Xu Qi’an donned his robe and climbed alone to the Eight Trigrams Platform.
The autumn wind whistled, like countless tiny knives pricking his skin.
Once again, he saw the silhouette of the Great Feng’s guardian deity. Unlike his usual calm demeanor of sitting at his desk, this time, Jian Zheng stood at the edge of the platform with his hands behind his back, gazing towards the imperial palace.
“What is your ‘Intent’?” the Jian Zheng asked.
“Shattering jade!” Xu Qi’an answered directly.
“Shattering jade…” The Jian Zheng slowly savored these words, nodding with a smile. “It aligns with the characteristics of the Heaven and Earth Slash. I didn’t waste my effort in giving you this supreme skill.”
You cunning old fox… Xu Qi’an had long suspected this, but it was the first time he received confirmation from the Jian Zheng.
The Jian Zheng continued, “Do you know the origin of the Heaven and Earth Slash?”
Xu Qi’an shook his head.
“It came from a First Rank Martial Artist. That First Rank Martial Artist attempted to use the blade in his hand to break through the cage of heaven and earth, and then he perished,” Jian Zheng said with a smile.
That means he used the wrong weapon. If he had used an axe, he might have succeeded… Even in such a dire situation, Xu Qi’an couldn’t help but joke internally.
“What was the name of that First Rank Martial Artist?” He seized the opportunity to satisfy his curiosity.
The Jian Zheng shook his head. “When the Sage of Confucianism divided the realms and categorized the various systems into nine ranks, he left the First Rank Martial Artist unnamed. Interestingly, for the realm beyond the nine ranks in the martial arts system, the Sage named it ‘Martial God.'”
“What’s more intriguing is that since the summary of the God-Demon Era, although First Rank Martial Artists are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, they have occasionally appeared throughout the long river of history spanning over a hundred thousand years. However, a Martial God has never appeared.”
This was indeed interesting. The Sage left unnamed a rank that had already appeared, yet named a rank that had never emerged as “Martial God.” A string of question marks flashed through Xu Qi’an’s mind.
At the same time, he pondered the reason why the Jian Zheng had gifted him the Heaven and Earth Slash. Surely, he couldn’t be hoping for Xu Qi’an to cleave open the cage of heaven and earth with a single slash.
I’m not Pangu… he muttered internally, then said aloud, “Can you tell me about Zhen De? I have a few points of curiosity.”
“Why speak of him? It’s dispiriting!” The Jian Zheng shook his head, his tone reminiscent of a passerby stepping on dog excrement in the street and exclaiming: “Damn it!” before walking away in disgust.
The Jian Zheng waved his hand, and a milky-white pill floated in the air before Xu Qi’an. “Take this pill, and your injuries will heal quickly.”
Xu Qi’an took the pill and swallowed it, then stepped forward and said, “Jian Zheng, I have only one request of you.”
…
At the Cloud Deer Academy.
A flash of clear light and a figure in white robes brought Xu Qi’an to the foot of the mountain. This white-robed figure faced the stone steps, the back of the head towards Xu Qi’an.
“Thank you, Senior Brother Yang,” Xu Qi’an offered sincere gratitude to the show-off, saying, “When you have time, I’ll treat you to drinks at a brothel.”
“That won’t be necessary!” Yang Qianhuan snorted coldly, his figure flickering and disappearing.
Shortly after, he flashed back, the back of his head staring intently at Xu Qi’an. “If you can find a critically ill top courtesan from the imperial brothels, I might consider it.”
Why a critically ill top courtesan from the imperial brothels… Xu Qi’an struggled to understand. Could it be that Senior Brother Yang had such an unusual fetish?
Does he enjoy treating the ladies with acupuncture?
Seeing Xu Qi’an’s silence, Yang Qianhuan took it as agreement. His head tilted back twice, indicating a nod, before disappearing again.
“Senior Brother Yang is always so peculiar, his thought process is quite different from ordinary people,” Xu Qi’an muttered.
Thinking of a certain alchemy fanatic who always wanted to stir up trouble, a certain trembling pitiful soul, and a certain gourmet, his heart suddenly became as calm as still water.
Xu Qi’an looked up, glanced at the mountaintop, and began to climb slowly.
Just as he reached the halfway point, he turned his head and saw an old Confucian scholar sitting in a pavilion by the stone steps. The scholar had messy graying hair and wore a faded, washed-out Confucian robe.
It was Academy Chancellor Zhao Shou.
“You’re here!” Zhao Shou said with a smile.
Xu Qi’an didn’t respond to the greeting. He sat down at the edge of the pavilion and, after a moment’s thought, asked, “Chancellor, do you know about the former Emperor Zhen De’s affairs?”
Zhao Shou was silent for a long time. “Before the expedition, Wei Yuan mentioned this matter to me, though he wasn’t certain at the time.”
