Chapter 858: Fortune 'Autumn Harvest'!

Jia Baoyu's jade shattered utterly, leaving only a pile of small fragments.

The cause of the breakage was Jia Baoyu dropping it himself, after Jia Mu was injured.

The Jia family split into two parts; after a period of stability, Jia Baoyu became restless again, missing his sisters.

It was too terrible—his Lin Meimei, his precious older sister, and a bunch of his favorite maids all left.

Only a few like Xi Ren remained.

For Jia Baoyu, who grew up among powder and cosmetics from childhood, this was utterly unbearable. He thus started acting up again, unable to eat or sleep well, demanding his sisters.

Just then, Jia Mu was injured, and no one paid him any heed.

Jia Baoyu thought of smashing his jade once to draw attention, hoping at best to write a letter so that Lin Meimei and Xue Jiejie would return—at least one of them.

Unexpectedly, with this fall, the jade that normally could not be shattered broke outright.

Jia Baoyu fainted on the spot from fright.

Upon hearing this, Jia Mu's condition worsened and she also fainted.

Jia Zheng learned that his unfilial son, by smashing the jade, had caused his originally "ill" mother to lose consciousness due to that beast's behavior, and he too grew so angry he fainted.

Wang Fu saw her husband faint and promptly followed suit.

The whole family, once again all together, fainted collectively.

Oh, the Jia She household of Rongguo Manor was still fine—Wang Xifeng and Jia Lian's marital relationship existed in name only, and she had long gone with Tang Luo and company to the Number One City Under Heaven.

Without the shrewish wife, Jia Lian could practically sing of the serfs turning over and prospering; one couldn't tell how happy he was.

The second branch, including the matriarch's collapse, saw Jia She, as the suppressed senior branch, raise his brows and breathe freely.

He threw the Jia family into utter chaos.

When Ao Yulie arrived, the Jia family was exactly in that state.

Those below were panicked and in chaos, while above Jia She flaunted his might.

One cannot wholly blame the Jia family's inadequacy; mainly, the few talents it had were all taken away by Tang Luo together.

"Jia Baoyu's and Jia Mu's fortune surely has been diminished," Ao Yulie said, "the fortune of the other Jia family members should also be nearly gone."

"It seems that because we have clearly intervened, the reaction is especially obvious," Tang Luo said.

Xue Baochai's cultivation realm dropped on the spot, she was injured—quite evident—whereas Zhuge Liang's side showed a much subtler reaction.

If it weren't a coincidence that they were in the same place, nobody would have thought of that aspect at all.

In silence, the fortune was weakened.

Moreover, unlike Zhuge Liang's situation where hardly a drop or thread remained, Yang Jian, with his heavenly eye, had observed and determined that Xue Baochai's fortune had merely been reduced by more than half, not completely vanished.

The presence of Tang Luo and company, their intervention, greatly affected the disappearance of fortune.

Ao Yulie lacked Yang Jian's heavenly eye, so he could not see all the changes in fortune, but he could roughly judge that Jia Mu's fortune also had not been completely extinguished.

Speaking of which, Yang Jian's heavenly eye is naturally not for observing fortune; it's just that his insight is keen enough to catch some signs of change.

But now, limited to this world's natives, like Tang Luo and company, Yang Jian cannot discern any fortune or lack thereof at all.

This is actually a special feature of this world.

In the other worlds, including the former Mountain-Sea Realm, fortune was not that important.

"Master, let me handle this a bit and then return," Ao Yulie said.

Because we're not entirely sure of the scope of the "Jia family," we can't wholly abandon it here; at least Jia Mu, this former Jia family treasure, shouldn't be casually discarded, whereas the Jia She faction likely doesn't matter.

If you anger Tang Luo and company, even if the task explicitly states that leading the Jia family to the peak includes "Jia" as Jia She, they won't care and will just slap you to death.

Accomplish the task? Accomplish my ass! The number of failures is huge.

"Good." Tang Luo let Ao Yulie stay temporarily in the Great Qian Glory Nation Manor.

