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Chapter 1119: Chapter 1028: Verification_2
The largest book academy in Yi County, the most powerful local magnate, as well as numerous great clans, one after another came knocking, wishing to have Li Zhirui teach at their academies and clan schools.
In their hearts, they knew how difficult it was for the son of a commoner to excel in exams; it definitely represented the best-performing fraction of all candidates, otherwise, it would be utterly impossible.
And to be able to teach a group of young boys who didn’t recognize a single character to such a level within a mere three years, it was evident how high his capability was in this aspect.
Therefore, these local powers all wanted to recruit Li Zhirui, to cultivate outstanding successors for their families, ensuring their status and perhaps even having the chance to advance further.
Facing these recruiting efforts, Li Zhirui didn’t even bother to show up in person, simply sending someone to relay a message, rejecting their offers.
"Clueless! Do you really think it’s amazing just because you taught six scholars?"
"Do you still want to get by in Yi County after offending us?"
Li Zhirui’s dismissive attitude angered everyone, and there were already those who openly declared that they wouldn’t allow anyone to lecture or study at the academy!
If anyone defied them, the swords in their hands were not meant for decoration.
After hearing the report, Li Zhirui’s expression remained calm, but a trace of cold killing intent emerged at the bottom of his eyes—no one could stop his plans!
Despite such a major incident occurring at the academy, the teaching didn’t halt, but Li Zhirui told everyone openly.
"Those who are willing to come can do so, those who are unwilling can settle the tuition fee and monthly salary and leave today."
Having said that, Li Zhirui didn’t wait for everyone’s reaction, turning around and walking away.
That very night.
Li Zhirui raided several of the most clamorous powers; he didn’t cause a massacre but took away all their wealth.
It was precisely because it was so exaggerated and unbelievable that people dared not believe it – they thought surely Cultivators were involved, so they stopped paying attention to Li Zhirui, the somewhat capable teacher.
Naturally, Li Zhirui behaved very honestly, not showing the slightest abnormality, after all, he had to stay in this place for a long time, and being inconspicuous was the most important.
Years pass unnoticed in the mountains, the chill ends without knowing the year.
Li Zhirui had been teaching for ten years, and it was finally time to verify his conjecture!
Of the first nine students who took the imperial examinations, two passed the final exam, and both were granted the position of magistrates of remote and impoverished counties, and moreover, they were adjacent to each other.
Li Zhirui had been paying close attention to them, and upon learning this news, he contemplated closing the academy, but after deliberation, he decided to keep it open, though he no longer taught himself.
He even made an exception once more, leaving behind a puppet doppelganger in the academy as a cover-up.
Meanwhile, Li Zhirui himself followed the two students to their postings.
On the very night they took over their seals of office and took control of the county yamen, Li Zhirui used the methods left inside their bodies to temporarily control their flesh.
Hum—
Li Zhirui controlled their bodies and activated the official seals with Mana, immediately feeling a very powerful yet completely different from what he had encountered before pressure bearing down on him!
He seemed to see a vast net, within which converged the luck of countless mortals, and at the very center was a fiery red bird, perched atop a golden pillar, surrounded by flames constantly burning, as if scorching something.
Squawk!
The bird sensed someone was probing but failed to detect their presence, angrily called out, and suddenly burst into a blaze with the intention to scare the intruder away through this method.
Having learned what he wanted to know, Li Zhirui voluntarily withdrew.
"Human Daoist magic network!" Li Zhirui murmured to himself.
He didn’t know if such a concept existed in the Primal Spirit Realm; this was the first reaction based on rumors and novels from his previous life.
"No wonder when I first entered Yi City, I felt that the Mana within my body was somewhat murky; it turns out it was suppressed by the Human Daoist magic network."
It was also because of this anomaly that Li Zhirui was willing to stay behind and play the role of a teacher for ten years!
As for why he didn’t just directly control a magistrate? There would be no need to spend so much time then.
Li Zhirui had tried at the very beginning, but found that the seal of the Yi City Prefect was inseparable from him, and his spell was greatly suppressed, leaving him unable to control it.
