Chapter 324: Encounter

Five years later, Chen Luo, recommended by the Lu family, entered the Imperial Court as an official.

The court was rife with corruption, and as the Lu family’s protégé, he naturally aligned himself with their faction. After a political struggle, he was demoted to a remote southern province, arriving weary from the arduous journey with only four companions.

In this new post, Chen Luo devoted himself to his duties, steadfastly upholding his principles.

Unlike most who had undergone Tribulation Transcendence, Chen Luo possessed a clear understanding of his desires and actions, imbuing his conduct with an earnest sincerity. That year, through the matchmaking efforts of his sister-in-law, Xin Hong, he married the daughter of a local powerful clan, establishing both a family and a career.

He took root in Shan City and began managing it with unwavering dedication.

Seven years passed swiftly. Under his governance, Shan City flourished with political transparency, and its people thrived in peace and prosperity.

Prefectural Office.

Chen Luo, in the body of Zhang Zheng, was now thirty-four years old. As the governing magistrate of the region, he had firmly established himself through his own political acumen and the influence of his marital alliance. Now, he began to extend his reach back toward the Imperial Court.

In these chaotic times, corruption among officials was rampant, and peasant uprisings were frequent. Yet the Great Lords above barely took these rebellions seriously. Only those living through this era understood that rebellion was no longer a terrifying prospect. From an official’s perspective, it was merely a matter of allocating more funds to security forces. As long as the higher-ups approved the budget, they could swiftly crush those mud-caked rebels.

If only the money was sufficient.

Far more troublesome than peasant uprisings were the powerful clans, restless military officers, and ambitious princes. These were the true threats to the Dynasty’s stability. Chen Luo pondered these issues, but his thoughts kept returning to Ao Ye’s whereabouts.

For years, he had searched for Ao Ye without success. He had tracked down over a dozen irrelevant Marauder Cultivators and Water Mansion Monsters, only to find them lost to their original selves, trapped in the Demonic Heart Tribulation, relentlessly pursuing their twisted desires. This harsh reality shattered Chen Luo’s naive expectations of the Demonseed path. He realized that not every Demon Seed would blossom and bear fruit.

“It’s getting late. Be careful not to catch a chill.”

A robe was draped over Chen Luo’s shoulders, jolting him from his reverie.

A woman in a pale green dress, her hair adorned with pearl flowers, stood before him. Her demure beauty and gentle temperament defined her as a woman of humble origins. This was Wen Wan, the wife Chen Luo had taken during his tribulation, unlike the nameless woman from his past.

“I made you a bowl of red bean porridge,” she said, placing the bowl on the edge of the desk. After years of marriage, their relationship remained quietly subdued. Wen Wan never complained, simply striving to fulfill her role as a dutiful wife.

“Mmm,” Chen Luo responded, picking up the bowl and taking a sip. The porridge was bland, with only a hint of sweetness. He remembered that during their first year of marriage, he had casually mentioned his preference for lighter flavors, and she had taken it to heart.

Such meticulous attention to detail—eight years of thoughtful care.

The oil lamp flickered, casting their silhouettes onto the wall behind the desk.

The dynasty grew increasingly unstable. A Military Commissioner in the north had raised an army in revolt, dealing the Imperial Court a crushing blow. Though the rebel king was eventually suppressed, the facade of the dynasty’s golden age had been torn away. Many now realized that the Imperial Court was not as powerful as they had believed.

That same year, a rebellion erupted in the Southwest, triggering widespread civil unrest. The Imperial Court dispatched troops to quell the uprising.

Chen Luo, the only official in the Southwest unequivocally loyal to the Court, was summoned to join the campaign. The rebel forces, using channels through local powerful clans, also sent him a letter urging him to surrender.

Night.

Study.

Chen Luo stood by the window, two official documents laid open on the desk beside him. The chaos in the Southwest had thrust him into a perilous position. His decision would determine the fate of his entire clan, and the lives of those who had entrusted their livelihoods to him hung in the balance.

Life and death rested on his single choice.

“The Demonic Heart Tribulation…”

Gazing at the starry sky, Chen Luo sensed the Tribulation Qi permeating his being. Unlike previous trials, this tribulation was his own. His identity had shifted from the corrupting “Demonic Heart” to the one undergoing Tribulation Transcendence. If not for the warning from his External Brain, he would have faced the same dilemma as other cultivators undergoing Tribulation Transcendence. In such a situation, who could truly maintain their original intentions? All would be weighing the pros and cons.

“It’s getting chilly. You should rest.”

Wen Wan entered the study, her familiar voice as clear as if it were yesterday.

She wore the same outfit as when they first met: a pale green gown adorned with pearl hairpins. Chen Luo sometimes felt he didn’t truly understand this woman. She always deferred to his judgment, yet occasionally displayed a firm will of her own.

“What do you think I should do?” Chen Luo suddenly asked, gazing at his wife.

Wen Wan pondered for a moment before replying earnestly, “I trust my husband’s judgment.”

“Sister-in-law Xin Hong hasn’t been feeling well lately. You should visit her more often,” Chen Luo said with a smile, changing the subject. He was thinking of Xin Hong, Zhang Zheng’s beloved elder sister-in-law, whom Chen Luo had kept by his side since becoming an official, sparing her from hard labor. However, the ailments she had developed from overwork in her youth were now resurfacing. In her early forties, Xin Hong’s face was lined with wrinkles, and her hair was streaked with gray. She rarely left her quarters these days, and recently her cough had worsened. Chen Luo had consulted numerous physicians, but none had provided relief.

