"You are joking, my Lord. It is important for a person to know himself. I am eighty years old and will soon become old.

Now I am just a dying man, barely lingering on. Compared to the immortality of the True Lord, I am far, far inferior. True Lord, please do not continue to torture me."

After Nie Xiang finished speaking, his expression was complicated. There seemed to be thousands of stars in his eyes, but also like a pool of stagnant water.

If he had not known Shi Jian, and someone told him that monks could live for hundreds or thousands of years or even forever, he would have scoffed at it.

Can……

After seeing Shi Jian's ageless appearance over the past decade and his extraordinary power, Nie Xiaoqian's father could no longer remain calm.

Especially in the twilight years of life...

When a person is about to die, he begins to miss the past. He sees the possibility of success but cannot reach out to touch it. Even as the prime minister of Daqian, Father Nie can only lament that it is like a mirage that is out of reach.

Shi Jian saw the complexity in Nie Xiaoqian's father's heart. The desires of mortals are actually very simple, or the wishes of living beings are very simple. After satisfying basic survival, they will pursue more wealth and status...

Shi Jian understood and was willing to give Nie Xiaoqian's father a special opportunity.

but……

Shi Jian was not sure whether the other party would agree. After all, according to his own ideas, even if Nie Xiaoqian's father could survive, he would no longer be the high and mighty Prime Minister Nie, but a city god under his command!
That’s right, Shi Jian can be appointed as the City God. Although the Six Paths of Reincarnation are now in name only, the City of the Dead in the underworld is now the territory of Maoshan.

Shi Jian certainly didn't have the time to manage a city of wrongful death himself, so he could only let Nie Xiaoqian and her daughter manage it together.

Hearing what Nie Xiaoqian's father said, Shi Jian smiled slightly and looked at Nie Xiaoqian's father with a free and unrestrained look.

"Old sir, life and death are the laws of nature. Cultivation is against the will of heaven. Only by experiencing the calamities of heaven and earth can one live longer.

I feel the same way about this!
Let's be frank, old sir. After all, you and I have known each other for more than ten years. There is no six realms of reincarnation in the underworld today, let alone the so-called Ten Kings of Hell. Even reincarnation is just empty talk. Old sir, you are now eighty years old, and I'm afraid you don't have many years left in this world.

"When your soul returns to the underworld a hundred years later, what plans will the old gentleman have?"

Shi Jian asked bluntly. Talking about a person's life and death sounded a bit rude, but for Nie Xiaoqian's father, it was no big deal. He was already eighty years old and didn't have many years left to live.

Glancing at his daughter Nie Xiaoqian, Nie Xiaoqian's father's face froze when he heard Shi Jian's question. He had thought...

Originally, if Nie Xiaoqian didn't come back, he would have turned into a wandering ghost after his death, no matter whether it was good or bad.

But Nie Xiaoqian came back, his only daughter, and he was unwilling to leave...

Therefore, if possible, Father Nie hopes to be like his daughter and stay by Shi Jian's side, not seeking to achieve success in cultivation, but only to accompany Nie Xiaoqian.

On the side, Nie Xiaoqian looked a little flustered. Even though she knew from the beginning that her father would get a good fortune, when she really faced it, Nie Xiaoqian was still worried that something unexpected would happen.

Taking a deep breath, Father Nie's old face gradually relaxed, and even his expression became gentle.

"Master, if I had not met you today, and if I had not met Xiaoqian, it would not matter what happened to me after I died. Whether I became a lonely ghost or was devoured by powerful ghosts in the underworld, I would have no complaints and would gladly accept it.

But the arrival of the True Lord today made me greedy and eager...

If the True Lord is willing to let me stay with Xiao Qian, I will be willing to work like a slave for you!"

After saying this, Father Nie's longing eyes were filled with tears, but Shi Jian saw it without being too moved.

"father!

Don't worry, I won't go anywhere after I come back this time. I will stay with you from now on. Master Zhenjun has agreed. After you return to the underworld, I will let you and I take charge of the Wrongful Death City in the underworld. This way, I will never be separated from you."

In the end, Nie Xiaoqian couldn't control her emotions and revealed what Shi Jian wanted to say in advance. Shi Jian didn't blame her at all. After all, it was just a deal and a fate.

For Nie Xiaoqian, meeting her was fate, keeping her by his side to practice was also fate, and getting to know Nie Xiaoqian's father was still fate.

