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Chapter 779: Deliverance

"Your Majesty!" Countless citizens cried out for him.

Though Lou Yujing had been a traitor to the Taiqing Immortal Sect, he was skilled enough to have established a divine empire in a short period of time, and had incredible charm besides. Many officials were heartbroken to learn of his death.

Lou Yujing smiled at the officials. There was a hint of bitterness in his eyes. He didn\'t console any of them; rather, he simply flew toward the palace alongside Xiao Nanfeng.

More and more Hongyue officials and cultivators gathered around him.

Though they knew that Xiao Nanfeng was an enemy, that Xiao Nanfeng could kill them at any time, they still trailed after Lou Yujing as he embarked on his final pilgrimage.

Afar, when Tu Jiuniang\'s shattered soul saw Lou Yujing\'s state, she clutched her mouth as tears began to fall from her eyes.

Only when Lou Yujing drew close to her did she rush toward him. "Husband!"

Lou Yujing glanced at Tu Jiuniang with a flash of guilt.

"I\'m sorry, Jiuniang." Lou Yujing patted Jiuniang\'s back.

Lou Yujing didn\'t explain what he was apologizing for, but he could sense Tu Jiuniang\'s soul tremble, as if she understood his meaning.

Lou Yujing released her and continued to fly deeper into the palace. Tu Jiuniang, her eyes red, quickly followed after her husband.

The palace was a mess; countless buildings had simply collapsed.

"Clean up the area, but be careful," Lou Yujing warned his subordinates.

"Understood!"

Many officials rushed to clean up the palace. A small flower garden was restored. It clearly used to be exquisite, but had since become a mess. It was clear that the garden used to be full of fresh flowers, all of which had been destroyed.

The officials were perplexed. They were aware of this flower garden\'s existence, but it was forbidden to anyone else in the palace, including the empress Tu Jiuniang.

Lou Yujing glanced at the small garden and smiled.

"Husband, do you intend to be buried here by her side?" Tu Jiuniang asked.

Lou Yujing glanced toward Tu Jiuniang in surprise. "You\'re aware?"

Tu Jiuniang nodded, then shook her head. "I don\'t, not quite, but I can sense it. Whenever you come across a problem, Husband, you drink in this flower garden. You planted every flower here yourself. Whenever something troubles you, you talk it through here. I\'m sure there must be someone buried here who\'s always on your mind."

Lou Yujing gave her a pained smile. "So you do know everything, after all."

Tu Jiuniang nodded, her eyes as red as ever.

"I know you blame me," Lou Yujing murmured, sighing.

"No. I don\'t blame you. I\'d never blame you, Husband." Tu Jiuniang squeezed Lou Yujing\'s shoulders more tightly.

"I\'m sorry," Lou Yujing said gently.

"Husband, have you ever loved me all these years? Even just once, even just a little?" Tu Jiuniang asked anxiously.

Lou Yujing\'s eyes softened. She really did know everything, after all.

Lou Yujing nodded after a moment\'s thought. "I have."

Tu Jiuniang smiled more radiantly than ever before, despite the tears trailing down her face. She was like a flower in bloom.

"I\'m sorry," Lou Yujing reiterated.

Tu Jiuniang\'s body shook. More tears fell from her eyes. "It\'s enough, Husband. It\'s more than enough. I\'m satisfied with what you\'ve given me!"

Lou Yujing smiled and took ahold of Tu Jiuniang\'s hand. She smiled in excitement; this moment alone made everything she had suffered seem worth it.

Lou Yujing turned to Xiao Nanfeng. "My thanks."

Xiao Nanfeng shook his head. "It\'s hardly worth mentioning."

Lou Yujing nodded. "I hid the third black coffin underground, beneath the palace, in the mouth of a superior draconic vein. You can claim it yourself."

Xiao Nanfeng nodded.

Lou Yujing turned to the shattering golden dragon of fortune high overhead. He took a deep breath. "All the people of Hongyue, listen to me. I am your emperor, Lou Yujing. This is the last time I\'ll be able to communicate with you. From today onwards, the divine empire of Hongyue shall become part of the empire of Shenfeng. All citizens of Hongyue will now belong to Shenfeng, and all officials, generals, and soldiers shall obey official commands from the Divine Emperor. Those who refuse such commands shall be deemed traitors to the empire."

Lou Yujing\'s words were quickly transmitted to Hongyue\'s people via the golden dragon of fortune, all of whom were taken aback.

