The Fate-Scrambling Hammer could give enlightenment to those blessed with destiny, but not enlightenment in the conventional sense—rather, enlightenment in the realm of destiny.

What kind of enlightenment was it? Neither Xu Qi’an nor Zhong Li knew.

But there were clues to follow. The destiny Xu Qi’an carried was half of Great Zhou’s national fortune.

What was its greatest use?

Previously, Xu Qi’an thought it was for picking up silver coins on the street or enjoying endless free visits to courtesans.

But these had nothing to do with combat power enhancement, at most belonging to a luck halo.

Which aspects of national fortune were related to combat power enhancement? The answer was obvious—the Power of the Masses!

“It’s the Power of the Masses!”

Seeing his expression, Zhong Li knew he had guessed the truth. She pecked at her head and gave an affirmative response.

This was an authority that only the Director could control… Xu Qi’an suppressed his excitement and carefully said:

“I can also control the Power of the Masses, but I must rely on Chu Yuanzhen’s ‘nurturing intent’ method, and can only mobilize it against enemies when the people’s emotions are running high.

“In theory, since I carry half the national fortune, even if not as strong as the Director, I should be able to stably mobilize the Power of the Masses.”

Zhong Li raised the Fate-Scrambling Hammer in her hand, her voice unusually loud:

“Because you haven’t gained enlightenment yet, you need the Fate-Scrambling Hammer to help you achieve it.”

Xu Qi’an nodded:

“That’s right. From beginning to end, I never truly controlled this national fortune within me. Although it merged with me, I couldn’t control it or unleash its power.”

With this, all the details aligned. The so-called enlightenment referred to allowing Xu Qi’an to control the Power of the Masses, thereby enhancing his combat power and rapidly advancing his strength in the short term.

This was the Director’s contingency plan.

Zhong Li suddenly muttered to herself:

“National fortune and personal destiny are different.”

She meant that she had previously thought Xu Qi’an’s destiny blessing was what allowed him to protect her.

But actually, national fortune and personal destiny were different—national fortune could be understood as an upgraded version of destiny. National fortune could mobilize the Power of the Masses, while personal destiny could not.

“Do you think Xu Pingfeng knows that national fortune can mobilize the Power of the Masses?” Zhong Li suddenly asked.

Xu Qi’an paused:

“Hard to say. Mobilizing the Power of the Masses is the authority of the Fate Master. Xu Pingfeng may not have a deep understanding of it.”

He then shook his head, his eyes brightening:

“No, Xu Pingfeng doesn’t know.

“He sent the Cloud Province delegation for peace talks not only to gain territory without bloodshed but also to probe my reaction and through me understand what contingencies the Director left behind.

“If he knew national fortune could mobilize the Power of the Masses, with his wisdom, he would have already figured it out and wouldn’t need to send Ji Yuan to probe.”

Xu Qi’an grew more excited as he spoke, eager to immediately awaken the Power of the Masses and go to Qing Province to give Xu Pingfeng a surprise.

Zhong Li was also somewhat impatient:

“Then, then shall I strike your head?”

Xu Qi’an sat cross-legged:

“Go ahead!”

Zhong Li raised the hammer and struck, making a “Duang!” sound as it hit his head.

Xu Qi’an’s mind buzzed and he instantly lost consciousness, his pupils dilating and unfocusing.

A few seconds later, his scattered pupils regained focus. He looked at Zhong Li, suddenly jumped up, held his fingers like orchids, and sang in a high-pitched voice:

“Lin sister fell from the sky…”

This time it was an actor’s fate pattern. Though he’d never heard the tune before, it was strangely pleasant… Zhong Li silently appreciated Xu Qi’an’s solo performance, watching him make various affected poses while singing.

Half an hour later, the Fate-Scrambling Hammer’s effect wore off.

Xu Qi’an stood dazed for a moment, then said with twitching facial muscles:

“Why didn’t you just let it pass?”

Another strike would have switched the fate pattern, but Zhong Li had made him sing for a full hour.

Under her messy scattered hair, Zhong Li’s bright eyes blinked:

“It was nice to listen to.”

Xu Qi’an patted Zhong Li’s head, smiling without mirth:

“If I weren’t here, or if someone else had been singing just now, perhaps today would be Senior Sister Zhong’s memorial day.”

You would have been silenced!

Zhong Li said softly:

“It’s because you’re here that I dared to be a bit bolder.”

Mm, how could I blame you for making a mistake when I gave you too much freedom? Xu Qi’an nodded:

“Continue, we need to go faster, let’s not waste time…”

Before he finished speaking, Zhong Li struck him with another hammer blow.

Xu Qi’an’s pupils dilated, then he staggered and fell to his knees, crying out:

“Merciful Bodhisattva, please spare some silver!”

A beggar’s fate pattern.

Zhong Li struck again.

“Hoeing grain in the scorching noon, sweat drips beneath the grain, working people are most glorious…”

Zhong Li struck again.

“Nothing tastes better than dumplings, nothing’s more fun than a sister-in-law.” After speaking, he tried to stick his head under Zhong Li’s skirt.

Zhong Li struck again.

Duang! Duang! Duang…

Zhong Li’s strikes became more and more numerous, faster and faster, until finally, the hammer moved like an afterimage.

Xu Qi’an sat dazed, his pupils unfocused.

At this moment, it was as if he had experienced countless lives, the high and low of occupations, the beauty and ugliness of human nature, experiencing the hardships of common people and the myriad states of being.

