The more you believe me, the more real it becomes.

Chapter 329 I, Wang Chengsi, wish to ask the Ancestral Master to lend me his teachings!

Seeing this, Madam Wang stood there stunned for a long time, her thoughts still seemingly still reeling from the shocking turn of events.

Suddenly, she raised her hand and gently stroked Cui Shilu's cheek, her tone softening completely:
"Very well, my son is no ordinary man. Your aunt will accompany you to find your uncle. I will make sure he listens to you!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a red umbrella wrapped around a flaming talisman suddenly descended from the sky and landed steadily in Madam Wang's hand.

Both aunt and niece were startled, filled with astonishment. After a moment, Cui Shilu suddenly pointed to the bottom of the umbrella and said in surprise, "Aunt, look, there are words underneath."

Following the direction of her gaze, Madam Wang immediately recognized it as her own 'child's' handwriting. A line of neat, clear small clerical script appeared at the bottom of the umbrella:
"I am leaving. The capital is truly a place of worry and disaster. I have suddenly realized this and dare not stay any longer. I earnestly request that Mother leave the capital as soon as possible, either to return to Qinghe to visit relatives or to live out her old age in Langya. Please do not hesitate."

"Your son bows in respect!"

After reading the letter, Madam Wang closed the red umbrella with trembling fingertips, a hint of loneliness spreading across her brows.

She reached out and touched Cui Shilu's head again, saying softly, "He's gone. He's not in Kyoto anymore. It seems he's successfully escaped."

Cui Shilu frowned deeply, then cursed:

"That good-for-nothing! He sensed something was wrong and tried to run away. Fine, everyone's afraid of death, I can't say he did anything wrong. But why did he run away alone? And why did he leave you here?!"

How can this good-for-nothing not even care about his own birth mother?

He actually thought this guy had really changed!
Compared to Cui Shilu's fury, Madam Wang remained calm because she knew that it was not her child.

He wouldn't care for his mother like a real son would.

So, she simply straightened Cui Shilu's sleeves and said:
"My son, don't be like this. He's gone, so be it. I'm fine. It's just... it's just that you've stayed in Kyoto too!"

It's good that he left, but why did his favorite nephew also stay in Kyoto?

Choi Si-rok was just her nephew, but ever since she discovered that the child was not her own, she had been close to him since childhood and had watched him grow up. How different could there be between a nephew and a son?
It seems there's absolutely nothing there!

Sensing this gentleness, Cui Shilu calmed down and then sighed deeply:

"Aunt, please accompany your nephew to the Wang family to meet your uncle. At this time, how the Wang and Cui families act will surely affect the very survival of our families!"

Madam Wang did not refute him at all, but looked at him with slight worry and said:

"But what if it still doesn't work out in the end?"

What she feared was not anything else, but that if things didn't work out in the end, her nephew would blame everything on her, thinking that he had chosen the wrong path.

At this point, Cui Shilu stood there stunned, but after a moment, he chuckled softly and then strode forward:
“Aunt, even if it still doesn’t work out in the end, I will not have failed my ancestors, the Emperor, or the people of the world who have supported my Wang and Cui families for so many years!”

Soon, the patriarch of the Langya Wang clan stared at his nephew Cui Shilu kneeling before him, and his wife kneeling beside him. He stood there stunned for a long time, motionless.

His eyes first flashed with astonishment, then disbelief, and finally he looked at Cui Shilu with utmost respect.

He quickly untied the seal from his waist and entrusted it to Cui Shilu without hesitation, then turned around and drew the long sword behind him.

"Very well, in the entire Wang family, it is rare to find a prodigy like my nephew. Today, Uncle will accompany you to the very end!"

It should be noted that when the great disaster first appeared, even the gods and ancestors enshrined in the mansion had closed their doors and were waiting for their doom.

He had long since given up hope, even the thought of struggling had been abandoned. He never expected that, in the face of this catastrophic disaster, his nephew would possess such courage, intending to stir up this stagnant pool!

At the clan leader's command, the guards, or rather the soldiers, of the Wang and Cui families quickly assembled.

Armed with weapons, they maintained order in the streets and alleys, dispersed troublemakers, and loudly guided the surrounding residents to seek refuge in the inner city, the heart of Kyoto.

Cui Shilu, carrying the seal entrusted to him by the patriarch, went door to door to the various government departments that were at a standstill.

Officials who used to be lazy and negligent were taken aback when they saw the seal. But when the seal and sword were held to their necks, they dared not be negligent and resumed their duties.

