After this arduous battle, among the dozens of attackers, some were dead and some were wounded.
However, they had ultimately defeated the Myriad Ghost King, so even with heavy casualties, the joy was far greater.
Upon returning to South Sea City, Jin Yu Lan hosted a banquet at the Thousand姬 Palace and invited Xue Ji to perform a dance for them.
Then, at the banquet, he raised his wine cup and said joyfully,
"The fact that we were able to kill the Myriad Ghost King this time is thanks to the great assistance of all the righteous individuals present. I toast you all."
After saying this, he drank his cup dry. The people seated below also returned his toast.
Among them was a righteous man named Jue Du from the Four Directions of North Divine Capital. He stood up and said,
"I was formerly a general in the Four Forests, the son of Jue You Lin.
A hundred years ago, my father fought a decisive battle against the remnants of the Myriad Ghost King's forces and was unfortunately killed. Today, I have avenged him."
Jin Yu Lan said with emotion,
"Four Forest Generals, I have heard of them. They were all heroes with courage and wisdom.
It is a pity that such fine heroes were also lost to the Ghost Race.
However, today, our wish has been fulfilled.
Come, let us toast our ancestors and the fallen soldiers."
"Good."
With that, everyone stood up, respectfully raised their wine cups, and drank them dry.
After the wine was finished, Jin Yu Lan made a hasty exit with a casual excuse to meet Prime Minister Liu.
Entering the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, he saw Prime Minister Liu with his back to him, gazing out the window, lost in thought.
"You've arrived."
Prime Minister Liu said faintly. Without turning around, he knew he had arrived.
Jin Yu Lan walked to his side and also looked out the window, directly asking,
"What is out there?"
Prime Minister Liu smiled slightly. He thought that only he had the courage to ask him such a question; anyone else would have long since turned to ashes.
However, Prime Minister Liu did not answer, only saying,
"I have a few matters that require your attention. One is that the Boundless Abyss needs to be more heavily guarded.
The other is that Liu Shi Nian needs to be escorted to North Divine Capital."
Jin Yu Lan was a little puzzled and asked,
"Won't that be an over-exaggeration of my abilities?"
"You don't understand. The Myriad Ghost King is very prone to resurgence, and someone needs to watch him.
I have written two letters here, one to the City Lord of South Sea City and another to the Governor of North Divine Capital. They will understand after reading the letters."
After speaking, Prime Minister Liu gently blew, and two letters appeared in his hand out of thin air.
He handed the letters to Jin Yu Lan, who carefully took them and tucked them into his embrace.
"Alright, you may go and attend to it."
"Yes."
Jin Yu Lan received the order and departed.
South Sea City was exceptionally festive today, with laughter and joy filling the entire street.
It was like New Year's, with firecrackers lit and exploding noisily in the streets.
Everyone was celebrating the demise of the Myriad Ghost King.
However, this joy did not belong to the Ghost Race, who were instead struggling on the brink of hope.
And in the cold dungeons, there was also a person, despondent.
He sat cross-legged, his expression serene, his eyes closed, quiet. But the bitterness within his heart had already quietly filled his mind.
Before escorting Liu Shi Nian, Jin Yu Lan specifically went to see him.
In the dim and damp dungeon, he saw Liu Shi Nian looking disheveled.
Recalling how arrogant Liu Shi Nian had been in the past, he couldn't help but laugh at his current state.
Liu Shi Nian slightly opened his eyes and looked at Jin Yu Lan, the master of the Thousand姬 Palace, who was dressed in finery and held in high regard.
He smiled faintly. He had disliked Jin Yu Lan before, but now, even that dislike had vanished.
After laughing, Jin Yu Lan took a good look at him.
To his surprise, Liu Shi Nian, usually boisterous, was unusually calm.
He sat cross-legged on the withered grass, his hair disheveled, but his gaze was sharp and bright.
He couldn't help but feel curious and asked cautiously,
"You, don't you hate me?"
Liu Shi Nian smiled faintly, as if he could see through Jin Yu Lan's mind, and said,
"Don't you think you are a pitiable person?"
Jin Yu Lan's expression darkened, and his thoughts were momentarily confused.
He could usually guess Liu Shi Nian's thoughts, but now, he couldn't see through him at all.
To avoid awkwardness, he forced a smile and said,
"You say I am pitiable, how ridiculous.
However, I have some good news, would you like to hear it?"
Jin Yu Lan asked tentatively. Liu Shi Nian lowered his head and remained silent, as if he knew what he was about to say.
Seeing that he did not reply, Jin Yu Lan deliberately said,
"The person you have been longing for, she is already dead."
"What!"
