Chance Encounter

The first round of confrontation was completed before the two sides even met.

Li Qi was slightly outmatched, but fortunately, Shen Shuibi was there, which prevented the outcome from becoming too bad.

However, Li Qi also benefited from this misfortune, as it purified his Dao heart, preventing him from undergoing the same changes as before, and laying the foundation for his future progress.

This is far superior to any otherworldly Daoist charm.

According to the rabbit, his training here was also arranged by his teacher.

Then everything makes sense.

Why would the Great Deer Kingdom Lord suddenly make room for him? Why would the Prefect of White Snake Prefecture, a dignified sixth-rank official, take the initiative to invite him?

He really thought it was because he had a lot of influence, but now it seems it was all part of the plan.

Since that's the case, then we should perform even better.

Shen Shuibi told him that two-thirds of the purpose of this trip had been achieved, and the remaining third would definitely not be a Daoist essence that could be obtained with a flick of the wrist.

What is that?

What are the remaining tests, or rather, trials?

While pondering this situation, Li Qi also marveled at his teacher's skill.

As a test, they gave him a world about the size of Earth to play around with.

This is really...

As I was thinking about this, evening came and the car stopped in a city.

"Young master, shall we stay here tonight? Zhang Le has booked a hotel for us," Bai Di said, opening the car door.

"You guys go to the hotel, I want to go for a walk by myself," Li Qi nodded and said.

"Yes." Bai Di didn't say anything more.

Shen Shuibi stretched and yawned. The rabbit wanted to sleep. She had been protecting Li Qi all day and was exhausted.

However, she glanced at Li Qi.

Look at him like this.

The remaining third should be almost finished as well.

As for how she knew?

Of course, it's because she's been through it all.

Ah, it's like a college-educated older sister watching her younger brother struggle with a quadratic equation.

She's kind of cute.

"Haaah...!" Shen Shuibi yawned.

Let's talk about these things later.

Go to sleep now!

Li Qi, on the other hand, did not go to the so-called hotel to rest with Shen Shuibi and Bai Di.

Because he suddenly felt that since he came into this world, he had been doing all sorts of pointless things from beginning to end.

He didn't stop to take a good look at the world.

This was something he had thought of before.

The officiant is the person who presides over the Sacrificial Ritual and is responsible for communicating with the spirits and deities of heaven and earth.

Since he has come to this world, does he understand this sky, this land, and the people, ghosts, and gods living on it?

If we can't even understand it, how can we achieve harmony between heaven, earth, humanity, and the divine?

Without a doubt, this is impossible; without understanding, coordination is impossible.

If he can't do it, can he still be considered to be 'offering blessings'?

The Tao is the Principle governing the external world and also the principle governing human behavior.

If he fails to fulfill his duties as Shaman, and does not act in accordance with the principles of Shaman, then isn't his behavior 'deviant'?

As a mediator, Shaman) relies on the power of heaven, earth, mountains, rivers, spirits, and even all things to navigate the world.

Can those who have strayed from the Way obtain it?

Li Qi had heard a saying, "Those who lose their moral compass find little support." This means that if you lose your stance on justice, no one will help you.

What is the standpoint of justice?

First and foremost, one must be upright, both in character and reason. Just as Li Qi once rebuked the eighth-rank ghost god Elder Li, one must coordinate impartially and fairly.

Then there is righteousness. The answer Li Qi came to after thinking about it was that righteousness should be in accordance with the principles of the people and the whole world.

The Zhu's Path says that righteousness is the focus of sacrifices. In ancient times, there was a saying, "The court is used to rectify the righteousness of ranks and titles, and to guide the order of seniority."

The meaning here refers to appropriate laws and rituals, which is the most important aspect of sacrificial rites.

So, is justice the way to Shaman?

Or to put it another way, is justice what Li Qi believed to be the Shaman?

Or perhaps this isn't the Shaman, but rather Li Qi's own way?

Walking through the streets of this strange and alien world, Li Qi was filled with countless questions about cultivation.

But I just couldn't come up with an answer.

