Kyoto, State Preceptor's mansion.
Blue smoke curled up from a gilded Boshan incense burner, casting flickering light upon the Taiji diagram on the wall.
A young man sat on a futon, dressed in Daoist robes with a crane-patterned cloak draped over his shoulders, looking every bit like a master of the Dao.
There was a soft knock at the door.
“Come in.”
A secret guard in black walked in silently and knelt on the floor.
“How did it go?”
The man did not look up. His voice was flat, as if he were asking about a trivial matter.
The guard lowered his head. “Reporting to the State Preceptor, we failed.”
Hearing this, the man slowly opened his eyes. He stared at the kneeling person and remained silent for a long time.
“How many times has it been?”
The guard’s forehead touched the ground. “The fifth time.”
The man closed his eyes.
The fifth time.
He was not originally from this era.
A year ago, he had transmigrated from the future to the late Yong Dynasty, becoming the alchemy sorcerer most favored by Emperor Ling of Yong.
Luo Daoqing.
However, this was not a good thing.
In history, Luo Daoqing was a treacherous official. To satisfy his own selfish desires, he formed cliques, harmed the loyal, and framed General Shen Jue, causing him to be exiled from the capital.
After Emperor Ling of Yong passed away, Luo Daoqing supported a child emperor and used the sovereign to control the lords. He exploited the people until they were filled with resentment, causing local powers to rise in rebellion.
One year later.
General Shen Jue, under the banner of cleansing the court, led his followers to capture the imperial city. Luo Daoqing was executed by a thousand cuts, and the other sorcerers were burned alive.
From then on, the world fell into chaos as various heroes fought for dominance.
Originally, he had thought about befriending Shen Jue, who would unify the world and establish a new dynasty in the future.
But when he transmigrated, the sorcerers were already plotting to slowly poison Emperor Ling of Yong and install a new emperor. If he had defected to Shen Jue then, those sorcerers would have killed him to keep him quiet.
Therefore, he had no choice. Relying on his knowledge of history, he had to strike first and kill Shen Jue.
But the results were disappointing.
Could it be that history cannot be changed?
The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became.
“State Preceptor, what is wrong?” The guard asked, seeing Luo Daoqing’s pale face.
“It’s nothing.”
Luo Daoqing waved his hand irritably. “Take your men to Xindu City. The Xindu Commandant, Zhou Bai, is an old subordinate of Shen Jue. Wait until the two of them meet, then strike.”
“Yes.” The guard hesitated for a moment. “Also, State Preceptor, there are rumors near Xindu City that a Divine Lady has descended.”
Luo Daoqing was stunned.
He had just used the guise of a reincarnated immortal to become the State Preceptor of the Yong Dynasty, and now someone in Xindu was claiming to be a Divine Lady?
Damn, who is this? They’re even better at putting on a show than him?
“What do you know about it?”
The guard replied, “According to the refugees, that Divine Lady is omnipotent. She can not only conjure things out of thin air but also call down heavenly thunder to punish the wicked...”
Luo Daoqing was listening just for amusement until he heard the mention of heavenly thunder. He snapped his eyes open.
“What did you say? Heavenly thunder?”
As a modern person, he was naturally not as superstitious as these ignorant ancients.
Therefore, as soon as he heard about a Divine Lady calling down heavenly thunder, he immediately thought of gunpowder.
No.
How could there be gunpowder at the end of the Yong Dynasty?!
The guard whispered, “I am not entirely sure. I only heard from refugees who witnessed it that the thunder is incredibly powerful, turning people to ash in an instant.”
Luo Daoqing could no longer sit still. He stood up and hurried out of the room, his back showing his urgency.
How could he not be anxious?
Another transmigrator like him had appeared in this world, and they had even developed gunpowder.
What was more critical was that this person was active in Xindu City, which meant they had likely already joined Shen Jue.
After all, Shen Jue, the founding emperor of the Great Xia in history, had immense charisma. The internet was full of his dream girls.
Most likely, this female transmigrator was a love-brain who wanted to romance Shen Jue.
No, he couldn't just wait for death.
He had to win over this transmigrator. If he couldn't, he would have to find a way to eliminate her.
Otherwise, he would have no chance of winning against Shen Jue.
A love-brain wasn't scary.
What was scary was a love-brain who could make gunpowder.
Using gunpowder in ancient warfare was a complete dimensional strike.
...
Xindu City.
Shen Jue blended into the line of refugees, keeping his head down and hiding his striking face under a worn hood.
He had smeared mud on his face and turned his blood-stained outer robe inside out. He looked no different from the disheveled refugees around him.
Shen Er had also been ordered to do the same.
Right now, he was following behind Shen Jue with his head hanging, looking like he harbored resentment but didn't dare speak.
The line moved slowly along a forest path, filled with people in rags.
There were old and young, families and loners, all emaciated and staggering.
At noon, the group stopped to rest by the road.
Some people took out hard dry rations from their robes.
Some went to peel tree bark.
Shen Jue was silent for a moment, then walked to an elm tree by the road, broke off a piece of bark, and put it in his mouth.
The coarse fibers scraped his throat. He chewed the bark expressionlessly, his jawline tight.
Shen Er leaned in and whispered, “Eldest Young Master, this stuff isn't fit for human consumption...”
Shen Jue shot him a look.
Shen Er immediately shut up, broke off a piece with a grimace, and chewed it with a pained expression.
Nearby, a few refugees sat together, their low conversation drifting over in fragments.
“Did you hear? The porridge given by the Divine Lady in the temple isn't ordinary. It has celestial dew in it. One bowl can keep you full for three days!”
“Is it true that a Divine Lady has descended to give out porridge?”
“I saw it with my own eyes! How could it be fake? Why else do you think so many people are heading to the Divine Lady Temple?”
“That's wonderful, truly wonderful. The Divine Lady must have come down specifically to save us from suffering...”
Shen Jue's chewing slowed slightly.
He lowered his eyes, swallowing the surge of disgust along with the bitter bark.
Celestial dew, immortals descending, saving people from suffering.
He had heard these lines far too many times in the capital.
When those sorcerers tricked the Emperor with Five Minerals Powder, they used the same rhetoric.
They claimed that taking Five Minerals Powder would prolong life, causing the capital's nobility to flock to it, spending fortunes to buy it.
At first, those who took it did indeed look healthy and energetic.
But gradually, their behavior became increasingly erratic and insane, completely unlike normal people.
Three months ago, one of his lieutenants had somehow become addicted to Five Minerals Powder.
To buy more, the lieutenant sold everything in his house. If Shen Jue hadn't stopped him, he would have even sold his own wife and children.
It was clear that this so-called Five Minerals Powder was no immortal medicine, but a soul-destroying poison.
With one incident after another, how could he not loathe those swindling sorcerers?
Late in the afternoon, the group finally reached the valley.
Standing at the end of the line, Shen Jue looked up, and the sight before him made him pause.
The valley was low-lying, flanked by lush green mountains, with a clear stream winding through it.
The view in the valley was open. Centered around the Divine Lady Temple were rows of neatly arranged bamboo sheds.
Though simple, they were built with care.
The pillars were driven deep into the ground, and the roofs were covered with thick thatch and bamboo mats, sufficient for shelter.
Most remarkably, the refugees living here didn't have the usual numbness or fear on their faces.
This place actually possessed a tranquility rarely seen in these chaotic times.
But he didn't immediately change his mind about the Divine Lady, as the precedent of the Five Minerals Powder was still fresh in his memory.
False prosperity is like a reflection in a mirror or the moon in water.
One prick is all it takes to shatter it.
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