Chapter 643: Heaven and Man as One

The Imperial Capital.

The wind and snow eased slightly.

The flying eaves of the outer city were connected, and wind chimes tinkled lightly. The blue-gray roof tiles had completely changed color, covered in a thick layer of accumulated snow.

Transparent icicles hung from the eaves, swaying precariously in the cold wind.

With the year-end approaching, the weather was growing colder, and every household had set out charcoal braziers.

Someone exhaled a puff of hot air, stepped over the threshold, and swung a broom handle to knock down the icicles, lest they fall and injure passersby.

Looking toward the Imperial City again.

The wind was calm and the sun was bright, as always.

The Qinzheng Hall, East Side Hall.

Afternoon sunlight filtered through the carved window lattices, casting dazzling golden light spots onto the thick wool carpet. Palace maids arrived in a line to tidy the appearance of the Holy Emperor, who had just risen from his afternoon nap.

"Is there any news from the Southern Frontier?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, not yet."

"The various tribes of the Southern Frontier have joined forces; we must not be careless. If that Earth Mountain Spirit truly becomes a pseudo-dragon, and we face the Southern Frontier in the future with the Lu-Cang River as a natural barrier, we will be in a passive position in everything. Report to me immediately if there is news."

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty."

"What about the Northern Court? The Northern Border has been drifting with snow last year and this year; it won't be too peaceful."

The Chief Eunuch took a thick stack of pages from a young eunuch beside him and bowed to present them.

Opening the pages, most were summaries of incursions in the eleventh month—small skirmishes, nothing of great importance.

He paused.

"What about the Ghost Mother Sect?"

"The Ghost Mother Sect has no movements for now. However, there is indeed one matter in the Jianghuai waters, reported by Prefect Jian of Pingyang Prefecture."

The Chief Eunuch turned his head, and the young eunuch bowed and stepped forward. On a tray lined with bright red cloth, a single memorial was displayed.

"What matter is so grand?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, it is a joyous occasion! Liang Qu, the Rank 6 Hengshui Envoy of the Pingyang Prefecture River Patrol Office, is only eighteen years and three months old. He has completed the Wolf Smoke Heavenly Bridge and is on the verge of entering the Hunting Tiger Realm. He is expected to break our Great Shun record, and they hope the Imperial Court will extend a helping hand."

"Oh? Liang Qu... I have an impression. Building bridges and constructing water channels?"

"Exactly. An old gardener is good at cultivation; chrysanthemums bloom in the fifth month. When he was still in humble beginnings, he was favored by Your Majesty and gifted with an oral instruction. Now, he has borne fruit."

"Hahaha, what a 'bearing of fruit'! It is rare to encounter a joyous occasion. Last year he controlled floods and leveled waters; what has Official Liang done this year? Tell me about it."

The Chief Eunuch had received the memorial and already had a draft in mind.

"In the fourth month of early spring, in Xiangyi County, he drove the White Ape to behead a snake demon, a Great Merit of three; in the sixth month of early summer, he discovered strange phenomena in the Great Marsh, and during that time, he eradicated a Ghost Mother Sect spy, a Great Merit of one; in the eighth month of midsummer, he befriended the Dragon People and persuaded them to enter the Imperial Court as officials, a Great Merit of two;

In the eleventh month of late autumn, he went to Huangzhou and persuaded a thousand-strong tribe of Jiaoren to defect to Jianghuai for trade, a Great Merit of two.

Five days from now, it will be the year-end assessment by the Ministry of Personnel. With eight Great Merits in one year, Official Liang should be the first among his peers in Pingyang Prefecture and should receive additional Great Merits."

He put on his yellow robe.

"Tell the Ministry of Personnel to round this lad up to ten Great Merits for this year's assessment."

"Yes. As for the matter of assisting his entry from Wolf Smoke to Hunting Tiger..."

He pondered slightly.

"Immediately have the Imperial Observatory organize personnel to rush to Pingyang to verify the truth of his age, striving to calculate it within three days. Furthermore, send a Rank 1 Dragon Blood Horse to deliver a letter, instructing the Southern Zhili to transport an Altar of Heaven. Once the person and the altar arrive at the location, have that lad sit on the altar and rush to the Imperial Capital."

"Move the Altar of Heaven?"

The Chief Eunuch was startled.

"Go do it immediately."

"Yes!"

The Chief Eunuch received the order and retreated three steps, but did not leave.

"Anything else?"

"Minister Xu has presented a clever object, and the Empress invites Your Majesty to view it together after you wake up. Speaking of which, this object is also related to Water Envoy Liang."

"What object?"

"This subordinate does not know."

"I see. I will go later."

"What does Master Fangzhu think?"

"Very good!"

Sea Fangzhu was happy in her heart, her tentacles curling around the little person and shaking him gently.

Liang Qu fell uncontrollably, and immediately felt himself sink into a ball of cotton, soft and fluffy as if riding the clouds.

For a long while.

Sea Fangzhu released her tentacles and gently patted Liang Qu's head.

Liang Qu felt it was strange, but didn't take it to heart, and continued to ask: "Master Fangzhu, can the current volume be compared to a body of water?"