The answer is not fixed; you can choose anything. But once you've chosen, you should do it and put your chosen path into practice.

The inability to choose an answer simply means that Li Qi himself doesn't know what to do next.

"Alas, I'm still too inexperienced," he sighed.

"How can someone be so certain about their future when they're only at the ninth rank? I should observe and learn more. As long as I maintain reverence and vigilance in my heart and keep my Dao heart clear at all times, I will naturally find my own answer after experiencing more things. That will be my 'Dao'." Li Qi silently made this point in his mind.

After thinking it through, he took a deep breath and felt much more relaxed!

But when he turned around, he found himself in some unknown place.

While he was deep in thought, it seems he walked too much and didn't pay attention to where he was going, and now he doesn't know where he's ended up.

The surrounding area was no longer filled with skyscrapers; the bustling city lay far behind, standing alone in the wilderness.

Li Qi then suddenly realized.

In the Earth Oil Realm, one city after another seems to be very prosperous, but in the middle of the cities, it seems to be all desert like this.

Only in cities can there be vitality.

However... there are still people in this desert.

Using his ability to Qi Gazing), he was able to discover a human settlement not far away.

Wherever there are human settlements, there is human activity. This human activity naturally forms a barrier, preventing various poisonous gases, miasma, and other wild gases from entering the environment.

Therefore, humans need to live in groups, and people who are alone in the wild will mostly have their health damaged by the mixed gases.

"How can there be any people in a place like this? And are there even people living here?" Li Qi asked curiously as he walked over.

A few days ago, I almost fell into a trap because of my arrogance and my failure to truly face the world. That's why I want to change.

Since I've said I wanted to change, to see more and learn more, let's start now.

The best time to plant a tree was ten years ago; the second best time is now.

Go and actively learn about this world now.

Li Qi does whatever he says, and once he makes a decision, he immediately puts it into action.

Speed up and fly across the wilderness.

Soon, Li Qi indeed spotted a human settlement in the wilderness.

These people don't seem to be settled here, because Li Qi saw... a caravan.

Yes, a convoy.

It included two tanker trucks, four pickup trucks, seven or eight cars, and some motorcycles.

Most of them were dressed in tattered clothes, smelled bad, and had rough skin covered in grease and dust, looking like they hadn't washed in a long time.

This convoy had about twenty or thirty people, men and women, and even children, resembling a small settlement.

Li Qi did not rush over rashly, but instead used his extraordinary senses to listen to their conversation in the darkness.

We're at that campsite made up of cars.

The people used their cars to form a circle, which barely blocked the direct impact of the cold wind outside.

It's still cold, but it's bearable now.

Because the forest was full of dead trees, they had no shortage of fuel. They cut some dry branches and easily lit a campfire.

Canned food was roasting over the campfire, sizzling and crackling; it must have come from the city.

Almost everyone had some broken guns or rusty cold weapons.

It's like... a scene from the wasteland.

However, it still has a strong sense of everyday life.

The woman and the child were together, chatting and laughing, creating a very warm and cozy scene.

There were also some younger men here, chatting with different women. Sometimes they would fall silent, then smile at each other, look at each other, and say nothing.

On the other side, four or five strong middle-aged men were gathered together, discussing something.

Among the group of middle-aged men, a rather robust man suddenly looked up and asked the other man beside him, "Second brother, how much water do we have left?"

"Not much left, enough for two or three days," the middle-aged man called "Second Brother" replied.

"To use or to drink?" the man asked again.

The second brother answered truthfully, "In terms of drinking and use, it's not enough for even a day. A few days ago, after the young men were injured, they used water to clean their wounds, so our reserves are running low."

"What about food?" the man asked again.

"We still have enough food. The truck we robbed a few days ago was full of food. The pickup truck is full now, enough to last a month. But we don't have much canned food left. It's mostly biscuits and candy. That must have been for transporting desserts, but these things are hard to swallow without water," the second brother replied.

Several middle-aged men fell silent.

Water is very precious; it only exists where the land is not depleted.

