Plans

The stable boy helped Li Qi fetch water from the well and then emptied the dirty water, working up a heavy sigh and a flat stomach.

Fetching water is no easy task; generally speaking, carrying water is the hardest and most tiring job.

Actually, there was no need for that at all. With a wave of his hand, Li Qi could condense pure water from water vapor, which also contained Yin Qi, making Old Ma feel cool and comfortable and relieving his heat.

The water drawn from this ordinary well was simply not enough to suppress the Old Ma's fiery blood as Dragon Steed; Li Qi had to process it again after he arrived.

Moreover, the dirty water doesn't need to be collected and poured away; Li Qi can evaporate the water with his Yang Energy by snapping his fingers.

But if you do that, the stable boy will be terrified and scared to death.

Even though he was doing something futile, he still needed to do something to Anxin.

Li Qi didn't say anything, just watched him busy.

What is he busy with?

For survival? To quell the fear in their hearts?

Li Qi felt that neither was the case.

After thinking it over, Li Qi concluded that the world was actually helping him.

This is an ordinary, unremarkable person.

He was born into the Baiyue, was an unlucky commoner, and was also unlucky in that he wasn't very smart.

Therefore, he had no principles of his own, no set of rules.

But how can a person not have their own principles? A person cannot be without them; if they were, they would be a dead person.

Therefore, this world became his way.

The world taught him to respect the strong, so he respected the strong unconditionally, and would not resist even if he were killed.

Li Qi has his own path, and Li Qi path will tell him to resist at that time, even if it's like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

The world, however, tells this stable boy not to resist. It tells him to fawn over him at this time, to submit at this time, and to busy himself with meaningless things, even if it will exhaust him to death and be of no use whatsoever.

How many people have their own path?

How many people are controlled by this world?

But is the world really that bad?

Li Qi could even say that most people, including those in the Tang Kingdom, were simply going with the flow, only that the 'world' there was much better.

The people of the Tang Kingdom only need to follow the 'way of the world' to far surpass the way that most people figure out on their own. They only need to live and study in the Tang Kingdom step by step, and they will naturally immerse themselves in the way of Human Path and take the way of the world as their own way.

The Human Path is far superior to the Way that most people comprehend on their own. Many so-called "self-righteous Ways" from other realms are utterly insignificant and incomparable to the Way of Human Path.

But is it good or bad that people who have their own way of doing things, who take the way in their hearts as their code of conduct, do not sink into the ways of the world and go their own way?

Li Qi was momentarily confused.

This issue is particularly profound in him.

He wanted to forge his own path, that's undeniable, but the end result was that he pieced together bits and pieces from here and there, absorbing some ideas from various sources.

So, did Li Qi truly break free from his own 'path', or was he still trapped within the constraints of 'the world'?

However, this world is more profound; it encompasses the entire 'world'.

Looking at the busy horse herder, Li Qi's gaze was somewhat dazed.

The horse herder, unaware that he was being corrupted by the ways of the world, continued to busy himself according to his own ideas.

Li Qi was standing at a higher position than the stable boy, so he could see the stable boy's current mediocrity.

So... is there any difference between myself and this stable boy?

In the eyes of those at a higher level, are they doing something similar to that of the horse herder?

While pondering these matters, Li Qi suddenly shook his head and muttered to himself, "Never mind."

Old Ma turned his head in confusion.

"It's nothing, you can dry it yourself. I'm going to rest for a bit." Li Qi got up, no longer thinking about those things.

Even if I am a busy horse herder who has no control over his own life, it is wrong to stop doing things. Even if the path I am on now is wrong, it does not mean that it is meaningless.

The Dao Path is not a smooth road to heaven; there will be forks in the road, and you may even take the wrong path, turn back, or go astray.

But we always have to leave eventually.

Now, when Li Qi recalls the days when he practiced martial arts every day, he knows that it was actually meaningless. If he could go back to the past, even if he didn't practice martial arts, he wouldn't lose anything and would have better options.

But without practicing martial arts, there would be no Li Qi as we know him today.

Just like that stable boy, no matter what, he will continue to act in his own way.

However, Li Qi felt that he might be able to examine himself from other perspectives in the future.

In that case... Li Qi suddenly felt that the current matter of integrating various Dao Lineage within his body seemed less... urgent.

Think about it.

When viewed from a higher perspective, many things are actually insignificant.

