My Simulated Road to Immortality Chapter 3 - 3: Mortal Desires for the Immortal

Chapter 3: Mortal Desires for the Immortal

Translator: 549690339

It felt as though the hands of time had been pushed by an accelerator.

Li Fan proceeded with his objectives in a systematic and disciplined manner.

Armed with the wisdom of two previous lives, his progress was as natural and effortless as water carving a path through a channel.

Once again, he entered the Imperial Examination.

This time, however, his decades of political dominance allowed him to produce essays far superior to those of his past life. He achieved a legendary feat by ranking first in the Provincial, Metropolitan, and Palace Examinations. This "Triple First" victory caused his reputation to reverberate throughout the world!

Claiming he needed to gain experience while still young, he requested a post as a local official in a remote region. His chosen destination was, predictably, Wen County.

While many members of the Imperial Court were baffled by his choice and lamented the perceived waste of talent, they ultimately granted his petition.

Consequently, in the third year of anchoring, he returned to Wen County.

His situation was far more favorable than in his previous life. Because of his immense prestige and his intimate knowledge of every local officer’s personality, he brought the entire county under his thumb with almost zero effort.

He then began elevating and training his loyal followers from his past life, steadily consolidating his personal influence.

Simultaneously, he produced technical drawings for flintlock firearms. He directed expert craftsmen to manufacture them based on these blueprints, providing them with foreknowledge of the technical hurdles they would face. He subsequently dispatched agents to secretly recruit master artisans from every corner of the land, aiming to develop even more sophisticated weaponry.

Mountain mining operations were also prioritized. Li Fan wiped out every bandit group in the hills surrounding Wen County, forcing the survivors into the mines. Near these mining sites, he founded numerous secluded workshops in the deep mountains to mass-produce ironware and various crafts. He also established covert merchant caravans to distribute these goods far and wide, amassing a massive fortune.

In the fourth year of anchoring, Li Fan’s secret search led him to the body double of Emperor Xuanjing. It was this very double who had nearly thwarted his assassination attempt in the previous life. Fortunately, Li Fan’s habitual caution and his array of contingency plans had prevented failure back then. Li Fan took charge of training the double himself; after six months, the man’s performance was virtually flawless.

In the fifth year of anchoring, the Great Drought of Jiangnan occurred. Li Fan commanded his subordinates to infiltrate the refugee groups and launch an assault on the Langya King’s Mansion. While Li Fan led a force under the guise of providing rescue, he actually coordinated the massacre from within. The entire family of King Langya was eliminated, and the body double was installed in the King's place.

From that moment on, Li Fan occupied the nest of another, wielding secret control over the Langya King’s Mansion.

The news that the Langya family had been slaughtered—with only the King himself surviving—sent shockwaves through the court and the empire. The Emperor, consumed by rage, mobilized the military to crush the refugees. Li Fan was praised for his "heroic" intervention and received a promotion to the Prefect of Jianghuai Government.

Li Fan’s authority grew, but he became even more guarded. He halted his outward expansion, choosing instead to focus quietly on technological advancement and industrial growth.

In the seventh year of anchoring, the predicted Locust Plague arrived. Because Li Fan was fully prepared, the Jianghuai Government remained untouched by the disaster. He petitioned the court to release grain from the imperial storehouses to aid the starving. The court consented.

Li Fan used this crisis to absorb a massive population. These refugees settled under his administration, causing his power to increase exponentially.

In the ninth year of anchoring, the marriage between King Langya and the Chief Scholar’s granddaughter took place as scheduled. That night, Li Fan forced his way into the bridal suite, terrifying the new Queen of Langya. Upon learning that Li Fan had murdered the real King and replaced him with an impostor, she screamed that he was a traitor. Li Fan merely laughed. He compelled her to detail this scandalous revelation in a letter.

Posing as an envoy for King Langya, Li Fan traveled secretly to the capital to present the letter to the Chief Scholar.

With a composed demeanor, Li Fan informed the Chief Scholar that the Langya King’s Mansion was now under his thumb. He further revealed that he had already bedded the Scholar’s granddaughter on her wedding night. Though shaken, the Chief Scholar remained calm and asked Li Fan what he truly wanted.

