Focus on Rebelling for a Thousand Years (Seeking Recommendations and Collections!)

"Fairy, have mercy! Please, tell my son his fortune!"

"I was here first!"

"Move aside! Master Chen is entering the Fairy Temple first; who dares to block the way?"

When Huang Shang and his two companions arrived at the Fairy Temple, they were met with utter chaos. The patrolling guards were struggling to maintain order, but they were powerless against the fervor of the crowd.

Heads bobbed and weaved as people waved their arms, letting out hoarse, desperate cries.

It was a textbook scene of a cult in action.

"Are they insane?"

Nightingale clicked his tongue in disbelief.

Even the most famous fortune-tellers in the West, who traveled with circuses, never received such an exaggerated reception.

In truth, throughout every dynasty in China, the status of divine physiognomists had never been low.

From the distant Xu Fu of the Han Dynasty to the more recent Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng of the Tang, and even closer to the present, there was the peerless master of physiognomy, the Mai Daoist.

He, a mere common woman, had gained such renown for her divine calculations that even great literary masters like Ouyang Xiu had taken note of her, specifically mentioning her in his Collection of Ancient Records.

"Quiet!"

Just as the crowd began to surge and spiral out of control, a mellow, benevolent voice suddenly emanated from within the temple, drilling clearly into everyone's ears.

"We thank the Fairy!"

The people who had been snarling, arguing, and begging just a moment ago froze, then simultaneously bowed to the ground.

The messy scene became uniform and orderly, which was all the more chilling to witness.

Huang Shang and Wu Que exchanged a sharp look.

That voice was no divine miracle; it was an application of sound waves similar to the Buddhist Lion's Roar.

To have such mastery over internal energy—this was certainly not something an ordinary martial artist could achieve.

Could this Fairy He actually be a hidden expert of the martial world?

Wu Que reacted with lightning speed, his eyes darting around. "Brother, this person is masquerading as a fairy to deceive the masses. If something goes wrong, it might implicate your uncle and aunt. We must take precautions!"

Reincarnators loved nothing more than conflict; if the plot characters were all getting along, they would have no way to fish in troubled waters.

Now that they had discovered Fairy He was hiding her true strength, they decided to pin a heavy label on her, regardless of whether she was good or evil.

Since it concerned Huang Shang's family, Nightingale dared not argue and nodded in agreement.

This actually played right into Huang Shang's hands. He nodded immediately and said, "Very well, let us test the true depth of this 'Fairy'!"

After the chaotic scene was calmed by Fairy He's voice, a maid in a green shirt stepped out to begin organizing those who wished to enter the temple for divination.

Huang Shang and his companions watched coldly from the sidelines, noting that Fairy He's arrangements were remarkably well-ordered.

Divinations were held every quarter-hour, and while the slots were limited, they were not determined solely by wealth.

She catered to the local gentry and the wealthy while still offering hope to the common folk at the bottom of the social ladder.

With such a comprehensive approach, it was no wonder she had garnered such immense prestige.

"There are too many people here. Let's come back tonight!"

Wu Que looked at the fanaticism on the faces of the crowd and stepped back.

Even as a Star-level powerhouse, one dared not act recklessly in such an environment.

The three returned to the county, found a reputable inn, washed away the fatigue of their journey, and rested to sharpen their spirits.

When night fell, they looked out from their window to see the streets empty, with only the faint sounds of chickens and dogs echoing—a stark contrast to the bustling night markets of Kaifeng Prefecture.

Only at this hour did Lingling County return to its true state.

"Let's go!"

Wu Que took the lead. Nightingale pulled out a flying broomstick and looked at Huang Shang with a playful smile, clearly hoping for some intimate contact, only to see him take out his Zhuge Pen and write two large characters with a flourish—

Heaven!

Mountain!

Heaven above Mountain!

The Retreat Hexagram!

Heaven is the gentleman, Mountain is the petty man. As the petty man gradually rises, the gentleman retreats into seclusion to preserve his integrity; thus, it is called Retreat.

Look at that—an educated man could make even running away sound so grand.

The Retreat Hexagram ranked thirty-third among the sixty-four, while the Great Power Hexagram ranked thirty-fourth. Huang Shang had been practicing these two hexagrams during this time—one for attack, one for evasion—treating them as his primary techniques.

