He waved to the soldiers behind him and shouted, "Leave a thousand men to guard this city, the rest of you come with me!"

He was about to spur his horse forward when he suddenly stopped and shouted, "Remember, those who stay to guard the city are not allowed to harass the people. If anyone commits any crimes, I will not let them off lightly!"

"Yes!" The Northern Rong soldiers responded loudly and energetically. Yelü Yan turned to look at Shi Chan and saw a satisfied expression on his face. Only then did he lead his troops forward.

Nearly 30,000 cavalrymen trampled down the long street, their hoofbeats echoing into the houses on both sides, causing panic among the residents. Fortunately, the sound of hooves gradually subsided, and not a single Northern Rong soldier rushed into their homes, which reassured the people somewhat.

After watching the Northern Rong troops march past on the street, Shi Chan turned and walked out of the city, shaking his head and sighing as he went.

With such a foolish and incompetent emperor, I fear the Central Plains will soon descend into chaos. When war breaks out, the innocent civilians will be the first to suffer.

He chanted a spell to conceal his robe, and the words of the young monk on the small boat that day came to mind once again.

His expression froze, and he fell into deep thought, muttering to himself, "Ten thousand years of cultivation is not easy... Why ten thousand years?"

Then he couldn't help but recall the all-knowing look in the little monk's eyes when he said those words. He subconsciously reached into his pocket and pulled out a small beaded flower.

The beaded flower was cut from pink silk into the shape of a peach blossom, with a circle of rice-grain-sized pearls sewn around the center of the blossom. The pearls were translucent and round, emitting a faint glow.

His gaze, as he looked down at the beaded flower, unconsciously held a gentle smile, tinged with a hint of longing. But when he recalled the little monk's gaze, his expression changed, revealing a hint of conflict and reluctance.

Even though he was extremely reluctant, he still let go, letting the beaded flower flutter to the ground. He clasped his hands together, stepped over the beaded flower, and walked forward step by step.

A gentle breeze blew by, causing the pearl flowers to sway on the ground like duckweed, and soon they were covered in dust, which tarnished their delicate pink color.

The pearl flower tumbled and rolled alone in the wind, its fate seemingly sealed, wandering on the ground with the wind until the dust completely covered its original appearance, and no one would notice it anymore.

But after a short while, a slender, fair hand gently picked it up again. Shi Chan gently brushed the dust off the beaded flower and put it back into his bosom.