Why Block What Is Fated? A Thread of Karma Flies in from Beyond the Heavens

As the river flows on, what is revealed is not the court affairs that Historians' School value, but the scene of Military School galloping about. Sometimes the main force suppresses the enemy, and sometimes the surprise attack is launched. When the general gives an order, thousands follow, as if they were one person. The art of troop deployment and battle has truly reached its peak!

Qiu Yan was simply immersed in it, yet he vaguely experienced a feeling of invincibility and unstoppable momentum!

On the other hand, the mountains and rivers in the painting change, but Qiu Yan still remembers a large part of those mountains and rivers, recognizing them as corners of the Northern Frontier and Southern Border.

"This book was written by the people of Donghua?"

Having recognized the mountains and rivers, and combining it with what had just been said, how could Qiu Yan not guess the mystery behind it? All the information in his mind connected, and suddenly everything became much clearer.

Then, his mind focused, and within the scene of the long river, he saw several large banners with the words "Great Qi" clearly written on them!

The Great Qi Dynasty!

This was the dynasty before Great Rui, named after the previous dynasty, which originated in the land of Qi-Lu. Great Qi collapsed, and Great Rui rose.

Silently reciting the dynasty's name, the Divine Spirit Body's Li Trigram trembled violently, drawing upon Karma to project a figure—none other than Dong Grand Preceptor, whom they had seen in the Land of the Divine Remains.

That Grand Tutor once controlled a large tribe in the Land of the Divine Remains, possessing unparalleled power and influence. He had a glimpse into the mysteries of the Domain of Law, transforming a once-powerful tribe into a ghostly realm. He even glimpsed an opportunity from the flame within the Totem Pillar and nearly succeeded, but ultimately Qiu Yan seized it. Driven by the Li Trigram hexagram, Qiu Yan had no choice but to retreat, leaving the Land of the Divine Remains and returning to the mortal world.

Now that Qiu Yan has become an official, although he has been living peacefully in the Hanlin Academy for the past six months, he still has some channels of information and has roughly learned about the Grand Tutor's whereabouts.

"Now that the Karma have shifted, revealing this person's form, it seems we will have further entanglements in the future. Let's set that aside for now..."

With a change of heart, Dong Grand Preceptor's figure slowly blurred, transforming into a White Lotus, and finally disappeared.

At the same time, the Historical River that "Questions and Answers" transformed into also completed its evolution, and finally merged into Qiu Yan's heart.

But during this time, Qiu Yan summarized a set of experiences from the long river of history, the core of which can be summarized in one sentence:

Take the initiative!

Of course, the book doesn't use such a direct approach; instead, it uses the terms "host" and "guest" to describe the situation. Only by attacking the guest from the host's position can one achieve consistent victory. If the situation is unfavorable and one is in a guest's territory, one must still turn the tables and become the host.

He who seizes the initiative wins; he who loses it loses.

Only by taking this as the core can we unfold the changes of surprise and orthodoxy, feint and reality, offense and defense, and camp formations.

"What a remarkable book, 'Questions and Answers'! It uses the grand scheme of things to discuss strategic maneuvering, and extends the principles of court politics to the essentials of command in battle. It is truly a remarkable book, originating from the East Flower Continent, and perhaps even written by someone from a previous dynasty. That person's status must be extraordinary, and their reputation must be well-known. But why haven't I seen this book's name in the Military Pavilion?"

When Qiu Yan was in charge of the Military Pavilion, it housed a large collection of Military Canon. In terms of detail and richness, it was no less than the collections of royal palaces. Although there were no rare Original Edition, there were many True Edition. The collection also contained the insights and annotations summarized by Grand Confucian and Grandmaster when they read the books. Careful reading could inspire Literary Thought and ideas.

It was precisely because of this foundation that Qiu Yan was able to quickly establish himself, and once the opportune moment arrived, he was able to seize it and immediately create a masterpiece.

As he pondered, he recalled how, after appearing in the long river, the magnificent palace and the people within it had merged into it and vanished without a trace.

That makes sense, after all, it's just a remnant of consciousness, not the real body. At most, it can provide some guidance, but how can it stay for long?

However, recalling their attire and combining it with their deeds in the previous dynasty, it was easy to deduce their identities.

"The man in military uniform, yet with a refined and scholarly demeanor, is very likely the Duke of Wei, the military genius of the previous Wei Kingdom. Legend has it that he was a famous Confucian General, known for his prudent approach to affairs. When leading troops, he often managed to turn disadvantages into advantages, subtly aligning with the theory of the reversal of roles between host and guest. Moreover, it is said that the Duke Wei left behind a scroll of military strategy, but it was lost and disseminated during the war, which is why it is not included in the Military Pavilion."

Qiu Yan had long heard of the reputation of Duke Wei and knew that Duke Wei's military strategy had been lost. In fact, he had some connection with this military strategy. The reason why Pang Qianru's Military Miscellany attracted everyone's attention at the banquet at Pang Residence's villa that day was because they contained a few words from Duke Wei's military strategy.

It is this very small detail that allows us to project a vast plain.

"Military Miscellany evolved into the Military World. I conquered within it and ultimately triumphed. It is understandable that I would come to this place and encounter the Original Spirit left behind by Duke Wei. However, the person who left the message in that Military World claimed to be surnamed Lin, which is different from Duke Wei, whose original name was Li."

He sorted out the various relationships and, through analysis based on the Incense Faith, summarized seven possibilities. However, due to limited information at hand, he could not yet determine which one it was.

