Chapter 42: The Secret of Long Life

  Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed tightly on the small wooden box. At this moment, time seemed to have come to a standstill, and Gao Changgong suddenly felt that the wooden box in his arms weighed more than a thousand catties, almost exhausting all his strength to open it.

  Another small box appeared in the box, with a delicate texture and a purple-black color. The pattern on it was like a bean paste, and under the sunlight, it emitted a satin-like luster, which was very beautiful. A faint fragrance wafted from the small wooden box, spreading to the noses of everyone present, making people feel refreshed. Connoisseurs Gao Changgong and Han Changyun had already identified that this was one of the more precious varieties of purple sandalwood, known as Golden Star Purple Sandalwood.

  Gao Changgong glanced at Han Changyuan, slowly opening the small box made of gold and purple sandalwood, releasing a rich fragrance that was strong but not pungent.

  A smaller box appeared before everyone's eyes, without the beautiful and colorful patterns of gold stars and purple sandalwood, but with a dark red and purple color, full and heavy. The texture is fine and has an oily feel, especially near the edge material, with irregular dark crimson stripes of varying lengths, interesting to see. This is the extremely precious "chicken blood" purple sandalwood among the purple sandalwoods, produced in India, very rare.

  This box alone is already extremely valuable, and the things inside are probably even more precious treasures. Everyone thought so.

  After thousands of years of waiting, it finally came out. When the small wooden box made of chicken blood and purple sandalwood was opened, revealing its true appearance, everyone was shocked. The treasure that was imagined to be radiant did not appear, but instead a worn-out bamboo slip. The huge disappointment left people momentarily stunned, staring blankly at the bamboo slip lying quietly in the box.

  Many people can't help but feel a sense of waste, such precious wood is used to hold just this one worn-out bamboo scroll.

  Fortunately, Gao Changgong and Han Changyun were also familiar with the grand scene, and they quickly came to their senses. Gao Changgong placed the box in his hands, then carefully took out the bamboo slips from the box, slowly unfolding them. He had no choice but to do so, as the bamboo slips were indeed worn out, with some age, dull color, and uneven texture, not to mention that the hemp rope used to tie the bamboo slips was also partially broken. Gao Changgong was deeply afraid that if he didn't control his strength well, this thing would fall apart.

  At the moment when the bamboo slips were opened, everyone felt a strong and unadorned aura rushing towards them, which was the words on the bamboo slips. The words on the bamboo slips were in the style of large seal script, with bold and powerful strokes, yet elegant and unrestrained, carrying a hint of ethereal meaning. Large seal script was the calligraphy of the Western Zhou period, while at this time, regular script had already replaced clerical script to become the daily writing font for people.

  "The Golden Buddha of a Thousand Years Emerges, The Great Qi of Ten Thousand Carriages Flourishes. Longevity Scroll Eighteen Layers Deep, The Blissful World Without Worries Buddha."

  The bamboo slip began with four sentences, which Gao Chang Gong recited unknowingly. The first half of the sentence was very clear: the Golden Buddha is born, and the Great Qi will prosper. A sharp light flashed in Han Chang Rong's eyes, and the officials nearby were naturally delighted as well. The prosperity of the Great Qi would bring them greater benefits. However, the latter sentence was not so clear, and Gao Chang Gong and Han Chang Rong continued to look down.

  "The Longevity Formula consists of eighteen levels, and when cultivated to the highest realm, one can transcend the mortal body, attain enlightenment, and ascend. From then on, they will share the same lifespan as heaven and earth, and shine with the same radiance as the sun and moon. This formula is only suitable for those who possess the Dragon Pulse; others must not practice it, lest they explode their bodies and perish. Please be cautious."

  By this time, Gao Changgong and Han Changlian had more or less figured out what they were holding in their hands, and the two of them reacted differently.

  Han Changyuan's breathing tightened, and his eyes revealed a fierce light. From ancient times to the present, who doesn't want to live forever? Although there are many legends about achieving immortality through Taoist practices or becoming a Buddha, in reality, no one has ever been known to achieve it. Even great talents like Qin Shi Huang, who searched for ways to live forever until his death, ultimately failed. The Han Emperor Wu, whose martial prowess shook the universe and possessed boundless wealth, couldn't resist the natural order either.

  Han Changyuan insisted on his timely and hedonistic approach to life because he couldn't resist nature and knew that life was short. But when an opportunity for eternal life is right in front of you, can you give it up, can you ignore it? Survival is the instinct of living things. For Han Changyuan, who was high above and enjoyed great privileges, it was a fatal temptation.

