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The tension between us seemed to build as we sat together alone in silence, so I tried my best to diffuse it. “Are you sleeping well?”

She flinched at my words. “Yes. Things have just been busy recently.”

I nodded, but I didn’t know how to continue the conversation, so I returned to watching the competitors. I noticed Mei turned her head slightly toward me, but she quickly jerked it back to focus on the stage below. This made me sigh with regret. I wished I could help her, but her psychological burdens were hers to bear. I had no way to assist with them.

After the competition, I swiftly returned to North Lake City. I wanted to immediately seclude myself again, but I needed to talk to someone about what Mei had been up to. I wasn’t sure who to ask, but since Mo was my Minister of Justice, he should know a little bit about everything happening in the city, so I decided to have a quick consultation with him.

“Minister Mo, do you know what Flower Mei has been doing recently?”

He looked surprised but responded promptly. “Yes, Lord. I told you some time ago that young scions of two of our city’s clans had gotten into an argument. The situation has deteriorated quite a bit since then, with both clans constantly at each other’s throats. This has caused a great deal of damage to the city, and few are willing to offend either clan by trying to stop it. Flower Mei has been working to calm both sides and restore sanity to the situation.”

“Thank you, minister. That is all,” I said, dismissing him.

Such a conflict should have involved the city lord, and I should have gone out to put a stop to the chaos myself, but no one had come to inform me of the escalating nature of the situation. It seemed Mei’s blessing was trying to keep me away from it.

I wasn’t sure what game she was playing by putting herself in the middle of such a conflict, but I would allow it to happen. In the end, this city wasn’t important to me. It was only a means to accrue karmic energy and test some of my ideas. If Mei’s blessing wanted to do something to it, I would let it.

I needed to return to work.

As the years passed, my cultivation grew rapidly. With the new production lines in place and the beginning of new herb farms to feed them, the karmic energy I gained from the city accumulated faster than I could spend it.

This growth in karmic energy production was slightly surprising. I thought the effect of the factory would taper off as the benefits from the pills plateaued over time.

Nearly everyone in the city who needed a Nutrition Pill was provided one within the first year, and I didn’t expect the continual supply to have much of an effect. My working assumption had been that making everyone healthy would have a large impact, but keeping them healthy would at most keep karmic energy production constant. However, the rate at which it accumulated only continued to grow.

This could partly be explained by the additional production lines we created for new pills, but it still seemed like far too much. None of my other projects were of much benefit to the city, so I could only conclude my original assumptions about karmic energy production were wrong.

When I was 39 years old, this influx of energy allowed me to break through twice, reaching Martial Lord 7. From there, I broke through one stage each year, reaching Martial Lord Peak when I was 42 years old.

At that point, I had two years left as a city lord. It didn’t matter how much Lord-level karmic energy I built up, I would never be able to use it to break through to Martial King. However, I spent another year stockpiling enough reserves that I would be able to use it to ascend to False King if necessary.

Once all my possible needs for karmic energy were met, I still had over a year in the position of city lord and no use for the energy it gained me. Instead of wasting it, Minister Jin helped me through the process of naming Mei the nominal lord for that remaining year. During her reign, she had only reached Martial Lord 6. This nominal lordship should allow her to reach Martial Lord 8. Mei had helped manage the city during my long absences, and this was the only thing I knew to do for her in return.

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I had begun secluding myself more and more the longer my reign persisted, and it helped me reap many rewards. The Hu clan and I developed production lines for over half a dozen simple pills, and my alchemy skills had reached new heights. I wasn’t able to concoct any Perfect Rank 4 pills because of my lacking affinities, but I could make well over half of the pills in Emperor Li’s book at the peak of High-Purity.

I had stopped having council meetings so I could focus on my work, which meant I only saw Mei once a year at the Flower Blossomings and Groom Selections. She seemed to be aging rapidly, and in later years she seemed visibly exhausted. I was angry about what her blessing was doing to her, but it wasn’t my place to intervene.

She seemed to want to talk to me a few times during these events, but the words got stuck in her throat. I considered trying to say something to start the conversation myself, but I didn’t know how.

Finally, after nine years as Lord of North Lake City, it was time for me to step down and for a new Water Flower to Blossom.

