[{"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-669":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},2347684,4587,"Chapter 669: Confucian Skin, Daoist Bones, Buddhist Heart—The Stone Statue Sparks Rebellion Across the Land!","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-669",669,"\u003Cp>Days passed as usual; the grass and trees in the courtyard sprouted new shoots, and spring deepened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Visitors came to the small courtyard every few days, especially the courtesan from the western annex, who visited with particular frequency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The threshold of your courtyard was nearly worn down by footsteps, yet no one came to ask for poetry or paintings. After all, Su Yayi’s purchase of one of your poems and one of your paintings for four million taels of silver had spread throughout Bianjing; all the women naturally kept their distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this time, however, there was one amusing incident!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Yunniang and Yun Wan secured positions among the top ten at the Qunfang Banquet, successfully leaving Yu Yue Huaxuan, shedding their status as official courtesans, and regaining their status as commoners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yun Wan and Hu Yunniang used their years of savings to open a tavern on Changning Street, where the Xie residence stood. Having long been experts in entertaining guests, and bolstered by their former titles as courtesans and the support of former sisters and patrons, the tavern thrived, with customers coming in an unbroken stream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Yunniang and the others came specifically to ask you to name the tavern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You wrote the two characters “Taiping,” and hung them above the tavern’s signboard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the opening day, you sent Wu Tong with a gift, making it the most lively event on Changning Street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After returning, Wu Tong enthusiastically recounted the tavern’s grandeur, moved to tears upon seeing the women from Yu Yue Huaxuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For these women, fallen to the ends of the earth, regaining the status of commoners was as comforting as fallen leaves returning to their roots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yuan came and went to the academy to study; Feng Yayi, after buying her freedom, worked as a helper at the Taiping Tavern, and their lives grew stable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this time, many academy students came to seek your advice on poetry and scholarship, but after their masters sternly reprimanded them, none came again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The academy itself responded indifferently to the Qunfang Banquet affair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yunzhi found it strange: the academy was never a place bound by rigid tradition, yet why had it forbidden students from associating with Xie Guan? She could not understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another half-month passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan, who used to come daily, had not appeared in recent days. His martial cultivation had deepened, leaving him exhausted each day; after completing his medicinal bath, he collapsed into sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Zhuge summoned another academy master to instruct Xie Yuan in the method of primordial spirit cultivation. After half a month, Xie Yuan had entered the first stage of primordial spirit cultivation: “Perception.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan was overjoyed and came specifically to demonstrate his first-stage primordial spirit ability: “Listening to Sounds and Identifying Positions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had intended to teach you this primordial spirit cultivation method, but the academy master had explicitly forbidden it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Law is not passed to a third ear!” the master said sternly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan felt disappointed; he always feared that if he cultivated “Martial Primordial Spirit,” the gap between himself and you would only widen further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This feeling left him restless and agitated, yet powerless to change it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From then on, he rarely came to your courtyard to discuss martial or primordial spirit cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Sun Niangzi came once in recent days; she had left Zi Xiao Ge but had no intention of staying in Bianjing—she would reside here for two months before leaving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone has their own path!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the events surrounding your early enlightenment, they seemed forgotten by all; no one mentioned them, and you did not care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Days flowed like water; you continued reading and cultivating in your small courtyard, living in peace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet you lived each day fully, shifting your nightly cultivation to the time of sunrise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within just five days, your lost cultivation was fully restored; having assimilated the sun’s essence, your primordial spirit could now manifest in daylight, unafraid of the sun’s rays.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To manifest one’s primordial spirit beneath the blazing sun required reaching the tenth realm: Yangshen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During these half-months, every time Wu Tong returned from the market, she told you one piece of news: the price of rice in the market rose daily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was the increasing flood of refugees into the Jingzhou region; the government’s grain reserves and supplies were stretched thin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Bianjing, unrest stirred, and the people grew anxious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tong, sensing the household had silver to spare, stockpiled extra grain as a precaution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet these matters had nothing to do with the Nine Surnames. Raising rice prices was precisely what they had orchestrated; now, every household among the Nine Surnames had granaries overflowing with grain—enough to last ten years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tong had once said that recently, many stewards in the Nine Surnames’ households had cleaned their granaries and found much grain had already moldy. The Nine Surnames preferred letting their grain rot in their own cellars