The night had fallen.
All the lights in Weishan Prefecture had been extinguished, with only one place still holding a glow.
Outside the He Residence.
Countless citizens held torches aloft, craning their necks to watch the events unfolding within.
Initially, they had kept a hundred meters away from the He Residence, but as time trickled by and no corpses were tossed out as expected, they drew closer and closer.
Now, they stood right before the grand red wooden gate, surrounding the two official horses.
As they held their breath in anticipation, the red wooden gate was slowly pushed open...
Everyone involuntarily took a step back!
A gust of evening wind carrying the scent of blood into their nostrils brought them to their senses; these were not the lackeys of the He family before them, but those two youths!
One of the youths was now covered in bloodstains, his face obscured by a bamboo hat, while the other was followed by more than ten children.
"He Laichao has been executed, and all the children have been rescued. You may all rest assured."
Yun Ze announced loudly, but the crowd remained unresponsive, only staring blankly upwards at the two figures.
It was as if they were questioning, or perhaps in a daze.
Yun Ze did not offer them further explanation. He simply strode down the seven stone steps, mounted one of the official horses, and then turned to the innkeeper, "You are responsible for leading them back. I will go ahead."
"Yes!"
Hearing the innkeeper's reply, Yun Ze rode his horse away from the crowd.
He was not worried about how the innkeeper would handle things. After all, after collecting some of He Laichao's flesh and blood, he had also gone to the backyard of the He Residence and taken a large portion of the gold and silver.
He had also given over a thousand taels of silver notes to the innkeeper, instructing him to purchase the inn and run a proper business to support these unfortunate souls.
The innkeeper had sworn to the heavens that as long as he had food to eat, he would not let these children starve.
Before leaving, Yun Ze had not forgotten to warn the innkeeper that he would be keeping a close eye on his actions, and if he dared to break his oath, he would return to send him on his way!
The innkeeper would certainly not dare to disobey, thus securing a path for the children.
The crowd slowly parted, creating a small path. There was no obstruction, nor any sound.
It was only after Yun Ze's figure disappeared from their sight that a cheer erupted from before the He Residence!
It was then that Yun Ze understood something.
The silence just now, besides the shock of He Laichao's death, was also mixed with the fear the common folk held for him.
When people no longer acted as humans, but as celestial beings from high above, all human emotions would not be displayed before them in their truest form.
Yun Ze could only smile wryly and shake his head, but he did not look back. Instead, he galloped on his horse, gazing in the direction of the distant inn!
Humans?
He had been human for sixteen years and no longer wished to know what it meant to be human. He was more eager to know what it meant to be an 'immortal'!
In less than fifteen minutes, Yun Ze returned to the inn.
This time, he entered through the main door. As soon as he opened it, he saw someone on the ground, wiping bloodstains from the floor with a towel.
It was the innkeeper.
The once bustling inn was now empty, with only him on the ground, vigorously cleaning the bloodstains.
When Yun Ze entered, he did not even look up, directly calling out, "Apologies, esteemed guest. My humble establishment is fully booked tonight. Please try another place."
"I have lodging here."
Yun Ze said, bypassing the innkeeper and heading towards the room he was staying in, assuming the old man would be waiting for him there.
"Immortal? Immortal, save me!"
Before Yun Ze could go upstairs, the innkeeper who was wiping the floor rushed forward, kneeling directly on the ground and banging his head against it!
Bang! Bang!
"Please, save this old man's life!"
"Hmm?"
Yun Ze turned to look behind him, his face filled with confusion. "Since I have returned, it means He Laichao is dead. What life do you need me to save?"
"He Laichao is dead, but the He family will not be destroyed!"
The innkeeper raised his head, his forehead already broken. "I know that He Zhixuan is currently not in Weishan Prefecture, but is patrolling outside. When he returns and discovers that He Laichao is dead, and knows you stayed here, I will undoubtedly be the first one interrogated!
At that time, it will truly be a dead end!"
Yun Ze had not considered this point at the time.
He had only intended that grievances should be met with their rightful parties. Since it was He Laichao who ordered the massacre of the village, there was no need to vent anger on others.
But if I do not kill Bo Ren, and Bo Ren dies because of me, what is the difference between that and indirectly killing the innkeeper?
However...
Yun Ze frowned and looked at the innkeeper, "He Zhixuan... is he not afraid of immortals?"
"Afraid! Of course, he's afraid!"
The innkeeper, as if clutching a lifeline, quickly looked up at Yun Ze. "But even if He Zhixuan fears immortals, he does not fear an immortal who merely stayed here for one night.
However, if you, honored immortal, could bestow some calligraphy, then it would be entirely different!"
So that's what he was waiting for.
Yun Ze's eyes narrowed, and he couldn't help but smile.
It seemed that these people, besides fearing immortals, also had those like the innkeeper who dared to dance on the edge of a blade and scheme.
Truly, no merchant is without cunning!
"Calligraphy is not impossible, but from now on, you should not operate this inn either."
Yun Ze said, turning around and continuing upstairs. "Someone will come to settle accounts with you later. Take the silver and return to your hometown. We can discuss the calligraphy after you have handled the inn's affairs."
"Yes! Yes! Thank you, honored immortal! Thank you, honored immortal!" The innkeeper repeatedly thanked him, continuing to kowtow.
Let alone the silver, even without the inn, it would be fine if he only had the immortal's calligraphy!
Yun Ze couldn't be bothered to ponder what the innkeeper was thinking. He reached the door and pushed it open.
He saw the old beggar still in the same posture, feasting at the table, while Bu Bu was already sitting cross-legged on the bed, a profound aura flowing around her, as if she were cultivating.
However, her method was completely different from his own cultivation method.
"Yo, you're back?"
The old beggar greeted Yun Ze as soon as he spoke, as if the one who had been coercing and tempting him to hand over the immortal jade at the He Residence was someone else. "Come, come, sit down, sit down. I'll tell you what cultivation is all about."
"Yes."
Yun Ze responded and sat down, then heard a question.
"What is the 'immortal' in your heart?"
What is an immortal?
Yun Ze's initial understanding of immortals came from the storyteller.
What a blade of grass could use to sever the sun, moon, and stars, a grain of sand could use to fill rivers and seas, eternal life, eternal existence with a single thought.
Are these immortals? Clearly, they are.
But if these were all, were they truly immortals?
Yun Ze frowned, pondered for a few breaths, and then slowly spoke.
"The immortal in my heart can achieve longevity, can be invincible, can support the common people, can roam freely in the world, and can also... suppress eternal peace!"