Arc 20The Ba Snake’s Curse

Zhang Xuezhou learned Confucian cultivation, treated the injured in Shu Commandery City, and helped expose the Ba Snake behind Zhao Liang’s curse. After earning money and trading for Wen Weng’s Immobilize Character Scroll, he left with Dong Zhongshu toward the Northern Border, where Ren Yisheng began a customized treatment to advance his cultivation.

  • Dong Zhongshu taught Zhang Xuezhou the Vast Righteous Qi Instruction and explained that reciting Confucian scriptures could restore his Law Power and guide cultivation.
  • Zhao Liang hallucinated that diners were Ba Snakes and slashed Zhang Shu, whom Zhang Xuezhou healed with the Supreme Purity True Technique.
  • Grandpa Jiang briefly calmed Zhao Liang, but a great Yao escaped the Zhao Household, and Kong Ning identified Zhao Liang’s condition as a demon’s curse.
  • Venomous creatures spread through Shu Commandery City, and Zhang Shu revealed Grandpa Jiang as a white python before the Ba Snake attacked the city and fled.
  • Zhang Xuezhou set up a paid treatment stall, healed Master Zhao, and earned money for medicinal ingredients while the Zhao Household sought help for Zhao Liang.
  • Dong Zhongshu tracked the Ba Snake, who called himself Jiang Qi and left Shu Commandery as Kong Ning pursued him.
  • Zhang Xuezhou retrieved the Eye of the Ba Snake and traded it to Wen Weng for the Immobilize Character Scroll, then joined Dong Zhongshu’s journey north under the alias Dongfang Shuo.
  • At the Academy District Medical Center, Ren Yisheng gave Zhang Xuezhou customized X446 treatment with avian blood serum, and Zhang Xuezhou began advancing his Grain Avoidance Technique in the True Spirit Realm.
Chapters 477–501 Vol. 5 Read

Ch. 477The Mien of a Great Confucian

Dong Zhongshu recognized Zhang Xuezhou’s virtue and decided to guide him into the Confucian School as a potential ally and future great Confucian. Zhang Xuezhou discovered that reciting the Vast Righteous Qi Instruction restored some of his Law Power, and he agreed to study more of it before dawn.

  • Dong Zhongshu concluded that the Vast Righteous Qi Instruction had recognized Zhang Xuezhou’s virtues and considered recruiting him into his Confucian faction.
  • Zhang Xuezhou told Dong Zhongshu that reciting the Vast Righteous Qi Instruction had restored his Law Power to thirty percent.
  • Dong Zhongshu explained that continued cultivation of the instruction would let Zhang Xuezhou recover Law Power and described why other schools rarely adopted Confucian teachings.
  • Zhang Xuezhou agreed to learn more from Dong Zhongshu and planned to study for the four hours remaining before dawn.

Ch. 478Thinking of Making Big Money

Zhang Xuezhou learned how Confucian cultivation used six jumbled scriptures and recitation to guide practitioners, and decided his memorization skills suited it. After realizing he needed money to buy ingredients for Grain Avoidance Powder, he asked Dong Zhongshu how to make big money, but Dong Zhongshu urged him to study instead.

  • Dong Zhongshu explained that Confucian teachings were deliberately complicated or scrambled, and that reciting the six scriptures could activate acupoints and guide cultivation.
  • Zhang Xuezhou decided he could manage Confucian cultivation through memorization and recitation, especially since the Vast Righteous Qi Instruction offered practical benefits.
  • Zhang Xuezhou left the commandery governor's residence after speaking with Dong Zhongshu through the night.
  • Zhang Xuezhou searched Shu Commandery City for work but found no way to earn enough to buy ingredients for Grain Avoidance Powder.
  • Zhang Xuezhou returned to ask Dong Zhongshu how to make big money, and Dong Zhongshu told him to read diligently instead of chasing wealth.

Ch. 479Aftereffects

Zhang Xuezhou failed to find a promising way to make money or attract patrons for pill refining, then witnessed Zhao Liang’s terror from the Ba Snake mission erupt into violence in the governor’s dining hall. Zhao Liang mistook the people around him for snakes and struck Zhang Shu with his sword, prompting Zhang Shu to retaliate and knock him down as the hall descended into chaos.