After his death, the father and daughter took over the City of the Dead on behalf of Maoshan in a deal, exchanging their freedom and time for Maoshan's protection. In short, Shi Jian had no reason to refuse.

Hearing his daughter say this, Nie Xiaoqian's father was immediately surprised, and looked up at Shi Jian's still calm face. At this moment, even though he had already been a high and mighty prime minister, Nie Xiaoqian's father still felt that he could not understand Shi Jian in front of him, who was so calm and without any emotion in his eyes, as if all this was not due to favoritism, but a natural task.

Just as he was about to say thank you, Father Nie didn't know what to say...

After pondering for a moment, the old face finally became solemn. Even though he was very old now, with a thud, Nie Xiaoqian's father still knelt on the ground, enduring the severe pain.

Return a favor and show loyalty. Some things are not free. If you want to get them, you need to pay a price. Father Nie, who has fought in the court for decades, naturally understands this well.

"Your Excellency has been so kind and gracious that my father and I will never be able to repay you. We only wish to manage the City of the Dead for you in this lifetime. Although we cannot repay your kindness, we will no longer be afraid.

We will defend the City of the Dead to the death!"

“You don’t have to swear to defend it until your death. It’s just a city of the dead in the underworld. Although it is a chess piece for me, it’s not time to play chess yet. You and your daughter will be safe in the city of the dead.

Maoshan's territory is not for others to run wild...

In short, I am relieved to leave the underworld to you and your daughter."

After Shi Jian finished speaking, Nie Xiaoqian's father immediately smiled. He knew that he had guessed right. Being able to have a good end after death, isn't this the best ending?
Moreover, according to what his daughter had said about the situation in the underworld, the city closest to the underworld for the people of Daqian to return to after death in the future would be the City of the Dead. When he was alive, as the prime minister of Daqian, he governed the country and loved the people. After his death, he would become the manager of the City of the Dead and continue to serve as prime minister.

Just when everyone was having a great time, a group of scholars rushed into the government office of Nie Xiaoqian's father.

“Dean…Dean…!
Oh no, something happened! "

As a group of scholars broke in, the conversation between Shi Jian and his companions came to an abrupt end.

Seeing his disciples in such a miserable state, Nie Xiaoqian's father, as the dean of the academy, suddenly felt a little embarrassed. After all, Shi Jian was still here, and he could not save face by letting the other party see that the students he taught were in such a state.

"quiet!
Why are you so flustered? You are usually taught to be calm and composed, but have you ignored the teacher's words?"

After Father Nie said this, the several hurried scholars suddenly calmed down a lot. They began to breathe heavily, wiped the sweat from their foreheads, and started to explain without caring about their messy appearance at the moment.

"Dean, Yunyang Lake is a forbidden area of ​​the academy. Normally, we dare not have any contact with it. But this morning, the eldest son of the Zhu family entered it without hesitation. Now several hours have passed, but there is still no sign of him coming out. As a forbidden area, it must be dangerous. That's why we hurried to report to you, dean!"

Originally he could remain calm and listen, but when he heard the word "forbidden area", Nie Xiaoqian's father's expression began to become extremely ugly.

After learning that his students had entered the forbidden area and had not come out yet, his expression turned from extremely ugly to worried.

"broken!
Regarding the forbidden area, I and the teachers in the academy have repeatedly warned you not to get close to it.

I didn’t expect you guys to…

This is a troublesome matter!"

For a moment, Nie Xiaoqian's father was extremely worried. It was not that he was making a fuss. Most of Yunyang Lake belonged to Yunyang Academy. There was a small island in the center of the lake. There was a temple on the island. The temple was empty except for a mural hanging in the temple.

The mural is not of Buddha or Bodhisattva, but a picture of a fairy palace.

Calling it the Fairy Palace is a bit of an exaggeration, but being called a forbidden area is a long story.

Several hundred years ago, when this temple was discovered by the people of Yunyang County, it was designated as a forbidden area.

The reason is simple. Anyone who walks into the temple alone will disappear out of thin air, and no one knows where the disappeared person has gone. Over time, it has become a forbidden place.

The people of Yunyang County have also tried to overthrow the temple over the past few hundred years, but the seemingly decayed temple is indestructible. Some people have also tried to burn it down with fire, but the flames could not ignite...

