Chapter Nine: The Suffering Called "Short Life"

"Get out! Get out, all of you!"

The Emperor roared hoarsely. Below, the attendants scurried away as if granted a reprieve, scrambling to flee the chamber.

A metallic scent of rust permeated the air. After venting his fury, the Emperor of Douling gradually calmed down. He slumped onto his throne, gazed at the vast, empty hall, and burst into laughter. "Hahaha, they fear me! They all fear me!"

"Tell me, Golden Cavalry, isn't it laughable? I treat them like this, yet not one dares to rise up against me. They even kneel on the ground like dogs, licking my heels."

"How base! Truly pathetic!"

"Cough... *cough cough!* Ha!"

The Emperor choked on his own laughter, falling into a violent fit of coughing. He gasped for air, a grin still plastered across his face. "That is precisely why I cannot die. I must live on. I want everyone to fear me, and under my iron rule, I will force this nation to move forward!"

His burning gaze fixed upon his Grand Commander, the Golden Cavalry Douluo, and he asked, "You will always stay by my side, won't you, Golden Cavalry?"

The Golden Cavalry Douluo watched the man to whom he had sworn eternal loyalty in his youth in silence. Even though times had changed and the Emperor was no longer the man he once was, his own resolve remained unshaken.

"This body is a sword," the Golden Cavalry Douluo replied, "wielded by you alone."

Having received the answer he craved, the Emperor laughed heartily and clapped him firmly on the shoulder.

Suddenly, as if recalling something, he said, "How goes the investigation into the death of that minor commander under your command?"

Although there were many Soul Emperors within the Day-Feather Golden Cavalry, they were the backbone of his strength. Moreover, being killed at the very gates of Douling City was a stinging slap to the face of the entire Golden Cavalry and the Emperor himself; naturally, he had kept it in mind.

The Golden Cavalry Douluo replied, "It has been clarified, and we have traced the general trail. Based on the evidence, the culprit is the 'Pharmacist'—the one currently spreading rumors far and wide as a savior of the suffering. Both his methods and the timing of the rumors align with the incident."

"Furthermore, he seems to be connected to Duke Heral. There are many nobles from the Heral faction pushing these rumors behind the scenes, though their motives remain unclear."

The Emperor listened intently to every word. When he heard the title "Pharmacist," his gaze drifted into the distance, and he muttered to himself, "Pharmacist... savior of the suffering..."

"Your Majesty, given that this involves the Duke and many other nobles, should I go and bring them in for questioning to prevent any complications? Especially regarding the matter of the underground auction house at the opera house..."

Before the Golden Cavalry Douluo could finish, the Emperor snapped out of his trance and cut him off, a look of contempt etched upon his aged face.

"It seems my little sister, who has been different from the rest since childhood, can no longer restrain herself. But so what? Even if she is a ferocious wolf, she leads only a pack of sickly dogs."

"As for bringing them in..."

The expression on the Emperor's face became mercurial. After a long silence, he said, "Not by force. A request. Invite that Pharmacist to come here."

"And if he refuses?" the Golden Cavalry Douluo asked.

"No, he will come."

The Emperor said with absolute certainty, "He will definitely come!"

Seeing this, the Golden Cavalry Douluo asked no further questions, turned, and vanished into the shadows.

Within the vast palace, the Emperor remained alone. After a long while, a hoarse voice echoed through the hall:

"Longevity..."

...

"Master Pharmacist! Please, save my father!"

The middle-aged noble pleaded earnestly for Lu Chun to treat the old man lying on the sickbed. Several of the old man's children stood around, looking at Lu Chun with equal grief.

After studying the middle-aged noble for a moment, Lu Chun said gently, "I have come precisely for this. Let me first examine the patient's condition."

"Right... right!" The middle-aged noble hesitated for a second, then gritted his teeth and stepped aside.

Lu Chun stepped forward, the eager gazes of those around him tracking his every move.

Reaching the bedside, he took a casual glance at the old man and immediately grasped the situation.

"Sir," he sighed, his voice filled with compassion and sorrow, "your father's time has come."

"Flowers bloom recklessly, meeting a withering they cannot escape; birds spread their wings and sing, flying toward a fall they cannot escape; streams meander and babble, flowing toward a drying-up they cannot escape—all things must perish, unable to escape the suffering known as a short life."

"This... are you saying my father is truly beyond saving?!"

For a fleeting moment, joy had appeared on the faces of the middle-aged noble and those around him, but it was quickly replaced by agony. He threw himself onto the side of the bed, sobbing as he cried out his father's name.

"Sigh—"

Seeing such grief, Lu Chun sighed, then a smile appeared on his face as he offered comfort. "Do not worry. While a short life is indeed terrifying, I still have a way to treat it."

"Ah?"

The middle-aged noble jerked his head up, eyes wide, unable to process the words for a long moment.

Lu Chun raised his hand, and a spirit herb brimming with vitality appeared in his palm.

Seeing the herb, the middle-aged noble finally believed that this legendary Pharmacist truly had the ability to restore his father. He stammered, "This spirit herb of yours must be incredibly valuable, I..."

Lu Chun shook his head with a faint smile. "Saving a life is worth more than building a seven-story pagoda. How can it be measured by mere value?"

"Wait... please wait..."

Before the middle-aged noble could finish, Lu Chun had already pressed the herb to the old man's lips. A miraculous scene unfolded.

Without any need for chewing, the spirit herb dissolved into a vibrant green essence that flowed into the old man's mouth. The old man's dull pupils instantly brightened, and he sat bolt upright with a gasp.

Seeing this, Lu Chun smiled and turned to leave. "Your father is out of danger. I shall take my leave."

The middle-aged noble looked at his father, now full of life, and gritted his teeth as he spat out two words:

"Thank... you!"

Lu Chun shook his head with a faint smile, indicating no thanks were necessary, and turned to leave the mansion, disappearing silently into the crowd.

That night, at Duke Heral's mansion.

As Lu Chun had instructed, all servants had been dismissed. Only Lu Chun, Heral, and a Soul Douluo retainer remained in the residence.

The Soul Douluo watched as the Grand Duke fawned over and flattered the slave he had purchased from the auction, deeply unsettled by the strange games these nobles played.

Looking at the unnaturally quiet mansion, he asked suspiciously, "Grand Duke, why did you dismiss everyone in the house?"

As he spoke, his gaze kept drifting toward the slave. Having served nobles for years, he had seen many things, and the thought that they were alone in the empty house made him wonder...

At this thought, the retainer shuddered. He was caught in an internal struggle—should he, or should he not...

Heral did not answer; in truth, he did not know his master's intentions either, so he looked toward Lu Chun.

Lu Chun did not care to explain to them. He simply said, "Waiting for someone."

His eyes fixed on the darkness ahead. Suddenly, a massive, undeniable life force appeared in his perception. The retainer noticed it too.

The intruder made no attempt to conceal his aura. Sensing ill intent, the retainer immediately reacted. A shield appeared in his hand, and he stood before Lu Chun and Heral, shouting sternly at the uninvited guest: "Who goes there!"

There was no reply. The only response was a golden sword. It carried no biting killing intent; it merely tapped gently against a point on the shield, and the shield instantly flew backward, dissipating into pure soul power.

The retainer stared at the knight in golden armor, his mouth agape. "The Golden Cavalry Douluo?"

The Golden Cavalry Douluo stepped forward slowly, his gaze completely ignoring Heral, the Duke of the Empire, and landing directly on Lu Chun, who watched him with a smile.

The Golden Cavalry Douluo stepped aside to clear a path and gestured with his hand. "Pharmacist, His Majesty requests your presence."