  • Dong Zhongshu told Zhang Xuezhou that serious pill refining required support from a wealthy patron, but he knew no such patrons and doubted Zhang Xuezhou could attract students to his lectures.
  • Zhang Xuezhou followed Dong Zhongshu to the governor’s residence dining hall, still discouraged about his chances of earning money.
  • Zhang Xuezhou noticed Zhao Liang’s pale face and fear after Zhao dropped his bowl and reacted to the mallow greens as though they were a snake.
  • Zhao Liang hallucinated that the diners and Zhang Shu had become Ba Snakes, drew his sword, and slashed Zhang Shu.
  • Zhang Shu blocked with his bowl and punched Zhao Liang, sending him facedown as panic spread through the dining hall.

Ch. 480The meaning of ten thousand strings of coins

Zhang Xuezhou used the Supreme Purity True Technique to rapidly heal Zhang Shu’s sword wound, while explaining that he could not cure Zhao Liang’s madness. Zhang Shu’s mention of the Zhao Household’s fortune of ten thousand strings of coins caught Zhang Xuezhou’s attention.

  • Dong Zhongshu cleared a path so Zhang Xuezhou could reach and treat the injured Zhang Shu.
  • Zhang Xuezhou used the Supreme Purity True Technique twice, stopping Zhang Shu’s bleeding and healing most of his wound.
  • Zhang Xuezhou told Zhang Shu the Technique had consumed his Blood Qi and advised him to replenish it with meat and other nourishment.
  • Zhang Shu insisted on holding a banquet to thank Zhang Xuezhou, but Zhang Xuezhou declined because he was busy earning money.
  • Zhang Xuezhou said he had already treated Zhao Liang’s internal injuries but could not cure his madness.
  • Zhang Shu lamented that Zhao Liang might not inherit the Zhao Household’s fortune of ten thousand strings of coins, and Zhang Xuezhou immediately fixated on the sum.

Ch. 481Ice-Cold to the Core

Zhang Xuezhou watched physicians fail to cure Zhao Liang’s terrifying mental affliction while Master Zhao offered a huge reward. After Zhang Shu revealed Zhang Xuezhou’s healing abilities, Master Zhao begged him to save his son, leaving Zhang Xuezhou unable to help but newly aware of how valuable healing Techniques were.

  • Master Zhao offered first five strings and then ten strings of coins to anyone who could cure Zhao Liang, but the gathered physicians and cultivators had no solution.
  • Wen Weng and Dong Zhongshu discussed Zhao Liang’s fear of the Ba Snake, while Wen Weng said he had set a trap to capture it.
  • Pockmarked Wang Er and Divine Physician Jiang proposed decoctions to keep Zhao Liang alive and prevent his condition from worsening, and Master Zhao paid them to prepare the medicines.
  • Dong Zhongshu told Zhang Xuezhou that Zhang Shu’s household was wealthy and that Zhang Xuezhou had declined a banquet that would include a gift, leaving him bitterly regretful.
  • Zhang Shu told Master Zhao that Zhang Xuezhou could heal injuries with Technique Methods, and Master Zhao begged Zhang Xuezhou to save Zhao Liang, but Zhang Xuezhou knew he could not cure him.

Ch. 482A Good Remedy

Master Zhao’s reward for curing Zhao Liang drew widespread attention, but no one dared take the notice. After discussing powerful Wind Techniques with Dong Zhongshu, Zhang Xuezhou met a blind man who claimed to have a remedy for Zhao Liang and offered to guide him to the young master.

  • Master Zhao left the governor’s residence with Zhao Liang after a day passed without anyone answering the reward notice.
  • Zhang Xuezhou urged Dong Zhongshu to name a Technique that could cure Zhao Liang, then compared Dong’s abilities with those of the deceased Venerable Yufeng.
  • Dong Zhongshu identified Venerable Yufeng’s Wind Sha Technique as likely belonging to the Zhuangzi School and spoke of its founder, Zhuangzi.
  • Zhang Xuezhou went out to visit Wen Weng and met a blind man seeking the governor’s residence who said he had a remedy for Zhao Liang.
  • Zhang Xuezhou told the blind man he knew where Zhao Liang was and offered to take him there.

