Chapter 130 The Afterglow of Sunset, the Apocalyptic Bill, and the Ambitions of the New and Older Bo

The plains outside Sunset Pass seemed to have been muted.

That arrogant purple crystal, which claimed to be the origin of the Heavenly Dao, shattered into nothingness like a fragile glass bead under Su Changqing's seemingly rusty, broken kitchen knife.

The terrifying purple light it emitted, capable of assimilating the entire world, was also wiped away completely in an instant.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, no devastating aftershocks.

Everything happened so peacefully that it made people wonder if the apocalyptic catastrophe they had just witnessed was just a collective nightmare.

"This...this is it?"

On the city wall, Ye Xiaoying's mouth was wide open, and his beard was trembling slightly.

He looked at the empty sky, then at the man below wearing a yellow duck apron and flip-flops, and felt that his worldview had been completely crushed to dust.

"General, shall we... continue fighting?" The adjutant beside him was also stunned, subconsciously gripping the already chipped steel sword in his hand.

"Fight? Fight who? Can you even find the enemy?" Ye Xiaoying slapped his lieutenant's helmet angrily. "It's all turned to ash! Are you going to go sweep the floor?!"

Indeed, with the destruction of the purple crystal, the once densely packed Southern Jue army below, including the resurrected corpse demons and medicine men, lost the support of the Heavenly Dao's power. Like machines without energy, they turned into pools of foul-smelling black water, which quickly seeped into the ground, leaving only broken weapons and armor to prove that they had once existed.

A colossal battle concerning the survival of Beili, and even the fate of the entire world, thus came to an end in an extremely absurd yet highly efficient manner.

"Alright, stop lying on the ground like a corpse."

Su Changqing kicked Lei Wujie, who was still sprawled in the snow, with his toe, looking disgusted. "Get up quickly and take off that smelly cotton-padded coat. Your brother-in-law is a germaphobe, don't bring this smell back to Changqing Realm and taint my daughter."

Lei Wujie snapped out of his daze and hurriedly scrambled to his feet. He tried to use his internal energy to shatter the heavy, blood-stained cotton coat he was wearing, but found that his body was completely empty. He couldn't even squeeze out a spark of fire energy, not to mention that his bones felt like they were falling apart, and even the slightest movement made him wince in pain.

"Brother-in-law, I...I'm out of strength." Lei Wujie looked at Su Changqing with a pained expression.

"Promising."

Su Changqing rolled his eyes, too lazy to waste any more words. With a casual wave of his hand, a soft cyan light instantly enveloped Lei Wujie and Wushuang, who was equally exhausted beside him.

"Buzz—"

As the azure light entered their bodies, the two felt an extremely pure and vibrant power coursing through their limbs and bones. It not only instantly healed their deep, bone-revealing external wounds, but also directly repaired the depleted essence and soul they had suffered from forcibly unleashing their ultimate attack!

It only took a few breaths.

Lei Wujie and Wushuang felt as if they had been fully revived!

They even vaguely sensed that their cultivation had loosened slightly after experiencing this life-or-death battle and being baptized by this azure light. They were only one step away from truly reaching the Divine Realm of Profound Insight!

"Wow! Brother-in-law, your light is amazing! It's a million times more effective than the wound medicine from Lei Family Fortress!" Lei Wujie jumped up excitedly, and casually tore off the tattered cotton-padded coat and threw it aside.

Wushuang stood up, feeling the renewed strength within her, and bowed deeply to Su Changqing: "Thank you so much for your life-saving grace, sir! Only today does Wushuang realize where the pinnacle of swordsmanship truly lies. I will forever remember your 'Shattering the Dao' strike!"

"Just keep it in mind, don't keep saying it all the time. If one day you can slice potatoes as neatly as I can with my flying sword, then you'll truly deserve the title of Sword Immortal."

Su Changqing waved his hand, not caring about their gratitude.

He turned his head and looked at the desolate scene slowly descending from mid-air.