"However, if it really is Duke Wei, then the person in the dragon robe who conversed with Questions and Answers, wouldn't he be none other than Emperor Great Qi Taizong, whose name has been passed down to this day and who is known as a wise and Sagacity?"

As Qiu Yan pondered, his thoughts and ideas gradually receded from that Original Spirit.

At this moment, the dozens of Original Spirit that had been lingering nearby had disappeared, but after Qiu Yan understood the profound meaning, he did not forcibly confine them within his consciousness. Instead, he opened his mouth and released them again.

Not only the two newly acquired Original Edition, but also the Original Edition of the Discourse on Military Affairs was released in the same way. In an instant, the Original Spirit densely surrounded his body, like a barrier.

However, Qiu Yan still held the Original Spirit of the Tiger Commander's Manual in his hand. His expression shifted, as if he were immersed in it, but then he frowned.

"When I first obtained this <Tiger Commander's Manual>, I sensed something was missing. Now that I have the remaining few volumes, I realize that the Original Spirit of this scripture is different. It is not that all thirty-odd volumes are the same, but rather that they are generally similar, yet there are subtle differences. Only when all of them are combined can a complete book be presented."

Thinking this, he swallowed the thirty-odd Original Spirit of the Tiger Commander's Manual into his stomach, circulated them in his consciousness, and completed the Original Edition essences that had already left traces in his consciousness, imprinting the contents into his memory.

But then, Qiu Yan pondered for a moment, opened his mouth again, and spat out all the spirit of the Tiger Commander's Manual, including the one that was in harmony with his own consciousness, which was also separated out.

Subsequently, these thirty-odd Original Spirit overlapping and layered, coalesced into a phantom book.

Once the Original Spirit that was in harmony with Qiu Yan's consciousness was separated, he could no longer use or visualize the things in the book, nor could he rely on spirit or artistic conception. However, the memories and contents imprinted in his heart did not disappear; they still remained in his heart. As time went by, he would slowly comprehend and understand the profound meaning, and he would be able to generate the same spirit and artistic conception.

Moreover, for Qiu Yan, the Original Spirit effects were not important; what was truly valuable was the content of the book, which could be used to enrich and improve his knowledge of classics, insights, and expertise.

He didn't feel regretful about extracting the entire <Tiger Commander's Manual>, but it wasn't without reason. It was because Qiu Yan had captured a Karma and effect within the thirty-odd Original Spirit.

"The Original Edition of this <Tiger Commander's Manual> is actually connected to a person's Karma, representing that person's Great Qi and fortuitous opportunity. I previously merged with one of the original texts, but my understanding wasn't clear. I thought it was related to the other Original Edition that Lu Hu had seized. Now that I have all of them, I can clearly grasp the traces and know that they have their own master in the Unseen. Since it is someone else's fortuitous opportunity, I cannot forcibly obstruct it, otherwise it will become a hidden danger in the future. Being able to obtain the content and memories from it is already a gain. How can I be greedy and take all the benefits? If I do, the final result will be to bear enormous Karma..."

Thinking this, Qiu Yan silently recited a phrase, and the illusory book of the Tiger Commander's Manual Scripture flew out and disappeared into the edge in the blink of an eye!

On the horizon, Guo Ji and the Household Ancestor Chen had been observing the situation quietly since Lu Hu's defeat.

Seeing that Qiu Yan resisted the temptation and did not push the door open, Guo Ji let out a soft exclamation, his expression becoming increasingly solemn, and his gaze towards Qiu Yan becoming even brighter.

Then he saw that, in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Qiu Yan had merged with the two Original Spirit, and the gazes they were looking at Qiu Yan now carried a hint of appreciation.

Now, seeing Qiu Yan release his Original Spirit and let it leave, Guo Ji looked surprised. He took a deep breath and looked at the Household Ancestor Chen again, but the latter's expression was as usual.

"Brother Chen, thanks to you, otherwise, I, Guo, would have missed out on such a talented and promising individual."

Ancestor Chen waved his hand and laughed, "Of course, of course. However, Brother Guo may not be able to take this person under his wing. It would be better to establish a good relationship..."

As Ancestor Chen finished speaking, the two figures gradually blurred, and the edges of the surrounding glow also gradually disappeared.

Below, the landscape of mountains and rivers quickly faded, transforming back into horizontal and vertical rays of light, and eventually disappearing without a trace. As the light and shadow dissipated, not only were the two people gone, but also many soldiers and battlefields vanished without a trace.

Qiu Yan stood alone on the General-Selecting Platform.

All around, the disciples of the Military School looked up and saw that the light on the platform had almost completely dissipated, revealing Qiu Yan's figure. They all changed color.

However, before they could react, a roar suddenly came from the sky, and a blood-red light streaked through the starry sky, falling from the high altitude and arriving directly in front of Qiu Yan, where it hovered motionless.

"Hmm?" Qiu Yan sensed something and realized that it was the Tiger Commander's Manual that had been released that had brought this item back through the pull of Karma.

He looked at it closely and saw a jade thumb ring, its color as red as blood, with water flowing inside, emitting surging Qi and Blood that dispelled many of the Divine Sense that were forming on the Sand Battlefield!

"What is the origin of this thing, that it can enter the Military Spirit in the form of Qi and Blood!"

Upon closer inspection, Qiu Yan's heart skipped a beat. He noticed that the ring in front of him was not created through visualization or the gathering of thoughts, but was a genuine, real object!

ps:

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