Chapter 1514 (1513): The Grand Finale (Sixteen) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
The child clearly disliked and was not used to being supported under the armpits.
She swung her short legs to express her anger.
"Books—"
Children are naturally adept at reading people and playing favorites. Despite her young age, she was precocious and knew that Qin Li, who lived nearby, was her powerful backer. She figured calling on him in case of trouble would be the right thing to do. However, this time her intuition failed, leaving her no choice but to "save herself."
The child deliberately relaxed his body.
It stretched its arms upwards, trying to slide down, twisting and turning as if trying to break free from the person's grasp. From a distance, it looked like a long, thin cat.
Qin Li then seemed to wake up from a dream.
"My lord, when did you return?" He blinked hard, the small bow clutched in his right hand under his sleeve snapping under the weight, barely managing to suppress the surging tears welling in his eyes. He took several deep breaths to calm himself, afraid that his voice would betray his true emotions.
There are several unnatural pauses in a sentence, and even the voice breaks.
Such inappropriate behavior was extremely rare for him.
"I just got back and ran into you."
Shen Tang lifted the child up, going from supporting him to holding him, but the little rascal didn't appreciate it, deliberately arching his back and stubbornly refusing to cooperate, turning from a limp kitten into a stick. Qin Li saw her frown and swallowed the countless questions stuck in his throat.
"Your Majesty, let me do it."
Shen Tang decisively threw away the hot potato.
He even complained, "Whose little brat is this?"
Having "escaped," Shen Degang immediately gripped Qin Li's clothes tightly with his short, chubby hands, the messy wrinkles piling up like waves in his palms. His round, almond-shaped eyes glared warily at the rude uninvited guest. Shen Tang raised her hand and patted her bottom.
Feigning a threat: "What are you glaring at me for?"
The child looked to be about three years old, with exquisitely beautiful features. His black hair, like thick, flowing ink, was tied in three small, upward-pointing buns, the ends of which were bound with red ribbons. His round, almond-shaped eyes were clear and bright, and his cheeks were chubby, making him look like a lucky doll from a New Year's painting. Before Qin Li answered, Shen Tang had already made many guesses in her mind. She finally concluded that he was most likely a wealthy orphan adopted during the war.
At this age, the child should have all his teeth by now, but he only has five tiny, barely growing teeth. It seems he suffered for a while before being adopted. After imagining all this, Shen Tang felt a surge of affection for the child: "I'll make up for the gift later."
She is truly penniless now.
Qin Li said, "Your Majesty, this is the young prince."
Shen Tang's CPU briefly froze: "Your Highness?"
Qin Li reminded him, "It is your Prince Yuan."
Shen Tang's almond-shaped eyes widened in horror: "She's Ru Gui?"
He looked the chubby girl up and down in disbelief, and the more he looked, the more he felt that her features resembled his own, especially her almond-shaped eyes. However, Shen Tang couldn't figure out the time difference no matter how hard he tried: "Is the time in the Four Pillars Land different from the outside world?"
She worked as a bricklayer repairing the four pillars for about half a year, while three or four years had passed in the outside world? Shen Tang wasn't quite sure.
"How long will the Lord remain in the Four Pillars Land?"
"About half a year."
"The time is the same in both places."
“But Ru Gui doesn’t look like he’s half a year younger at all.”
Shen De looks to be three or four years old.
Qin Li: "..."
When Shen Tang heard about Shen De's extraordinary growth, she quickly accepted the reality and even felt fortunate: "He was born looking like a one-year-old, and then he grew one year older each month, and in the blink of an eye he was three years old... Tsk tsk, look, what a thoughtful child he is."
Skip directly to the period when you can't control your bowel movements or urination.
A three-year-old who can communicate and understand adults is indeed a relief.
Shen Tang teased Shen De: "So, you should call me Mom, Mother, or Mother? Come on, say it and let me hear it."
He stretched out his hands to Shen De, but the latter dodged and refused to cooperate.
Qin Li gently coaxed, "Your Highness, this is your mother."
He repeated it three or four times before Shen De lowered his guard, blinked, and curiously peeked at Shen Tang. She naturally knew what "mother" meant. Qin Li and the others had taught her to speak, and the first word they uttered was "ma." However, since everyone came from different parts of the country, the way to address one's mother varied slightly from place to place. Some pronunciations were simply too difficult; she could remember them but couldn't learn them.
The "mother" in Qin etiquette is the easiest to pronounce.
After slowly processing all this information, Shen De finally felt comfortable getting closer to Shen Tang. When Shen Tang reached out again, she hesitated and leaned towards Shen Tang. Shen Tang smiled and said, "Ru Gui is quite heavy."
It was heavy, and its weight did not disappoint the flesh on its body.
Qin Li: "Your Highness is healthy and not prone to illness."
The infant mortality rate is too high.
