Dual Cultivation God Returns

But even after the most sincere people moved on and proceeded to the exit, there was still one person left behind.

"I thought you would be in the first group", Wu Long chuckled as he turned to Captain Kwon, but his smile turned to a somber expression as he saw the latter's face and the look in his eyes.

"You really came down here just to free us?"

"Yes"

"After destroying the cult?"

"Yes"

"And you don't need anything in return?"

"No"

"What's the catch?"

"No catch"

The two looked intensely at each other, as the slightly weary and malnourished-looking former Captain of Royal Army looked at Wu Long with suspicion, doubt, and a flurry of other emotions and thoughts, one of which in particular was very feeble and wavering, strangled by disbelief and bitter memories, but incredibly intense, while Wu Long recognized that look.

"There has to be a catch", the former Captain did not relent, as there was intense activity reflected within his look, his mind rushing with possible answers and their probability.

"You're free to think so as well", Wu Long shrugged his shoulders, no longer intending to prolong this conversation, as hesitation and some other emotions swirled in the eyes of the man he freed, and then Wu Long turned to move away.

After walking for a bit, a *thud* resounded behind him, his eyes turning to look back reflecting a man kowtowing to him.

"Please let me follow you"

"...", Wu Long looked at the man kneeling before him with a calm gaze, not much surprise in his eyes.

"I... I will do whatever you tell me to do, I will do any job. Please let me-..."

"Alright", the calm response cut the man's words short as his head turned up with disbelief.

"First stand straight then, I don't want you to kneel before me ever again", Wu Long spoke, and the man before him stood up with no delay.

'Good response', Wu Long thought narrowing his eyes, as the man's kowtow was very obviously very genuine, and one might hesitate to abandon such gesture of deep sincerity as it might make it seem that it was casual. However this man understood that following Wu Long's order was of higher priority than that impulse to continue kneeling.

"Good. Follow me", Wu Long nodded and the two went past the crowd of people at the storage, and went up to the palace above.

"My name is Wu Long. You may call me by name or however is comfortable, just don't call me anything fancy like benefactor or savior. Your name?", Wu Long asked on their way.

"Kwon Qianhong, please call me just Qian, Boss", the man replied as Wu Long smiled at that nickname, and the fact this man chose to mimic Old Yen's way of addressing him that he heard before.

"Money's in your name too huh? Anyway, Qian, clean yourself up and eat something", Wu Long spoke as he pointed at one of the small residences for higher cult officials on the palace grounds.

"Oh, and here, take this, find better clothes and dispose of anything unnecessary, you can use it as well, come when you are ready", he then added raising a rather large bag filled with Spatial Rings of the cultists, picked out one belonging to a high-level cultist and removing any Corrupt Path related tomes or scrolls, gave it to Qian.

Kwon Qianhong silently took the Spatial Ring and watched as Wu Long moved toward the main building of the palace for some time, and then turned to go inside the building Wu Long pointed to.

As he crossed the threshold of the rather lavish dwelling, he fell to his knees, his eyes turning down to a Spatial Ring that was tightly clasped in his hands, unclenching his hand and supporting it with the other as shivers were going through him.

Inside the ring were riches he could not even dream of before. Let alone that, the Spatial Ring itself was already something common mortals hardly had a chance of ever touching.

But all that ironically mattered little to him.

'In this world, there is only give or take... nothing else... and in such a world, the one who has money is the winner', the mantra he lived by from very early in his life came to his mind, as a wry trembling smile appeared on his lips.

And then, his eyes rose up with determination, as he opened his mouth with a whisper:

"One more time... just one more. This is the last time... I swear. Will it be different, or will it end like it always did? Let's make a final bet..."

---

They departed when the morning came.

Kwon Qianhong was a Qi Manifestation Realm cultivator, as someone in his position in the Royal Army should be, so they moved at enough speed to reach a nearby settlement in half a day.

There Wu Long gave Qian a jade slip with techniques to practice, and then gave instructions on where to wait, while learning said techniques and cultivating, as they would be passing this Kingdom again.

The group then swiftly returned to the capital, where news of Nie Xiwang's abdication were overshadowed by even bigger news of deaths in the Imperial Palace.

Two of the Chief Ministers, as well as three of the Elders of the Nie Family were dead the morning after the day that the Empress abdicated her throne.

The shocking events happening in such a short span continued to shake the capital even after a few days, when even more news flowed in.

A purge of Imperial Family members happened en masse, and the Royal House of the Gugong Kingdom was also mostly purged by the authority of the 'new' Emperor.

Meanwhile Wu Long spent time with his beauties on dates and long walks, not minding the storm he caused. Not to mention that the storm was to the benefit of most people.

The two ministers were the work of Minister Du, who eliminated them after they sent assailants to Wu Long's inn, not wishing for a conflict with the latter, while the three Elders identified by Nie Xiwang as those tied to the Corrupt Path, were removed by Butler Bang.

The Imperial Palace was first thrown into panic and disarray. However, that panic soon turned to confusion, since there was no response from Linghun Mo. Then news of the decimation of the Blood Demon Cult reached the ears of the Nie Family, and a massive purge of everyone connected to them followed with no delay.

And though outwardly it all happened at the command of the Emperor, Wu Long knew that it was the work of the Imperial Ancestor, who long since wanted to cut out the tumorous part of the family.

Almost immediately after, the Yen and Gugong Kingdoms entered a ceasefire, all signs pointing to talks of peace, marking the sudden and previously thought to be impossible start of an end to centuries-long bloody conflict.