rather than use it wisely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, at noon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You had seen off Zhou Yuner and the others, and stood in the courtyard practicing martial arts, now at the fifth martial realm: “Spring Thunder.” The medicinal effects of the Demon Master’s “Heavenly Demon Blood Marrow” and Master Lianchi’s “Dragon Eye Bodhi” had yet to be fully absorbed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to this, your martial foundation had grown increasingly solid in recent days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You no longer practiced the “Taizu Holy Monkey Stance” copied by Sima Ting. Master Lianchi had warned you that although the first six realms of this art posed no problems, the upper three realms concealed numerous hidden dangers and countermeasures; only the Nine Surnames’ heirs used it for foundation establishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the Great Qi imperial family possessed the upper three realms’ methods—clearly, something was amiss; you abandoned it entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You now cultivated two martial treasure arts: one was the “Vajra Indestructible Body Divine Art,” gifted by Master Lianchi—a Buddhist martial art that, when perfected, renders the body indestructible, reaching the ninth realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet practicing Buddhist martial arts would likely bar you from entering the Great Qi academy. The current academy would not permit anyone who practiced Buddhist arts; you did not care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other was the “Purple Mist Cave Demon True Scripture,” gifted by the Demon Master—a method of stacking internal qi, with nine layers, each doubling the internal power; even compared to the Three True Sect’s “Great Yellow Court,” it was no less formidable, its internal breath vast as an ocean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your martial path now combined Buddhist and demonic arts, both treasure arts capable of reaching the ninth martial realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One cultivates the external bones, skin, and membranes; the other cultivates the internal dantian—mutually reinforcing, mutually beneficial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In recent days, you had advanced both arts to the fifth martial realm; the middle three realms came naturally. You estimated you would break through to the sixth realm, “Rouzhi,” in half a month—and face the second great chasm of martial cultivation: the upper three realms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You removed your upper garment; heat rolled across your skin as you activated the “Vajra Indestructible Body Divine Art,” and a golden luster surfaced on your body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind you, the spectral forms of Buddhas and Arhats coalesced; you drew a deep breath and clapped your hands together, producing a sound like metal striking metal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You assumed a fist stance; your spine twisted like a great dragon, each vertebra cracking in succession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You exhaled slowly; the Buddhist light vanished, replaced by chilling demonic aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two utterly different forms of true qi intermingled within you; initially, you found it strange, expecting them to be mutually incompatible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, to your surprise, they merged in perfect harmony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You gradually understood Xie Hong’s thoughtful intent—he had continually sent you texts from the Buddhist, Confucian, and Daoist schools for you to study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Hong had forged his core from the three schools’ teachings, no less accomplished than the Master, who had fused Buddhist arts with the hundred schools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You reflected inwardly: “It seems all martial arts ultimately converge—the saying goes: Confucian skin, Daoist bones, Buddhist heart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You lifted your finger lightly; the water in the courtyard’s large vat surged like a spirit serpent, washing the sweat from your upper body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You shook your head; your skin and membranes swelled as if steaming from Yunmeng Marsh, and the water on your body evaporated instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You pulled on your outer garment, tidied your hair, and walked toward the courtyard gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hurried figure ran toward you, followed by another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Xie Yuan; perhaps because your reputation had soared after the Qunfang Banquet, he had dismissed all his former courtesan companions, retaining only Xie Hou’er.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Guan, disaster has struck!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan rushed over, his expression agitated; as he crossed the threshold, he glanced down and saw the broken threshold, astonished: “Brother Guan, how did your threshold get so damaged?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sixth brother, what’s the emergency?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan quickly replied: “It’s rebellion! All of it’s in rebellion!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You frowned slightly, then suddenly realized something, asking gravely: “Is this about the Yellow River governance?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan nodded, frantic: “According to reports from the Ministry of War and the provincial governors of Jiangnan, the conscripted laborers on the Yellow River collectively went on strike two days ago. Last night, two overseers joined forces with the laborers and killed the commanding general overseeing the conscription. The situation spiraled out of control instantly. Thirty thousand laborers rose up, stormed the camp at night, and slaughtered ten thousand Great Qi troops.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The latest military intelligence says that in this Yellow River unrest, Jiangnan has erupted in widespread support; nearly four hundred thousand have gathered, surrounding the Jiangnan provincial capital.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, his eyes still held shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a large-scale uprising had not occurred in Great Qi for hundreds of years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, you furrowed your brow: the vast sums raised at the Qunfang Banquet were meant for Yellow River governance—why, after only half a month, had such upheaval erupted?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan sat on the stone chair, sipped tea, glanced around the courtyard, and asked: “Where’s Wu Tong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She went to the market.