I proved immortality through the imperial examination.

Chapter 104 Harvest
Xue Xiang flipped through the files extremely quickly, and Liu Mei was no slower; the two finished reading almost simultaneously.

"What do you think?"

"What does my lord think?"

The two picked up charcoal pencils in perfect unison, each took a piece of paper and wrote something, which they then displayed simultaneously.

Xue Xiang wrote: Multiple balls.

Liu Mei wrote: Four balls.

Clearly, the two had come up with the same idea.

Everyone believes that the key to solving the case lies in figuring out why, in an instant, a spirit ball weighing over 10,000 pounds could float on the lake and be dragged to appear in three other places. What kind of immense power must that have been?

Liu Mei said, "The Special Office also wanted to solve this strange phenomenon at the beginning, and they came up with two ideas."

Scenario 1: A powerful cultivator at the Core Formation stage is hiding underwater.

Scenario 2: This was achieved using formations.

However, after testing, it was found that it was difficult to achieve that level of ease.

When that approach failed, they began to use conventional methods, digging within the town's military to find various witnesses.

Finally, the case reached a complete deadlock.

Xue Xiang nodded. "We naturally cannot follow the same old path they have taken."

"Unless we untangle that heavy spirit orb, which darts across the lake like a feather, this case will remain unsolved."

Liu Mei said, "There's no lead yet, but I'll try the 'contact' method."

As soon as the case was filed, local authorities sealed off all major roads.

This sum of military pay is definitely still locked up not far from the scene of the crime.

This sum of money was either buried or divided up.

If we were to compare the outbreak of this major case to throwing a huge rock into the center of a lake.

The boulder will create huge waves where it is thrown, but it will also cause ripples in the distance.

Now, there's not a trace left where the boulder was thrown. I want to see if the ripples it creates will bring any unexpected surprises.

Xue Xiang was astonished. Only someone like Liu Mei, with her exceptional logic and ability to make connections, would think of using the so-called ripples to confirm any clues.

In the days that followed, Liu Mei continued to search for the so-called ripples, mobilizing the Eleventh Chamber, the Kaishan Sect, and even the river merchants.

All sorts of information, big or small, or even insignificant, began to converge on Liu Mei.

Seeing Liu Mei analyze massive amounts of information every day and gradually lose weight, Xue Xiang felt heartbroken.

She wouldn't listen when we tried to persuade her to slow down.

On this day, after enduring two months, Xue Xiang hurriedly entered the Wenxu Blessed Land.

Sure enough, a group of Core Formation experts were already waiting outside the Wenxu Blessed Land.

As usual, Xue Xiang covered his face with his scholarly air and walked to the cave entrance.

As soon as he appeared, all the Core Formation experts bowed in respect.

Xue Xiang returned the greeting with a cupped hand, uttering some nonsensical words, leaving everyone bewildered.

Xue Xiang seemed like a completely different person, incredibly childish.

Xue Xiang was neither insane nor deliberately putting on a farcical act.

Instead, he saw a message in the notes of the old man Hangu that said that powerful beings who are about to perish will fall into a state of spiritual wandering in the eight directions in their final stage.

Not only can consciousness leave the body, but it can also roam freely in the world.

Furthermore, the person often gets lost in memories and mistakenly believes that memories are reality.

Xue Xiang felt it was necessary to make use of it.

He always appears as a wise and superior person, and in order to maintain this persona, he can only make one-sided sacrifices.

This is something Xue Xiang doesn't want to see.

That's why we have this strange situation now.

Sure enough, there were some clever people in the room. "Senior is about to be annihilated, he has entered an illusion. There's no major problem."

"The state of annihilation is several years away from complete annihilation, and may take more than a decade. Don't worry, our senior will not leave us for the time being."

"........."

After rambling on for half a cup of tea, Xue Xiang trembled and recited aloud, "Life is short, and parting is easy to break the heart. So let us not refuse frequent banquets and feasts."