It couldn't be hacked down by knives or axes, so they had no choice but to seal it off and incorporate it into the academy, and no one else was allowed to enter.

Shi Jian watched with great interest from the side. These so-called forbidden places were generally haunted by demons. However, after entering the territory of Yunyang County, he used his spiritual sense to scan the entire Yunyang County and did not find any trace of demons.

Li Yingqi was also curious, so he came directly to Nie Xiaoqian and began to ask in a low voice.

"Sister Xiaoqian, what is this so-called forbidden place?
Sister Xiaoqian, what do you think about your father being so panicked?
How about we go investigate?"

Seeing Li Yingqi's eager look, Nie Xiaoqian also looked surprisingly nervous.

As a native of Yunyang County, Nie Xiaoqian is no stranger to this forbidden area.

"Inky, don't!

To tell you the truth, this so-called forbidden area is..."

Soon, Nie Xiaoqian told Li Yingqi everything she knew.

Upon hearing that there was such a magical place in the world, Li Yingqi, who was already eager to try it, suddenly became more interested.

Shi Jian, who was standing by, didn't listen intentionally, but after all, his cultivation level was there, so he took in every word Nie Xiaoqian said.

I couldn't help but feel curious.

A temple that is impervious to swords and guns, and impervious to water and fire, and a picture of a fairy palace...

It doesn't sound like ordinary stuff at all.

On this side, after learning about the situation, Nie Xiaoqian's father could only sigh.

He had no way to save his disciples. In the past few hundred years, no one who entered the forbidden temple could come back.

Just as Nie Xiaoqian's father was sighing, Shi Jian quietly came to his side.

"Old sir, this is such an interesting place. I have traveled all over the world, so I will go and see it now!
As for the student you mentioned, if possible, I can bring him back."

Nie Xiaoqian's father's eyes were instantly filled with hope at Shi Jian's sudden words.

Ordinary people like them might not be able to do anything, but Shi Jian is a real person from Maoshan, a land immortal, so he might not be without a solution.

but……

When thinking about entering the underworld in the future, Nie Xiaoqian's father didn't want Shi Jian to take the risk.

“Master, although I also hope that you can rescue this child, the forbidden area of ​​Yunyang County is really hard to understand. No one who has entered it in the past few hundred years has been able to return.

I also know that you have great magical powers, but it is better to be careful in everything. I hope you will think twice!"

"Hahaha, that's fine.

Don't worry, old man. I have traveled all over the country for so many years and have killed many demons. There is no such thing as a forbidden place in this world. It's just the demons causing trouble. Some guys are just playing tricks."

After saying this, Shi Jian didn't care what Nie Xiaoqian's father would think, and he disappeared into the void in a flash. Seeing this, Li Yingqi behind him didn't even have time to say goodbye to Nie Xiaoqian, and also soared into the sky.

"Master, please don't eat alone. Wait for your disciple..."

Li Yingqi's last words were floating in the void. Nie Xiaoqian's father stood there in a daze. He really didn't expect that Shi Jian would make a judgment and decision so quickly.

It seems that he has no fear at all...

But this was, after all, a forbidden area in Yunyang County where no one had returned alive in hundreds of years. It was not easy to go there. Even though he knew that Master Shi Jian and his disciples had great powers, he couldn't help but feel worried.

Nie Xiaoqian seemed to see the worry in her father's face. With a smile on her face, she approached her father step by step.

It was not until he came to Father Nie's side that he comforted him, "Father, don't worry too much. Master Zhenjun is definitely not as weak as you think. Moreover, Master Zhenjun comes from Maoshan, and Maoshan's heritage is unfathomable. With Master Zhenjun's status, there will definitely be no problems!"

Nie Xiaoqian was sure of this. After following Shi Jian for all these years, although it was impossible for her to know the situation in the outside world at all times, she was clear about Shi Jian's status in Maoshan.

Especially this trip to the underworld, even though a powerful god-transforming warrior appeared in the Yuhua Immortal Dynasty, when he heard that Shi Jian came from the Maoshan Patriarch Hall, didn’t he run away in shame?
Moreover, although the forbidden area of ​​Yunyang County is rumored to be extremely terrifying and makes the people of Yunyang County shudder at the mention of it, Nie Xiaoqian believes that it is very likely not even one-tenth as terrible as the Black Mountain Old Demon in the underworld.

(End of this chapter)