Zhao Shen was startled, then his eyes brightened. He released his grandfather’s arm and quickly greeted him enthusiastically, saying: "So it’s Mr. Guo, I am Zhao Shen from Ru Nan, my courtesy name is Shen."

He looked at Guo Pu with admiration and earnestly invited him inside. Halfway through, he remembered he had two elders with him, and with a smile, he turned back to assist Zhao Song and called out to Zhao Hu, "Seventh Ancestor, didn’t you say there are several sheep raised in the estate? Why not slaughter them now to entertain our esteemed guest?"

Zhao Hu: ...

Zhao Song glared at Zhao Shen and quietly asked, "Where did you get a courtesy name?"

Zhao Shen whispered, "I chose it myself, Father knows too. Grandfather, the guest is here, we can talk about this later."

Zhao Song was infuriated, feeling his illness worsened slightly, but he was a prideful person. With so many outsiders present, he could only suppress his anger for now, pushing away Zhao Shen’s hand and entering on his own.

Zhao Song rarely got angry at this grandson due to Zhao Shen choosing his own courtesy name.

Zhao Hu’s courtyard was soon crowded with people. Glancing at their tattered clothes piled on them and their disheveled hair, he exhaled and waved, "Distribute them among the rooms."

Out of sight, out of mind, and it’s a good way to avoid the cold winds; the difference in comfort inside and outside is significant.

As their leader, Kuai Yi naturally busied himself settling them.

Zhao Hu provided them with some food, and Kuai Yi naturally didn’t wish to bother the cooks in the courtyard. Clearly, there weren’t many people in the courtyard, and the guards who arrived with the Zhao Family were all buzzing around Zhao Song. He had to lead people to start a fire and cook porridge himself.

He was too busy to attend to Guo Pu, but Guo Pu didn’t need his attention anyway.

Zhao Shen enthusiastically hosted Guo Pu, sitting down and immediately ordering hot soup and snacks from the kitchen.

Apparently, Guo Pu had caught a chill during the journey, and a bowl of mutton soup with ginger warmed him up. Warmth rose in his stomach, slowly spreading to his limbs. His nape started to sweat slightly, and his palms and soles gradually warmed up.

Only then did Guo Pu feel alive again.

Because of this wonderful experience, and seeing Zhao Song and Zhao Hu sitting opposite him as quietly accepting individuals, unlike the fervent fanatic (Zhao Shen) or the flattering suitors asking for fortune telling, he was willing to share a bit more.

He scrutinized Zhao Hu and then Zhao Song, growing more suspicious as he looked. His smile faded slowly, remembering the celestial phenomenon he saw in the dark a few days ago, he couldn’t help but turn to Zhao Shen and ask, "Are there any big news in Luoyang these three days?"

"Big news?" Zhao Shen asked, "Zhao and Fu families’ marriage alliance? But this was set four years ago, hardly big news, right?"

Guo Pu: "It’s national affairs."

Zhao Shen laughed, "Isn’t that considered national? But aside from that, Cheng Country has pledged allegiance and officially exchanged national documents?"

Guo Pu was slightly surprised; he’d been on the run, unaware that after Zhao Hanzhang defeated the Xiongnu and Shi Le, she also brought the Shu region under control.

Thinking of King Langya in Jiangnan, Guo Pu couldn’t help but laugh heartily, louder and louder, to the point tears almost streamed down!

Zhao Song and his grandson stared at him, puzzled.

Guo Pu extended a finger to wipe away his tears and said to the three, "Congratulations, your Zhao Family will bring forth a Human Emperor."

Zhao Shen’s mouth gaped open, Zhao Song was startled, dropping the bowl in his hand, letting it roll twice on the table before falling on the spread, the bowl, was completely unharmed.

Zhao Hu was overjoyed, initially turning to share this joy with Zhao Song but seeing his pale face, he turned eagerly to Guo Pu, asking, "Is it true?"

