Counting the Gifts, Twelve Geishas

The temple.

The temple was majestic, its bluestone steps extending up to the clouds.

Inside, vermilion bronze pillars stood tall, bathed in golden light, and sandalwood incense permeated the air.

All who entered the temple felt an involuntary sense of awe.

Though seemingly magnificent, the temple was no different from an ordinary one.

The only distinction was that it didn't enshrine deities or bodhisattvas, but rather a young child with hair tied in two tufts.

The child had three eyes and sat upon a blood-colored lotus, giving off an extremely eerie sensation.

Before the statue, a blood-robed old man knelt respectfully, his face filled with devotion.

He pressed his palms together, muttering prayers.

Just then.

The third eye on the forehead of the enshrined blood-lotus child suddenly opened.

An endless sea of blood materialized.

The blood-robed old man, seeing himself within the illusion of the blood sea, revealed an expression of ecstatic joy.

This was a divine oracle bestowed by Blood Venerable.

Since Emperor Yuanchu led his army to destroy their Blood Sea Lineage's headquarters twenty years ago, their Blood Sea Lineage had not received a single divine oracle from Blood Venerable.

After twenty years, Blood Venerable had once again bestowed a divine oracle, a sign of favor upon their Blood Sea Lineage.

Sacred Emperor… rice… hides… blood seeds…

Plant… blood… lotuses… spread… across… the land…

The divine oracle pierced the blood-robed old man's ears.

In an instant, blood flowed from all seven orifices of the old man, making him look terrifyingly grotesque.

However, the blood-robed old man seemed to feel no pain, instead displaying an expression of wild joy.

"I respectfully obey Blood Venerable's divine oracle!"

The Prince's manor, study.

[Fortune: 520]

Looking at the fortune in his hands, Fang Heng's mind stirred.

This fortune was enough to condense five red-quality Fate Attributes.

"Condense!"

Fang Heng silently willed it.

Within the Fate Map, the night was dark and vast.

Five red stars rose slowly, illuminating the deep darkness.

[Dragon's Vigor, Tiger's Might (Red)]: Energetic, physical strength doubled, possessing physical stamina far beyond ordinary people. An excellent martial arts prodigy.
[Precognition of Danger (Red)]: Spiritually perceptive, with an inexplicable intuition for disaster, often able to turn ill fortune into good.
[Soul Reaper Envoy (Red)]: An underworld ghoul-catcher, apprehending ghosts, controlling lost souls, dealing double damage to ghosts and ethereal beings.
[Jade Tree and Orchid (Red)]: Extraordinary charm. Women will involuntarily develop a good impression of you.
[Flash of Inspiration (Red)]: Prolonged thought on a matter will spark your mind, leading to unexpected ideas.

Having condensed five red Fate Attributes in one go, Fang Heng's eyes lit up.

The [Dragon's Vigor, Tiger's Might] Fate Attribute gave him extraordinary physical strength, which was a talent for cultivating the Martial Path.

"Too bad I've already entered the Daoist School; it's difficult to cultivate the Martial Path again."

"This Fate Attribute is a bit wasted."

Fang Heng's tone carried a hint of regret and pity.

Martial artists, the Daoist School, and the Buddhist School—these three cultivation systems were mutually exclusive and could not be cultivated simultaneously.

This was because the foundations of all three cultivation systems were built upon the Twelve Main Meridians and the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.

The cultivation techniques, when circulating energy, would conflict with each other, making dual cultivation impossible.

Unless someone possessed two sets of meridians within their body, dual cultivation would be possible.

However, for tens of thousands of years, there had been no record of anyone possessing such a talent.

"Although I can't practice martial arts, the doubled physical strength still has endless wonderful uses."

"Tonight... no, I can't wait until tonight."

"This morning, I'll let Aunt Yun experience the taste of doubled physical strength."

Precognition of Danger can detect crises in advance, which is quite useful.

The Soul Reaper Envoy Fate Attribute is specifically for ghosts and spirits, making its use rather singular.

As for Jade Tree and Orchid…

Fang Heng was very pleased.

Who doesn't want to be more handsome?

It was less like Jade Tree and Orchid and more like a male succubus.

It would be even better if it could be longer and bigger.

Finally, the Flash of Inspiration Fate Attribute was related to comprehension, and Fang Heng had high hopes for it.

His cultivation of Thunder Arts progressed rapidly.

Most of that credit belonged to the Innate Immortal Seed and Wood-Thunder Body Fate Attributes.

