[{"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-712":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},2347727,4587,"Chapter 712: The World Is in Chaos; One Month Has Passed; The Entire Army Is Destroyed; A Shocking Revelation","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-712",712,"\u003Cp>You merely smiled and said, “Madam Gongsun, isn’t it better to be alone?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Gongsun’s eyes flickered as she replied, “I simply haven’t met a man who stirred my heart in many years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What woman in this world doesn’t harbor springtime yearnings for youthful beauty?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At parting, she suddenly grew solemn: “Prince Yan is no easy foe. Sir, you are a gentleman… please be careful and take care of yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she was at Zi Xiao Pavilion, Prince Yan was her greatest patron—he understood her nature well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You watched the woman’s crimson silhouette fade into the distance; beyond Bianjing, the world was vast, and henceforth, mountains rose high and roads stretched far—you would likely never meet again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Days continued as calmly as ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wu Tong always felt a suffocating tension hanging over the Xie Fu, like storm clouds gathering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You told Wu Tong not to go out unless necessary, and if she did, she must be accompanied by Lady Ruan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tong dressed Lady Ruan in clothes, placed a wide-brimmed hat on her head, making her look like a young girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Ruan’s entire prowess lay in her control of water beasts, yet she was also a True Person who had ignited the Divine Flame; though timid in nature, her mastery over water manipulation had reached perfection—ordinary bowl-water in her hands could solidify into arrows capable of piercing stone and shattering walls, far surpassing the power of mid-tier cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most remarkable was her water-dodging technique—should danger arise, fleeing with Wu Tong through Bianjing’s labyrinthine waterways would be no challenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A month passed in the blink of an eye; Bianjing’s streets remained as prosperous and bustling as ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Wu Tong, upon returning from the market, would sometimes bring back unusual news—the price of rice had quietly quadrupled, and sometimes there was no rice to be had even at inflated prices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under these circumstances, the Nine Surnames’ grain markets erupted into frenzied activity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That morning, the courtyard gate was knocked upon again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Xue Huai’an and his party, whom you had met at Da Guan Garden—alongside him were Liu Zixin and the two courtesans, Mei Qingsu and Luo Su, each carrying brocade-wrapped boxes, clearly bearing lavish gifts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merely the title “Disciple of the Second Master’s Sword Path” was enough to warrant their special visit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You welcomed them into the courtyard with a smile; Luo Su’s gaze shifted subtly as she surveyed the surroundings—could it be that a scion of the mighty Xie Clan lived in such squalor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though you had heard Xie Guan’s position within the clan was difficult, you hadn’t imagined it to be this dire. Yet what surprised her even more was…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the courtyard was humble, it was spotless. Even stranger, from the gate to the corners, stacks of gift boxes of all kinds piled up layer upon layer, some so high they teetered from lack of space—among them were rare treasures and priceless artifacts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More astonishing still, these priceless treasures were carelessly piled beneath the eaves, exposed to wind and sun, as if they were mere clutter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an’s gaze swept the courtyard; he had originally suspected that Xie Guan had merely stumbled into fortune, gaining the Second Master’s favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, that suspicion vanished entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gazing upon the humble master who remained composed and at ease in such poverty, he could not help but feel a flicker of respect in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gentleman’s lowly birth is not his fault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After casual chatter, the conversation gradually turned to serious matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Qingsu toyed with her teacup: “Of ten grain barges sent from Jiangnan to Bianjing recently, seven or eight have vanished.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He frowned tightly: “If this continues, within a month the Pingzhun Bureau’s granaries will be empty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he finished speaking, all present understood—the moment that happened, rice prices in Bianjing would skyrocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an said coldly, “The Nine Surnames’ granaries are already overflowing, yet they let grain rot inside rather than release a single grain for relief.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s as if they’re deliberately waiting to watch the common folk starve and cry out in hunger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an sighed: “In ancient times, Master Shi said the way to govern begins with enriching the people—now…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The vermilion gates compete with the starving for bran—these are thieves!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Within the vermilion gates and embroidered halls of Bianjing, Confucian doctrine has long been boiled down into eight delicacies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Qingsu warned: “Second Master, please be cautious with your words.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an understood, yet raised his voice further: “What? If Su Xiang had just entered court, I’d say he brought clarity to the realm… even if a blade were at my throat, I’d still call him a sage of a thousand ages.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone grew more heated: “But look now—people change. The man who once played chess in that alley…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What have the Nine Surnames become? Noble houses…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reflection in his teacup revealed scorn in his eyes: “The Nine Surnames? What noble clans? They’re nothing but a group of…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice cut off abruptly—as if he had touched upon something deeply sorrowful: “Master Guan, do you have any strong liquor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman beside him, Zhou Zhirou, bowed slightly and spoke: “Mr. Xue has been weary these past days; please forgive him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You smiled: “Mr. Xue is a man of true nature. Wu Tong, bring out that jar of Zhuyeqing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Su and the others were accustomed to this second son of the Xue family—he was born into wealth and luxury, yet carried the heart of a man burdened by the suffering of the realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In these vermilion-gated halls, he was truly an outcast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an drained his cup in one gulp, wine splashing as his throat moved: “Scholars are useless… that’s why I entered the Hanlin Academy but refused my post.