Looking into his father's eyes, Xiaotian felt helpless for the very first time. As a time traveler, he found himself completely powerless to change his father's failing health. If only he had medical skills, then he could...
"Right! System, hey, System, is there any way to cure my father?"
Xiaotian immediately began calling out to the system in his mind, knowing that the system was his only hope.
"Ding. Yes, there is. But the host will need 150,000 Stamina Value to exchange for a divine elixir."
"150,000?!"
Despair washed over Xiaotian. The Stamina Value he had managed to accumulate so far was only a little over 40,000. Being 110,000 short of 150,000 was nothing short of an impossible dream.
The Lord Ruler gently wiped the tears from Xiaotian's face and said, "There's no need to be so sad. Who isn't mortal? Though I would love to live a bit longer and leave you a vast nation, my time is running out. All I want in the final stage of my life is to see you settle down and start a family."
"Father..."
Xiaotian wanted to help, but he was entirely helpless. First, he had never studied medicine; second, he lacked the massive amount of Stamina Value required to exchange for the divine elixir.
This feeling was like holding a Sacred Gear in your hands yet having no way to use it—left behind like useless scrap metal.
"Stop crying. In our Tang Clan, men shed blood, not tears. Be a good boy and put work aside for now. Prepare for your wedding. If I can live to see you start a family, I will be able to close my eyes in peace."
The Lord Ruler patted Xiaotian on the shoulder, bringing a sense of warmth to his heart.
With no other options left, Xiaotian had no choice but to follow the Lord Ruler's wishes, allowing his father to see him get married during these final moments.
Once Xiaotian came out, he went to find Kaguya. Seeing the grim look on his face, she asked, "What's wrong, Big Brother?"
"Kaguya..."
Xiaotian wanted to tell her, but he didn't want to break her heart. He took a deep breath, bent his right knee slightly, knelt before her, and said, "Marry me."
Kaguya's heart trembled. Though she had been raised as his child bride since youth, this was an actual marriage proposal, filling her with immense joy and even making her want to cry.
"I used to think you were too young and didn't want to marry you so early because it would hold you back. But you were destined to be my wife sooner or later, so I want to... marry you now."
Xiaotian took Kaguya's hand and slid a ring onto her finger. Although the Tang Kingdom had no concept of wedding rings, this was what he wanted to do.
"This ring represents my heart. I hope you will accept it."
When Xiaotian finished speaking, Kaguya covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face as she nodded repeatedly. "I... I do."
Xiaotian stood up and pulled Kaguya into an embrace. "I will make you happy."
Starting that very day, preparations for Xiaotian's wedding got underway, and news of the event sent ripples of excitement throughout the entire Tang Kingdom.
The common people all knew that the Tang Kingdom's strength and prosperity—the fact that everyone had enough to eat—was entirely thanks to Xiaotian. Therefore, upon hearing that he was getting married, everyone wanted to pitch in and help.
Three days later, the Tang Kingdom was draped in festive red. Everyone was overjoyed because today was the day Xiaotian would be married.
Though the wedding rituals were extremely cumbersome, neither Xiaotian nor Kaguya felt tired, as this was the most momentous event in both of their lives.
Once they finally retreated to the bridal chamber, Xiaotian let out a long breath and said, "That really was exhausting. It didn't seem like much at first, but now I'm completely worn out."
"Aren't you going to come over here already?"
Kaguya urged anxiously, still wearing her red bridal veil.
Xiaotian looked back with a faint smile, stepped over to Kaguya, and gently lifted the veil.
Bathed in the candlelight, Kaguya looked like an immortal fairy descended from the heavens, leaving Xiaotian completely dumbstruck.
With her eyes closed, Kaguya couldn't see the foolish, mesmerized expression on his face. After waiting for a long time without any movement from him, she finally opened her eyes. Seeing the way he was staring at her, she said, "What's wrong? Why are you standing there like a wooden post?"
"It's nothing. You're just so breathtaking that I can hardly believe it's real. But first, let your husband make amends—actually, I recovered my memories a long time ago."
Xiaotian felt that since they were husband and wife now, there shouldn't be any secrets between them.
Hearing this, Kaguya froze in place.
Years ago, Kaguya had desperately hoped that Xiaotian would recover his memories. But as all those years passed without him ever recalling their past, she had long since given up hope.
Yet now, Xiaotian was saying he had recovered his memories—and had done so long ago.
"You..."
Before Kaguya could say anything, Xiaotian pulled her quickly into his arms. "I didn't mean to keep it from you. I was afraid that once my memories returned, you wouldn't cling to me quite as much. But it's different now; we're married. So don't worry, every promise I made to you back then remains fully valid."
Without another word, Kaguya leaned forward and bit down hard on Xiaotian's chest, causing him to let out a sharp cry of pain.
Pulling back, Kaguya shot Xiaotian a disdainful look and said, "That's your punishment for lying to me."
"I was wrong."
Xiaotian hastily admitted his fault. No matter the situation, confessing right away was always useful—it was his ultimate trump card.
A blush crept onto Kaguya's pretty face as she murmured, "Then hurry up and begin. I..."
"Don't worry, your husband knows everything."
Xiaotian leaned in and kissed her. Although this was his first time, he was a time traveler after all. He had thoroughly researched adult films and even watched them with his college roommates. Back then it was just idle fantasy, but now it was finally turning into practice.
...Timeline...
The next day, Xiaotian woke up to find Kaguya looking even more radiant than before, filling him with a deep sense of satisfaction. He never imagined the Yin-Yang True Formula could be so incredibly potent.
