Chapter 1440: The New Successor (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
As Shen Tang pondered this matter, she keenly noticed that Gu Chi's gaze upon her was different from usual. Although the relationship between the ruler and his subject was deep, Gu Chi had not forgotten his duty as a subject and always remembered that Shen Tang was his master, so he would not stare at her for long.
"What's wrong? Do you have other ideas?"
Gu Chi laughed and said, "Your Majesty, I have a treasonous idea."
The Time Arrow is just too overpowered.
Even if someone is in the hands of a trusted confidant, there's still the worry that they might betray you one day, since people's hearts are fickle. But if she's in your own hands, it's a different story. She herself would never betray you.
The reason it is described as utterly rebellious...
The Arrow of Time consumes lifespan.
Encouraging her to study is no different from encouraging her to commit slow suicide.
It was only because the relationship between the emperor and his subject was so deep that Gu Chi would have been captured by the guards long ago if it were anyone else. Shen Tang said irritably, "What use is it for me to learn this? What I need is to be able to intimidate female generals, including Chu Jie, with a single arrow and maintain the balance."
Shen Tang is not on either side of the scale.
What good are the chips she has?
Gu Chi said, "But it's not appropriate to let others learn it, or rather, this kind of technique would be a disaster if it fell into the hands of ordinary people."
In Gu Chi's view, it has already entered the realm of God.
It's fine in the hands of a god, but it's a different story in the hands of a mortal. It would be a disaster for both the user and the souls that fall beneath the arrow. Shen Tang: "Don't worry, it won't happen."
This ensured that Gu Chi would no longer offer advice.
Since the Lord said it wouldn't, then it won't get out of control.
The emperor and his minister continued peeling tangerines, and soon they had a pile of peels. These peels were not wasted; they were dried, ground into powder, and used to raise Gu worms. The high priest said that the Gu worms raised would have a sweet citrus fragrance, making them excellent air fresheners.
Shen Tang was also extremely curious about this kind of Gu worm.
So he pulled Gu Chi along to help him eat the tangerines.
She wondered what color the Gu worms Ji Moqiu had mentioned were, and her brows furrowed involuntarily. Gu Chi looked down at his spoils, his lips twitching: "...I got some information from Ji Molangjun that the 20th-rank Chehou who gave him the 'Enlightenment' back then did not do so voluntarily. My lord can ask him. We can capture suitable prisoners of war later and not kill them; we can make use of them."
【Enlightenment】is not a skill exclusive to Chehou.
Even slightly less stringent conditions can be met.
Those who receive the "Enlightenment" must meet stringent conditions. Furthermore, the aptitude gained after the "Enlightenment" is likely to be limited, and the reshaped meridians are not as good as the original ones. Secondly, the cultivation gained through the "Enlightenment" is not self-cultivated, resulting in a weak foundation. When attempting to reach higher realms, the obstacles encountered will be much greater than for a normal martial artist, making it a losing proposition.
Gu Chi was very curious about one thing.
Ji Moqiu and Gong Xichou are full brothers, born of the same mother. Gong Xichou's talent is undeniable, clearly indicating his potential to reach the pinnacle. Ji Moqiu, chosen as a divine servant, should only be at a higher level; he simply lacks the time to mature. The 20th-rank Chehou [Enlightenment] is like forcing a seedling to grow too fast for Ji Moqiu, creating a huge pitfall on his path to the pinnacle of martial arts. It's truly hard to say whether the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
However, this method is definitely more beneficial than harmful to the ruler.
Go back and capture a prisoner of war with the strength of an 18th-rank Grand Master, and have Ji Moqiu use some methods on him to give his cultivation [Enlightenment] to a seedling with the highest aptitude of 15th-rank Lesser Upper Realm or lower. Within a few years, several can indeed be quickly cultivated to achieve the goal.
Shen Tang: "...That's too ruthless."
Gu Chi sighed and said, "It's because the Lord is too kind-hearted."
If other forces had the means to do this, they would have been making preparations long ago. But our lord is guarding his gold mines and silver seas and refuses to do it.