Xiao Se had already put away the Thunder Bow. Although his blue robe was covered with some dust, it still stood out from the crowd thanks to his imperial dragon aura.

He walked up to Su Changqing, and unlike Lei Wujie and Wushuang, he was not excited. He simply gave a respectful bow as a junior.

"Sir, thank you for making this trip again."

Xiao Se's voice carried a hint of apology and helplessness.

He thought that by breaking through to the half-step Divine Realm and awakening the Imperial Dragon Qi, he would be able to control lightning in this game of the world.

But reality slapped him hard in the face.

In front of this man, he was still just a wage earner who needed protection.

"So you've realized you need my help?"

Su Changqing glanced at him sideways, then took out an exquisite rosewood abacus from the pocket of his apron (which was actually a storage space) and began to move his fingers rapidly across it.

"Since you know what's going on, let's settle things clearly."

As Su Changqing worked on his abacus, he muttered to himself, "That 'Shattering Dao' strike just now took a lot of my energy. Although it was a fake Heavenly Dao, it was still somewhat related. The performance fee, compensation for emotional distress, cost of the worn-out weapon (even though it was just a broken kitchen knife), and the medical expenses for treating those two kids..."

"All things considered, let's round it down to one million taels of gold. Add to that the food and lodging fees you owed at Changqing Tower, and the processing fee for the Thunderclap Bow I made for you... totaling three million taels of gold!"

Su Changqing handed the abacus to Xiao Se. "Boss Xiao, are you planning to pay in cash, or deduct it from your ATM?"

Xiao Se stared at the gleaming numbers on the abacus, his lips twitching violently a few times.

Three million taels of gold?!

This is a sum that would require turning the entire treasury of the Northern Li Kingdom upside down, plus his salary over the decades since he became emperor!

"Sir, isn't your skin... a little too dark?"

Xiao Se suppressed the urge to curse and smiled bitterly.

"Black market? I call this fair and honest, with clearly marked prices."

Su Changqing said confidently.

"Do you know how dangerous that giant purple bead was? If I hadn't arrived in time, the three of you would be ashes by now. Three million taels of gold for the lives of the three of you in your future journey to the Divine Realm—isn't that a good deal?"

"What a bargain! It's such a bargain!" Lei Wujie quickly chimed in. He now blindly worshipped Su Changqing. He would think it was worth it even if it were 30 million taels, let alone 3 million taels (since it wasn't him who was paying for it).

Xiao Se glared at his unreliable teammate and sighed, "Fine, I admit it. Consider this money a debt I, Xiao Chuhe, owe you. Once I return to Tianqi and straighten out the court, I'll definitely find a way to raise it for you."

"That's more like it."

Su Changqing put away the abacus with satisfaction.

"But let me make this clear: I hate it when people don't pay their debts. If I don't see the money by the deadline, I'll go to Tianqi City, tear down your palace, and build a branch store there."

Xiao Se had no doubt that he was capable of doing such a thing, so he could only nod silently in agreement.

"Alright, now that the accounts are settled, there's no need to stay here any longer."

Su Changqing stretched and yawned. "I was woken up in the middle of the night, I'm so sleepy. I need to go back to sleep. You three, hurry up and clean up this mess, don't leave a disgusting mess."

"Huh? We have to clean up the mess?"

Lei Wujie cried out in despair, "Brother-in-law, this is a mess left behind by hundreds of thousands of troops! How long will it take the three of us to clean it up?"

"That's your business. I only care about the results."

Su Changqing ignored his complaints and turned around to prepare to tear through the void and return to the Changqing Realm.

"Sir, wait a minute!"

Just then, Ye Xiaoying on the city wall finally reacted, scrambling down the wall and kneeling before Su Changqing with a thud. His voice was loud and clear: "This humble general, Ye Xiaoying, on behalf of tens of thousands of soldiers of Luori Pass and millions of people in the southern border, kowtows to thank Mr. Su for his life-saving grace!"

As soon as he knelt down, the several deputy generals behind him also knelt down in unison.

"We kowtow in gratitude to Mr. Su for saving our lives!"