Fang Heng was well aware of his own comprehension abilities.

At best, he was average; otherwise, how could he have failed to get into a 985 or 211 university?

The Flash of Inspiration Fate Attribute, which enhanced comprehension, compensated for Fang Heng's weakness.

However, this Fate Attribute wasn't very stable.

In gaming terms, it didn't add points but increased the critical hit multiplier.

His comprehension didn't increase, but the probability of enlightenment did.

In the storeroom.

Yun Menglan, who was tallying the gift list, suddenly found herself embraced by Fang Heng, his arms wrapping around her slender waist.

His hot breath caressed her neck.

"Your Highness, it's broad daylight…"

"What's there to be afraid of?"

"The servants in the manor will laugh."

"Who would dare laugh? I'll kick them all out."

Two hours later.

Watching Yun Menglan walk with a slight stagger, Fang Heng smiled triumphantly.

The Dragon's Vigor, Tiger's Might Fate Attribute was even more effective than he had anticipated.

Yun Menglan rolled her eyes at Fang Heng's mischievous grin.

What medicine did His Highness take today?

He was incredibly fierce!

He almost wore her out completely.

Seeing Fang Heng seemingly getting restless again, Yun Menglan felt a little scared.

She quickly pulled out the gift list to distract Fang Heng.

"Your Highness, these are the gift lists from various parties, congratulating Your Highness on becoming a Prince of a Commandery."

"Please take a look, Your Highness."

Yun Menglan placed the organized gift list in front of Fang Heng.

The gifts from various parties were clearly itemized on the list.

"I trust Aunt Yun with the gift list."

"I won't look at it."

"That won't do. Etiquette cannot be discarded."

"If outsiders found out, they might think I'm usurping your authority."

Seeing the determination on Yun Menglan's pretty face, Fang Heng took the gift list and began to examine it carefully.

Left Prime Minister: One Spirit Calming Pearl, a rare item.

Seeing the gift from the Left Prime Minister, Fang Heng's face showed a hint of surprise.

In terms of value, the Left Prime Minister's gift was the most precious among all the congratulatory gifts, far surpassing the others.

"What does the Left Prime Minister mean by sending such a valuable gift?"

Fang Heng stroked his chin, asking curiously.

He wasn't so conceited as to think the Left Prime Minister would try to curry favor with him, a prince of little influence.

"Naturally, it's to thank Your Highness."

"After all, it was Your Highness who gave the Left Prime Minister the opportunity to make his mark in history."

"Perhaps the Left Prime Minister believes leaving a name in history is more important than aiding a future emperor," Yun Menglan said softly, her tone gentle.

Fang Heng pursed his lips when he heard that.

"But I ruined his chance to support a rising emperor."

"Oh? How so?" Fang Heng turned his head, looking at Yun Menglan with suspicion.

Yun Menglan spoke in a soft voice, "Last night, the Left Prime Minister's son returned all the gifts from the Eastern Palace."

"And when the Left Prime Minister left the capital, he took his entire family with him."

At this, a flicker of surprise crossed Fang Heng's clear eyes.

"So, the Left Prime Minister has cut ties with the Eastern Palace?"

"Most likely!"

"No wonder the Left Prime Minister gave me such a grand gift."

Fang Heng nodded slightly.

This time, with the emergence of the Sacred Emperor Rice, he was undoubtedly the biggest winner.

He was granted the title of Prince of a Commandery and had gained the Emperor Yuanchu's favor.

One could say he had remained silent only to astonish everyone with his sudden rise.

Besides himself, Emperor Yuanchu, the Right Prime Minister, and the Second Prince were all winners.

The Left Prime Minister's situation was hard to say.

The Crown Prince, however, suffered a major loss.

Besides the Left Prime Minister, the congratulatory gift from the Second Prince was also quite valuable.

It was a Five Treasures Longevity Pill, capable of extending one's life by ten years.

Longevity pills had always been rare and priceless, often unavailable even for a high price.

Since Fang Heng was afflicted with the Ten Absolute Poisons, his lifespan was limited.

The Second Prince sending a longevity pill clearly showed he had put a lot of thought into it.

His intention to win Fang Heng over was obvious.

Fang Heng knew exactly why the Second Prince was going to such lengths for him.

With the Left Prime Minister leaving the capital, the Crown Prince's power had significantly diminished.

The Second Prince naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity and would likely make a move against the Crown Prince soon.

Winning Fang Heng over was to gain an additional ally.

