Chapter 142, Day Two. Myriad Paths.

The next day.

In just one day, the land of Kyushu was completely transformed. Day and night, the cycle of day and night, could not stop the unrest in the hearts of the people.

When the end of the world comes, who will care about the lives of ordinary and lowly people like you and me? Why not take advantage of these last days and live recklessly?

With this in mind, the various states were in chaos, and the chaos continued after the chaos subsided. It seemed that before the third day, the entire nation would cut off its own lifeline.

...

Lin Fanxiang gazed at the stars all night, and collapsed when dawn broke.

"Nine stars appear in the world, Heaven desires to create gods, all paths are still and clear, a single thought can transform one into a mortal."

Finally, she held Qingyu's hand and recited the sixteen-character mantra of the star chart, word by word.

"Qingyu, take my path."

Qingyu stared at her in shock. She leaned down and said, "Fanxiang, you..."

You are filled with the aura of death...

"Qingyu!"

Lin Fanxiang met her gaze, and the woman spoke to her earnestly but weakly.

“Now I don’t believe in Heaven, I only believe in myself. Wuming uses the Way of Heaven to oppress people, so we must fight with all the Ways… Qingyu, don’t blame me, I chose you, I believe in you… Please, take our Way.”

She had already lay down, yet she held Qingyu's hand tightly. She gazed at Qingyu, at Wen Chuan, Ji Shaowei, and Fang Buyan behind her, at the chaos and strife everywhere, at the vast and desolate land, and at the boy she would never see again.

She said, “I have obtained the prophecy through my life’s words. Cultivators of the Nine Provinces should invite all the myriad paths to enter one person, so as to fight against the nameless Heavenly Dao. That person is you, Qingyu.”

"Fan Xiang!"

Qingyu looked at Lin Fanxiang's lifeless face with extreme pain, "I'll do anything, Fanxiang, but you, how could you..."

How could you, how could you...

The pale woman smiled quietly, closed her eyes, and waited silently.

...

Qingzhou Demon-Suppressing Pavilion.

Fang Buyan closed his eyes and gently, with all his heart, connected with the Nine Provinces and with everyone he could connect with.

"We are endowed with the talent of cultivators, but our Dao heart is shaped for you and me."

“The nameless man, in his human form, presumptuously cultivated the Way of Heaven. Within three days, a million lives were lost. This was not a natural disaster, but a man-made one.”

"The Lin family used the power of words to find a solution."

"At this critical moment, only the myriad paths can rival the Heavenly Way."

"One man wields the sword, ten thousand men share the Dao; behind us lies the entire land of China."

Quietly, Fang Buyan repeatedly enlightened the world, and though the blind man was mute, his voice was heard by all the people of the land.

Again and again, one person after another.

More, more, calling for even more cultivators.

More, more...

"Fang Buyan! You'll die if you keep going like this!"

Ji Shaowei stood beside him, watching his face grow paler and weaker, even showing signs of death!

Fang Buyan ignored him and continued to focus on connecting with cultivators in the world. If he could exchange his life for the whole of the land to know about it, he would be extremely honored.

As Ji Shaowei listened to Fang Buyan's repeated calls in his heart, the young man felt only helplessness and pain—

"As Lord Fang said, one person is in front because ten thousand are behind."

"So what is Lord Fang doing now?"

A clear, helpless female voice rang out, softly accompanied by the sound of clouds howling.

Ji Shaowei looked up and saw that he was a member of the Miao ethnic group... He also had a very powerful and spiritual gyrfalcon on his body.

Ji Shaowei: "You are..."

"A-Ling, a Miao woman from Yundi in Yizhou, carries the spirit of the deceased swordsman Cai Danglu—"

"The leader of all eagles, Qingchuang, has come to your aid."

...

"Look!"

"Look at that in the sky, what's that?!"

"Those are eagles! So fast! So many of them!"

"And there are more! Huge birds! So many! Look!"

In an instant, a vast flock of birds gathered and flew in the sky, led by the Thousand Spirit Carrier Pigeon, constantly flying, splitting, landing, flying again, and landing again.

They are...delivering messages...

They are there, connecting the nine provinces...

They are here, proclaiming to the Nine Provinces, and everything, in the most primal way.

A storm is brewing, my heart is pounding like a drum, but if it can save the nation, what does it matter if I live or die?

now--

Danzhou.

Bai Lang asked Zhu Mengfeng bluntly, "My lord, is Qing Yu a demon after all...? Do we really want to gamble everything on her?"

The healer Chen Shu sighed with lowered eyes, "Dao heart, Dao heart, something a cultivator cultivates for a lifetime... more precious than life itself."

This matter of bestowing the Dao upon one person is not just a casual remark. "Ten thousand Daos for one person" means that the cultivation accumulated by the people of the Nine Provinces throughout their entire lives is given to one person.

If they win this battle, they will be unharmed; if they lose, their Dao hearts will be shattered, and they won't even know if they can enter the cycle of reincarnation...

Zhu Mengfeng looked at the sky, and the young man smiled. It seemed as if a gentle breeze blew by, carrying the fragrance of plum blossoms.

