Chapter 495

'I examine myself three times daily!'

Wu Tie looked at the three characters "Three Reflections Hall" and couldn't help but recall the origin of "Three Reflections".

However, in the present age, who knows how many people still understand the meaning of this phrase?

At least as Huo Xiong knows, the civil officials of the Great Jin Divine State have studied practical skills since childhood—law, agriculture, medicine, fishing and husbandry, etc. —and those who can compose poetry and couplets are already "great talents" among the eminent scholars.

Works such as "I examine myself three times daily" might be collected in the imperial city's secret library, the Hall of Literary Splendor, but ordinary people cannot borrow them.

The Great Jin Divine State, and even the other two great Divine States, have fragmentary transmission of knowledge, especially ancient knowledge, which the upper echelons of the Divine States carefully control and seal off.

To use the term "Three Reflections" as a plaque, the owner of this small building must certainly be no ordinary person.

His gaze swept over the plaque; Huo Xiong could not possibly have such a store of knowledge, so Wu Tie must not show any surprise, curiosity, or other oddness.

He acted just like an ordinary martial artist, glancing askance at the plaque, then lifting his head and chest as he followed Sima You into the courtyard and arrived before the small building's door.

Two girls, soft and graceful as water yet with divine light in their eyes, their bodies filled with a literary aura that made them seem like a pair of pearls, stood quietly before the small building's door. Seeing Sima You and Wu Tie, they each gave a faint smile, bent down, and placed a pair of silk slippers before Wu Tie and Sima You.

Wu Tie and Sima You changed into the slippers; the two girls gently pushed open the door, and the two entered the small building.

Mr. Li, expressionless, stood in the center of the first‑floor hall. Seeing Wu Tie and Sima You, he let out a heavy breath and earnestly asked Wu Tie: "Are you well?"

Wu Tie nodded to Mr. Li: "I'm fine… though, at the storage yard outside the city I was questioned and nearly dragged off for harsh interrogation. Tsk, take a look."

Wu Tie pointed to his shoulder, which had been squeezed out of shape; he tugged at his clothing, and the tightened fabric revealed the deformed shoulder blade.

Mr. Li's face darkened, and he snorted coldly: "You meant well… but your methods are nothing special."

Wu Tie nodded, shook his left hand with a few "crack" sounds, and the deformed shoulder blade returned to normal. He chuckled softly: "Fortunately I still have a few tricks; I managed to fool these fellows, otherwise I might not have gotten away."

Mr. Li nodded, pointed upstairs, and said: "These matters will be settled in due course. Your safe arrival is already excellent. Come, my lord awaits you upstairs—be respectful, be very respectful."

Wu Tie drew a light breath, nodded slowly, and firmly wiped his face; the middle‑aged visage he had assumed shifted back to Huo Xiong's features. He tugged at his clothes and followed Mr. Li up the stairs.

Sima You sat in the first‑floor hall, silently watching the door that the two girls had closed.

Mr. Li made no sound as he walked; Wu Tie followed him up to the second floor of the small building, arriving outside the little study pavilion set apart from the rest. A girl wearing a scarlet gauze dress, beautiful enough to topple nations, radiant like a great red peony, stood at the door. Seeing Mr. Li and Wu Tie, she smiled faintly and lightly tapped the pavilion's small door.

"You've come; just enter, no need for restraint," a somewhat magnetic voice said from within the pavilion.

The scarlet‑clad girl gently pushed open the door; Mr. Li, with a perfectly timed smile, bowed slightly and led Wu Tie into the pavilion.

The door closed silently, and a gentle ward flowed from the door, instantly suffusing the entire tiny study pavilion. Then an invisible breeze swept over the whole building; the plants outside the second floor swayed slightly, and an unseen, exquisitely subtle ward activated, sealing off the Three Reflections Hall completely.

Two mosquitoes flew silently to the outer wall of the Three Reflections Hall; just as they crossed the wall, two fine points of light flashed, and the mosquitoes turned silently into two wisps of green smoke that dissipated, leaving not a trace.

A middle‑aged man in a blue‑gold long robe, his hair tied behind his head in a loose, saggy ponytail, sat smiling on the small study platform, leaning comfortably against a large cushion with his legs crossed.

He gave off a faint scent of wine, his aura fragrant and mellow, even causing Wu Tie's arcane power to surge and churn in waves.

Obviously, the middle‑aged man had drunk before, and it was a peerless vintage, nothing like ordinary market rice wine.

"My lord!" Mr. Li bowed deeply to the middle‑aged man.

"This… sir… uh, my lord!" Wu Tie also didn't know how to address the middle‑aged man.

But upon reflection, Mr. Li had previously represented this middle‑aged man in recruiting Huo Xiong, and Wu Tie had already pledged allegiance—meaning he is now this man's retainer. Calling him "my lord" is therefore not wrong.

"Duke of Yuzhou, Huo Xiong!" the middle‑aged man gladly accepted Wu Tie's address.