Li Fan spoke plainly: the Chief Scholar had created too many enemies during his reign. Since his sons were all useless, the family would surely perish after the Scholar's death. If the Scholar supported Li Fan when the time came, Li Fan promised to ensure the family’s prosperity for a century.

After a long silence, the Chief Scholar asked what was required of him. Li Fan smiled, stating that everything would be revealed in time, and then made a graceful exit.

In the tenth year of anchoring, the Queen of Langya gave birth to a son. The child was, of course, Li Fan’s blood. Li Fan personally visited the Chief Scholar’s home to deliver the news.

In the fifteenth year of anchoring, the Emperor finally became critically ill. Upon receiving the succession decree, Li Fan and his inner circle rode day and night to reach the capital.

Once the Langya double took the throne, Li Fan used the imperial authority to overhaul the court’s personnel. With the Chief Scholar’s covert assistance, he seized control of the government without a single ripple of dissent.

In the sixteenth year, uprisings broke out across the land. Li Fan used the chaos to place his loyalists into key military positions. After they "suppressed" the rebels, he granted them massive rewards. Within three to four years, Li Fan held absolute command over the army.

By the twentieth year, the empire had stabilized after the transition of power. At this point, Li Fan acted decisively, poisoning the impostor Emperor Kangning to remove the final potential threat.

When his own son was crowned, Li Fan took the title of Grand Master. He stepped out from the shadows into the light, openly ruling the entire realm.

Following this, the advancement of the Da Xuan Kingdom did not slow; rather, it accelerated under Li Fan’s iron will!

In the thirty-fifth year, at the Grand Master’s Mansion.

Li Fan knit his brows as he scanned a confidential report from his operative.

“You are claiming that the fog over the Abyssal Ruin clears for only half a day every fifteen years?”

“Answering the Grand Master: yes, that is correct. Our Antique Seeking Official team remained at the Abyssal Ruins as ordered. We watched day and night. Just a short while ago, we made a discovery,” the kneeling official said, his voice trembling with lingering shock. “When the mists parted, a soft light emanated from the depths. Through our telescopes, we saw a multitude of inverted wonders.”

“The visions varied for everyone, but there were massive mountain ranges stretching to the horizon, with grand palaces hidden among the peaks. We saw vast cities on the plains, glowing with lights and teeming with life—a population of at least a million. There were even floating cities draped in halos, with strange birds and mythical beasts flying around them. It was truly...” The official hesitated, searching for words. “It was beyond anything I could imagine.”

“So, it really does come from the Abyss.” Even though he had expected this, hearing it confirmed by an eyewitness sparked a flicker of excitement in Li Fan. However, his years of rule allowed him to mask his feelings perfectly.

He asked in a steady voice: “Have you discovered a path to the bottom of the Abyss?”

The official’s breath hitched, his face turning pale. He bowed his head to the floor in apology. “I am unworthy. We have attempted many things, but at a certain depth, we are torn apart by a sudden Gang wind. That wind is terrifying; it can rip through our strongest armor in a heartbeat.”

Li Fan showed no disappointment.

He dismissed the Antique Seeking Official with a wave of his hand and whispered to himself: “It seems I must wait for you to come to me instead.”

...

In the fiftieth year, at Xuanjing City in the Da Xuan Kingdom.

The normally vibrant capital had fallen into a haunting silence.

Following the Grand Master’s decree, the majority of the population had been relocated to nearby cities a month prior, under the pretext of avoiding a coming disaster. Some did not believe the warning. Li Fan did not force them, suggesting only that those who stayed should build underground shelters for safety. Many citizens simply laughed it off.

Li Fan ignored the reports of their mockery. He had fulfilled his obligation.

Now, his elite special forces—trained over decades—were positioned throughout the streets of Xuanjing, ready to confront two immortals.

Everything was prepared. He only needed the right moment.

That night, under a brilliant moon, the two immortals arrived exactly as expected!

“Dao Xuanzi! Do not push me too far!”

Kou Hong’s enraged shout thundered through the city.

“Da da da da...”

Suddenly, thousands of muzzles flashed as tens of thousands of bullets swept toward the two immortals like a lethal waterfall!