Seeing that Luo Xiu genuinely seemed to care, Sun Li stopped joking. She rolled her eyes and said, "She never married."

"Look how anxious that makes our Azure Emperor."

"Besides, who do you think she could have married?"

Luo Xiu touched his nose and looked away. "I'm not anxious. I was just asking."

Sun Li pursed her lips. "Just asking, huh?"

Luo Xiu glanced at her. "I saw Shan Shan when I was in Sea City."

Sun Li smiled. "So, what do you think? Shan Shan is gorgeous, right? She's known as the top beauty in Sea City."

Luo Xiu asked, "When did she get a younger brother?"

"Are you talking about Luo Tao?"

Luo Xiu's brow furrowed slightly. "His name is Luo Tao? With the surname Luo?"

Sun Li said, "Luo Tao is your and Xia Chan's son. After the Tribulation of Slaughter ended, Xia Chan voluntarily accepted her punishment, but considering she also had merits, she was sentenced to only five years."

"After Xia Chan was imprisoned, Xi Yue took Luo Tao to the Lin family to be raised."

"I see..."

Sun Li sighed. "But speaking of which, that kid Luo Tao has had a really tough life."

"Why do you say that?"

"When he was five, he was kidnapped by remnants of the Holy Boi Religion and taken to M Country. It took two years to find him."

"By the time they found him, his blood had been completely drained. He was used as a test subject, tortured beyond recognition. Fortunately, they managed to give him a transfusion in time, and his life was saved."

Hearing this, Luo Xiu clenched his fists, a bone-chilling killing intent flashing in his eyes.

"There were still remnants of the Holy Boi Religion?"

"Certainly not anymore," Sun Li said. "After what happened to Luo Tao, Xi Yue scoured the world, wiping out anyone associated with the Holy Boi Religion. She was like a woman possessed."

"She really cares about Luo Tao and treats him like her own son."

"I guess it's because Luo Tao is the only one to carry on your bloodline. After all, Shan Shan is a girl, and her surname is Lin, so she's meant to continue the Lin family's line."

Luo Xiu was silent for a moment before asking, "What happened after that?"

"Even though Luo Tao lacks your powerful Emperor's Blood, that doesn't mean he can't cultivate the Martial Way," Sun Li explained.

"Honestly, the boy is a martial prodigy, the kind you see once a century. And Xi Yue is incredibly strict with both him and Shan Shan, so strict that sometimes even we can't bear to watch."

"In several major incidents that followed, Luo Tao repeatedly earned great merits on the battlefield, so Her Majesty naturally enfeoffed him as a king—the current King An."

Luo Xiu remained silent, his heart filled with guilt.

But he found that he didn't even seem to have the right to feel guilty. As a father, he had really amounted to nothing.

Curiosity filled Sun Li's eyes as she stared at him. "Speaking of which... was Shan Shan surprised to see you now, looking like this?"

"I didn't tell her who I was."

"What?" Sun Li looked puzzled. "Why not?"

Luo Xiu didn't answer, merely shaking his head.

Sun Li sighed and changed the subject. "You must find Xi Yue when you go to the Upper Realm. She has suffered so much. I haven't seen her smile or even heard her speak much since that time. It feels like she can never move past it."

"I will find her," Luo Xiu stated.

"So when do you plan to leave?" Sun Li asked.

"After my senior sister's funeral. I'll leave after her seventh-day ceremony is over."

He then added, "Speaking of which, how did Xi Yue and the others get to the Upper Realm before?"

Sun Li thought for a moment. "Initially, Dou Dou, Luo Ying, and Big Dumb Bear were the first to go. Master Ping sent them."

"Later, when Xi Yue and the others went, it seems they used a secret realm, ascending with the power of the Wicked Tenderness Technique."

"But I don't know the specifics."

Luo Xiu nodded. "Alright, I'll go take a look myself when the time comes."

「Two days later.」

In the Capital of Hua Country.

At Di Xuanji's funeral.

Dressed in black, Luo Xiu stood quietly in the crowd. Every single person attending the funeral was a major figure in Hua Country.

Luo Xiu was only able to attend Emperor Di Xuanji's funeral because of Sun Li, the director of the Audit Bureau.

He stood in the crowd, staring blankly at the portrait nestled within a cluster of flowers as his eyes gradually welled up.

"Look, Xiu," Sun Li's voice echoed in his mind via Divine Sense Communication as she pointed to a man and woman kneeling and burning paper money. "That man is the current Emperor of Hua Country, Di Wentao. The girl is Princess Shiqi, Di Shiqi."

Only then did Luo Xiu notice the pair. His attention had been entirely focused on Di Xuanji.

He realized that Princess Shiqi looked very much like Di Xuanji when she was young, sharing a seventy percent resemblance in their eyes and brows.

"Xiao Li," Luo Xiu suddenly called out.

"Hm?"

"Is there any way for me to be a pallbearer?"

Sun Li gave him a strange look. "That might be difficult, unless you expose your identity right now and shock the world."

As she spoke, her eyes darted about as an idea struck her. "However... I can find out who the pallbearers are. Then we can quietly knock one of them out, and you can take his place in disguise."

Luo Xiu was stunned. "That would work?"

Sun Li's expression turned serious. "I know you want to see Her Majesty off on her final journey."

Luo Xiu said, "Alright, we'll do it your way."

"King An has arrived—!"

At that moment, a sonorous voice broke Luo Xiu's train of thought.

Luo Xiu looked toward the voice and saw the arrivals were Luo Tao and Lin Shanshan. The moment Luo Xiu's gaze fell on her, Lin Shanshan also saw him.

Their eyes met. Lin Shanshan's delicate brows furrowed slightly, and her heart filled with curiosity.

She had seen this young man before at the Lin Family Burial Ground in Sea City.

And now, this young man had appeared at Di Xuanji's funeral, standing right next to Auntie Sun.

What on earth is this young man's identity?

After a moment of paying her respects, Lin Shanshan went to look for the young man, but he had already vanished into the crowd.

"Auntie Sun, long time no see." Lin Shanshan went up and hugged Sun Li.

Sun Li pinched her cheek. "My dear Shanshan, you're getting more beautiful all the time."

"Auntie Sun, just now... where did the young man who was with you go?"

Sun Li rolled her eyes. "What young man? I didn't see anyone."

"Never mind, it's nothing. I just thought he was handsome and wanted his number."

"Oh my, since when does Miss Shanshan think about such things?"

Lin Shanshan coughed. "Be serious, be serious."

"Serious, my foot!" Sun Li poked her on the forehead.

"By the way, Auntie Sun, it's rare for me to visit the Capital City, so you have to show me a good time. Besides, I'll be leaving soon."

In the blink of an eye, seven days passed.

After Di Xuanji's seventh-day memorial, Luo Xiu went to find Sun Li.

"Xiao Li, I'm leaving."

"Take care."

"Take this elixir."

"Oh, you shouldn't have... Leaving is one thing, but you even brought me a gift?"

"Help me give it to Luo Tao," Luo Xiu said.

"Damn it! Xiu, you're playing favorites! What about me?"

Luo Xiu reached out and ruffled her hair, releasing a wisp of Fortune-Forming Power into her. "This should help you. If I can ever return, I'll come find you."

"Hmm... How about a quick bang before you go?"

"Right now?"

Sun Li took out a chessboard. "I'm talking about chess. What were you thinking?"

"Oh, get lost!"

Luo Xiu scooped her up in his arms and carried her straight to the Land of Lawlessness.

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