Chapter 664: and translation of chapter title

October 20, midnight.

Deep within Huangcheng, a quiet chamber.

Chen Wen sat cross-legged, eyes closed, focusing his mind.

The room had no candlelight; only the weak moonlight seeping through the window spread a clear glow across the floor.

The System Interface unfolded in his consciousness.

【Cow Horse System Lv. 6】

【Experience: 100% (overflowing)】

【Grantable multiplier: 32/16/8/4/2x】

【Fortune Momentum reserve: strong (Chen Dynasty's national fortune stable)】

The experience bar's light had become blazing to the extreme.

That feeling of fullness was no longer a prompt, but a pressure—as if a reservoir filled to the brim, its floodgates could no longer bear the load.

Chen Wen's consciousness sank into the depths of the System.

He could 'see' countless fine golden streams surging and colliding within the experience bar; each surge made the interface tremble slightly.

This was the manifestation of accumulation pushed to the extreme.

It was also an omen of breakthrough.

"Can't suppress it any longer."

He muttered to himself.

Each system upgrade corresponded to the unlocking of a key ability. Lv. 4 unlocked Shi Yong, Lv. 5 unlocked scripture perusal, and Lv. 6 brought a higher bestowal multiplier.

And Lv. 7…

Although he didn't know exactly what would be unlocked, that vague premonition—a premonition related to lifespan, essence, and longevity—was already clear enough.

"We need to find a suitable moment."

Chen Wen opened his eyes.

Under the moonlight, his countenance was calm, but deep in his eyes a golden gleam flashed and vanished.

That was a subtle manifestation of the system's overflow, with fortune energy leaking out.

He raised his right hand.

His five fingers spread, palm facing upward.

There was no light, no phenomenon.

But in the air, an extremely faint ripple spread outward from the center of his palm—like tossing a pebble onto a still water surface.

That was the undulation of Fortune Momentum.

A portion of the Chen Dynasty's national fortune, through this system 'interface', was resonating with him.

"The national fortune is strong enough to support."

He judged in a low voice.

But the consumption during the breakthrough, and the cost required to pay for using the new ability afterward, remained unknown.

He needed to prepare.

He needed to ensure that, at the critical moment, there would be enough Fortune Momentum available to draw upon.

He also needed to ensure that the person receiving this 'essential change' was worthy of the cost.

From outside the window came the sound of the night watch drum.

It was yin hour.

Chen Wen rose and walked to the window.

The night was deep, and lights within Huangcheng were sparse.

But on the western horizon, in the direction of the light barrier, a faint dark-red glimmer could barely be seen—that was the trace of the yin-energy nodes active at night.

The Iron Crow Army was accelerating.

The cracks in the light barrier were increasing.

Popular unrest was spreading.

Time, truly, was not much left.

"Before the year's end."

Chen Wen made a decision.

He must, before the year ends, accomplish that matter.

Complete the system breakthrough, complete the first application of the ability, complete consolidating the core team.

This will be a grand gamble.

Betting that the Chen Dynasty's national fortune is strong enough.

Betting that his judgment is accurate enough.

Betting that those who have followed him thus far deserve this gift.

"Come here."

Outside the quiet chamber, the attendant entered in response.

"Your Lordship."

"Pass the word to Zhang Cheng." Chen Wen said, "I want to see him tomorrow at the chen hour."

"Yes."

"Also." Chen Wen paused, "Notify Zhao Lao Nian to complete the upgrade and debugging of all star-pattern talismans within three days. The new batch of talismans must be able to bear a higher-intensity energy flow."

The attendant noted it down, bowed, and withdrew.

Chen Wen sat back in his original position.

This time, he did not close his eyes.

Instead, he stared straight into the void before him, as if making eye contact with some invisible entity.

「System……」

He whispered those two characters.

This "Heaven rewards diligence" rule, which had accompanied him for over a hundred years—from chaotic times to founding a nation, from struggling to survive to standoff across the curtain—now manifested.

What exactly is it?

Why did it choose him?

Why does it grow as history changes?

He had pondered these questions before, but never investigated them deeply.

Because it wasn't necessary to investigate—if it was useful, if it could secure a sliver of survival for Huaxia, that was enough.

But now, as the system is about to undergo another qualitative change, these doubts resurface in his mind.

「What exactly are you? 」

No one answered.

Only the System Interface hovered silently, the light of the experience bar still blazing.

Chen Wen shook his head, suppressing these distracting thoughts.

Now is not the time to pursue the root cause.

What needs to be done now is to use it, exploit it, and carve out a path of survival before the Iron Crow Army completely solidifies the scripted world.

He rose and pushed open the door of the quiet chamber.

A cold wind surged in, billowing his robes.

The corridor outside was empty, only distant palace lamps swaying in the wind.

Chen Wen walked toward the end of the corridor.

There was a small door leading to an obscure side hall within the Imperial City—this was where, at the founding of the nation, he and the five ministers had secretly discussed important matters.

He pushed the door open.

The hall's furnishings were simple: just a long table and a few chairs.

On the table lay a scroll, the detailed topographic map of both sides of the light curtain.

Chen Wen walked to the table, his finger tracing over Xijing on the map, then Bei Jing, then the light curtain, finally stopping at the location of Xu Prefecture.

「Uprising……」

He whispered the repetition.

The assessment from the Jing'an Bureau still needed time.

But some things can be prepared in advance.

He took from his bosom a Star Pattern Token—a newly crafted sample sent yesterday by Old Zhao the Stingy, its patterns more intricate, its load capacity increased by thirty percent.

He pressed the token onto the Xu Prefecture location.

He closed his eyes.

The system operated.

His level‑6 perception pierced the void, crossed the light curtain, and extended toward the direction of the scripted world.

The resistance was immense.

It was like wading through a mire.

Although the light curtain's regulatory barrier had cracked, its repulsion of the 'source of variables' remained strong.

Chen Wen's forehead beaded with fine sweat.

But he did not stop.

Bit by bit, inch by inch.

His perception finally made contact with the world on the west side of the light curtain.

A chaotic, tumultuous, bloody aura rushed forth.

That was the taste of a chaotic age.

He 'saw' outside Xu Prefecture city, endless encampments, disordered banners, and ragged refugees.

He also 'saw' at the camp's center, a middle‑aged man in worn leather armor examining a crude map by candlelight.

That was the leader of this uprising.

Chen Wen's perception locked onto him.

Then, via the Star Pattern Token, he transmitted an extremely vague thought—

Not a concrete tactic, not a detailed plan.

Just a direction.

A roughly 'develop northward, rely on mountainous terrain, avoid the strong and strike the weak' direction.

The moment the thought transmission ended, Chen Wen abruptly withdrew his perception.

As if struck in the chest by a heavy hammer, he staggered a step, steadying himself by gripping the table's edge.

His face turned pale.

In the System Interface, the mark of the Fortune Momentum reserve dropped by a small amount visible to the naked eye.

「Indeed……the consumption is enormous. 」

He panted, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

This was merely the transmission of a vague thought.

If it were a complete "knowledge capsule", if it were a more complex intervention……

The cost would be greater.

But it would be worth it.

Because when that middle-aged man received the thought, his eyes lit up.

He sprang to his feet, staring at the northern mountains on the map, as if he had realized something.

That was enough.

Chen Wen put away the Star Pattern Token and turned to leave the side hall.

The sky was about to brighten.

A fish-belly white appeared on the eastern horizon.

He stood in the corridor, gazing at the gradually brightening sky.

"Year-end……"

He whispered those two words again.

Then, he strode toward the sleeping palace.

There was still much to do today.

And that plan concerning the future——

It was finally about to begin.