivers and lakes for many years and knew that to have a master like Zhang Lei was already a blessing. If Zhang Lei hadn't been ignorant and foolish, who would have taken a seventy-year-old man as a disciple?

Hou Pijing asked: "Brothers, shall we go to the capital first?" "Great, let's go to the capital and have some fun!" Mei Jingjing cheered happily. She had been bored from practicing for these days. With Hou Pijing's teleportation, the five of them arrived in the capital easily. After entering the city, Zhao Hao said, "Master and senior brother, let's go to my house first and rest. I'll accompany you to tour the city tomorrow." Zhang Lei hesitated a little and asked, "What do you think, old brother?" Hou Pijing seemed a little strange and absent-minded, saying, "The changes are so big. Oh, okay, let's go to your disciple's house." Zhao Hao was surprised and asked, "Master, are you familiar with this place?" He sighed and said, "Yes, I haven't been here for over forty years. There used to be a Qingji Oil Mill here, but now it's a pawnshop." Zhang Lei also felt deeply moved and didn't know what his hometown would be like when he returned with power. The five of them came to Zhao Hao's house. Mei Jingjing exclaimed, "Wow, so you are a rich person. Is this the silver and gold jewelry store of Zhao Jibao that you opened?" Zhao Hao smiled and said, "Yes, later I'll have them bring out the best gold and silver jewelry for you to pick." Mei Jingjing happily said, "Really? But I don't have any money!" Zhang Lei laughed and said, "How dare he ask for Niu Niu's money."

As soon as Zhao Hao entered the Silver Tower, chaos ensued. The news of his disappearance had spread to the Silver Tower ever since they went missing from the Baiwei Restaurant in Panshi Town. Many of Zhao Hao's descendants rushed to the capital and sent out numerous skilled men to search for him along the way. But they had finally returned, and as soon as Zhao Hao arrived home, he assumed the position of the head of the household and arranged for everyone to occupy the best room. He poured out a sumptuous banquet in the living room and did his best to entertain them.

Hou Pijing laughed and said, "I envy this kid so much. With so many grandchildren running around, I am so miserable without a single relative by my side."

But Zhao Hao was a wise man and immediately said, "Master, my family is your family. Whenever you come to the Silver Tower, we will take good care of you."

A servant came in and reported, "Cheng Lao Ye (Old Master Cheng) wishes to see you."

As soon as Cheng Zizhong entered the door, he exclaimed, "Oh my, Lee Daren (Mr. Lee), you scared us to death. We waited in Panshi Town for two whole days. If you hadn't come, the master would have jumped into the river."

He thought to himself, "Thank heavens you didn't run away, otherwise the emperor would have beheaded me."

Seeing Hou Pijing sitting in the main seat, Cheng Zizhong was surprised and asked, "Who is this?" Zhang Lei introduced him saying, "He is my elder brother. Elder Brother, this is Cheng Zizhong, Master Cheng."

Cheng Zizhong immediately said, "Greetings, Old Master."

But Hou Pijing looked down on him and snorted, "Forget it."

Cheng Zizhong thought to himself, "What a high and mighty attitude. If it wasn't for Lee Daren's face, who would pay attention to this old man?" He wore an unhappy expression on his face.

Zhang Lei smiled and said, "Master, please sit down. Do I need to go see the emperor? When should I go?"

Cheng Zizhong said, "Yes, Lee Daren, it's best if you go tomorrow morning. I will accompany you to the palace."

Mei Jingjing was unhappy and said, "Brother, why go to the palace? Tomorrow, Niu Niu still wants to go shopping. If you go to the palace, how can we have fun?"

Zhao Hao interjected, "Niu Niu, don't worry. Tomorrow, I will accompany everyone. The capital has many interesting places. We can play slowly. The master will see the emperor and will come back soon."

"Okay, okay. After you see the emperor, come back soon. Niu Niu is waiting for you. Will Brother Hou join us tomorrow too? The little girl is afraid that it won't be lively enough without enough people."

Hou Pijing shook his head and said, "Tomorrow, this old man will accompany Brother Lei to the palace. You go play first."

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Cheng Zizhong was surprised and asked, "You haven't received an imperial edict, how can you enter the palace?"

Hou Pijing's eyes scanned Cheng Zizhong like a knife and he said, "This old man has never needed an edict to enter the palace. If it weren't for accompanying Brother Lei, this old man would not bother to go."

When his gaze swept over Cheng Zizhong, Cheng Zizhong's heart trembled. He couldn't get a grasp on what this vulgar and sharp-tongued person did for a living. He thought to himself, "Well, it's all right, there are guards at the palace gates. They will stop him." Cheng Zizhong was extremely smooth in his dealings with others and said with a smile, "Of course. Since the old gentleman wants to go, tomorrow the three of us will enter the palace together." The next morning, Zhang Lei and his two brothers reached the entrance of the palace on time. Cheng Zizhong handed the imperial edict to the guarding attendant who stood up and said, "Cheng Daren, Lee Daren, please come inside."