As for the Number One City Under Heaven side, they began gathering the items Zhuge Liang needed for his heaven-defying fate-changing endeavor.

After the Number One City Under Heaven was established, its liveliness far surpassed before.

Previously, the smuggling activities of the Chaotic City at least had some cover, and the so-called order was merely superficial, making it inevitably susceptible to influence.

Now it is different: the Number One Expert Under Heaven, the Heavenly Person Mysterious Venerable Jia Rong, established the Number One City Under Heaven.

Basically it amounted to establishing a completely free trade zone, where business opportunities attracted the various powerful merchant guilds of the Three Kingdoms like moths to a flame.

Moreover, with Jia Rong presiding, there was no more black-on-black violence; it became a truly orderly place.

Prosperity abounded; the things Zhuge Liang needed were gathered in just two days.

Zhuge Liang did not rush to begin his heaven-defying fate-changing journey; for such an undertaking, having materials alone is insufficient—one must also pay heed to timing, advantage, and harmony.

Speaking of geographical advantage, using Zhuge Liang's words, the Number One City Under Heaven is a gathering place of wind and cloud figures, with many such personalities assembled here, and there is no more suitable locale.

It sounds like his heaven-defying fate-changing method is akin to shearing the fortune of the city's wind-and-cloud figures like wool and piling it onto his own head.

Just like wearing someone else's hair on one's own head.

As for human harmony, it has nothing to do with the wind-and-cloud figures; Zhuge Liang said that under normal circumstances, to undertake this he would certainly need to stay hidden and be heavily protected, otherwise once the word got out, the number of those who would obstruct would be countless.

Nowadays, however, it is entirely unnecessary.

Jia Rong had designated the bait. Unless someone wanted to die, seeking a surefire way to kill themselves, they would not think of obstructing Zhuge Liang while also altering their own fate.

As for timing, it is time; Zhuge Liang and Tang Luo spoke a great deal of incomprehensible technical jargon.

In short, seven days later will be the moment when Zhuge Liang lights the Seven Star Lamp to commence his heaven-defying fate-changing.

So, for now, we can still exert ourselves a bit.

The others also did not leave, continuing to stay in the Number One City Under Heaven; Lü Bu gazed at Zhuge Liang's gradually thinning hair and nodded slightly: "My path is not lonely!"

At the City Lord's Manor, everyone was engaged in a heated discussion about perfecting the "Contend for Heaven 2.0" version.

The atmosphere was fervent.

If it weren't for Tang Luo holding down the fort, everyone would already have engaged in plenty of intimate zero-distance contact.

Including my palm against his face, my foot against his face, or his fist against my face.

Sun Wukong has returned; he flew toward heaven, almost flying beyond the bounds of this world, probing the edge of the "Chaos Long River" outside the world several times before returning.

He couldn't find any hidden mastermind.

Regarding some rules when playing chess—for example, a cannon stationed on its own square can attack the opponent from a distance; the opponent cannot move; if capable, one can counterattack; if not, one can only suffer passively.

Tang Luo had already demonstrated these rules in a chess game; any minor loopholes were discussed and patched by everyone, establishing the rules mutually agreed upon.

In the future, if anything is discovered, it can still be revised.

Anyway, the "Compendium of Rules" has already begun compilation; it will serve as the standard from now on.

The real point of contention is how to initiate a chess game, whether one can refuse it, and how many times one can refuse, etc.

For example, the King of Shu, Liu Bei, wanted to reclaim Jingzhou and proposed a "Chess Warrior duel" to the King of Wu, Sun Ce.

How many times can Sun Ce refuse, and what if he keeps refusing?

Would Jingzhou then always belong to Sun Ce?

At the level of great powers' maneuvering, these all require negotiation among all sides to set a challenge and refusal "count" that everyone can accept.

As for what these powers should do further down,

Tang Luo lightly remarked, "Don't you have national law?" and that settled it.