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One cup down… then two. Perhaps the past days of idle wandering in Bianjing had weighed on his heart, and the wine turned to sorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I, Xue Huai’an, am ashamed… Prince Yan once said, ‘Why not take up your Wu hook, and reclaim the fifty states beyond the passes?’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Great Qi’s founding emperor said, ‘Establish eternal peace’—yet I, Xue Huai’an, am merely a scholar who cannot bear to see the people suffer, yet cannot save them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zixin pressed her forehead, watching this second son of the Xue family raise his cup to the blue sky and white sun, his face flushed crimson, endlessly lamenting—he looked like a drunken commoner in the marketplace!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She felt a little… embarrassed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In contrast, the Master Guan held his cup with fingers like jade, his robe folds as precisely drawn as brushwork, his expression as gentle as spring breeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The contrast was as vast as heaven and earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an suddenly leaned forward, his drunken eyes blazing like fire: “Master Guan, if it were you—sitting high in court, wielding the power to turn heaven and earth—what would you do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your hand paused slightly as you held the cup, then spoke slowly: “How can one know the cold wind at the summit without ever climbing there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One cannot know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Qingsu’s eyes flickered. Though Master Guan was as gentle as jade and kind in manner, he always seemed veiled by a thin mist, never revealing his true thoughts, leaving others unable to gauge his depth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Qingsu suddenly changed the subject: “Speaking of which, Master Guan, when do you think the Jiangnan rebels will be settled?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smiled: “I only hope peace comes soon—so merchants like us can resume business.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A breeze stirred the wutong trees before the courtyard, rustling the leaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You fell silent for a moment: “Perhaps… this world will never know true peace again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bianjing will not be a haven.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Qingsu frowned: “Are you suggesting the Red-Eyed Army will become a real threat? But Lord Dingyuan has already besieged their remnants for half a month…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Su added: “The rebels’ supply lines are cut. Though their troop formations show discipline, they’re still a rabble—dare not fight head-on, only flee. Now they’ve nowhere left to run.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You gazed at the tea leaves floating in your cup and spoke softly: “When the moon is full, it wanes; when water overflows, it spills. This truth applies everywhere—the Great Qi has ruled for a thousand years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an sobered slightly: “But doesn’t Bianjing have the Immortal God Array established by the Master?”—a fortress no army can break!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You suddenly laughed: “Sometimes, the strongest walls are shattered not from without.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Qingsu agreed with this—had the Four Masters of the Academy not fractured, how could the Great Sui have risen to rival it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he disagreed about Bianjing’s peril—the Academy still stood in Bianjing, Su Xiang and the Nine Surnames still dominated it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could a minor rebel force from Jiangnan possibly threaten it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an echoed: “Su Xiang may have slipped lately… but he is still the one who moves the chessboard of the world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All the wisdom under heaven lies in his hands. Even now, the Nine Surnames—the Zhuge family as imperial in-laws, the imperial Chen family, the Li family holding the army, the Zhao family—all rely on his breath. Who dares raise their voice near his mansion?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man who claims to have calculated all under heaven—how could he err?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Su mentioned something: “The other day, a courier from the north said the two pillar generals of the Li family are leading the Mobei army southward—they’ll pass through Bianjing soon. If this iron cavalry joins the suppression, the Red-Eyed Army…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jinxiu Pavilion is the largest courier guild in the Jing Shi Dao, linking north and south—its intelligence network rivals even the court’s own spies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You lowered your eyes in silence, letting the tea smoke curl and obscure your expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an frowned: “If the Mobei army leaves the north, who guards Changsheng Tian?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nonsense! Those barbarians have long coveted the Central Plains—this can’t be allowed. Since the founding of the Great Qi, the ancestral law forbade losing the north—what are the cabinet ministers doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Qingsu said: “Second Master, calm down.” Then he looked meaningfully at you: “Master Guan, what do you think lies beneath this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You thought a moment: “Only if Changsheng Tian is in chaos would the court willingly remove its northern barrier.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The matter of Changsheng Tian must be the Khan’s death—He Lan Zhenshu rushed back because the great and capable A Lu Mu lies dying in the Golden Tent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Qingsu’s eyes gleamed: “Master Guan, you see clearly. That eagle who unified the steppes has already died in the Golden Tent. The Da E clan has concealed his death, intending to alter the will and name the second son heir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The truth was exposed, and the rest need not be spoken—Changsheng Tian has erupted into chaos, with brothers turning on each other, leaving them no time to care for the Great Qi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the nomadic tribes of the north, the youngest son inherits the hearth; older sons marry and leave with their own herds, leaving only the parents and the youngest son together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lan Zhenshu had no right of succession, but because his mother came from a major tribe, he was named crown prince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an said: “For the Great Qi, this is good news—otherwise, they’d sit idly by, reaping the benefits of our strife.