Before the Lesser Sage’s Hall, Zhao Shou adjusted his official robes and hat. Under the watchful eyes of the three Grand Confucians—Yang Gong, Zhang Shen, and Li Mubai Chen Tai—he pushed open the carved vermillion doors and entered the hall.

Clang!

The doors gently closed, blocking their view.

Sunlight streamed through the latticed windows, dust motes dancing in the beams. Above the pedestal stood a statue wearing a scholar’s cap and robes, one hand behind its back, the other resting on its abdomen.

At the statue’s feet stood a white elk.

This was the Lesser Sage’s wife.

Zhao Shou silently gazed at the statue, sunlight reflecting in his eyes, maintaining the same posture for a long time without moving.

Zhao Shou was born in the 19th year of Joan of Arc’s reign, from humble origins. At age ten, he entered Cloud Deer Academy, studying under Master Hanlu.

That unkempt old scholar lived year-round in a thatched cottage. In his early years, for some unknown reason, he had become lame in one leg. Frustrated and unfulfilled, he loved drinking, and when drunk would write poetry criticizing the court and insulting the emperor.

Without Cloud Deer Academy’s protection, those poems would have been enough to have his head chopped off a hundred times.

He was extremely strict with Zhao Shou in daily studies, teaching quite diligently, but once drunk, he would rage:

“Why read these worthless books? You’ll never amount to anything—better to spend money at brothels sleeping with courtesans.”

Young Zhao Shou would stubbornly reply:

“Sleeping with a courtesan costs thirty taels. Without studying, where would the silver come from?”

Hearing this, Master Hanlu flew into a rage: “You even know the rates?”

A beating ensued!

Zhao Shou defiantly said: “Don’t you know the rates too, Teacher?”

Another beating followed!

Later, on a cold winter day, the old scholar drowned in a pond while drunk, ending his destitute life.

At the funeral, Zhao Shou learned of his teacher’s past from his close friends.

In his youth, Master Hanlu had a brilliant talent, but because of his Cloud Deer Academy background, he was disliked by Emperor Joan of Arc and failed the palace examination.

He continued taking the exam and continued failing.

Three years after three years.

From a young talent to an old scholar with frost-white temples, he never obtained even the lowest official position.

Unable to endure it anymore, he stormed the palace and berated Emperor Joan of Arc. That’s when his leg was broken—if not for the previous Academy Chancellor’s protection, he would have been beheaded.

This had been Cloud Deer Academy’s situation all along.

Occasionally a small number could obtain minor official positions, but most weren’t trusted and were dispatched to remote corners.

More had no official positions at all—after studying half their lives, they remained commoners.

The young Zhao Shou said nothing at the time, but years later, as the new Chancellor, he made a grand vow—he would bring Cloud Deer Academy’s scholars back to court, and restore it to its millennium of glory.

“Two hundred years ago, in the struggle for succession, the Academy fell out with the royal family. The Cheng clan seized the opportunity to break from the Academy, establishing the Imperial College, and blocking Academy students from court. Two hundred years have passed, and today, this disciple Zhao Shou will bring the Lesser Sage back to court.”

He bowed deeply and did not rise.

A clear light burst from the Lesser Sage’s statue, shooting skyward. The entire Clear Cloud Mountain shook at this moment as if tilting.

But the Academy’s students and teachers showed no panic. Instead, they trembled with excitement, weeping with joy.

After two hundred years, Cloud Deer Academy would finally produce a Second Grade Grand Confucian.

Not the kind of Grand Confucian praised by the world, but a Second Grade—Grand Confucian in the Confucian system!

The clear light shot into the sky, surging in layers, forming a huge vortex of clear energy visible from tens of li beyond Clear Cloud Mountain.

As if announcing to the world.

Then, this energy slowly descended, returning to the Lesser Sage’s Hall, and entering Zhao Shou’s body.

Dazzling clear light shot from Zhao Shou’s eyes, his physical form bathed in the radiance. This was righteous qi cleansing his essence and marrow, both strengthening his power to make words into reality and increasing his resistance to magical backlash.

