“That serious?”

Old Abacus looked confused. He hadn't expected Hu Ma to suddenly ask him this question, and even more so, he hadn't expected the question to be so important, relating to his own life.

Seeing that he had been frightened, Hu Ma sighed and patiently explained, "Ever since I entered this path and learned some skills, I've heard more and more people mention the so-called Mandate of Heaven."

"But it seems that although many people mention it and it seems very important, no one in any school specializes in studying this Mandate of Heaven. I haven't met anyone who can clearly explain it."

"This has made me increasingly confused. What exactly is the Mandate of Heaven?"

"One's birth date, the Eight Characters (bazi)? Or one's origin, status? Or even the three souls and seven spirits, or that destiny in the dark?"

After voicing his doubts, he just stared at Old Abacus, fearing that he would be evasive again. This question was simply too important to him now.

Old Abacus's eyes darted around, as if he had considered something several times, but meeting Hu Ma's serious gaze, he finally put other thoughts behind him, sighed softly, and said, "There are actually schools that specialize in studying the Mandate of Heaven…"

"Oh?"

Hu Ma was stunned, "Among the Ten Schools, there are abilities based on the Mandate of Heaven?"

But Old Abacus didn't continue on this topic, just shook his head slightly, and then whispered, "What you're asking is key, but you're thinking too simply about the Mandate of Heaven."

"Each school's abilities are diverse and have different classifications. Because everyone's special skills are different, sometimes people belonging to the same school can appear completely different in terms of their abilities."

"For example, with Spirit Channeling (fu ling), some people only need to burn incense, recognize a godfather or godmother, and receive some protection, while others have to be someone's slave, burning their lives like candles."

"But neither of these are the most powerful. The most powerful Spirit Channeling allows people to walk the ghost path, borrow Yin soldiers, and clearly come from a Spirit Channeling background, yet sit on the heads of the living as ancestors. That ability to borrow Yin to connect to Yang is extremely powerful."

Listening to him, Hu Ma suddenly thought of the Meng family, who had a deep feud with the Hu family, and seemed thoughtful. But Old Abacus just gave an example and sighed, "The Mandate of Heaven is also like this. The birth date, origin, status, three souls and seven spirits, five misfortunes and eight fortunes that you just mentioned…"

"All are related to the Mandate of Heaven, but none can represent the Mandate of Heaven."

"It's already this late, so stop being mysterious."

Hu Ma sighed helplessly, "Just explain it clearly, it's good for both of us."

"It's not that I'm being mysterious, it's just that this thing isn't really solid there, unlike you guys guarding the years, honestly swinging your fists and wielding your knives."

Old Abacus cried out in distress before saying, "You want me to explain it clearly in one sentence, but I really don't have that ability. I can give you an example though."

"Like you and…"

He paused, seemingly thinking of a suitable example, and suddenly thought of one, "Zhuang Erchang!"

"You and Zhuang Erchang are on the road together, of course, this is when you haven't fully learned your skills. You two encounter robbers on the road, and these robbers want to seize your property and kill one of you two. Then, which of you two do you think would have more serious consequences if killed?"

Hu Ma was still thinking about this question when Old Abacus actively answered, "Of course, killing Zhuang Erchang would have more serious consequences."

"Why?"

"Because Zhuang Erchang has a master behind him, someone to avenge him. But you, you're said to be a small manager of our Red Lantern Mother's Society, but our Red Lantern Society can't reach that far, and our Mother doesn't interfere in other people's business."

"If Zhuang Erchang dies, this Grandpa Sun will make a big show, taking people to catch the robber, see?"

"For the robber, he just randomly picked someone to kill, but the consequences of killing these two people are different. Killing you is equal to no consequences, killing Zhuang Erchang has serious consequences. This is the same as saying that Zhuang Erchang's Mandate of Heaven is heavier than yours."

Hu Ma was a little bizarre listening to this, "Can it be explained like this?"

"This is the simplest Mandate of Heaven, but to go deeper, there is another different layer."

Seeing that Hu Ma was listening attentively, Old Abacus explained again, "On the surface, you don't have a master to take care of you, so your Mandate of Heaven is light. But there is another possibility, although he has a master, his master's abilities are not that great. You seem to have no one to care for you, but inside, you are the young master of a wealthy family who got lost."

"So, the robber originally calculated that you seemed to have a lighter Mandate of Heaven, but in fact, your Mandate of Heaven is heavier than Zhuang Erchang's. Killing you is more troublesome than killing Zhuang Erchang, and the wealthy family will come looking for you."

"And this is what ordinary people cannot see. Sometimes, ghosts and gods can know, because ghosts and gods can see the blessings of ancestors in your bloodline, so they know that you are from a wealthy family, even if your abilities are worse, your Mandate of Heaven is heavier than Zhuang Erchang's."

Could it be that the Mandate of Heaven is just about seeing who has a bigger backer, a bigger background?

Listening to this, Hu Ma felt even stranger.

But Old Abacus sighed again and said, "But even if it reaches this level, it is still shallow. The most profound Mandate of Heaven doesn't just look at one person's abilities and identity, but also at some things in the dark."

