NOVPUB```
"Hahaha, our Famous Family relies on understanding things to deduce their essence. Isn’t this exactly what my Famous Family specializes in?" Zixu said with great pride. The Famous Family had long been completely absorbed by the other prominent philosophical schools and the gentry families. However, his claim of being a member of the Famous Family wasn’t entirely false.
"Famous Family." Jia Xu’s frown was barely perceptible. He was still quite skeptical of Zixu, as the man was indeed talented, but had no reputation to speak of. As for Zixu’s claim that he had been studying the classics of the Famous Family in deep mountains and forests, that only deepened Jia Xu’s doubts.
"Oh, then that’s good. I am very interested in Xun Wenruo, Xi Zhicai, Cheng Zhongde, and Xun Gongda." Liu Ye’s eyes sparkled as he spoke, knowing the abilities of these four individuals would make it easier to deal with them in the future.
Zixu smiled bitterly in his heart, realizing he had gotten in deeper than he intended. His original plan was to stay hidden among Liu Bei’s people and offer some advice to help resolve issues, thereby settling karmic debts, but now Liu Ye and Jia Xu, these two idle fellows, had pulled him into an increasingly deep mire.
To speak or not to speak, that was the question. Speaking would involve him in substantial karmic consequences. In the current situation between Cao and Liu, all the immortals were aware and chose not to interfere.
Not to speak, on the other hand, would be underestimating Jia Wenhe, who was seated nearby. Liu Ziyang might be dismissible, but Jia Wenhe’s occasional deep thoughts made Zixu extremely wary, especially since he could hardly gauge Jia Wenhe’s depth, and his visions of the future were obscured by fog, making Zixu even more cautious.
"Hmm, I have never interacted with these four individuals, how would I know about them?" Zixu hesitated before deciding it was better to keep silent. Liu Xuande was a good person, but that didn’t mean he needed to get dragged down himself.
"Is that so?" Jia Wenhe stared at Zixu, "Then let it be. Since that’s the case, tell me Zichuan’s exact Spiritual Talent. You can’t say you’ve never encountered this. You mentioned it before. I am very interested in Marquis Chen’s Spiritual Talent."
Zixu was taken aback. Had he mentioned Chen Xi? As he looked at Jia Wenhe’s calm demeanor and listened to Liu Ye’s instigating words, Zixu thought it over and realized he might indeed have mentioned it inadvertently, given that Chen Xi’s Spiritual Talent was well-known among the entire "immortal" community.
"Well, I have heard of Marquis Chen, but unfortunately, I have never had the chance to meet him," Zixu said cautiously, fearing any further slip-ups. If he got entangled any deeper, it would truly be tragic. At least the two in front of him seemed to be sizing him up.
"So you don’t know about Zichuan’s either," Liu Ye said somewhat dejectedly. To be honest, they had a certain estimate of Chen Xi’s Spiritual Talent based on her previous statements and their conjecture, but they still wanted to hear an assessment from a professional.
"Hehe, that’s not the case," Zixu said with a beaming smile, feeling no pressure discussing Chen Xi’s Spiritual Talent, as it was a matter soon to be revealed to the public anyway.
"Let’s hear it then. I’m also very interested in this matter," said Liu Bei, who had been upfront learning about the local situation from an old man, now looking on curiously.
Liu Bei was indeed very interested in Chen Xi’s Spiritual Talent. While he had been informed about the Spiritual Talents of other strategists to some extent, no one seemed to have mentioned Chen Xi’s. As for the notion that Chen Xi lacked Spiritual Talent, Liu Bei was the first to disbelieve it. The essential enhancement of intellect and spirit was the hallmark of a Top Strategist, and how could Chen Xi be lacking?
```
"Since Lord Xuande is willing to listen, then I shall explain it to you in detail," Zixu said with a full-faced smile to Liu Bei before recounting Chen Xi’s complete Spiritual Talent as summarized by the immortals.
It was almost no different from what Zuo Ci had said at first, except for an added estimate of the speed at which Free Spirit Power could be accumulated. The overall assessment had risen from ’not bad’ to ’top tier,’ because if the speed of accumulating Free Spirit Power were mediocre, even the greatest effect of the Spiritual Talent would only be a temporary matter, and it could even impede the possessor of the Spiritual Talent.
"Is that really so?" Liu Bei asked excitedly.
"Indeed, it is. Marquis Chen’s Spiritual Talent is surely among the top tier, and it will gradually strengthen as the territory under Lord Xuande’s governance expands and the level of prosperity increases," Zixu said with a sigh of amazement.
Back when it was only Mount Tai, had it not been for the good year and the fast speed at which Chen Xi gained allegiance, as well as the stability in his territories, it was very possible that Chen Xi would have fallen into a slumber before he could accumulate enough Free Spirit Power.
However, once he had passed that most dangerous period, the Free Spirit Power began to grow like a rolling snowball, and the gradual conquest under Xuande’s rule would almost certainly prevent Chen Xi from experiencing the initial fatigue or even falling into a long sleep ever again.
"Hahaha, Zichuan is indeed my lucky star!" Liu Bei laughed heartily. To possess such Spiritual Talent was truly fortunate; no wonder his territories had always enjoyed good harvests and favorable weather. With this, as long as he maintained the prosperity of his territories, he could enter a virtuous cycle.
Actually, Liu Bei did not doubt in the least that Zixu was joking. The reason was very simple: when Zixu mentioned Chen Xi’s Spiritual Talent, Jia Xu and Liu Ye both showed a knowing expression, indicating they had already guessed as much, and their lack of objection meant that Zixu was not talking nonsense.
"Lord Xuande, I would advise not to spread this news yourself. In time, others will naturally relay it for you. Marquis Chen is well aware of his own Spiritual Talent; he simply prefers not to publicize it," Zixu said with a smile. In his view, he had managed to smooth over the situation; although he was optimistic about Liu Bei, he did not want to get involved, always considering himself a paragon of integrity.
Yet, Zixu was very satisfied with Liu Bei’s magnanimity. He had not felt the least bit overshadowed by Chen Xi’s illustrious Spiritual Talent.
Not long ago, Lub Su’s transfer order had been delivered to the administrative center of Ju County in North Sea County. Unfortunately, just as Chen Xi had predicted, Fa Zheng had gone out of town with his father on official business, or rather, Fa Zheng had taken the opportunity to showcase his skills in the countryside.
As for where Liu Bei and the others were, nobody knew. It was only known that Liu Bei, accompanied by Jia Xu, Xuu Chu, and a few others, had gone incognito to investigate the local sentiments. As for their current location, it was indeed unknown, leaving the poor messenger who had rushed over in quite an awkward position.
There was simply no one in charge in the entire Ju County, aside from a few gatekeepers and local officials dealing with administrative affairs. Everyone else had been sent by Fa Zheng to gather information about the public sentiment. According to Fa Zheng, only by conducting field investigations could one truly understand the needs of the people, so he had dispatched everyone. Whether they liked it or not, Fa Zheng was right in saying so…
Faced with this situation, the messenger was completely at a loss. He could only follow the arrangements of the Ju County clerks to wait in the county, and have someone else look for Liu Bei. As for what to do if they couldn’t find him, the clerks didn’t have any good solutions. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
