Chapter 51: Six Years

“Come back.”

The Three Dog Demons, ready to seize their ‘prize,’ froze. The leader’s body suddenly shrank into a small yellow puppy, while the other two trembled. Abandoning their prey, they bolted toward Qing Stone Alley and vanished.

The Officials and the wounded Dragon Guards’ expert Si Mo exchanged stunned looks. Why had the victorious demons fled so abruptly?

Qing Stone Alley.

Three puppies now cowered at the doorstep of a rundown shop, their earlier ferocity gone.

“No leaving without my permission.”

Whimpering, the pups wagged their tails pitifully.

Zuo Meng ignored them. Lately, he’d been noting every change in himself, preparing to break through once he awoke. The world’s laws had shifted rapidly since the second upheaval. Now, a third loomed as spiritual energy surged. Though he’d driven off the golden shadow once, it would return. To keep his “farmers” — the golden shadow, Huang, and Xuan Gui — tending their crops without fear, he’d push Xue Chuan, this body’s original identity, into the open. Let them focus on their roles while he waited to reap.

After dealing with the demons, Zuo Meng shut his door and returned to his quiet life.

Good harvests take time.

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Six years passed.

Martial Arts faded as spiritual energy reshaped the world. Obscure clans reinvented themselves as immortal sects, thriving amid the chaos caused by the Heavenly Demon. The Great Chu royal family remained dominant, but new powers rose, ruling like lords behind thin veils of loyalty.

Suzhou stayed unchanged. A clan once tried replacing its governor, but the Immortal Palace crushed them quietly. Now, neighboring forces feared this rising power.

Zuo Meng, forgotten by the world, spent years tending his metaphorical field. His shop now displayed only a few paintings, frequented by regulars sipping tea.

Time changed everyone.

Jie Nian grew hair and became Zhang Tu. Li Yuanyuan matured into an aloof Immortal Palace leader. Even Zhi Hua, the once-energetic girl, now bore a fearsome reputation. With Zuo Meng’s subtle nudges and Yu Ruyi’s cunning leadership, they’d all reached Golden Core stage, transforming the Immortal Palace from a shell into a real force.

As for Zuo Meng? Their former “reclusive master” turned out to be just a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Disappointed, they visited now out of habit, not respect.

“I envy Mr. Xue’s lazy life,” Yu Ruyi mused, her youthful face unchanged by six years.

“Uncle Xue’s always been a lazy fish,” Zhi Hua laughed, shedding her cold demeanor only here.

Zuo Meng brewed tea, unbothered. Six years here felt like decades elsewhere, blurring his real-world memories.

“What of Tianya Pavilion?” Zhang Tu asked, bored of discussing the shopkeeper.

“Restless. I sent Luo San,” Yu Ruyi swirled her tea.

They rose to leave as newcomers entered.

“Elder Zhang Tu,” a man blocked the exit, “stay and chat.” His gaze shifted to Yu Ruyi. “Don’t you agree, Palace Master?”