"Hmm, that's quite difficult."

Sea Fangzhu hesitated.

The current transaction volume was indeed surprising and unexpected, but that was in comparison to the previous disappointment.

Comparing it to the cargo volume of water beasts in a body of water, it still fell short, and the gap was quite large, especially for high-quality items.

As expected.

Liang Qu was not surprised.

It wasn't a holiday, and in the rush, things were inevitably incomplete.

If it were mid-June, when the Sky Ship Chamber of Commerce held its auction, the scenery would certainly be completely different.

He relayed the news to Xu Yuelong and the others.

Xu Yuelong was quite nervous. He hadn't expected the sea merchants to have such a large volume, so he hurriedly called Sui Hongyan and the others: "Bring out the things in the treasury! Are you keeping them to breed?"

"Bullshit." Sui Hongyan rolled her eyes. "If we bypass the procedures and misappropriate the treasury, do you know how many people will rush to impeach us? It's fine that your River Patrol Office is pulling in sea merchants, and your merits outweigh your faults, but don't drag us into it, okay?"

No eagle without a rabbit.

Xu Yuelong cursed inwardly.

"What are the conditions? Name them!"

Sui Hongyan exchanged glances with the others and grinned.

"If you had said that earlier, it would have been done."

Within two days.

The Chamber of Commerce, families, and government offices used all their efforts to barely keep the sea merchants.

Until the third day.

Several large snakes dragged the Flowing Light Boat, arriving slowly.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief in unison.

The real big shot had arrived!

Sea Fangzhu wore a serious expression.

A Demon King!

The arrival of the King of Yue gave everyone a shot in the arm, and boxes upon boxes of good treasures were transported off the boat.

A small figure slid down from the gangplank.

"Master!"

"Little Shitou!"

Liang Qu scooped up Wen Wen Shi Yun and lifted her into his arms.

After a lively moment.

The King of Yue, having finished trading with Sea Fangzhu, beckoned. Liang Qu let Li Libo and Chen Jiechang take Shitou home to play, and jumped onto the bow of the boat himself.

"Master!"

"Have you captured the spiritual light to enter the Hunting Tiger Realm?"

Liang Qu shook his head.

House Steward Zhang Xu brought over a chair.

"No rush." The King of Yue pressed Liang Qu's shoulder, and the two sat opposite each other. "You have only completed the Heavenly Bridge for barely a month. Not to mention those who haven't broken through, even among those who have, there are many Hunting Tiger Great Martial Artists who spend several years encountering this bottleneck."

"Master, this disciple has one thing unclear. What is the difference between the spiritual light of entering Hunting Tiger from Wolf Smoke, and the Profound Light of opening the cave when entering Jiang Zongshi from Hunting Tiger?"

"There is no difference; both belong to the unity of Heaven and Man."

"Six Heyi of Heaven and Man?"

"Have you heard of Hunting Tiger martial artists having a sudden hunch?"

"I know. When encountering a life-and-death crisis or a major event, Hunting Tiger Great Martial Artists occasionally have a premonition, but it's not very accurate—sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Once they become Grandmasters, it becomes much more accurate, and by the time they reach Wu Sheng, they dare not move rashly."

Liang Qu had a deep impression.

Precisely because of this, forces with Martial Saints often sense it the moment an opposing Wu Sheng moves, making ambushes extremely difficult.

That is why there are things like the Four Wilds Heaven-Observing Instrument used to "shield heavenly secrets"—shielding, cracking, higher-level shielding, higher-level cracking; there is a sense of checks and counter-checks.

The King of Yue flicked his finger slightly.

A small air bullet flew out, hitting the water surface and splashing ripples layer upon layer.

"Did you see the air bullet?"

Liang Qu nodded.

"And the ripples?"

Liang Qu pondered.

"I didn't deliberately create ripples, yet the ripples were born because of me. Between Heaven, Earth, and all things, as long as a person exists, they are constantly affecting everything around them.

If someone wants to kill me, they must come toward me. The wind they stir will hit my face, and the blade they swing will reflect light. The so-called unity of Heaven and Man is to communicate with Heaven and Earth and capture half a ripple in advance.

Besides this, the unity of Heaven and Man will temporarily make a person's essence, energy, and spirit merge into one, and then assisted by the long energy of Heaven and Earth, one can construct a natural divine ability engraved on the human soul.

Therefore, entering Jiang Zongshi requires opening the Profound Light. You can roughly understand that opening the Profound Light is a weakened version of the unity of Heaven and Man, but it wins by being a normal state.

The so-called spiritual light of entering Hunting Tiger from Wolf Smoke, which makes the spirit and blood merge, is also the harmony of energy and spirit within the essence, energy, and spirit."

Liang Qu thought of what Jian Zhongyi said about letting the Imperial Court extend a helping hand.

"Are there any external objects that can assist in capturing spiritual light, or even entering the unity of Heaven and Man?"

"Not bad. Besides many rare treasures, I estimate that this time you have a chance to break the record, and the Imperial Court will let you sit on the Altar of Heaven."

(End of chapter)