Lord Wei indeed had an inkling about this, even without concrete evidence. He had his suspicions, yet he still stubbornly attacked the headquarters and sealed the Shaman God…
In his letter, he mentioned that this matter involved a secret beyond the Transcendent Realm…
Xu Qi’an pondered, “Why did Lord Wei seal the Shaman God?”
Zhao Shou didn’t answer directly. “Have you heard of the legend of the Gu God that circulates among the Gu tribes in the Southern Borderlands?”
Xu Qi’an frowned, and Li Na’s words immediately surfaced in his mind:
The seer of the Heavenly Gu Tribe prophesied that the Gu God would eventually awaken, and when that time came, it would bring unimaginable disaster to the Nine Provinces. The entire Nine Provinces will become a world of Gu.
Xu Qi’an was startled. Now that he knew the Shaman God was also sealed by the Sage of Confucianism, just like the Gu God, he wondered: according to the legend of the Gu God, if the Shaman God were to break the seal, would it bring a similar disaster?
Is this why Lord Wei was willing to risk his life to seal the Shaman God… Xu Qi’an took a deep breath and then asked:
“How much do you know about Zhen De?”
“I’ve been in seclusion on Mount Qingyun for many years, so I don’t know much about the former emperor’s affairs. Although Wei Yuan realized that Zhen De might still be alive, he didn’t have time to investigate,” Zhao Shou paused, then analyzed:
“But we can guess his intentions to some extent based on his actions.”
Xu Qi’an waved his hand:
“I might understand him more deeply than you do. All of Zhen De’s goals are for immortality, no, they should be for becoming an immortal emperor.”
“Lord Wei once told me that war would shake the national fortune and affect the foundation of the country. The more defeats suffered, the more severely the national fortune would be depleted until the country perishes.”
The logic wasn’t hard to understand. If a country keeps losing battles, keeps losing people, and keeps having its territory invaded, it will naturally perish over time.
Zhao Shou nodded and continued the topic: “So Zhen De colluded with the Shaman God Cult to kill Wei Yuan, attempting to annihilate the hundred thousand troops, to erode the Great Feng’s national fortune.”
“The unreasonable attack on Yuyang Pass by the armies of Yan and Kang was also to slaughter the people of Xiangzhou, Jingzhou, and Yuzhou, eroding the Great Feng’s national fortune.”
“Now, he’s unwilling to give Wei Yuan posthumous recognition. His true purpose isn’t just about posthumous titles; he wants to use this to define the war as a disastrous defeat. In this battle, Great Feng lost, with nearly a hundred thousand troops almost completely wiped out. As long as this is announced to the world and the people believe it to be true, it will similarly shake the country’s national fortune.”
Xu Qi’an nodded, understanding this point easily.
He looked at the cynical chancellor, frowning: “I have a doubt, but before that, I need to ask a question. Is it true that if the national fortune is weakened to a certain extent, it can offset the heavenly law of ‘Fortune bestowed, immortality denied’?”
“I understand what you want to say. If it’s just a small amount of fortune, one won’t be restricted by the heavenly laws. But Zhen De can’t do this. Unless Great Feng is destroyed, he will still be the ruler of a country, so his lifespan will inevitably have an end and won’t be much longer than ordinary people.”
Zhao Shou gave a very definitive answer.
I see, so my theory about infinitely weakening the national fortune to break the heavenly laws doesn’t hold… Xu Qi’an furrowed his brow and said:
“If that’s the case, what exactly is he trying to accomplish? Hmm, all members of the royal family have a national fortune, with the emperor having the most abundant fortune. Is Zhen De trying to destroy the country and exterminate the bloodline to free himself from the constraints of national fortune?”
“But this contradicts the desire and attachment to power that Emperor Yuan Jing has shown.”
They both fell silent and didn’t speak for a while.
A few minutes later, Zhao Shou said, “I have a guess.”
Xu Qi’an immediately sat up straight, assuming the posture of listening to a lecture: “Please, go on.”
Zhao Shou slowly said: “Zhen De and the Shaman God Cult joined forces to destroy the hundred thousand troops and kill Wei Yuan. The former was to erode Great Feng’s national fortune, the latter was to protect the Shaman God. Both parties got what they wanted from this cooperation.”
“Then, why did the Shaman God Cult later send troops to attack Yuyang Pass with such urgency? If it was just for revenge against Great Feng, given the Shaman God Cult’s current miserable state, a ceasefire would be the wisest choice.”
“Victory and defeat are common in war, and revenge can be taken at any time. There’s no need to be so desperate. If it’s for an ally or a promise, heh, between two countries, there are only interests, not emotions.”
Xu Qi’an’s eyes lit up, vaguely grasping something: “There must be a temptation that the Shaman God Cult cannot refuse.”
Zhao Shou showed an expression of ‘the student can be taught’, and continued:
“According to what you said, Zhen De’s goal is to become a long-lived emperor. So, what method could allow him to be both an emperor and achieve longevity? Let’s put it another way, and you might understand.”