He established the Chess Warrior for contending for supremacy under heaven, not for settling trivial matters like Zhang San stealing a chicken from Li Si's household and refusing to return it.

Such matters are naturally governed by national law and family rules.

Privately resolving disputes through chess games is another matter; the Jia family would not override national law to guarantee the fairness and effectiveness of those chess games.

As arbitrators, the Jia family arbitrates the great powers under heaven.

Managing everything—wouldn't that make one another Zhuge Liang?

Only when states contend, when great powers (the Three Kings) clash, does the Jia family need to act as arbitrator.

Still taking Jingzhou as an example, Liu Bei and Sun Ce play chess, and Liu Bei wins.

To reclaim Jingzhou, Sun Ce superficially agrees but actually stalls, refusing to return it; at that point, the Jia family will intervene, deciding based on circumstances whether to beat Sun Ce or outright annihilate the Wu king's forces.

As for Sun Ce's claim that Jingzhou originally belonged to him, such historical legacy issues are not something the Jia family gets involved in.

The Jia family ensures that after a chess game yields a winner, the prior commitments of both sides are fulfilled; if someone reneges, the Jia family enforces it by force.

At the same time, it also ensures these great powers will no longer take up arms.

From the Great Qian to the Great Yin, among the Three Kings, whichever side initiates war over interests—whether undeclared or after a declaration—will be punished by the Jia family, impartially and without distinction.

As for the severity of punishment, it is left to the Jia family's (Tang Luo's) discretion.

In the future, relevant rules and systems may be established; for now, it's unnecessary.

For now, Tang Luo decides with a single word, and no one will oppose.

After several days of heated debate, everyone barely reached a consensus: for the same matter, a chess game can be refused only three times, and a chess-game challenge regarding the same event can occur only once per month.

For these great powers, it basically amounts to a contest every half year or so—of course, they may also choose not to contend.

Tang Luo will not force them.

Regarding the initiation of chess-game challenges, refusing these agreements, they unified into a pact called the "Under Heaven Covenant".

Currently, Wei, Shu, Wu, the Great Qian, and the Great Ding (the Three Kings and Lü Bu) have all joined the covenant.

As for the puppet royal family of the Great Ding, they did not send representatives; Tang Luo, disregarding the various factions of the Great Ding, announced that the Great Ding's royal clan also qualifies to participate in the "Under Heaven Covenant", with a one‑month deadline.

He opened a path for them; whether they can walk out of it depends on their own abilities.

Joining the covenant naturally brings both benefits and drawbacks.

The benefit is not having to worry that one day the Three Kings might suddenly declare independence and join forces to overthrow the royal clan.

The drawback is that the Three Kings can openly use chess games to force the royal clan to abdicate.

If they do not join, the Jia family will not intervene when the Three Kings deal with the royal clan.

The powers of the Under Heaven Covenant rule all under heaven; Tang Luo arbitrates the Under Heaven Covenant powers.

He exercises indirect rule.

After the covenant was established, Zhuge Liang immediately challenged Zhou Yu for the possession of Jingzhou.

After discussion, Zhou Yu and his companions readily agreed.

This opened the second contest of chess Dao on the "Under Heaven Chessboard".

The victor this time was the Shu king's side; the difference in chess skill between the two players, Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu, is almost negligible.

The victory was decided by the difference between the sides' chess pieces.

Within the Shu forces, there is a grand master, Guan Yu, who naturally holds an advantage in one‑on‑one combat.

Zhuge Liang defeated Zhou Yu and ultimately reclaimed Jingzhou.

Yet the victorious side showed no joyful smile, for the cost was not small—in fact, it was so great that it exceeded the benefits of reclaiming Jingzhou.

Among the Five Tiger Generals, Huang Zhong and Guan Yu were seriously wounded.

The other three suffered light injuries; Huang Zhong, being elderly, sustained severe wounds this time, meaning he will basically only be able to live out his remaining years in retirement.

He can no longer shoulder responsibility alone as before.

The Shu side lost a veteran commander, but it is not completely unacceptable.