Guo Pu ignored Zhao Hu and instead addressed the bloodless-faced Zhao Song, "Mr. Zhao, why are you only able to see a shrine but not the myriad beings on this vast land?"

Guo Pu got up and moved to the door, waving his sleeve, pointing at the distressed people busy in the courtyard, "Their lives, the peace of this world, and the life and death, honor and shame of your Zhao Family’s thousands of members, are they not as significant as your loyalty and righteousness?"

Zhao Song’s lips trembled slightly, his face gradually turned ashen, "You, you..."

Guo Pu smiled faintly, looking back at him, "Before I fled Jiangnan, King Langya sent people to arrest me and asked me whether his grand plan would succeed."

"Mr. Zhao, you and I both know what the return of this world to the hands of the Jin Dynasty means, and what it signifies in Zhao Hanzhang’s hands," Guo Pu raised his chin towards the door, "The vitality Zhao Hanzhang grants them will deteriorate gradually when the dynasty falls back into the hands of the Jin Dynasty, even if she saved this world, improved it somewhat; without moving, it still rots, maybe just a bit slower, buying a few more years of life."

"The underworld not only houses your Zhao Family ancestors but also the countless people wrongfully killed; when that time comes, regardless of whether you, Mr. Zhao, are true to your Zhao Family ancestors, can you answer to these countless people?!"

This stern questioning made him feel as if sitting in a bell drum, causing his heart to pound violently. He imagined the situation, his chest ached, and with a loud cry, he spat out a large mouthful of black blood.

This shocked Zhao Hu, "You, you’ve angered my Fifth Brother to death!"

Though Zhao Shen was solemn, his eyes involuntarily bore a glint of expectation, rushing forward to support Zhao Song, gently patting his back. Then he held his wrist to feel his pulse, exhaled with relief after a moment, and said to Zhao Hu, who was frantically calling for a doctor, "Seventh Ancestor, Grandfather is actually improving."

"You’ve chased after immortals so much you’ve gone mad, spitting such a mouthful of blood..." He glanced down at Zhao Song’s complexion, seeing it turn from blue-gray to normal, even better than when leaving the city. Most importantly, his perpetually furrowed brows had relaxed, he was stunned, "He’s really improving?"

Zhao Shen beamed with joy, "The divination I made before leaving home was indeed accurate, this trip is truly auspicious."

Not only did he meet his idol, he even cured his grandfather’s mental ailment.

Despite this, Zhao Hu still summoned a doctor, carrying him along, given Zhao Song was ill. Without a doctor, how could he dare bring him out of the city?

The doctor felt Zhao Song’s pulse and found it good, believing that the emotional stagnation had dissolved, he too rejoiced, "I’ll prescribe a formula for Fifth Grandfather, two days of treatment will suffice, if he doesn’t wish to consume medicine, he can have soup made from poria and angelica, meat soup is good too."

After writing the prescription, he curiously asked, "Could you let me know how Grandfather managed to spit out such coagulated blood?"

He believed it crucial to learn this method, hoping to apply it next time he encountered similar ailments.

Zhao Song and Zhao Shen were momentarily at a loss for words, just about to search for an excuse to dismiss him, when Zhao Hu said, "It’s out of anger, just scold them, whatever ruthless scolding, spit them with blood and they’ll be fine."

Doctor: ... though he understood, he dared not, fearing being beaten by the patient’s family.

If done improperly, failing to calm them instead leading them to their demise, what then?

The doctor immediately rose, bowed and said, "Little one will go fetch medicine to decoct it."

He decided to leave this method for now. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Seeing Zhao Song’s improvement and with no outsiders left inside, Zhao Hu’s heart was restless as if claws were scratching him, he sidled up to Guo Pu, asking, "Mr. Guo, you mentioned our Zhao Family will produce a Human Emperor, is this true?"

When mentioning "Human Emperor," Zhao Hu tried to lower his voice but Zhao Shen and Zhao Song both heard it, lifting their heads expectantly.

Guo Pu looked indifferent, "I never lie."