The chaos in Kyoto vanished in an instant!
The fleeing people had a direction and flocked to the inner city; those who still committed evil deeds at this time were killed on the spot as soon as they were discovered, and from then on there was no more sound of looting in the streets.

The calamity still loomed large, but Kyoto, which had been at a standstill for so long, finally began to move again. Though slow, it offered people a real glimmer of hope for survival.

Cui Shilu stood atop the inner city wall, one hand holding aloft a long sword and seal, the other gripping the battlement, and shouted hoarsely:
"Hold all the city gates at all costs! Only allow entry, no exit!"

"Dispatch another three hundred men and rush them to Dingbei Road to reinforce the area! Tell Minister Cui that if he continues to dawdle and makes the area completely blocked, I will behead him first! Don't think that just because we are of the same clan, I will spare his life!"

He has determined that the collapse originated from the outskirts of Kyoto—the outer city walls that had protected Kyoto for a century have completely collapsed, and many streets and alleys behind the fortified walls have also been largely destroyed.

Therefore, he had to guide all the people to retreat into the inner city for refuge as soon as possible.

Fortunately, the capital city was under the emperor's rule, and all government departments had capable officials, and the soldiers and yamen runners under his command were by no means lazy good-for-nothings.

Once mobilized, it can be put into operation.

Otherwise, he really didn't know how much use the small number of soldiers from the Wang and Cui families could have.

Just then, someone below the city suddenly shouted at him:

"My lord! People have arrived from the palace! It's a large cavalry force!"

"Royal Palace?"

Cui Shilu turned abruptly, looking towards the imperial city. Sure enough, from the gap in the palace wall that Gao Cheng had previously breached, a large cavalry force was galloping out, their dragon banners fluttering in the wind.

The lead knight raised the emperor's dragon banner high and shouted:
"By imperial decree! All people shall immediately seek refuge in the palace! In the face of national crisis, there is no need to adhere to old customs; all actions shall prioritize the safety of the people!"

Upon hearing this, Cui Shilu was overjoyed and said loudly:

"Good! Excellent! I knew the Emperor would never betray us!"

Compared to the inner city, the imperial palace at the heart of the imperial city was naturally safer.

Previously, as a subject, he dared not overstep his bounds by inviting commoners into the palace, and could only let the crowds crammed into the inner city, watching as the streets and alleys became increasingly overcrowded.

Now that the emperor has given the order, the imperial guards who previously held the palace walls and refused to let anyone pass will not only open the palace gates, but will also immediately join the ranks of those guiding the people—this is a tremendous help!
Moreover, compared to these scions of noble families, the emperor's decrees are clearly more reassuring to the people!

As the ants in Kyoto swarmed to one place, Zou Zi, sitting atop the cloud, remained unmoved.

This is a variable, but it's not a variable either; it won't disrupt the game.
-
The people living in the mountains of Kyoto were largely unmoved by this; they simply laughed at these ordinary people who were struggling even as death approached.

In such a situation, what difference does it make whether one dies sooner or later?
Nevertheless, they all took action and then followed suit, hiding in the palace.

After all, there really is a difference between dying early and dying late.

The people of the Tiannan Sect also sprang into action, but instead of fleeing to the capital in a rush, they dispersed their disciples to help officials guide the people to safety.

Anyway, they are cultivators, so they are always faster than ordinary people and can always find a place to go.

However, after the master of ceremonies carried the heads of several cultivators and flew around in the sky to intimidate the group of villains, the ceremony was completed.

He suddenly frowned and focused on one spot.

Then he said:
"Could it be the Palace Master of Hanqiu Palace?"

Upon hearing this, the already ethereal woman bowed slightly and said:

"It is indeed my daughter. I greet you, senior."

"The Palace Master is not in good condition, and I don't have anything of value to help you, but the Palace Master might as well go to the Imperial Palace. Perhaps there will be a turning point there?"

The ethereal, illusory woman simply shook her head and said:
"No need, senior."

Seeing this, the master of ceremonies sighed and decided not to try to dissuade her anymore. But at that moment, an embroidered handkerchief suddenly fell into her hand.

The last bit of talisman paper on top was completely burned away at this time.

It was clear that they had searched for a long time before finally finding her.

Fortunately, it was still entrusted to her.

She glanced at the embroidered handkerchief in her hand, then suddenly stood up and said:
"Senior should still have plenty of energy left. Could you lend me a bit of your magic to help me maintain this for a while longer?"

