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

Chapter 340 Let me appraise? (4k)

The pharmacist, seeing the cabinet members return, was about to inquire about the reason when he suddenly heard them all bow in unison and say:
"Your Majesty, we, your humble servants, offer our congratulations!"

He grew increasingly confused, his brow furrowing slightly.

"My dear ministers, what has happened? You've only been gone for a short while, how come you're in such a state?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Prime Minister stepped forward, beaming with joy, and said:
"Your Majesty is unaware! Just now, we personally heard the immortal say, 'In the second year of Jiayou, the Dragon and Tiger List will be held for a thousand years!' Doesn't this mean that the special imperial examination opened by Your Majesty will become the first list in all of history?"

Upon hearing this, the pharmacist's eyes suddenly lit up with boundless light, but then he raised an eyebrow and said:
"Jiayou's second year?"

He just changed the era name; it's the first year of the Jiayou era now!

The senior officials quickly said:
"Indeed, Your Majesty! The Book of Auspicious Omens says: 'When an immortal descends to earth, auspicious omens herald the beginning of a new era, and the year can be changed to correspond with the celestial signs!' Now that the immortal has descended and spoken the word, it should naturally be the second year of the Jiayou era!"

The pharmacist instantly grasped the key point, and with a smile, nodded to the elders, saying:

"In that case, I will trouble you ministers to draft the imperial edict for changing the year."

The ministers all agreed, and the scene inside the hall was one of harmony between the emperor and his ministers.

But no sooner had he finished speaking than the pharmacist changed the subject, asking with a hint of certainty:
"Now that you, my esteemed ministers, have you inquired about your views on the 'Heavenly Grace Festival'? Did you personally bestow the name upon it?"

In his view, it was alright if he had simply forgotten, but these senior officials should have remembered to inquire about it.

There are so many people, aren't there?
But as soon as he finished speaking, the elders froze on the spot, their faces full of embarrassment and awkwardness. They looked at each other, but no one responded.

The pharmacist's smile gradually faded, and he said in surprise:

"My dear ministers, with so many of you going together, is it possible that not one of you remembers this matter?"

The ministers became increasingly embarrassed and bowed in unison to apologize:
"I am terrified!"

Seeing that they had genuinely forgotten to ask, the pharmacist stood there for a long time, finally waving his hand helplessly and saying with a wry smile:

"So be it, so be it, it seems this is fate!"

The Grand Secretaries also felt bitter.
-
As Du Yuan passed by the tavern, he happened to see Zou Zi by the window waving at him, his voice low but clear:
"Remember, I've been waiting for you here all along."

Du Yuan bowed in greeting, then strode forward. His purpose was clear: to find Young Master Wang.

Although Kyoto had just survived a calamity, the damage to the inner city was not too severe, and it had largely returned to normal. However, compared to the past, there were significantly more government officials and soldiers coming and going in the streets and alleys, adding a touch of solemnity.

Du Yuan nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping across the streets and alleys. Following the unique aura of Young Master Wang, she went straight to him.

Upon arriving at their destination, they found the other party standing with Cui Shilu, with Young Master Wang standing to the side, occasionally interjecting a few words. Cui Shilu, meanwhile, was methodically giving instructions to the crowd that had gathered around.

When it comes to making important decisions in the imperial court, it's ultimately more efficient for each family to mind its own business when it comes to these trivial matters. Seeing that the two were busy with important matters, Du Yuan stopped and waited without disturbing them.

After most of the people around him had dispersed, he slowly stepped forward and asked, "Young Master Cui, how have you been lately?"

Looking in the direction of the sound, Cui and Wang were both stunned, their faces full of surprise. They never expected to run into the immortal Du Yuan at this moment.

Cui Shilu was alright, since he didn't know much, so he was neither afraid of ignorance nor fear, but was simply overjoyed.

Wang Chengsi felt a sudden tightness in his chest, his calves tightened, and his back was soaked with cold sweat.

This guy is the one who defeated Zou Zi head-on!
The three major schools of thought each have their own ranking, and it is difficult to distinguish their superiority. Generally speaking, it is assumed that the founders of each school are slightly superior, except for a few special cases.

But this lord, completely unprepared, broke Zou Zi's millennia-old plan solely through his own cultivation. Wang Chengsi was certain that, under such circumstances, there were no more than five people in the world, besides the three founders of the religion, who could defeat Zou Zi!

He had never seen such a person before—well, not entirely; the two from Qingzhou and the Southwest were roughly on par with this one.

Although the path has been changed and a new one has begun, how can one's former nature be so easily altered?
Besides, he merely changed his path; he wasn't a reckless fool. When facing someone like him, regardless of their true path, it's best to keep a respectful distance. After all, the difference in strength is too great; a slight misstep could result in being caught in the crossfire, and the other person might not even notice you being crushed to death!