Ch. 483Yao Qi Surging to the Heavens

Zhang Xuezhou brought the blind Grandpa Jiang to treat Zhao Liang, who woke after Grandpa Jiang used a Daoist Technique. After Zhang Xuezhou left the Zhao Household, Kong Ning confronted him about the surging Yao Qi inside.

  • Zhang Xuezhou escorted Grandpa Jiang to the Zhao Household and introduced him to Master Zhao as someone who might treat Zhao Liang.
  • Master Zhao welcomed Grandpa Jiang and led him to Zhao Liang, while the shamaness Granny Chen stopped her ritual dance.
  • Grandpa Jiang sprayed incanted water over Zhao Liang, who woke in a panic and then calmed down.
  • Grandpa Jiang said Zhao Liang still needed medicinal treatment and requested numerous rare herbs, which Master Zhao ordered his servants to find.
  • Kong Ning sent Zhang Xuezhou a voice transmission, and he left the Zhao Household to meet her outside.
  • Kong Ning asked Zhang Xuezhou which Yao king he had provoked and whether he had been killing people, because Yao Qi was surging to the heavens.

Ch. 484The Great Yao in the Residence

Kong Ning sensed strong Yao Qi in the Zhao mansion and identified its source as the blue-robed Zhao Liang, though Zhang Xuezhou could not detect it and doubted her. As Zhang Xuezhou prepared to bring Kong Ning inside to investigate, a great Yao fled the mansion amid Grandpa Jiang’s scolding.

  • Kong Ning delivered the Spirit-Forging Pill and relayed the Venerable One’s invitation for Zhang Xuezhou to visit the Xieluosi River Holy Land.
  • Zhang Xuezhou asked Kong Ning to help protect Zhao Liang, saying his safety could affect the Venerable One’s mission.
  • Kong Ning looked into the Zhao mansion and sensed Yao Qi coming from Zhao Liang, but Zhang Xuezhou insisted Zhao Liang was human and suggested the blind Grandpa Jiang might be responsible.
  • Zhang Xuezhou invited Kong Ning to enter the Zhao mansion and examine Zhao Liang.
  • Grandpa Jiang scolded someone inside, and a barking great Yao escaped the Zhao mansion as a mass of black wind.

Ch. 485Dogs and Foxes

Zhang Xuezhou returned to the Zhao Household with Kong Ning, who recognized that Zhao Liang was being controlled by a fox yao. After Kong Ning reflected Zhao Liang’s arrow and broke the spell, the fox yao died from the backlash.

  • Zhang Xuezhou and Kong Ning returned to the Zhao Household after Er Gouzi’s bride disguise caused a commotion.
  • Master Zhao thanked Zhang Xuezhou for bringing Grandpa Jiang, but Grandpa Jiang had disappeared, and Zhao Liang said the medicine would cure him.
  • Kong Ning accused Zhao Liang of being controlled by a monster, while Zhang Xuezhou urged Master Zhao to test him with a private question.
  • Zhao Liang ignored Master Zhao and shot an arrow at Kong Ning, who reflected it into his chest.
  • The spell’s backlash struck the fox yao who had been performing a ritual, and she turned black and died.

Ch. 486Venomous snakes

After Kong Ning identified a hidden great demon’s curse on Zhao Liang, Zhang Xuezhou suspected the Ba Snake was behind it and urged Master Zhao to seek help from Governor Wen and Dong Zhongshu. The danger continued when another Zhao Household servant was found dead from a snakebite.

  • Kong Ning killed the venomous snake that had bitten the fox demon, while Zhang Xuezhou treated Zhao Liang’s arrow wound.
  • Kong Ning determined that a great demon had cursed Zhao Liang through a seven-day divine-soul incantation and that the fox demon had only assisted the caster.
  • Zhang Xuezhou suspected the Ba Snake had cast the curse and told Master Zhao that Dong Zhongshu might be able to help find it.
  • Kong Ning left, and Master Zhao sent people to fetch Governor Wen and beg Dong Zhongshu for help.
  • A guest retainer returned with Zhang Sanyang’s corpse and reported that a snake had poisoned him; Zhao Liang then cried out about snakes in his sleep.

