The fate scattering hammer could enlighten and open the mind of those bearing fortune, but not in the ordinary sense. It was an opening in the domain of fortune.
So, what did it enlighten? Xu Qi’an had no idea, nor did Zhong Li.
However, there were clues to be followed. The fortune Xu Qi’an bore was half the national fate of the Great Feng.
What was its greatest use?
Xu Qi’an used to believe it meant finding a coin of silver when he went out, or frequenting the Jiaofangsi for free to the end of days.
But these had nothing to do with combat strength, at most they were a kind of luck aura.
What aspects of national fate were related to combat strength? The answer was obvious: the power of all living beings!
“It’s the power of all living beings!”
Seeing his expression, Zhong Li knew he had guessed the truth. She pecked at her head and gave a firm response.
This is the authority only the Jianzheng could control… Xu Qi’an suppressed his excitement and pondered,
“I can also harness the power of all living beings, but I have to rely on Chu Yuanzhen’s “nourishing intent” method, only able to mobilise it against the enemy when the people’s emotions are stirred up.
“In theory, bearing half the national fate, even if not as strong as the Jianzheng, I should still be able to stably mobilise the power of all living beings.”
Zhong Li raised the fate scattering hammer in her hand, her rarely raised voice ringing out:
“That’s because you haven’t opened your mind. You need the fate scattering hammer to help you do it.”
Xu Qi’an nodded,
“That’s right. From beginning to end, in fact, I never truly controlled this national fate inside me. Though it merged with me, I couldn’t control or fully harness it.”
Taken together, all the details fit. The so-called “elightenment” referred to Xu Qi’an being able to control the power of all living beings, thus raising his combat power and making rapid gains in a short time.
This was the Jianzheng’s insurance for after he was gone.
Zhong Li suddenly muttered:
“National fate and fortune are not the same thing.”
She meant that, until now, she had thought Xu Qi’an’s fortune was what protected her.
But, in fact, fortune and national fate were different. national fate could be seen as a higher level of fortune. national fate allowed one to mobilise the power of all living beings, which ordinary fortune did not.
“Do you think Xu Pingfeng knows that national fate can mobilise the power of all living beings?”
Zhong Li suddenly asked.
Xu Qi’an paused,
“Hard to say. Mobilising the power of all living beings is the prerogative of a Master of Heaven’s Mandate, Xu Pingfeng might not have that deep an understanding.”
He then shook his head, eyes brightening:
“No, Xu Pingfeng doesn’t know.
“He sent the Yunzhou diplomatic mission to negotiate not just to try to get something for nothing and win land without bloodshed, but also to test my reactions, to glean information about the Jianzheng’s backup plan through me.
“If he knew national fate could mobilise the power of all living beings, with his wit, he would have guessed already. He wouldn’t have needed to send Ji Yuan to test me.”
The more Xu Qi’an spoke, the more excited he became, itching to awaken the power of all living beings immediately, travel to Qingzhou, and give Xu Pingfeng a surprise.
Zhong Li, too, was a little impatient,
“Well, then, shall I knock your head?”
Xu Qi’an sat cross-legged.
“Go ahead!”
Zhong Li raised the hammer and brought it down with a “Duang!” on his head.
Xu Qi’an’s mind buzzed, and he instantly lost consciousness. His pupils spread and widened.
A few seconds later, his unfocused pupils regained clarity. He looked at Zhong Li, suddenly sprang up, pinched his fingers into an orchi pose, and sang in a high, shrill voice,
“A beautiful Miss Lin descended from the heavens…”
This is an actor’s fate, this song is unfamiliar, but oddly pleasing… Zhong Li silently enjoyed Xu Qi’an performing all by himself, watching as he struck all manner of affected poses with song drifting from his lips.
An hour later, the fate scattering hammer’s effect wore off.
Xu Qi’an stood in bewilderment for a moment, his facial muscles twitching,
“Why not just skip ahead?”
Another hammer strike would have changed his fate, yet Zhong Li had made him sing for a full hour.
Under her messy, scattered hair, Zhong Li’s bright eyes blinked,
“It sounded rather nice.”
Xu Qi’an patted Zhong Li’s head, forcing a smile,
“If I were not here, or if it wasn’t me singing just now, perhaps today would be remembered as your death anniversary, Senior Sister Zhong.”
You would have been silenced!
Zhong Li whispered,
“It’s only because you’re here that I dared be a little bolder.”
Mm, how could I blame you for going astray? I gave you too much freedom! Xu Qi’an nodded.
“Let’s continue, quickly, we mustn’t waste time…”
As soon as he finished, Zhong Li struck again with the hammer.
Xu Qi’an’s pupils pupilled, then he staggered and knelt, crying out,
“Bodhisattva, be merciful, spare some silver, please.”
Beggars’s fate.
Zhong Li hammered again.
“In the noon sun, farmers till the land, sweat dripping onto the earth, working people are most glorious…”
Zhong Li hammered again.
“Nothing tastes better than dumplings, nothing’s more fun than teasing my sister-in-law.” With that, he tried to hide his head under Zhong Li’s skirt.
Zhong Li hammered again.
Duang! Duang! Duang…
Zhong Li struck the hammer more and more, faster and faster, until it was as if the hammer itself left afterimages.
Xu Qi’an sat there blankly, pupils unfocused and lifeless.
In that moment, it was as though he had lived countless lives, seen every station and calling, the good, the bad, and the ugly in human nature, experiencing the hardships of the people and every aspect of humanity.
