Chapter 267

"Read more books, think more deeply. When you can all counter his moves and prevent him from gaining any advantage over you, your fortune becomes equal to his; when you can turn the tables and seize benefits from him, your fortune surpasses his."

Liu He pondered, "Like this time—he didn't buy when it was five hundred taels, yet ended up paying five thousand taels to the Daoist for that array. At that point, the Daoist's fortune was stronger than his."

Pan Yun nodded.

Liu He instantly understood, "But that's because the Daoist possesses something he can't get anywhere else—it's unique—and you're skilled in Wu Gong, so he can't touch you. How can ordinary people like us do the same?"

Pan Yun: "Everyone has something others don't. Look at this little blade of grass—it's small, crushed by trees, trampled by humans and beasts—but it still stands firm here. The tree may be blown down by wind, cut down by humans, and humans and beasts will vanish, yet this roadside grass remains, year after year."

Liu He: "I understand what you mean—he's the big tree, we're the weeds. But I still can't figure out a way."

Pan Yun: "..."

She said plainly: "Unite. Form an organization for tenant farmers' rights."

Liu He: "What?"

Liu He stared blankly, hearing but not understanding.

Pan Yun paused again, then smiled and said: "Worship me. I am Sanzhu. I revere the Mountain God Pan Gong. This Mountain God Pan Gong treats the towering trees no differently from the blades of grass or tiny insects."

"Worship me, worship Pan Gong. This organization shall be called the Poor Sect. Why is it called the Poor Sect?"

Liu He mechanically replied, "Because the Daoist calls himself 'Poor Daoist'?"

Pan Yun choked, paused, then said: "That's not wrong—I am indeed poor like you, burdened all my life by gold and silver."

"But our Poor Sect isn't named for that alone. We are called the Poor Sect because we embrace tenant farmers, poor peasants, craftsmen—those who suffer in poverty. Our goal is to improve our lives and make the world better."

Liu He's eyes lit up. "If we worship you and the Mountain God, will you and the Mountain God make us rich and improve our lives?"

Pan Yun answered bluntly: "No."

Liu He's face stiffened. "If you can't, why should we worship you and the Mountain God?"

Pan Yun pinched her fingers together. "Fusheng Wuliang Tianzun. Heaven can only bestow blessings—how much less can gods and this poor Daoist? A good life is earned through your own effort. Only you yourselves can make you rich and improve your lives."

"What I ask you to form an organization for is to unite, to have a stronger backing. Then your efforts can multiply—double, triple, even tenfold in results."

"For example, if you're dissatisfied with your wages and go to Old Liu and complain—what happens?"

Liu He: "He fires me. I don't even get my monthly pay."

"What if ten retainers go together and say your wages are too low?"

Liu He: "Then all ten of us might get fired. No work left."

Pan Yun: "A hundred."

Liu He: "The estate doesn't have that many people."

Pan Yun: "If every servant in the estate goes together and says: 'If you don't raise our wages, we quit,' what then?"

Liu He fell silent, then said: "He might raise wages—but the ringleaders might be beaten and driven out, and never be able to survive in town again."

Pan Yun looked at Liu He in surprise. "Good. You're quite clever."

Pan Yun said: "I gave these examples not to tell you to copy them exactly, but to show you: though we are grass and weeds, when united, we can shake even the tallest tree."

"But everything in this world demands a price," Pan Yun said solemnly. "The cost varies depending on the method—entirely up to your choice."

"Fortune is a combination of many things," Pan Yun squatted down, picked up a twig, and drew a hexagon in the dirt. "Power, wealth, prestige, martial strength, knowledge, health. Right now, you're stronger than him in health and martial strength. The other four can be improved through effort."

"Don't think it's impossible," Pan Yun said. "The world changes. If you don't try, how will you know it's impossible?"

Liu He stared at her intently. "Sanzhu Daoist, do you think I can do it?"

Pan Yun nodded firmly. "I think you can. The possibility is very high."

Liu He's eyes blazed bright. "Really?"

Pan Yun studied his facial features, then nodded seriously. "Really."

In Seeing Miao Zhen's eyes, the dark-skinned Liu He suddenly glowed. Under her divine sight, his fortune surged upward, showing signs of breaking free from his destined fate.

Seeing Miao Zhen stared, stunned, and clenched her fists tightly.

Liu He dropped to his knees right there, banging his head against the ground with excitement. "If you say so, Daoist, I'll give it my all. I won't leave. I'll stay in town. I'll make sure we all lift our fortunes—surpass Liu Tai!"

He asked: "What did you call that organization just now?"

"Poor..."

"Tenant Farmers' Rights Organization? I'll go back and set it up right away. Daoist, your name's good—we have no shortage of tenant farmers in town."

Liu He stuffed the ointment and bottle into his robe and ran off excitedly, deciding to return to town and consult his close friends first.

Pan Yun waited until he was far away before murmuring: "Actually... 'Poor Sect' isn't bad either..."

Seeing Miao Zhen: "Wasn't that just a name you made up as an example?"

Pan Yun sighed: "True—it was just an example. But perhaps it could be more than just an example."

Seeing Miao Zhen, solemn: "Little Uncle, I just saw his fate change."