The deafening shouts echoed across the empty plain.

Su Changqing stopped and glanced back at Ye Xiaoying. He wasn't too harsh on this loyal general of Beili, simply saying, "Saving the world is out of the question. I'm just a tavern owner. I'm just swatting a few noisy flies. If you want to thank someone, thank your new emperor. If he wasn't working for me, I wouldn't bother with this mess."

After saying that, he didn't linger and lightly made a slash in the air in front of him with his right hand.

"Sizzle—"

A pitch-black spatial rift appeared out of nowhere, faintly revealing the idyllic, fragrant, and spiritually vibrant atmosphere of the Evergreen Realm.

Su Changqing stepped into the crevice, and just before he disappeared, he suddenly turned around and gave Xiao Se a very meaningful smile.

"Boss Xiao, this world is now your chessboard. How you play it is up to you. But don't forget, you are not only the Emperor of Beili, but also the 'Honorary Manager' of my Changqing Tower. If you lose money in business, I'll deduct your salary."

As soon as he finished speaking, the spatial rift closed instantly, and Su Changqing's figure completely disappeared from everyone's sight.

Only Xiao Se and his two companions, along with Ye Xiaoying and his group, were left staring at each other in disarray on the battlefield.

"Honorary Manager?"

As Xiao Se pondered the title, a helpless yet relieved smile crept onto his lips.

Yes, the world may be vast, but in that man's eyes, it is probably not as important as an account book in his brothel.

Even as the emperor of Beili, he was nothing more than a high-level employee in front of him.

However, this feeling doesn't seem so bad.

"His Majesty!"

Ye Xiaoying stood up, looking at Xiao Se with eyes filled with fervor and awe.

"The Southern Jue army has been annihilated, and the Heavenly Dao monster has been subdued. Now that the Southern Territory is pacified, Your Majesty, please immediately return to the capital! This Tianqi City, this land of Beili, awaits your return to take charge!"

Xiao Se turned his head and looked at the sky in the south, which was gradually turning light.

The long night is over, and dawn is coming.

He took a deep breath, and the lazy aura around him vanished, replaced by an unparalleled domineering presence.

"Uncle, pass on the order."

Xiao Se's voice was deep and powerful, clearly reaching the ears of every soldier.

"Great Snow Dragon Cavalry, break camp immediately! Return to the capital!"

"I will show everyone in this Apocalypse City that the era of Xiao Chuhe has truly arrived!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!!!"

Tens of thousands of soldiers roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.

……

Three days later.

Tianqi City, Imperial Palace.

The once solemn and dignified court was now filled with a strange, even somewhat comical, atmosphere.

On the dragon throne, Xiao Se, dressed in a black dragon robe and wearing a twelve-tasseled flat crown, sat upright. His deep gaze swept over the ministers below, and an invisible imperial pressure made the hall so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

But on the imperial desk beside him, which symbolized supreme imperial power, there were no imperial seals or memorials, but instead... a small, gleaming abacus.

That's right, it's the same one he used when he was an accountant at Changqing Tower.

On the right side of the main hall, where eunuchs or guards usually stood, a young man in red was now standing. He had his arms crossed, a toothpick dangling from his mouth, and was idly shaking his leg.

Lei Wujie!

Instead of returning to Lei Family Fortress, he shamelessly followed Xiao Se into the palace under the guise of "escorting the emperor" (actually, he wanted to stay in Tianqi City and mooch off Changqinglou). He even proclaimed himself "First-Class Imperial Bodyguard with Sword and Delivery Specialist for Changqinglou's Tianqi Branch".

Wushuang did return to Wushuang City.

Having experienced this battle, he felt that his control over the Vermilion Bird of the Ming Dynasty was far from sufficient, and decided to go back into seclusion and not leave until he achieved a state of spiritual travel.

"My beloved ministers."

Xiao Se slowly spoke, breaking the deathly silence in the court.

"The war in the Southern Border has ended, and the entire Southern Jue army has been wiped out. The so-called 'Heavenly Envoy' has also been killed by Mr. Su with a single strike. The world is finally at peace for the time being."