Suddenly, he heard a great bell toll, deafening to the ears, as if something inside him had broken free from its shackles.

Xu Qi’an opened his eyes, then transformed into a shadow, disappearing into the underground.

When he reappeared, he had arrived at the Eight Trigrams Platform of the Star-Observing Tower.

At this time, night had fallen heavily, the entire capital shrouded in darkness, with only a few areas lit by candlelight.

The capital was silent in the darkness, but in Xu Qi’an’s eyes, it was lively, wonderful, sorrowful, evil, beautiful…

His perspective on the mortal world had changed completely from usual.

All beauty came from the mortal realm.

All evil came from the mortal realm.

In this moment, he seemed to transcend good and evil, blurring the boundaries between justice and evil, becoming a deity coldly surveying all living beings.

The next moment, he slowly sank into the mortal world, immersing himself in the good and evil of the secular world, becoming one with this tumultuous realm of existence.

Xu Qi’an spread his arms and shouted:

“Come!”

All beings heed my command!

In an instant, streams of power consolidated from the common people surged forth.

This power belonged neither to qi, nor spiritual force, nor mental force, but contained the joys and sorrows, the greed and hatred, the partings and reunions of mortals, containing their will.

If it had to be defined, this power belonged to Momentum!

The “Momentum” of great trends.

As the Power of the Masses surged forth, Xu Qi’an was like an ocean receiving hundreds of rivers, condensing this power within his body.

Inside the Star-Observing Tower, except for Mu Nanzhi and Sun Xuanji, all the practitioners prostrated themselves on the ground as if in the presence of heaven’s might.

…

Qing Province.

In the deep night, Ge Wenxuan grimly knocked on Ji Xuan’s door.

“I can’t contact Young Master Ji Yuan.”

Ge Wenxuan went straight to the point without any pleasantries.

Ji Xuan’s expression changed dramatically.

“I maintain contact with Young Master Ji Yuan every two days, both to report safety and to understand the progress of peace talks, but today I can’t contact him.” Ge Wenxuan held a communication conch in his hand.

Ji Xuan snatched it away, put the conch to his ear, and said deeply:

“Ji Yuan!”

He called several times, but there was no response.

Ge Wenxuan said:

“After receiving a transmission, the formation on the conch creates a slight disturbance to alert the holder.

“If the conch were in Young Master Ji Yuan’s possession, he wouldn’t fail to notice it.”

Ji Yuan gently placed the conch on the table and asked in a deep voice:

“How far had the peace talks progressed?”

Ge Wenxuan answered:

“In the last contact, Young Master Ji Yuan said the talks had reached the final stage, but Great Zhou refused to cede Yong Province.”

Ji Xuan analyzed calmly:

“This was the main purpose of the peace talks. Ji Yuan has always known how to prioritize, he wouldn’t deliberately lose contact at this crucial moment. The most likely situation is that something has happened to him.”

After speaking, his gaze suddenly sharpened.

His instincts told him this had something to do with Xu Qi’an.

Ge Wenxuan thought for a moment and said:

“This matter is extraordinary. In Great Zhou’s current situation, peace talks are their only way out. Although Xu Qi’an might act rashly, he’s not a fool. For him, the peace talks are also a way to buy time.

“Moreover, Yuanshuang and Yuanhuai are also in the delegation. As long as Young Master Ji Yuan doesn’t deliberately provoke him, Xu Qi’an probably won’t harm the delegation.”

Ji Xuan shook his head:

“Ji Yuan might probe him, but wouldn’t deliberately provoke him. This matter is unusual—quickly inform the General.”

Ge Wenxuan nodded and left.

Half an hour later, Ge Wenxuan returned and said gravely:

“The General commands a command tent meeting tomorrow.”

A command tent meeting was the highest-level military meeting, requiring all high-ranking military officers to attend.

…

[Three: Your Majesty, tomorrow I wish to go to Qing Province to scout the Cloud Province rebels’ situation, and formally declare war on Xu Pingfeng while I’m at it.]

Having gained control of the Power of the Masses, Xu Qi’an sent this message to the Earth Book chat group.

Xu Qi’an’s thought was that before the two sides went to war, he must first meet Xu Pingfeng.

He wanted to declare war, to slap this Second Grade practitioner’s face, to let Xu Pingfeng know that the vessel he once regarded as insignificant as an ant had grown into a proper player.

Otherwise, Xu Qi’an would not be satisfied!

Before Huaiqing could reply, Li Miaozhen, who saw the message first, asked in confusion:

[Two: What are you talking about, Xu Ningyan? Did you make a typo?]

Members of the Heaven and Earth Society, awakened by their “heart palpitations,” gradually took out their Earth Books to read the message, all agreeing with Li Miaozhen’s question.

[One: Good, before you depart, come to the imperial palace. We have a surprise for you.]

[Three: A surprise? What kind?]

Heaven and Earth Society members: “???”

Except for Li Na, who was blessed with excellent sleep quality and difficulty waking, the other members looked at the content of their messages with a series of question marks flashing through their minds.

What did they mean by “Your Majesty”? What did they mean by “We”?

Though Xu Qi’an liked to joke, that was his personality, but Huaiqing wasn’t someone who would play along with such jokes.

Chu Yuanzhen, with his scholarly background, was particularly sensitive to the terms “Your Majesty” and “We.” He cautiously sent a message to probe:

[Four: You two, what does this mean?]