Cao Ya and Sun Wukong exchanged a glance, both watching with great interest.
"Serving as an official in the imperial court is not actually our forte," Wu Song said in a deep voice.
Lu Zhishen laughed and said, "Brother, then we won't go back to Tokyo."
"Since we have neither relatives nor treasures, we can leave it there. Even if we have a mansion, there's no need for us to stay there anymore. Brothers, when you go back, take it back and reward the meritorious soldiers. Don't worry about us being angry. We all agree."
"Whoosh." Lin Chong waved his hand, and the divine spear disappeared. He held his wife tightly with one hand, and his face was full of joy.
"We only possess some magical powers; we know nothing about domestic affairs, people's livelihoods, military campaigns, or warfare."
“Returning to Tokyo and taking on an important position actually feels a bit like a cuckoo taking over someone else’s nest.”
"How to govern the country and let the people live a good life... Brother, that depends on you."
"However, if war is necessary, we will never back down. We will stand up and fight against a powerful enemy!"
Not only Wu Song, Lu Zhishen, and Lin Chong, but also Gongsun Sheng, Shi Xiu, Yan Qing, and others bowed and expressed the same sentiment.
A career in officialdom may have been something to aspire to in the past, but later one comes to understand the cruelty of political struggles.
He joined Liangshan Marsh, established the Xing Dynasty, defeated various forces, and achieved unification...
They had accomplished most of their life goals. Moreover, they believed that Song Jiang could benefit the people and create a glorious and prosperous era, where the world was at peace and people lived in contentment!
As for what happens in the future... that's a matter for future generations to decide; no one can control the future!
Now that the crisis has been resolved, the powerful enemy has been defeated, and the Star Dynasty is completely stable, what is the point of them staying?
In officialdom, playing tricks and schemes is definitely not their forte.
Furthermore, how to implement policies, govern the country, and enable the people to live a good life, to have enough to eat and wear, and to have a wide range of upward mobility... they are almost completely clueless about this.
After much deliberation, it was deemed more appropriate for them to retire gracefully, thus preventing their past brotherhood from being destroyed by brutal political infighting.
"Brothers..." Song Jiang clasped his hands in greeting, but he knew that these people had already made up their minds and could not be persuaded.
"No matter what, Tokyo will always be open to our brothers!"
Lu Zhishen laughed and said, "Brother, this Southern Continent now belongs to the Star Dynasty. Your responsibilities are still very heavy. Don't forget the principles of 'loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, righteousness, and acting on behalf of Heaven'!"
Song Jiang replied solemnly, "Brother Zhishen, rest assured, Song Jiang will never forget you!"
"The ultimate goal of the Star Dynasty is to pursue universal harmony and ensure that all people live in peace and happiness!"
Then, Song Jiang extended an invitation to the girls in the Red Mansion:
"The Virtuous Consort..."
Jia Yuanchun shook her head, smiled helplessly, and said, "Emperor Xing, please still call me Jia Yuanchun. Please do not mention the title of 'Virtuous Consort' of the Great Shen Kingdom again."
"Nowadays, Jia Yuanchun is just a daughter of the Jia family, and has no connection with Da Shen anymore."
Song Jiang cupped his hands in apology and said, "I was being presumptuous."
"Ladies, please come to the capital city of Tokyo for a discussion! You have all rendered great service and deserve to be granted titles of Duke or Noble of the Great Xing Dynasty, hereditary titles that will last forever, and that you will live and die with the nation!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "Star Emperor, we are all women."
Song Jiang waved his hand and laughed, "It's alright! Emperor Gaozu of Han had examples of bestowing titles upon women. This was when meritorious officials had passed away, and their female relatives took their place... Each of you is a meritorious official of the dynasty. If I don't reward you, I will feel uneasy."
Xue Baochai politely declined, saying, "Thank you, Emperor Xing, but we have no intention of entering officialdom."