"How can this be? It has to be fake! Has Hongyue submitted to Shenfeng? Surely it should be the other way around!"

"This can\'t be His Majesty. I won\'t believe it!"

"Is this the end of the divine empire of Hongyue? Impossible!"

If not for the fact that the golden dragon of fortune had transmitted Lou Yujing\'s words, no one would have believed them. How could this be? What Immortal Emperor would bow down to an ordinary emperor?

And yet such was the truth, the incontrovertible truth passed to the citizens of Hongyue via the golden dragon of fortune high overhead. Lou Yujing\'s orders were absolute and unable to be faked.

The people of Hongyue glanced at each other in fear, shock, confusion, and disbelief. The entire empire seemed to grind to a halt.

The forces in the vicinity immediately learned of the news as well.

"Impossible. Is Lou Yujing crazy?"

"Considering how ambitious Lou Yujing is, why would he give up his empire just like that?"

"Aren\'t Hongyue and Shenfeng bitter rivals? Why would Lou Yujing do such a thing?!"

The forces were astounded by the turn of events.

Though they didn\'t dare to participate in the war between the two empires, they had been paying careful attention to what was happening in hopes of profiting once one side started to lose—but what would they do now? The two empires had come to an accord!

Within Hongyue\'s capital, countless cultivators stared at Lou Yujing in shock—including Xiao Nanfeng himself. He didn\'t expect that Lou Yujing would bequeath his entire empire to him.

Lou Yujing turned to Xiao Nanfeng. "I know of the relationship between you and the Shenfeng Empire. This will help you, won\'t it?"

"Why go to this extent?"

Lou Yujing sighed as he glanced at Xiao Nanfeng. "Why do you think I said that we were the only legends in this world?"

Xiao Nanfeng frowned. Wasn\'t that because Lou Yujing was arrogant?

Lou Yujing continued, "It\'s because you seem just like a young me. I can sense your ambition, your hard work, your struggles—it reminds me so much of myself. Before my master perished, I was just like you. I cared little about the struggles and challenges before me, confident that I would be able to overcome each and every one, that I would be able to take on the heavens themselves. I hid my pride, not wanting to advertise my strength until the day I succeeded. Then, I would share my success with the woman of my dreams, repay those who had favored me hundredfold, and bring eternal peace to the land. The whole world would be mine—and would be the better for it."

Xiao Nanfeng glanced sharply at Lou Yujing.

"But as you know, after I suffered a terrible shock, everything changed. My new beliefs and attitude made my old dreams untenable, but I don\'t regret what I did. You haven\'t encountered the same setbacks I did, and you continue on the path I was forced to leave behind. I hope you\'ll be able to succeed in fulfilling what I never managed to achieve."

Xiao Nanfeng nodded. "Thank you."

"Do what you wish with the traitors to the Taiqing Immortal Sect. And finish off Yuan Wudi on my behalf. He\'s a spy for another saint, though I\'ve pretended not to be aware of it."

"I had no intention of letting the traitors go free," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

Lou Yujing nodded. He slowly walked toward the small garden in which he had buried his master, though no one else knew of it. He ceded Hongyue to Xiao Nanfeng not merely because of the reasons he had mentioned, but largely because Xiao Nanfeng had brought him here before his death.

If they couldn\'t be together in life, they would at least be united in death. His physical body and soul were lost to the heavens, but his truesoul had found its home at long last.

Where he stood at the center of the flower garden, starlight emanated from Lou Yujing\'s soul as it began to dissipate.

The golden dragon of fortune high overhead bellowed in grief. Hongyue\'s fortune flew toward Shenfeng as Hongyue crumbled away.

"Your Majesty!" Countless Hongyue officials and soldiers knelt in grief as they saw their emperor off for the final time.

"Husband!" Tu Jiuniang shouted.

Lou Yujing stood in the flower garden looking at Tu Jiuniang. He suddenly smiled and spread his arms wide.

Tu Jiuniang was overjoyed. She rushed into the flower garden herself and into his embrace.

"Husband!"

Tu Jiuniang and Lou Yujing\'s shattered souls dissipated simultaneously into a cloud of starlight.

In the end, they had lost everything but each other.

"Farewell, Your Majesty!" countless Hongyue officials cried out.

Not far away, Xiao Nanfeng and the others bowed as they watched Lou Yujing and his consort vanish from sight.

Though they had won the war, for some reason, Xiao Nanfeng was left with a heavy heart.