Before a Flower Blossoming, there was a celebration among the city’s Rulers to mark the blooming of the outgoing Flower. This was the final event I would take part in as Lord of North Lake City, and I was more than ready to shed that title.

The celebration took place in the grand ballroom of the palace at the top of the mountain in the center of Hundred Flower City. I entered alone to see dozens of Lords and Kings from years past talking and mingling while a small band played music in the background.

As I had during the Thunder Groom Selection’s party, I snuck through the ballroom and quietly secluded myself in the designated area for the Water Flower and Groom.

As I was skulking around the rear of the ballroom, I heard a loud commotion drawing ever nearer. There were sounds of congratulations and cheering and no lack of well wishes. It only took a moment for me to see what had caused such a scene.

In the middle of a large group of adoring Lords, I saw Mei walking toward the area of the room I was in. She was the most beautiful I’d ever seen. Her face showed only the barest hints of makeup, and her naturally red lips and cheeks contrasted against her pale jade skin, giving her the appearance of an immortal descended from above. She was wearing a form-fitting dark blue dress with silver highlights, and an unusual scarf of the purest white silk hung around her neck.

While countless Rulers were trying to get her attention, she didn’t stop to talk with any of them. She headed straight for me. When she reached me, she looked me straight in the eye and held my gaze for the first time in two decades.

A large, warm smile graced her face. She looked happier than I had ever seen her before.

“Fang, come dance with me.”

She didn’t allow me to refuse. She grabbed my arm like a young girl and hauled me to an open area in front of the small band.

I didn’t know how to dance, but Mei didn’t care. She twirled and weaved around me like a fairy in the middle of summer. The entire time, the white silk scarf around her neck twisted and turned with her movements as if it had a will of its own.

During a slower dance, Mei looked at me. “Fang, do you ever think about the future?”

“Yes,” I replied with confidence. “I think the pill factory designs are nearly complete. I will need to start spending more time researching the Brilliant Sun Empire. I need to find out what could be there that might interest a Formation Emperor, and I need to learn how I can get in contact with the royal family to pitch my idea for building them a factory.”

Mei smiled as I talked about my plans. “That’s good. I know you can succeed.”

The ball lasted for hours, and with Mei as a constant companion, the time passed far more quickly than I expected. I felt myself begin to relax and almost enjoy the event.

But as with all things, the night eventually drew to an end.

After returning to the City Lord’s Complex, I was ready to return to my studies with renewed energy. With the new Flower on the way, I would need to find a new residence the next day, and I had to finish a few projects first.

Before separating, Mei tenderly cupped my cheek with her hand.

“Thank you for tonight, Fang. I’m finally free.” With those final words, she departed, her scarf trailing after her.

The next morning while I was in my workshop, one of Mei’s Seeds burst in with a frantic look on her face.

“Lord Su, Flower Mei… Mei… One of her servants found her earlier today alone in her room with a white silk cloth around her neck. She… committed suicide, Lord. She’s dead.”

I stared at the young woman. Mei was dead? She committed suicide? She seemed so happy the previous night.

Realization struck me.

“Bastard…” Her damn blessing had driven her to suicide.

Why? What was it trying to get from me? Did it want me to feel pity and help her more in the next life? Did it want me to stay away from her? It was impossible to know, and it was impossible to second guess. No matter how I reacted, it would be exactly the reaction her blessing wanted. I cursed, but I couldn’t do anything to thwart her blessing’s machinations.

As I was about to react further, my body froze. I didn’t know what to do.

Mei’s death was tragic, but I couldn’t do anything about it anymore. I needed to return to work. She wasn’t dead forever after all, and I had to remain focused on what mattered.

I felt these thoughts were wrong deep in my soul, but it was impossible to express my feelings. I needed to see Mei’s body, to say goodbye, to say… something. A funeral… I had to arrange a funeral, right?

The thoughts of my body and the desires of my soul began to war against each other. I felt a fracture form between the two, cleaving my mind in half.

I wanted to visit Mei. I needed to return to my work. I felt I should say goodbye. I knew it wasn’t goodbye, so it didn’t matter.

I had to set aside my feelings for the moment. What was really important? Was it saying goodbye to someone I’d see in a few years anyway, or was it working to acquire the fire seed?

The thoughts of my body triumphed against my weaker soul. I returned to work.