The Mantis Tries to Stop the Chariot (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

The Righteous Thief Still Imitates the Mantis Raising Its Arms (Please Keep Reading)

[Righteous Thief (Red): Perform righteous deeds, yet still imitate the mantis raising its arms. Favored by great fortune, when facing threats from the imperial court, there is a certain chance of turning misfortune into fortune and avoiding danger.]

"This is only the second time I've obtained... a fate trait involving destiny."

"The other fate traits all add status or aptitude; few involve destiny..."

After seeing the description of the red fate trait [Righteous Thief], Xu Xing felt that his trip to intercept and kill Lord Huang—and his brief turn as a rebel—had not been in vain.

Compared to his previous fate traits, although [Righteous Thief] brought no obvious improvement, a fate trait that involved the unseen workings of destiny was the most precious treasure of all.

It would also be the key to his turning his blade against Han Sui and the Chongming Emperor.

Back in the real world, Xu Xing opened the panel within the Ancient Bronze Mirror.

[Mirror Master: Xu Xing.]

[Dao Fruits: A Life of Ordinariness (White), Broad Learning and Strong Memory (White), Mediocre Martial Arts (Red).]

[...]

[Fate Traits: Literary Brilliance (White), Righteous Thief (Red).]

Line after line of text emerged across the golden mirror's surface.

"You have condensed the red fate trait [Righteous Thief]. This fate trait conflicts with the white fate trait [A Life of Ordinariness]. Do you wish to use the red fate trait [Righteous Thief] to replace the white fate trait [A Life of Ordinariness] and solidify it with [Dao Fruit]?"

"This process is irreversible."

Then, sentence after sentence flowed across the mirror's surface.

"Once I take on the Righteous Thief fate trait, unless I find a higher-level fate trait to replace it, this Righteous Thief fate trait will stay with me for the rest of my life..."

Seeing this, Xu Xing also discovered one flaw of the Ancient Bronze Mirror.

It was that it permanently raised the lower limit of his life.

Dao Fruits were fixed and could not be changed again.

Though the second page of the [Righteous Thief] fate trait had not described any drawbacks of the [Righteous Thief] fate trait, Xu Xing could still guess that once he solidified it with [Dao Fruit], he would inevitably end up opposing the imperial court of the Phoenix Creek Kingdom—unless he found another fate trait to replace it...

And opposing the imperial court was fraught with danger, even with a fate trait's blessing.

"When a man dies, it's all the same under heaven."

"He who hesitates when he should cut will suffer chaos; he who cuts yet fails to cut will leave future troubles behind!"

Xu Xing's gaze hardened.

If you were going to live, you had to be ruthless with yourself.

Three months had passed in the instance world, and Jingyang County's county examination had arrived. In the real world, eighteen days—more than half a month—had passed.

According to Zhao Yunniang's intelligence, Han Sui had begun secretly firing glass according to the "secret method."

Though he had yet to produce qualified glass, it likely would not take much longer.

Once Han Sui succeeded, the time for them to turn against each other...

would not be far off.

It was not that he did not know he could string Han Sui along and deliberately sabotage his glassmaking progress. But if Han Sui and the others went too long without seeing success, they would lose patience as well. Then, not only would he fail to steal the chicken, he would lose the rice used to bait it.

"Replace the white fate trait [A Life of Ordinariness]."

"Solidify the white fate trait [Literary Brilliance]."

Having made up his mind, Xu Xing directed the Ancient Bronze Mirror with his thoughts.

Yet to his surprise, the [A Life of Ordinariness] fate trait did not vanish at once. Instead... it gradually shattered, transforming into a stretch of memories. Scene after scene appeared before his eyes like images in a revolving lantern.

From his birth from the womb, to placing first in the arithmetic examination, to being falsely accused and clapped into prison...

Until Zhao Yunniang and he entered the bridal chamber.

These were the memories of the first half of his life.

Then came two months later, when cruel officials flayed him and stuffed his skin with straw, hanging his human hide on the City God Temple. Five years later, Zhao Yunniang brought his young son, Zhao Zhang, to the City God Temple to pay respects to him...

"Mother, is this man Father?"

Zhao Zhang, his hair tied in twin knots, curiously pointed at the human skin nailed to the wall.

"He is your father..."

