Beauties in Simulation Cross over into Reality

Chapter 72: Chapter 63: This old fellow has been away for a long time, and it’s time to go home.

“Sister!”

Just as Xiao Qing was anxiously looking around in front of the courtyard, her sister’s figure appeared on a path not far away.

Xiao Qing’s eyes lit up. She breathed a sigh of relief and hurried over.

“Sister, you scared me to death! If something had happened to you, what would I have done?”

Xiao Qing looked as though she was on the verge of tears.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t gone looking for her sister.

But Bai Ruxue’s Realm was higher than Xiao Qing’s. Even though Bai Ruxue had lost her memories, she still retained some of her Demon Race heritage. Concealing one’s form and aura was one of the Snake Race’s Lifebound Divine Abilities.

So, once Bai Ruxue concealed her form and aura, Xiao Qing couldn’t find her at all.

“Xiao Qing…” Bai Ruxue lifted her head, tears casting a faint mist over her clear eyes. “How many years have I been asleep?”

“Huh?” Xiao Qing stared blankly at her sister’s eyes, only then noticing that the confusion in them was gone. “Sister, does this mean you’ve…”

“I remember everything.” Tears streamed down from the corners of her eyes.

Bai Ruxue reached out and gripped her younger sister’s wrist tightly. “Xiao Qing, exactly how long was I asleep? Tell me…”

Xiao Qing lowered her head, her eyes filled with sorrow.

“Forty-eight years.”

After a long silence, Xiao Qing’s voice reached Bai Ruxue’s ears.

“Sister, you’ve been asleep for forty-eight years.”

“Forty-eight years…” Bai Ruxue staggered back two steps, her eyes full of disbelief.

She knew what forty-eight years meant for an ordinary person.

“Could it be that Xiao Mo is already…” Bai Ruxue stared blankly at her younger sister.

“No, he’s not.” Xiao Qing quickly shook her head. “Sister, Brother Xiao is fine. He’s an official in the Imperial City now.”

Bai Ruxue raised her head and said anxiously, “Xiao Qing, let’s pack up. We’ll go find him right now…”

“Sister, we can’t…”

Xiao Qing quickly grabbed her sister’s arm.

“Sister, you are now a Great Demon of the Nascent Soul Realm. If your Realm were lower, it might be manageable. But if you go now, you’ll definitely be noticed by the Imperial City’s draconic energy. At that point, forget entering the city—I’m afraid you’d be suppressed and killed the moment you got close to the gates.

“Besides, Sister, you’ve just woken up. Your Divine Soul is weak, and you need to rest and recover. Even if you don’t enter the Imperial City, the closer you get, the more Cultivators there will be.

“Furthermore, Sister, you also show signs of atavism.

“If you’re discovered, you’ll surely be hunted down.”

“Then, Xiao Qing, what should we do…?” The woman’s voice was choked with sobs.

“Sister, please don’t be anxious. I’ll write a letter right away and deliver it to Brother Xiao in person tomorrow,” Xiao Qing soothed. “Don’t worry, Sister. Brother Xiao and I will come back as quickly as possible.”

“…”

Bai Ruxue lowered her head, pursing her thin lips tightly. It was clear she still wanted to go with Xiao Qing.

But Bai Ruxue also knew this was no time to be ruled by her emotions.

In the end, she could only nod.

That night, Bai Ruxue wrote a letter and gave it to Xiao Qing to take to the Imperial City.

The next morning, after urging her sister to “be safe on the road and careful with everything,” Bai Ruxue watched as Xiao Qing flew off into the distance.

Only when Xiao Qing had vanished from sight did Bai Ruxue anxiously look away, her heart filled with apprehension.

「On the third day of Xiao Qing’s journey to the Imperial City.」

「Outside Qingshan City.」

Qin Xiao, the County Magistrate of Qingshan County, stood at the city gates, accompanied by his entire staff from the Government Office and the various landed gentry of the county.

All of them gazed into the distance, awaiting the arrival of the great lord.

“They’re here, they’re here!” Just as everyone had been standing outside the city for four hours, a servant boy came scrambling over. “My lord, the Prime Minister’s carriage has arrived!”

“Good, good, good!” Magistrate Qin said, pleased. “Everyone, look sharp! Prepare to welcome His Excellency the Prime Minister on his return home!”

Before long, a horse-drawn carriage, driven by a coachman, came into view.

Although the carriage was unremarkable, the horse pulling it was a fine Ferghana Dragon-Horse, a gift from His Majesty to Prime Minister Xiao.

Among all the officials, only Prime Minister Xiao could use such a magnificent steed to pull his carriage.

“Light the firecrackers! Play the music!”

“CRACKLE-BANG!”

“POP! POP! POP!”

At Magistrate Qin’s command,

The sound of firecrackers, horns, gongs, and drums erupted simultaneously.

The Ferghana Dragon-Horse remained unstartled. It merely snorted, its steps steady as it approached the city gate.

As the last crackle of the firecrackers faded, the prominent figures of Qingshan City, led by Magistrate Qin, hurried forward and bowed. “Qingshan City respectfully welcomes the Prime Minister home!”

The curtain of the carriage was drawn aside, and an old man with a full head of white hair slowly alighted.

There were no maids.

No attendants.

They had heard that before this old man left the Capital City, he had given his maids and servants a large severance payment and had not taken a single person with him.

Forty-eight years ago, when the young scholar went to the Capital City to take the imperial examinations, he was alone.

Forty-eight years later, the old man, renowned throughout the world, returned home in glory, still alone.

Yet, in those forty-eight years, the old man had performed countless good deeds that would bless generations to come.

Every time they thought of this, they felt that the man before them was not just an ordinary Prime Minister, but a Saint whose name would be celebrated for ages.

“For this old man to cause such a fuss upon his return… I’ve troubled all of you.”

The old man walked forward and bowed to the crowd with cupped hands.

Although the old man was nearly seventy years old, his posture was still straight and tall. His eyes, in particular, were gentle yet commanding, as if he could see right through a person with a single glance.

None of them dared to receive such a bow, and they all stepped aside, simultaneously clearing a path for him.

“Your Excellency, please don’t say such things. We juniors are truly humbled.” Magistrate Qin hurried forward to support the old gentleman, his manner as deferential as a servant’s.

But Magistrate Qin did not feel demeaned in the slightest. In fact, he felt that being able to support such a man was the honor of a lifetime.

“Your Excellency must be weary from your journey. We have arranged for food and lodging, so please rest well.”

“I’ve troubled Lord Qin.” The old man smiled. “However, this old man won’t impose on you further. This is my household registration. I’ll have to trouble you to handle the formalities.”

After officials of the Qi Kingdom retired and returned to their hometowns, they all had a household registration that needed to be submitted to the local county government. After the County Magistrate received it, they had to report to His Majesty, stating that the person had returned home safely and was properly settled.

“No trouble, no trouble at all.” Magistrate Qin quickly took the document with both hands and tucked it securely inside his robes. “But, Old Sir, are you truly not entering the city? The people in the city are all eagerly waiting to welcome you home.”

“Let’s not. Why should an old man like me trouble the people to welcome me back?”

The old man smiled and shook his head, looking in the direction of a village.

“I have received the people’s goodwill. But this old man has been away for a long time. It’s time to go home.”