If it were many years ago, Xue Baochai would definitely have seized this opportunity to enter officialdom!
Having experienced so much, understood her past and present lives, and learned about Dream of the Red Chamber and Water Margin, Xue Baochai no longer had any pursuit of power or influence.
In fact, the initial desire stemmed from the decline of the Xue family, which was going from bad to worse, and the need for someone to step forward and support the family.
Now she is a peak Quasi-Saint, and even if she doesn't go to the Great Shen Kingdom, the Xue family will never decline.
Instead, they can live their lives according to their own wishes without having to consider any relationships.
The same is true for Lin Daiyu, Shi Xiangyun, Jia Yingchun, Jia Xichun, and others.
Jia Yuanchun, Wang Xifeng, and Jia Tanchun may have been tempted at first, but after careful consideration, they all gave up.
The officialdom is too corrupt; no matter how clever or shrewd you are, you can easily be harmed.
Moreover, they have no foundation in the Star Dynasty. Even if they make great contributions and are granted titles as a matter of course, their subsequent promotions... are uncertain. They might be used as pawns in political struggles!
Most importantly, after the upheaval in the Grand View Garden and the battle in the Southern Continent, they all understood that in this primordial world, strength is paramount!
Even if the officials of the imperial court gain some of the good fortune and power, they will eventually have to step down.
Like the Shinto, it has many limitations.
How can it compare to the carefree life of an immortal?
Living in seclusion with Daiyu, the three sisters, and others, they share the same fate, help each other, and have connections with the Xingchao. They also have friends like the Great Sage Equaling Heaven and the Star Lord Ketu... In this Three Realms, they should have a place of their own.
They were even more free and respected than the officials of the Xing Dynasty and the Da Shen Dynasty!
Therefore, it is not surprising that the ladies politely declined.
Song Jiang, however, expressed deep regret.
He actually hoped that the women of the court could go to the Xingchao to achieve a balance of power among the various factions.
However, Song Jiang was also confident that he could subdue all the meritorious officials, secure his throne, and implement policies that would benefit the people.
In response to the departure of those demon stars and golden hairpins, they could only send out many treasures to repay their immense contributions.
Immediately afterwards, Song Jiang commanded his three armies to take over the former territories of the Liao and Western Xia dynasties.
Afterwards, how to manage the Southern Continent after the unification of the Xing Dynasty was also a major headache for Song Jiang, and he needed to consult with Wu Yong, Zhu Wu and others.
But as the founding emperor, reigning supreme in the Southern Continent, Song Jiang felt mostly joy!
Wu Yong, Zhu Wu, Suo Chao, Xu Ning, Huyan Zhuo, Yang Xiong, and even Lu Junyi did not leave. They followed Song Jiang and spread the prestige of the Xing Dynasty to all directions!
Afterwards, apart from leaving some soldiers to guard the newly conquered territory, most of them returned to the capital at Song Jiang's command.
Everyone was overjoyed, looking forward to the Star Emperor's investiture upon their return to Tokyo!
Song Jiang was also considering that he could not neglect the meritorious soldiers.
In this regard, neither Wu Yong nor Zhu Wu, the two strategists, dared to speak out casually.
Otherwise, it would be easy to offend the meritorious officials!
However, under Song Jiang's leadership, the current Xingchao is united and there are no major upheavals or internal strife.
There's no need to speculate on how things will develop in the future.
At the very least, within the next hundred thousand years, the Xingchao's national power will surely flourish and grow stronger!
It is foreseeable that the Xingchao Dynasty will once again display the grandeur of the Han and Tang Dynasties!
******
"Boom!!!"
Wu Song, Lu Zhishen, Lin Chong, Gongsun Sheng, Shi Xiu, Yan Qing, and others worked together to create a blessed land amidst the sacred mountains and rivers of the Southern Continent, using their quasi-saintly magical powers.
And this became their place of seclusion.