He carefully felt the changes in his body, comprehending Second Grade power.

This is mainly divided into two aspects. First, the power of his words becoming reality had greatly increased—modified rules would continue for a long time.

For example, if he said: “No grass grows here.”

The vegetation in that area would wither, lasting for months or even longer, unlike before when the effect was merely fleeting.

Additionally, and most importantly, Second Grade Grand Confucians could manipulate fortune to some degree, able to gather or destroy it. Though not as refined as artificers, Zhao Shou now could influence a dynasty’s rise and fall.

Of course, this required an enormous price, just like the Grand Confucian Qian Zhong of the late Zhou Dynasty, who sacrificed himself to shatter Zhou’s remaining destiny.

A flash of clear light filled the Lesser Sage’s Hall as Yang Gong and the other three entered, their faces full of joy.

“Chancellor, can you help break the Carving Knife’s seal?” Zhang Shen asked.

“We’ll know with a try.”

Zhao Shou opened his palm, clear light rising, and the Carving Knife appeared in his hand.

Then, the Lesser Sage’s cap settled on his head.

Zhao Shou gazed at the Carving Knife and murmured:

“Break the seal!”

He suddenly gripped his palm.

Instantly, streams of clear light shot from his palm—it was as if he held not a knife but a great lamp.

The scholar’s cap on his head also burst with dazzling light, flowing down his arm into the Carving Knife.

The Lesser Sage’s statue flickered with clear light, shining on the Carving Knife.

Hum… The Carving Knife vibrated, shaking violently in Zhao Shou’s palm, making his arm and body tremble too.

Bang!

The clear light on the Carving Knife exploded, stirring up a whirlwind in the hall, extinguishing candles, and rattling doors and windows.

Zhao Shou could no longer hold the Carving Knife, nor did he want to. He released it, letting it float and weave through the hall.

“Finally able to speak! That damned Sage of Literature sealed me for over twelve hundred years. His writing was garbage but he wouldn’t let others say so. If it were me, I’d write better than him.

“I tried to guide his writing out of friendship, but he didn’t appreciate it, found me annoying, and sealed me, pah!”

The Carving Knife’s cursing and complaints reached Zhao Shou and the others’ ears.

This made them somewhat awkward, unsure whether to agree or disagree, so they chose silence, pretending not to hear.

“Ahem!”

Zhao Shou coughed forcefully, interrupting the Carving Knife’s endless cursing, and bowed:

“Greetings, Senior.”

Yang Gong and the other four bowed as well:

“Greetings, Senior!”

The Carving Knife flew to hover before Zhao Shou’s brow, transmitting thoughts:

“Heh, the Director said I would be unsealed in this generation—he didn’t lie. Confucian disciples revere that old thing the Sage as divine; generations of Grand Confucians refused to break my seal.

“Why did you help break my seal?”

Zhao Shou bowed again:

“This student has something to ask.”

Yang Gong quickly gathered his sleeves, preventing his ruler from flying out.

The spirit within the Carving Knife asked:

“What is it!”

Zhao Shou said gravely:

“On behalf of all living beings under heaven, I ask: how does one advance to Martial God?”

The Carving Knife didn’t answer immediately, instead falling into a long silence.

In the silence, Zhao Shou’s heart slowly sank:

“Senior doesn’t know either?”

“Don’t be noisy!” The Carving Knife snapped at him, then said: “I remember the Sage of Literature commenting on the martial system, mentioning Martial Gods. Hmm, it has been over twelve hundred years after all—I can’t recall immediately.”

Well hurry up and remember… Yang Gong and the others thought anxiously.

But Zhao Shou noticed a detail—the Carving Knife needed to recall, indicating it hadn’t recently discussed advancing to Martial God with anyone.

If not from the Carving Knife, how did the Director know the method of advancing to Martial God?

After several seconds, the Carving Knife suddenly realized:

“I remember now. Hmm, one prerequisite, two conditions!

“The prerequisite is: gather fortune.

“The conditions are: gain the recognition of the world, gain the recognition of Heaven and Earth!”