As the Retreat Hexagram took effect, his literary qi surged outward. Huang Shang felt his body grow light, as if he could ride the wind and drift forward.

The movement technique Wu Que had learned from the Moving Flower Palace was already elegant and graceful, but compared to this Retreat Hexagram, it seemed rather conventional.

However, Huang Shang had self-awareness; he was still in the exploratory stage and could not yet compare with top-tier, tempered lightness skills.

Fortunately, he did not need to enter the fray himself.

Reincarnators might not be skilled in other areas, but when it came to scouting out the truth, they were absolute experts.

Wu Que arrived outside the Fairy Temple, reached back to retrieve a white-backed item card, and wiped it across his right eye. An invisible beam of light shot out, beginning to scan the Fairy Temple from top to bottom.

In his field of vision, the earth and stone vanished, replaced by a combination of lines and thermal imaging.

The secrets were immediately laid bare.

"There are two people inside the temple, and a long secret passage has been built beneath it!"

Wu Que had a clear idea of the situation. He took the lead, arriving at a small hill several miles away, and quickly discovered a concealed entrance—the very exit of the secret passage.

Huang Shang feigned surprise: "How did Brother Hua know there was a secret passage here?"

Wu Que wore a humble expression: "Just a petty trick, don't let it make you laugh, brother."

Nightingale held back until the three of them had filed inside, then raised her palm, sending a soft, non-glaring light spreading forward.

As a mage, one might not know other things, but a proficiency in illumination spells was mandatory. Although she was a witch, she had maintained this tradition.

At this moment, she was not only lighting the way but also destroying the traps within the secret passage as they went.

Seeing Huang Shang look over, Nightingale also offered a humble smile: "Just a petty trick, don't let it make you laugh, Young Master."

Wu Que rolled his eyes hard.

The three moved at high speed, and in just a quarter of an hour, they reached the secret chamber.

Directly above them was the location of the Fairy Temple.

This secretly shocked Huang Shang.

If it were a plot character, even the Sweeping Monk would have no way to discover a secret passage just by glancing at it from the outside, then enter through it to eavesdrop on the enemy's secrets.

The methods of Reincarnators were endless; it wasn't just reflected in combat, but their various auxiliary abilities were what made them impossible to guard against.

His life of infiltration must never become careless just because of a few small gains.

Upon reaching the secret chamber, Wu Que gestured to the two of them, then leaped lightly, pressing his ear against the ceiling like a gecko to listen intently.

Above the entrance to the secret passage, at a very close distance, came the sound of two people breathing.

One breath was long and steady, appearing almost non-existent, clearly indicating a very deep attainment in internal energy; this was a first-class expert in the martial arts world. The other's cultivation was much weaker, but judging by the rhythm, their lineage was also extraordinary.

Clearly, the former was that Fairy He, and the latter was her attendant.

And in the dead of night, with no outsiders present, was the time for them to reveal their true colors.

At this moment, the attendant was tallying accounts, based on the day's divination: "Today's profit is two thousand eight hundred guan; per custom, two thousand guan are to be handed over to the Cult..."

There was no response, presumably the Fairy had nodded.

The attendant continued: "This month, Lingling County in Yong Prefecture collected fifteen mu of land, Qiyang County collected twenty-two mu, Dong'an County collected thirty mu, and the transfers are complete. Tan Prefecture..."

Listening, Wu Que's eyes flickered.

If it were merely a pursuit of wealth, that would be one thing, but this Fairy was actually annexing land across the various prefectures of the Jinghu South Circuit.

What the attendant said next regarding the expenses for befriending local powerful figures was even more shocking, with every single item clear and unmistakable.

After the report was finished, the Fairy's voice finally sounded: "You've worked hard. Pity the people of this world, for their suffering is truly great!"

The attendant also replied in a pious tone: "Pity the people of this world, for their suffering is truly great!"

Hearing these familiar scriptures, Wu Que almost laughed out loud: "So it's the Ming Cult, who have been focused on rebellion for a thousand years. This is truly a pillow for someone who is sleepy!"

Thanks to book friend "baby Yu Die" for the ten-thousand-point reward, and thanks to book friends "Heaven Crystal Hun Tian Treasure Mirror," "Blood Refining Heavenly Law," "Blood Snow Weeping," and "Perfect 0 Future" for their rewards.