But now, he would no longer deliberately avoid the situation as before. Composing himself, Wang Chengsi and his cousin Cui Shilu went to meet them, saying in unison:
"Greetings, Senior (Immortal)!"

Du Yuan raised her hand and waved, indicating that there was no need for formalities. Her gaze swept over the sky above the Cui family residence, and she spoke with a smile:
"It seems that Young Master Cui has taken my words to heart."

In the past, the Cui family's fortunes were a complex mix of good and bad, their lives hanging by a thread. Now, although dark energy still lingers, things are much clearer, and they are no longer in a state where they could collapse at any moment.

Cui Shilu had wanted to ask Du Yuan whether his family had escaped the calamity, and upon hearing this, he was so excited that he could hardly speak—he knew how right it was to stand up and listen to this immortal!

"Thank you for your guidance, Immortal Master!" Before he finished speaking, Cui Shilu bowed deeply.

Du Yuan reached out and steadily supported him, her tone calm: "Young Master Cui, there's no need for that. I was just mentioning it casually; in the end, it was you who truly took action and stabilized the situation."

Cui Shilu insisted, "If it weren't for the immortal's words that awakened me, how could I have suddenly realized my mistake and stopped the damage in time? My Cui family will never forget this kindness."

As he spoke, he asked curiously:

"Immortal Master, have you come today with important matters to instruct me on?"

Du Yuan pointed to Wang Chengsi behind him and chuckled:
"It's nothing important. I've come to see him."

Upon hearing these words, Wang Chengsi's recently steadied mind began to waver again, and his legs went weak once more.

He forced a smile and said, "I wonder what brings you here, senior?"

Although Wang Chengsi had a smile on his face, it was no better than a cry; it was frozen at the corners of his mouth, and he looked incredibly forced.

Seeing this, Du Yuan couldn't help but chuckle:
"Let's find a quiet place first. There are some things I should tell you in private."

Upon hearing these words, Wang Chengsi felt his legs grow weaker and weaker, and he almost couldn't stand up.

Cui Shilu hurriedly stepped forward and replied with a fawning expression:

"Rest assured, Immortal Master! There are plenty of quiet places within the Cui family mansion. I'll make the arrangements right away!" "Thank you for your trouble."

"What are you saying, Immortal Master! This is nothing to worry about!" Cui Shilu said as he eagerly led Du Yuan into the mansion. Turning back to see Wang Chengsi still standing there in a daze, he hurriedly urged, "Cousin, what are you standing there for? The Immortal Master has already gone inside!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Chengsi's face contorted with a complex expression, like a tangled mess of hemp thread. He stared intently at his adopted cousin, and after a long pause, he finally managed to utter a sigh:
"I must have owed you something in my past life!"

"Huh? Cousin, what do you mean by that?" Cui Shilu looked bewildered. "I was just trying to be helpful!"

Wang Chengsi was too lazy to explain and couldn't explain, so he could only follow with a bitter face and a drooping head.

The three religions of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism stand side by side, along with the Buddhist master, the Taoist master, and the old master, who are acquaintances but seem to have established their own sects.

Wang Chengsi felt a chill run down his spine after just a moment's thought; the world was about to be engulfed in a massive upheaval!

He even suspected that the reason why the Confucian school had remained inactive until now was because of these three gentlemen!
This world may have already become a "chessboard" for the power struggle among the three religions.

Given such a powerful situation, even a master of Yin-Yang philosophy like Zou Zi would be smashed to pieces if he barged in. How could a nobody like him, with only a few strokes of luck, possibly get involved in this mess? Does he even deserve it?

Moreover, this gentleman's behavior was truly outrageous.

Thinking about it, he subconsciously counted the number of Du Yuan's natal characters on his fingers, then looked up and stood there dumbfounded.

"Eighteen characters representing one's birth year actually formed four quatrains! Such a thing is simply unheard of!"

He could understand that the four sentences that expressed the ultimate pursuit of Confucianism were enough to carry the eighteen natal characters; but he just couldn't understand how the two characters "Heaven and Earth" could really be brought back to the human world.
"Wait!" Wang Chengsi's heart skipped a beat!
'Since the Buddha and the Taoist priest have met those two before and are acquainted with this gentleman, could it be that they were paving the way for today from the very beginning?'

The moment Wang Chengsi suddenly understood this crucial point, he felt a cold sweat break out on his back, streaming down his spine and soaking through his clothes.

If it was all part of the plan from the beginning, was Zou Zi's fate an accident, or was it part of the whole scheme?
He initially thought that the old man had been accidentally dragged into the situation by Zou Zi.

