Chapter 1 Tian Ren, the Celestial Observation Technique

Looking at his disciple, who seemed to have transformed into a different person, Han Changong felt a mix of emotions.

Huangfu was not initially his most favored disciple.

But now, with so many disciples having fallen, Huangfu had given him a tremendous surprise.

Although he had not yet transcended his own limitations, with this foundation, he might very well surpass him in the future.

His Qi channels were not yet fully formed, yet he could already deduce the fate of the nation. What would it be like when his Qi channels, or even his Divine channels, were complete?

"Teacher, the great building is about to collapse. A wise choice would be to withdraw completely," Huangfu advised once more.

Since he had divined the impending doom of Da Feng, he had been openly and secretly advising his teacher many times.

Unfortunately, it had little effect.

"You've only made a little progress, and you're already thinking of persuading your teacher?"

Han Changong smiled wryly.

"Teacher!"

Huangfu was somewhat anxious. "Why must you stay? That King Feng may have recognized your talent, but you were the one who helped him ascend the throne, working tirelessly for him for decades. So many senior brothers have died—aren't they enough to repay his kindness?"

He truly didn't understand!

If it was about gratitude, Han Changong had given King Feng far more than he had received.

He had eliminated dissidents, helped him ascend the throne, established the Qin Tian Jian (Imperial Observatory), and secured numerous victories in battles. From thousands of disciples to the current desolation, wasn't it enough to repay the debt?

"Is the Celestial Observation Technique only for seeking good fortune and avoiding disaster?"

Han Changong shook his head in disappointment.

"If that were the case, what need would there be for the Celestial Observation Technique? Wouldn't it be safer to retire into seclusion after mastering martial arts?"

"Teacher..."

Huangfu was speechless.

"If everything is predetermined, then how boring would this world be?"

Han Changong sighed softly.

"Knowing the Mandate of Heaven, changing the Mandate of Heaven, the Mandate of Heaven is in my hands. If we who study the Heavenly Secrets do not fight against Heaven, who should we fight?"

At this point, Han Changong waved his hand and said indifferently, "Alright, continue kneeling. Come to my room tomorrow morning to receive ten lashes."

"Resisting Heaven..."

Watching Han Changong's departing figure, Huangfu muttered to himself.

Coming back to his senses, he couldn't help but curse inwardly.

He had forgotten to mention An Qisheng to his teacher.

He hadn't forgotten the glimpse he had caught of the river of purple Qi.

"Teacher has been living in seclusion in recent years, so he probably won't take action because of this..."

........

Before the majestic royal city, a bronze statue soared into the clouds.

The bronze statue was unimaginably large, reaching an unknown height, with almost half of its body shrouded in the swirling clouds, obscuring its true appearance.

Only a long saber planted between its hands could be seen, exuding a majestic and imposing aura.

Passersby who saw this bronze statue couldn't help but feel awe and shock, and then hurried past.

This was the bronze statue of the Great Feng's founding emperor.

On the hundred-zhang-high viewing platform of the royal city, a group of people was gazing at the bronze statue above the sea of clouds.

Ji Chonghua stood there in golden python court attire, expressionless.

Before him was a tall and valiant figure.

The man wore golden dragon royal robes and a flat-topped crown, his back to Ji Chonghua, sighing softly.

"Grand Tutor, how many times do you think the face of this bronze statue has been altered in the past ten thousand years..."

Ji Chonghua replied meticulously, "There was no such bronze statue before the Yuan Dynasty. From the Yuan Dynasty to now, fifteen thousand years, it has been changed one hundred and ninety-six times."

"Dynasties have changed so many times, yet this bronze statue still stands tall, and each dynasty makes it even taller than the last."

King Feng chuckled.

"Grand Tutor, what do you think if I recast this bronze statue, making it impossible to add to, impossible to make taller? What would the one who takes Great Feng's place do then?"

Ji Chonghua's expression remained unchanged, his head slightly lowered.

"Your Majesty is joking. My Great Feng will last for thousands of generations, coexisting with Heaven and Earth, with the sun and moon, existing in the same Heaven and Earth!"

"You're the one joking."

King Feng turned around, a smile on his valiant face.

"Grand Tutor, wouldn't you agree?"

Ji Chonghua said solemnly, "Great Feng will last for thousands of years, Wangshan for ten thousand years. This minister never jokes!"

King Feng's gaze shifted slightly, landing on the other two. "Eunuch Cao, Minister Yang, what do you two think?"

Cao Tiangang's voice was slightly effeminate.

"What the Grand Tutor says is what this humble servant wants to say."

Yang Lin bowed slightly, his voice hoarse as he spoke, "This minister agrees as well."

"You people."

King Feng pointed at the three of them with a smile, then sighed softly.

"Since I ascended the throne, I have reformed the imperial examination system and officialdom, built water conservancy projects, and diverted the Da Long Jiang (Great Dragon River) to irrigate the north and south. Externally, I have resisted the Yan, Mo, and Jinlang nations. I have been conscientious and dedicated, living up to the legacy passed down by my ancestors, and even expanding that legacy..."

"In a few more decades, even if I cannot unify the world, wiping out a few countries and expanding my Great Feng by tens of thousands of miles would not be a problem..."

Ji Chonghua, Yang Lin, Cao Tiangang, and a few silent men behind them bowed slightly, listening attentively.

"I ask myself, my literary and military achievements may not be comparable to those of the heroic rulers of the past, but they are ten times stronger than those of the many rulers of fallen nations..."

As King Feng spoke, the smile on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by a deep coldness.

