Ning Changshi, upon hearing Li Qi intercede for the King of Jingfu, couldn't help but show a hint of joy.
But then he heard Li Qi's decision regarding the Ning family.
Those who deserved to die were to die... and those who deserved to be demoted were to be demoted.
The joy on Ning Changshi's face and that of the young man beside him instantly turned ashen.
"Uncle Zu, no, please, for the sake of my great-grandfather Ning Xiuchen..."
However, before Ning Changshi could finish speaking.
Li Qi's cold gaze swept over him, causing the words he was about to utter to abruptly cease.
"If it weren't for Ning Xiuchen's past favor, do you think your entire family would have escaped the fate of execution for all its members?"
"If Ning Xiuchen were alive today and saw the actions of you unfilial descendants, he would likely regret founding the vast Ning family."
With that, Li Qi spoke no further and left with a flick of his sleeve.
The King of Jingfu's investigation was swift.
Three days later, everything was clear.
The Ning family's wrongdoings were thoroughly unearthed.
The sordid affairs were even more numerous than the King of Jingfu had initially stated.
Half a month later.
Of the Ning family's total of 293 members.
Including Ning Changshi, 267 were executed.
The remaining 26 members were from the most distant collateral branches of the Ning family. It was confirmed they were indeed innocent and were demoted to commoners.
Servants and laborers were all dismissed.
Thus, the Ning Manor, which had prospered for over a century, collapsed overnight.
In the desolate and somewhat dilapidated Ning Manor, with its inhabitants gone.
Li Qi walked alone.
Although some of the buildings had been adorned with more opulent decorations.
The layout and structure were still somewhat familiar to Li Qi.
After all, he had resided in the Ning Manor for quite some time.
Li Qi's steps led him towards the rear of the Ning Manor, into a majestic mountain.
There.
Lay the ancestral tombs of the Ning family.
Over the past century, many Ning family ancestors had been laid to rest within.
Li Qi continued his walk.
Until he reached the deepest part.
There stood a magnificent tombstone.
And the owner of this tombstone.
Li Qi's old friend, Ning Xiuchen.
Engraved upon Ning Xiuchen's tombstone were many details of his life and deeds.
Li Qi slowly approached, standing silently before the tombstone.
In the past, they had journeyed to the capital together.
But now.
One remained as he was, while the other had turned to dust through the passage of time.
Li Qi had witnessed Ning Xiuchen rise from an ordinary man to a scholar and then to Prime Minister.
And he had also witnessed the once glorious Ning Manor fall into ruin overnight.
It seemed like a long time had passed.
But in reality, it had only been a little over a hundred years.
A gentle breeze swept by, nothing had changed, except for the youth who had stood before the tombstone was no longer there.
With no internal or external worries, the realm was at peace.
This time, the only reason he emerged from seclusion at Feisha Sect was to resolve the matter of Ning family descendants.
After resolving the Ning family's affairs.
Li Qi returned to the back mountain of Feisha Sect, detached from worldly matters, content to cultivate in peace.
Hiding in the back mountain of Feisha Sect.
Li Qi had completely recovered the vital energy and spirit consumed by his earlier 'Farmer's Three Punches'.
Li Qi's current life was very leisurely.
Occasionally, he would guide Zhang Yinjun, who came to the back mountain, in his cultivation.
Sometimes, on a whim, he would randomly select a disciple within Feisha Sect and offer a word of guidance.
Every disciple who received Li Qi's instruction progressed at an astonishing rate.
Later, some disciples suddenly realized that the person who occasionally appeared in the sect to guide disciples seemed to be the oldest ancestor of Feisha Sect.
For a time, many in Feisha Sect envied and were jealous of the disciples who had been guided by Li Qi.
As for Li Qi's own cultivation, it had not been neglected.
Although he wasn't cultivating 24/7.
Within just a few years, Li Qi, who was at the peak of the first heaven of the Nascent Soul realm, easily advanced to the second heaven.
