Chapter 5: The Return of the Soul (05)

“When I used to play games,” Lin Jiu said.

The system numbly listened.

“At first, I had no money, was weak, and was constantly killed in all sorts of ways by the big bosses.”

The system imagined Lin Jiu being killed in various ways by the big boss, and felt a sudden impulse to offer incense in honor of that big boss.

“Once, I was killed ten times by the big boss.”

“And the big boss never even lifted a finger. I was killed by the big boss’s Pokémon ten times.”

“After that, I had a dream. I dreamed that one day I could have the coolest Pokémon.”

The system began to feel something was off, and it didn’t want to listen anymore, but it didn’t dare stop Lin Jiu. It wanted to buy another bottle of Cyber Emergency Heart-Pill, but Lin Jiu didn’t give it that chance.

“See, my Pokémon, Liu Bang, isn’t he cool?”

The system cried, tears streaming down its face.

Lin Jiu asked in confusion, “Why are you crying?”

The system choked up, saying, “I’m crying because I’m happy for you. It’s truly not easy, so cool, so inspiring. You are the System’s Person of the Year.”

Lin Jiu humbly said, “I have to thank you for choosing to bind with me as your host out of all the people. Without you, there would be no me now. Half of my glory belongs to you.”

The system didn’t respond. Lin Jiu thought it must have gone off to silently feel moved.

It was noon, and the air in the Han Palace was cold and dry, with the winter sky as clear as a sheet of pale blue glass paper. The rust-red palace walls stretched far beyond the eye could see, and the silhouettes of the vast palace buildings seemed to rush toward them from all directions.

The withered old man clutched Liu Che’s collar, crying uncontrollably, his voice dry and hoarse like the dying wail of an old crow.

He was so absorbed in his crying that he didn’t notice a gaze falling upon him, growing heavier and heavier, as though the owner of the gaze was becoming more and more interested in him.

Liu Che, who was being gripped tightly by the old man and howling, remained calm, not showing any signs of panic, but also not making any effective response.

He was indeed too young, with too little experience and not enough exposure to the world. He was still visibly immature and lacking.

Especially when compared to Liu Bang.

Unlike Liu Che, Liu Bang had been steady as a rock from beginning to end.

He had quietly stood behind Lin Jiu, saying nothing, as if he didn’t exist.

It wasn’t until he stepped forward that people realized another person, who was more qualified than Liu Che to handle the matter, was present.

The founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang.

The descendants of the Liu family and the people of Han would all respectfully call him “Taizu.”

Even death could not diminish his power and status. Now that he had returned from the land of the dead and walked once again on Earth, he was still the supreme ancestor of the Liu family, and even the emperor Liu Che would have to step back in his presence.

Liu Che indeed stepped back a step. Previously, he had been unable to act easily, which was why the old man had grabbed his clothes.

Now, Liu Che became serious and easily freed himself from the old minister’s grip, moving as swiftly as a monkey.

At nineteen, Liu Che had not yet taken full control of the government but still had the leisure to hunt tigers and wrestle bears.

—–

After stepping back, he quietly stood in place and did not take further action.

In his heart, he knew he couldn’t handle this matter. The old man wasn’t targeting him but was trying to oppose the goddess. Since Liu Bang had stepped forward, there was no need for him to remain in front.

From all perspectives, the battlefield should be left to the ancestor.

Liu Bang took Liu Che’s place and faced the old minister who had been knocked to the ground by Liu Che’s sudden struggle.

In fact, Liu Bang didn’t really want to get involved. Although things would certainly get chaotic, chaos was good; only in turmoil could one take advantage of the situation.

But the goddess looked at him.

In that moment, Liu Bang realized that if he didn’t act, the goddess would take matters into her own hands.

He wasn’t sure what the goddess would do to the old man, but his past experiences told him it would not be something he wanted to see.

Moreover, once the goddess took action… would she continue?

What consequences would there be for those who saw the goddess act?

Would the Han Dynasty’s Weiyang Palace still exist after the goddess took action?

Just thinking about these three questions made Liu Bang shiver, so he had to, and could only, step forward.

The old man trembled and crawled up from the ground.

Liu Bang spoke to him.

The system translated for Lin Jiu, half-heartedly, “Liu Bang is asking the old man if he has something to say. You can understand it like this; it doesn’t make much of a difference.”

Despite the system’s change in attitude after witnessing Liu Bang’s actions, from “Wow, the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty!” to “Heh, the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty,” it still had to admit that Liu Bang was truly a remarkable man.

When he wasn’t being serious, he was like a rogue wearing a dragon robe.

But when he became serious, like now, he was a man that no one could ignore.

As soon as he spoke, everyone’s attention shifted to him without any thought process, as if it was instinctive.

They instinctively hung on to every word he spoke.