In chaotic times, what principles and morals do people uphold?
Only by being ruthless and abandoning all human softness can one live a long life. There's a saying: good people don't live long, but evil people live a thousand years. Only those who survive have the right to talk about dreams.
Gu Chi believed this to be the core of his being.
Unfortunately, he ended up under a master with relatively high moral standards. Under the master's rule, he saw a fairy tale that showed how people could live well while upholding their humanity, and that was a reality. Only then did he reluctantly curb his wicked intentions.
Otherwise—
Hmph, Gu Chi had already urged it, instead of bringing it up now.
After thinking it over, Shen Tang firmly rejected the temptation: "Only by following the righteous path can we uphold the Way of Heaven; we must not encourage evil and unhealthy practices."
Gu Chi knew this would be the outcome.
The two men, the emperor and his minister, devoured three whole baskets of tangerines, totaling a hundred pounds. Gu Chi's fingers turned yellow and his throat felt sore. "Chi, take these tangerine peels to Lord Jimo while you're at it," Gu Chi said.
Even with the help of the text to aid digestion, he still felt a bit full.
Why do we have to eat it?
All you need is the orange peel, even if you just peel it; the pulp can be canned or given away as a reward. If word gets out that these oranges were personally peeled by the Emperor and the Imperial Censor, who wouldn't bow and thank them upon receiving them?
Shen Tang said, "Don't you like to eat it?"
Gu Chi alone could eat twenty or thirty jin.
The rest was all shown off by Shen Tang alone.
Gu Chi: "..."
Gu worms are an unorthodox practice, and raising them is an even more legendary and bizarre method; Gu Chi had never seen one with his own eyes. This time, taking advantage of Ji Moqiu receiving the orange peels, he deliberately made an excuse to stay and wanted to see it for himself.
The results showed that it was similar to raising silkworms.
Ji Moqiu used his martial energy to quickly dry the orange peels, then had the warhorse formed from his martial energy pull the stone mill. The man and the horse worked together very well, and soon they obtained a pile of powder that smelled of fruit.
The powder was sprinkled onto a winnowing basket, forming a thick layer. Finally, a handful of insect eggs were placed on top, and divine power was used to accelerate the hatching of the eggs. The Gu worms buried their heads in their food, while Ji Moqiu would occasionally sprinkle various colored powders onto them from bottles and jars.
Gu Chi watched intently.
Ji Moqiu asked, "Does Gu Yatai have any advice?"
The other party definitely didn't stay to watch him raise gu, and Gu Chi wasn't that free either; they must have something to ask him.
Gu Chi told Ji Moqiu about the ideas they had just discussed.
"His Highness definitely did not agree."
"With his personality, the lord would naturally not agree."
Ji Moqiu looked over with clear eyes, her expression disapproving: "Gu Yatai cannot act on his own just because His Highness indulges him."
Gu Chi almost laughed when he heard this.
This is the first time someone has spoken to him in the tone of a master, accusing him of being arrogant because he is favored: "I'm just curious whether this method is actually feasible!"
Ji Moqiu said, "It won't work."
If it weren't for his mentor's unique approach to the scholarly path, it would have been impossible for that unfortunate Marquis Che to give him such a profound enlightenment. Ji Moqiu could have used a special Gu worm as a substitute, but then the resulting karma would fall on His Highness's shoulders. He looked earnestly at Gu Chi and said, "Gu Yatai, if you have a daughter in the future, you wouldn't want to see her being led astray by unorthodox methods, would you?"
"Of course not."
Gu Chi was unaware of why Ji Moqiu had suddenly changed the subject.
Ji Moqiu added, "If your daughter ultimately changes her mind, will Gu Yatai, as her father, think that the mistake lies in following the wrong path?"
Gu Chi: "Responsibility 91."
The daughter wasn't entirely without fault either; her lack of willpower was also a mistake.
But he will absolutely not let that happen!
If it happens, it's because he was negligent, and he also bears some responsibility.
