Xu Lei’s eyes welled up, but no tears fell.

Because many of Zhao Xiaocha’s family members were still behind him.

「In the blink of an eye, another three years passed.」

Xu Lei was sixty-six years old.

But he wasn’t dead yet!

And he was still quite agile.

It was hard to say if it was the effect of his unceasing daily Cultivation after obtaining the Dao Seed—which worked despite the energy he expended on women—or if Xu Lei simply had a long natural lifespan to begin with.

Neither Daoist nor Buddhist Cultivation had any definite rules stating that reaching a certain Realm would guarantee a specific lifespan.

There was only a rough, general range.

Practicing a Longevity Technique merely slowed the body’s aging process.

Of course, if one’s natural lifespan was already long, they would certainly live even longer.

On this day, Xu Lei came down the mountain to treat himself to some meat.

Even at sixty-six, he hadn’t lost any teeth.

Although Hui Ming and the other monks abstained from wine, meat, and women, Xu Lei couldn’t care less about such things.

If it affected his Cultivation, so be it.

In any case, he still ate meat from time to time.

Xu Lei figured that at his age, he would probably die in a few years anyway.

After eating and drinking his fill, Xu Lei, dressed in plain clothes and a hat, was preparing to return to Anchan Temple.

Suddenly, he saw a large crowd gathered at the market entrance on the street.

He went over to take a look and discovered they were beheading a corrupt official.

This was because Shang Yin despised corrupt officials.

Thus, in the years since taking the throne, his methods for dealing with them had been extremely harsh.

For serious offenders, the punishment was direct execution.

It was reminiscent of Zhu Yuanzhang from ancient history on Earth.

Xu Lei merely watched for a moment without interfering.

It was understandable why Shang Yin was like this.

Like Zhu Yuanzhang from Earth’s history, Shang Yin had also been persecuted by those in power in his early years.

So after winning the empire, he naturally harbored an extreme hatred for corrupt officials.

Being an official in an era like this could be considered a high-risk profession.

’I hope those descendants of mine who became officials are a bit more honest. I’d rather they not get beheaded by Shang Yin,’ Xu Lei thought to himself.

「In the blink of an eye, another three years passed.」

Xu Lei was sixty-nine years old!

But he still wasn’t dead!

On this day, Zhang Xiaomai came running to find Xu Lei.

"Sir, this is terrible! Our son-in-law has been arrested!"

She said, "Could you please plead with His Majesty? Ask him to spare our son-in-law?!"

It turned out their son-in-law had been corrupt.

He had been investigated and exposed by the supervisory department Shang Yin had established.

"Amitabha Buddha."

Xu Lei replied, "The laws of the Dynasty punish corruption and eliminate evil. This is the righteous path. What face would this monk have to plead with His Majesty?"

Let alone a son-in-law, Xu Lei wouldn’t have spoken up even if it were a son or grandson.

After all, he had many descendants!

The death of a few of them was of little consequence to him.

Although Shang Yin greatly respected Xu Lei, he had been oppressed by the powerful as a child and hated corrupt officials more than anything.

Furthermore, this was one of his most important strategies for governing the country.

For Xu Lei to meddle in this? It was clearly inappropriate.

"Sigh."

Zhang Xiaomai sighed. "Actually, I knew you would be unwilling, Sir. I only came to try because our daughter begged me with tears in her eyes!"

"Amitabha Buddha."

Xu Lei said, "Benefactor Xiaoai, children and grandchildren have their own fortunes to make. One’s destiny is their own."

"Yes, yes."

Zhang Xiaomai then said, "Sir, are you still willing to offer Charitable Giving to Xiaoai?

Please, offer Charitable Giving to Xiaoai one more time.

If we can’t save our son-in-law, I’m worried our daughter might do something foolish.

In the future, I want to go and stay with her.

Besides, I’m old now, and my beauty has faded.

I won’t be able to come and serve you as often in the future.

Please don’t take offense."

"Amitabha Buddha."

Xu Lei said, "Living your own life well is what’s most important.

As for Charitable Giving, this monk will do his best.

Once or twice more is certainly not a problem."

Afterward.

Xu Lei embraced Zhang Xiaomai, who, at forty, still possessed a mature charm.

「In the blink of an eye, another three years passed.」

Xu Lei was seventy-two years old.

But he still wasn’t dead!

"Divine Monk, are you still... capable?"

On this day, Shang Rou came to find Xu Lei. She said, "My brother said he wants me to go to the Capital City.

He’s getting old now, but I’ve been living in Anqing all these years.

He hopes I can go there and spend a few years with him.

Otherwise, he’s afraid one of us might die, and we’ll never see each other one last time.

Before I leave, Divine Monk, if you still have the energy, please offer Charitable Giving to Xiaorou one more time."

Shang Rou was getting on in years, after all.

Her craving for physical Charitable Giving had diminished.

Moreover, although Xu Lei was sustained by the Dao Seed, his energy was still gradually declining year by year.

Therefore, she no longer had a compelling reason to stay in Anqing.

