Dao Fruit
Chapter 157

Unexpected!

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"This could very well expose my Divine Office, bringing unpredictable crises. Although exposure is inevitable sooner or later with the spread of worship and incense offerings, the later the exposure, the more preparations we can make. However, believers worship me, entrusting their thoughts to me, thus strengthening my divine power and the incense offerings. I cannot abandon them; I must bear this responsibility."

Thinking of this, Qiu Yan remembered something else.

"Fortunately, this matter of guiding the souls of believers does not have to be implemented immediately. According to the information transmitted by the token, it is a cycle of one month, and the deadline is at the end of the month. There are still a few days to buffer. If we can obtain a Divine Rank Divine Office of sufficient rank as a cover during this period, we can not only get through this matter, but also temporarily eliminate the threat of the Circuit City God."

The deity himself narrowed his eyes, his thoughts racing.

"The Land of the Divine Remains, such an important matter, yet the Circuit City God only sent two subordinates. Previously in the Underworld Office Yuanning City, he didn't descend in his true form, but rather condensed a face with divine power. It seems that the Circuit City God is held back by something and cannot use his true form. But it's only a matter of time before he personally comes after he has dealt with the matter. Since I have killed his two subordinates, the City God of Circuit City God will eventually come looking for me. He can't even tolerate Yin Xiao'e, let alone a new god like me with no foundation."

Previously, in the Ancient God Ruins and the Land of the Divine Remains, the Gate God and the Prison God of Jiannan Circuit harbored murderous intentions towards Qiu Yan, and the two sides became enemies. Realizing that the matter could not be resolved peacefully, Qiu Yan decisively annihilated the two gods. With Qiu Yan's current understanding of the Land of the Divine Remains, he realized that in a place not restricted by the rules of the Heavenly Court, the consequences of the two gods' fall would not be significant. This was also the reason why Yin Xiao'e was able to act without any scruples at the time.

However, rules are rules, but they cannot govern the decisions of the gods. The two deities are Subordinate Deity of the Circuit City God, and as Orthodox God, the Circuit City God will certainly not let this go easily.

"Right now, all I can do is buy time. I want to seize this opportunity to resolve all these issues at once."

Upon realizing this, the deity sat down again, the divine Divine Pool boiled, and Incense Faith surged forth, flowing towards the Core Talisman.

The talisman had changed slightly; it now contained an additional hexagram.

The Li Trigram!

A faint Fortune permeated the air.

The mysteries and charm of the hexagrams gradually combined with talismans and Divine Office, spreading out along with divine power.

The next few days were a peaceful time for Qiu Yan; neither his main body nor his clone encountered any further trouble.

However, compared to before, there are still considerable changes.

Since that literary gathering, Qiu Yan's reputation has gradually risen. The many Confucian scholars in the post station no longer dare to speak recklessly, and they implicitly compare him to Fang Ziyan and Gu Yanzhi. His reputation is even spreading from Wuxin City to the entire Jiannan Circuit.

During these few days, Zhao Bingcheng visited twice, inquired about the scholarship of many Confucian scholars, and then had a private conversation with Qiu Yan. This special treatment, though envied by others, was not considered inappropriate by anyone.

In addition, Qi Xin and Yang Dingyuan came every day without fail, chatting happily with Qiu Yan as if they were close friends. Their Lineage wielded considerable power in Wuxin City, and this behavior made everyone at the inn feel a sense of fear towards Qiu Yan.

However, after seeing Liu Hong, Yang Huang and other soldiers come to visit Qiu Yan, the many Confucian scholars in the post station realized just how extensive Qiu Yan's connections were in Wuxin City.

Before anyone knew it, everyone from the military governor and Zhao Laoru to the soldiers in the barracks, and even the sons of many military officers, had become acquainted with Qiu Yan. Even Geluolan, the Marshfolk prince who had previously been at odds with Qiu Yan, sent people to offer his condolences and convey goodwill after a brief meeting with Qiu Yan.

For a moment, when the many Confucian scholars in the post station looked at Qiu Yan again, they couldn't help but feel that this seemingly ordinary scholar had some extraordinary connections.

As Qiu Yan's reputation grew, even the clerks at the post station became more cautious in his presence, not daring to offend him in the slightest. As a result, life became more and more comfortable and peaceful.

It wasn't until this day, when the Ginseng Baby returned carrying a scroll of bamboo slips, that Qiu Yan's peaceful life was disrupted.

This Ginseng Baby has been going out alone a lot lately. Since Qiu Yan had taught it some self-defense techniques, I didn't ask too many questions. But I never expected that it would bring such a surprise when it came back this time.

As soon as it returned to the house, Qiu Yan, who was writing at his desk, was startled. He put down his pen, turned around, and noticed the bamboo scroll on the Ginseng Baby. His eyelids twitched.

The bamboo slips were several inches larger than Ginseng Baby.

"What's this?"

Qiu Yan captured an inspiring power and a mighty trend from the bamboo slips!

"Could it be...?"

Sensing the momentum emanating from the bamboo slips, Qiu Yan made a guess, but he found it unbelievable.

At this moment, the Ginseng Baby had already crawled over shakily, shook its body, and flicked the bamboo slip up. Qiu Yan was startled, moved his feet quickly, and bent down to catch the bamboo slip in his hand.

Upon closer inspection, the feeling intensified, and a faint People's Wishes permeated the bamboo slips, further confirming Qiu Yan's suspicions.

Looking down at the Ginseng Baby, which looked exhausted and whose white body was trembling, Qiu Yan picked it up and placed it on the table, then unfolded the bamboo slips.