Not only did the Yin-Yang True Formula prolong life, but it also enabled active dual cultivation, significantly enhancing a man's combat prowess.
Just yesterday, the two of them had only been at it for fifteen minutes before Kaguya drifted off to sleep.
Because their bodies had undergone marrow-cleansing and meridian-washing, they were both left covered in a layer of sticky grime. Xiaotian had to carry Kaguya to wash up before they could finally go to sleep.
Moreover, Xiaotian discovered that during dual cultivation with the Yin-Yang True Formula, the process not only happened automatically, but it was also vastly faster than ordinary meditation. His energy had now doubled compared to before.
Of course, he owed a huge part of this to Kaguya. Her vital yin essence was abundant and had been completely absorbed by Xiaotian, while she herself had gained a massive boost, multiplying her own power by a full fivefold.
Why fivefold? Because Xiaotian's yang energy was exceptionally potent, allowing Kaguya to achieve such a tremendous breakthrough.
The wedding joy lingered. When Kaguya finally woke up, the two of them remained tangled in bed, reluctant to get up. However, custom dictated that they had to go pay their respects to the parents.
At nine o'clock, Xiaotian brought Kaguya to see his parents. Seeing how deeply affectionate the newlyweds were, the Lord Ruler beamed from ear to ear and said, "Kaguya, I'll have to trouble you to take care of Xiaotian from now on. And Xiaotian, you must treat Kaguya well, do you hear me?"
"Yes, Father."
Xiaotian nodded. Mother Tang smiled and chimed in, "Xiaotian will certainly take good care of Kaguya. But starting today, Xiaotian, you also need to learn how to handle state affairs, understand?"
"Don't worry, Mother, I'll make sure Xiaotian stays on track."
Kaguya looked at Xiaotian. Since she was his wife now, it was naturally her duty to assist her husband properly.
Xiaotian, however, felt a pang of sorrow inside, knowing that the Lord Ruler's time was running out.
"Alright, let's eat. The two of you slept in so late, you'll have to make do with a simple meal."
The Lord Ruler looked at them with a hearty smile, causing Kaguya's face to flush bright red, while Xiaotian only blushed slightly and remained silent.
After the meal, Xiaotian wanted to ask his father how much time he had left, but he never got the chance.
On the third day, the Lord Ruler quietly passed away, and Mother Tang followed him soon after. Xiaotian understood that the two of them had chosen to journey together into the next life.
"Big Brother..."
Kaguya stood by Xiaotian's side, wanting to comfort him.
Xiaotian took a deep breath. "It's fine. This is only natural. For my parents to leave together can be considered a blessing. Father, Mother, I will lead the Tang Kingdom to even greater heights and establish a unified system. Even if I were to die one day, I will never let the culture of the Tang Kingdom be lost."
Kaguya took hold of Xiaotian's hand. "I will help you, Xiaotian."
And just like that, Xiaotian became the Lord Ruler of the Tang Kingdom.
In the eyes of other nations, Xiaotian was still just a child, and his ascension to the throne changed nothing—surely he couldn't be more ruthless than the previous ruler.
Yet those nations never expected that Xiaotian would prove even more ruthless than his predecessor, drastically accelerating the pace of unification.
Simply put, if a small nation wanted to survive, it had to be absorbed into the Tang Kingdom. Refuse, and the Tang Kingdom would utterly destroy you, wiping your nation from existence.
Naturally, the smaller countries began to rise in rebellion. But Xiaotian, having received intelligence beforehand, personally led his troops out to crush them.
The war lasted for a month, and the Tang Kingdom emerged victorious.
Riding on horseback, Xiaotian looked out over the ruins before him and remarked, "This Land of Ancestors is absolute trash. It only took a month for us to wipe them out. With strength like that, what on earth gave them the courage to rebel?"
Xiaotian was utterly baffled. Clearly lacking any real strength, the moment he issued his decree, they actually chose to fight back. Wasn't that just courting death in the most absurd way possible?
"It's only because Your Majesty is so mighty, coupled with all these years of development. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy."
The attendant delivered a slick piece of flattery, but Xiaotian was in no mood to listen.
Raising his head, Xiaotian gazed at the colossal tree standing in the distance and asked, "What kind of tree is that? Why is it so enormous?"
The attendant hurriedly replied, "Reporting to the Lord Ruler, that is the God Tree of the Land of Ancestors."
Xiaotian chuckled. "The God Tree? What a grandiose name. But what is it actually good for?"
Hearing this, the surrounding soldiers burst into laughter. Indeed, the Land of Ancestors might have had a God Tree, but even so, they were no match for the might of the Tang Kingdom.
As Xiaotian stared at the God Tree, a thought struck him. "Someone, go pick that fruit hanging near the top. I'm taking it back for Kaguya to taste."
"Yes, Lord Ruler!"
With that acknowledgment, the attendant turned around and barked orders to the troops: "The Lord Ruler wants the fruit from the God Tree!"
In the next instant, the soldiers scrambled over one another, eagerly scaling the God Tree.
As Xiaotian watched them climb towards the fruit, he wondered whether Kaguya would like it.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for conquering the Land of Ancestors."
The system's voice rang out, leaving Xiaotian completely stunned. "What the hell? You're actually congratulating me? Is this some kind of hidden quest?"
For all these years, whenever Xiaotian formulated national policies, the system had never made a single sound. But now, it had spoken up on its own initiative, which meant there had to be a reward this time.
"This is not a hidden quest, but a consolation prize granted by the system."
When the system finished speaking, Xiaotian looked bewildered. "A consolation prize? Why would it be a consolation prize?"