  But soon, the excitement and fervor in Han Changyuan's eyes dissipated, replaced by a deep sense of loss and unwillingness. He was not qualified to cultivate because he was not an emperor, without the imperial aura on him, it was impossible to cultivate the "Longevity Secret", the manual said so clearly.

  Gao Chang Gong furrowed his brow, glanced at Gao Xing beside him, and wondered what he was up to. Gao Xing smiled slightly, looked at the giant golden Buddha, and Gao Chang Gong suddenly understood his intention.

  Gao Zhang's face suddenly showed an excited and ecstatic expression, his body like a golden mountain collapsing, he knelt down in front of the giant golden Buddha, shouting: "The thousand-year-old Golden Buddha has finally appeared in the world, the great Qi will surely prosper. Heaven blesses the Great Qi, heaven blesses the Great Qi! Long live the Emperor, long live, long live!"

  Gao Changgong knelt down, and Gao Xing naturally followed suit, shouting "Long live!" The surrounding civilians didn't understand what was happening, but seeing Gao Changgong so excited, they also got excited and knelt down, shouting "Long live!"

  Han Changyuan, who was in a daze, was startled awake by Gao Zhanggong's shout. A glimmer of light flashed across his eyes as he hastily kowtowed to the ground, joining in the joyful cheers.

  After a long time, everyone's voices gradually stopped, and Gao Chang Gong held the "Long Life Secret" with excitement, looking at Han Chang Yun: "Your Majesty, the treasure has been unearthed, heaven blesses Great Qi, what great joy!"

  "Yes, the heavens have revealed their spirit, and with the blessing of the Buddha's ancestors, we will surely unify the world under one rule soon!" Han Changyuan's face was also filled with joy, his smile blooming like a flower. But whether he truly believed it in his heart, no one knew.

  Gao Chang Gong burst out laughing and said: "This time the king's trip to the south is truly unspeakable. Such great joyful news should be reported to His Majesty as soon as possible, the bandits of Eastern Wu have nothing to worry about!"

  Han Changyun nodded and said, "Your Excellency is absolutely right. This matter is not ordinary, the news has already spread throughout the city, and I'm afraid it will attract unwanted attention. Therefore, His Majesty wants to set out immediately and hurry to the imperial capital to present this thing to the Emperor." At this time, the "Longevity Formula" appeared, and Han Changyun immediately changed his address to Gao Changgong.

  Gao Chang Gong nodded in agreement: "Your Highness is absolutely right, this object symbolizes the great fortune of our Qi state, and we cannot afford to have any mishaps. I will immediately assemble the troops and escort the treasure north with Your Highness!"

  Gao Zhanggong said, then rushed to Shang Buqi and shouted: "Shang Buqi, pass on my order..."

  "Wait, Your Excellency!"

  Gao Chang Gong looked at Han Zhangyu in confusion, the latter said in a low voice: "Your Excellency, at this moment, you should order to seal off the entire city and not let the news leak out, lest it attract spies from other countries to rob. If Dong Wu gets the news, I'm afraid they will go crazy and attack. This Huainan land still needs you to preside over, as for this treasure, let Lang High be happy to escort it back to the imperial capital with Ben Wang!"

  Gao Zhang Gong was taken aback, furrowed his brow and said: "Alright, Gao Zhang will strictly follow the king's orders, and swear to death to repel the Eastern Wu bandits outside the gate!"

  Han Changyuan nodded in satisfaction: "In that case, the safety of Huainan will be left to Master Hou."

  Gao Chang nodded solemnly in agreement, looking at him with a serious expression and saying in a low voice: "Xing Er, on this trip to the Imperial Capital, it's a matter of great importance. You need to be careful all along the way, protect the treasure and the safety of the prince, absolutely no mistakes can occur!"

  With a serious face, he said loudly: "Father, rest assured, I will carefully follow the king's orders and safely present the treasure to His Majesty."

  "Prince Hou, I'm leaving now. You must take good care of yourself!" Han Changyuan patted Gao Zhanggong's shoulder warmly and looked at him deeply, then glanced at Gao Xing and revealed a meaningful gaze before turning to leave.

  Such a sudden situation occurred, and the plan to poison Gao Changgong had to be shelved. However, Gao Xing had to be taken to Ye City. Gao Changgong only had this one son, who would certainly be his weakness. With Gao Wei having a hostage in hand, he could rest easy, and Gao Changgong would certainly not dare to act rashly.

  When the crowd arrived outside the city, there were already 500 cavalrymen standing neatly. Although they were in neat uniforms, their bodies didn't have much vigor and momentum, slightly different from the soldiers brought by Han Changyuan.