He turned slightly, set down the book in his hand, examined Wu Tie up and down for a moment, then smiled: "You are a person of fortune… someone once asked, what is most important in life? Power? Wealth? Astonishing talent? Or the highest‑born bloodline?"

He shook his head and laughed: "No, no, no, after weathering so many years of storms, I finally understood one thing: power, wealth, talent, and birthright are all empty. Destiny, destiny alone is the most important!"

Wu Tie stared wide‑eyed at the middle‑aged man.

Who in the world can use the imperial "I"? Besides the God Emperors of the three great Divine States, who else could claim it?

"Your Majesty!" Wu Tie quickly recalled the audience rites of the Great Jin Divine State's etiquette, knelt properly on the ground, and performed the full kowtow to the middle‑aged man. His facial muscles twitched, his movements a bit stiff and sluggish, perfectly portraying a loyal subject trembling with fear.

Mr. Li stood to the side, smiling, and nodded approvingly with satisfaction.

The middle‑aged man burst into laughter, lightly tapped the square little desk before him, and said: "Rise, my Duke of Yuzhou… hm, who do you think I am?"

Wu Tie rose, his voice deep: "Your servant has overstepped… you… the present God Emperor of the Great Jin Divine State, your servant…"

The middle‑aged man laughed, shaking his head: "No, no, no, I am not that fool Sima Xian; I am his father!"

Wu Tie's eyes widened sharply; this time he truly stared in utter astonishment at the "I" before him.

The present God Emperor of the Great Jin Divine State, Sima Xian… his father?

That is, the previous God Emperor of the Great Jin Divine State, Sima Wuyou?

Six thousand years ago, the former crown prince of the Great Jin, Sima Sheng, led the Eastern Palace in rebellion against the Great Jin, carting off half of the rare treasures from the imperial secret vault and the Divine State's treasure house, and even moving the imperial palace itself from that era.

Folk rumors say this dealt a crushing blow to the previous God Emperor of the Great Jin Divine State, Sima Wuyou, causing him to suffer a deviant cultivation backlash, severe injury, and near death… afterward Sima Wuyou clung to life for decades, eventually passing the God Emperor's throne to the present Sima Xian.

For more than five thousand years, Sima Wuyou has not appeared in public.

Some say he died.

Some say he lies bedridden with grave injuries, lingering on his sickbed.

Others say he grew disheartened and has secluded himself deep within the palace, withdrawing from the world.

But now, Sima Wuyou sits before Wu Tie with extraordinary vigor, and he still bears a faint scent of wine—both his mental state and his lifestyle are far from poor.

"Your Majesty… servant…" Wu Tie genuinely did not know what to say.

"Duke of Yuzhou, what did you bring back from the southwest?" Mr. Li interjected.

Wu Tie, as if suddenly enlightened, repeatedly assented, spreading his hands; a cluster of seven‑colored divine light burst forth, and a jade seal about nine inches long and wide, roughly six inches high, its body entwined with seven‑colored light and emanating a warm, rich aura, floated out from the light.

The gazes of Sima Wuyou and Mr. Li also glazed over; they stared fixedly at this Great Jin Divine State's Heirloom Jade Seal. Gradually Sima Wuyou began to smile, his grin widening, until he could not help but throw his head back and laugh loudly.

"Hahaha, splendid, splendid, this Heirloom Jade Seal has finally returned to my hand." Sima Wuyou closed his eyes, the smile on his face slowly faded, and he exhaled heavily.

All that could be seen was his finger tapping lightly; a speck of spiritual light flickered at his fingertip, and the seal turned into a stream of seven‑colored light that sank into his palm, vanishing without a trace.

Thereafter Sima Wuyou's aura surged violently, now strong, now weak; at times it was so powerful that Wu Tie felt suffocated, at times so faint that Wu Tie could scarcely sense that a living person stood before him.

Gradually, Sima Wuyou's aura steadied.

Collected inward, tranquil, a faint aura of carefree naturalness emanated from within Sima Wuyou.

Wu Tie sensed that thread of vital energy from Sima Wuyou; his outwardly manifested Nine Turns Mystic Art immediately began to run of its own accord, his inner arcane power surging like a tide, and a vague, elusive aura arose within him, matching perfectly the aura emanating from Sima Wuyou.

"Do you feel that my cultivation method and your practice of the Nine Revolutions Mystic Art share an origin?" Sima Wuyou chuckled as he looked at Wu Tie, then said leisurely, "This isn't a highly secret matter… Our Great Jin imperial clan, every generation of Divine Emperor, only the Divine Emperor, cultivates the primeval cultivation method, the Supreme Clarity Numinous Treasure Classic."

"Your primary cultivation of the Nine Revolutions Mystic Art originates from the Primeval Three Purities Dao Technique, so it naturally resonates with my vital energy—this is only logical."

Sima Wuyou lightly tapped his finger on the small desk, sighing softly: "The Great Jin's Imperial Jade Seal is a divine artifact bestowed by the heavenly gods… Wearing it allows one to cultivate the Supreme Clarity Numinous Treasure Classic without suffering heavenly tribulation."

