"I will definitely return," Mo Qi gently pushed her away and said, "This place is not suitable for lingering. Let's leave quickly."
He then looked around and said, "I think it would be safer for all of you to become men for the journey."
"What?" everyone exclaimed in panic. "We'd rather die than become men!"
Mo Qi chuckled, "I mean, I'll dress you all up as men. This way, we can avoid some unnecessary trouble."
"Oh, I see," the women breathed a sigh of relief.
Mo Qi meticulously disguised them, transforming each one into a rough-looking fellow!
Even then, Mo Qi was not satisfied. He divided the group into two or even three teams, each heading in different directions, agreeing to meet at a designated spot. After regrouping, they would split up again and continue their journey.
This strategy proved effective, as they did not encounter any overly powerful pursuers.
They traveled until they crossed the border of the Jin Kingdom.
Upon entering the Wei Kingdom, people began to stay behind one by one.
Throughout the journey, while they had avoided formidable enemies and large-scale pursuits, small-scale skirmishes had been relentless.
They lived in constant fear and anxiety, yearning for an end to their nomadic existence.
Therefore, when they passed by tranquil, secluded villages, they requested to stay.
Mo Qi generously fulfilled his promise, readily agreeing to every request. He also provided them with some meteorite spirit stones, enabling them to find means of livelihood.
Of course, some found local men and settled down to live peaceful, uneventful lives. Their husbands would likely never know that they had married women who were once consorts of a king.
At this moment, in the vast expanse of the Milky Way, amidst the surging waters of the Celestial River, a figure gradually emerged. It was a young man, who ascended to a height comparable to the various tree worlds. He gazed into the distance, where another river flowed, its waves churning and splashing onto the shore, rolling onward.
Then, a slightly stooped figure rose from the Celestial River. It was an elder with white hair. He ascended to a position parallel to the young man and bowed, saying, "Master, you cannot leave the River Palace, lest the heavens fall into chaos."
"The Milky Way is already in chaos," the young man furrowed his brows, took a deep breath, and looked back at the tree worlds. "The Golden River's invasion grows ever more fierce, while our Milky Way seems to have entered a harsh winter. Every tree world and river world is in distress."
"The Golden River world has never ceased its encroachment. When have they ever succeeded?"
"Indeed, we can handle the Golden River world's attacks. It's our own internal disarray that causes headaches," the young man said.
"Are you referring to the one who called himself the Saint Emperor of Ten Thousand Realms being forced out of his palace?"
"He," the young man sneered, "is merely a self-important individual. His so-called Ten Thousand Realms refer only to a few tree worlds to the west of the river. The true Ten Thousand Realms are beyond my imagination."
"Then who are you referring to?"
"Too many. Xiao Tie's despair, Hong Jun's arrogance, Gong Gong's insolence, Qin Di's ambition..."
"Then, are you coming out to intervene?"
"Most of them are not under my jurisdiction, nor can I manage them. The Milky Way is inherently complex. There are matters even I don't know how to handle, and I can only rely on them to grow wild. Whether they grow into weeds or flowers is their own choice."
"But the great tribulation is imminent. If they do not awaken, they will likely sink with this Milky Way."
"Sinking signifies eternity, and the meaning of life lies in breaking eternity. If they understood this, they would not pursue fleeting gains and losses. Instead, they would do the opposite, believing that eternal life leads to eternity. In reality, every pulsating life has its limits, while space-time is limitless."
"Moreover, human hearts are too complex. They desire too much, and the world can offer them too little."
"Yes, it's not that the world offers little, but that desire is never-ending," the young man looked at the Iron Tree World. "And some people, because they have no desires, have lost respect and recognition for life."
"What happened to Xiao Tie?" the elder also looked up and suddenly noticed that the entire Iron Tree World was shrouded in dark clouds, its trunk shriveled, and its leaves tending towards wilting.
"Perhaps he is lost in confusion."
"Would you like to offer him some guidance?"
The elder shook his head, "If he doesn't wish to awaken himself, guidance will be of no use. Moreover, his confusion doesn't solely depend on him; it also stems from the enlightenment of the entire world's people. I can awaken one person, but not tens of thousands. Not just him, but Xiao Tong, Xiao An, everyone is confused, as if they have all realized that this time, it will be difficult to pass."
"In this vast river region, with its myriad stars, there are always a few worlds that will produce capable individuals and wise men, enough to shoulder the burden and change the predicament," the elder said.
"Let's hope so. Time is running out for them."
Liuyun Tribe, a place almost cut off from the world.
A corner of a vein world, unsupported by a star world, with barren resources and a harsh environment, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.
Initially, Gong Gong had sent troops to attack, attempting to uproot and eliminate them completely.
After several attacks, they suffered losses and made no progress, unable to conquer it.
Finally, considering its barren resources and poor environment, and that outsiders had no desire to enter, while people from within often escaped, the Ye family's chances of using it as a base to make a comeback were slim. Therefore, they retreated and sent people to closely monitor their movements.
Later, after several thousand years, the Ye family remained dormant for millennia, showing no intention of resisting. Gong Gong felt at ease and even recalled the people sent to monitor them.
Thus, for tens of thousands of years, the Liuyun Tribe had flourished, recuperated, and lived a life of peace and seclusion in this sanctuary.
However, in reality, they had never abandoned the idea of a comeback. They had been silently gathering strength.
But Gong Gong strictly controlled the surrounding areas, preventing anyone from entering freely, making it difficult for them to develop solely through their own efforts.
Mo Qi used the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, escape techniques, and various other mystic arts to help everyone enter the Liuyun Tribe.
In the end, the consorts of Wanyan Hongliang were mostly settled. Only Consort Xian, Wanyan Ting, and that Queen, a woman who brought disaster to the nation, remained with Mo Qi.
It was rumored that it was precisely because of her that in Wanyan Hongliang's final days, he indulged in pleasure and neglected state affairs, leading to the neglect of governance and the decline of the kingdom, which provided an opportunity for Gong Gong and Kong Er Ren.
Mo Qi had repeatedly asked her to leave, but she ignored him, saying, "I am the Queen. I cannot live a simple life outside. Unless you find me a king to marry, I will follow you, or you can kill me."
Mo Qi was speechless, feeling that his good intentions had turned into a persistent nuisance that he couldn't shake off.
Killing her seemed a pity, so Mo Qi could only try to persuade her, saying that following him was useless, as he didn't have the ability to find a king for her. If he had such ability, he wouldn't be fleeing.
He also mentioned that the place he was going was extremely desolate, a place where birds wouldn't even defecate, and life would be very difficult. He advised her not to follow. If she insisted on following, forget about fine clothes and delicacies; she wouldn't even be able to live a simple life.
Unexpectedly, the Queen, Er Zhu Lin, still did not heed his advice and clung to Mo Qi.
Sometimes, when he was annoyed by her persistence, she would even resort to her ultimate move: "Why don't you find a way to become king yourself? Then I'll be your woman."
Mo Qi was utterly exasperated.