Wherever the oil reserves are depleted, the land becomes desert, the forests wither and nothing survives. For those who wander outside, supplies are always a major problem.

Since the discovery and exploitation of oil over a century ago, desertification has spread uncontrollably.

These ordinary people don't know the reason; they only know it's related to oil.

However, Li Qi, who was standing nearby, naturally knew this.

Without the earth's oil, the earth's energy and water energy are not preserved, leading to the weakening and depletion of the Five Elements Qi, ultimately turning the land into a dead zone.

"Those companies are so greedy they'd risk human lives for money!" A man punched the ground, looking extremely angry.

The leader waved his hand, telling him to calm down, and then said, "Alright, complaining won't do any good. Let's think about how to get water. Do you dare go to the oil extraction site?"

Oilfields always have water, and usually have a lot of lakes and rivers.

"People will die," the second son frowned.

"If we don't go, even more people will die. In two or three days, there will be no water. Who will be able to lift a gun or run around then? We might as well go while we still have the strength," the middle-aged man said.

"That makes sense, but that's an oil extraction plant..." the second brother said with some worry.

The oil extraction plant is a very dangerous place. The guards there are much more skilled and equipped than the patrol teams that usually patrol the wilderness.

"Let's discuss tactics. We can go to a smaller oil extraction plant; we might not lose anyone. We can join forces with other convoys to attack it," the middle-aged man decided.

Subsequently, this group, presumably the decision-makers of the convoy, gathered together to discuss tactics and weaponry.

But this was just the beginning. Suddenly, many people in the camp perked up their ears and looked towards the distance.

Not far away, there stood a person whose clothes were clean and bright, and whose body was spotless.

Compared to the filth and shabby clothes of everyone else, he was almost excessively clean.

With a whoosh, a group of people suddenly picked up guns and aimed them at Li Qi. Those who used cold weapons immediately gripped the hilts of their knives tightly, and even the children were no exception.

"They're from the city!" the middle-aged man immediately shouted!

Then, he immediately gave a wink to the second brother beside him, who nodded and quietly slipped out to scout the surroundings.

City dwellers will never leave the city!

If you leave the city, you will definitely have a guard.

Is this the guards coming to wipe us out? We need to scout out the surrounding area first.

Li Qi was pointed at by a bunch of guns, but he decisively raised his hands. "Don't worry, I came alone."

"Why would city people come out!" The man pointed his gun at Li Qi, his face serious.

As he spoke, he stepped forward.

The women and children behind immediately began packing their things and getting on the bus.

The men were all armed, ready, and took cover; some were scouting, while others were providing cover.

The decision-makers, armed with guns, cautiously approached Li Qi, ready to open fire at any moment should anything go wrong.

"I mean no harm. I'm just curious about you, that's all. I don't have any guards," Li Qi said loudly, raising his hands.

"I just want to ask you some questions."

However, the other party did not relax at all; their muscles remained tense, and they were extremely vigilant.

A few minutes later, the scouts returned, and the second brother also ran back, whispering a few words in their ear.

He then put away his weapon, frowned at Li Qi, and asked him, "Do you want to ask a question?"

"That's right, I just want to ask a few questions, and if you answer them, I'll give you clean water as payment!"

Upon hearing Li Qi's words, the group immediately perked up.

"Water? Where's the water?!"

"Where is it! Let us take a look!"

Several young men aimed at Li Qi and shouted loudly, demanding that he hand over the water.

"It's definitely not on me, but I do have water, but you have to answer my questions first," Li Qi emphasized again.

The young men got anxious and prepared to rush up and beat Li Qi up.

Answer the question? You're overthinking it. If he won't tell, then beat him until he does!

There's no need to be polite with city people!

But the middle-aged man in charge shouted, "Come back!"

The young people reluctantly retreated, but their expressions remained unfriendly.

The middle-aged man stepped forward, sized up Xia Li Qi, and then said, "You're a reporter? I've heard that people in the city have this kind of job. They always try to go around asking people questions, and then take the answers out of context."

"Uh... sort of, a reporter, I guess." Li Qi replied with a somewhat subtle expression.