The internal struggle over the Dao Lineage within oneself can also be put aside; it's just a temporary conflict, simply because one's own level is insufficient.

Of course, a solution is needed, but... it's not as hopeless as I previously thought.

This is not a solution, but merely a way to give Li Qi a more optimistic perspective, similar to a terminally ill patient suddenly hearing that someone is developing a new miracle drug.

Although the medicine hasn't even reached my mouth yet, and whether it can even be developed at all is still a question, it's still a comfort.

Upon reaching this conclusion, Li Qi immediately felt that the sharp contradictions within the microcosm of the human body had lessened considerably. The paths of humans and sorcerers, and of Buddhas and demons, no longer seemed so antagonistic, and the need for the Daoist method of yin-yang harmony as a buffer was no longer so urgent.

The Daoist Dao Lineage has fabricated a universal Great Dao that governs everything, a Great Dao that exists prior to everything else.

Therefore, in the face of this Ultimate Great Dao, all contradictions can be reconciled. The Tai Chi diagram most commonly seen in Daoism is an illustration of this viewpoint, and even the name 'Daoism' is derived from this path.

Therefore, Li Qi had previously used this point to reconcile the sharp contradictions between the human and the sorcerer within his body, preventing him from exploding and dying. (See Chapter 295 for details)

The conflict between Buddha and demon was also resolved in this way.

And now, it seems that... he can make them get along well without the need for Daoist methods to mediate.

No, it's not that Daoist methods are unnecessary for harmonization.

Li Qi immediately noticed the difference.

Rather, it was the fusion of the Daoist methods with his own 'higher perspective' that allowed it to operate naturally without needing to be actively activated.

This so-called 'higher perspective' is that each level is higher than the last: those who are not yet in rank look up to those who are in the seventh rank, those in the seventh rank look up to those who are in the fifth rank, those in the fifth rank look up to those who are in the third rank, and those in the third rank look up to those who are in the first rank.

Tracing back layer by layer, even the highest grade isn't enough; you can keep going higher and higher.

So, what is something that goes up to the 'limit' and the 'supreme'?

Without a doubt, this is the "Great Dao that transcends everything" that the Daoist sect has hypothesized to exist.

Li Qi's hypothetical "higher perspective" inadvertently aligned with this Daoist idea, even causing the method to operate automatically.

His path has become more harmonious.

It can be considered...

An unexpected bonus, perhaps.

Upon thinking of this, Li Qi raised his hand and saw a mountain god's divine energy appear in his hand. Then, using the Ox-Strength Technique from the Myriad Beast Diagram that he had learned as a foundation, he exchanged it for a wisp of the Earthly Deity Jade Ox's divine energy.

The horseman was still carrying water with all his might when the two were mixed together, but he didn't realize that a divine energy was unknowingly merging into his body.

This can be considered Li Qi's way of expressing his gratitude.

The stable boy brought him new insights, which could be considered his reward.

There won't be any supernatural events now, but when he goes to sleep tomorrow, he will have a dream in which someone will guide him in his training and learning, and teach him a Cultivation Method.

It wasn't a particularly profound Cultivation Method; it was just a martial arts training method that Li Qi casually flipped through at random. The limit for cultivating it was only the eighth rank. It was a training method used by the Imperial Academy for foreign servants to practice and Foundation Establishment.

Li Qi dared not reveal the true Human Path Cultivation Method to outsiders; he would die if he did.

With the protection of the mountain god, his skin will gradually harden without any side effects or petrification; he will simply become invulnerable to swords and spears.

The Qiong Ox Spirit Qi grants him immense strength, equivalent to the Ten Ox Strength. In this world, the Ten Ox Strength is over 60,000 jin.

This was quite a serendipitous encounter.

Hopefully, this horse herder can find his own path in this world.

After all--

People eat people, people sacrifice people, people hunt people, people take revenge on people.

It's all about people.

It has nothing to do with Heaven, and even less to do with the Dao.

Li Qi clearly recognized the distinct boundary between his own Dao, the Dao of Heaven and Earth, and the Dao of others.

From a higher vantage point, even the view seems much clearer.

Only errors need external support; truth can stand on its own.

Just as Li Qi was immersed in his enlightenment, a strange wind suddenly blew up, making a whooshing sound in the sky.

The Old Ma neighed and looked warily at the sky.