Ch. 487Assault on the City

Snakes and venomous creatures swarmed Shu Commandery City, and Zhang Xuezhou used a magic recorder to help Wen Weng drive them back. Wen Weng and Zhang Shu exposed the snake demon Grandpa Jiang, who begged for his life and claimed he had been forced to come.

  • Snakes and venomous creatures appeared throughout Shu Commandery City, prompting Master Zhao to order residents to make noise and light bonfires.
  • Zhang Xuezhou flew beyond the city to investigate but found no snakes drawn to Wen Weng's trap, then returned to help defend the walls.
  • Zhang Xuezhou used a recorder that repelled venomous creatures and handed it to Wen Weng, whose Law Power spread its effect across a wide area.
  • Wen Weng detected a stubborn presence, and Zhang Shu shot Grandpa Jiang, revealing him as a white python snake demon.
  • Grandpa Jiang begged Wen Weng to spare him and said someone had forced him to come.

Ch. 488Ten Yin

Wen Weng and the others hunted the snakes in Shu Commandery City after Zhang Shu killed Grandpa Jiang, while Zhang Xuezhou watched for the Ba Snake. The Ba Snake appeared, accused a dog demon of taking his medicine, and fled when Kong Ning called him Ten Yin.

  • Zhang Shu killed the wounded white python after it sprayed poisonous rain, and Wen Weng contained the poison with Law Power.
  • Zhang Xuezhou reported that Zhao Liang had been struck by a rare divine-soul Incantation, prompting Wen Weng to send Zhang Shu to warn Dong Zhongshu; Zhang Xuezhou then revealed that members of the Zhao Household were already visiting Dong.
  • Wen Weng led a snake-killing campaign through Shu Commandery City while Zhang Xuezhou watched the trap and spotted a white-haired dog demon insulting the python's corpse.
  • Dong Zhongshu arrived with Wen Weng and warned that a snake-headed, human-bodied demon was nearby; the Ba Snake leaped over the city wall as arrows flew at him.
  • The Ba Snake accused the barking dog demon of taking his medicine, then fled the city after Kong Ning called him Ten Yin.

Ch. 489Hardship

After the Ba Snake escaped Shu Commandery City, Zhang Xuezhou, Dong Zhongshu, and Wen Weng discussed their failed attempt to catch him and the danger he posed. Dong Zhongshu said he could no longer use Zhao Liang to track the Ba Snake, leaving Zhang Xuezhou hopeful that Zhao Liang would recover and the wedding banquet could proceed.

  • Zhang Xuezhou questioned whether the venomous python he had encountered was the Ten Yin Holy Son, then decided to let Kong Ning investigate the Ba Snake.
  • Zhang Xuezhou resolved to earn money, buy medicine, and leave Shu Commandery City after the Ba Snake ignored the Eye of the Ba Snake and attacked the city instead.
  • Dong Zhongshu came to Zhang Xuezhou for treatment after the Ba Snake shot an arrow into his arm, and the two complained about their hardships.
  • Wen Weng joined Zhang Xuezhou and Dong Zhongshu and admitted that the Ba Snake’s retaliation had made guarding Shu Commandery City difficult.
  • Dong Zhongshu explained that the Ba Snake would likely dispel his technique on Zhao Liang, preventing him from tracking the yao again.
  • Zhang Xuezhou was pleased that Zhao Liang might regain his senses, allowing the Zhao Household and Zhang Household to hold the wedding banquet.

Ch. 490A Common Mortal

After the Ba Snake attack, Zhang Xuezhou tried to leave Shu Commandery City, claiming he needed treatment and money for medicine. Dong Zhongshu and Wen Weng persuaded him to stay, and Zhang Shu revealed that Master Zhao had broken bones and wanted Zhang Xuezhou to treat him.

