In the name of supernatural powers

Chapter 8 Life Supplement
Then, the old Taoist priest asked again, "And who was the emperor of the Yan Dynasty?"

Lu Zhao replied, "There is no emperor in this dynasty."

"Is the world still unsettled?" the old Taoist priest asked with a smile, seemingly certain. "Does the layman have ambitions to seize power?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhao's first reaction wasn't to consider vying for the top spot. Although he was theoretically qualified, the distance was still too far.

He was more concerned with the question of what equality and democracy meant to an ancient person.
After organizing his thoughts, Lu Zhao explained, "This dynasty was founded by the people, and the emperor is elected by the people, serving a six-year term, so there is no emperor."

The old Taoist priest blinked, and Lu Zhao blinked too.

The two remained silent for a moment.

"absurd!"

For the first time, the old Taoist priest's voice had inflection.

Even though he had a clear understanding of dynastic changes, the concept of a "kingless country" was completely beyond his comprehension.

"The succession to the throne is a matter of national stability and the most important thing in the world. How can it be discussed so lightly?"

"If the throne is not passed down from generation to generation to consolidate the foundation of the country, then every time there is a change of leadership, various warlords will hold their own armies and become powerful, wouldn't that lead to chaos in the country every six years?"

The old Taoist priest pressed him relentlessly, speaking at an unusually rapid pace, with an almost instinctive sense of rejection.

"Commoners live in the marketplace, their eyes barely seeing a few feet ahead, their ears unable to reach the counties and prefectures, their only concerns being food, clothing, shelter, and happiness. How could ordinary people know the lofty heights of the imperial court? How could they understand the interests and harms of the entire world?"

Lu Zhao listened quietly, waiting for the other person to quiet down before answering in a clear voice: "Daoist, the world has changed. Nowadays, everyone in the Yan Federation is literate, knowledgeable in literature and law. I dare not say that everyone has the ability of a scholar or a child prodigy, but they are not ignorant."

If we compare them longitudinally from a historical perspective, those who complete compulsory education in modern times are equivalent to civil officials in ancient times, and those who can enter key universities are equivalent to students who have completed their studies at a young age.

Education determines a person's lower limit; modern people are "smarter" than ancient people and are able to support the system of democratic elections.

Lu Zhao explained everything to the old Taoist priest, from the education system to the selection and promotion of officials in the new era.

The more the old Taoist priest listened, the more silent he became.

He initially vehemently denounced it as absurd, then went on to refute it, and finally fell into silence and contemplation.

Follow Lu Zhao's explanation step by step to understand this 'kingless country', from the popularization of education to the selection, performance evaluation and promotion system of officials in the new era.

After getting a general idea, the old Taoist priest began to ask questions.

He no longer simply rejects, and his questions often directly address the core contradictions.

Firstly: Since it is neither a hereditary system nor does it claim to be elected by the people, have the noble families of the new dynasty ever disappeared? Even if the sons of commoners are talented, can they enter the court without paving the way with gold and silver or being recommended by nobles?
Secondly: Since the officials selected have no family background and their titles are not hereditary, are they more eager to embezzle and amass wealth to use their official positions for business purposes?

Thirdly: Elites participate in politics on behalf of the people. These people receive salaries of over ten thousand. Can they drink from the same well as ordinary people?
These questions often point to the fundamental contradictions in society under this new system that Lu Zhao mentioned, contradictions that cannot be discussed openly.

Lu Zhao realized that the old Taoist priest was not entirely a hermit; he was extremely knowledgeable about national and familial affairs and could see through the essence of things beyond his time.

He could not give a definite answer, and could only say: "At least compared to the past, the current ruling machine is more advanced."

The old Taoist priest did not refute this.

He then paused for a moment, abruptly shifting the topic away from education and elections, and asked, "What is the current yield per mu in China?"

If scholars don't farm, how much food would be needed to support so many people who are studying?
In an instant, the old Taoist priest seemed to have grasped the essence of the matter.

What the court's rules are is not important; what matters is where the money comes from.
Lu Zhao, who had been born into a farming family in both his previous lives, answered without hesitation: "In terms of rice, if the terraced fields in the mountains are well-maintained, the yield would be about seven or eight hundred catties. On flat, contiguous paddy fields, the yield per mu would be at least nine hundred catties."