"All paths lead to one person, just as the winds of this world all blow in one direction."

"I believe in her, and I admire her."

...

Jiaozhou.

"You're only seven years old! How can you talk about the Dao heart, or about sending someone to the Dao!"

Wang Chengmo looked at his stubborn eldest son and said in a deep voice, "Wang Songjin! Stop making a scene!"

Wang Songjin looked up, the child standing straight, stubbornly saying to Wang Chengmo, "Father, I started reading at three, learned manners at five, and today at seven, I already have a heart for the Dao!"

"You're being ridiculous!"

Ruan Qinghuai held his one-year-old daughter in his arms, and was so anxious about his eldest son that he was almost in tears.

"With your parents here, why would you, a seven-year-old child, be sent on your journey? Do you know what will happen to you if you fail and your heart is shattered?"

Wang Chengmo looked at the son he had raised to be seven years old. He squatted down and looked at him.

"Songjin, you still have a younger sister at home. If we fail in this battle, you must support the Wang family."

"Dad, don't lie to me."

Surprisingly, little Wang Songjin choked up and said to Wang Chengmo, "If the evil cultivation is successful, it's like the arrival of the mysterious sun in the book, plunging everything into darkness. Even if my sister survives, all that awaits her is suffering."

“Father, all the older brothers and sisters who cultivate in the academy are talking about these things. I am old enough to understand now, and I have my own thoughts. I am not lying to you; I have my own Dao heart.”

The child's eyes were brimming with tears, but he stubbornly held them back, choking back sobs as he spoke to his parents.

"It's small, but what if it were just a little bit more, just a tiny bit more, and that demon lord sister could have won?"

"Father, Mother,"

Let's go together.

...

Jingzhou.

"You, who spend every day in officialdom, actually have a heart for Taoism?"

Inside the Yan Zhou Imperial Palace, Jin Ning looked at Zhang Xingwen and said with amusement, "What are you thinking? You're so old, why are you making things so difficult for yourself?"

Zhang Xingwen was too lazy to pay attention to her. Even in this situation, this woman still had the mind to laugh. When news of Lin's death came today, her eyes reddened, but in an instant, she regained her composure and issued orders to quell the rebellion. The majesty of the Princess was truly unshakeable.

Yes, she is Jin Ning.

“Ah Xuan is still in Qingzhou… They are young, I don’t understand their affairs. Isn’t it just the Dao? I’ll try to understand it tonight, and I’ll be out tomorrow.”

Jin Ning: "Zhang Xingwen, how many drinks did you have?"

Zhang Xingwen waved his sleeves and said irritably, "No rush, in a few days, I will definitely have a good drink with Her Highness the Princess!"

Jin Ning smiled, and just as she was about to speak, she saw Yan Xuanci walking past the palace path in a daze—

"Xuanci, what's wrong? Is it your father...?"

"Aunt, Prime Minister Zhang, Father Emperor asked me..."

"Among the myriad paths of the world, is the way of the ruler also among them...?"

...

Yizhou.

At Shenlan Cliff, the golden monkey lay on the big locust tree, counting the stars.

"One, two, three... Hey, big locust tree, tell me, is our demon lord reliable or not..."

"I've repaired this for so many years, I really can't bear to part with it..."

"But tell me, what should my Dao heart be called...? I don't know, I just know there's one... how about calling it the Path of Joy..."

"Hahaha, happy road, happy road, happy road!"

"You're so happy you're practically on cloud nine!"

A familiar voice rang out, and the golden monkey chuckled, its tail wagging, "Oh, silly little water deer is here! Silly one's here, silly one's here!"

"Annoying demon!"

Shui Zhu rolled her eyes, then turned around and lay down under the tree with Shui Bi to look at the stars. After a while, Li Huan arrived with a little Pixiu, and several little tigers also nestled under the tree, snoring.

They lay in a row, laughing in a row.

"The cultivators in the Cloud Land all went home for a meeting once they had a Dao Heart."

"They're human, after all. They have attachments, ties, and all sorts of other things. A lot of them just leave."

"And what about us?"

"We... hahaha, our concerns are still far away, waiting for our Dao heart."

...

Liangzhou.

The desert night was so cold that I could barely feel myself.

Xiao Enci stood quietly in the courtyard, and unconsciously, she looked towards the distant tombs outside the city, following the moonlight.

"Sister-in-law,"

Wei Feng walked to her side, and Xiao Enci smiled and said, "It's windy at night, so wear more clothes."

The boy nodded.

Have you received their letter?

She asked, and Wei Feng replied, "Received. The Cheng family, the Yuwen family, and the Duan family have all agreed."

Each family selects its top cultivators, but during the selection process, everyone steps forward and says, "I can do it too."

you can.

Why can't I?

To die for the Nine Provinces, what is there to regret?

"Xiao Feng, your grandfather, parents, brother, and sister-in-law are all proud of you."

Wei Feng smiled, looked up at the bright moon in the sky, and said bluntly,

"Sister-in-law, I didn't think that much about it, I just wanted to say,"

"Xiliang gave me life and nurtured me. If my Daoist heart can benefit Xiliang and the Nine Provinces,"

"I don't know how happy I am."