Even a slight breeze or chill can trigger a high fever in young children. Unlike adults, it's difficult to control the dosage of medication for infants. Furthermore, there are few doctors in the world who are proficient in pediatrics. What might not be a serious fever for an adult could take the life of a young child, and premature death was all too common.
Qin Li has been in contact with quite a few children.
Based on his experience, Shen De was indeed very worry-free.
Shen Tang: "Gong Su, you've had a tough time these past few days."
Balancing stabilization, waging war to expand territory, and caring for children—Qin Li didn't give up, purely because of her deep love for Kangguo. Her words brought tears to Qin Li's eyes again: "It's already a blessing that His Majesty has returned safely."
The hardship was nothing compared to the current scene.
"It's not hard work at all."
Qin Li and the others had actually made the worst-case scenario plan.
In the event that their lord never returned, they would stand by until the young ruler came of age and assumed power, lest their lord's more than ten years of hard work go to waste. The tragedy of Wu Kingdom must not be repeated in Kang Kingdom. Fortunately, Heaven took pity and returned their lord.
Seeing that Qin Li didn't pursue the matter further, Shen Tang's smile became much more natural.
As her three thoughts merged into one, her obsession grew clearer. Shen Tang remembered her true identity, and she didn't forget everything about her tribulation as Shen Youli. Shen Tang wasn't afraid of their aggressive retribution; she dreaded them silently watching her weep in silence…
Tears can be a deadly weapon.
On the way back, Shen Tang and Shen De quickly became acquainted.
The more she looked at Shen De, the more endearing she became. No wonder she was a life she had created with her own blood and essence; she was clever, quick-witted, lively, and adorable. This was truly "a worthy offspring of her mother." Shen Tang tossed and turned with her, and Shen De wasn't afraid at all; instead, she giggled incessantly.
Qin Li followed a step behind, watching with trepidation. Even though he knew that his lord wouldn't fail with his strength, he still decided to find an opportunity to advise his lord—children shouldn't be played like this.
Shen Tang had no idea what he was thinking.
When you get tired of holding the baby, tuck the child between your arms.
Qin Li saw her slightly out of breath and froze on the spot, his feet seemingly rooted to the ground. Shen Tang took a couple of steps before realizing he hadn't followed, and turned to ask, "Gong Su, is something on your mind? Why are you lost in thought?"
Shen De also flashed him a five-toothed grin.
The power of having two pairs of almond-shaped eyes looking at him simultaneously is unimaginable.
Qin Li asked nervously, "Is Your Majesty unwell?"
Doubts arose in his mind.
Suspicion of the person's true identity.
He couldn't expose it immediately, after all, His Highness was still in the other party's hands, and he was hesitant to act rashly. Shen Tang had known him for many years; how could she not understand him? She explained, "Don't overthink it. What you see now is the real deal, absolutely genuine. No one is impersonating me. Who in this world would dare to impersonate me?"
That takes a lot of guts.
Shen Tang has returned to her rightful place. Anyone who calls her name in their heart can be caught by following the clues as long as she is willing to listen. Using her identity to do bad things is almost the same as taking a dump in front of her.
Qin Li's expression shifted slightly: "Then what about you, my lord..."
Anyone who has fought with Shen Tang knows how strong she is.
She started fighting in the Northwest at the age of twelve, battling bandits, rebels, the Ten Crows, Qiu Cheng, Zheng Qiao, and the Northern Desert. Former allies like Tao Yan, Huang Lie, Zhang He, and Wu Xian—who hadn't she defeated? In just over a decade, she fought across the Northwest and then the Southwest. Would anyone believe she'd be out of breath carrying a child weighing twenty or thirty pounds?
"It's just a small price to pay."
Shen and Tang spent about half a year repairing the four pillars.
She even used the actual building itself to inspect the project.
[Perfectly done, flawless, passed inspection.]
Shen Tang reverted to her original form as a vine and wood, transforming into a Daoist body.
He said goodbye to the third brother and prepared to leave.
She liked to see things through to the end. The situation in Kangguo was her responsibility, and it didn't make sense for her to start something and then dump it on someone else when it was time to finish. Shen Tang couldn't bring herself to refuse Qi Shan and the others' insistence, but some things were beyond her control.
After returning to their rightful place, their status is different.
This is no different from a referee directly intervening in a match to favor one side. If the referee declares their own side the winner, is there any suspense left? Such unfair behavior is naturally not permitted by Heaven. Even if the people of Kangguo enjoy temporary success, once this debt is recorded in Heaven's vengeful notebook, Heaven will eventually seek revenge elsewhere, at a price many times greater than it is now!
This is why she remained silent when Qi Shan and the others asked Shao Bai to inquire whether she would return. Shen Tang herself wasn't sure if she could go back, or if Heaven would allow her to return. However, she ultimately couldn't disappoint everyone's expectations.