Hou Pijing followed behind and was stopped by several guards. They shouted, "No outsiders allowed inside, stop right there!" Cheng Zizhong secretly chuckled to himself, "Let's see how you handle this?" Hou Pijing sneered coldly, "You underestimate me." He shot out a small plaque from his hand. The guards who caught it all knelt down immediately upon seeing it. The Palace entrance became quiet for a moment. One guard turned and sprinted towards the Palace. The other guards who received the plaque respectfully bowed and held up the small plaque, then said in a tone of utmost respect, "Deputy Leader of the Level 2 Rank 4 Armed Guards, leading the guard to welcome the Holy Prince of Great Wisdom!" Cheng Zizhong was almost scared to death and also fell to his knees. Of course, he knew who the Holy Prince of Great Wisdom was, but he never would have guessed that it was the old man who came with him.

Hou Pijing was a standard royal member of the Song Dynasty, originally named Zhao Yue, and was given the name Hou Pijing by his master. When he was young, he even gave up the throne to become an immortal cultivator, allowing his younger brother to accede to the throne and become Emperor. Thus, he was named the first royal relative and bestowed the title of the Holy Prince of Great Wisdom. In order to better cultivate as an immortal, he followed his master to the Bada Star and only returned to his hometown after achieving enlightment to find that everything had changed over time. In consideration of the protection of his homeland, he had helped the Song Dynasty overcome difficulties several times, thus having an extremely high status in the Song Dynasty. However, he had not returned to the Palace for more than forty years.

After receiving the plaque, Hou Pijing said, "Please get up." He smiled and winked at Zhang Lei, transmitting his voice: "Brother, how do you feel?" Zhang Lei was also quite surprised. He didn't expect that he was actually a prince. He transmitted his voice back, "I hope you're not an impostor. It won't be fun if you get caught." Hou Pijing transmitted his voice again, "What's there to fake? I don't care about that."

A eunuch came out from the Palace, his voice loud and hoarse: "The Emperor has arrived!" Cheng Zizhong felt remorseful in his heart. He missed a chance to get close to the Emperor yesterday and felt like he underestimated him. He also secretly thanked himself for not offending him yesterday. The Emperor got off the imperial carriage with two eunuchs on either side to support him. He approached Hou Pijing with a smile on his face. As the Emperor walked by, the guards, eunuchs, and palace maids standing around all knelt down like grass in the wind. "Great Ancestor, you haven't changed a bit. It's been over forty years of separation, and I have been longing for you." The Emperor's tone was extremely affectionate. Cheng Zizhong knelt on the ground with the thought, "If it weren't for the support of the Prince forty years ago, the Emperor would not be on the throne. Of course, he's different from him backstage." Hou Pijing didn't have to kneel down. He was a figure of the ancestor generation of the Song Dynasty royal family. The Emperor bowed to him, and Zhang Lei, although he knew he should kneel before the Emperor, did not do so because he was not educated in this way. Therefore, he stood still like Hou Pijing.

Hou Pijing smiled and said, "Ha ha, seeing the emperor's flushed face makes me happy too. But if it weren't for me, this brother of yours, I wouldn't be able to return to the palace for a while." Everyone was shocked. After working in the palace for so many years, they had never heard anyone address the emperor as "this brother of yours". Cheng Zizhong recalled that Hou Pijing was quite polite to him yesterday. The emperor knew this old ancestor too well, and knew that he had always been like this. After taking a glance at Cheng Zizhong, he laughed and said, "I didn't expect that the young hero who displayed great power in Hanlin City would turn out to be the emperor's brother. Great!" He thought to himself, "No wonder he speaks like someone from the royal family. That explains it." This misunderstanding was difficult for Zhang Lei to explain. When Zhang Lei heard the emperor speak to him, he was in a dilemma. He wasn't very familiar with court etiquette, and after hesitating for a moment, he suddenly remembered a TV drama he had watched before and came up with an idea. He stepped forward and greeted the emperor, "Zhang Lei, a humble subject, pays his respects to Your Majesty!" Cheng Zizhong secretly lamented that he had planned to learn the etiquette at the Ministry of Rites before meeting with the emperor. He didn't expect the emperor to personally come to the palace gate to welcome them to meet with him. If the emperor were to blame him for violating court customs, he would have no way to defend himself. Hou Pijing laughed and said, "Your Majesty, this brother of mine doesn't know these rules, don't make things difficult for him." The emperor also laughed and said, "Okay, let's discuss matters further inside the palace. I would like to hear the opinions of my ancestor." Led by two eunuchs and palace maids, the emperor's carriage followed behind and arrived in the emperor's study in grandeur. Zhang Lei looked up at the plaque, which had three big characters "Ting Yu Xuan" in an excellent slim gold typeface with strong strokes. After being seated, Hou Pijing, who was the least patient with royal rituals, transmitted a message, "Your Majesty, do you want to invite my brother to join the 'Supreme Service Hall'? But let me tell you first, his sect is the Heavy Profound Sect, and Fu Chongbi is his senior brother. If you can welcome him into Gu-Song Nation, hehe, the relationship between our two nations-you should understand." The emperor couldn't transmit a message, but nodded slightly to show his agreement. While his face remained unchanged, his heart was full of excitement. The emperor's ancestor was indeed still concerned about the old country, and what did Fu Chongbi and Heavy Profound Sect represent? As an emperor, he was well aware of their significance. The position of Mount Fu in Han Nation was roughly equivalent to that of Hou Pijing in Gu-Song Nation. He was honored as the "Guardian God of the Nation". The emperor's ancestor specifically revealed these important pieces of information, which immediately sparked an idea in his mind. His tone became even more kind, and he said with a smile, "Li Aiqing, this time you saved countless people in Hanlin City and wounded the leader of the Black Flag Army, En Gang. You made such great contributions. I want to reward you well. Come on, decree to the Military Affairs Council, grant Zhang Lei the position of one-rank supply, the title of Tiger-Honoring General, and special permission to attend court without bowing." Zhang Lei was really about to pass out. He became an official for no apparent reason. Looking at Hou Pijing with some stuttering, he said, "This-this?" Hou Pijing was an old fox. He took advantage of Zhang Lei's confusion and said, "Brother, working in the Supreme Service Hall is very relaxed. Do whatever you want. You don't have to attend court and you have a salary. Where else can you find such a good job? Hurry up and accept the decree!" He secretly laughed in his heart.

