Dong Zhongshu and Jin Chang

"The Huang-Lao School is a collective term for the teachings of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi. This school reveres the way of emperors and also embodies the Daoist concept of non-action. The single volume of the Huangdi Shu (Book of the Yellow Emperor) is incredibly comprehensive. Its sections Jingfa (Classic of Law), Shiliujing (Sixteen Classics), Cheng (Weighing), and Daoyuan (Origin of the Dao) are all recorded in the imperial archives. The Tianyun Shu (Art of Adding Fortune) should be a volume within the Daoyuan."

Zhang Xuezhou and Dong Zhongshu did not spend much time studying the Art of Adding Fortune, and they learned it only once.

As a rather special technique, the Luck Enhancement Technique only has two possibilities: successful or unsuccessful; it does not involve reaching a certain level of cultivation.

Once they have developed a sense of physical sensation, they can be considered to have completed their cultivation.

If one has not yet developed a sense of physical sensation, then one needs to practice repeatedly.

Many people can master this technique on their first try, while many others take several years or even more than a decade to complete it.

Dong Zhongshu mentioned the Huang-Lao school of thought in a low voice, while continuously making distinctions and verifications.

Without Zhang Xuezhou's "divine intervention," Dong Zhongshu would have been very certain that he was experiencing a positive influence from the fortunes of the time. Even if his fortunes did not flourish from then on, he would at least not be too miserable in the short term.

If this period of time can last for two or three months, until he finds Li Guang and asks him to help treat Zhao Liang and himself, Dong Zhongshu feels that changing his fate is not a loss.

He even made up his mind to continuously practice, repeat, and persist in his practice.

But after going through it once, he felt a mix of excitement, doubt, and uncertainty.

"If my journey goes smoothly afterward, and I attribute everything to good fortune, would I be the same as those women who give birth to sons to fulfill their vows?"

"What if I encounter bad things again? Will I then think that my bad luck is too great, and that luck-enhancing magic is not enough to change my fate?"

From any perspective, Huang-Lao philosophy seems to have an inherently unassailable position in public opinion and thought.

Good things are attributed to the effects of Huang-Lao philosophy, while bad things are attributed to one's own insufficient level of spiritual cultivation.

Dong Zhongshu felt that this theory was utterly terrible.

He racked his brains but found it difficult to refute.

If Dong Zhongshu were to trace its origins, Dong Zhongshu would not know exactly what the "Adding Fortune Technique" altered.

He and Zhang Xuezhou whispered to each other, discussing something in hushed tones, until someone coughed beside them, prompting Dong Zhongshu to turn around.

"Brother, could I take a look at your scroll of Luck-Boosting Technique? Cough cough!"

"Okay, take it!"

Dong Zhongshu nodded, handed over the bamboo slips, and received a polite look in return.

As soon as they turned their heads slightly, exclamations of surprise rang out.

"Zhang... Zhang Xuezhou, what are you doing here?"

"Didn't you run away with my senior brother? What are you doing here? Where is my senior brother?"

Their gazes fell on Zhang Xuezhou Zhang Xuezhou, who also looked up to look at them, causing the two of them to gasp in unison.

"Invincible East?"

"Wondering will surely lead to your return?"

After seeing the plaques bearing both parties' names, Jin Chang and Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but complain.

But the fact that the two of them still managed to meet under these circumstances is truly astonishing, a testament to the wonder of fate.

"Your senior brother caught the eye of the Western Sect and went to become a monk!"

Jin Chang was the first to answer Zhang Xuezhou's question.

"How could my senior brother become a monk? He couldn't possibly run off to become a monk," Zhang Xuezhou, finding it hard to understand.

"He didn't want to be one either," Jin Chang nodded, "But that old monk said that Wu Chao's lack of hair on his head meant he had an affinity with the Western Sect!"

"So he just listened to one sentence and decided to become a monk?"

"The main problem is that I can't beat him. If he hadn't looked down on me, I would have been forced to become a monk."

Jin Chang looked gloomy.

He has had a tough time these past two years. Being beaten up is one thing, and going bankrupt due to fighting is another, but Jin Chang can't accept that his hard-earned strength has diminished.

Unable to find the cause, he ultimately concluded that he was just unlucky.

This was the first thing he had to do after returning from West Ox Hezhou.

He's had terrible luck; he needs a change of fortune.

In the past, Jin Chang was an outstanding person, and by attaching himself to the King of Huainan, he could have risen rapidly in rank. He would never have considered such a thing.

Now that things are going against the wind, Jin Chang is seeking a solution.

He briefly recounted what he had experienced in the past two years, then glanced at Zhang Xuezhou.

