Chapter 184: The Qi State

To undertake a mission to Qi State, one cannot simply set out casually. With Li Yulong’s cunning mind, it was only natural to secure the greatest benefits for Li Xian. First, Xu Ren was to accompany him; having an excellent strategist on hand would put Li Yulong more at ease. While Li Xian was quite capable, he had a tendency to become arrogant when he was proud—this wasn’t the first time he had gotten carried away.

Second, since this was a diplomatic mission to a foreign country, Li Yulong specifically went to the palace to request an imperial ceremonial guard. The ceremonial guard represented an official envoy of the state, ensuring that Qi State would make every effort to protect Li Xian’s safety.

The only regret was that with the royal ceremonial guard, they couldn’t bring along any goods for trade to Mang Mountain.

However, with the official backing of the Great Xia Kingdom, Li Xian had a perfect excuse to visit Mang Mountain—to seek medicine! Mang Mountain was a hub of cultivation and had alchemists, naturally equipped with elixirs. It was only appropriate for Li Xian to stop by and request medicine for His Majesty. Although Li Yulong understood that the emperor, having used the “Ten Absolute Soul-Locking Formation,” no longer had a future.

Without the Ten Absolute Soul-Locking Formation, His Majesty wouldn’t survive even a month; using it, however, burned his soul to prolong his life, extending it to roughly four and a half months.

Li Xian had his doubts about this—if a soul was burned, how could His Majesty journey to the underworld? Surprisingly, Li Yulong knew the answer. True reincarnation wasn’t based on the soul but rather on the “true spirit,” the core of the soul, a spark of innate essence and the origin of life.

The preparations took three days, especially as Xu Ren had to deal with matters in Anyang first, temporarily handing them over to Yan Ze’an for management before setting off.

Xia Qingqing did not accompany Li Xian. Instead, she stayed in the capital to spend time with the Empress and Emperor, savoring the last traces of peace. In four months, the Emperor would undoubtedly pass away, plunging Great Xia into chaos.

No, it was more accurate to say that after the Emperor’s passing, Great Xia would be completely destroyed! The fragmented local powers were merely waiting for the Emperor to breathe his last. Four months wasn’t long—just enough time to organize their own affairs and make final preparations.

For these ambitious figures, four months was just right.

On the fourth day, Li Xian finally left the Li residence, leisurely beginning his journey to Qi Country. Surprisingly, while everything was calm within Wuyang City, once outside, Li Xian was stunned. On both sides of the road, countless people had formed lines to welcome him. More precisely, as soon as they saw Li Xian’s procession, everyone voluntarily made way.

This scene continued throughout the journey.

For some reason, Li Xian was deeply moved. Standing atop the carriage, he watched the procession slowly move forward. Wherever the group passed, the crowd would immediately part to make way. If something could not be moved in time, people would use spells to shift it, and others would step in to help.

The road was silent, filled only with a sense of warm care.

At the front, Song Xing, who was driving the carriage, had a flushed face, perhaps from excitement or emotion, as the procession gradually advanced.

Even after leaving the capital, people on the main roads would stop to make way.

That evening, the innkeeper welcomed them warmly, refusing to accept any payment from Li Xian. This made Li Xian feel slightly embarrassed. This level of treatment continued all the way until they left Great Xia.

Although this reception pleased Li Xian, Xu Ren began to worry. “Young master, the public’s welcome is heartening, but it also increases the attention of those with ill intentions. I believe many have already developed plans to harm you along the way.”

Li Xian withdrew his gaze from the Great Xia–Qi Country border and sighed. “I didn’t expect things to turn out this way. It was just a simple speech—was it really worth all this?”

Indeed, Li Xian didn’t find it unusual. In another world, speeches like his were common.

But in this world, the situation was different. The key distinction was that Li Xian was the first to publicly discuss commercial theories. Previously, people focused on cultivation and fortune-telling.

For the common folk, the ultimate goal of cultivation wasn’t ascension but to live a healthy, peaceful life. If that life could reach a modest level of prosperity, even better. Li Xian’s speech provided them with that opportunity.

Thus, Li Xian earned their praise.

But people didn’t realize that their gratitude would attract fatal danger to Li Xian. Seeing him so well-received, many were already plotting in the shadows. Along the way, Li Xian noticed several suspicious individuals hidden among the crowds, seemingly scouting their target.

“A tree may want to remain still, but the wind will not cease.” Li Xian could only sigh helplessly as the procession continued forward. Deep inside, he began to worry about the return journey, suspecting it wouldn’t be as peaceful.

Upon entering Qi State, Li Xian immediately noticed the stark difference in living conditions. Compared to Great Xia, Qi State was much better off. In the village they just passed, the houses were orderly, the people lived calmly, and there were even a few villagers at the Foundation Establishment stage—a detail that greatly intrigued Li Xian.

This discovery left him concerned. If a single village had individuals at the Foundation Establishment stage, how many experts could Qi State have overall?

If the Qi State were to suddenly attack the Great Xia Kingdom, Li Xian did not expect the Great Xia Kingdom to withstand the assault. His only concern was: how long could the Great Xia Kingdom hold out?

Noticing Li Xian’s worry, Xu Ren quietly explained, “Young Master, as the saying goes, ‘When the nation prospers and the people live in peace, righteousness prevails, and the country naturally becomes wealthy and strong.’ Conversely, if the nation falls into chaos and the people’s livelihood deteriorates, negativity flourishes, leading to a weak country and frail citizens.

Thus, once a country declines, it becomes extremely difficult to recover. When a nation’s fortune collapses, it tends to keep deteriorating.”