This wasn’t a special power but the charm carried by those who had long been in positions of power and had gotten used to giving orders, or what could be called the royal aura, a unique charisma only found in great kings with remarkable talents and strategies.

—–

In twenty years, Liu Che might become such a man, but for now, he was still young.

At this moment, across the world, aside from Liu Bang, no one else had such a commanding presence.

The old man, who had barely managed to stand, suddenly collapsed again.

He cried and lunged at Liu Che, grabbing at his clothes, almost without restraint.

But the moment Liu Bang spoke, the old man fell prostrate on the ground.

Liu Bang asked if he had something to say. Of course, the old man had something to say! He had been crying here for so long, how could he not have something to say?

But in front of Liu Bang, he couldn’t speak a word!

Anyone with eyes could see that the old man wanted to speak, his aged throat tightening and opening, but it was as though someone had gripped his neck, and no sound came out.

Then his bones seemed to soften, and he couldn’t kneel any longer. He fell deeply and prostrated on the ground, his whole body trembling violently.

He wanted to speak, he desperately wanted to speak!

But he was too old, a thick phlegm blocking his throat, preventing him from speaking. He could only tremble and bang his forehead hard on the green stone palace path.

In front of Liu Che, he shed tears and snot.

In front of Liu Bang, he kowtowed until he bled.

Liu Bang had descended from the Liu family’s ancestral temple and manifested his power, and even now, only Liu Che and Lin Jiu had more contact with him.

The old minister, though not of low status, had only seen Liu Bang from a distance during ancestor worship, never face to face.

But that had been from afar, and seeing him face to face was completely different.

As a Han official, he could disbelieve ghosts and gods, he could be unafraid of death or the emperor, but how could he not believe in Liu Bang? How could he not fear Liu Bang?!

This is Liu Bang, Liu Bang! The founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Gao of Han, Liu Bang!

“Emperor Gao, Emperor Gao, above! Old minister… old minister…” The old man, lying prostrate on the ground, suddenly gasped heavily, tears streaming down his face.

Liu Bang only said one sentence, but the old man was so excited and moved, it seemed as though he was about to die.

—–

In the end, the old minister was carried away, his withered, bony hand reaching out as he cried out hoarsely, “I have seen Emperor Gao’s face… this is the greatest fortune of a thousand generations… I would die a hundred times without regret!”

Where he had knelt, a pool of bright red blood was left behind.

Lin Jiu took a step forward, then another.

She walked over the pool of blood, her steps unhesitating, her gaze unwavering.

Liu Che and Liu Bang followed her, walking along the path of the Han imperial procession, silently leaving the palace corridor.

The farce had come to an end, and the system watched the entire process, stunned and almost speechless.

This… was it solved like this?

Wasn’t this a bit of an anticlimax?

—–

In the system’s view, this situation was indeed a crisis, but also a good opportunity.

Lin Jiu’s previous actions had been too dangerous, almost disregarding the native customs and power structures. Many hosts the system had previously assisted had perished due to such an arrogant attitude.

But the system couldn’t stop the host’s actions, so it could only patiently wait for an opportunity.

This was a perfect chance, and the system was eagerly awaiting Lin Jiu’s failure, expecting her to learn a lesson, humble herself, and be more cautious.

At least, don’t be so reckless. Otherwise, not only Liu Che but the system itself wouldn’t be able to tolerate it.

Such a well-thought-out plan, only to fail at the very first step.

In fact, the system’s judgment wasn’t wrong. Given Lin Jiu’s capabilities, she couldn’t possibly navigate the complex court politics and entanglements of interest.

However, she didn’t play that game at all and instead pushed Liu Bang out.

The Han Dynasty governed with “filial piety,” and seniority often meant everything.

Today, the opposing faction of the goddess brought forth an old minister who dared to admonish with his life.

This strategy wasn’t wrong.

As a young emperor, Liu Che had no real power and little achievement to his name. In front of such an old minister, his words carried no weight.

But Liu Bang was different.

Liu Bang!

The founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, Liu Che’s fourth-generation ancestor, Emperor Gaozu of Han.

This was equivalent to throwing a kitchen knife at Lin Jiu, and then Lin Jiu unleashed a massive pillar to block it.

It shattered the rules, overturned the chessboard—simple, brutal, and decisive.

This wasn’t senseless killing; this was a dimensional strike. It’s like me standing here and letting you strike, but you still can’t break through my defense.

The others probably never imagined that Lin Jiu would have such control over Liu Bang, the founding emperor, who was willing to be the goddess’s hunting dog.

As the system thought of this, it surprisingly felt a sense of superiority, thinking to itself: this is nothing. You haven’t seen your ancestor, Liu Bang, actively suggest destroying your Liu family’s ancestral temple and smashing the ancestral tablets of the eighteen generations…

—

No one blocked the path anymore, and Lin Jiu smoothly arrived at the Greenhouse Hall.