"Like you, after I regained consciousness in the temple, I also fled for two whole years, enduring hardship and exhaustion, finally traversing countless mountains and rivers to reach Shu County City," Zhang Xuezhou sighed. "Then we were beaten by a group of demons, and I almost drowned. After that, we were poisoned and murdered outside the city, and then we encountered river bandits. Five out of our group of ten died. I figured I was just having terrible luck, so I came here to learn the arts of Huangdi and Laozi to change my luck!"

I didn't expect you to be having such a hard time too!

After hearing Zhang Xuezhou's words, Jin Chang felt at peace.

Dong Zhongshu remained silent, casually picking up a scroll of bamboo slips to listen to the two men's rambling conversation.

Dong Zhongshu had met Jin Chang, but Dong Zhongshu had never seen Jin Chang's true form; he could only sense that Jin Chang's cultivation was not weak.

Such a highly skilled cultivator would likely learn the Luck-Enhancing Technique very quickly. If the other party succeeded in mastering it, Dong Zhongshu felt that they could discuss related matters.

"This 'Adding Fortune Technique' is an introductory method to the Huang-Lao school's Fortune Technique. Twelve volumes are displayed here, with the one written by Anqiu Sheng being the most standard," Jin Chang said. "Anqiu Sheng was once just an ordinary scholar who, by chance, obtained a volume of the Huang-Lao School's 'Returning to the Source,' and from then on, his fortune flourished, eventually reaching the Divine Ability Realm. He wasn't a top-tier cultivator, but he frequently mentioned the wonders he gained from it and often taught it. This volume originates from his teachings!"

"Anqiu is a place name, and Anqiu Sheng is the respectful title many students used for him," Dong Zhongshu said. "His real name is actually known to very few."

Upon learning of the matter from Jin Chang, Dong Zhongshu subsequently echoed his sentiments.

The two exchanged a glance, and a sense of mutual appreciation inevitably arose between them.

"His real name seems to be Li Fu, or maybe Li Fu!"

Jin Chang pondered for a few seconds, but this wasn't really a problem, nor was it worth delving into.

He opened the bamboo slips and began to read them line by line, word by word.

Not much different from Zhang Xuezhou and the others, after a moment, Jin Chang's body trembled, and then he revealed an extremely satisfied smile.

"Monk, have you ever heard the sorceress say that?"

Sensing that Jin Chang had succeeded in his cultivation, Dong Zhongshu felt that a high-level peer had arrived, which prompted him to immediately resort to Zhang Xuezhou's methods.

"What kind of fortune teller said that?"

Jin Chang was slightly taken aback, but as Dong Zhongshu explained, his expression changed slightly.

Clearly, everyone who practices Huang-Lao philosophy is no different from those women who seek sorcerers. As long as they believe that Huang-Lao philosophy can change their fate, everything will give itself a reasonable explanation, and they will not doubt Huang-Lao philosophy itself.

But I clearly sensed something was off!

Jin Chang was quite certain that a subtle change had occurred in his body.

Without Dong Zhongshu's "divine interpretation," he would undoubtedly have believed that this was "fate."

But after being reminded by Dong Zhongshu, he couldn't help but ponder carefully, seeking the essence of the Luck Enhancement Technique.

"This 'luck' flows through heaven and earth, ever-changing and difficult to trace. If the art of adding luck is meant to deceive us, it must be in harmony with heaven and earth," Jin Chang said. "Even if it doesn't change 'luck,' that thing is still closely related to us!"

"What direction are you guessing?" Dong Zhongshu asked.

"Perhaps lifespan?" Jin Chang asked uncertainly.

"Lifespan?"

"And what direction are you guessing?" Jin Chang asked.

"Laozi belongs to the Daoist school, and I suspect that this is what he calls 'Dao Emulates Own Inherent Spontaneity,' which is a special introductory technique of Daoism," Dong Zhongshu said.

"But the ability of Huang-Lao philosophy to change one's fate and improve one's fortune couldn't have been created out of thin air and spread far and wide," Jin Chang frowned and said, "There's the issue of 'shamanic beliefs' involved, but there's certainly a possibility that it's true."

"You mean?"

"If low-level fortune-enhancing techniques cannot change one's fate, then high-level Huang-Lao philosophy must be related to it. The royal collection may contain possible secret manuals on 'fortune'," Jin Chang said, frowning.

"Royal Family!"

Dong Zhongshu murmured.

People at the bottom may be spreading rumors, but those at the top aren't that many fools.

Just as he and Jin Chang both think independently, there must have been people in the royal family or other schools of thought who had pondered this question before.

There must be a reason why the royal family has continued to follow the Huang-Lao philosophy of cultivation for hundreds of years.

Low-level content won't work, but high-level content might be relevant.