However...

Fang Heng had no desire to get involved in the struggle between the Crown Prince and the Second Prince.

"What about the Crown Prince?"

"What congratulatory gift did he send?"

Upon hearing Fang Heng's question, Yun Menglan's expression showed a hint of hesitation before she whispered, "A thousand taels of silver!"

Huh?

Fang Heng almost thought he had misheard.

For ordinary people, a thousand taels was a huge sum.

But this was a congratulatory gift for being enfeoffed as a Prince from the Eastern Palace!

It was too shabby!

Fang Heng's expression shifted twice, then he said in a deep voice, "It seems the Crown Prince holds a grudge against me."

As for why he held a grudge, Fang Heng knew perfectly well.

It was simply because of the Left Prime Minister's departure from the capital.

However, making the Left Prime Minister leave wasn't his doing.

For the Crown Prince to blame him was truly...

Fang Heng shook his head.

No wonder there were rumors in the Jade Capital that the Crown Prince lacked the demeanor of a ruler.

Putting the Eastern Palace's gift out of his mind, Fang Heng picked up the gift list and continued reading.

The Lu Family presented a piece of a Turtle Shell Fragment.

The Turtle Shell Fragment had the effect of shielding one from heavenly secrets.

While not a rare artifact, it was better than one.

A treasure that could shield one from the machinations of Heaven was just as valuable as any rare artifact.

After Fang Heng's stunning debut this time, it was inevitable that petty individuals would try to scheme against him.

Sending the Turtle Shell Fragment clearly showed thoughtful consideration.

"Uncle has a good heart!"

Fang Heng nodded slightly. Family is family.

The gift wasn't just generous; it was practical too.

"There's more than one of these Turtle Shell Fragments, isn't there?" Fang Heng asked.

Yun Menglan nodded her head gracefully and said softly, "This was obtained by Master after he slew a Divine Abomination."

The "Master" Yun Menglan referred to was Fang Heng's maternal uncle, Lu Zilong.

In the past, before Consort Ning was married, Yun Menglan was a maid in the Lu Family household.

So calling Lu Zilong "Master" was simply out of habit.

As for Divine Abominations...

Divine Abominations cultivated the Path of God Worship.

Unlike the flourishing Martial Path or the Buddhist School, the Path of God Worship had been suppressed by every dynasty since its very first appearance, without exception.

Those who cultivated the Path of God Worship were even called Divine Abominations.

The character "abomination" itself showed the court's attitude towards them.

Legend has it that in ancient times, numerous temples suddenly appeared across the Divine Land.

These temples were later referred to by future generations as Ancient Eerie Temples.

Ancient Eerie Temples were not native to the Divine Land; they were foreign objects.

They worshipped Outer Realm Evil Gods.

Not long after, the people of ancient times discovered that by entering these eerie temples and sacrificing to the evil gods, they could gain immense power.

Thus, the Path of God Worship began to spread widely.

The Divine Abominations of the Path of God Worship sacrificed to evil gods and cultivated divinity.

What was the best sacrifice for evil gods?

Naturally, it was humans.

Humans were the most intelligent of all beings, with the richest spiritual essence.

In ancient times, countless people died at the hands of Divine Abominations, which eventually led to suppression by the imperial court.

Every dynasty, without exception, destroyed temples and leveled mountains.

Of course, every dynasty that destroyed temples and leveled mountains did so not only to suppress evil gods but also to covet the Ancient Eerie Temples themselves.

Ancient Eerie Temples varied in size.

The smaller ones were indistinguishable from ordinary temples.

Aside from the statues of the evil gods they enshrined, there was nothing extraordinary about them.

The larger ones contained secret realms, forming their own small worlds.

These small worlds, called secret realms, contained resources not found in the Divine Land and were extremely valuable.

The Imperial Secret Realm, for example, was actually an Ancient Eerie Temple that had been conquered and developed.

Seeing that the Turtle Shell Fragment came from a Divine Abomination, Fang Heng lost any thought of collecting them.

If it were anyone else, given his status as a prince, he could easily trade for them.

But with Divine Abominations, it was absolutely out of the question.

His gaze shifted downwards to the other congratulatory gifts on the list.

The remaining gifts were far less significant compared to those from the Left Prime Minister, the Second Prince, and the Lu Family.

"Oh?"

"Director Lin from the Ministry of Justice sent twelve stunning courtesans."

Fang Heng's attention was drawn to Director Lin's gift.