"Reporting to the State Preceptor, the Prime Minister is currently in the Imperial Palace discussing important matters with His Majesty."
"Is that so."
Li Qi muttered to himself.
Over the past few years, due to Li Qi's influence, coupled with Ning Caichen's considerable personal abilities.
Under Jing Qian'an's promotion, Ning Caichen becoming Prime Minister was a natural progression.
When Ning Caichen returned in the evening and heard the news of Li Qi's departure, he was very reluctant.
However, this time Ning Caichen had no reason to keep Li Qi any longer.
That night, the two drank heartily once again.
Fueled by wine, Ning Caichen poured out all the frustrations he had encountered during his years as an official, without reservation.
For example, the mutual cover-ups among officials and the perversion of law for personal gain.
Although Ning Caichen, as Prime Minister, had the backing of Jing Qian'an and the Emperor, there were still too many vexing issues that he alone could not change.
At this moment, apart from the bright moon hanging high in the night sky.
Some heartfelt words could only be fully disclosed to Li Qi, an outsider.
And Li Qi, he chose to remain a silent listener.
Until a certain moment.
"Bang!"
Ning Caichen, who had drunk too much, suddenly went limp and collapsed on the ground.
Li Qi summoned a servant to escort Ning Caichen back to his room to rest.
His figure also disappeared without a trace into the dark night.
...
To say this departure was a departure, the word "return" would be more appropriate.
More than ten years had passed since he left the Feisha Sect.
When he left back then, he was engrossed in the study of formations, so he traveled to see the world.
Unconsciously, over ten years had gone by.
And this time, the place Li Qi intended to go was none other than the Feisha Sect, the starting point he had left.
"After such a long time without returning to see, I wonder how Feisha Sect is faring under the management of the Royal City."
In the following days, Li Qi headed back towards the location of the Feisha Sect.
Upon returning to the foot of the Feisha Sect, the transformation of the small village that was once there surprised Li Qi.
The former Xiaohuo Village had now become Xiaohuo Town.
Xiaohuo Town had a massive flow of people.
Because the Feisha Sect was located on the mountaintop.
Many people had fled there for refuge during the years of demonic chaos.
Over time, more and more villagers settled in Xiaohuo Village, until one day the population reached a certain limit.
Xiaohuo Village was renamed Xiaohuo Town.
The first village chief seemed to have retired.
The current town chief was the son of the first village chief.
This town chief administered his duties fairly and never bullied anyone, so the people of Xiaohuo Town loved him dearly.
As soon as he entered the town, a huge statue appeared before Li Qi.
Seeing this statue, Li Qi couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth slightly.
Indeed.
This statue was of him.
But fortunately, he had not revealed that he was from the Feisha Sect back then.
The only ones who truly knew the statue's real identity as Li Qi were probably in the Royal City.
As for the first batch of villagers, after so many years, it would be good enough if they found the statue familiar.
But it was true, if Li Qi had truly revealed his origins, then Xiaohuo Town and Feisha Sect might not have been so peaceful.
Immediately, Li Qi walked directly towards the mountain where the Feisha Sect was located.
The changes in Feisha Sect over the past decade or so had exceeded Li Qi's expectations.
The dilapidated small houses of the former Feisha Sect were all gone.
What met his eyes was an extremely luxurious courtyard.
Next to the courtyard, individual accommodation rooms were also built separately.
"Good heavens, that kid from the Royal City, he must have spent a lot of spirit stones over these past ten years, to have spare money to renovate his residence."
It wasn't that they were so poor they couldn't afford to renovate their residences back then, but at that time, when they had spirit stones, they all used them for their own cultivation, and who would think of renovating their residences.
Just then.
"Hello, fellow Daoist, may I ask why you have come to my Feisha Sect? Are you looking for someone or seeking to become a disciple?"
A gentle and clear voice sounded.
Li Qi turned his head and saw a woman with a beautiful face and a slightly mature look, wearing a light-colored simple dress, standing behind him.
But before Li Qi could speak, the woman's eyes flickered slightly, looking intently at Li Qi's face.
It was somewhat familiar.
Immediately, Zhang Yinjun's face revealed a look of shock.
"You... State..."
"Shush. Keep a low profile, keep a low profile."
"State Preceptor, do you have any important matters to discuss with our Feisha Sect on this visit?" Zhang Yinjun's face was filled with respect.
"Me? I'm coming home?"
"Ah... Home?" Zhang Yinjun was truly stunned this time.
"Looking at your attire, you are a disciple of the Royal City, aren't you?"
Zhang Yinjun nodded. "Yes, my master is precisely the Royal City."
Upon hearing this, Li Qi's lips curved into a smile.
"Since you are a disciple of the Royal City, then according to seniority, you should call me Uncle-Master. My surname is Li, you can call me, Uncle-Master Li."
"Li... Uncle-Master..."
Zhang Yinjun was stunned again upon hearing this. She then looked at Li Qi again.
The sense of familiarity on Li Qi's face was not solely from the statue in the town.
Zhang Yinjun recalled more than twenty years ago when she was a child.
At that time, she was almost killed by a demon, and it was another immortal from the Feisha Sect who saved her.
Zhang Yinjun immediately became excited.
"You, Uncle-Master Li!"
"Keep a low profile, keep a low profile. Where is the Royal City?"
"Uncle-Master, please follow me."
Li Qi met Wang Cheng once again.
Wang Cheng was more mature and steady than he was more than a decade ago, and his appearance had changed to that of a middle-aged man.
When Wang Cheng saw Li Qi return, he was utterly excited.
"Senior Brother, how on earth did you become the State Preceptor? I was stunned when I saw the statue of you being built in the town, and I thought there was a cultivator who looked just like you."
Wang Cheng seemed to have returned to his youthful days, constantly chattering and asking questions as he cultivated with Li Qi.
Li Qi gave a general account of his experiences over the years, and when he heard that Li Qi had killed a Golden Core stage demon with his bare hands, Wang Cheng couldn't help but marvel.
As expected of Senior Brother.
Li Qi's return did not cause much of a stir in the Feisha Sect. Even if some disciples occasionally saw Li Qi, Wang Cheng sternly ordered them not to speak of it outside, or they would be expelled from the sect.
Afterward, Li Qi, just as he had done in the past, moved back to the rear mountain. The area of the rear mountain remained as it was back then, and Wang Cheng had deliberately not renovated it.
However, the three large roosters named "Zhiyin," "Lizhi," and "Susan" that Li Qi had kept back then had long since died of old age.
However, it was worth mentioning that after Li Qi left, Wang Cheng had been managing the rear mountain area all along.
Those old chickens had died.
But in a chicken coop of a moderate size, there were many chicks being raised.
These were all chicks hatched from eggs laid by Brother.
For a long time thereafter.
Li Qi resided in the rear mountain, essentially staying out of sight.
The passage of time seemed to have accelerated by several dozen times at this moment.