However, through years of observation, he had found that the Prefect would not resort to the Human Daoist magic network.
And this was corroborated later on when the two newly appointed officials also had no clue; let alone being guided by someone, they didn’t even know of the existence of the Human Daoist magic network.
That was why Li Zhirui started to train them from the ground up, planting contingencies in their bodies from an early stage, to confirm his initial hunch.
"It seems that the Human Daoist magic network has never appeared in the Primal Spirit Realm? How then did this dynasty come by its methods? It can’t possibly have developed them independently, right?"
Li Zhirui thought it impossible when considering the latter, for his brief probing had shown him that although the Human Daoist magic network did not envelop every part of the dynasty, it was incredibly perfected, seemingly without a need for further improvement.
"Is it that the Li family lacks the necessary status to be privy to certain clandestine information, or could the methods really originate from somewhere else?" Li Zhirui’s mind was racing with thoughts that cropped up and were dispelled in quick succession, yet he could not land on a reliable answer.
After much contemplation, Li Zhirui decided to make a trip to the Capital to see if he could find any answers.
During his journey, he did not suppress his cultivation any longer but rushed like a streak of lightning, arriving at the Capital in just a few hours.
Li Zhirui did not enter the Capital, yet he could sense the oppressive power of that immense Human Dao force.
Upon opening his Spiritual Eye, he beheld the magnificent surge of Human Dao luck, merging into that vast Daoist magic network.
After giving it some thought, Li Zhirui sealed his own mana and, disguised as a scholar, blended into a merchant caravan and successfully entered the Capital.
"Hmm!"
Upon stepping through the city gate, Li Zhirui felt a tightness in his chest, letting out an involuntary muffled grunt.
A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes as he keenly sensed that his strength had been suppressed by at least forty percent!
One shouldn’t assume that a forty percent reduction is insignificant; for any other Cultivator, the weakening would be much more pronounced, and those of lower tiers might even be incapable of casting spells.
Moreover, Li Zhirui discovered that his concealment was ineffective, as he had already drawn someone’s attention!
It was likely that he had been discovered while investigating outside the city.
A civil officer clad in Crane Official Robe and a military officer in a Qilin Official Robe appeared in front of Li Zhirui.
"Interesting," Li Zhirui murmured softly.
"Esteemed Cultivator, may I inquire as to the purpose of your visit to the Capital?" the civil officer asked gently.
"I am venturing out to gain experience; along the way, I stumbled upon some intriguing matters and traced them here," Li Zhirui said with a smile, "But I never expected to uncover an issue that might alter the balance of power in the Primal Spirit Realm!"
The peculiar methods that could suppress a Cultivator’s strength, and that a mere mortal dynasty was capable of such, would surely provoke most Cultivators, particularly Demon Cultivators, to eradicate the dynasty upon discovery.
But Li Zhirui’s thinking differed from the rest.
Moreover, he felt a slight pressure emanating from the two individuals before him.
This meant that, though they appeared mortal, they were not without means to contend with Cultivators.
That brought to mind for Li Zhirui certain methods associated with the Human Daoist magic network, such as Confucianism Dao and Martial Dao, from his previous life.
"I have no intention of whistleblowing or investigating the origin of these methods, but I do wish to obtain the complete Methods!" Li Zhirui said, his eyes alight as he gazed at the two men.
The fact that the Human Daoist magic network could exert such suppression on him, an Integration Cultivator, within a mortal dynasty that spanned merely a few thousand miles, with a population of just over ten million, was significant.
If they had a larger territory and a greater population, the power of the Human Daoist magic network would surely be even greater.
Moreover, the location of this dynasty was prime; the State Domain it occupied had sparse Spiritual Energy and lacked the presence of formidable Cultivation forces.
Add to that, Cultivators rarely employed the method of refining their hearts with worldly experiences, especially those without sufficient Cultivation and firmness in their Dao Heart, who dare not use this method.
Thus, so far, only Li Zhirui had discerned the clue.
And Li Zhirui’s purpose in demanding the Methods was simple: to find a way for the Li family’s Secular Clansmen to protect themselves!