A vast landscape stretches before me, yet my thoughts drift far away; falling blossoms and wind and rain only deepen my sorrow for spring. Better to cherish the person before me.

Everyone was familiar with his routine, and once this opening poem was recited, everyone realized that he was back to normal.

Xue Xiang sighed repeatedly, "I am old and frail, and I often wander into my dreams, returning to my youth. If I say anything wrong, please forgive me, my young friends."

"Senior, you flatter me. I was fortunate enough to receive a wise saying from the Heavenly Book from you before. I was able to gain some insight from it and break through the barrier that had held me back for more than 20 years. I dare not express my gratitude enough."

"Yes, I have also benefited greatly and am very grateful."

"........."

People chimed in, and not all of them were just offering flattery.

The two opening lines of the Tao Te Ching that Xue Xiang expounded that day are actually the supreme principles of Taoism in another world.

It's not surprising that these experts at the Core Formation stage could gain different insights from this.

Just like back then, Xie Haiya also got a breakthrough opportunity based on his saying "Repay kindness with kindness, and repay injustice with justice".

"You must be friends from Canglan Academy over there. I haven't seen the starry river pattern on your clothes for many years."

Xue Xiang pointed to Canglan Academy and others.

"Senior, do you recognize our palace attire?"

Ni Quanwen, the envoy of the Canglan Academy, was both surprised and delighted.

"Many years ago, I had an old friend who came from Canglan Academy."

"I wonder who that old friend is..."

"Time will pass, let what is forgotten be forgotten, why bring up old stories again."

Xue Xiang sighed, looking utterly desolate. "Let's get back to the main topic."

As I am about to perish, it is my trust in you all to have the opportunity to pass on this heavenly book so that there will be no lack of successors.

Gentlemen, please take this opportunity to understand it thoroughly and incorporate the Heavenly Book into your cultivation techniques. If you gain any insights, please report them to this old man.

This old man may examine your talents and auspicious circumstances.

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked again, interpreting Xue Xiang's words as a signal for choosing a successor.

Everyone secretly encouraged each other, determined to prove themselves the best.

Xue Xiang said loudly, "Young friends, listen carefully: Nameless, the beginning of heaven and earth; named, the mother of all things..."

With a rumble, another strange phenomenon occurred in the heavens and earth. Outside the cave, thunder shone faintly, and on the Bohai Sea, winds rose and clouds surged.

"...Therefore, one should always be without desire in order to observe its subtlety; one should always have desire in order to observe its manifestations."

With a rumble, the entire Wenxu Blessed Land shook violently, and the remaining seven Wenxu Pearls all transformed into literary energy, scattering wildly throughout the cave.

Xue Xiang estimated that the time was about right, reversed his blood circulation, and suddenly, he felt a sweet taste in his throat and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"senior!"

"Take care, senior."

"We do not want the inheritance of the Heavenly Book, nor do we want our predecessors to be devoured by the Heavenly Dao."

"Watch out, senior."

"........."

At this moment, even the most hard-hearted person would be moved.

What a wonderful predecessor! He was selfless, altruistic, and dedicated to helping others. Even in his declining years, he insisted on passing on the information from the Heavenly Book, sacrificing his already weakened life essence.

Roar!
With a dragon's roar, the entire Bohai Sea suddenly boiled, with large splashes of water rising. A green dragon broke through the surface of the sea, its body shimmering with metallic luster, and rushed straight towards Xue Xiang.

"You audacious evil dragon!"

"Stop! The Azure Dragon has come to repay a debt of gratitude. There's something on its left front paw."

"It's Cangming Jade Marrow, this big one, a holy medicine for healing."

"Even the Azure Dragon knows how to repay kindness."

"How can we be inferior to a demon?"

"........."

In an instant, all sorts of bottles and jars were enveloped by spiritual energy and sent into the cave entrance.

While pretending to say "No, you mustn't," Xue Xiang's big eyes widened in disbelief.

He might not remember who gave it to him.

He makes sure to remember who didn't send it.