Upon hearing this news, Liu Shi Nian's eyes widened in disbelief.
Jin Yu Lan smiled triumphantly, as if his scheme had succeeded, but then, with a touch of kindness, he added,
"I was lying. She is not dead, she is still alive, just imprisoned."
Liu Shi Nian's worried face finally relaxed.
Jin Yu Lan then said sadly,
"This may be the last time we meet.
If you are fortunate enough to escape the dungeon, then we may meet again.
But at that time, we will become true enemies."
Liu Shi Nian slightly raised his eyes, a hint of sadness in them, and finally spoke his true feelings after so long,
"Before, I only thought you were a bit noble, and not so annoying. We could still be close.
Now, you are like another, completely unfamiliar person, making one afraid to approach."
Jin Yu Lan dared not meet his gaze again. Feeling guilty, he turned away and said coldly,
"You will not understand."
"Indeed, I will never understand what you are thinking."
After a sigh, he still mustered the courage to turn back and look at Liu Shi Nian, saying,
"I came to see you today to bid you farewell."
"Is that so? How do you intend to deal with me?"
Jin Yu Lan smiled faintly.
"The decision has been made to send you to North Divine Capital."
"Is that your decision, or your master's decision?"
Jin Yu Lan faltered slightly, then concealed it, saying,
"It is my decision."
"Very well, it is lively there. I also like to be in lively places."
Jin Yu Lan slowly took out a bottle of wine from his embrace and with a wave of his hand, two wine cups appeared on the ground.
As he poured the wine, he said,
"I still remember that day under the willow tree, you were drinking and having fun with two good drinkers.
I happened to pass by and joined them, and you casually gave me this bottle of wine.
I had intended to bury it and take it out to reminisce a thousand years later.
Alas, alas, the opportunity is gone.
Today is a good day to take it out and share it with you."
With that, the wine was poured. He slowly raised his wine cup and offered it to Liu Shi Nian.
Liu Shi Nian was surprised that Jin Yu Lan cherished something he had given him so much, and his heart suddenly warmed.
He stood up, took the wine cup, and cupped his hands with Jin Yu Lan to drink.
As they drank, they spoke no words, merely savoring the aroma of the wine.
When the pot of wine was finished, Jin Yu Lan smiled faintly and slowly put down his wine cup.
He said,
"Are you satisfied?"
Liu Shi Nian nodded slightly.
Jin Yu Lan also smiled slightly, then stood up and said,
"Go in peace. If fate allows, we will meet again."
With that, he waved to the guards who had been waiting and had Liu Shi Nian taken away.
Liu Shi Nian was escorted onto a prisoner cart amidst confusion and helplessness, beginning a journey of several days.
A few days later, the prisoner cart, bumping along, arrived at Lin Shan, the border between North Divine Capital and South Sea City.
There used to be some households here, but later, due to war, they had all moved to South Sea City.
Now, only a green plain and a straight dirt official road remained.
The afterglow of the setting sun cast from afar fell upon the prisoner cart and the remarkably calm face of Liu Shi Nian.
And not far away, two people were wandering aimlessly and freely.
Suddenly, they seemed to see something, their eyes filled with confusion.
Shui Fang suddenly stopped, patted Ying Lu's shoulder, and pointed ahead,
"Look there, there's a prisoner cart."
Ying Lu followed his gaze and indeed saw, on the dirt road, three or four people escorting a prisoner cart.
Due to the distance, he couldn't see clearly who the person was.
He said indifferently,
"Escorting a prisoner, haven't you seen that before?"
"No, I feel like I've seen that person before."
Ying Lu frowned, full of doubt.
"How can you know a prisoner? Let's hurry along. Look at the sky, it will be dark soon."
Although Ying Lu's words made sense, Shui Fang felt that he had truly seen the person in the prisoner cart.
Ying Lu had only taken two steps when he turned back and saw Shui Fang still standing there foolishly, staring blankly at the distant prisoner cart.
Speechless for a moment, he walked up, grabbed Shui Fang by the collar, and pulled him forward.
"Let's go, let's go, stop looking. The sky will be dark if you keep looking."
"Ouch, I know, I know."
Not long after, a gentle breeze blew, the setting sun descended, and darkness enveloped everything.
The escorts had just passed Lin Shan when the sky had already darkened. Traveling at night was quite tiring.
So, they parked the prisoner cart by the roadside, built a fire, and decided to spend the night there.
And in the nearby woods, two cute and naive heads slowly emerged.
Ying Lu whispered with some dissatisfaction,
"Are you really sure that's someone you know?"
"I'm sure, I must have seen him before."
Ying Lu was speechless and helpless.