Wu Tie recalled the origin of his Nine Revolutions Mystic Art.

On the Three Kingdoms battlefield, Wu Tie had heard the army commanders say that those ancient forbidden arts, if secretly cultivated, would surely attract heavenly tribulation commanders who would not relent until the cultivator was blasted into nothingness.

The Supreme Clarity Numinous Treasure Classic is obviously also a primeval forbidden technique, and it is certainly bound by the same restriction.

Conversely, the Great Jin Divine State's Imperial Jade Seal is a permanent permit—so long as one bears the Imperial Jade Seal, one can cultivate the Supreme Clarity Numinous Treasure Classic!

"Thinking back… my most beloved crown prince, Sima Xian… to nurture him early, I granted him the Imperial Jade Seal ahead of time, allowing him to cultivate the Supreme Clarity Numinous Treasure Classic prematurely." Sima Wuyou said coldly, "But who would have thought he would defect from Great Jin?"

"Hehe, he defected from Great Jin and took the Imperial Jade Seal, leaving me truly in a fix…" Sima Wuyou's expression was complex—fear, resentment, anger, regret… myriad emotions, but this complex feeling flashed by quickly, and he soon returned to his calm and composed imperial bearing.

"I… flew into a rage, my aura leaked, heavenly tribulation descended, and it nearly split my soul and spirit apart." Sima Wuyou's body trembled slightly: "Fortunately, I have deep ties with a certain heavenly deity, who showed mercy beyond the law, sparing me from the death penalty."

Mr. Li stood to the side with drooping eyelids, motionless like a wooden post.

Sima Wuyou's emotions surged, his feelings poured out as he recounted these millennia-old secrets… As Sima Wuyou's trusted close aide, Mr. Li also felt helpless. If he could choose, he would rather not have heard them.

"The reason I passed the throne to that fool Sima Xian… was out of necessity." Sima Wuyou said calmly, "What use am I when I cannot mobilize even a trace of magical power? Yet to abandon the arduous cultivation of the Supreme Clarity Numinous Treasure's power I have pursued for so many years— I am unwilling, and I cannot bear to let it go."

"Duke of Yuzhou, you have done well… you brought back the Imperial Jade Seal, and what you brought back is not merely a seal, but also my power, my dignity, and the future hope of the Great Jin Divine State." Sima Wuyou pointed at Wu Tie and said in a low voice: "Just… if this matter can be kept unknown, then do not let 'outsiders' know, do you understand?"

Wu Tie looked at Sima Wuyou and said in a solemn tone: "Your servant will certainly keep his mouth shut like a sealed bottle."

Sima Wuyou smiled and nodded, smiling at Wu Tie as he spoke softly: "This merit, I keep in my heart; for now I cannot reward you, but I have kept it in my heart… In the future, when you achieve further merit, I will not treat you poorly."

Wu Tie smiled and nodded, then took out one after another of the white eagle-returned secret treasures.

Sima Wuyou looked at the numerous secret treasures hovering beside Wu Tie, fell silent for a moment, sighed, swept his wide sleeve, and rolled away most of them, leaving only a dozen or so beside Wu Tie.

"Go to Dongyuan to mobilize the troops; I want a force absolutely loyal to me, daring to draw blades against anyone. These secret treasures, plus the twelve sets of Heavenly Stars Stellar Armor and thirty-six Four Spirit Warships you requested from Li You… I will grant them all to you." Sima Wuyou's smile was full of power.

"I want a strong army capable of killing for me!"

"You, can you do it?"

Wu Tie looked at Sima Wuyou and said resolutely: "Your servant, I will obey the edict… Your servant, I can do it."

Sima Wuyou nodded in satisfaction, pondered for a moment, produced a golden token entwined with nine dragons, and casually tossed it to Wu Tie: "This is Sima Xian's Divine Emperor's Token; there are only twelve such tokens under heaven, and this token represents Sima Xian himself…"

He gave a mocking cold laugh: "I don't want to show myself for now, so you may act in his name as you see fit. Rest assured, no matter how much trouble you stir up, he will cover for you."

He let out a light sigh, and Sima Wuyou said coldly: "Pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger, pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger—this fool has been feeding on pigs for over five thousand years, hasn't tasted a single bite of tiger meat, and now it looks like he's really going to turn into a pig."

"However, compared to his elder brother, although he has become somewhat worthless, there is at least one 'filial' aspect worth noting."

He blinked his eyelids, and Sima Wuyou's tone turned very helpless.

"But the character 'filial'… in ordinary people's homes, this 'filial' character is extremely precious."

"He, a lofty Divine Emperor of Great Jin… being this filial… I would rather he be a bit ruthless and vicious, a bit shameless and despicable, a bit lowly and base."

Wu Tie fell into the same state as Mr. Li, both of them pretending to be wooden posts.

Listening to the Retired Emperor's complaints about the current Divine Emperor… and the angle of his complaints being so novel and strange, Wu Tie also didn't know what to say.

But Wu Tie knew one thing: he had latched onto one of the thickest super-thighs of the Great Jin Divine State.

This is good.