"I've read of borrowing fortune to alter destiny, and of exchanging destinies—all demonic arts. But what you did—just a few words, and his fate changed on its own—I've never seen it, never even heard of it."

Pan Yun: "So tell me—did I use demonic arts?"

Seeing Miao Zhen shook her head seriously. "That's why I must record this method and pass it on to future generations."

Pan Yun perked up. "Then write it clearly. I'm using a pseudonym now, but when you write it down, don't use the pseudonym—use my real name."

Seeing Miao Zhen: "Did Little Uncle know this method would change his fate?" "No," Pan Yun paused. "I only thought it was a pity that someone so clever and reflective would die in poverty and hunger."

Correct—Liu He had the face of one destined to die young. The first time she saw him, she knew he wouldn't live long.

Now, upon seeing him again, the signs were even clearer.

Starvation and cold. Death in poverty.

For an ordinary person, Pan Yun might have given him some money, gambling he could escape this fate.

But Liu He—she had calculated it. Giving him money now would do no good. He'd spend it quickly, and end up with the same fate.

So she had to find another path—teach him to protect himself, and protect others like him.

She had only tried. She hadn't expected it to work.

Pan Yun murmured, "I never thought that in the end, the ones who saved him were still them…"

Miao Zhen didn't hear clearly, "Who?"

Pan Yun: "Three thousand years before, three thousand years after, the most lovable, the most admirable group of people in the entire universe."

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Miao He also got excited, "Who, who?"

Pan Yun patted her head and laughed, "Don't ask. In my place, they've all passed away; in yours, they haven't even been born yet."

Pan Yun dusted herself off and stood, pointed forward under the dim sky, and said loudly, "Let's march forward, onward to Third Senior Brother and Fourth Senior Sister!"

Third Senior Brother and Fourth Senior Sister were sitting together eating. The three of them — Pan Yun and the others, now in a different set of clothes — suddenly appeared in the inn, making the two freeze mid-chopstick.

Master Xuanmiao, seeing they were in casual clothes, asked, "Have you eaten?"

The three shook their heads together.

Master Xuanmiao then asked the shop to fry up two more plates of dishes.

None of the people sitting in the shop noticed they were the three Daoist Priests from daytime.

After all, the age was off, the clothes were off, the bearing was off, even their faces looked different.

People can't just keep staring at someone's face, can they?

The three had been on the go all day, and to keep up appearances, they hadn't eaten anything, so they were starving.

Pan Yun picked up her bowl and started eating. After half a bowl of rice went down and the hunger eased, she finally asked, "Senior Sisters, why are you eating so late?"

Master Xuanmiao: "I've bought everything you wanted. Some of it I had to get from the county seat. When are you planning to go to Shuangyang Village and Huaihua Village?"

Pan Yun: "Tomorrow."

The information on the Spirit Realm array formation never stopped — the merit value kept climbing up like a screen full of messages.

Although it was all small increments like +1, +2, the sheer volume made up for it.

Honestly, Pan Yun felt she was getting a bit full. If nothing went wrong, in a few more days, another seal on the Spirit Realm would break open.

She didn't know which part it would unseal next, or what would come out.

She was now wearing the wooden token Master Xuanmiao had given her, and her cultivation technique kept supplying it nonstop — otherwise, the townsfolk would probably recognize her even without looking at her face.

So she had to strike fast and finish quickly, then go home.

Merit value enough to break the Spirit Realm's second seal — should that be enough for her to withstand the heavenly thunder?

Pan Yun asked Master Xuanmiao, "Senior Sister, do you think I should also prepare myself a lightning rod — no wait, something like a thunder-weakening needle, a magic artifact to resist the Lei Jie?"

Master Xuanmiao said: "There's the Wind and Thunder Pagoda on Mount Sanqing. Once we return to Huishan, I'll cast a divination for you and calculate the most suitable direction for your Tribulation Crossing."

Pan Yun, whose knowledge was shallow, widened her eyes, "That can be calculated too?"

Master Xuanmiao: "Everything under heaven can be calculated."

Master Xuanmiao calculated that the next day was auspicious for travel at the mao hour.

Five in the morning on a winter's day in Fujian — the sky couldn't even be called faintly light yet.

Pan Yun struggled to sit up in bed, groping half-closed for her horse carriage, "Why is the mao hour auspicious for travel? Wouldn't the chen hour work?"

Master Xuanmiao, leading another ox cart, said: "That's what the divination came up with. I don't know why either."

Seeing that she and Miao Zhen were surprisingly full of energy, Pan Yun couldn't understand it, "Last night you two studied the combination array formation so late — how can you still get up this early?"

Master Xuanmiao: "Because we didn't sleep at all."

Pan Yun: …

The things Master Xuanmiao and Tao Ji had bought filled up one horse carriage and two ox carts.

The three carts had barely left the small town when a bloodcurdling scream came from Squire Liu's house.

Squire Liu was pinned to the bed by Liu Hei, with seven or eight dark figures standing at the bedside.

Squire Liu shouted, "Liu Hei, what are you doing?"

Liu Hei: "We don't want to work anymore. We're quitting."

"Quit then, quit then! I never said I wouldn't let you quit — I won't force you to stay!"

"But you have to settle this month's wages for us, and also, the fields belonging to our families — you have to return them to us."

Good night

(End of this chapter)