"Even if it is, so what? Those who kill must pay with their lives, and those who owe money must repay it. It's only natural.
Could it be that you want to rob the prisoner cart?"
"Rob the prisoner cart? That's a good idea."
"Forget it. You said you just wanted to take a look, and then we'd leave."
"Yes, yes, yes."
Ying Lu looked ahead, at the person sitting motionless in the prisoner cart not far from the campfire, his back to them.
He also felt a strange sensation. Looking at the person's build, he also felt like he had seen him somewhere before.
If he could see his face, he would surely recognize him on the spot.
Looking at the three or four people by the campfire,
If they wanted to get closer, they would have to wait until those people fell asleep.
The scattered sparks, as they burned again and again, gradually lost their life. In a daze, only the faint crackling of embers could be heard.
The few guards escorting the prisoner cart leaned against the big trees, drowsy. In a short while, they were too sleepy to wake up.
Shui Fang, who was waiting beside them, also felt drowsy. Ying Lu gently shook him awake and said,
"They've fallen asleep."
Shui Fang rubbed his eyes and looked ahead. Indeed, those people had all fallen asleep.
He turned back, smiled slightly, and then, following Ying Lu, carefully walked out of the bushes and approached the prisoner cart.
Slowly walking closer, he slowly moved in front of the person, and suddenly exclaimed in surprise,
"Liu Shi Nian!"
The two of them exclaimed in surprise at the same time. Fortunately, they had suppressed their voices, so they didn't wake the sleeping people.
However, neither of them could have imagined that Liu Shi Nian would be escorted in a prisoner cart.
Liu Shi Nian saw them and was very calm, showing a slight smile, and said softly,
"Why are you here?"
Shui Fang, full of confusion, asked him,
"Brother Liu, how did you end up in this prisoner cart?"
Ying Lu was also confused and asked him,
"Yes, you don't seem like someone who would commit a crime."
Liu Shi Nian shook his head slightly and sighed,
"Alas, it's a long story, but I'm very happy to see you."
Shui Fang asked,
"Where are they escorting you to?"
"North Divine Capital."
"North Divine Capital?"
The two were even more puzzled, but upon reflection, Liu Shi Nian was not the type of person to commit crimes, so there must be some injustice.
Thus, they said,
"Brother Liu, don't worry, we'll rescue you right now."
Liu Shi Nian waved his hand, however, and said,
"It's no use. This way, you'll also be accused of robbing a prisoner cart. I cannot implicate you."
Shui Fang, hearing this, and realizing Liu Shi Nian was worried about this, couldn't help but laugh.
"Hahaha, you're worried about this? My brother and I are wanderers, our home is the world.
Even if they want to arrest us, they won't know where to find us."
Saying this, he and Ying Lu set about unlocking the lock to rescue Liu Shi Nian.
The lock was not sturdy, and after Shui Fang burned it with fire, it fell off easily.
He pulled open the prisoner cart door, reached out, and pulled Liu Shi Nian out.
Immediately, they pulled him and ran into the woods.
Seeing that they had run far away, he stopped.
Liu Shi Nian quickly cupped his hands in thanks,
"Thank you, my two brothers, for saving my life."
Shui Fang and Ying Lu looked at his humble and polite demeanor and couldn't help but laugh heartily again.
Recalling Liu Shi Nian they had met in South Sea City, he didn't seem so polite.
Ying Lu asked him,
"Brother Liu, I think it's impossible for you to go home.
Why don't you follow us and wander the world, making our home everywhere?
We two will also have one more brother."
Liu Shi Nian smiled faintly and slowly shook his head.
Ying Lu was a little confused, thinking: Is he unwilling?
He asked again,
"Brother Liu, do you have something on your mind?"
Liu Shi Nian sighed slightly, then nodded slightly, and then slowly said,
"Yes, I have something on my mind. I need to save someone, so I cannot travel far with you.
However, I will never forget your life-saving kindness."
Shui Fang was speechless and disdainfully exposed him,
"You could have come out of that prisoner cart yourself, but you didn't.
As for this life-saving kindness, I think it's just a casual act."
"However, you said you were going to save someone. Who is that person?"
Ying Lu became curious. Who was it that was so important to Liu Shi Nian?
Liu Shi Nian thought for a moment. Although he had known them for a short time, they were also righteous people.
Moreover, Mu Ye also knew them, so there was no need to hide it. He said,
"The person I am going to save is..."
Before he could finish, a gust of wind suddenly blew, raising a cloud of dust.
The three of them instantly couldn't open their eyes. Suddenly, a hand landed on Liu Shi Nian's shoulder, grabbed him, and quickly left.