Another twelve years passed, and Li Qi advanced from the second heaven of the Nascent Soul realm to the third heaven.
And during this process.
Li Qi's recovery attribute points successfully broke through ten thousand.
This time, Li Qi obtained a passive talent.
It was called "Steadfast Indomitable."
The effect of the talent was as follows:
[Steadfast Indomitable: The more the host's internal energy is depleted and overdrawn, the faster their recovery speed becomes. (Minimum gain of 0.01 times extra recovery speed, maximum gain of 100 times extra recovery speed)]
Upon seeing this passive talent, Li Qi's eyes lit up.
Wasn't this talent tailor-made for his 'Farmer's Three Punches'?
If he had possessed this talent earlier, his recovery speed, while not necessarily reaching a hundredfold, would have been significantly higher. Given the level of depletion, obtaining seventy or eighty, or even eighty or ninety times recovery speed wouldn't be unreasonable.
Three more years passed.
Three years later, in the 744th year of the Great Jing calendar, the King of Jingfu abdicated, and the throne was inherited by his son, the King of Jingde, Jing Huizheng.
The entire kingdom celebrated.
At the same time, an invitation was sent to Feisha Sect.
This invitation was for Li Qi.
It invited Li Qi, the State Preceptor, to attend the enthronement ceremony of the King of Jingde.
Li Qi was taken aback upon hearing this news.
He recalled his last meeting with the King of Jingfu, and now it was his son's turn to ascend the throne.
Time had indeed passed quickly.
However, it was the enthronement of a new emperor, and Li Qi had personally received an invitation.
After some thought, Li Qi finally decided to leave seclusion and travel to the capital to attend the enthronement ceremony.
...
In the Grand Palace Hall.
The somewhat aged King of Jingfu, with a hunched back, was dressed in imperial robes.
Beside him stood a handsome young man, around thirty years old, respectfully.
"My son, for your enthronement ceremony this time, I have invited the State Preceptor. You must remember to treat the State Preceptor with respect and not slight him."
Upon hearing this, Jing Huizheng frowned slightly.
"Father, I don't quite understand. The State Preceptor is merely a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage. Although he once saved our Great Jing empire, haven't our royal family's construction of statues for him and a century of worship and faith been enough?"
"Moreover, although we currently have no other Nascent Soul cultivators within the court except for the Chief Minister Zuo Shang, in recent years, many outside cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage have pledged their allegiance to our Great Jing and are willing to serve."
With so many Nascent Soul experts, could they not rival the State Preceptor?
This was Jing Huizheng's true thought.
But as soon as Jing Huizheng voiced his thoughts.
"Silence!
The next moment, even though Jing Huizheng was the Crown Prince and about to inherit the throne, the King of Jingfu's angry reprimand resounded without mercy.
Jing Huizheng was startled by the King of Jingfu's furious voice.
In fact, Jing Huizheng had harbored this thought since he was a child. Now that he was about to inherit the throne, he finally voiced it to his father.
But he had not expected.
That his few words would cause his father to fly into a rage.
In his entire life, he had rarely seen his father so angry.
At this moment, the King of Jingfu's stern voice echoed.
"Never speak such words again! The State Preceptor's abilities are beyond your imagination. Without the State Preceptor, there would be no Great Jing."
Hearing these words, which the King of Jingfu had impressed upon him since childhood, Jing Huizheng remained unconvinced.
But seeing his father so enraged now, Jing Huizheng naturally dared not continue to argue.
He quickly lowered his head and complied.
"Father, your son knows his mistake. In the future, I will show utmost respect to the State Preceptor."
"Alright, you should rest well these few days, so as not to delay the enthronement ceremony in a few days."
The King of Jingfu waved his hand, signaling Jing Huizheng to leave.
This matter had, for the time being, passed.
However, the departing Jing Huizheng did not notice.
Within the aged eyes of the King of Jingfu, who was still seated on the dragon throne in imperial robes.
There was a deep sense of worry.
Finally, it turned into a long sigh.