“You understand the ruling structure of the three countries affiliated with the Shaman God Cult, right?”
Those are countries where divine power overrides imperial power. Xu Qi’an certainly knew this and replied:
“Their monarchs control military power, while officials control political power. Above both, there’s a Third Rank Spirit Wisdom Master maintaining balance, but they usually don’t interfere in military and political affairs.”
Zhao Shou stood up, walked out of the pavilion, and gazed towards the northeast, saying softly: “The monarchs of the three countries are just feudal kings. The real center is Jingshan City. The true emperor should be the Great Shaman Saren Agu.”
“However, Saren Agu has lived for thousands of years.”
Boom!
It was as if a bolt of lightning struck Xu Qi’an’s mind, leaving him dumbfounded and trembling.
Saren Agu is the Great Shaman, the highest leader of Jingshan City. In the thousand years since the Shaman God was sealed, he has been the true decision-maker of the Shaman God Cult, with a status equivalent to the emperor of the Central Plains dynasties.
And Saren Agu is a First Rank expert who has lived from ancient times to the present.
“Chancellor, do you mean that Zhen De wants to emulate Saren Agu, no, to become a second Saren Agu?” The shock in Xu Qi’an’s eyes gradually subsided, and his tone became calm:
“Yes, as long as he turns Great Feng into a vassal state of the Shaman God Cult, he can become a second Saren Agu. Saren Agu oversees the three northeastern countries, while Zhen De can oversee the thirteen provinces of the Central Plains.”
“He would still be an emperor, the only difference being that he would have a Shaman God above him. But the Shaman God has been sealed, so no one can restrain him. Even if the Shaman God breaks the seal, that Transcendent Rank shaman who allows Saren Agu to manage the northeast might also allow Zhen De to manage the Central Plains.”
“Zhen De’s cultivation is at least Second Rank, and the Shaman God Cult would give the utmost respect to such a powerful expert. For the Shaman God Cult, turning Great Feng into their vassal state is something promised by the founding emperor of Great Feng, something they’ve dreamed of.”
“That’s why they’re so eager to attack Yuyang Pass, working in collusion with Zhen De to shake Great Feng’s national fortune. This way, the actions of Zhen De and the Shaman God Cult have a perfect explanation… I can understand that to turn the Central Plains into a vassal state of the Shaman God Cult, they first need to weaken Great Feng’s national fortune. But how exactly is this operated?”
“National fortune is profound and mysterious, but the talents of the Central Plains are a tangible existence. If the people disagree, they will surely rise in rebellion, regardless of whether it’s the Shaman God Cult or Buddhism… But perhaps this is exactly what the Shaman God Cult hopes to see?”
As he rambled neurotically, he looked at Zhao Shou, seeking his opinion.
“Our guesses are the same. As for how to turn the Central Plains into a vassal state of the Shaman God Cult, this might be another secret of the Transcendent Realm that we don’t know. At least the Sage of Confucianism didn’t leave any words or writings about it, so we can only explore it ourselves,” Zhao Shou said solemnly.
“How did the Shaman God achieve longevity while consolidating the national fortune of the three northeastern countries?” Xu Qi’an frowned.
“No one has ever said, nor is there any written record, that the Shaman God consolidated the national fortune of the three northeastern countries. This question, perhaps the Jian Zheng should be able to answer you. The cultivation of Diviners is related to national fortune, the Jian Zheng has lived for five hundred years, and the Diviner system originated from shamans.”
Zhao Shou answered thus.
So Transcendent Rank shamans can also manipulate national fortune like Diviners? Xu Qi’an fell silent for a moment, then gazed at the cynical chancellor:
“I came this time to retrieve what Lord Wei left for me.”
Zhao Shou didn’t nod, but looked at him: “You’ve decided?”
Xu Qi’an nodded slowly: “I didn’t understand before why Jian Zheng always stood by coldly, having the ability yet doing nothing. Especially after knowing about Zhen De’s existence, I couldn’t understand and even harbored resentment towards him.”
“After Lord Wei’s death, I was like a man at the end of his rope, with nowhere to retreat. During that time, I thought about many things, reviewing many details. Suddenly, I realized that the answer had been given to me long ago, I just hadn’t awakened to it.”
As he spoke, he looked towards a certain spot at the peak of Mount Qingyun, sighing: “Great Scholar Qian Zhong had already told me the answer.”
Only national fortune can defeat national fortune.
Confucian cultivation is related to national fortune. That Second Rank Great Scholar, carrying the people’s resentment, shattered the dragon vein of the Great Zhou. The country perished, and so did he.
For the Jian Zheng to kill Zhen De would be like Qian Zhong shattering the dragon vein.
It would be mutual destruction.
Zhao Shou’s sleeve slowly swept across the stone table in the pavilion, and a brocade box appeared on it.
“This is what Wei Yuan sent for you,” Zhao Shou said with a smile.