Zhao Yunniang gently stroked Zhao Zhang's head.

"He embezzled so much money."

"He's dead. He got what he deserved—what are we worshipping him for?"

Zhao Zhang spoke with the unguarded cruelty of a child.

Upon hearing these words, Xu Xing's lingering soul within the human skin utterly scattered like smoke, no longer holding any attachment to this world.

One lifetime had ended in bleak tragedy.

"Dead."

"To be smeared for an entire lifetime—such is human nature."

Xu Xing watched coldly as that lifetime played out.

Perhaps reality differed from illusion. He felt no particular affection for Zhao Zhang, this son of his, so even Zhao Zhang's "slander" stirred not the slightest ripple in his heart.

The experiences of that lifetime finally faded away.

The red Fate Trait [Righteous Thief] appeared in the [Dao Fruit] section.

In an instant, Xu Xing felt as though his entire person had changed.

He could not tell exactly how he had changed. He merely felt far more at ease all over, and his thoughts seemed to flow more freely.

Sitting cross-legged in meditation, he found that completing one great circulation took nearly one-third less time than before.

After offering Han Sui the method for making glass, Xu Xing no longer concealed the fact that he practiced an internal cultivation technique.

After all... hiding it for a day or two was manageable, but over time, even if the jailers of the Imperial Prison failed to notice, the Night Patrol Directorate's spies, who slipped through every crack, would certainly discover something unusual about him...

Rather than that, he might as well confess outright and secure more time for cultivation.

With the enormous profits from making glass, his practice of an internal cultivation technique was no longer such a major matter.

In everyone's eyes, he was no martial arts prodigy. Even if he cultivated, it would be difficult for him to become a peerless master in such a short time.

The Imperial Prison was guarded with utmost severity. Even an Innate martial artist, once thrown into the Imperial Prison, would find escape impossible even with wings.

"I was executed by the imperial court..."

"In my heart, I thought: willing to be flayed, I dared pull the emperor from his horse. I would tread the bones of dukes and ministers across the imperial avenue."

"This was precisely to imitate the mantis raising its arms, rather than lie peacefully as a starving corpse!"

"Thus, I gained the favor of great fortune, and my cultivation speed increased considerably..."

Xu Xing's mind was clear, and he quickly understood why his cultivation speed had increased.

When fortune arrives, Heaven and Earth lend their strength!

After pondering briefly, his eyes lit up as he thought of an excellent method.

He rose and walked to the writing desk.

"I am already a man awaiting death. If I curse the Chongming Emperor, even the Night Patrol Directorate's mounted officers will not bother with me. It is only natural for a man on the verge of death to bear resentment toward the emperor..."

"If the emperor concerned himself with every curse spat by criminal officials, he would never have a moment's peace."

"Commander Liu would never allow such rebellious words to reach the Chongming Emperor's eyes at all..."

"But those rebellious words will appear before the dukes and ministers."

"The more I target the imperial court, the more favor from great fortune I will receive."

Xu Xing sat in the grand tutor's chair and slowly ground ink.

After considering it for a moment, he wrote: "Clouds follow the dragon, wind follows the tiger; fame, profit, rank, and wealth are dust and soil. Gaze upon the Divine Land—the common folk suffer; a thousand li of fertile earth lies barren. Look upon the realm—everywhere are thieving men. The Way of Heaven is broken, and common men must mend it. A good man bids farewell to father and mother, not for his lord, but for all living souls; he will not stop until every official is slain. I am a stalwart man—why then am I imprisoned as a convict?"

"Let the brave man drain the wine from his bowl; upon a thousand-li campaign, he shall not turn back. Golden drums ring in unison, and ten thousand voices roar; until Huanglong is broken, I swear I shall not rest."

Even when writing a rebellious poem, he could not simply write whatever he pleased.

It would certainly be unsuitable to state outright that he wished to kill the Chongming Emperor. He compared the hundred officials to "thieving men," while breaking Huanglong was for the sake of "clearing the emperor's side." This rebellious poem did not cross too many taboos.

Even if the Chongming Emperor learned of it, he would merely give a dismissive smile.

Who would care about a death-row prisoner in the Imperial Prison?

And as for the hundred officials, the poem did not explicitly point to any particular person. There was no need for them to lower themselves to Xu Xing's level.