Before long, dozens of bottles and jars were piled up in front of him.

Just then, the Azure Dragon soared into the cave, its claws extending a palm-length, shinbone-thick, emerald-green staff—the renowned Cangming Jade Marrow, a sacred object for restoring vitality and healing injuries.

Xue Xiang took the Cangming Jade Marrow and gently stroked the dragon head that reached forward. "Are you also listening to the lecture?"

Qinglong nodded vigorously.

"Could they possibly understand the true meaning?"

Qinglong nodded first, then shook his head.

"Foolish child, foolish child, take your time to comprehend it, and one day you will see through the mystery."

Qinglong nodded vigorously.

"Go then."

The Azure Dragon swayed its enormous body and plunged headfirst into the sea.

Xue Xiang thought to himself, “My dear friends, I am entering illusions more and more frequently.”

I really don't know when it will disappear. Well then, you don't need to wait here in vain. Send one or two people to guard outside my cave.

If I have anything to pass on, please let someone inform you quickly.

"This is an excellent suggestion."

"Senior is in need of someone to take care of him right now, let's discuss this."

"........."

As everyone was discussing, Xue Xiang suddenly trembled violently. After a long while, he stood there dumbfounded, then kicked the bottles and jars at his feet and said loudly, "Whose things are these? And who are you people? Why are you lingering in front of my house?"

"Alas, Senior has fallen into illusion again. It seems that the backlash from this leak of the Heavenly Book will be severe."

"What a wonderful senior, but he is already old and frail, and we are powerless to save him."

"I really don't know how much longer you can hold on. I don't expect to get the Wenxu inheritance anymore. I just hope that you can give me a few more words from the Heavenly Book."

"........."

Xue Xiang suddenly sat down on the ground, rummaged through this bottle and looked at that jar, and suddenly burst into laughter, "I'm rich! I'm rich! These spiritual treasures and pills are something I could never have obtained even if I begged for them. This is truly a blessing from heaven!"

"Poor thing, the senior has returned to his youth."

"Of course, otherwise these pills would never have caught his eye."

"........."

Holding the bottles and jars as if afraid someone would snatch them, Xue Xiang hurried into the cave.

Upon returning to his cave, Xue Xiang began to carefully examine the bottles and jars. Many of them had labels on them. Xue Xiang couldn't recognize the pills, but he could read the characters.

Among them, there was a white jade porcelain bottle containing eight "Rejuvenation Pills," which Xue Xiang had seen in the auction catalog of Jiahe Trading Company.

This item is said to have the miraculous effect of replenishing spiritual energy, and each "Rejuvenation Pill" is priced at over thirty spirit stones.

The key point is that this "Rejuvenation Pill" is in short supply and has a price but no market.

Although the elixir was good, it was not his immediate priority.

He suddenly remembered Xie Haiya's mention of the soil spirit used to cultivate literary weapons. He grabbed two small bottles, went outside the cave, and shouted to a group of Core Formation experts who were discussing their duty roster, "I have two bottles of spirit pills and I'm willing to exchange them for soil spirits to help me forge a literary weapon." "Senior is truly deeply entrenched in illusion. With his abilities, what need is there for forging a literary weapon? Didn't we see him capture a dragon with one hand?"

"Ah, for someone in his old age, being able to occasionally enter a dream and return to his childhood is not necessarily a bad thing."

"Yes, who knows, one day when one's spirit is wandering in the eight directions, the last wisp of true spirit will be blown away by the heavenly wind and will be annihilated from then on."

"Further words are useless. If anyone has the Earth Spirit, I am willing to exchange a piece of the Witch God's hand bone for it and give it to you, so that I may not have wasted the kindness of receiving the old man's teachings."

"The senior is confused. Even if you give him the spirit soil, he will only be abandoned after he wakes up."

"So what? I'm willing to respect this filial piety. At least when the senior enters the illusion, he can be happy for a moment."

