Hidden Meaning Conceals Deity

Shen Zhui examined the text closely. He noticed that while Liu Yu, like Gan Pengfei, was in charge of punishments, the stories describing him mostly depicted his benevolence in dealing with criminals.

One story, in particular, left a deep impression on him:

"Legend has it that two martial artists, unable to make a living due to the natural disaster known as the Red Calamity, were forced to become mountain bandits. Later, they were captured by government soldiers."

"On the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the two men pleaded with Liu Yu to allow them to return home to reunite with their elderly mothers, promising to surrender themselves back to prison seven days later. Moved by their filial piety, Liu Yu released them and even provided them with travel expenses. However, the two men never returned."

"When the deadline passed and they were still missing, Liu Yu chose to commit suicide as atonement. The two martial artists, delayed by a mountain flood on their journey, only returned the day after Liu Yu's death."

"Upon hearing the news, the two men, filled with remorse, committed suicide to join him in death. Later, these two became junior generals under General Liu Gong, responsible for exorcising ghosts and subduing demons."

"General Liu Gong was truly loyal and righteous," Shen Zhui sighed in admiration.

Both in charge of punishments, Liu Yu's methods were far more compassionate than Gan Pengfei's.

Gan Pengfei adhered strictly to absolute legal principles, allowing no room for leniency.

Liu Yu, while not showing favoritism, incorporated more humanity into his actions.

"General Gan Gong's actions might inspire conviction and awe, but General Liu Yu's approach earns respect and affection."

The only aspect Shen Zhui disagreed with was General Liu Gong's method of atonement.

"I wonder if I can borrow General Liu's divine power," Shen Zhui closed the book.

His own philosophy differed greatly from Gan Gong's, so much so that Gan Gong had directly sealed off Shen Zhui's access to his divine power. However, he strongly agreed with Liu Gong's actions and felt there might be a sliver of a chance.

"Let's try," Shen Zhui attempted to lift the book. According to Wang Long, if he succeeded, he would feel the book's weight lessen.

"Huh?" Shen Zhui strained to lift the book, frowning. "There's no change at all."

One had to understand... his control over force had reached the Perfection Realm. Let alone lifting something with a noticeable weight like this book, he could even sense if a single page was missing from an ordinary book.

The complete lack of change now, did it mean he had no chance with General Liu either?

"What's going on?" Shen Zhui was puzzled. "Does one need absolute faith, without the slightest deviation, to be considered devout?"

At this thought, Shen Zhui felt a surge of frustration, becoming somewhat restless.

If that were the case, he would have no chance with any deity.

For he was the one who should believe in gods the most, yet the least likely to do so.

"Hoo~"

His mind a blur, Shen Zhui irritably put the book down and left the room.

Reciting the deeds of deities was quite taxing on the mind.

Having read the extensive histories of two deities without finding a way in, he felt a sense of defeat.

"If I can't summon deities, I can't borrow their divine power. It's like losing a major trump card."

Pacing outside, Shen Zhui rubbed his temples and gazed into the distance.

A few servants were sweeping the plaza, and pilgrims were returning home beyond the walls.

The resonant chime of a bell from the eastern courtyard drifted, and the sunset clouds in the sky were as vibrant as fire.

The tranquil and peaceful scene soothed Shen Zhui's agitated thoughts. In an instant, he entered a state of Enlightenment without any external help.

The benefits of long-term use of Enlightenment Time manifested then. Without this ability to adjust his state of mind at will, he probably wouldn't have survived in this otherworld for long.

The state of Enlightenment lasted for a very short time. When Shen Zhui came to, he realized he had almost forgotten about summoning deities, only vaguely recalling the general content and the first one or two sentences.

This feeling was actually better. Shen Zhui let it be, descended the steps, and slowly took in the surrounding scenery.

Reaching a pond filled with lotus leaves, Shen Zhui casually broke off a willow branch and watched the fish swimming beneath the leaves.

"Captain Shen also has such refined taste," a magnetic voice came from beside him. Shen Zhui turned and saw Lin Ze from the Wu'an Army.

"Ah, Lord Lin," Shen Zhui cupped his hands. "It's not refined taste. I'm merely troubled by some doubts and was just walking around casually."

Lin Ze, who was not much older than Shen Zhui, had also changed into casual wear. He chuckled and came to stand beside Shen Zhui, also breaking off a willow branch.

"Oh? What troubles you?"

Shen Zhui held no ill will towards Lin Ze. Furthermore, the fact that one could borrow the power of deities upon reaching the Ninth Stage of Acquired Realm was no secret. Thus, he explained his predicament of being unable to summon deities.

Unexpectedly, after hearing him out, Lin Ze looked at Shen Zhui with a strange, half-smiling expression.

"Brother Shen's ideas are truly... peculiar," Lin Ze couldn't help but laugh. "If you continue trying this way, you might not succeed even after a year or a half."

"Did I do something wrong?" Shen Zhui was somewhat confused.

Lin Ze shook his head. "How deities conduct themselves is not for you to judge! With your current approach, perhaps no one would ever meet the requirements."

"Then what should I do?"

"What did Captain Wang instruct you?"

"To recite the book."

"Then that's it. You simply need to engrave the deeds of the deity into your heart, memorizing them word for word. Once you know them by heart, these words will find a place in your consciousness, and you will naturally be able to perform the First Summon of Deity."

"That simple?" Shen Zhui was somewhat incredulous.

"Simple?" Lin Ze scoffed. "Let me ask you, do you still remember the first sentence of General Liu's first story?"

"General Liu Gong marched to Cang Mountain, where monsters ran rampant and mountain bandits appeared; they blocked the roads with logs, and thick smoke obscured the sun; the army and the people were greatly alarmed. General Liu held his banner and rode alone, the demons and evil spirits retreated, and the mountain bandits were utterly defeated."

"..." Lin Ze was speechless. He hadn't expected Shen Zhui to have actually memorized it.

"What about the second sentence?"

"The second sentence is, 'River Demon...'" Shen Zhui frowned, trying hard to recall, but his mind suddenly became chaotic and incredibly uncomfortable, as if it were about to explode. He immediately wore a pained expression and said, "This is truly strange, I actually forgot?"

He had only just finished reading it not long ago. With his current realm, his memory shouldn't be this weak. What was going on?

"Strange?" Lin Ze said irritably. "If you could remember everything after just one reading, that would be the real strangeness! For a normal Houtian Martial Artist, after reading it once, they probably wouldn't remember a single word after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Even a Qi Cultivation True Person with a powerful consciousness wouldn't remember more than five characters if they only read it once!"

"The lore of the deities is profound and hidden. After reading it once, you will feel tired."

"Reading it twice will make you feel strained."

"Reading it three to five times will bring on heavy fatigue, making it impossible to even open your eyes!"

"Moreover, you'll easily forget it afterward. You must temper and refine your Spiritual Sense step by step until it reaches a certain level before you can possibly memorize it completely!"

"The third condition for summoning a deity is actually to train your Spiritual Sense, making it strong enough to control that sliver of Divine Power."

"It has nothing to do with what you were thinking."

"Nothing to do with it?" Shen Zhui pondered in his heart. How could he not even look at those pages from General Gan Gong? Were there multiple ways to interpret them?

"Thank you for your guidance, Lord Lin," Shen Zhui said, cupping his hands in thanks, though he was still confused.

"No need to be so formal. The military and government are separate. If you don't mind, let's treat each other as equals," Lin Ze said with a smile.

"I'll be staying at this City God Temple for the next few days. If you have any questions, you can come ask me."

Seeking votes, all kinds of votes~