SWNOVELXO Chapter 72 Eastern Emperor Taiyi
```
He hurriedly turned and entered the room, excitedly saying to Lu Zhang, "Might I ask if the General recognizes Lu Yu?"
Several people were startled by Xiao Ke's excited demeanor, as this Scholar had maintained a calm and composed appearance since they first met, they did not expect him to lose composure.
"Lu Yu is my uncle, may I inquire how the gentleman came to know this name?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ke burst into laughter and said, "I had felt the General's face was familiar, and it turns out you are indeed the benefactor's descendant. To be frank, Mr. Lu has shown great kindness to my wife and me, but unfortunately, as an Immortal descending to the mortal world, we had no way to repay our debt of gratitude."
With these words, Lu Zhang instantly felt close at heart; Lu Yu was his only elder in this world and cared for him dearly. He owed his current status entirely to his uncle's support, so hearing that Xiao Ke and his uncle had an old connection naturally made him feel as if he were among his own kin.
With this connection established, Xiao Ke shifted from his previous aloofness. The warmth now evident in his language was surprising, and everyone internally speculated what manner of great debt could bring about such a change. Discover hidden tales at empire
It wasn't long before Su Yanniang had brought the wine and dishes. The company at the table shed their previous restraints, revealing more of their genuine dispositions; Lu Zhang seized this opportunity to inquire about numerous political difficulties, which Xiao Ke readily resolved without withholding any knowledge.
Only then did Lu Zhang realize that Xiao Ke was truly remarkable, with enough talent to serve as an adviser in any nation. Yet, recruitment was hard to propose at the moment, for it was, after all, an old acquaintance of his uncle's. If he spoke now, there could be the impression of exploiting gratitude, and should his uncle disapprove, the gains would not compensate for the losses.
Xiao Ke seemed to sense Lu Zhang's hesitance and said with a smile, "To be honest, the great kindness Mr. Lu showed to my wife and I cannot be repaid even with our lives. It's a pity he is a being beyond this world, but now that the General is here, Xiao Ke is willing to offer his humble abilities in service to repay Mr. Lu's great kindness."
Lu Zhang, hearing this, joyfully responded, "Good! With the gentleman's assistance, Lu Zhang is as a tiger growing wings." Thereupon, they affirmed their bond as sovereign and subject.
Having decided to leave seclusion, Xiao Ke naturally wouldn't stay on the mountain any longer. He and his wife, owning little, packed quickly and followed Lu Zhang and others down the mountain.
As they were traveling, a few youths suddenly appeared, blocking their path and saying, "Sister, please wait a moment. Our father heard you and your husband are leaving the mountain and sent us to bring some things over as a dowry."
Without further ado, they whistled softly, and several huge foxes pulling carriages loaded with gold, silver, and jewelry arrived.
"How come there's so much?" Even Yan Niang was shocked by the vast wealth.
"Father said, one carriage is your dowry; the rest is the Su Family's blood money. That gentleman spared our lives back then; now that his nephew has come, this wealth can serve as a meeting gift."
Without waiting for Yan Niang and the others to respond, they mounted the foxes and swiftly departed.
Lu Zhang was left utterly confused, but one thing he knew for certain was that this matter must be closely related to his uncle. Since the fortune was delivered to his doorstep, he would not refuse it; especially beneficial now as the army's recent campaign had been costly, and this would help to replenish its funds.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ke was slowly recounting his past, through which Lu Zhang learned the whole story, marveling at the wonders of fate.
"I wonder where Uncle is now," Lu Zhang sighed, having not seen Lu Yu for a long time.
At that moment, the uncle Lu Zhang spoke of had entered the Netherworld and faced the surging waters of the Yellow Springs.
```
A Judge from the City of Unjust Deaths had arrived; he was tall and burly with a red beard, dressed in a red robe, and holding a Judge's Brush in his hand.
"Underworld Lu Pan greets the High Immortal!"
"Lu Pan is too kind, this humble Scholar dares not accept such a grand gesture," Lu Yu said to Lu Pan with a smile.
"Haha, no one would blame you for being too courteous, Mr. Lu. Since you have come, it must be for the matter of the Nether Dragon Court!" Lu Pan naturally knew of Lu Yu's agreement with the Ten Yama Lords, and his presence was also for this reason.
"Indeed, for this purpose. I ask for Lu Pan's assistance in this matter," Lu Yu also said as he clasped his hands in return.
"It's a small matter. Countless Ancient Nations have perished since antiquity, follow me, Mr. Lu, and let us slowly choose!"
Lu Yu's visit was indeed for his nephew, and now that Lu Zhang's foundation was established, the only thing was that his origins from a humble background in the Netherworld meant he didn't have sufficient accumulation, making his foundation seem somewhat shallow.
To resolve this issue, one option was simply to wait: as the civil and military officials under Lu Zhang passed away, they would naturally enter the Dragon Court and gradually accumulate Fortune and Destiny. However, this method was time-consuming and any unexpected event during this period could shorten the nation's destiny.
The other method was to borrow the Fortune and Destiny of an ancient, perished nation. This involved establishing a new nation in the name of an ancient one and occupying its Fortune and Destiny.
However, this approach had extremely high requirements; without the guidance of someone knowledgeable, if the nation was named after an Ancient Nation that hadn't yet perished, one could easily suffer a backlash from Fortune and Destiny.
This was also the reason why Lu Yu personally went to the Underworld; after all, the matter concerned the nation's fate and could not be taken lightly. Fortunately, he had quite a reputation in the Netherworld, and with the Ten Yama Lords handling matters for him, the Fortune and Destiny of Ancient Nations that were difficult for others to seek were plentiful options for him.
Following Lu Pan as he walked across the vast Netherworld, in search of those lost Ancient Nations, they soon arrived atop a set of ruins which by their scale, must have been the remnants of an Ancient Nation's Dragon Court.
However, it was clear at a glance that this Ancient Nation had been prosperous at one time, its scale far surpassing the current Dragon Court of the Great Chen, but by now, all that remained of its past glory was rubble and ruins. Amidst the debris was a damaged banner, on which an ancient character for "Chu" could still be discerned.
"This was the Dragon Court of the Ancient Chu Kingdom; back then, it definitely ranked as an extremely powerful Dragon Court in the world, and at one time it even worshiped the Eastern Emperor. Even people like us had to show respect," Lu Pan said with a sigh. Seeing the once invincible Dragon Court become so desolate also brought about many emotions for him.
Yet, it was within these words that Lu Yu noticed a name: "Eastern Emperor Taiyi?"
"Oh! Mr. Lu has heard of this name?" Lu Pan was somewhat surprised. It was related to the secrets of the ancient times, and unexpectedly, this up-and-coming talent had come across it.
"I have heard of the name, but the accounts are many and the conclusion uncertain," Lu Yu remembered some theories from his previous life.
"The Eastern Emperor was a Divine Spirit from the dawn of the heavens and earth, an incarnation of the rules. Born to command the sun, light, and other divine roles, he was one of the top Celestial Gods during the ancient times."
Lu Yu could feel the might of Eastern Emperor Taiyi from Lu Pan's tone; however, what he couldn't understand was why such a powerful Innate Divine Spirit seemed to have vanished without a trace, his name hardly known.
"Why is such a mighty being so obscure, and even the Ancient Nation that worshiped him has perished?" Lu Yu posed his question, knowing that beings like Lu Pan from the Underworld lived for extended periods and knew many secrets of the universe.