"Gu Yatai is a man of great wisdom and righteousness. If only someone could be like you." Taking advantage of the fact that it wasn't Heavenly Dao's turn to act, Ji Moqiu felt no burden. "Unfortunately, not everyone is like you. Some beings only believe that the fault lies with evil spirits and heretics!"
Gu Chi: "..."
I always felt that Ji Moqiu's words had a hidden meaning.
However, Ji Moqiu added, "Gu Yatai must not become a heretic in 'His' eyes. There are some things that your daughter does, but if others do them, they will be seen as thorns in his side. When the reckoning comes, they will surely suffer a lot."
No matter how much bad thoughts are inside you, you should hold them in and not let them out.
Gu Chi's mind was a little muddled.
He was the one who knew the most secrets, and vaguely felt that Ji Moqiu was alluding to someone. The latter was also brave, directly raising his finger to the sky.
Gu Chi: "...Him?"
Ji Moqiu sighed deeply and continued to feed the Gu worms.
"Yes, 'He' is very stingy. Even if Gu Yatai is accumulating blessings for his next life, he shouldn't leave any handle for 'He' to use, lest he ruin his entire life's cultivation." Gu Chi is, after all, an important member who assisted His Highness in overcoming his tribulation. On the day his merits are fulfilled, Heaven will naturally settle accounts with his achievements and blessings. "If nothing unexpected happens, he will definitely be extremely noble in his next life, and perhaps even have the opportunity to ascend to heaven."
It wouldn't be worth it if they treated you badly.
"...So you're saying 'He'? 'He' doesn't have any objections?"
Ji Moqiu said, "It's impossible for now."
Gu Chi didn't ask why, but was curious about what this "Ascension to Immortality" was: "Could it be that it can make one a god?"
"There are countless worlds, big and small. Some small worlds suffered from the upheavals of the past, and their spiritual eyes withered, so that no one could transcend to become a saint and ascend to the heavenly ladder. However, some small worlds either developed earlier or retained their spiritual eyes for other reasons. Every blade of grass and every tree can become a spirit or a monster, and there are also mortals who can cultivate."
What Ji Moqiu said aroused Gu Chi’s great curiosity.
"Back then, there were many twists and turns?" That sounds like there's more to the story!
These are all inspirations for storybooks.
Ji Moqiu was about to speak when he found himself banned.
Gu Chi glanced at him as he lowered his eyelids and pursed his lips.
Gu Chi asked curiously, "Dog with access privileges?"
It's obvious that someone granted them the necessary permissions.
Ji Moqiu was nearly dumbfounded.
Speaking of courage, it has to be Censor Gu Chiyong. He dared to utter those three words; he was truly fearless. Ji Moqiu pursed his lips and glossed over the topic: "...some ancient almanacs, dark histories...If it were back when His Highness was still in office, you might actually have been enlightened and deified."
"In office?"
Ji Moqiu explained using a metaphor that Gu Chi could understand.
“Gu Yatai can regard His Highness as a feudal lord who has been enfeoffed. Naturally, he needs soldiers and men to assist him in managing his fiefdom.”
In theory, a group of people could be enlightened.
However, Her Highness didn't do that back then. She kept pets to make them happy, not to make them work. She did everything herself, working tirelessly day and night.
"And now?"
"It can be considered a demotion to commoner status. Commoners naturally do not have the right to command troops, but they still have to do their jobs."
"That 'Son of Heaven' is truly a scoundrel."
Ji Moqiu almost nodded in agreement.
That's absolutely right!
Gu Chi, however, was preoccupied with the thought of a predestined connection to immortality in his next life, and a sense of melancholy crept into his heart. Even if it meant reincarnation and the same soul, it wouldn't be him, Gu Wangchao. What good would a predestined connection to immortality do?
Cherish the present and live this life well; that's the right thing to do.
Perhaps I could use the question of "whether reincarnation counts as being a person" as a source of conflict to write a heart-wrenching love story.
Ji Moqiu: "..."
With Gu Chi's perseverance, he will succeed in whatever he does.