"Let's call it... Water Margin Cave Heaven." Gongsun Sheng flicked his whisk and glanced in the direction of Tokyo.
He was a high-ranking quasi-saint, and he could clearly observe that Song Jiang, Lu Junyi, Wu Yong and the others had also opened up a grotto-heaven, which was the ancestral court of the Star Dynasty, where the flow of human fortune could take place, and where retired emperors and generals could live without suffering any backlash.
Of course, those who have made outstanding contributions do not need to enter the Star Dynasty Ancestral Court, but go directly to the Fire Cloud Cave!
"Water Margin Cave Heaven?" Cao Ya pondered the name for a moment and couldn't help but smile.
"Great name!"
Lu Zhishen laughed and said, "Although the Water Margin was a scheme by those big shots, we turned the tables and slapped them in the face. This serves as a warning to us all, reminding us not to slack off in our cultivation!"
Wu Song whispered, "To truly stabilize the Water Margin Cave and be fearless of being spied on... at the very least, we need a weak sage to oversee it! We are still lacking in that area."
Among the most powerful figures in the Water Margin, Wu Song and Lu Zhishen are the most powerful, but they are only at the peak of the Ninth Heaven Quasi-Saint level. Then there are Gongsun Sheng and Lin Chong, who are high-level Quasi-Saints. As for Shi Xiu and Yan Qing, they are only low-level or mid-level Quasi-Saints.
Speaking of which, this large group of quasi-saints is by no means weak; they are enough to dominate the Earthly Immortal Realm!
However, it should be noted that those who coveted the merits of the Water Margin included the Jade Emperor, the Taoist Master Taixu, the Taoist Master Chixia, the Spiritual Jade, as well as the Chaos Thousand-Touched Octopus and the Demon King Bo Xun. These powerful figures were at least weak saints, and among them were even true Hunyuan!
In comparison, the strength of the Water Margin Cave is indeed not enough.
"Relying on the Water Margin Grotto-Heaven... we set up a top-tier immortal array, added rare spiritual treasures to serve as the array's core... and then infused it with the power of a quasi-saint..."
Yan Qing said in a resolute tone, "Even if one or two weak saints attack, we can withstand them for hundreds of rounds!"
Shi Xiu nodded, a fierce glint in his eyes, and said, "At worst, we'll fight to the death! Even if we can't take the weak saint down with us, we can still inflict injuries on him and delay his path to sainthood... Absolutely no problem!"
Having experienced countless battles, they remained fearless even in the face of immense threats.
“You’ve all created your own Water Margin grottoes, so let’s create our own Dream of the Red Chamber grottoes,” Wang Xifeng suddenly said with a smile.
The location of the Red Mansion Cave is not in the Southern Continent, but in the Eastern Continent.
Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai are both at the peak of Quasi-Saint level. Wang Xifeng, Shi Xiangyun, and Jia Tanchun are also high-level Quasi-Saint level. Jia Yuanchun, Jia Yingchun, Jia Xichun, Xiangling, Qingwen, Xiren, Ping'er, and others are all at the Quasi-Saint level. Even Siqi and Zijuan are at the peak of Da Luo level, and their power is not bad.
The combined efforts of dozens of girls allowed them to create a blessed land in the Immortal Realm, which has existed for a long time without any problems.
Characters like Lin Ruhai, Jia Min, Xue Baochai's father, and Shi Xiangyun's parents all lived in the Red Mansion Cave, just as Wu Dalang, Lin Niangzi, and others lived in the Water Margin Cave.
With the protection of a group of demon stars and golden hairpins, it is quite safe.
It is no exaggeration to say that the Water Margin Cave Heaven and the Dream of the Red Chamber Cave Heaven are two major forces in the world of earthly immortals!
Cao Ya and Sun Wukong, along with the women of the court, first visited the Water Margin Cave and drank heartily.
Afterwards, together with Mo Xing, they went to the Red Mansion Cave for a banquet. The atmosphere at the banquet was harmonious, and the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves.
