Chapter 501: Things You Still Need to Accomplish
Many times, memories come flooding back gradually.
Take Li Shanyan for instance.
Since he died and entered the underworld, he spent each day joyfully drinking tea and playing chess with old friends, admiring beautiful scenery. Life was good.
But when Young Master Sang’s grinning face appeared behind him, accompanied by a crack in the air…
On that day, Li Shanyan recalled the terror that this little brat once wielded over him.
Especially when he grinned widely, resembling a demon stepping out of an abyss, chuckling as he approached:
“Old geezer, thought you could relax just because you’re dead, huh?”
“Ha ha, let me tell you something.”
“My life motto, as Sang Zhe, is to repay even the smallest kindness with a torrent of gratitude.”
“I mean it: if I do someone a favor, they must repay me with everything they have.”
“N-no…” Li Shanyan shivered, instinctively taking two steps back.
However, Sang Zhe closed in, his gaze predatory as he stood before him:
“Don’t want to be the Grand Master of the Holy Kingdom anymore? Not interested in serving a fool? Just gonna ditch the whole Holy Kingdom and run away? Don’t care about divine or demonic matters?”
“Dream on!”
“I helped you quell the rebellion in the Holy Kingdom, stabilized the empress’s rule, and dealt with the meddling demon clan.”
“Now, it’s time for you to pay your debts.” His smile carried a terrifying chill that made Li Shanyan’s skin crawl.
“What do you want?!”
Li Shanyan stumbled back to the ground, his face pale with fear.
“What do I want?”
Sang Zhe flashed a friendly smile: “Do you have any idea how much it cost me to resurrect you?”
“I spent fifty billion spirit stones! And countless rare treasures!”
“Now that debt is all yours!”
The moment he heard the figure of fifty billion, Li Shanyan’s face turned ashen, and he desperately turned to run: “You’re crazy! I don’t believe you’d waste that much on me, you jerk!”
“You just want to make me your eternal servant!”
“Ha. Not happening.” Sang Zhe grinned maliciously and yanked Li Shanyan by the collar.
“I’ve prepared a special body just for you.”
“It won’t tire out, won’t need to eat or drink, won’t feel sleepy, and can work non-stop for twelve hours a day.”
“It’s inscribed with countless formations; if you don’t work for a day, you’ll feel restless and miserable, but working will give you pleasure, making you view work like your first love.”
“I even built you an office; the formations won’t unlock until you handle one thousand official documents. A new batch comes every ten days, and only once you finish can you apply for free time—every incense stick burned costs you a thousand spirit stones…”
Each sentence felt like a demon’s whisper, sending chills down Li Shanyan’s spine.
“Help! Help me!”
Struggling desperately to run, Li Shanyan felt like a frail chick being dragged backward inch by inch.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Sang Zhe grinned: “Once you cross this crack, you’ll be the Holy Kingdom’s chief master again.”
“You can revel in the love of the Holy Kingdom’s citizens while dealing with Huo Ningxue’s mountain of bureaucratic duties, tutoring the young prince, and mediating disputes among officials…”
“I’ve even prepared another position for you, leader of the Void Alliance! You’ll gather and review all reports related to the divine and demonic realms, preparing for any surprises when they descend, and the fate of humanity will rest on your shoulders…”
“NO! PLEASE, NO!!!”
Tears streaming down, Li Shanyan shouted desperately: “You’re exploiting me! I’m dead, I don’t want to go back to work!”
“Dead?”
Sang Zhe’s smile turned sinister: “Even dead, you need to crawl back up and work!”
“Do you understand what it means to have been rained on, which means you have to rip everyone else’s umbrellas?”
“The thought of me working my tail off while you laze around in the underworld, sipping tea and playing chess? It drives me nuts.”
“When you’re back, I have to make you experience the pain I endured!”
Having been utterly terrified, Li Shanyan wailed pitifully, even sobbing as he called out to Huo Jian:
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Huo brother! Good buddy! Dad!”
“Save me! Please, I don’t want to go back to work!”
Huo Jian simply stood there, hands behind his back, watching him with a gentle smile.
His eyes were as clear as water, radiating warmth and tranquility.
…Old friend.
I’ve said it before.
You arrived just a bit too early.
There are still things in this world for you to accomplish.
I entrust my descendants to you…
In the last moment as Li Shanyan was dragged into the crack by Sang Zhe, he glanced at his long-time friend, who smiled quietly at him.
Then he cupped his fists deeply, turning to walk toward the abyss of reincarnation.
A bittersweet expression crossed his aged eyes, followed by a sense of relief.
In the end, it transformed into a silent, shallow smile.
…So. Old geezer, I’ll find you later.
——
——
In the Demon Cultivators’ plaza.
As Li Shanyan slowly opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the bright blue sky.
A few white clouds drifted lazily, the clear sky stretching endlessly.
Then, two heads popped up, blocking the delightful view of the sky.
“Whoa, you’re really awake! Old man Li, is that really you?”
“Ah, he’s really alive? No way!”
Then, Li Shanyan felt someone pinching and poking his cheeks and body, before finally flatly answering:
“…Hua Jianglian, General Xu. Are you done playing around?”
Hua Jianglian and Xu Yourong reluctantly withdrew their hands.
However, from their lingering expressions, it was clear they were still very interested in the whole “resurrected from the dead” thing.
Li Shanyan gradually closed his eyes to calm himself, then slowly sat up.
The moment he did, he immediately spotted Young Master Sang beaming at him from a distance.
“Welcome to your new company.”
“Starting today, you’ll be working under me. So, how do you feel? Happy?”
Li Shanyan: “…Can I die again?”
“Not a chance.”
Sang Zhe smirked as he crossed his arms and walked over: “Remember, this body was specially tailored for you at a great cost.”
“Though not as extravagant as fifty billion, it still cost a whopping ten billion spirit stones.”
“Even if it can’t restore you to the peak of the Mahayana realm, it’s still at the early stages. Since your comprehension remains, it won’t be long before you can cultivate again.”
“You better behave and work off your debt to me.”
Li Shanyan could feel it already.
This body radiated youthful vigor and vitality from within.
The only pity was.
“…Young Master Sang. Could you explain something?”
“Why does this body belong to a child?”
Li Shanyan raised his big, innocent eyes, speaking in a soft, child-like voice.
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