Li Qi arrived at the Imperial Capital on the second day after the invitation reached the Feisha Sect.
His old friend Zuo Shang had been waiting for a long time. Upon seeing Li Qi, he immediately led him into the Imperial Palace.
The former King Jing Fu was now very old, but his imperial majesty remained undiminished.
Upon seeing Li Qi, King Jing Fu cupped his hands and smiled.
"National Preceptor, it has been nearly twenty years. Are you well?"
At the same time, King Jing Fu looked at the young man beside him and said,
"Crown Prince, pay your respects to the National Preceptor."
Jing Hui Zheng’s gaze subtly appraised Li Qi.
When he saw Li Qi's youthful face, identical to the statue, he couldn't help but be somewhat surprised.
Though he had always held a dismissive view of this so-called National Preceptor since childhood, his father, King Jing Fu, was present. Furthermore, he had promised his father that he would show utmost respect to the National Preceptor.
Jing Hui Zheng's face displayed a perfectly calibrated reverence. He bowed slightly, cupping his hands.
"I am Jing Hui Zheng. I pay my respects to the National Preceptor."
Li Qi remained silent.
His calm gaze shifted to Jing Hui Zheng, lingering for a moment.
The air fell silent.
Under Li Qi's gaze,
Jing Hui Zheng couldn't help but tremble, as if his entire being had been thoroughly seen through.
A brief silence ensued.
Then, Li Qi withdrew his gaze and nodded slightly.
"Your Highness, there is no need for politeness."
King Jing Fu, who was still the reigning emperor, seemed to sense the subtle shift in atmosphere.
He forced a wrinkled smile onto his aged face.
"Esteemed National Preceptor, in a few days, the throne of my Great Jing will be passed to the Crown Prince. Should Great Jing face any difficulties in the future, I implore you to lend your assistance."
"I will."
Li Qi nodded slightly, accepting his plea.
The enthronement ceremony was still several days away.
During this time, since Li Qi had arrived early, King Jing Fu intentionally and subtly arranged for Jing Hui Zheng, then Crown Prince, to accompany Li Qi and attend to him.
Jing Hui Zheng did not disappoint King Jing Fu.
Although Jing Hui Zheng privately held the National Preceptor in low regard, believing that with the many Nascent Soul experts who had defected from beyond the circle, Great Jing might produce true Nascent Soul experts within a few decades, whose contributions would be comparable to Li Qi's.
Yet, for these few days, Jing Hui Zheng served Li Qi with genuine respect, handling all matters flawlessly.
The days passed quickly.
On this day, the enthronement ceremony arrived.
All the officials gathered.
Gongs and drums resounded.
Jing Hui Zheng, clad in ceremonial robes, dignified and solemn, performed the triple prostration and nine kowtows, paid homage to the heavens, honored the ancestors, and announced to the world...
Li Qi stood with the abdicated King Jing Fu on the main platform, observing the proceedings.
Finally, all rituals were completed.
Thus, Jing Hui Zheng successfully ascended the throne, becoming King Jing De.
The next day, to celebrate his enthronement, King Jing De granted a general amnesty, bringing joy to all under heaven.
After attending the enthronement ceremony, Li Qi remained in the capital for a few more days, participating in subsequent celebrations and catching up with Zuo Shang, whom he had not seen in a long time.
It was regrettable, however, that due to his current position within the court, entangled in numerous trivial matters, and perhaps reaching the limit of his talent, Zuo Shang's cultivation had not progressed much.
The last time they met, when resolving the Ning family's affairs, Zuo Shang was at the second level of the Nascent Soul realm.
Now, over a decade later, his cultivation had barely advanced.
Zuo Shang merely chuckled about this, seemingly unconcerned.
Since his youth, he had been adopted into the Demon Slaying Division and served the court.
His original intention was to serve Great Jing his entire life.
It was only when his lifespan was nearing its end that he left the court and ventured into the world beyond the circle.
Subsequently, he experienced various events in the world beyond. He felt his life had already been quite remarkable.
Now that the barrier had been broken, allowing free passage between the inner and outer circles, he could return to Great Jing.
Nascent Soul cultivators could live for a thousand years.
Moreover, Zuo Shang understood that no matter how hard he cultivated, with his talent, he would likely not reach the Soul Transformation realm.
Therefore, Zuo Shang decided to serve Great Jing until he was eight hundred years old.
Then, for the remaining two hundred years, he would live for himself.
Perhaps he would travel and see the world, or like Li Qi, find a place to retire in the mountains.
Li Qi said nothing more after hearing Zuo Shang's words.
After all, everyone had their own aspirations and ways of living.
With the enthronement concluded, Li Qi returned to the Feisha Sect.
As for Jing Hui Zheng, now King Jing De,
After his enthronement, King Jing De, as per King Jing Fu's wishes, remained respectful towards Li Qi. Following tradition, the National Preceptor's Annual Offering Ceremony was held punctually each year.
This continued until three years later.
King Jing Fu passed away from illness.
For the first three years, the National Preceptor's Annual Offering Ceremony was held punctually.
However, in the fourth year, King Jing De was occupied with court affairs and it was not held.
In the fifth year, King Jing De was again occupied with court affairs and it was not held.
In the sixth year, King Jing De amended the schedule for the National Preceptor's Offering Ceremony.
It was changed from once a year to once every three years.
In the tenth year, according to the rule passed down from King Jing An, Jing Qian An's generation,
The capital and other major cities were to allocate funds for the repair of the National Preceptor's statues every ten years.
Smaller cities were to have their statues repaired every thirty years.
A minister presented a memorial, stating that the time for repairing the National Preceptor's statue had arrived.
However, King Jing De angrily rebuked the minister, citing widespread drought in various parts of Great Jing in recent years and the severe deficit in the national treasury. He rejected the memorial for the repair of the National Preceptor's statue.
In the twentieth year, Great Jing was peaceful, its people living contentedly, with no unusual events.
Several ministers submitted memorials, requesting King Jing De to allocate funds from the national treasury for the repair of the National Preceptor's statue.
King Jing De again rebuked them, stating that even in times of peace, national treasury funds should not be squandered on repairing the National Preceptor's statue but should be reserved for emergencies. He once again rejected the memorial.
In the thirtieth year, a minister submitted another memorial.
Rejected.
King Jing De's fortieth year on the throne!
Many statues of the National Preceptor in smaller regions had become dilapidated, and even those in major cities were blurred due to years without repair.
However, ninety-nine percent of the court officials had changed. Many old officials had retired.
No one presented a memorial regarding the repair of the National Preceptor's statue.
Consequently, the National Preceptor's Offering Ceremony was changed to once every ten years, and the matter of statue repair was left unresolved.
Simultaneously, the number of people who worshipped the National Preceptor's statue across the land was halved, and the majority of them were elderly.
Great Jing Calendar Year 802, King Jing De's fifty-eighth year.
King Jing De abdicated in favor of Crown Prince Jing Xiu, the new King Xiu. King Jing De passed away in the same year.
Great Jing Calendar Year 803, King Xiu's first year on the throne.
King Xiu was incompetent, debauched, extravagant, and imposed heavy taxes and exorbitant levies.
The land descended into chaos!
The common people had no means to live.