The emcee immediately nodded:

"What's so difficult about this?"

He immediately raised his hand and channeled his magic to help maintain his body.

Once her body solidified and could no longer proceed, the master of ceremonies stopped and said:
"Given your current situation, there's nothing more I can do to help, so this is all I can do. But may I ask why you suddenly changed your mind?"

The fairy-like woman bowed deeply to the master of ceremonies.

"I don't know how to thank you enough, so this is all I can say in response. As for your question..."

She clutched the embroidered handkerchief tightly, then placed it against her chest and said:

"I want to see more of the things he gave me."

Although it was just a handkerchief, it was the only thing he had ever given her since they first met.

Moreover, she was specifically instructed not to pay any attention to him and to leave Kyoto as soon as possible.

He also included a method that might help her. He remembered that when they first met, he was frowning and muttering that this was wrong as he dug her out of a pile of corpses.

At that time, he gave himself a life-saving elixir, a dress to cover his body, and a safe place to stay.

She then disappeared completely, and when she was seen again, she had grown up and inherited her master's Hanqiu Palace.

That one glance was enough for her to be radiant with springtime beauty, while he was utterly dumbfounded.

This time, Zou Zi glanced at the scene once more, but quickly looked away.

It's not even a variable.
-
Xiao Qingyan had already left her boudoir. She kicked over the group of hesitant, indecisive clan elders, then drew her sword and said sharply:
“My father is not here, and he is indecisive. So I will take the lead for the Xiao family. The Wang and Cui families have already opened their gates and sent out their soldiers to protect the capital and guide the people. Since the Xiao family has formed a marriage alliance with the Wang family, it is only natural that we should do the same.”

"Father! Step forward, your daughter has a favor to ask of you!"

Everyone present was stunned to see the once delicate and gentle Xiao family's youngest daughter, who always spoke softly to everyone, transformed into this.

Even her biological father was stunned for a moment before subconsciously stepping forward and saying:

"What are your orders, my son?"

"The Emperor's Nine Guards must be in complete chaos right now, and the same is true for the Capital Defense Command. Not only are you the former director, but the current director and deputy director are either your comrades or your grandfather's close associates. You must go to the Capital Defense Command immediately and have them dispatch troops to stabilize the people of the capital and cooperate with the Wang and Cui families!"

Her father nodded immediately and was about to leave, but then he realized something and said:

"But the Defense Division is one of the Nine Guards, unlike the others. Without the Emperor's seal, it is considered treason. How can we take action?"

Xiao Qingyan said directly:
"You go first, the Emperor's decree will arrive soon. Don't just stand there, hurry up!"

"Ah, ah."

Only then did her father, bewildered as to how his daughter had known about the emperor's edict beforehand, set off in a daze.

After seeing her father off, she went on to call out names one by one, distinguishing between those sent abroad and those who stayed behind, handling everything in an orderly manner.

Everyone went from initial resistance to obedience.

The more chaotic the situation, the more people hope for a leader to tell them what to do.

Even if this is wrong, countless people will still follow suit.

Moreover, this is absolutely correct!

After finishing these tasks and clearing the hall, she picked up her sword and rushed off to direct other areas.

She kept running inside the Xiao family compound, and she also kept running around the inner city.

The white paper, supported by the talisman, kept spinning, searching for her.

Every time, it was just a little short.

Meanwhile, Zou Zi, high above in the sky, was always watching with a mocking expression, holding a black chess piece in his hand.

Just as the talisman on the white paper was about to burn out and fall into the dust and smoke.

Both Zou Zi and Xiao Qingyan heard the clanging sound of a chess piece being thrown onto the board.

Zou Zi frowned slightly, and Xiao Qingyan turned around at the sound.

Then, the burnt-out white paper of the talisman slowly fell from the sky.

Xiao Qingyan didn't even look at it, but grabbed it and then bit his fingertip to quickly write four big characters on the back.

Just like in the past:
"Run, you idiot!"

The words written in blood on white paper burned out quickly.

Zou Zi raised an eyebrow, then stood up and gazed at the vast world below the clouds.

On the chessboard, Zou Zi intended to place a black stone to block one side's territory, but instead quietly occupied a white spot!
Outside of Kyoto, the elegantly dressed young man, who had been fleeing in a disheveled state and had fallen and rolled on the ground countless times, suddenly stopped.

Because he seemed to hear that voice from years ago again:
"Run, you idiot!"

