1427 The Beginning of the End
"Once again, congratulations on your marriage." Emperor Xiu said to Tian Xian after the wedding in a private meeting.
"Thank you for allowing me to marry Xiu Mei, father. You will not regret this." Tian Xian said with a smile on his face.
"Hahaha! Why are you being so humble out of nowhere? It's weird!" Emperor Xiu laughed out loud.
After chatting for a while, Emperor Xiu spoke with a serious expression on his face, "Let's talk about why I called you here, Tian Xian. Now that you are officially part of our family, do you have any desire to rule your own territory?"
"My own territory?" Tian Xian raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner.
"Indeed. You are no longer just a soldier with a duty. Now that you are one of us, you have two options. One, remain here and compete with the others for my position as its Emperor. Or two, leave and build your own empire. Of course, I will support you regardless of your decision."
After hearing his choices, Tian Xian, without hesitation, responded, "I will leave this place to build my own empire."
Emperor Xiu smiled and said, "I knew you would say that. As much as I hate to admit it, this place is too small for you, Tian Xian. You're already stronger than me by an entire realm. Go build your own empire—one that is worthy of the one called God of War. Your talents will surely bring you to a place where even I have to tilt my head and look up."
"What about Xiu Mei…?" Tian Xian then asked.
"Why are you asking me? You're responsible for her now, so make your own decisions!" Emperor Xiu quickly said.
"So you won't be upset if I decide to take her with me?"
"Of course, I will be upset. However, she is already an adult. If she wants to follow you to the edge of the world, I have no authority over her decision."
Tian Xian went to speak with Xiu Mei after his conversation with Emperor Xiu ended. To his surprise, Xiu Mei didn't object to his decision at all. In fact, she even encouraged it.
"Why do you look so surprised? I know you're not the type to linger in this small place when you could be doing much bigger things—not that this small city could handle someone like you. As a matter of fact, I have been wanting to leave this place for some time now and planned on speaking to you about relocating soon." Xiu Mei said.
After receiving Xiu Mei's answer, the two of them returned to Emperor Xiu to further plan their departure.
"Do you have a location in mind? If it's within my power, I can help you with acquiring the land." Emperor Xiu said.
Tian Xian pondered for a moment before responding, "Do you know where the soldiers found me? I want to build a city around there."
"That's a little too close to this city, which could cause problems. However, there's a small village not too far away from that place. Since I own that territory, I can arrange it so that you will become its new lord." Emperor Xiu said.
Tian Xian nodded, "Let's do that."
Thus, Emperor Xiu transferred said territory to Tian Xian, who immediately relocated to the village with Xiu Mei.
When news of Tian Xian's departure spread, many of the soldiers who had fought alongside him expressed a desire to follow him. However, if Emperor Xiu allowed them to join Tian Xian, too many soldiers would leave, risking the collapse of their army.
Yet, Emperor Xiu decided to lend 10,000 soldiers to Tian Xian for the time being.
The seasons changed swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, a decade had passed since Tian Xian started managing his own territory.
In just a decade, Tian Xian successfully transformed a small village into a bustling city with a population of 20,000. Additionally, he established a small yet formidable army of 100 soldiers that could rival 5,000 soldiers, personally overseeing their training and development.
"Dong Ye, I am promoting you to General. Congratulations on becoming the first to reach such a rank in our army." Tian Xian said to the stern yet loyal middle-aged man before him.
Dong Ye immediately got on his knees and bowed, "This unworthy one is eternally grateful to the City Lord for this opportunity. I will not disappoint you!"
A decade, two decades, fifty years…
After a century, the City of Xian had grown to rival even the largest cities in the Fourth Heaven with a population of over 10 million. They expanded their territory, stretching its boundaries far beyond their initial limits, while their military prowess became unmatched, casting a formidable shadow over the entire region.
Numerous factions have attempted to halt its expansion or conquer the City of Xian, yet they were all thwarted before even nearing the city's front gates, allowing the citizens to live a peaceful life with a deep sense of security.
Tian Xian's influence and stature had long surpassed that of the Xiu Family, yet he steadfastly refused to ascend to the status of emperor, opting instead to remain a humble City Lord.
As for Xiu Mei, she spent half of her time assisting Tian Xian in managing the city amongst other things, and the other half improving her cultivation so that she could stay in this world with her beloved husband longer. While Xiu Mei couldn't even dream of catching up to Tian Xian's cultivation, it was enough for her to live a very long life.
One hundred years…
Three hundred years…
Nine hundred years later.
The City of Xian stopped expanding after 250 years of establishment, but it continued to increase its citizens' quality of life and military might. Tian Xian stopped working as much and started spending most of his time with Xiu Mei, who gave up working entirely after she became pregnant with his child.
"It's a girl, Tian Xian. What should we name her?"
"I am not good with names, so I will let you decide…"
"Then I will think of something."
However, halfway into Xiu Mei's pregnancy, a messenger bearing the Celestial Emperor's medallion entered the City of Xian with a simple yet terrifying message for its City Lord, Tian Xian.
Unbeknownst to Tian Xian at that time, this marked the beginning of the end of his seemingly perfect life.