Sun Wukong's training ground was Flower Fruit Mountain, located in the Eastern Continent of Divine Victory.
It's actually not that far from the Red Mansion Cave.
Of course, once you reach the level of Great Luo or Quasi-Saint, crossing the Earthly Immortal Realm is a piece of cake; you can flatten billions of miles of rivers and mountains in one step!
Even the Water Margin Cave in the Southern Continent, from Sun Wukong's perspective, was only right in front of him.
As for Cao Ya's training ground... it's located deep in the northern part of the celestial realm!
After the two grand banquets, everyone returned to their respective dojos, and Cao Ya also left the Earthly Immortal Realm.
"Dream of the Red Chamber, Water Margin... Now, the crisis has been averted, and there are no regrets."
He suddenly turned around, looked at the two caves, and a smile appeared on his lips.
He knew that Daiyu, the four sisters, Shi Xiangyun, Wang Xifeng, Wu Song, Lu Zhishen, Lin Chong, and others were all diligently cultivating themselves in the cave, seeking progress and even touching the threshold of becoming a weak sage!
However, the advancement to the Quasi-Saint realm is extremely difficult. Even though Jinchai and Moxing are both exceptionally talented and have excellent comprehension, and have integrated their own family's achievements, which has greatly inspired them, it is still incredibly difficult for them to become weak saints.
"With me and Sun Wukong, the characters from Dream of the Red Chamber and Water Margin will no longer be stuck on the chessboard."
"Within the two caves, relying on the terrain, we can completely defend against the attack of one or two weak saints."
Daiyu, Wu Song, and Lu Zhishen were all at the peak of the Quasi-Saint realm, already incredibly powerful. With the assistance of other powerful figures, as well as favorable timing and location... it's not surprising that they could fight against weaker Saints.
After all, a peak Quasi-Saint is only a hair's breadth away from a weak Saint.
Although this one step is a world of difference, and it may take countless epochs to cross it!
But those four people clearly did not belong to this type of peak quasi-saint.
Their achievements, once fully digested, have not resulted in any damage to their foundation; on the contrary, they are extremely solid.
He had vaguely grasped some of the mysteries of the weak saint realm and had hope of breaking through.
"If we can break through to the next realm as soon as possible, that would be the best outcome."
******
The two cases have been resolved and have become topics of conversation in the Three Realms. For hundreds of thousands of years to come, many immortals and demons have talked about them with great interest, marveling at the terror of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven and the Star Lord Ketu, as well as the good fortune of the demon stars and the Golden Hairpin!
During this period, the stories of "The Lotus Lantern" and "The Complete Biography of Ji Gong" also went through many stages.
Chenxiang and Jigong were both at the peak of the Quasi-Saint realm!
Even the little fox Xiaoyu is only a step away from becoming a high-level quasi-saint.
Unexpectedly, Ji Gong, as the reincarnation of the Arhat who subdues dragons, did not return to the Great Thunder Temple on Mount Ling after his cultivation broke through one after another. Instead, he continued to travel and wander in the mortal world.
Wutian Buddha even secretly approached Ji Gong, promising him great benefits and inviting him to join Wutian Buddhism!
Ji Gong did not agree, and although Wu Tian Buddha was disappointed, he did not harm Ji Gong.
"Buddha Wutian, why don't you kill him?" asked Mara, the Demon King.
If the Arhat who subdues dragons remains, who knows, at some point, the Mahayana Buddhism of Mount Ling might gain another weak saint.
"Ji Gong, he shouldn't have died!" Wutian Buddha said calmly, gazing at Ji Gong's departing figure, a hint of envy in his eyes.
However, the next second, Wutian Buddha suppressed his unusual emotions.
He is no longer Kinnara Bodhisattva, but the Buddha Wutian!
The most important thing is to overthrow Mahayana Buddhism and spread the essence of Wutian Buddhism to all corners of the world!
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