Standing there blankly, he tried hard not to recall that blue robe and the little girl he had pulled from the corpses of the battlefield years ago.

And Madam Wang and the others.

He lowered his head:
"My path is too narrow to accommodate anything else; my cultivation is too shallow to turn the tide."

As he spoke, he slowly got up and moved forward. Although each step seemed like he was pushing through mud, he was indeed moving forward.

"Behind me are Zou Zi, the Nine Schools of Thought, and all the philosophers. How could I, a mere nobody, possibly control their schemes?"

"I did nothing wrong, I can't control it, I can only run away, I can only run away."

He forced himself to constantly recall the teachings of his sect, his master, his grandmaster, and his many fellow disciples, uncles, and senior uncles:

"Our lineage prioritizes avoiding cause and effect, evading the will of Heaven, and remaining untouched by worldly affairs, thus finding true ease and freedom!"

"That's right, avoiding cause and effect, evading fate, it's always been like this, it's always been like this for me, for us, and it's the only way I can do it, because I can't do anything else."

Muttering to himself, the richly dressed young man knelt down with difficulty, clutching his head, and cried out in a hoarse voice:
"That's Zou Zi!"

They crushed Zou Zi, a novelist, to the point that he wasn't even among the top ten, let alone considered a third-rate writer!

With a shout, he dared not struggle anymore. Although his legs were completely immobile, he still stretched out his hands and struggled forward.

Fear gripped my heart, as if I were standing on the edge of an abyss.

He had no choice but to flee, just like his grandmaster.

In the past, the lineage of novelists was expelled from the top ten schools and was excluded from the nine classes. All the disciples under his tutelage fell into depravity. It was because of this that his grandmaster realized the way for his sect to survive today—to avoid trouble.

Even the title of their founding patriarch of novelists, this celestial being who was once one of the philosophers, was erased by Zou Zi, and not even his name was passed down.

This made the novelists seem quite strange, since after Confucianism, Mohism, Taoism and Legalism, when it comes to the various schools of thought, most people can think of a novelist.

But what exactly did the novelist do, what established his reputation, and who was his mentor? Very few people can really say anything about that.

Over time, novelists have become the 'joke' that everyone remembers today.

But if we delve deeper, it all comes down to Zou Zi alone!
Such a person, someone who isn't even a descendant of a minor figure, why would he turn back?
Just as the sword cultivator lineage had its spine broken long ago, rendering it incapable of achieving great things, their novelist lineage was also destroyed long ago!
He can't be Li Shiyi!

Besides, even if he became Li Shiyi, so what? Didn't he die too? Didn't the sword cultivator lineage still lose its backbone?
"I did nothing wrong, I did nothing wrong, I did nothing wrong."

The richly dressed young man struggled and crawled on the ground, weeping bitterly.

Then the white paper burned to ashes; it was no longer an illusion, but something he truly heard:
"Run, you idiot!"

The elegantly dressed young man was completely stunned, then turned around.

The last time they met, she told him, "Run, you fool," and he ran away, running away in a terrible state.

When they met again, she said to him, "Turn back, you fool," but he still ran away, just as disheveled as before.

Now, she said the same thing to him again—run!

To such an incompetent, heartless, immoral, and talentless person.
After a long pause, he returned to Cold Pine Mountain.

The Taoist in the green robe chuckled again at him:

"Hiding from the will of heaven, avoiding karma, all kinds of shackles entrap my true self."

"By following the will of Heaven and the law of cause and effect, I finally know who I am today."

The elegantly dressed young man struggled to his feet, turned his muddy head, gazed at the high sky, and trembled all over.

Finally, he stepped into the dead end.

One step at a time, then another at a time.

Subsequently, it became faster and more stable.

He also recited the last two lines of the prophecy he had received in the past:
"Once you attain enlightenment and see your true self, what fear is there of the old shackles?"

"The shackles of this world are but a dream, formless, without appearance, and without self!"

At this moment, the elegantly dressed young man stood on the earth, while the celestial being stood with his hands behind his back on the clouds.

One tall, one short, they stared at each other.

Then, the elegantly dressed young man pointed to the sky and shouted:

"I, Wang Chengsi, the last descendant of the novelist family of Langya, wish to borrow the Dharma from my ancestor, and seek guidance from Master Zou!!!"

Then, the sky and earth cleared, the sea of ​​clouds vanished, and the long, drawn-out sighs that had been constantly heard but whose origins were unclear transformed into a single sound:
"good!"

(End of this chapter)