  • Dong Zhongshu said Zhao Liang had been left slightly mad after Dong borrowed his body to fight the Ba Snake, while Wen Weng praised Zhang Xuezhou for using the Cassia Seed Dharma Flute to help protect Shu Commandery City.
  • Zhang Xuezhou said he planned to leave Shu Commandery City and seek treatment, but Dong Zhongshu and Wen Weng argued that traveling alone was dangerous and he could earn money treating people there.
  • Zhang Xuezhou complained that he had saved people without being paid and hinted that Zhang Shu could give him money for medicine.
  • Zhang Shu said Master Zhao had broken bones during the attack and had been hoping Zhang Xuezhou would visit to treat him.
  • Zhang Xuezhou felt secretly pleased at the prospect of treating Master Zhao for a fee.

Ch. 491Hawkers and Peddlers, Pulling Carts and Selling Drinks

After realizing that his techniques made him unusually valuable in Shu Commandery City, Zhang Xuezhou stopped anxiously seeking payment and set up a stall offering paid treatment for external injuries. He quickly healed his first customer and left him enthusiastically calling for more patients.

  • Zhang Xuezhou recognized that his techniques and Cassia Seed Dharma Flute made him difficult to replace in Shu Commandery City, easing his worries about money.
  • Zhang Xuezhou decided to set up a stall and charge for treating external injuries instead of proactively offering free help.
  • After patrolling the city overnight, Zhang Xuezhou returned to the commandery governor's residence and prepared a sign that read "Treating external injuries only."
  • A young man with a swollen face came to Zhang Xuezhou's stall after being struck by an iron fork while people fought snakes in the dark.
  • Zhang Xuezhou charged the young man ten half-liang coins, cut his face to release congested blood, and healed him with the Supreme Purity True Technique.
  • The young man praised Zhang Xuezhou as an immortal and began shouting to attract customers.

Ch. 492The Zhao Household Came Knocking

After the Ba Snake attack left the Zhao Household with severe injuries and deaths, its women blamed Dong Zhongshu and demanded that he take responsibility. They finally found Zhang Xuezhou at his healing stall, where Lüluo explained the household’s troubles and agreed to pay for treatment.

  • The Zhao Household suffered heavy losses after Zhao Liang was struck by the Ba Snake's Curse Technique, Master Zhao was injured, Zhang Sanyang was killed, and two guest retainers died.
  • Dong Zhongshu was pursued by three women from the Zhao Household, who accused him of causing Zhao Liang's condition and Master Zhao's injury.
  • Dong Zhongshu spotted Zhang Xuezhou treating people at a stall and directed the Zhao Household women to him for help.
  • Lüluo reached Zhang Xuezhou and explained that she was the third wife of the head of the Zhao Household.
  • Zhang Xuezhou showed Lüluo his treatment board, and she said the Zhao Household had money to pay.

Ch. 493Five Strings of Coins

Zhang Xuezhou examined Master Zhao and demanded five strings of coins to treat his internal injuries, while Master Zhao realized the Zhao Household’s prospects depended on saving Zhao Liang and retaining influence at court. Dong Zhongshu remained trapped in the household’s affairs and worried about the consequences of his entanglements.

  • Zhang Xuezhou refused to go to the Zhao Household and said he would treat qualifying patients who were brought to him.
  • Hongyi and Lüluo asked Dong Zhongshu to persuade Zhang Xuezhou to examine Master Zhao, while Dong Zhongshu briefly felt close to a cultivation breakthrough in the sunlight.
  • The Zhao Household brought Master Zhao by carriage, and Dong Zhongshu moved aside as Master Zhao was carried out.
  • Zhang Xuezhou diagnosed Master Zhao with internal bleeding and bruising and charged five strings of coins for treatment.
  • Master Zhao realized Zhang Xuezhou’s lower fee suggested Zhao Liang’s condition was worse, and told Hongyi to keep pressing Dong Zhongshu because he believed only Dong could save Liang'er.

Ch. 494Today We're All Herb Gatherers

Zhang Xuezhou healed Master Zhao’s injuries and used the payment to buy medicinal ingredients for making Grain Avoidance Powder. When Master Zhao offered more money to obtain herbs for his sick youngest son, the gathered crowd eagerly volunteered to become herb gatherers.