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan hurriedly said: “The streets of Bianjing are now completely blocked, chaos everywhere—people are fighting over grain, the populace is terrified. Bring Wu Tong back quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need; she’s with Fourth Cousin Xie. Xie family guards are with her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan nodded, then frowned: “How did this news spread so fast? The court only just learned of it, yet the people of Bianjing already know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You replied slowly: “Perhaps someone deliberately spread the news.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Without prior planning and preparation, how could it spread so swiftly? The military officers stationed along the Yellow River are hardly all fools.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan continued: “The day before the uprising, someone unearthed a bronze statue in the Yellow River—it wore a red cloth, eyes bulging in fury, terrifying to behold. A Daoist passed by and declared it was Tian Shaxing, sealed beneath the river; its appearance now heralds great chaos.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The commanding general drove the Daoist away; by afternoon, the laborers went on strike.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Daoist?” You paused, startled; for some reason, the image of the Three True Sect flashed in your mind—the leader of all Daoist schools in this world. Could the Three True Sect be involved?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You pondered a moment, then asked: “What banner are they raising?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan’s expression turned grave: “Their banner is an ancient prophecy long circulating in Jiangnan: ‘Do not say the common folk never rage—the day they burn, even royal houses shall fall.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Their leader calls himself ‘Red-Eyed Heavenly Sovereign’; all followers wear red cloth, hence they are called the ‘Red-Eyed Army.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah… this world is finally falling into chaos.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan sighed: “The Red-Eyed Army advances fiercely; if the court responds slowly, Jiangnan may be plunged into catastrophe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice heavy, he continued: “The Ministry of War is mobilizing troops, but Jiangnan is a thousand li from Bianjing—distant water cannot quench near fire.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And one more thing: Father was scheduled to return to the capital tomorrow, but Su Xiang has redirected him to Jiangnan to suppress the rebellion—this… he won’t even pass by his own home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You nodded slightly; though unexpected, it was understandable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Great Qi’s rule, taxes are oppressive, the Yellow River rages, natural disasters strike one after another, and the people suffer unbearably—uprisings are constant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The laborers conscripted for Yellow River governance were mostly the bonded servants of the Nine Surnames. The Nine Surnames received silver from the court but ignored their lives, ruthlessly cutting wages and rations, leaving the laborers in dire misery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The river project was immense, the labor brutal; the laborers bore unbearable physical toil. Many died from exhaustion or plague. Day and night without rest, most could not survive beyond a month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Xie Yuan’s worried expression, you asked: “Sixth brother, why have you suddenly become so concerned with state affairs?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan drank more tea, his tone solemn: “Can a man neglect the fate of his country and only think of women’s bellies? Our Xie family was founded on military merit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s good to see you have this heart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan rose: “Brother Guan, don’t go out in recent days—Bianjing is falling into chaos.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up at the sky; though the morning sun shone brightly, it could not dispel the gloom in his eyes: “The world grows ever more turbulent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Hou’er comforted him: “Great Qi still has the academy, and Su Xiang still holds court—Master, you need not be so anxious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan’s face showed a look of melancholy: “The academy? … It no longer feels like the academy of old.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for Su Xiang, such a profound and inscrutable figure—how could we possibly guess his intentions?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan came and went in haste, making no prolonged stay, and took his leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You saw him to the courtyard gate, watched his figure recede into the distance, then gently closed the gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The age of chaos draws near; Bianjing is held by the Nine Great Clans, and the situation remains stable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But preserving oneself is the wisest course—you have no great tree to lean on; only your own cultivation base can serve as your foundation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You recalled again the words of the First Master after the Gathering of Beauties: “The chance for transcendence lies within the coming decade.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be that the Ascension Platform only manifests in the world during great cosmic turmoil?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity for transcendence lies before you—anyone would spare no effort and risk all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very soon, you will face off against the Demon Master, Master Lotus Pond, the Third Master, the First Master, and other legendary Grand Masters renowned across the land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You walked slowly beneath the dappled shadows of the phoenix trees, undistracted, continuing your cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every moment of time is so precious, not to be wasted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2465,"2026-06-21T01:33:03.787Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","5b47ca4535755abf7ea2f0dd736cf31a5599861db6a62fa53af7c656928e3bc6","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-670","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-668",728,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsimulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-cover.jpg"]