But now that he's figured it out, he's shocked to realize that perhaps Zou Zi was the one who unwittingly stumbled into the trap!
A meticulously planned scheme, ultimately benefiting another—that's terrifying enough. But what's even more terrifying is that the one who fell victim to this scheme was Zou Zi! The very same Zou Zi, the patriarch of the Yin-Yang school, who could predict the heavens and earth and determine the fate of the world!

They are the ones who have been suppressing their lineage of novelists.
With such a far-reaching and far-reaching scheme, what exactly does this master, or rather these three masters, want to do?
Is it dissatisfaction with the status quo of the three religions and a desire for reform? Or is it a desire to replace them and take the place of their founders? Or perhaps there is an even grander and more astonishing plan?
Wang Chengsi raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. Despite the bright sunshine, he felt icy cold all over, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

Before, when he was alone, he could think of running away to avoid trouble. But now, with a whole family to support, where can he run to?
"Cousin! Why are you standing there in a daze again?" Cui Shilu's voice came from ahead, sounding very impatient. "The immortal is waiting for you inside, hurry up!"

Wang Chengsi slowly turned around and looked at his silly cousin, who was still urging him to go in with a blank expression, completely unaware that they had already stepped into a dangerous situation!
He pointed at Cui Shilu, opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time. In the end, he could only sigh heavily and grit his teeth to repeat, "I...I definitely owe you!"

"Huh? Cousin, what's wrong with you?" Cui Shilu was even more confused. "Why are you talking about 'owing or not'? Did you get scared out of your wits earlier?"

One sentence was enough to shut him up, and Wang Chengsi pointed at him and stammered for a long time.

Finally, he sighed and patted him on the shoulder, saying:
"Never mind, never mind. It's better that you don't know, it's better that you don't know!"

With that, he walked away, looking as forlorn as an old man in the autumn wind.

Upon entering Du Yuan's room, Wang Chengsi immediately composed himself, held his breath, and cautiously raised his eyes to ask:

"Senior, may I ask what important matter brings you to me?"

Du Yuan looked up at him and smiled faintly:

"I've come to see you for two things. First, I want to ask if you still remember the name of your ancestor?"

Wang Chengsi was taken aback at first, and subconsciously replied, "How could I not remember my grandmaster's name? Wait—" He suddenly realized, "Are you talking about the founder of my lineage of novelists?"

“That’s right.” Du Yuan nodded. “It’s the one you relied on for your Dharma.”

The radiance on Wang Chengsi's face instantly faded, replaced by a look of melancholy.

"Senior, ever since the battle between the ten schools and nine streams, in which my lineage of novelists was utterly defeated, the name of our ancestor has gradually been forgotten, and even we, his descendants, have no way of knowing it."

Du Yuan nodded slowly: "I came here today to tell you that Zou Zi has already returned Yu Chu's name to this world."

"Yu Chu? Yu Zi!!!"

When the words "Yu Chu" came out of Du Yuan's mouth, Wang Chengsi was jolted awake as if struck by lightning.

The name that his master had vaguely mentioned in the classics but had always been unclear was now clearly imprinted in his heart.

He stood there, stunned, his eyes filled with complex emotions. After a long while, he let out a low, bitter laugh, then bowed deeply to Du Yuan, offering a solemn salute.
"This junior bows in gratitude to the senior and informs you of the revered master's name!"

It's truly laughable that their lineage of novelists has lost so utterly that they don't even know the name of their founding master until an outsider points it out.

Du Yuan wanted to say something, but looking at Wang Chengsi, whose inner turmoil had been resolved and whose path had been re-established, she ultimately chose to remain silent—at this moment, he no longer needed anyone else to say anything more.

After a moment, Wang Chengsi straightened up, composed himself, and respectfully asked, "What is the second matter you have to ask, senior?"

Seeing that he had gotten to the point, Du Yuan's smile widened, and her tone became much more relaxed: "It's nothing major. Well, a senior colleague said he's given you a test question, and by the way, he can also help me with a small favor."

Exam questions? What exam questions? And to help you, sir?
Wang Chengsi was completely dumbfounded.

How could someone as mediocre as me be of any help to you?
In the past, he was muddle-headed and manipulated by the Yin-Yang School; even though he was enlightened by the guidance of many senior masters, he still failed to break through and establish himself, and almost had his lineage of novelists completely cut off by Zou Zi.

He simply couldn't understand how someone like himself was worthy of helping this man.

As if she had seen through his thoughts, Du Yuan added, "Oh, to be specific, I just wanted to ask you to take a look."

Take a look?!

Wang Chengsi stood there dumbfounded, his mind blank. Then, two long-buried memories, almost unbearable to recall, flooded his body like a tidal wave, making his face turn pale.

"Take a look?!"

(End of this chapter)