Upon hearing this, the courtiers all knelt and proclaimed, "Your Majesty is wise! Heaven blesses Beili!"

In fact, they knew perfectly well that this was not a blessing from heaven for Bei Li, but clearly Mr. Su protecting Bei Li!

But they would never dare to say such a thing in the imperial court.

"but."

Xiao Se changed the subject, lightly fiddling with the golden abacus on the imperial desk.

The crisp clinking of the abacus beads was particularly jarring in the hall, making all the ministers tremble. They always felt that nothing good ever happened whenever the new emperor touched the abacus.

"Although the external threat has been eliminated, the internal problem remains unresolved."

His stern gaze swept over the several officials below, who were bowing their heads and sweating profusely.

"Although the case of the Prince of Langya has been overturned, I have not yet thoroughly dealt with those corrupt officials who secretly fueled the flames, embezzled funds, and formed cliques for personal gain."

"When I was working as an accountant at Changqing Tower, I learned a saying: 'Even close brothers should keep clear accounts.'"

Xiao Se picked up the abacus and shook it.

"Today, I will use this abacus to settle this score with you all!"

These words caused a stir in the imperial court.

A more thorough and intense "purgation of the court" led by the new emperor Xiao Chuhe has officially begun.

The methods used in this purge were full of the Changqinglou style—no mercy, no rules, only the ironclad evidence in the "ledger"!

Xiao Se could clearly deduce in his mind who embezzled how much silver and who sold how many official positions.

He didn't even need to use the three judicial departments to interrogate him; he could just report the expenses on the spot and arrest the person on the spot!

In an instant, the city of Tianqi was filled with unease. Those corrupt officials who had once acted arrogantly and domineeringly were all brought to justice, and many had their homes confiscated and their families exterminated.

And the enormous family fortune that was confiscated...

"Your Majesty, the gold confiscated from the home of Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Revenue amounts to a full 800,000 taels! And there are all sorts of antiques and paintings, priceless indeed!"

A general in charge of confiscating the property excitedly reported to his superior.

"Hmm, not bad."

Xiao Se looked at the long list of confiscated property and nodded in satisfaction.

"Load those 800,000 taels of gold into a separate cart. Tell the people in the national treasury not to record this money in the accounts, but to send it directly to Changqing Tower. Say it's the interest I'm paying back to Mr. Su."

"Huh?" The general was stunned. "This...this isn't in accordance with the rules, is it?"

"rule?"

Xiao Se sneered, a hint of mischief flashing in his eyes.

"Here, the Master's words are the highest rule. If you feel that this is against the rules, you are welcome to go to the Evergreen Realm and argue with the Master face to face. Let's see if his knife is sharper or your neck is tougher."

Upon hearing this, the general was terrified and shook his head repeatedly, saying, "I wouldn't dare! I'll do it right away! Immediately!"

Are you kidding me?! Go and talk about rules with that ruthless guy who split the sky in two with one stroke? Do you have a death wish?!

Watching the general scramble away, Xiao Se stretched lazily and leaned back on the dragon throne.

"A debt of 1.5 million taels of gold... that's quite a huge undertaking. It seems we need to arrest a few more corrupt officials in the court."

This new emperor of Beili, this former Prince Yong'an who once had the world in his heart.

Under Su Changqing's influence, he finally succeeded in evolving into the "Strongest Working Emperor" who would stop at nothing to pay off his debts.

Meanwhile, far above in the Nine Heavens, in the Evergreen Realm...

Su Changqing was lying on the rocking chair, watching the scene of Xiao Se's "righteous" ransacking of the house reflected in the water mirror, and took a bite of the grape that Li Hanyi had fed him with satisfaction.

"Not bad, not bad, Boss Xiao's awareness is getting higher and higher. It seems that I will be able to collect my bill of 1.5 million taels soon."

"Nuonuo, come on! Daddy will take you to the back mountain to build a pure gold amusement park!"