“Well said. I still have a box of spirit soil, which I originally intended to use to forge a divine weapon. Since you like it, I will give it to you.”

Su Jianmo, the abbot of Wuzhuang Temple, waved his hand, and a box of earth spirits floated into the cave.

Xue Xiang held the soil spirit, opened it, and saw a pile of watery, crystal-like and gold-like things, and immediately felt a spiritual energy rush towards him.

"Thank you, senior."

Xue Xiang bowed to Su Jianmo and was about to throw the two bottles of pills back.

Su Jianmo waved his hand and said, "This junior has already suffered too much from you, senior. I only wish that you would remember Su Jianmo."

"Senior? I'm only eighteen, fellow Daoist, you're too kind."

Xue Xiang muttered.

"Uh."

Su Jianmo had no choice but to say, "Please remember me, fellow Daoist. My name is Su Jianmo."

"take note of it."

Xue Xiang cupped his hands in greeting, "I won't trouble you with two matters at once. Senior, do you have the secret method for refining divine weapons from the soil?"

Su Jianmo swiftly sent a jade pendant using his spiritual power. Xue Xiang smiled and said, "Su Jianmo, I remember this, I will definitely remember it. I will repay this kindness in the future."

After saying that, he strode into the cave.

A moment later, he turned back, his steps unsteady, his face still veiled with scholarly air, his voice hoarse again, holding a pile of bottles and jars and the box of earth spirit in his hands, "I'm sorry, my young friends, I've fallen into illusion again. These pills, I asked you for them, didn't I?"

Please excuse my poor attempt to amuse you young friends; please take it back.

He certainly didn't want to do this, but without it, his public image wouldn't be stable.

The group exchanged glances, and it was clear that many were interested, since the pills they were offering as gifts were all top-grade.

The owners of Wenxu don't want it; they still need it.

"Which one of you is Su Jianmo?"

Xue Xiang suddenly spoke.

"It's down."

Su Jianmo stepped forward from the crowd, his expression excited.

He felt that his hard work had not been in vain, because although the Lord of Wenxu had left the illusion, he still remembered him.

"Thank you very much, young friend. Although I have left the illusion, I still remember the great kindness you have shown me. May I ask what you have given me?"

"Senior, you're too kind. I didn't give you anything, and even if I did, why would I ask for it back?"

Furthermore, if the senior were to enter the illusion again and be unable to see these mundane things, he would inevitably feel uncomfortable.

Fortunately, it's nothing precious; you can just treat it as a toy, senior.

As the abbot of Wuzhuang Temple, Su Jianmo possesses exceptional emotional intelligence in dealing with people.

After he set this example, how could anyone else possibly ask for their gifts back? Would they even dare to act like human beings?
"Very well, after I enter the illusion, I may really need these little gadgets."

Xue Xiang said, "By the way, after I entered the illusion, I traveled to the eight extremes and passed through Canglan Prefecture. I heard that everyone was talking about a strange case, which was the theft of military funds."

It's quite interesting. Does anyone know it? Could you tell me?

To be honest, my young friends, I started out in criminal law when I was young, and I have a particular fondness for unusual cases.

Even now, with his case on the verge of being forgotten, he still can't shake his habit of being overjoyed at the mere mention of a case.

Ni Quanwen seized the opportunity, "Reporting to senior, this case occurred in Canglan Prefecture, and I do know about it..."

After Ni Quanwen gave a detailed account of the case, Xue Xiang said, "That's interesting. Four spirit orbs weighing ten thousand catties each appeared on the lake at the same time."

Do you all think this is a deliberate attempt to create confusion, or is there another purpose?

No one expected that the dignified Lord of Mingde Dongxuan would be interested in solving cases.

Since he's interested, everyone else will inevitably be interested too. Regardless of their expertise, they'll all have to chime in with their opinions and make their presence felt.

After a long discussion, the group of Core Formation experts unanimously concluded that the four ten-thousand-pound spirit orbs that appeared on the lake surface almost simultaneously were illusions.

