[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten":3,"chapter-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-614":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Simulated to Reality: I Once Looked Down Upon Ten Thousand Ages?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2347629,4587,"Chapter 614: Xie Hong","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-614",614,"\u003Cp>Yaoxian Tower is a pagoda-style building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first floor occupies the largest area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The higher up, the smaller the space becomes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The topmost level, the fourth floor, is merely a modest pavilion—the most esteemed place of all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the Emperor of Da Qi has no right to ascend it; it was built exclusively for Su Xiang, Su Jing, and the Third Master of the Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above the third floor are only the Nine Surnames and imperial family members, plus a dozen high-ranking officials from court, totaling no more than forty people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These are the most powerful individuals in Bianjing, indeed in all of Da Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Hong and Xie Laotaijun are among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Nine Surnames intermarry and are all well acquainted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They converse in small groups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Hong looked up and noticed among the crowd a middle-aged man dressed in a dragon robe of gold and jade belt, his chin covered in stubble, left hand holding a small cage, teasing the cricket inside—casual, out of place among the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Hong narrowed his eyes slightly; this man was the Emperor of Da Qi, the nominal ruler of this realm: Chen Yan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a pity!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emperor Xianhe is a puppet placed before the public by the Nine Surnames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the palace coup in the third year of Xianhe, Emperor Chen Yan sank into mystic indulgence and amusement, governance deteriorated, and state affairs gradually fell into neglect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Chen Yan’s right sat a dazzlingly splendid woman, wearing a phoenix crown and red veil, exuding an indescribable dignity and grace, her eyes flickering as she laughed and chatted with several nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was the Empress of Da Qi, Zhuge Nan Yue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside the Empress was Zhuge Zi Qing, the object of Zhao Yang’s affection, a man with feminine beauty beyond measure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the left side of the third floor sat an elderly man, known as the “Sick Tiger of the Ministry of Rites,” Tang Ziang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All court officials gathered near him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several people approached Xie Hong—members of the Sima and Li families, allies of the Xie clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two National Defenders of the Li family have been stationed in the north for two or three years without returning to Bianjing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only an elderly matriarch of the Li family, gentle-faced, arrived with two ladies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xie and Li families greeted each other with smiles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two elderly matriarchs knew each other well and chatted casually nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the Qunfang Banquet officially began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Onstage, lights blazed and music and dance flourished, adding warmth and festivity to the banquet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many gathered at the railing of the third floor, watching the Nihuang Dance below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor of Da Qi seemed uninterested in all of it; his gaze rested only on the cricket in the cage, as if utterly oblivious to everyone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empress Zhuge also paid little attention to Chen Yan, instead leading Zhuge Zi Qing toward the group gathered by the Xie family, leaving the Emperor of Da Qi alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuge Nan Yue’s eyes held an unusual expression as she looked at Xie Hong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Xie, long time no see. It seems eight years have passed since our meeting at Qingliang Temple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Xie remains as radiant as ever.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuge Zi Qing stood tall, clad in a snow-white robe, wearing a jade crown, his features more delicate and beautiful than any woman’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially the vermilion dot at his forehead—like the final brushstroke—made him radiant and captivating, as if stepped from a painting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zi Qing, greetings, Master Xie.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Hong wore simple cloth robes, his gaze deep as he looked at the Empress, his eyes flickering with complex emotion—struggle and resignation intertwined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bowed slightly, his voice steady and respectful: “Xie Hong, pays respects to Your Majesty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Laotaijun, standing nearby, witnessed this scene; her heart churned with mixed feelings, and she let out a soft sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind this banquet lay too many pasts and entanglements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She simply left with the Li family’s matriarch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her tone carried an unprecedented concern: “Hong’er, your mother and Lady Li will take a stroll.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Hong nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the departure of Xie Laotaijun and the Li family’s matriarch, only Xie Hong, Empress Zhuge, and Zhuge Zi Qing remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere grew subtly tense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empress watched the retreating backs of the matriarchs, her eyes filled with nostalgia: “The old lady remains just as she was.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Had she not opposed it back then, I might still be calling her ‘Mother.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the Empress to speak thus was an act of contempt toward imperial authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could the Empress utter such words?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Zhuge Zi Qing seemed not to care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The affair between Xie Hong and Empress Zhuge had once rocked Bianjing; everyone among the Nine Surnames knew of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after Empress Zhuge entered the palace did Master Xie marry and have children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empress Zhuge has dwelled in the palace for years, yet has borne no son to this day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empress Zhuge noticed the streaks of gray in Xie Hong’s dark hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hong-ge, you’ve aged considerably.