  • Zhang Xuezhou insisted on charging Master Zhao fairly, then treated his injuries with the Deer-Slaying Blade and a healing technique.
  • Master Zhao recovered enough to stand and walk, and Zhang Xuezhou advised him to eat nourishing food while he regained his strength.
  • Zhang Xuezhou spent his payment on older medicinal ingredients to refine stronger Grain Avoidance Powder.
  • Master Zhao asked whether herbs sought by Grandpa Jiang could help his youngest son, and Zhang Xuezhou said they might replenish the boy’s Qi and Blood.
  • Master Zhao offered another ten strings of coins for herbs, and the crowd began volunteering to gather them.

Ch. 495The Qi in "A Life as Long as Heaven"

Dong Zhongshu used Zhao Liang as the material for another tracking spell and found Kong Ning fighting the Ba Snake. The Ba Snake claimed his name was Jiang Qi and fled Shu Commandery, while Kong Ning remained uncertain about his identity.

  • Zhang Xuezhou watched Wen Weng persuade the Zhao Household to let Dong Zhongshu use Zhao Liang again for a tracking spell.
  • Dong Zhongshu cast the spell and revealed Kong Ning confronting the wounded Ba Snake, whom she suspected of being Zhu Shiyin, the Ten Yin Holy Son.
  • The Ba Snake denied being Ten Yin and claimed his name was Jiang Qi, persuading Kong Ning that he might only share the Holy Son's techniques by coincidence.
  • Kong Ning sensed someone watching, and the Ba Snake also felt watched as he fled from her and left Shu Commandery.

Ch. 496Jade Purity True Technique

Dong Zhongshu and Wen Weng tracked the Ba Snake yao west, where Kong Ning had driven it away from Shu Commandery. Wen Weng expected Zhao Liang’s mind to recover once the Ba Snake lost control of him, but Dong Zhongshu revealed that Zhao Liang’s body remained damaged and planned to seek General Li Guang’s help.

  • Dong Zhongshu told Wen Weng that Kong Ning, a great yao from the Xieluosi River, was pursuing the Ba Snake west toward the Savage Wilderness.
  • Wen Weng welcomed the Ba Snake’s departure and advised Dong Zhongshu to study Huang-Lao teachings because his fortune seemed to have turned against him.
  • After ending his tracking technique, Dong Zhongshu heard Wen Weng explain that the Ba Snake’s separation from Zhao Liang would likely end the Incantation Technique and restore Zhao Liang’s mind.
  • Dong Zhongshu revealed that Zhao Liang’s body had been damaged by the clash of Law Power and said he would take him to seek General Li Guang’s help.
  • Dong Zhongshu explained that the Jade Purity True Technique could treat clashes of Law Power within the body, and Wen Weng reacted uneasily to its name.

Ch. 497Immobilize Character Scroll

After the Ba Snake fled Shu Commandery, Zhang Xuezhou arranged to travel north with Dong Zhongshu and negotiated for the Eye of the Ba Snake. Wen Weng offered his rare Immobilize Character Scroll in exchange, leaving Zhang Xuezhou satisfied with the proposed trade.

  • Zhang Xuezhou concluded that the Ba Snake had fled because it feared the Venerable One, then decided to retrieve its eye and travel north with Dong Zhongshu.
  • Zhang Xuezhou persuaded Dong Zhongshu to let him join the journey to the Northern Border Military Region, where Zhao Liang would receive treatment.
  • Zhang Xuezhou and Zhang Shu rode outside Shu Commandery City and retrieved the Eye of the Ba Snake.
  • Wen Weng asked to exchange the Cassia Seed Dharma Flute for the Eye of the Ba Snake, and Dong Zhongshu argued that Wen Weng should offer additional compensation.
  • Wen Weng offered his Immobilize Character Scroll, and he and Dong Zhongshu explained its uses, limits, and diminishing power to Zhang Xuezhou.
  • Zhang Xuezhou welcomed the trade, which would give him the scroll and sever Wen Weng's connection to the Eye of the Ba Snake.

Ch. 498All Rich People

Zhang Xuezhou learned how merchants navigated Han Dynasty checkpoints and considered traveling alone to retrieve his herbs if Dong Zhongshu departed. Before he left, Zhang Shu thanked him with a heavy pouch of coins, and Zhang Xuezhou realized his cultivation techniques gave him wealth that money could not buy.