Suddenly, he heard a colossal bell chime, thundering in his ears, as if something inside him had broken free of its shackles.
Xu Qi’an opened his eyes, and then turned to shadow, disappearing into the earth.
When he re-emerged, he had arrived at the Stargazing Tower’s Bagua Platform.
Night had long since fallen, and the entire capital was shrouded in darkness, only a few scattered areas still lit by candles.
The capital was silent in the night, but in Xu Qi’an’s eyes, it was bustling, wondrous, sorrowful, evil, beautiful…
His perspective on the world had shifted completely.
All beauty came from the mortal realm.
All evil came from the mortal realm.
In that instant, he felt as though he had transcended good and evil, the border between justice and wickedness blurred, becoming a cold, indifferent god gazing down on all people.
In the next, he sank gently back down, immersed in human good and evil, melding with the dust of the world.
Xu Qi’an spread his arms, shouting:
“Come!”
The masses heed my command!
In a heartbeat, the power condensed from the multitudes surged towards him.
This power belonged neither to Qi, nor to magical force, nor to spiritual strength, but instead to the joys and sorrows, greed and anger, love and hate, hopes and pains of mortals, to their collective will.
If it had to be defined, it belonged to “momentum”!
The “momentum” of great times.
As the power of all living beings swarmed to him, Xu Qi’an absorbed them all, gathering the strength inside himself like the sea taking in all rivers.
Inside the Stargazing Tower, apart from Mu Nanzhi and Sun Xuanji, all arcanists prostrated themselves as if facing the will of Heaven.
…
Qingzhou.
Late at night, Ge Wenxuan knocked on Ji Xuan’s door, face grave.
“I cannot contact Young Master Ji Yuan.”
Ge Wenxuan wasted no words, getting straight to the point.
Ji Xuan’s expression changed at once.
“I maintained contact with Young Master Ji Yuan every two days, partly to assure me of his safety, partly to keep up-to-date with the negotiation’s progress, but today I could not reach him.” Ge Wenxuan held a sound-transmission conch.
Ji Xuan snatched it, pressed it to his ear, and called out in a deep voice,
“Ji Yuan!”
He called several times, but no one answered.
Ge Wenxuan said,
“Upon receiving a message, the formation on the conch would make a slight noise to alert the holder.”
“If the conch was with Young Master Ji Yuan, he couldn’t possibly have failed to notice it.”
Ji Xuan gently set the conch on the table, asking in a low voice,
“How far have talks progressed?”
Ge Wenxuan replied,
“At our last communication, Young Master Ji Yuan said the talks had reached the final stage, the Great Feng would not, under any circumstances, cede Yongzhou.”
Ji Xuan calmly analysed,
“This was the main goal of the talks. Ji Yuan always understood priorities; he wouldn’t have vanished of his own accord at such a critical moment. The most likely scenario is: something’s happened to him.”
After speaking, his gaze turned sharp.
His instincts told him that the problem lay with Xu Qi’an.
Ge Wenxuan thought for a moment, then said,
“This is no small matter. With the Great Feng’s current situation, negotiation is our only way out. Xu Qi’an might act brashly, but he’s no fool, negotiating also buys him time.”
“Furthermore, Yuanshuang and Yuanhuai are also in the delegation. As long as Young Master Ji Yuan doesn’t offend him himself, Xu Qi’an most likely won’t endanger the delegation.”
Ji Xuan shook his head,
“Ji Yuan might try probing, but he wouldn’t intentionally aggravate Xu Qi’an. This is highly unusual. Quickly, go report to the great general.”
Ge Wenxuan nodded and left.
Half an hour later, Ge Wenxuan returned, announcing solemnly,
“The great general has a command, tomorrow there shall be a council of war in the command tent.”
A council of war in the command tent was the highest-level meeting in the army; all senior officers had to attend.
…
【THREE: Your Majesty, tomorrow I wish to go to Qingzhou, to scout out the Yunzhou rebel army’s true strength, and formally send Xu Pingfeng a challenge.】
Having mastered the power of all living beings, Xu Qi’an posted this message in the Earth Book chat group.
Xu Qi’an’s idea was that, before the war started, he had to meet Xu Pingfeng in person.
He wanted to issue a challenge, to slap this second-rank arcanist in the face, and let Xu Pingfeng know that the pawn he once treated as an ant had now become an equal on the board.
Otherwise, Xu Qi’an’s heart would not be at ease!
Huaiqing had not yet replied, and it was Li Miaozhen, the first to see the message, who asked in confusion,
【TWO: What are you on about, Xu Ningyan? Did you write that wrong?】
The members of Heaven and Earth Society, roused by the “lurches in their heart”, one by one took out their Earth Books to read the message, unanimously agreeing with Li Miaozhen’s view.
【ONE: Alright, come to the palace before you depart. We shall give you a surprise.】 1
【THREE: A surprise? What kind?】
Heaven and Earth Society members: “???”
Except for Lina, who had such deep sleep that almost nothing could wake her, the other members reading the chat between these two had one question after another flash through their minds.
What’s with “Your Majesty”? What’s with “We”?
Joking was in Xu Qi’an’s nature, but Huaiqing was not one for jokes.
Coming from a scholar like Chu Yuanzhen, the words “Your Majesty” and “We” were highly sensitive, so he cautiously sent a probing message:
【FOUR: What is the meaning of this, you two?】
I’ve used the royal we for princes/princesses and the Emperor alike, but it’s different vocabulary. The Emperor has a first person pronoun exclusively for themselves. ↩
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