"But how could my Great Feng, how could it be, how could it be about to fall?"

The ruler of a nation, in front of the most powerful ministers in the court, spoke frankly about the fall of his country!

Such a thing was rare throughout the ages.

For a moment, it seemed as if endless cold currents were pouring down from the Star-Picking Platform, so cold that it seemed to freeze into ice.

"If the Heavenly Secrets were accurate, what would we ministers do?"

Ji Chonghua slowly raised his head.

"Moreover, can Han Changong truly see all the Heavenly Secrets?"

"What the Grand Tutor says is absolutely right. Even if the Heavenly Secrets are so, what then?"

Cao Tiangang chimed in.

"Your Majesty's literary and military achievements are no less than those of his predecessors. My Great Feng is now the leader of the seven nations, with strength unrivaled in the world, suppressing the martial world internally and resisting various countries externally. How could there possibly be... any accidents?"

"Han Changong is disrupting the ruler's mind. He deserves to die, he must be killed!"

Yang Lin opened his mouth hoarsely, his voice like the friction of iron and stone.

"This minister requests the execution of Han Changong!"

The other ministers also offered their advice one after another.

Since Han Changong issued his warning nearly two years ago, King Feng had changed, becoming impatient for quick success and easily angered.

Not only Yang Lin, but even Cao Tiangang and others harbored resentment towards Han Changong.

"Alright, alright."

King Feng waved his hand, his gaze returning to the clouds, and asked indifferently.

"Grand Tutor, I heard that that Taoist rejected your kindness?"

"Returning to Your Majesty, that is indeed the case."

Ji Chonghua's expression remained unchanged.

"What a pity for the Grand Tutor's generous gift!"

Cao Tiangang said with a rather sarcastic tone.

Because that gift was forcibly taken from him by Ji Chonghua. Now that it had gone down the drain, how could he not be angry?

Such a precious material, enough to forge a divine weapon, was lost just like that. Although the East Depot was large and wealthy, it still felt a pang of heartache.

"Eunuch Cao, what do you want to say?"

Ji Chonghua's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I heard that the Taoist also made provocative remarks. What did he say?"

The two were at daggers drawn, but King Feng seemed oblivious, continuing to ask.

"Tell this king."

"Filthy words, how can they be spoken to Your Majesty?"

Ji Chonghua shook his head.

"Grand Tutor, you and I have known each other for many years, why are your words still so cautious?"

King Feng sighed, seemingly helpless.

"Very well, Yang Lin, you tell me."

Yang Lin's expression changed slightly, bowing and replying, "Your Majesty, that scoundrel spoke insolently, provoking the laws of the court. This minister believes that he must be killed!"

"What do the rest of you think?"

King Feng asked again.

"We concur!"

Ji Chonghua and the others responded in unison, bowing.

"Since that is the case..."

King Feng tapped his finger lightly and said indifferently.

"Then take his head and hang it on the city gate!"

"Yes!"

........

Liang Province is mountainous and has many passes.

All the necessary routes to the Central Province have many passes.

As the court began operations, almost within days, the passes had been completely sealed off, and no merchants or travelers were allowed to pass.

Anyone who attempted to pass, regardless of who they were, would be killed!

Before Hushan Pass, snow howled.

Amidst the howling wind, the tents swayed precariously. Many merchants had already begun melting snow for water, slaughtering horses, and eating their goods.

Many more merchants wandered around the pass, trying to use their connections to get through.

But the connections that had once been greased with silver were now completely useless.

*Pu!*

Wang Gui stamped his foot in frustration, scattering snow several feet high.

His face was extremely unsightly, his hand gripping and releasing the long saber at his waist several times, his chest rising and falling.

If not for the many heads hanging before the pass, he would have charged through.

The freezing cold was a small matter; the loss of money was the big deal!

Their party of hundreds of people, eating and feeding the horses every day, was a huge expense!

If they transported this shipment of goods, they would not only fail to make a profit but would probably lose their capital!

Although they had brought a lot of dry food and had not yet reached the point of slaughtering horses, they were not far from it.

"Alas! These damn bastards!"

The other镖头 (bodyguards/caravan leaders) were also furious, but there was nothing they could do.

Faced with so many passes, not to mention them, even renowned experts in the martial world could not hope to pass.

"Fuck his mother!"

A burly man walked over cursing. "That beast took so much of our silver, but now it's completely useless! If he pisses me off, I'll kill that bastard next time!"

"Second Brother!"

Wang Gui greeted him.

"Don't mention it."

The burly man thrust his long saber into the snowdrift, glancing out of the corner of his eye. "Look, in that black tent, is Fan Zimin, ranked thirty-first on the Earthly List. He tried to break through earlier and was almost injured by a Qi-breaking crossbow..."

"Even an expert on the Earthly List can't get through, we..."

The caravan leaders sighed, looking at the city wall less than a mile away, their faces full of worry.

"Huh? Look, that person is walking towards the pass. Is he going to charge through too?"

Suddenly, Wang Gui exclaimed.

The caravan leaders all looked over.

They saw a person coming from several miles away, braving the wind and snow, walking towards the pass unhurriedly.

"Walking alone in the wind and snow, he must be trying to break through!"

The caravan leaders were all energized.

The merchants and traders from the other caravans also noticed.

Inside the black tent, Fan Zimin frowned slightly upon hearing the commotion outside.

"Which fellow Daoist is trying to break through?"

A hint of curiosity flashed in his mind, and he walked out of the tent.

Raising his eyes, he saw a white-robed Taoist walking slowly towards them, carrying a crimson long spear upside down, in the snow.