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If the Great Sui also fell into chaos, that would be truly satisfying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Qingsu traced the rim of his cup with his fingertip and smiled: “Second Master, you’ve hit upon a truth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the lord of the giant Juxing Guild, which controls the grain transport, his western trade routes to the Great Sui were always the most well-informed channels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Juxing Guild is the largest waterway transport guild, linking east and west, especially the western Great Sui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an was puzzled: “The Great Sui isn’t in chaos—Great Qi has the Confucian Academy, Great Sui has the Three True Ones of Zhongnan Mountain—how could it fall into turmoil?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Mei Qingsu didn’t tease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You yourself said: Great Qi has the Academy—who rules today? Great Sui has Zhongnan Mountain—who rules there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your eyes darkened, as if something clicked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Qingsu said: “Three days ago, the Sui Emperor, under the guise of prayer, ascended Zhongnan Mountain—yet five thousand Xuanjia soldiers secretly surrounded the Daoist immortal mountain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He chuckled softly: “The interesting part? The Grand Master, as if foreseeing it, had already hidden ten thousand Daoist soldiers…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now, sixteen provinces of the Great Sui are ablaze with rebellion,” Mei Qingsu tapped his finger on the table, “the Liu imperial clan faces the Three True Ones’ three-thousand-year Daoist lineage—far more formidable than the Red-Eyed Army of Jiangnan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an’s cup tilted: “How could you not tell me of such a matter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Qingsu’s gaze flickered over Liu Zixin and the other woman brewing tea, a half-smile on his lips: “Second Master, you’ve been spending days redeeming beauties and buying homes—you haven’t returned to the Xue Mansion in ages.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I dared not disturb your pleasures.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an’s ears turned red. He remembered how, these past days, he’d been rushing between the Zi Xiao Pavilion and the brokerage houses, too busy to even notice the political storms in the imperial court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He murmured in dazed sorrow: “The robes of dancers and the shimmer of silk still linger before my eyes—how could the world have plunged into war so suddenly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group chatted idly again; it was already afternoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Su Su had come to ask about sword techniques, but in the end, she never spoke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that she feared losing—she feared her recent progress had been too slight, and that you’d look down on her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group took their leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The small courtyard returned to silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You closed your eyes, focused your spirit, and projected the eighth sword from your Niwangong —the shadowy figure of the sword intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The months of grueling cultivation had finally borne fruit. When you struck first, you could now disassemble over sixty moves with perfect mind-sword unity, occasionally even brushing against the mysterious state of “forgetting both sword and self.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the sword intent struck first, you could barely hold out for forty moves without falling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seizing the initiative against an opponent is crucial!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When your spirit was spent, you slowly sheathed your sword. The sharp sword intent, like a weary bird returning to its nest, retreated and resumed its gentle nourishment within your Niwangong .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You then began circulating the Microcosmic Orbit; your true essence surged like a great river, cycling endlessly through the eight extraordinary meridians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As dusk fell, you took from the brocade box the lustrous, jade-like “Nourishing Jade Pill.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After more than a month of regulating Wu Tong’s meridians, the time had finally come—everything flowed naturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You told Wu Tong: “Swallow it, then hold to your origin and guard your unity—I’ll guard you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the clear moonlight!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tong sat cross-legged in the courtyard, swallowed the pill, and gradually a jade-hued glow enveloped her body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Ruan, familiar with the courtyard, leaned her cheek against the water jar, watching the two of you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You had not taught her any Primordial Spirit cultivation methods—you only possessed the Yin Fu Jing and the Yang Fu Jing; the former could only take one to the seventh realm, while the latter was a purely yang path, incompatible with a woman’s constitution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At dawn’s first light, Wu Tong suddenly trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hazy, shadowy form rose from her crown, swaying like mist in the morning breeze—it was her nascent Primordial Spirit. She stared in astonishment at her own body, her fingertips passing through it, unable to touch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You immediately formed a seal and cast a barrier: “The Primordial Spirit is fragile. Not only sunlight, but even the crow of a rooster, the bark of a dog, or a gentle breeze can harm it—be extremely cautious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Wu Tong’s Primordial Spirit hastily retreat into her body, you spoke gently: “When I’m not beside you, never venture out lightly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tong nodded obediently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the blink of an eye, another half-month passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That day, as you meditated on the Nine Swords in the courtyard, sudden cries of alarm erupted from within the Xie Fu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan rushed in, face pale, clutching a dispatch: “Brother Guan is in trouble!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father’s hundred-thousand-strong army has been annihilated at Yunyue Marsh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice trembled: “The Red-Eyed Army feigned retreat, luring our troops deep into the marsh—then came a torrential downpour and rising tides.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cataclysmic upheaval!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2743,"2026-06-21T01:33:03.787Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","86746d2581a6e92a1ff94a0936f46bf33ae36ccb015e7f60345374361574f018","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-713","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-711",728,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsimulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-cover.jpg"]