“I will,” Wen Wan replied softly. She had been Xin Hong’s primary caregiver for years.

Chen Luo chose to side with the Imperial Court and led his troops to suppress the rebellion.

There are things one must do, and things one must not do. The riches and glory promised by the rebels were, in his eyes, nothing more than fleeting illusions.

Months later, the Imperial Court’s main army arrived.

Chen Luo’s three thousand troops were integrated into the Imperial forces, and he was promoted to Deputy Commandant. He also met the high-ranking official dispatched by the Imperial Court to oversee the suppression—a stern-faced old man radiating an unparalleled aura of authority.

“Zuoqiulong?” Chen Luo recognized the Demon Seed embedded between the man’s eyebrows.

He never imagined that the Marauder Cultivator leader who had once served Hong Madam could transform so completely in a new environment. Everyone’s fate is unique, and different circumstances shape different individuals, yet one’s true nature remains constant.

“Commandant Zhang, you must be weary from your journey. Please rest first. I have a student who, like you, is a Southwest official. I believe you two would get along well,” Zuoqiulong said with a courteous smile, showing no sign of recognition from his past life. He then introduced Chen Luo to a young man:

Ao Ye!

Chen Luo had been searching for his long-lost disciple, Ao Ye, for years, never expecting to find him here. Like Zuoqiulong, Ao Ye had no memory of his past life and served as a military scribe in the Southwest. Yet, also like Zuoqiulong, he harbored a fierce hatred for evil, burning with resentment for those corrupt officials who had thrown the imperial court into disarray.

He believed they were the root cause of the nation’s turmoil, disrupting the lives of ordinary people.

Chen Luo and Ao Ye became fast friends. Being more than a decade older, Chen Luo was addressed as “Brother” by Ao Ye. Together, they served diligently in the army for several years, finally suppressing the rebellion in the Southwest. Through their conversations, Chen Luo learned of Ao Ye’s true identity: a former court official who had been demoted to the Southwest for his outspoken criticisms of the emperor. When Zuoqiulong led the campaign to quell the rebellion, Ao Ye was among the first to respond. His unwavering integrity had earned him Zuoqiulong’s deep respect and trust.

“I wish to follow you, Master,” Ao Ye declared with the fervor of a scholar-official, his resolve unshaken. “Together, we will purify the realm and restore the foundations of the imperial court.”

Six months later, Zuoqiulong’s massive army quelled the rebellion, capturing its ringleader alive and executing him along with his entire clan. Afterward, Zuoqiulong and Ao Ye were appointed to govern the Southwest, tasked with restoring livelihoods and rebuilding the cities devastated by the rebels. Chen Luo also joined Zuoqiulong’s staff, serving as one of his officials.

Three years passed, and Chen Luo turned forty.

With the Southwest pacified, Zuoqiulong led his victorious troops back to the Capital. He recommended both Chen Luo and Ao Ye for appointments in the imperial court.

Chen Luo and Ao Ye were reassigned to the Capital, advancing further in their careers. Due to the long journey, Chen Luo traveled alone this time, leaving his family behind. As he bid farewell at the long pavilion outside the city gates, he gazed at his wife, Wen Wan, and his elder sister-in-law, Xin Hong, both filled with concern.

“The road ahead is long and arduous, my husband,” Wen Wan said. “Please take care of yourself. I will look after your sister-in-law while you’re away.”

“Take care,” Xin Hong added.

“Farewell,” Chen Luo replied.

After bidding them farewell, Chen Luo set out for the Capital. There, he witnessed even more seeds of the Demonic Heart Tribulation, scattered among nobles and commoners alike. Each person faced unique circumstances and made different choices.

Zuoqiulong, having quelled the rebellion and restored livelihoods, was promoted to the highest rank of officialdom and formally appointed Prime Minister of the empire.

Chen Luo and Ao Ye had also advanced in their careers, officially becoming members of Zuoqiulong’s faction. The three men grew even closer.

Two years later, Chen Luo had established himself in the Capital. He sent for his sister-in-law and wife, Wen Wan, from the Southwest, and life settled into a peaceful rhythm once more. With Zuoqiulong firmly in control of the Imperial Court and backed by the Emperor, he launched sweeping reforms, overhauling the military system. In a prosperous dynasty, such reforms might have gone smoothly, but with the court in decline and powerful generals commanding their own armies, none obeyed imperial decrees.

When news spread of the court’s plans to downsize the military and slash funding, the Border Army rebelled, swords pointed at the Central Plains. The imperial forces sent to suppress the revolt were routed, and the rebels surged inland, aiming to capture the Imperial City.

Panic gripped the court and the nation.

Droves of officials submitted petitions urging appeasement, begging the Emperor to concede to the rebels’ demands: abandon the military cuts, open the imperial treasury to lavishly reward their leaders, and promote them three ranks.

“Utter nonsense!” Ao Ye could no longer restrain himself. He strode forward, pointing an accusing finger at the appeasement-minded officials and unleashing a furious tirade. “You worthless parasites! You squander the Emperor’s bounty, yet when disaster strikes, you conspire with these rebels instead of defending the throne! Your treason deserves death!”