"Amitabha Buddha."

Xu Lei embraced Shang Rou, whose figure had grown a bit fuller over the years. "It is not right for a brother and sister to be separated for so long.

It is right for you to go. I wish you a safe journey, Benefactor."

Even though he was seventy-two, thanks to his years of Cultivation, Xu Lei was still able to provide Charitable Giving.

It was just that after a night of it, he now needed five or six days to recover.

When they were finished.

Xu Lei was holding Shang Rou, resting.

"Divine Monk, something happened to our sister Xiaoai!"

Unexpectedly, Shang Rou suddenly said to Xu Lei, "There was an earthquake... She was unfortunately killed!"

"What?"

Xu Lei was stunned. "When did this happen?"

"Just a few days ago!"

Shang Rou sighed. "I just received the news myself.

This is what made me feel how transient life is.

That’s why I accepted my brother’s invitation.

I’m afraid that one day, something might happen to him or me, and we truly won’t even get to see each other one last time."

Xu Lei fell silent.

He remembered the first time he met Zhang Xiaomai.

She was a beautiful, lovely, fifteen-year-old girl with fair and tender skin.

Kneeling on the street, saying she wanted to sell herself to pay for her father’s burial.

Xu Lei had casually bought her.

And so their lives had been intertwined for decades.

Now, she was gone, just like that.

Still, she had lived quite well these past few decades.

She had both a son and a daughter and had lived a life of luxury.

Fearing she would be lonely in her chambers over the years, Xu Lei had often bestowed his grace.

He had only stopped when she said she was going to stay with her daughter.

All things considered, Xu Lei hadn’t treated her unfairly.

It was just that another old acquaintance had passed away, and Xu Lei couldn’t help but feel a pang of melancholy.

Later, Xu Lei also went down the mountain and visited the memorial hall the Wei Family had set up for Zhang Xiaomai at night.

"Xiaoai, here is your deed of sale. I’m returning it to you."

Xu Lei took out the old deed of sale and burned it in the memorial hall. He smiled. "You’re free."

However!

What Xu Lei didn’t expect was that just two months later...

Shang Rou also passed away.

It was said that in the Capital City, remnants of the previous Dynasty had attempted to assassinate the current emperor, Shang Yin.

Shang Rou had shielded her brother with her own body, taking the blade for him and dying on the spot.

It was a bit like what had happened to Yu Fengying.

Only, Yu Fengying had taken an arrow for her husband, while Shang Rou had taken a blade for her brother.

Shang Yin, overcome with a mixture of rage and grief, wailed on the spot.

He regretted ever asking his sister to come to the Capital City.

When Xu Lei heard this news, his eyes welled up as well.

He felt regret too. If he had known, he would have stopped Shang Rou from going to the Capital City.

But then again, stopping her didn’t feel right either.

After all, as the emperor, Shang Yin had to live in the palace.

He couldn’t travel to Anqing often.

So Shang Rou had to be the one to go to the Capital City.

You couldn’t just keep the siblings from ever meeting.

"Perhaps... this was her wish fulfilled," Xu Lei later murmured to himself. "At least they, brother and sister, got to see each other one last time."

Shang Rou had also lived a very good life.

She became the official wife of the Wei Family, respected by all sorts of people.

In the household, even Wei Qingning respected her.

She had both a son and a daughter.

Her life in her chambers was not a lonely one, as Xu Lei’s Charitable Giving had been ceaseless for many years.

In the end, because her brother became the Founding Emperor, Shang Rou’s status became one of great honor and prestige!

She lived much better than most ordinary women in this world.

There wasn’t much to regret.

Of course, when he remembered the image of the young girl he first met in the Wei Family estate, Xu Lei still felt a touch of sadness.

After all, Zhang Xiaomai’s funeral had been just two months ago.

He never expected Shang Rou to follow so soon after.

Xu Lei had originally thought he would be the one to die before them.

After all, Xu Lei was older than them!

But he never imagined they would be the ones to go before him!

All one could say was that fate is transient, and life is unpredictable.

「In the blink of an eye, yet another three years passed.」

Xu Lei was seventy-five years old.

He still wasn’t dead.

One day, a stooped, white-haired old woman, leaning on a cane and supported by a young man, arrived at Anchan Temple asking to see Xu Lei.

"Ahem, ahem."

After coughing twice, she said to the young monk at the reception, "Young Master, please be so kind as to announce that Liu Hu, old servant of Duke Wei, Wei Qingning, requests an audience with Divine Monk Wu Tan!"

A few minutes later, Xu Lei walked over. He stared in astonishment at the old woman before him, who had a full head of white hair, a stooped and frail body, and had lost nearly all her teeth.

That’s right, this was Aunt Hu.

It was just that she had likely grown old and sick.

Her body had become increasingly stooped and emaciated.

She no longer had the brawny, robust build of her youth.

"Amitabha Buddha."

Xu Lei began to say, "Benefactor..."

"Divine Monk!"

But Aunt Hu’s eyes were already filled with tears. She choked out, "The Duke... she... has passed away!"