He then gave an affirmative answer.
She will go back.
At least I'll accompany them through this unique lifetime.
As expected, Shen Tang was obstructed.
However, the person who stopped her was not Old Dengtiandao, but an old friend she hadn't seen in a long time—dressed in plain white, with veils covering his eyes, carrying a long sword on his back, he had the air of an otherworldly sword immortal. Beneath this appearance, however, lay countless schemes and plots.
Mercenary, cunning, and adept at scheming.
Shen Tang tossed aside the trowel, clapped her hands, and asked, "Want to fight?"
White-robed swordsman: [It signifies the Heavenly Dao.]
The Four Extremes are a special space. While Shen Tang can manifest her true form here without affecting the outside world, once she steps outside, even if she does nothing, she will still become a burden: "Furthermore, you have already completed your tribulation; you should not, and cannot, interfere in worldly affairs anymore."
Shen Tang narrowed her eyes: [What if I say no?]
She'd win a one-on-one fight, let alone a two-on-one. Given Lao Shi's capitalist behavior—caught in groups everywhere, forcing lazy bums to work, and deserving to be hung on lampposts—Lao San is definitely not on his side. If the two were to fight, Lao San would either help her or stand by and watch.
Shen Tang is very confident in this regard.
The white-robed swordsman remained calm in the face of the threat. He flicked his sword, and the sword light, as white as frost and snow, blossomed into a silver ribbon, tearing through the air with a chilling whistle. The serpentine sword's edge etched a rainbow-like sword mark before Shen Tang: "[This is the boundary. If you insist on this course, then lay down your armor and bind yourself.]"
Shen Tang understood what this meant.
Only worldly people can get involved in worldly affairs.
One step forward, and you become an ordinary person.
He stepped back and sat high on the altar.
Without any hesitation, Shen Tang lifted her leg and stepped over the sword mark.
She said softly, "Thank you."
Almost the instant she crossed that line, countless shackles surged towards her from beneath her feet, above her head, and from all directions, instantly binding her layer upon layer. As the seal thickened, Chen Tang's aura rapidly diminished. She had initially remained remarkably calm—
The previous tribulation was also a sealing of power.
How bad can it get?
But soon, Shen Tang discovered that the white-robed swordsman was not human.
Her expression was ferocious: "At least leave me some!"
Good heavens, this guy completely shut down her account. He didn't even leave her a second-rate noble title, let alone a rank 20 Marquis.
[Tell me honestly, are you playing me?]
Is that a beaver?
【Um? look in my eyes! 】
Shen Tang was filled with deep regret.
[You bastard!]
I should have given this guy a good beating before his account was banned!
Does this guy even know how far it is from the exit to the central camp of Kang Kingdom after leaving the Four Extremes Land? Even if she doesn't get lost, and walks the shortest distance between the two points, it would take her forever!
The white-robed swordsman didn't take these verbal attacks to heart.
He simply smiled towards Chen Tang, a gentle smile that felt like a spring breeze melting away ice and snow. Yet, what came out of his mouth were not human words, but words that pierced the heart: "[Two hundred billion merits, thank you for your patronage, I am deeply grateful.]"
Shen Tang: [...]
She broke down instantly.
He grabbed a scraper, intending to smooth out the person's face.
The third brother gasped.
I don't know whether to lament the white-robed swordsman's rip-off or marvel at Old Five's foolishness and abundant merit. Two hundred billion merits, all swindled away in one tribulation—what terrifying spending power! Shen Tang's account was completely banned; a mere scraper couldn't do anything to him.
[You surnamed Luan, you'd better sleep with one eye open from now on!] She pointed at the white-robed swordsman through gritted teeth, almost vomiting blood.
Thank you for the advice.
Shen Tang: [...]
Enraged as she was, Shen Tang knew this was her only option to return. She scratched her head and waved dismissively at the white-robed swordsman: "Since you've achieved your goal, you may leave now."
"Alright, I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."
Shen Tang didn't even glance at him; looking at him too much annoyed her.
As soon as the white-robed swordsman left, the third brother also ran away.
Shen Tang: [Are you two really going to make me walk back?]
The thought of the distance between the Gongxi tribe's territory and the central Kang Kingdom's camp filled Shen Tang with anguish. If only she had known this would happen, she shouldn't have set off alone; she should have brought another team. Now, how was she, an ordinary person, supposed to get back?
Qin Li listened to Shen Tang's brief retelling of the story, but was puzzled.
"If that's the case, how did the Lord return?"
"This is naturally because I am kind, and kindness is rewarded."
She crawled out of the Gongxi tribe's territory in a disheveled state and encountered a panda.
(▼ヘ▼#)
Tangmei's account has been banned and is temporarily considered fragile, but she can still train back.
(End of this chapter)
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