...

Jizhou.

That night, the cloud boat received so many cultivators for the first time.

"Boss Yun is so generous! We'll provide all the food and drinks tonight!"

"Hahahaha, alright, let's just stay here and not leave tonight or tomorrow night!"

"Oh! It's rare that we don't need these soundproof screens anymore. Come, come, let's have a long chat about life tonight!"

Hahahaha!

Yun Jiazhu stood on the third floor watching them. At this moment, the screens on the first floor of Yunzhou had all been removed, and the doors on the second floor were all open. The third floor was deserted, as the people who used to be on the third floor were now busy in some corner of Kyushu.

Yun Jiacheng walked to her side. He also watched the noisy and laughing scenes downstairs and felt that he would probably never see Yunzhou like this again in his life.

"Actually, it's somewhat like the auction that day, isn't it?"

Yun Jiazhu said with a gentle smile, "At that time, those young men stood where they are now, and said to Kyushu that they wanted to buy the Immortal Sword."

"Really? I don't think so."

Yun Jiacheng leaned lightly on the railing, looking down at the cloud boat. The young man said, "It's more lively, but also more desolate."

Tonight, all the cultivators of the Nine Provinces know the affairs of the myriad paths. In their hesitation and pain, the cloud boat is brightly lit with candles, and all the invited cultivators are drunk and dreaming. When they wake up, they will naturally make their choices.

Yun Jiacheng: "Sister, what do you think they will choose?"

Yun Jiazhu smiled, the woman looking down at the night sky, and said calmly and serenely, "Any choice is right. Not everyone has to sacrifice everything for the Nine Provinces—"

"But people will always go."

"Since we're going, why can't it be us?"

We are given the opportunity to enter the path of enlightenment, and in times of crisis, it is our turn.

...

"Hey! Why is Boss Yun still up there? Why don't you come down and have a drink?"

A cultivator spotted them on the third floor, and thus raised his cup and laughed.

"Others may not know, but I have the utmost respect for Yunzhou of the North, Daoist Anning—you probably don't know this, but I've heard stories of Yunzhou since I was a child. The Dao heart I've cultivated all my life is the very Dao that Senior Yunzhou pursued back then, the Dao of Anning!"

"He's drunk, he's really drunk. He's even uttered his Daoist intentions, hahaha! What's so great about cultivating the Dao of Tranquility? It can't compare to mine. I've spent my whole life crafting artifacts, bringing convenience to countless people. In terms of craftsmanship, even the most powerful beings in the Nine Provinces can't match me!"

"Bah! Look at this knife of mine! Do you know how much blood of evil demons and villains is on it? I cultivate the true path of chivalry!"

"You, you, none of you can do it. I, I, I cultivated the Path of Ruthlessness, which was cultivated by that Immortal Wen Gu!"

"You, you're heartless, hahaha! How are you heartless? I think you're a pretty good person!"

"Hey, I'll just ask you one question: you're heartless, so will you give me your Dao Heart, or not?"

The moment the words were spoken, all around fell silent.

The aroma of the wine was overwhelming. The cultivator paused for a moment, then laughed loudly, "Heartless, heartless! I am heartless even to myself!"

"What harm is there in giving away this Dao Heart!"

"Okay! You deliver, I'll deliver too!"

"Me too,"

"You shouldn't bother, you're too weak."

"Hahahaha, let's drink! Let's drink! Let's drink!"

"Dry!"

...

Qingzhou.

Qingyu stood alone on the high mountain, while the woman quietly gazed at the sky.

"Oh dear! You silly girl, going up the mountain in the middle of the night, oh dear, oh dear..."

The woman turned around, her face aged and weak, yet she seemed to be smiling—

It's Uncle He.

He bent down and squatted beside her, and Qingyu quickly helped him to sit down on the ground.

The old man smiled as he calmed his breathing, "I'm quite old now, and I'm probably of no use to Kyushu, but you are different."

Qingyu smiled but didn't answer the question. "Uncle, is there something you need?"

Why would I climb a mountain in the middle of the night to look for her?

"It's nothing, I just came to say goodbye."

Uncle He said with a smile, "I did my best to save Lin girl, but in the end, it's up to fate."

A medicine that can save lives, a life for a life.

I wonder if his old life is worth anything, or if he can bring Lin Fanxiang's life back.

Qingyu looked at him, and in an instant she seemed to understand something, "Uncle, you..."

"Oh—please don't be sad for me! Look how old I am!"

"You silly girl... Don't feel pressured, child. A doctor saves one person, and he saves ten thousand people. The way of the world is the way of one person, and the way of the world is also the way of ten thousand people."

"Oh, it's alright if you don't understand. Once I send you my Dao Heart, you'll naturally understand. My Dao Heart is quite powerful."

"You guys, just boldly move forward."

"This old man is really leaving this time."

...

Gently, a melodious flute tune drifted across Kyushu.

Following the wind, gazing at the moon, one wisp after another, one sound after another.

The sound was sighing, sighing, and sighing again.

Finally, as if in a dream, they wiped the red from their eyes and remained silent.

Here you go.