  • Zhang Xuezhou asked Pockmarked Wang Er about trade and learned that traveling merchants could pass checkpoints by paying guards, while ordered herbs took days or weeks to arrive.
  • Zhang Shu told Zhang Xuezhou that Dong Zhongshu and the commandery governor wanted to see him, prompting Zhang Xuezhou to worry about leaving before his herbs arrived.
  • Zhang Shu gave Zhang Xuezhou a pouch of banliang coins in gratitude for healing his sword wound.
  • Zhang Shu offered to trade money for pills, Realm Techniques, or martial arts, and Zhang Xuezhou recognized that his cultivation knowledge was valuable to wealthy households.

Ch. 499The Court Struggled to Govern an Enlightened Populace

Zhang Xuezhou joined Dong Zhongshu’s planned journey to the Northern Border Military Region under the alias Dongfang Shuo, while he and Dong Zhongshu discussed whether educating the people could threaten the court’s rule. Zhang Xuezhou admitted he had no answer yet and began considering the consequences of publicizing cultivation techniques.

  • Zhang Shu gave Zhang Xuezhou four strings and 999 banliang coins as a thank-you gift, and Zhang Xuezhou later met Dong Zhongshu at the commandery governor’s residence.
  • Dong Zhongshu explained that the group would travel with Zhao Baojia’s merchant caravan and asked Zhang Xuezhou to use an alias for his travel pass.
  • Zhang Xuezhou chose the name Dongfang Shuo, and Wen Weng created a false background placing his ancestral home in Fuping County in the Northern Border.
  • After Wen Weng and the others left, Dong Zhongshu told Zhang Xuezhou that Wen Weng hoped he would promote the academy, and Zhang Xuezhou argued that the people needed education to help govern the state.
  • Dong Zhongshu warned that an enlightened populace might become difficult to govern and asked what should be done; Zhang Xuezhou said he needed time to consider the question and the risks of making cultivation techniques public.

Ch. 500Two Answers

Dong Zhongshu left Shu Commandery City wrestling with the dangers of empowering the schools and the possibility of restoring a balance between the imperial court and cultivators. At the Academy District Medical Center, Ren Yisheng answered Zhang Xuezhou’s question by explaining that the Gene Fighting Technique and Realm Technique could eventually benefit everyone, but only after society solved their flaws and developed enough to support them.

  • After taking Grain Avoidance Powder, Zhang Xuezhou lost control of his body and joined Dong Zhongshu’s departing convoy as a bedridden passenger.
  • As the convoy left Shu Commandery City, Dong Zhongshu reflected on Wen Weng’s ideas and weighed the risks of promoting Wen Weng Academy against the need to balance the imperial court and the schools.
  • Dong Zhongshu considered whether a supreme Confucian School could restrain cultivators and restore the former unity of heaven and earth, but doubted that the imperial court and another power could coexist peacefully.
  • At the Academy District Medical Center, Zhang Xuezhou asked Ren Yisheng about sharing advanced knowledge and techniques with the public.
  • Ren Yisheng explained that Gene Fighting Technique and Realm Technique could become broadly available once their flaws were solved and society had the knowledge and resources to use them safely.

Ch. 501Crane Blood Serum

Zhang Xuezhou received tailored X446 Body Repair Technology containing crane blood serum, which healed his chest injury and strengthened his avian genes. As he began practicing the Grain Avoidance Technique in the True Spirit Realm, Ren Yisheng considered how Zhang’s unusual marksmanship and combat abilities could shape the Kunpeng Combat Technique.

  • Ren Yisheng discussed how society’s progress could not be stopped by any single lineage and said Luo Zhong had once been stronger than Committee Member Zhou.
  • Zhang Xuezhou underwent a customized X446 treatment and sensed that it contained avian blood serum.
  • Ren Yisheng explained that crane genes from Zhou Yueyan’s laboratory would strengthen Zhang Xuezhou’s avian genes, benefiting his Crane Form Fist and Kunpeng Combat Technique.
  • Ren Yisheng reflected that Zhang Xuezhou’s exceptional marksmanship and ranged abilities made his combat style unusually effective, though difficult for others to imitate.
  • Zhang Xuezhou began advancing his Grain Avoidance Technique in the True Spirit Realm inside the apparatus.
Arc 20 of 56
Arc 20 of 56