The reason is that even if they acted simultaneously, they could not pull a spirit ball weighing ten thousand jin and move it instantly from east to west, or back and forth for twenty miles.

Even if they were to form an array, it would be impossible to create a large array spanning tens of miles just to steal a single ten-thousand-pound spirit ore.

Xue Xiang seemed to be deep in thought.

He didn't have the resources to set up a separate headquarters, so he consulted with officials at the Core Formation stage.

However, he had a condition that the Imperial Academy did not have: the powerful Core Formation experts before him.

After obtaining a credible conclusion from them, Xue Xiang gave a perfunctory reply and left the Wenxu Blessed Land.

It was late at night when they returned to the refinery.

Xue Xiang didn't rush out of the refining room. Instead, he sorted through a bunch of bottles and jars and began to study the usage of the soil spirit given to him by Su Jianmo.

He originally thought it would be very complicated, but the process turned out to be extremely simple. After the soil spirit and the soil words were combined, under the catalysis of the words formed by the gathering of literary energy, he was able to get what he wanted.

The character Xue Xiangju formed was "gun". Once the gun appeared, it became the key to forging the divine weapon of literary energy, which required a great deal of talent and willpower to cultivate.

Xue Xiang fought for a day and a night, consuming half of his accumulated talent and a third of his spiritual energy.

An almost solid gun now rested in his palm; he held it and swung it around for a moment, feeling its weight.

He knew that the magical weapon before him was only forged and usable, but it was still far from unleashing its true power.

Even so, he was quite satisfied.

As his thoughts dispersed, the gun also dispersed, transforming into words and spirits that floated in the air.

Xue Xiang had another thought, and his literary energy gathered into the character "gun". The character's essence, spirit, and literary energy gathered again, and the gun reappeared.

When Xue Xiang stepped out of the refining room, the starlight had already transformed into the rising sun.

Liu Mei was engrossed in a thick stack of documents in the main room. Xue Xiang felt heartbroken and hurried over.

He hugged her tightly. The pretty girl's once black hair had turned gray, and two strands at her temples were already white.

Without saying a word, Xue Xiang took out the Azure Dragon Jade Marrow that Qinglong had given him.

He actually knew how to use this substance; it could be ingested directly.

Without saying a word, he brought the Cangming Jade Marrow to Liu Mei's lips. The Cangming Jade Marrow, which looked like a piece of jade bone, quickly vaporized and disappeared into her mouth as soon as it touched Liu Mei's lips.

Suddenly, Liu Mei's aura surged, her chest glowed brightly, and a snake-shaped thing seemed about to burst forth.

Her gray, dry hair became shiny at a visible speed, and her whole person seemed to be burning brightly.

The spirit pendant at her waist jingled, and Xue Xiang stared intently at her until half an hour later when the strange phenomenon in her body finally dissipated.

"My lord, what did you give me to eat? Why do I feel like I have gained some new strength?"

"It's a very nourishing food. I told you not to worry, but you wouldn't listen. It's only been a short time, and your hair has turned white. Luckily, I have this nourishing food. Otherwise, I wonder if you'd still be able to get married with a head full of white hair?"

"My lord is ashamed."

Liu Mei's cheeks were flushed as if she were drunk, looking just like a plump and juicy peach, which stunned Xue Xiang.

Liu Mei said, "I checked all the 'ripples' and none of them could be related to the military pay case."

My lord, there are only ten days left, and the hope of solving the case is very slim.

"It's better to face reality and find Cheng Ling and Xie Yuanzun to make plans in advance."

Xue Xiang shook his head, "I'm actually starting to get a feel for it."

Let's talk over by the fish tank.

As they spoke, the two walked to a fish tank made of bluestone bricks by the west wall of the courtyard. The fish tank was about ten feet long and three feet wide, and several red-tailed carp were swimming around in it.

Xue Xiang pointed to the fish tank and said, "If we compare this fish tank to Suiyang Lake, it would be impossible for the four spirit ore spheres to travel across twenty miles east to west and thirteen miles north to south in an almost instantaneous manner."