Li Qi opened his eyes, looked to his side, and cupped his hands, saying, "Li Qi greets the Prefect."

The action taken during the day was to force the Prefect of Li Prefecture to show himself.

Li Qi stared directly at the Prefect of Li Prefecture. He had seen this important figure many times, during the annual River Opening ceremony, but this was the first time he had seen his face.

It's really... ordinary.

In the past, Li Qi had often imagined what the prefect looked like, how majestic he was, how incomparably oppressive he was, and how he looked down on the mortal world from the clouds.

When the governor's tall, black-armored guards formed a procession and his palanquin slowly passed over Li Qi's head, the shock Li Qi felt at that moment was still vivid in his memory.

But now, seeing this wary middle-aged man again, Li Qi could only think... how weak.

How could there be such a weak seventh-rank? Not even as good as a quack.

He relied entirely on sacrifices, forcibly elevating himself to the seventh rank, sacrificing all possible advancement for the sake of the seventh rank.

Oh, perhaps because the seventh rank is the realm of immortality, he disregarded everything for the sake of immortality, even using some Secret Method to sacrifice himself and exhaust all his potential.

"Li Qi ...? I have never heard of your name before. May I ask what your intention is in prompting me to come here at this time?" The Prefect of Li Prefecture bowed and respectfully addressed Li Qi.

During the day, he received a message from the leader of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect, saying that someone was provoking him.

So he rushed over to check, only to find that the other party had used the Taiyin Qi to pin the Thousand Mechanisms Sect Master to the spot when the moon was high in the sky.

This is a hint, suggesting that he should come at this time of day when the moon is.

He could tell at a glance that he was no match for this person, who must be a formidable opponent. So after some thought, he decided to come anyway.

Furthermore, he addressed the other person as a senior from the very beginning, giving them ample face.

But... I don't know why, this powerful dragon crossing the river in front of me keeps staring at me, as if there's something on my face?

"Ahem, senior?" The Prefect of Li Prefecture looked at Li Qi and spoke again, waking him from his reverie.

"Oh, sorry, I was lost in memories. I called you here to help me with a small matter," Li Qi said, realizing what had happened.

Then, he directly gave orders, waving his hand and saying, "Prepare a good boat for me. I want to go down the Li River to the South China Sea, and then cross to the East China Sea. I am not very familiar with all the matters in between, but you are a local and should know very well. Take care of everything for me."

"Then, prepare a convoy, make connections along the way, and send some people to the Song Kingdom. If anything happens to them, I will come to you. Go and get these two things done."

After Li Qi finished speaking, he turned his back to the Prefect of Li Prefecture and said nothing more.

This infuriated the Prefect of Li Prefecture.

Although he didn't show it on his face, anger was already surging inside him.

What's wrong with this stranger who suddenly appeared? Does he think he's some kind of servant to be ordered around?!

He came in all high and mighty, acting all superior. Who does he think he is? We're all seventh-rank officials. Even if you're stronger, so what? Are you going to kill me in the world?

You must know that the Great Deer Kingdom Lord is standing behind you!

Thinking of this, the Prefect of Li Prefecture prepared to retort bluntly, determined not to embolden this man!

However, just as he opened his mouth, he suddenly realized that he seemed to have something extra in his hand.

He looked down and took a closer look, only to be shocked!

That was a Seventh Rank Magic Treasure.

The quality is quite good, far exceeding the mass-produced Law Treasure in his hand.

He only managed to acquire this mass-produced Law Treasure when he was scavenging it during the Tang Kingdom's invasion of Baiyue. Otherwise, given his skill level, he wouldn't be able to afford a genuine Seventh Rank Magic Treasure.

The one in my hand now, although not a custom-made masterpiece by a master alchemist, is stronger than a mass-produced magic Law Treasure, and it doesn't need a replacement, because it's a magic robe.

Without a doubt, this is one of the works of the Witchcraft Silkworm, a compressed robe.

Therefore, the Prefect of Li Prefecture, who had just been about to contradict Li Qi, immediately changed his attitude and bowed. "In accordance with your decree, I will certainly handle it properly for you. Please wait in Li Prefecture for two days."

After speaking, he rode the wind and departed.

Li Qi didn't pay much attention to him. The other party would probably ask around about him, and after that, he would only be more attentive.

Now, let's think about how to talk to the Wave-Pushing Gang about moving tomorrow.

If times are bad, go somewhere else.