NOVPUBZuo Ci looked at Chen Xi curiously, failing to find even a trace of awe in Chen Xi’s eyes; instead, there was something akin to the arrogance one might have upon seeing a rare animal, chilling Zuo Ci to the bone.
"Ci is but an outsider to the world, even though he was invited to Mount Tai, why bother troubling the officials? However, Marquis Chen isn’t worried that I might harboring ill intentions towards Mount Tai?" Zuo Ci, flicking his horsetail whisk, said with an inscrutable smile on his face.
"To be able to recite the Requiem here, one would not be of malicious intent. Besides, if the priest is indeed an Immortal, he surely wouldn’t strike at me. If the priest is a mortal, I have my own means to protect myself," Chen Xi said indifferently, eyeing Zuo Ci’s black horsetail whisk curiously.
"Where are there any Immortals? We are just people Seeking Dao for Immortality," Zuo Ci sighed and said, "With our capabilities, if you and your kin wished to learn, I’m afraid you would not lag behind us."
"Oh, thank you for the enlightenment, priest," Chen Xi nodded, feeling completely reassured with Zuo Ci’s remark.
Since even Zuo Ci, a person so extraordinary that he would be recorded in future legends of Immortals, claimed that he was merely "a person Seeking Dao for Immortality," Chen Xi felt emboldened. Ever since he arrived in this world, he had always been worried about those historical legends of Immortals causing mischief!
Considering the long span of four hundred years during the Two Han, the fact that the major aspects of history remained unharmed, albeit with minor differences, inevitably led to the uprising of the Yellow Turbans during the Late Eastern Han Dynasty. This made it impossible for Chen Xi not to suspect that someone had deliberately interfered with history.
Although, after studying history closely, Chen Xi found that many events occurred coincidentally but still made sense, which made it unclear whether history had been interfered with or if the course of destiny had naturally progressed to that stage. Now, with Zuo Ci’s statement, Chen Xi was relieved—turns out the Immortals recorded at the end of the Han were still human.
As long as they were human, Chen Xi felt at ease; so long as they remained within the human realm, Chen Xi wasn’t worried that these sages could pose any obstruction to him. What he most feared was the non-interference of fate, yet a group of Immortals might insist on bending history back to its original shape.
It’s worth noting that Chen Xi had already deliberately tested it; if no one intervened in the situations he affected, they would head in a different direction. Coupled with the conclusions drawn from four hundred years of history, in other words, the current of history and the momentum of fate, though inclined to maintain their original course, would let things take their own course when it became too complicated or impossible to be smoothed over by reasonable means...
To put it simply, when the Dao of Heaven found it too troublesome, it would no longer bother, leaving Chen Xi to his own devices. After all, to the Dao of Heaven, whichever side wins or loses, history will still have progressed through its phase. That is, to the Dao of Heaven, everything is indifferent—grand historical events are utterly insignificant to it. If you want to create history, it won’t stop you. If you have the power, then go ahead.
After deducing these principles, Chen Xi shifted his thoughts from the original course of history to another group of beings—those Extraordinary Persons, Taoist Priests. Perhaps they would step forward to maintain the original situation!
After all, too many books describe how Immortals are devoid of emotions and desires, indifferent to the deaths of countless others in the pursuit of their Dao. If they could attain Immortality or Ascend, what do they care if a master, sister, brother, or disciple dies? To them, mere mortals might not even be considered the same species.
Although Chen Xi felt there was something amiss with those immortals, thinking that even criminal syndicates were more united than those cultivation groups, but since many stories were written that way, what if they were true? What if one could simply replace the name of a cultivation sect with a gang and still have the story make perfect sense? What could you do? It might be true!
As a result, Zuo Ci, who could be considered a great power during the Late Eastern Han Dynasty, had now claimed that there were no immortals, at best only a group of extraordinary Taoist priests seeking the Dao for immortality. Instantly, Chen Xi felt relieved. As long as they were human, even if they possessed some unimaginable skills, should they dare to stand against Chen Xi, he was confident that he could teach them what it meant to "be human" in mere moments.
"It seems that Marquis Chen is in high spirits after hearing the old priest’s words," Zuo Ci said with a smile, not fully understanding Chen Xi’s thoughts.
"Haha, many thanks to the Taoist priest for clearing the doubts in my heart," Chen Xi said calmly, feeling as if a heavy stone had been moved aside from his chest. The overwhelming momentum was now unstoppable by anyone; without immortals, it meant that the potentially troublesome priests might just be playing tricks. A mere military formation could be activated, instantly letting the opponent realize what true strength was.
"I don’t know what makes Marquis Chen happy, but if you don’t mind, please let the old priest share your joy," Zuo Ci’s curiosity seemed significant.
Chen Xi glanced indifferently at Zuo Ci, "What pleases me is that I am finally confident that I can spread the prosperity of Mount Tai to the whole world, with an overwhelming momentum that nobody can stop."
Zuo Ci frowned. In these tumultuous times, it was impossible for any sovereign king to stand out, and no one could predict who would eventually rule the world. Even Zuo Ci, with his extraordinary abilities, couldn’t forecast who would dominate. Yet, Chen Xi was so certain, which unavoidably made Zuo Ci frown.
"Marquis Chen, please be cautious with your words. The way of heaven is unpredictable, and who can see through the chaos of the world? In my view, this turmoil will last nearly a hundred more years before returning to unity. As for the overwhelming momentum, it has not yet been revealed," Zuo Ci said, shaking his head. "Stars big enough to conceal the Zimei Star have emerged, pointing towards a chaos comparable to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods!"
See, although Zuo Ci was proficient in metaphysics, the conclusions he reached were not much different from those of Liu Ye and Guo Jia. They were perhaps even less clear-cut than what Guo Jia and Liu Ye could deduce, given that the latter, with intelligence in hand, could identify the figures represented by these stars and their future paths, as well as potential conflicts and interactions.
"Taoist priest, please rest. Outsiders like you should just do what outsiders are supposed to do. We will take care of the world affairs. You may seek the Dao and do what you love, while we do what we must. As for the so-called overwhelming momentum, from today onwards, I will be the one to create it!" Chen Xi’s calm face showed a strong confidence as he spoke.
Zuo Ci was stunned, feeling a premonition in his heart. Upon recalculating, he noticed a slight difference from before. He sighed and looked at Chen Xi, "Marquis Chen, you are a truly remarkable talent. Perhaps you will indeed succeed. This Daoist admits inferiority. Yet, the way of heaven is ever-changing; who can definitively speak of today’s and tomorrow’s outcome?"
"I’ll be leaving first. If the Chief Priest needs anything, just let General Zhang outside know. I believe you have ways to convince General Zhang," Chen Xi said indifferently, glancing at Zuo Ci. A Taoist priest who had lost his sense of mystery, even if possessing power surpassing ordinary humans, did not inspire awe in Chen Xi. He gestured a goodbye and turned to leave, today’s greatest gain being the loss of fear towards "immortals."
"Marquis Chen is most kind. This Daoist shall also take his leave." Upon saying this, Zuo Ci turned into a puff of smoke and disappeared from the spot. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
