Eternal Life: I Can Control My Essence Qi-Chapter 211 - 172: Missed

Inside the Chongxian Pavilion.

Blue smoke wafted from the bronze stove, and the figure of a young Daoist was vividly depicted on paper.

Zhao Hechu, Emperor of Da Liang, knelt on the prayer mat, sincerely praying and muttering.

"I hope the Immortal Master will bless Da Liang with favorable weather and a peaceful nation..."

The encounter with the immortal on the lake in his youth changed the course of his life.

Since he conquered the land and secured the throne, he has often come here to pray, seeking peace of mind.

Reaching this stage in life, neither his martial arts nor his power and status can bring comfort; only before this portrait of the Immortal Family does he find solace and spiritual reliance.

"This young man hasn't forgotten his roots..."

A few steps away, Zhang Yao stood with his hands behind his back, maintaining the Invisibility Skill, silently observing this scene.

"The ways of heaven are inscrutable, and the world is full of wonders..."

He couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy.

Now that Da Liang rules the Nineteen Provinces, Zhao Hechu has become the ruler of the world and has named the Qingping Sect as the state religion, overseeing the Daoist Sect worldwide.

Who would have thought that the Qingping Palace could become the state religion? And that his martial arts teacher's descendant could become the founding emperor of a dynasty?

"Living long has its advantages, to see the mountains and rivers while witnessing the passage of time and the vicissitudes of life..."

In Zhang Yao's heart, a sense of enlightenment and insight about the realm of longevity arose again.

"Let's go."

After some quiet reflection, seeing Zhao Hechu still praying, he turned and left the Chongxian Pavilion.

The mortal and the immortal are different; their fate was limited to that chance encounter and faded years. Zhang Yao did not intend to reveal himself again, lest he adds unnecessary trouble.

He traversed the Imperial Palace:

Thanks to his vast Divine Thought, he covered half of the Imperial City, and after surveying the sky several times, he locked onto what he was seeking.

Moments later, Zhang Yao arrived at a large hall deep within the Imperial City. This was under the jurisdiction of the Storage Bureau, mainly housing some old and unused manuscripts.

"Rustle..."

The hall was empty, with only a few little eunuchs listlessly cleaning.

Zhang Yao approached a bookshelf and pulled out a volume titled "Da Lu Celestial Jade Disc Examination Volume (Copy)."

This book was one of the replica family trees of the Yuwen Family of the former Lu Kingdom's imperial family, and it was the very first edition, several hundred years old, remarkably well-preserved despite wars. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"Found it!"

Zhang Yao's expression hardened as he found the critical record after turning just a few pages.

The founding emperor of the former Lu Kingdom, Yu Wenze, married Empress Liu Yue, remained childless for thirty years, and only in later years did they have two sons and a daughter. The eldest son was named Yuwen Guang, and the second son was named Yuwen Hong.

Yuwen Hong had three sons, the youngest being Yu Wen Tai!

"Huang Sun Tai, born in the Ninth Year of Tianhe, an unusual birth; his mother, Princess Qi, dreamt of a rainbow embracing her, conceived, spoke at one year, and could read and write at two, by three..."

This "Da Lu Celestial Jade Disc Examination Volume" records the royal family details very thoroughly for the earlier generations.

What is surprising is:

The record concerning Yu Wen Tai, who exhibited unique phenomena and was dearly loved by his imperial grandfather Yu Wenze and father King Qi Yuwen Hong, came to an abrupt halt when he was six years old.

Afterward, it neither stated whether he died young nor documented his growth; it was glossed over with a vague sentence.

"It seems this Yu Wen Tai is very likely today's Celestial Treasure Tower Master..."

Unknowingly, Zhang Yao clenched the book tightly, his heart turbulent.

A dignified imperial grandson suddenly vanished from official records at six years old; probably he was discovered to have a Spirit Root talent and taken by the Liu Family's cultivator to Wuyin Island.

Moreover:

Yu Wen Tai's Spirit Root talent must have been outstanding, leading the Liu Family's then-rulers to place their hopes on him, sparing no effort in allocating their store of Spirit Stones for his cultivation, fearing any delay.

Having confirmed his origin, two previously unresolved doubts became more apparent to Zhang Yao:

"Yu Wen Tai was nurtured by the Liu Family, but why has he never returned after leaving Lu Kingdom, completely ignoring the Liu Family?"

"And, did the Liu Family keep the Earth Vein Spirit Bead's location secret from him? Otherwise, his behavior is unexplainable..."

After thoughtful consideration, Zhang Yao had a hypothesis in mind.

The Earth Vein Spirit Bead's existence is the Liu Family's greatest secret, likely passed down through generations. Even after the Yuwen Family occupied Wuyin Island, only the Island Master Yu Wenhua knew and controlled the Earth Vein Spirit Bead.

Back then, the Liu Family hadn't declined, and Wuyin Island was still Liu's.

The Liu Family's Patriarch might not have shared this secret with an outsider like Yu Wenze, despite close kinship ties—there was always a distance.

"This hypothesis explains the second issue but fails to clarify the first."

"After leaving Lu Kingdom, Yu Wen Tai never acknowledged the Liu Family or looked back. Could he truly be so heartless and ungrateful?"

Zhang Yao felt puzzled at this point.

If Yu Wen Tai were heartless, it wouldn't be unlikely, but how could such a self-serving individual be sincerely devoted to Li Shuixian?

Judging by his treatment of Li Shuixian, he seems to regard her as an heir, pushing her forward without hesitation.