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An intimate, tender address.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Hong’s eyes finally stirred; his tone softened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nanyue, you’ve changed not at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuge Nan Yue smiled: “How do you know I haven’t changed? Within the palace, deep courtyards abound—how many women have buried their lives here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know my nature—I am no caged bird. I long for the rivers and lakes, to ride and whip the wind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hong-ge, since childhood you taught me to read and write, trained me in martial arts—did you ever consider what I truly desired?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Xie Hong slowly closed his eyes, as if recalling the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, the three Xie brothers: the eldest entered officialdom, the second, Xie Ling, joined the military; only Xie Hong stayed home, serving his mother while diligently studying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuge Nan Yue, raised by her aunt during her illness, grew up with Xie Hong, childhood companions, innocent and close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuge Nan Yue changed the subject, asking softly: “Hong-ge, have you ever regretted it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Hong, hearing this, shook his head gently: “No regret.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two words, resounding, echoing in the heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuge Nan Yue stepped slowly to the railing, leaning on it, gazing down at the four quadrants of the stage—A, B, C, D—arranged neatly, bustling with life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From this height, one truly feels: “Climb to the peak, and all mountains shrink below.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those around them, as if sensing the moment, withdrew quietly, leaving a silent space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Zhuge Zi Qing, not far off, stood at a distance, silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though others observed their conversation, they heard no sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when straining to listen, not a whisper reached them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheers rose in waves; the Nihuang Dance had reached its climax, its graceful movements captivating countless spectators, many rising to applaud, emotions stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people along the riverbanks also roared with joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuge Nan Yue’s voice was soft, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hong-ge, from the day you stepped out of Qingliang Temple and entered the Xie household, I knew.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Will you truly throw yourself into this turbulent tide?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Hong fell silent for a moment, then gave a slight nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If not this, what meaning is there in the literature and martial arts I have studied?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuge Nan Yue sighed, her tone laced with helplessness and sorrow: “But after today, Bianjing, this vast world, will sink into endless chaos—this prosperity will never return.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To kill one man seems simple, yet it is like cutting down countless innocent commoners.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it truly worth it?” She fixed her gaze on Xie Hong’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Hong shook his head, his voice heavy: “This world is already riddled with holes—like sheep penned and stripped of all freedom.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you do not cut the root, only treat the symptoms, it is all futile.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zhuge Nan Yue’s expression grew more troubled, her eyes slightly red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet so many heroes abound—why must it be you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Hong smiled: “Why not me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking, they fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuge Nan Yue suddenly spoke: “You had Xie Ling suffer defeat on the western front, kept him away from the capital for years—was it to leave the Xie family a way out?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When today’s Qunfang Banquet ends, chaos will erupt across the land—then Xie Ling can rise in the west.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Hong replied only: “Yes, and no.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Hong took his leave, brushing past Zhuge Nan Yue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice reached Zhuge Nan Yue’s ear: “Beware Chen Yan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He died in the third year of Xianhe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yan is the current Emperor of Da Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Hong did not pause, walking straight to the side of Old Lady Xie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Lady Xie looked at Zhuge Nanyue, still standing awkwardly to one side—the Empress of Da Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hong’er, you don’t blame your mother, do you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nanyue is a good girl. It’s just a pity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Hong shook his head gently. “Mother, I have never blamed you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Lady Xie said softly, “Hong’er, have you been worrying about me ever since you came home this time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hong’er, you’ve always been sensible. Whatever you do, I support you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Xie family bears this karmic burden for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one knows a son better than his mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having raised her youngest son herself, the old lady had long sensed his difference these past days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing this, Xie Hong’s expression darkened further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Lady Xie patted Xie Hong’s handback and said, “Given your nature, if Ling’er had suffered such a disaster, you would never have ignored it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it were a clan-destroying calamity, I hope you preserve yourself. As long as you and Ling’er live, the Xie clan will not fall.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Hong’s face grew more sorrowful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door to the fourth-floor balcony opened gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All on the third floor heard it and turned their gazes in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An emaciated old man, clad in a loose green robe, his face deeply lined with wrinkles, still bore traces of the striking features he once had in youth—now like a withered tree in the mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath his thin, salt-and-pepper eyebrows, the old man’s eyes glimmered with a faint radiance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was slowly descending, supported by a middle-aged man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The expressions of those present varied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All within the second and first floors of Yaoxian Tower rose to their feet, daring not utter a single loud word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone bowed respectfully—even Emperor Chen Yan of Da Qi did the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man was Su Xiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Xiang descended slowly toward the first floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All stood, watching the entrance to the first floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dozen solemn Confucian disciples entered the first floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone had guessed—the Academy had arrived!