Chapter 296

No Dharma Aspect……How can there be incense divine power?

The monkey's displayed abnormality left you bewildered, and you couldn't help but fall into deep thought…

As a veteran diligent practitioner who has painstakingly trained the Contemplation Method for two lifetimes, your understanding of Divine Path cultivation is fairly deep: incense has never been a problem, because the populace is endless; as long as you gain worship, incense equals an "inexhaustible energy" that can be drawn upon without end.

The true difficulty of the Divine Path is one and only one: condensing the Dharma Aspect!

It's either doable or not; the logic is clear, so the entry threshold for the Divine Path is not ordinarily high.

Whoever manages to cultivate a Dharma Aspect, no matter how miserable their circumstances, is at least a wild or evil god; just gathering a bit of incense from the foolish masses is enough to look down on mortals!

Therefore the Dharma Aspect is the true core of Divine Path cultivation; theoretically, without a Dharma Aspect there is no cultivation, and one cannot utilize incense faith……This is an indisputable fact, for if incense could be used without a Dharma Aspect, the world would already be overrun with wild gods flying about.

Yet on this strange monkey, this iron law is broken: it clearly has no Dharma Aspect, yet it still gathers incense divine power……

You pondered it endlessly but couldn't figure it out, yet you didn't make a fuss; you only encouraged the monkey with a few words, telling it to observe calmly and not panic……If any problem truly arises, everything will be handled by you!

Your calm and comfort let the monkey sigh in relief, then it retreated anxiously yet excitedly, beginning to study the various marvelous uses of divine power……

While it retreated reassured, you kept this oddity in mind, for it increasingly shows how strange the monkey is!

The monkey inherently carries many mysteries you've never been able to solve: for example, its extraordinary spirituality, its ability to speak human words, its clairvoyant ability……and its instant recognition of your special status as the protagonist.

As a monkey already full of mysteries, now having the privilege of divine power without a Dharma Aspect isn't that hard to understand……but what is the cause behind this string of strangeness?

You are well aware that whatever strangeness the monkey displays is merely superficial; the underlying cause of these strangenesses is the true focus.

However, your current level is too low to discern its underlying cause……

……

Next, you privately checked the believers' attitude toward the monkey……The result was as you expected: since the last time you had the monkey appear as a "divine disciple," the believers noticed its strangeness.

Following the simple notion that "dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, a rat's son knows how to dig," they naturally regarded the monkey as a deity as well, and while worshipping you as the "chief god," they also offered a few sticks of incense to it as a "subordinate god."

It is precisely because of these incidental sticks of incense that the monkey gathered divine power……

Regarding this, while pondering you did not stop it; instead, you specially, at a gathering, in front of the believers, formally appointed the monkey as your accompanying sacrificial subordinate deity, openly sharing incense with it!

The reason for such generosity is, first and foremost, to help it achieve longevity; after all, you promised to help it find a longevity method that could be popularized among all monkeys and their descendants, and you had overpromised with empty checks—giving no actual benefit would be inexcusable.

Secondly, it is your consideration for future long-term strategy.

As your wedding approaches, the day when the West King Divine Sect expands to the county town is not far off; once your enterprise grows, military campaigns and even clashes with cultivators will inevitably be frequent!

Moreover, you have resolved to use your past life's West King as a negative example, having long ago set a development policy of staying behind the scenes as a black‑hand boss, in order to avoid being struck by "box weapons."

Under these circumstances, you certainly cannot risk exposing yourself publicly, so you urgently need a super‑enforcer who is both loyal and strong.

Obviously the monkey fits your requirements perfectly; once it grows through incense, it can shield you from wind and rain and meet external challenges!

This is an investment, and also a win‑win deal: the monkey gets its dreamed‑of roof tile, you get a powerful double‑flower red cudgel, and everyone has a bright future……

This great favor directly moves the monkey to tears; it almost shouts, "Master's kindness is never repaid!"

……

At seventeen years old, you subdued the mysterious monkey, nourished it with incense divine power, and trained it to be the West King Divine Sect's double‑flower red cudgel, hoping for future prosperity!

That year, you renewed your bond with your past‑life wife, established a household amid your parents' smiles, and officially became an adult with an independent family.

You also secretly vowed to make up for your past‑life regrets in this life, giving your parents and wife a better life than before……

After marriage, you immediately gained your parents' consent and brought your newlywed wife to the county town you had longed for.

Upon reaching the county town, you followed your plan to pose as an ordinary person, bustling through all trades to secure a happy life for this new family—you are the model good husband and good son!

Yet in secret you are the deity and sect leader of a divine teaching, firmly controlling over sixty thousand people across dozens of villages, all of whom are your loyal followers.