What is unacceptable is Guan Yu's injury.

Guan Yu was originally a grand master of surpassing strength; when Lü Meng and Lu Xun jointly seized Jingzhou in the past, he suffered severe injuries.

Thereafter he continued to nurse his wounds, only emerging from seclusion again after Tang Luo stirred up trouble in the Great Ding.

Nevertheless, even to this day, his injury has not fully healed.

This time, serving as a "chariot" in the rotating battle, he ended up critically wounded and near death.

Had it not been for the numerous caravans of the First City Under Heaven and the abundance of various elixirs and miraculous medicines, Guan Yu might not have survived.

As the Under Heaven Arbitrator, Tang Luo cannot possibly intervene to save a person.

Although everyone now knows he has a life-saving method, "Immortal's hand on my crown, binding hair to receive longevity," and with a wave of his hand he saves people invisibly.

Guan Yu's life was saved, but his Grand Master martial arts are practically ruined.

After seeing this, the many martial arts masters present all expressed their Bian Que three-link approval of Guan Yu's return to martial arts.

The person inside the furnace, Yang Jian, also opened his heavenly eye and swept, clearly stating that Guan Yu's qi fortune, like Zhuge Liang's, is not a drop left.

He has gone from protagonist to total extra.

Zhuge Liang's days are numbered, Guan Yu is completely ruined, and the downfall of the Shu faction is practically right before our eyes.

Before the Wu and Wei forces could even show a smile, an urgent report came from Eastern Wu to the City of First Under Heaven: the Wu overlord, Wu King, and also a Grand Master, Sun Ce, died suddenly in his prime!

Zhou Yu, upon hearing this, immediately spat three mouthfuls of fresh blood and collapsed on the spot.

Now, Cao Pi, Xiahou Dun and the others dare not laugh.

Their not laughing is clearly justified, for almost back‑to‑back with the news of Sun Ce's death came the report that Cao Cao suffers from a severe headache, critical illness, and coma.

Furthermore, the only one capable of treating Cao Cao's headache, Hua Tuo, proposed to perform a craniotomy on him; in his fury, Cao Cao had Hua Tuo thrown into prison.

As a result, Hua Tuo died in prison, announcing that Cao Cao would soon suffer the "Bian Que threefold".

If Hua Tuo had not died, even without performing a craniotomy he could at least have prolonged Cao Cao's life by several years.

But with Hua Tuo dead, this story tells us that meddling in medicine never ends well.

For a time, the mainstays of the Wei, Shu, and Wu factions all collapsed one after another.

It inevitably brings to mind "Autumn Harvest".

It seems as if an invisible hand, wielding a sickle, is madly reaping the qi fortune of these prominent figures.

It lets their fates return to the "originally set path".

You can dodge the first day, but not the fifteenth.

What is destined to come will still come.

After Sun Ce went first, Zhou Yu followed closely, then Guan Yu, Zhuge Liang, and Cao Cao — none of them could escape.

Tang Luo had said that the possible hidden mastermind had bared its fangs, sharp beyond compare.

Ahhh!

Inside the City Lord's mansion, one can hear Zhang Fei's stifled, extremely frustrated roar; he cannot even smash something to vent his feelings.

Because this is Jia Rong's home.

If he smashes someone else's belongings, they will smash his head in return.

"Chancellor, the time is tonight…" Zhao Yun said beside Zhuge Liang, wanting to speak but hesitating.

"As for this, there's no need to worry about someone meddling." Zhuge Liang said.

All three sides dispatched large forces to return to their own territories.

Meanwhile, Cao Pi, Zhou Yu and the others, including the Five Tiger Generals, stayed behind.

One reason is that there are many wounded who cannot move easily and need time to heal—Jia Rong does not have the extent of "Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; they treat all things as straw dogs" to drive them away directly.

On the other hand, tonight is the day Zhuge Liang defies heaven to change fate.

Jia Rong is also watching this.

This is probably their only chance to find the successive events and the hidden mastermind behind them!