“I see!” Li Xian nodded silently. However, deep down, he was shouting to himself: Could things really work this way?

As they continued their journey, Li Xian’s mood grew heavier. Compared to the destitute Great Xia Kingdom, the Qi State was prosperous and peaceful. Passing through a small town, he even saw many Foundation Establishment citizens chatting about their cultivation and training issues right on the streets—something unheard of in the Great Xia Kingdom.

As the group drew closer to the center of the Qi State, the surrounding towns grew increasingly prosperous. They even encountered citizens at the Golden Core stage.

These Golden Core cultivators showed no sense of superiority, laughing and joking loudly on the streets. It was as if they were ordinary people rather than powerful cultivators. This mindset, however, allowed them to progress further on their paths.

Li Xian couldn’t help but reflect: Truly, in the world of cultivation, when an environment collapses and cultivation opportunities vanish, the nation weakens. Conversely, a thriving nation grows ever stronger. Beyond fortune, the contrasting societal environments alone are enough to determine the strength or weakness of a cultivation nation.

After traveling for two days, they finally arrived at the Qi State’s capital—Xintian.

From afar, Li Xian could sense a faint, majestic aura emanating from the royal city. This intangible yet palpable majesty weighed on the hearts of the Great Xia delegation, as though an overwhelming authority was gazing down upon them.

“This is the imperial aura!” Xu Ren said gravely. “I didn’t expect the Qi Kingdom’s imperial aura to be so strong. The imperial aura represents the vitality of a prosperous empire. The Great Xia Kingdom lacks this because it is on the verge of collapse and cannot generate such a grand imperial aura.

It seems the Qi State is indeed at the height of its power.”

Entering the capital, Li Xian gasped in shock. Guarding the city gates were four Golden Core cultivators. When had Golden Core cultivators been reduced to gatekeepers? Among the passersby, Foundation Establishment cultivators were everywhere, and occasionally, even Golden Core cultivators could be spotted.

Now that Li Xian himself had reached the Golden Core stage, he could sense other Golden Core cultivators hidden among the crowd. It was a peculiar feeling, like magnets attracting iron—they just instinctively recognized one another.

Leading the way, Deng Weiguo and Zhu Yunguang couldn’t stop smiling throughout the journey, clearly enjoying Li Xian’s astonished expressions. Perhaps this was their sense of superiority—”Look, a country bumpkin from Great Xia has arrived!”

Li Xian completely ignored their smug faces. Go ahead, laugh all you want now. Soon, you’ll be the bumpkins.

After entering the Qi State’s capital, Li Xian and his entourage were not immediately summoned. Instead, they were accommodated in a special guesthouse for foreign envoys. Deng Weiguo stayed behind to handle communication, while Zhu Yunguang went to report to the Prime Minister. These two were originally subordinates of the Prime Minister.

After waiting for about half an hour, the Qi State’s Prime Minister personally arrived, accompanied by several high-ranking officials.

The Prime Minister walked at the forefront, with Zhu Yunguang by his side, making it easy for Li Xian to identify him.

“Welcome, welcome! Welcome, Young Master Li, to our humble nation. I am He Zhiguo, the Prime Minister of the Qi State, and I have long admired your reputation,” he said, gripping Li Xian’s hand enthusiastically. His warmth made even Li Xian feel a bit embarrassed.

However, upon hearing the phrase “long admired your reputation,” Li Xian couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Prime Minister He has heard of me, an unknown junior?”

“Haha, come, come, let’s talk inside. Speaking while standing would be disrespectful to such an esteemed guest,” He Zhiguo said as he walked. “The alchemist Ge Zhengfeng from your Great Xia Kingdom is an old friend of mine. I asked him to inquire about your views on governing through commerce and industry, but I hit a wall.

I even considered personally visiting Great Xia, but I never expected Young Master Li to come to Qi State himself.”

So that’s how it is! Li Xian finally understood. “I didn’t realize that the person Senior Ge mentioned was Lord He. Ah, if Senior Ge had mentioned Lord He’s name earlier, I would have shared everything without reservation.”

He Zhiguo smiled faintly and did not respond—only a fool or an idiot would believe that. After they sat down, tea was naturally served. Taking advantage of the tea service, He Zhiguo paused for a moment before suddenly speaking.

“Young Master Li, there’s something I just can’t figure out. Previously, you closely guarded your theories on commerce and industry and never shared them with anyone. Why have you suddenly chosen to make them public now, and so thoroughly at that?”

Li Xian laughed heartily. “I simply came to a realization. If I want to develop, to progress further, and if I don’t want to be isolated by others, the best way is to make my theories public and gather like-minded individuals to build a new social system together.

There were no roads in the world at first, but when enough people walk, a path is formed. So, to pave a new road, we need many, many people.

What does Lord He think of this?”

He Zhiguo was slightly moved upon hearing this. “There were no roads in the world at first… there were no roads… but when enough people walk, a path is formed! Excellent, excellent, truly excellent!

Hearing just one sentence from you is more enlightening than a century of practice. Young Master Li, this statement will go down in history! Since ancient times, the human race has reached where we are today precisely because countless people have forged a path through relentless effort!

Such a simple statement is more profound than hundreds of volumes of philosophical texts. This applies to thought, to governance, and even to the path of cultivation.”

Li Xian rarely blushed slightly. “Lord He flatters me. That statement isn’t mine; I just happened to stumble upon it in some old documents, and it enlightened me.”

He Zhiguo’s expression grew more solemn. “Young Master Li, you are truly magnanimous. I wonder if it would be convenient for you to explain your views on commerce and industry to the Emperor of Qi State?”

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