The little fox was mentally calculating how many of the mooncakes Yun Shu had bought for it were left, completely failing to notice that she had stopped. Its nose bumped unexpectedly into a patch of fragrant fabric.
It let out a soft whimper.
Its four paws slipped on the ground, and its round, chubby body tumbled halfway over before barely managing to steady itself.
Shaking its fluffy head, it looked up.
“Host, why did you suddenly stop walking?”
Yun Shu did not speak.
The little fox followed her gaze.
Inside the Divine Lady Temple, the figure kneeling on the futon was so thin and frail that he seemed almost swallowed by his loose green robes.
Candlelight flickered on his shoulders, outlining his straight, upright back, which possessed a resilient grace akin to a pine or cypress tree.
“Huh, isn't that Shen Yu? Why isn't he celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with Shen Jue? What is he doing kneeling all alone in the Divine Lady Temple?” The little fox's amber eyes were filled with confusion.
Yun Shu was invisible, so Shen Yu naturally could not see her, nor did he hear any footsteps coming from the temple entrance.
Gaze fixed on the Divine Lady statue, he murmured to himself, “The north has now stabilized. Spring farming has resumed, trade routes are open, and the common people can finally feed themselves and wear cotton clothes. Once the cement roads are completed in a while, their lives will only get better.”
“The Body Tempering Technique and the path to entering the Dao that you bestowed have also been mastered by the people. My brother and General Feng have even comprehended how to use spiritual energy to defeat enemies invisibly. There are also many talents on the path of scholarly arts who have mastered the method of transforming written words into tangible objects, using them to repair dikes, build dams, reclaim wasteland, and cultivate the land...”
At this point, his expression faltered slightly, his fingertips unconsciously brushing against the edge of the futon in front of his knees.
“But I always feel... is just doing this still not enough? Otherwise, why would you personally descend to the mortal realm to choose Yu Ran and Li Le, granting them a blessing when both of them happen to have absolutely no ties to the noble families?” His eyelashes trembled slightly as he bowed toward the Divine Lady statue. “Shen Yu takes the liberty to ask: Are you worried that a century from now, this world will once again fall into the hands of a single family name, repeating the same mistakes of the Yong Dynasty?”
Had he not been ill, he would never have come so rashly to the Divine Lady Temple to question the Divine Lady, and certainly not so directly.
Behaving this way was a choice born of desperation. He wanted to use the time he had left to do a little more for the Divine Lady, to live up to the appreciation She had shown him and the compassion She felt for mortals.
Currently, the north not only possessed tens of thousands of elite troops, but its granaries were also filled to an unprecedented degree. Furthermore, they had the Body Tempering Technique bestowed by the Divine Lady and the modern gunpowder researched by Daoist Master Xuan Jing. The reason they had delayed taking action against the south was partly because the Divine Lady had shown no intention of heading south, and partly because everyone in the north preferred to focus on themselves and develop the people's livelihood.
What was more, the people of the north had only just secured a peaceful and stable life where they could live and work in contentment. At such a time, if they could not find a reason that would satisfy everyone and instead rashly marched south to initiate a war, it was highly likely to cause the people to harbor negative thoughts toward the Divine Lady.
Yet, none of these were the primary reason why he had consistently opposed the suggestions of others to march south and unify the realm.
He could vaguely guess that the Divine Lady wanted to create an unprecedented nation for the people of this world—one completely different from any dynasty in history. However, he was not entirely certain if his guess was correct, as the concept was simply too mind-boggling.
Only by obtaining a precise answer from the Divine Lady could he determine his next step, knowing how best to help the Divine Lady govern this mortal realm and ease Her worries.
A long silence ensued.
Shen Yu listened to the sound of his own heartbeat and the crackle of the burning candles beside him. Even though he knew there was a high probability the Divine Lady would not appear to see him, he still refused to stand.
Yun Shu slowly walked up to the front of the Divine Lady statue.
Looking down at the green-robed scholar kneeling before the statue, she could not help but marvel in her heart. He truly was a king-maker talent capable of helping the male protagonist, Shen Jue, pacify a chaotic world. His political sensitivity was incredibly sharp.
In fact, she had occasionally overheard the northern officials discussing this.
Most of them were speculating about whom she would choose to be the new ruler of the realm once the world was unified.
Deeply ingrained beliefs made them subconsciously assume that when one dynasty fell, a new one must be established.
Everyone was worrying about whether the chosen one of the deity could shoulder the heavy burden of the world, but only Shen Yu had realized that she had never intended to allow a new feudal dynasty to emerge in this world.
Since there would be no feudal dynasty,
then there was naturally no need for a so-called emperor.
She rarely communicated with Shen Yu in her daily life, yet he was able to deduce this simply by observing her actions.
Having such an exceptionally meticulous person as an enemy would definitely be a nightmare.
The night grew deeper, and the candles in the hall burned lower, shadows creeping inch by inch up the lotus pedestal of the Divine Lady statue.
Shen Yu knelt there with his head bowed, almost believing that tonight would be another futile effort. Suddenly, a very soft sigh drifted down from above, like a breeze brushing through the clouds from the Nine Heavens.
He abruptly raised his head.
In the next second,
he met a pair of eyes as clear as water.
At some point,
the Divine Lady had actually appeared about ten feet in front of him, Her figure gradually overlapping with the exquisitely carved Divine Lady statue in the hall.
Moonlight streamed in through the carved window lattices, falling perfectly upon Her. Her wide sleeves cascaded like flowing clouds gathering snow, and the light blue beaded ornaments on Her garments shimmered with fragmented light under the moonbeams.
She looked down at him slightly, Her veil swaying gently. Her eyes were calm and rippleless, yet they seemed capable of seeing right through all his anxiety.
“Shen Yu,” She spoke, Her voice crisp and clear, untainted by the dust of the mortal world. “Since you have already guessed that I have no intention of establishing a new dynasty, you should understand that My selection of Yu Ran and Li Le to bestow blessings upon them was not to choose one of them to inherit the position of the future ruler of the world.”
She raised Her sleeve, pointing a finger from a distance.
Extremely quick-witted, the little fox immediately went into action, its figure darting between the lamps in the hall, moving so fast it left afterimages.
Instantly, the candlelight in the hall flared up by half a foot, illuminating the entire Divine Lady Temple.
Seeing this, Shen Yu unconsciously clenched his hands.
Even though he had deduced from the Divine Lady's words that She indeed intended to reform the laws just as he had suspected, he still did not dare to make any assumptions.
This reform concerned the future of millions of people in this world. How could he dare to jump to conclusions?
“Divine Lady, please forgive Shen Yu's dullness.” He bowed deeply toward the Divine Lady. “I beg the Divine Lady to enlighten me.”
Yun Shu suddenly fell silent.
She was playing the role of a deity, so she could not step forward directly to force everyone to accept the new policies she proposed.
At times like this, she needed a blade to do the deed for her, which was precisely why she had appeared before Shen Yu.
For Shen Yu was the perfect candidate.
Yet, since ancient times, most of those who participated in reforms—especially those who led them—rarely met a good end.
Since her arrival in this world, Shen Yu had been doing his utmost to help her achieve her ideals, seeking neither fame nor fortune.
Such a person should not end up dying a tragic death.
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