Imperial Garden, Lakeside Pavilion.
Not long after Li Mo and Ying Bing left, Jiang Yu, dressed in a white robe with silver Qilin patterns, a long sword at his waist, and with silent, double pupils, also entered the lake pavilion after being announced by the palace servants.
However, he only saw Emperor Jingtai's back, not the emperor's expression, but he could still feel his majesty.
Jiang Yu's double pupils caught sight of the other two cups of tea on the tea table, and his fists clenched involuntarily.
"Father, I am late."
What are you doing here?
Emperor Jingtai did not turn around, but asked instead.
Jiang Yu stared at his retreating figure. "The Map of Mountains and Rivers and the State is the foundation of the nation. As both your subject and your son, it is my duty to share your burdens. Please allow me to enter the city with you, Father."
Emperor Jingtai addressed the lake:
"I am not at ease."
"Your subject can take care of himself..."
"The Map of Mountains and Rivers is still my Jiang family's territory, so you don't need to worry about your safety."
Emperor Jingtai shook his head and said casually, "What I'm worried about is that if you go, it will backfire."
"Your son... has at least listened to the teachings of your teachers and assisted Father in handling state affairs."
Jiang Yu's knuckles turned white, and his voice became higher. "Governing a great nation is as easy as cooking a small fish in Heavenly Human City; it is precisely here that your humble servant has a chance to prove himself."
"I've been reading some books lately. Since you put it that way, I'll test you. I'm currently reading books on flood control. Do you have any insights into this subject?"
"Your Majesty, I recently had the pleasure of reading your commentaries on the canals and the records of the Heavenly Splendor Treasure Ships."
Emperor Jingtai appeared relaxed, as if they were having a casual chat.
He asked casually, and Jiang Yu answered fluently and eloquently, quoting classical texts.
After a while, Jingtai turned around, walked to Jiang Yu, and poured a cup of tea for his son, who was bowing respectfully in response.
"Without reading history, one cannot know the rise and fall of dynasties. Have you ever studied the history of previous dynasties?"
"Your Majesty, I have only just read 'Shang Lu'..."
"What a coincidence!"
Jingtai's voice suddenly lost its warmth:
"The exam I took was on such an obscure subject, yet you happen to know everything about it. You read exactly what I study; you were reading 'Shang Lu' just the other day, and you already had it in your hands last night."
"Is your study even larger than the Imperial Study?"
Splash---
The tea overflowed from the teacup and wet the floor.
Jiang Yu's breath caught in his throat, and his double pupils looked up to see the sigh in Emperor Jingtai's eyes:
"You're clever, but not clever in a sophisticated way. You can't emulate Chu Ge, nor can you emulate me."
"When it comes to doing bad things, you are not ruthless or insidious enough; you can't do them completely or cleanly. When it comes to doing good things, your kindness fluctuates and you are easily influenced by external things. As for your intelligence, you only use it in my imperial study."
"The fourth realm is called the Inner Scene, which reflects the landscape of the heart. I have been waiting for you to tidy it up."
Jiang Yu's double pupils were glazed over, and he was drenched in sweat.
He dug his fingertips into his palm, awkwardly cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, and dared not mention going to the Heavenly Human City again.
"Your subject... takes his leave..."
But just as he was about to leave, he heard a voice behind him:
"Go ahead, if you still want to go."
"Yes, sir."
On the other side, inside the Mountain and River Palace.
"Jiang Yu arrived later than us?"
Li Mo watched him walk in, and couldn't help but feel a little curious.
But he had no interest in talking to Jiang Yu.
Instead of wasting time on this, we should discuss a solution with Ice Block.
After a short while, the two old men entered the Mountain and River Hall.
One of them was somewhat familiar; he was a senior colleague. The man next to him was older and barely recognizable.
Gan Gong said, "We were going to enter the Heavenly Human City today anyway. I assume you've made ample preparations, so I won't say any more. Rise, all of you."
After the three men stood up, he exchanged glances with another elderly man beside him.
The two of them stomped their feet at the same time.
Suddenly, the empty Shanhe Palace lit up with intricate patterns on the ground.
It turns out that this main hall was never intended for living, nor for storing items.
The floor of this main hall is engraved with a simplified version of the Map of Mountains and Rivers, which can connect with the main figure.
The Dao that Gan Gong and the other old man each wielded was the key that imbued him with divine power.
The world shifted, the heavens and earth spun, and everything around them expanded and shrank.
Li Mo suddenly lost all sense of direction, his vision blurred by a series of bizarre and surreal images, as if he were experiencing a conscious cycle of reincarnation.
His memory began to show large blanks, as if an eraser was kneading it.
"Enter the Heavenly Human City, and retain only your true self."
Gan Gong's voice came from the void.
This was not something they deliberately set up; rather, it was a characteristic that was retained when the Heavenly Human City was still the Heavenly Phoenix Domain.
Reflecting one's true self.
It is precisely because of this that the Inner Scene can be pure and flawless, perfectly matching one's own body.
"Forget the past, keep only your true self, then what will be in my true self?"
Li Mo's thoughts were hazy, yet he dared not think too much.
He's a time traveler, and he also has a system.
If that thing catches my eye, I'm doomed.
Unless those aren't his fundamental nature either...
But what else could there be besides those?
Suddenly.
A clear and familiar voice rang in my ears:
"Li Mo, I will come to find you."
The echo of those words still lingered in his ears when Li Mo completely lost consciousness.
At this moment, in the skies above the Imperial Capital.
The Map of Mountains and Rivers unfolds completely, rippling like surging ocean waves.
All other mystical phenomena began to fade away, leaving only the scene of the Heavenly Human City clearly visible. It revealed the magnificent inner, outer, and inner cities, and from the shadows of Square world, one could vaguely see strange gazes peering out.
"They've entered the Heavenly Human City!"
Xie Xuan entered once and gave a stern reminder.
"I heard that once you go in, you'll experience a rebirth?"
Huang Donglai inquired.
"That's right. The better the talent, the higher the starting point of one's birth. Generally speaking, it usually happens in the Heavenly City," Xie Xuan explained to everyone.
Murong Xiao said thoughtfully, "This is somewhat similar to the 'reincarnation' in the scripture Brother Li gave me."
"Born into the Heavenly City from the very beginning, they possess divine abilities, giving them a higher starting point and making it easier for them to do anything later."
Xiao Qin had just heard the explanation from the Thousand Forms Martial Venerable.
In the era of the Thousand Forms Martial Venerable, the Heavenly Human City was still in its infancy, and those who entered were not limited to the top three of the Hidden Dragon.
Therefore, in all three cities—Heaven, Earth, and Man—there will be those who descend upon them. He experienced this once, descending upon the Earth city.
However, given Brother Li and Junior Sister Bing's talents, they are destined for Tiancheng.
Jiang Yu? None of the people present cared about Jiang Yu.
In the picture.
"A new member of the tribe has been born."
A group of Celestial Person, each dressed in white robes and possessing unique abilities, stood on the welcoming platform. Some were surrounded by raging winds, some spoke like thunder, and some breathed out wind and clouds.
They were all watching the first streak of light in the sky.
The streak of light, trailing a long flame, drew a magnificent purple arc across the sky.
"Purple! The clansmen who have descended this time may be quite extraordinary!"
"Once he grows up, he will also have a chance to gain the recognition of the divine sword!"
"Wait, look! The starlight has turned golden!"