Instantly, a mighty force surged forth, and a figure could be vaguely seen appearing and disappearing. A soft whisper spread from all around, and the Force of Order that pervaded the world trembled slightly.

Looking at the rows of characters carved on the bamboo slips, understanding the meaning of the words and sentences, and experiencing the spirit contained within them, Qiu Yan's heart pounded wildly.

"It really is Sage Manuscript! And it wasn't left by an ordinary person. The sentences in this text are known throughout the world! Where did this kid Renshen get it? And how did he discover it?"

Thinking of this, Qiu Yan turned his gaze to the ginseng beside him. This plump, white ginseng was sticking out its roots, pointing at the bamboo slip, and seemed listless.

But Qiu Yan was no stranger to this action.

"It wants me to read to it."

Having understood this, Qiu Yan withdrew his gaze and looked back at the bamboo slips. He thought for a moment, but instead of immediately reciting, he stood up, went to the side, washed himself in a basin of water, changed his clothes, tidied himself, and then returned. He sat down calmly, held his breath, and after a long while, lowered his gaze and began to recite—

"Favorable timing is not as important as advantageous location, and advantageous location is not as important as harmonious relationships."

As soon as the opening scene appeared, the surrounding Force of Order seemed to be drawn in and gradually subsided.

"A city three li in circumference, with an outer wall seven li in circumference, cannot be conquered even if surrounded and attacked; for those who surround and attack must have the advantage of favorable timing; yet they still fail to conquer, for the advantage of timing is not as great as the advantage of terrain..."

"... Those who follow the right path receive much help; those who stray from it receive little help..."

"... Therefore, a wise ruler may choose not to fight, but if he does, he will surely win."

The bamboo slips contain few characters, divided into four sections, yet they form a complete chapter with sound logic and rigorous argumentation. The chapter begins by presenting the viewpoint, followed by examples, and concludes with a summary, leading to the derivation of the underlying principles.

"Unbelievable! Unbelievable! It really is Sage Manuscript, and even in the handwriting of a near-sage!"

After reciting the text, individual characters appeared in Qiu Yan's mind, arranging themselves into a text, combining to form an article, and releasing a powerful momentum. This momentum surged through his soul, and then he was pulled towards the Masters Section Bookshelf.

On the bookshelf, next to the fragments of "Exhortation to Learning," another scroll of bamboo slips slowly took shape.

Since ancient times, even the most learned sages have attempted to elucidate the relationship between Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. Many great sages and Grand Confucian, deeply versed in celestial phenomena and geography, sought to summarize the principles of Heaven and Earth, but their ultimate aim was to connect these principles with the way of Human Path, using objects to symbolize human nature. This Second Sage Manuscript has been widely circulated; even a single sentence or two possesses extraordinary significance. Once condensed into the Earthly Soul, it holds infinite possibilities, but..."

As Qiu Yan pondered, he lowered his head again and looked at the ginseng. After listening to the article, the Ginseng Baby had regained its vitality and was slowly wriggling again.

"Such a valuable item, no matter who lost it, is no small matter. Since I've already used it to condense a scroll of Earthly Soul, it's best to return the physical object to its rightful owner. It's a pity it can't Spirit Projection, otherwise I would definitely ask them for clarification..."

As Qiu Yan was still thinking, a strong warning suddenly erupted in his mind. His whole body trembled violently, his bones creaked, and his shoulders and back slumped as if they were being pressed down by an invisible weight!

"This is..."

Qiu Yan took a deep breath, channeling the energy directly to his feet.

Snap! Snap!

Two explosions rang out in quick succession, leaving two deep imprints on the ground beneath his feet!

Cracks spread around his feet, and Qiu Yan felt as if he were being crushed by a heavy object. His body gradually bent over, his muscles and bones trembled, and he struggled to resist. His eyes gleamed with a sharp light.

At the same time, the sunlight streaming in through the window suddenly dimmed, and screams of surprise rose and fell.

Throughout the inn, screams and gasps could be heard everywhere; even on the streets outside the inn, people could be heard screaming.

"What is that?!"

"What's in the sky?"

"It's huge! If it were to fall, it would smash half of Wuxin City to pieces, causing countless deaths and injuries!"

The noise continued to enter the room, but Qiu Yan showed no reaction. Half of his calf was pressed deep into the floor, and he was slowly raising his hands, his fingers bending and flicking, forming a hand seal, vaguely creating a divination symbol.

Yuanji!

Bang!

The air currents jolted Qiu Yan, causing him to spring up from the ground, the heavy pressure on his body dissipating.

"Phew~"

He was breathing heavily, and sweat was even pouring out of his brow.

"Just now, not only was there immense pressure, but my Fortune was almost completely reversed. If I hadn't reacted in time and used the Li Trigram hexagram to counteract it, and if the Earthly Soul hadn't been suppressed by the Sage Manuscript, I would have been in grave danger! But now I can't worry about that; I need to hurry."

After a few breaths, Qiu Yan recovered and walked straight out the door without lingering.

Outside, chaos reigned, with noise everywhere and everyone rushing about. Even the most Qi Nurturing Confucian scholars showed signs of panic, and most people looked up at the sky.

Qiu Yan took two steps and arrived at the courtyard of the post station, where he also looked up at the sky.

High in the sky, a shadow slowly descended, appearing from afar like rolling dark clouds, obscuring the sun. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for Qidian. com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m. qidian. com to read.)

P. S.: Thanks to "Great Idler, Little Fool" for the monthly vote!

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