"For example, you don't have Zhuang Erchang's abilities, and your identity is not as high as his, but in the dark, you have the Mandate of Emperor. One day you will become the emperor, or at least be related to the birth of the emperor. The fortune of the entire dynasty and the world is on you alone."

"But Zhuang Erchang is just a martial artist, then the consequences of killing you are much more serious than killing this martial artist."

"Ordinary people often associate the Mandate of Heaven with fortune tellers, because fortune telling is about calculating some things in the dark."

"But I think it's nonsense, anyway, I can't calculate it accurately!"

Listening to him rambling and saying these mysterious words, Hu Ma really fell silent. Following his line of thought, he thought for a long time, and then whispered, "Then, if we don't mention the robber and just say that these two people with different Mandates of Heaven meet, what will happen?"

Old Abacus was slightly startled, then laughed and said, "Then that will be interesting."

"Speaking in worldly terms, when two people with light Mandates of Heaven meet, the one with the lighter Mandate of Heaven will often be manipulated by the one with the heavier Mandate of Heaven, regardless of status or position, they will always be dominated."

"And speaking in mystical terms, if the two are already hostile, when they meet, if your Mandate of Heaven overwhelms the other person, all kinds of coincidences will arise that are beneficial to you. If the other person's Mandate of Heaven overwhelms you, then everything will always be beneficial to them."

"People cannot defy fate, that's how it is."

Speaking of this, he waved his hand and said, "Of course, even if I explain it like this, it is still shallow. What I have said is only one or two hundredths of the interpretation of the term Mandate of Heaven, it is still far from enough."

"The Mandate of Heaven is mysterious and changeable, and constantly uncertain, sometimes light, sometimes heavy, sometimes deep, sometimes shallow, and must be determined according to the situation."

"This…"

Following what he said, Hu Ma thought for a long time, and then suddenly a light flashed in his heart. He breathed a long sigh of relief, picked up the cold tea on the table, and sent it to Old Abacus, saying, "Old brother, you really broadened my horizons, please have some tea!"

"Oh my…"

For the first time, Old Abacus received this courtesy, and the wrinkles on his old face stretched out, saying, "Look, look, you give me a cup of tea, and it's still cold."

"Speaking of which, are there any blood food pills left? I was frightened before, I need to replenish myself!"

"No!"

Hu Ma said, "When the thousands of pounds of blood food that others owe me are collected, I will definitely send you, old brother, hundreds of pounds to nourish your body."

Sincerely promising, Hu Ma sent Old Abacus out the door, and then returned to the couch to silently ponder, as if something had suddenly been opened.

The Mandate of Heaven can be explained like this?

If you think about it deeply, the Mandate of Heaven is mysterious and mysterious. Not to mention using it, you can't even understand it clearly. But if you talk about it shallowly, even just linking the Mandate of Heaven with cause and effect can explain the problems encountered in one's cultivation of the Dharma.

No wonder they say that you can only cultivate the Great Might Heavenly Duke General Seal (Da Wei Tian Gong Jiang Jun Yin) if you have an official position. After all, an official position is borrowing the dynasty's fortune to add to your body, the karma is extremely heavy, bandits dare not provoke you, ghosts and gods dare not provoke you, and even when cultivating, you can suppress the abnormalities in your soul.

But in the past twenty years, the emperor is gone, and the gold content of official positions has been severely weakened. Moreover, even if it has not been weakened, Bu Shi Niu, who is bent on rebelling, will not become an official.

I am naturally not an official now, just a small manager of a blood food gang, so it seems to anyone that I cannot cultivate this method, and even Da Hong Pao has to instruct me to find something that can suppress my own Mandate of Heaven.

But actually, I seem to already have it…

Thinking of the General's Token hidden in his Natal Spirit Temple, Hu Ma's breathing was slightly held back, and his mood was uneasy and excited.

At the same time, in Stone Horse Town, it was in a state of chaos. Some people were running around busily, inquiring about the details, while others were packing their things, trying to venture out and see if they could escape.

Fairy Miaoshan of the Yi Qian Sect was talking to Grandpa Sun and others, comforting the people, while White Fan was guarding the altar, patiently waiting for his senior brothers to reply.

According to his calculations, the letter has already been delivered, and whether his senior brothers will come and how long it will take should also be said. But he didn't expect that after waiting for a long time, there was no movement. In the fire pond, a strange Yin wind suddenly rose, and a strange blue fire burned, illuminating the courtyard with a gloomy atmosphere.

Several little ghosts with chains wrapped around their bodies, struggling in pain, cried out to White Fan, "Boss, the letter can't be delivered, we were caught, we're sorry."

White Fan woke up with a jolt, and only saw that there was no blue fire burning in the pond, but there were some ashes flying around his body, which were the paper ashes that had been burned earlier and flew out of the town, but had actually flown back.

His face turned pale and he shouted, "Not good, even the path to the Netherworld has been blocked!"

"It's not just the Year-Guarding Hall Official who is coming, there's also… Spirit Channeling (fu ling)!"

End of Chapter