Is it possible that the witness was seeing a hallucination?

Liu Mei, quick-witted, offered the same idea as the other Core Formation experts.

Xue Xiang shook his head. "Impossible. If it were an illusion, the area it covers would be larger than the entire Suiyang Town."

If he had the ability to create such an illusion, he wouldn't have needed to covet those ten thousand kilograms of spirit ore.

"What does the young master think?"

"If you don't find the strange in the strange, it will naturally disappear."

Perhaps, from the very beginning, they deliberately created a smokescreen, hoping we would interpret this strange phenomenon as supernatural or mystical; the more fantastical our interpretation, the further off track our investigation would go.

"If we don't think about gods and monsters, and consider the most basic scenario, could it be that there are four spirit orbs clearly appearing in different directions?"

"How is that possible? To steal one spirit orb, would they really need to get three more as a cover? Besides, spirit orbs weigh over ten thousand pounds each, how could they possibly..."

"What's wrong, my lord?"

Xue Xiang shot out like a puff of smoke, and more than half an hour later, he rushed back like the wind, holding an irregularly shaped, fist-sized stone that was white with a hint of yellow.

"Is this spirit ore?"

Xue Xiang nodded, then took out another piece from his pocket. The two spirit ore stones came together and began to mesh, instantly transforming into a sphere.

“Spirit ores naturally attract each other, and when they come together, they will automatically form spheres.”

"So what? It's stated in the case file."

"The file did not describe another characteristic of spirit stones."

"What characteristic is it that makes it so stretchy?"

As he spoke, Xue Xiang clasped his hands together forcefully, and the spirit ore slowly compressed. With his effort, the originally thick spirit ore was compressed into a thin sheet.

Her willow-browed eyes lit up instantly. "My lord, I understand what you mean."

You mean, there are indeed four spirit orbs.

The four spirit orbs were not like the military pay spirit orbs; they were merely in name only.

Forging four hollow spirit spheres would not only be extremely inexpensive, but they would also allow them to easily float on water.

Xue Xiang nodded and deliberately asked, "Then why did the soldiers in charge of escorting the shipment say that the spirit orb of military pay was unusually heavy when they loaded it onto the ship, and there was no sign of any forgery?"

Liu Mei said, "That's even simpler. Just fill a hollow spirit sphere with sand, stones, and water, and adjust the proportions of the three according to the original weight of the military pay spirit sphere."

Creating a fake spirit orb that is the same weight as the military pay spirit orb is very easy.

When the fog rises, the fake spirit orb enters the water. People underwater can easily drain the filling by making a few openings under the fake spirit orb.

Even if the opening is sealed again, the fake spirit ball can still float on the water surface.

Then three other fake spirit orbs appeared in different places, floating and wandering, creating this kind of mystery.

After finishing the image, they only need to apply a little force to compress the hollow sphere into a ball and easily take it away.

Looking at the case as a whole, it's clear that there must have been thieves within the town's military headquarters to accomplish all this. After all, without an inside accomplice, it would be very difficult for the real spirit orb to be switched.

The scene that unfolded on Suiyang Lake was a deliberate smokescreen.

Xue Xiang was overjoyed. In just a short time, Liu Mei's logic and ability to make connections had developed to such a level.

Xue Xiang smiled and said, "That's roughly how it is. As long as you think about this case from a supernatural perspective, you'll be wrong no matter how you look at it."

But when faced with bizarre cases, habitual thinking inevitably leads to this.

Okay, let's not talk about that anymore. Now it's time to unravel the mystery step by step.

Liu Mei frowned. "Has my lord considered reporting the case to the authorities?"
After all, someone capable of committing such a major case must be no ordinary person.

Continuing our investigation would be extremely risky.

However, reporting it is not the best option.

After all, the young master had gone to great lengths to uncover the clues; if he didn't complete the task and report it, they would definitely try to steal the credit.

(End of this chapter)