"According to the old calculation method of the Ming Dynasty, a good mu of land can yield a little over ten shi. The terraced fields in the mountains are less productive, but still yield around six and a half shi."

He was genuinely grateful that he was a spiritual superhuman, otherwise he would have forgotten everything his history teacher had taught him long ago.

Lu Zhao immediately realized what was happening.

The old Taoist priest had grasped the essence of social system change. Democracy isn't something that can be shouted out, nor is civilization something that can be created through discipline. If productivity doesn't develop and the mode of production doesn't change, the Yan Federation will be no different from the Ming Dynasty.

The Taoist priest was by no means a hermit who was detached from worldly affairs.

The old Taoist priest fell silent again; the new things Lu Zhao had mentioned required him to think constantly.

After a long pause, he exhaled deeply:

"If what the layman says is true, then everyone in the Yan Federation today is indeed like a dragon."

He no longer dwelled on the "rule without a ruler," returning to his detached tranquility. Instead, he swept a patch of clean soil away from Lu Zhao, and a futon appeared out of thin air.

"All that has happened in the past is now just smoke and clouds. Layman, please sit down here, and I will tell you about the wonders of Qi cultivation."

"The key to Qi cultivation is to distinguish the order of breath. Breathing in and out through the mouth and nose to guide acquired Qi is a stepping stone to cultivate the true Qi through the false. Nurturing the innate true Qi through abdominal breathing is the true cultivation."

"The layman is naturally intelligent and can learn acquired qi in a short time, but he still needs to work hard to develop innate qi."

The futons were slightly warm, and the young and old sat facing each other.

The old Taoist priest doesn't recite scriptures or engage in metaphysical discussions; instead, he understands the principles of heaven and earth.

Lu Zhao stood up straight, his mind slightly relaxed. It was as if he had returned to his university days, to a mental health class with fewer than ten students each time, listening to the old professor analyze mental health.

Although the places are different, the quiet pursuit of knowledge is similar.

Regardless of the hardships of the frontier, and uninvolved in banditry and warfare, one only needs to accept the teachings with peace of mind.

Although Lu Zhao did not successfully become an apprentice, he had the de facto master-disciple relationship.
-
The following morning, May 26, the South Sea West Province was hit by another round of heavy rainfall.

Lu Zhao gulped down the life-sustaining supplement and recorded the effects of refining essence into qi.

"Yesterday, after several attempts, continuing to circulate energy after converting 0.1 life force resulted in pain all over the body. Scientifically speaking, this is over-exploitation, and the body cannot withstand it. Recorded child prodigies all control the rate of development."

Ideally, three bottles of life potion are needed per day to maintain a daily lifespan increase of 0.1.

However, life supplements are state-controlled items, and ordinary people can only purchase them in limited quantities with a qualification certificate, making them very expensive. Take Langpai liquor, which Lu Zhao often drinks, for example: 500 ml of Langpai Special Qu contains 10,000 calories and costs 1,000 yuan.

Following the Great Cataclysmic Economic Recession, the current average federal income is $2,800.

Official agencies have special purchasing privileges, allowing them to reduce prices to 50% or more of the market price within their allocated quotas.

The low-priced shares available for purchase are directly linked to one's rank and service record.

Lu Zhao was calculating his quota.

The basic allowance for a lieutenant is 5 doses per month, with an additional 1 dose for those stationed in hardship border areas, 3 doses for those awarded a second-class merit, and 2 doses for those awarded two third-class merits.

Eleven doses of life supplements are distributed each month, with 11 bottles representing 50% of the market price.

Lu Zhao's monthly salary plus various subsidies is 25,000 yuan, and 15,000 yuan is just enough to buy it all.

What puts even more pressure on him is that he needs money for daily household expenses, his mother's long-term chronic illness treatment requires continuous medical expenses, and his niece is in the golden period of developing her life potential and also needs a lot of resources to support her... There isn't much money he can squeeze out specifically to buy supplements for him.

Vital signs: [35.6]

This slight improvement reassured Lu Zhao; as long as his life force was further developed, the problem would eventually be solved.

He texted Zhang Like on his phone and borrowed another 10,000 yuan for emergency use.

Debt is a burden, and will surely bring great rewards in the future.

(End of this chapter)