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All three floors searched for that one figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the third-floor balcony, Xie Hong gazed at a middle-aged man behind several Academy disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged man was tall and slender, wearing a faded Confucian robe, his smooth black hair falling loosely over his shoulders. His features were ordinary, yet somehow combined on his face, they radiated an inexplicable elegance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Greetings, Third Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reverent voices echoed throughout Yaoxian Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man was the Academy’s Third Master, who had not set foot outside the Academy in decades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone’s eyes widened in astonishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed that since they first remembered, Third Master had always looked this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumor had it that Third Master was born into a family of wealth and privilege, raised in silk and jade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Jing had reached the doorway and gazed at his fellow disciple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Jing looked like a half-dead old man; Third Master, however, appeared as a middle-aged man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, it’s been many years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third Master said nothing, leading his group of disciples up the stairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Jing followed without anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone murmured in wonder, yet felt it was only natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Bianjing, who would dare show such disrespect to Su Xiang—save for the Academy’s few Masters?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one dared!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Third Master ascended slowly to the third floor, he paused, glancing at Xie Hong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He furrowed his brow slightly, then ignored him entirely, walking straight to the fourth floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Jing followed him inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those below watched the two disappear into the fourth floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Academy’s Third Master and the Academy’s Fourth Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Years ago, their “Third-Fourth Dispute” nearly split the Academy apart after the Master wandered east for two hundred years seeking immortals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The First Master left Da Qi to become the State Preceptor of Da Sui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Second Master fell gravely ill and never rose from his bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since then, Da Qi began its decline, facing a true rival in Da Sui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Da Qi’s fate over the past two centuries seemed tied to these two Masters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After many years, the two met again—everyone held their breath in anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Xie Hong vanished unnoticed from the third floor of the Qunfang Banquet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the fourth-floor balcony, only two sat facing each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Jing sighed. “I never thought I’d have the chance to meet you calmly, Brother, in this lifetime.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third Master merely closed his eyes and said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the dance on the four-sided stage ended,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the blue-clad woman bowed gracefully toward the fourth floor of Yaoxian Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hidden aura spread through Bianjing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Jing’s face suddenly trembled—the old man, who had never shown surprise before, revealed astonishment for the first time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third Master opened his eyes, filled with disbelief—as if sensing something inconceivable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This event surpassed both their expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Divine Shock Array… built seven hundred years ago… has activated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Divine Shock Array—the Master’s lifelong endeavor!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Divine Shock Array was known to every citizen of Bianjing, indeed to all under heaven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Master built it to protect the Academy in Bianjing. So long as the Divine Shock Array stood, even a million soldiers could not breach the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So long as the Divine Shock Array stood, the people felt safe—and Bianjing endured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But did Su Jing and Third Master know the truth was not so?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This secret had only been revealed to their four disciples within the past century.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though built by the Master, the Divine Shock Array was not meant to protect Bianjing—it was constructed according to ancient rites.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its original name was the “Imprison Immortal” Array—a legendary technique to trap heavenly immortals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should any immortal enter Bianjing, the “Imprison Immortal” Array would activate, imprisoning them within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet astonishingly, since its construction, the array had never stirred—seeming nothing more than a phantom legend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why had it suddenly activated?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This “Imprison Immortal” Array was originally a sacrificial altar. Once activated,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>all living beings within the array would be devoured, transformed into nourishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But where in the world were there any immortals?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>～\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Ke gazed at the Sima Pan before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2454,"2026-06-21T01:33:03.787Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","62ace68898e94f7ee1d35cd37e68fc10e1f72cbc5721d3df9e78aca784ab24c3","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-615","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-613",728,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsimulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-cover.jpg"]