Just as Ji Moqiu was about to clap his hands and call it a day after sprinkling the last handful of powder, the sky outside changed instantly. Dark thunderclouds rolled endlessly, and faint rays of light could be seen appearing and disappearing behind them.
He did some quick calculations with his fingers, his expression turning strange.
Gu Chi knew that Ji Moqiu would be struck by lightning if he said the wrong thing.
"They came for you?"
Was this cricket's retribution?
Ji Moqiu shook his head: "No, I don't know if it's good or bad."
Gu Chi couldn't hear Ji Moqiu's inner thoughts, and the other party was still hiding them, which made his curiosity itch like crazy.
This strange phenomenon wasn't only seen by them; Jiang Sheng also witnessed it.
He was in a hurry to get to the main tent, but Gu Chi stopped him.
"But are there unusual celestial phenomena?"
Jiang Sheng said, "The fortunes are in chaos, and I feel uneasy."
He was probably the most composed person in Kangguo. Scholars believed they could observe the qi (vital energy), and as their cultivation deepened, they could naturally see where the general trend of the world lay. As long as the general trend remained unchanged, Kangguo would surely achieve its goal.
Today's thunderclouds have changed the previously clear overall situation.
It doesn't just transfer to someone else's head; it completely obscures their vision.
This worried Jiang Sheng greatly.
Could it be that a ruler has appeared in the world outside of Kang?
Who could be better than their lord?
Gu Chi's eyes widened upon hearing this, and he was about to ask a question when he heard Ji Moqiu silently utter two words: "Investiture of the Gods!"
He suddenly looked at the other person: "What?"
Ji Moqiu hinted to Gu Chi to release Jiang Sheng first, but Gu Chi remained unfazed: "Xian Deng, you go first, I'll be there shortly."
Jiang Sheng, without suspecting anything, went ahead.
Ji Moqiu then said, "This place is also one of the small worlds where spiritual energy is depleted. The spiritual eye has been collapsed for tens of thousands of years... I don't know why, but just now, wisps of spiritual energy appeared... The glow behind the thunderclouds is the will of the Heavenly Dao here, perhaps it wants to restart the righteous path."
Gu Chi: "...It's not a good thing."
Ordinary people can use numbers and morale to fight against martial arts masters.
Are the cultivators in the dialogue book not like ants, easily manipulated by others?
Ji Moqiu said, "There's no need to worry too much. It will take at least three to five hundred years, or at most a thousand years, for the spiritual energy to recover to the point where it can benefit all living beings. It won't affect the present. The human race has always been favored by the Heavenly Dao. Perhaps the recovery of spiritual energy is so that it can receive more blessings."
He suspected that this little world held other secrets.
Others couldn't see it, but he saw that after the thunderclouds appeared, meteors suddenly appeared from all directions and disappeared into the rosy light.
Ji Moqiu's eyebrows and eyes softened a bit.
"Gu Yatai, have you ever heard of the 'Investiture of the Gods'?"
Gu Chi was most interested in the dialogue book.
Naturally, there are also various books that have been researched from the sacred land of mountains and seas, with Water Margin and Romance of the Three Kingdoms being particularly beloved: "Isn't that the power of words?"
As he spoke, he paused for a moment.
His eyes suddenly widened.
Ji Moqiu wouldn't suddenly bring up unrelated things, but suddenly mentioning something like "Investiture of the Gods" and talking about restarting the righteous path... does that mean they have thunderclouds and rosy clouds above their heads...?
Ji Moqiu patted him on the shoulder.
"Those who have achieved a certain level of cultivation can still withstand a lifespan of three to five hundred years. If you can make it up alive, try not to die and win without even trying."
As for who is on the so-called "Investiture of the Gods"...
It's estimated that the settlement will be made after everything is finished.
Why isn't "Investiture of the Gods" considered a kind of settlement screen?
(`)
My version of the Investiture of the Gods: If you can live, try not to die.
PS: Human race is undergoing emergency upgrades...
PS: The results screen is about to appear. Earth is thinking of a way to get rid of these troublesome humans so they can go and wreak havoc on other planets.
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