Since entering the city, you have begun, according to plan, the grand undertaking of spreading the faith……

Still the same old routine: you first found many ruffians in the city, then used the Blood God Son to brainwash them harshly; soon you had over a hundred brain‑dead fans, and the great endeavor of spreading the Dao achieved a stage‑by‑stage breakthrough!

Amid countless cheers of "loyalty" and "favor," your eye twitched: the Blood God Son's underlying code is definitely problematic, and a major problem at that; brainwashing is bad enough, but what's this built‑in voice pack……

But you didn't pay too much attention to this minor side effect; after subduing this group of "social idlers" and "flexible workers," you issued them a "divine edict": from now on, they must not only renounce evil and embrace righteousness, but also widely propagate my West King teachings, advocating loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness, becoming law‑abiding citizens!

The crowd fervently received the edict……

After completing this simple first step, you achieved success and withdrew, no longer revealing your true identity before people; you also shifted all commands and training of the believers from offline to online, contacting them solely through Dharma Aspect dream‑visitations.

Although showing off divine power and posing for glory feels great, having learned from past mistakes you decisively chose to play it safe: a fragile Divine Path cultivator cannot withstand box‑weapon strikes……

You don't believe it—could you still capsize while playing it safe?

Play it safe! Play it safe and it's done! ……

Next, everything went as you expected.

The brainwashed ruffians quickly turned onto the path of renouncing evil and embracing righteousness: quitting gambling, quitting drinking, quitting vice……In no time, the county town's public order greatly improved!

This change left the county officials bewildered: had the sun risen in the west?

I can't understand, I can't understand……

However, this is also good for the county office; without these idlers stirring trouble, the magistrate and his constables can worry a bit less.

But……they had no idea what sort of upheaval was brewing behind this abnormal occurrence……

A sect named the West King Divine Sect quietly spread among the populace.

First the county town, then it radiated to the surrounding counties, developing very quickly!

But for some reason, this sect that should have expanded rapidly instead deliberately slowed its expansion, confining its influence long‑term to the surrounding five or six counties……

Day after day, year after year.

Thanks to your tireless night‑time literacy efforts, your foundation in these five or six counties took ever deeper root, gradually turning into an iron‑clad stronghold.

From peddlers and laborers to rural folk, then to scholars and gentry everywhere, even to officials……your presence is felt everywhere!

The magistrates only know that security in their jurisdiction is excellent, boasting a scene of great order where lost items are not picked up and doors are not barred at night……

However, occasionally some officials notice the problem, but these people either recognize competent individuals as outstanding and obediently become clay‑filled wooden puppets, or they overestimate themselves and try to suppress or report upward, only to be seized in one swoop and attended to by the Blood God Son!

You gradually gained a firm foothold and became the uncrowned king of this place……

……

In a blink, nine years have passed.

Over the nine years, you openly toiled and built a decent livelihood, and with your wife raised a son and a daughter; apart from having an extra son compared to your previous life, the two lives were hardly different.

You always lived as an ordinary person in the county town; even though the whole city were your loyal followers, you never revealed your identity, daily chatting and laughing with them as usual……

Until you were thirty‑five, the county office suddenly began urgently collecting taxes and recruiting able‑bodied men to fill the county troops, after which prices in the city gradually rose!

This familiar scene evoked an inexplicable sigh: what was bound to come has indeed come……

That year, the famous rebel organization "Five Emperors Temple" rose in revolt; the East, West, South, North, and Center Kings each raised troops, using sorcery to coerce the rural populace, and swept across the land attacking cities and seizing territory!

The government forces suffered defeat!

The government forces suffered defeat again!

Our army lost!

……

At this critical moment, the young West King who had just announced his uprising, eager and full of ambition, was leading his fellow disciples in building a rebel army.

Standing in a certain village, the West King gazed at those bewildered villagers and could not help but puff out his chest proudly:

"I am the true god descended to earth, possessing boundless magical power and divine abilities; as long as you follow me in rebellion, you shall thereafter enjoy the finest food and drink, and have whatever you desire!"

In the young West King's mind, recruiting troops and buying horses was utterly simple—just announce his title as a true god, perform a few miracles before the people, and wouldn't the foolish men and women immediately bow down? In fact, he had already prepared to receive cheers……

Unexpectedly, the villagers merely exchanged glances, then boldly asked:

"I don't know how the honored god's divine power compares to that of the West King."

"That is naturally… I am more…"

Wait a moment?!

The West King subconsciously blurted out half of his boastful words; when he realized what he'd said, everyone couldn't help but stare blankly:

"Who are you talking about?"

"The West King, of course—he appears in our dreams every day; I just saw him yesterday!"

"……"

……

(End of chapter)