Suddenly, Zhang Lei, feeling confused, blurted out, "Zhang Lei acknowledges your command, Your Majesty." The Emperor’s previously worried heart immediately relaxed as he beamed with pleasure, and said, "Granting General Hu Wei a yamen, a mansion, a thousand pieces of gold and ten bottles of imperial wine." Zhang Lei was so surprised that he couldn’t close his mouth. He had never seen anything like this before, let alone such a generous reward. Cheng Zizhong, who had been standing next to Zhang Lei with his head lowered, was also inexplicably shocked. As the "Patrol Inspector" of the former Song Empire, he was also considered one of the Emperor's confidants and had never seen the Emperor so generously reward anyone before. Hou Pijing chimed in, "My Wang Mansion has been empty for so many years, as I'm too lazy to go there. It's just a waste of space. I'd rather give it to my brother as his mansion." The Emperor was taken aback, and quickly replied, "No, Your Majesty, the Wang Mansion is extremely respected, how can I bestow it on someone else?" Hou Pijing eyed the Emperor threateningly and said, "If I say it can be done, it can be done. The house is for my brother, is that not the same as if I'm using it?" The Emperor had no choice but to agree, saying in frustration, "I'll listen to you then." Cheng Zizhong was frightened by Hou Pijing’s rude attitude and thought to himself, "Aren’t you supposed to be respectful to the Emperor? No wonder I couldn't figure out who you were when we met at the silver tower." Zhang Lei was also pondering. He thought that he didn't deserve such a reward for his minor contributions in Hanlin City. Moreover, could it be that the Emperor valued him as a cultivator to use him for war? It didn't seem right, considering the existence of powerful cultivators in the palace. He couldn't understand it. A eunuch then reported, "Your Majesty, an envoy from the Litang Kingdom is here to see you." The Emperor said, "Take him to Yihedian and summon the Grand Secretariat, Minister of War and Minister of Rites." The others were then asked to leave, but Hou Pijing detained Zhang Lei. The imperial study was left with only three people. The Emperor said, "Your Majesty, recently I've had a souring relationship with the Litang Kingdom and am likely to go to war with them. Fortunately you're here, putting my mind at ease, and I'd like your advice." Hou Pijing responded, "As you all know, the regulations in the cultivation world prohibit cultivators from participating in interplanetary wars. The specific approach should be decided by you. At best, I can only advise you, but I'm not prepared to be in the spotlight." The Emperor sighed and said, "Yes, I understand." There was an unwritten rule in the cultivation world that cultivators were not allowed to participate in wars between local empires, because the destructive power of cultivators was too terrifying. Such conflicts would only damage both sides' Life Source. If there were direct cultivator participation, it would result in punishment from the cultivation world. With a sigh, the Emperor said, "The envoy from the Litang Kingdom has arrived at the palace. If the negotiation fails this time, I'm afraid - sigh." Curiously, Zhang Lei asked, "What caused the dispute with the Litang Kingdom?" Hou Pijing’s eyes lit up with hidden meaning as he looked at the Emperor slyly and pointed to Zhang Lei with his hand. The Emperor was startled at first, but he was clever, and suddenly realized that Zhang Lei, with the background of the Dahan Empire of Fu Shan, was the perfect negotiating candidate. As long as he used the situation skillfully, he could play the role of a million-strong army. The Emperor was thrilled and laughed out loud. Zhang Lei was clueless, he had been bribed by Hou Pijing and was now smiling to himself.