The Unruly Immortals

"Buzz~" "Buzz~~"

The sachet copper ball as large as a giant cauldron hung amidst the opulent palace, emitting a dense fragrance as palace maids outside the hall pulled it, swinging back and forth like a swing with a buzzing sound.

The rich aroma enveloped the entire hall in a cloud-like mist, resembling an immortal realm. A young Taoist, wearing a red Taoist robe with a scar on his face, slowly emerged from the fragrant mist.

"Li True Person, please follow me. His Majesty has been waiting for a long time." An eunuch with a round face, bowing slightly, held a horsetail whisk with a flattering smile as he followed closely behind Li Huowang.

"The fragrance is too strong!" Li Huowang sniffed, showing a hint of dissatisfaction.

"Hehehe... Li True Person is troubled, but the servants here are used to it and do not feel anything."

"Do you East Xia people have to put so many sachets in the room? I saw it in the commoners' houses as well when I entered the Capital City."

"Hehehe, it wasn't like this in the past, but the current Emperor likes it. Since His Majesty likes it, it must be good. The people follow the example from above."

"Li True Person, you just aren't used to the scent. Fragrance is always better than stench. Just smell it for a few more months, and you'll appreciate its subtleties. Each scent has its distinct character."

Li Huowang said nothing, silently continuing towards the inner hall. As he passed through to the Emperor's sleeping quarters, the scent grew even more intense.

As the palace maid gently pulled the silk curtain string, layer by layer of gauze veils were opened. Finally, after a long pause, Li Huowang saw the main figure, the Emperor of East Xia.

The Emperor of East Xia was completely covered in white hair, his face covered with age spots and looking dull. His hands trembled uncontrollably beneath the Dragon Robe, appearing almost at the end of his life.

However, his appearance did not surprise Li Huowang. It was the slight change in the rich fragrance that caused him to frown involuntarily.

It was the smell of rot, to be precise, the stench of a corpse decomposing.

In the enveloping aroma of the sachets, the stench was almost suppressed into oblivion. If not for Li Huowang's keen sense of smell, he might not have detected this anomaly.

"You..." The old emperor of East Xia spoke, his voice aged and weary, as if his throat were clogged with thick phlegm. "You must be Li Yunxin?"

Li Huowang bowed once more, "Replying to Your Majesty, I am indeed Li Yunxin."

The old emperor's mere spoken words seemed to drain all his energy. After a long pause, he slowly continued, "Do you really have a way to... find the Immortal Elixir for longevity?"

"Replying to Your Majesty! As long as Your Majesty grants me three thousand gold melon guards and six hundred virgin boys and girls, I will ensure I find the Immortal Elixir for Your Majesty on Penglai Fairy Island!"

"You must listen carefully, I want the Immortal Elixir... not the Yangshou Pill!"

"Of course! Your Majesty, with your noble status, it is needless to say Yangshou Pills are abundant."

"I do not seek to become an immortal, I just want the Longevity Elixir!"

"I understand Your Majesty's desire!"

"Alright.. go on." The old emperor was exhausted, and with a slight tremor of his hand, the layers of gauze curtains closed again between them.

In the last moment before the curtains completely closed, a ghostly sentence escaped from within, "If you fail... it will be your head."

With a smile on his lips, Li Huowang bowed once more, retreating slowly.

The old emperor had spoken, so naturally the Imperial Court of East Xia dared not to delay. Within merely half a day, everything Li Huowang requested, whether the virgin boys and girls or three thousand gold melon guards, was ready.

Standing on the drill ground, Li Huowang silently watched everything below. An elderly eunuch in a python robe waited cautiously at his side. "Li True Person, are these to your satisfaction?"

"Hmm, let's go! As long as the count is correct." Li Huowang mounted his horse, shouting to the general afar, "Bring the virgin boys and girls onto the carriages! We're off to find the Undying Medicine for the Emperor!"

The three thousand six hundred people, along with the carriages, left the Capital City in a grand procession, creating a buzz among the city's citizens.

Rumor had it that this Li True Person had the ability to bring the dead back to life, and chances of finding the Longevity Elixir were undoubtedly higher with him than others.

But as widespread as the rumors were, they were overtaken by other news in mere days. Within half a year, the commoners had long forgotten about this matter.

However, seven years later at noon, when Li Huowang returned alone to the Imperial City, the citizens of East Xia remembered this event again.

Severely wounded, Li Huowang, clutching a lacquer box to his chest, panted heavily as he made his way towards the Imperial Palace. Over the past seven years, he had experienced far too much—it was truly hard-won.

Suddenly, with a slashing sound, a thin steel wire as fine as a hair sliced from the left side of Li Huowang's neck to the right.

As blood sprayed forth, his head began to tilt slowly, falling towards the ground.

But just as a masked woman rushed over, preparing to seize the lacquer box from Li Huowang's arms, he pressed down with one hand, stabilizing his nearly detached head.

With a sweep of his sword, Li Huowang, in the face of the woman's incredulous gaze, saw her head replace his, falling down.

Though the danger was temporarily averted, he did not take it lightly, scanning the surrounding citizens with a grim expression. "Damn! What's going on! I thought everything was cleaned up—who leaked the information?"