Simulated immortality allows me to calculate talent stats.

Upon hearing this, Wei Qi looked astonished.

He naturally knew about Zhenwu Mountain and the Celestial Master's Mansion.

[As one of the three holy sites of Taoism, it is presided over by the Celestial Master, who wields the power of divine retribution.]

[He proclaimed himself "the only one worthy of respect in heaven and on earth."]

[Yet, despite such arrogant words, no one dared to refute them, let alone ascend the Celestial Master's Mansion to reprimand or punish them.]

The person before me.

[He claims to be from Zhenwu Mountain, the Celestial Master's Mansion, and a contemporary Taoist master.]

What does this identity mean?

[A future successor to the Celestial Master.]

He then wondered, for as far as he knew, the Celestial Master had two direct disciples and one closed-door disciple.

Even the youngest of the closed-door disciples doesn't match the age of the person before them.

While physical appearance may remain youthful, the true marks of time are difficult to erase.

"You are a disciple of the Celestial Master? But as far as I know, the youngest of the Celestial Master's last disciples is already thirty years old."

You remained remarkably composed in the face of criticism.

"I am a newly accepted disciple of the Lock Gate; it's normal that you haven't heard of me."

【…】

Wei Qi remained silent.

After a moment, he stammered, "A disciple who locks the gate... I am truly ignorant and this is the first time I've heard of such a thing."

You lightly flicked your wide sleeves, gazing at the array of iron cavalry behind him.

"Brother Wei, are you leading your troops on a surprise attack to quell the unrest?"

Wei Qi is a little uncomfortable with your overly familiar manner.

[But it also lessened my apprehension and defensiveness.]

[Whether the Celestial Master's disciple's identity is genuine or not is debatable, but he is clearly not a demon who would kill indiscriminately at the slightest provocation.]

"That's right. While leading troops in training, I discovered that war was brewing in Yongzhou. Therefore, I organized a group of chivalrous heroes into an army to quell the unrest and restore peace to the people."

"Brother Wei truly possesses a great sense of righteousness."

Wei Qi's expression froze; there was an inexplicable strangeness to his response to your compliment.

She forced a smile.

"Why is Brother Wen here?"

Upon hearing this, your gaze turned cold.

"Not long ago, I stayed overnight in a small village and encountered a massacre where young men were abducted. Following the clues, I dismantled a mountain stronghold, and then investigated the cause of the war, eventually tracing my way here."

【"I see."】

Wei Qi realized that this person shared the same goal as him.

"This place is not suitable for a long talk. Brother Wen, would you do me the honor of discussing this elsewhere?"

[Wei Qi's words also carried the air of poise befitting someone of noble birth.]

"Extremely willing."

You readily agreed.

[Wei Qi led over a hundred iron cavalrymen, and you swept past like a smear of ink.]

Xu Kun is perched on your shoulder.

They found a strategically advantageous location, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and set up camp.

The campfire crackled, roasting wild boar hunted in the mountains, sizzling and dripping with oil.

You and Wei Qi sit around the campfire.

[We also saw Chen Zhe, holding his sword, leaning proudly against a tree trunk.]

[Apart from being activated when called "Swordsman," this character usually remains in this idle state.]

Wei Qi stood beside him, spear in hand, and dissected the roasted wild boar with a small knife.

"Brother Wen, what brings you all the way from Zhenwu Mountain to Yongzhou?"

You did not answer.

Instead, his eyes gleamed with a mysterious light, exuding a chilling aura that made one feel utterly exposed.

"Brother Wei, what brings you from the capital, the Central Court?"

Wei Qi suppressed the instinctive chill that ran down his spine and calmly said, "Refine your strategies for leading troops."

"Then why did you come to Yongzhou, and why did you choose Longxi County?"

Wei Qi frowned, puzzled by your relentless questioning.

"It was just a coincidence."

You suddenly smiled.

"What a serendipitous coincidence! Well then, I'll answer Brother Wei's question; my presence here is also a matter of fate."

Wei Qi looked puzzled.

[I was just about to ask.]

[But then I saw you emerge from your wide sleeves, your long, slender, white fingers, like warm jade, holding a mysterious hand seal.]

[They seem to be divining or calculating something.]

He immediately suppressed his doubts and waited quietly.

Of course you don't do divination; the purple talent attribute "Prophecy" is also for calculating oneself.

The hand seal he's holding now is an imitation of the gesture the old Taoist priest used when casting the Heavenly Punishment Thunder Technique.

[This is further enhanced by the mysterious light of the Broken Mirror Eyes.]

[That's enough to establish the demeanor of a master.]

[Your tone was calm and your voice was deep and resonant: "Brother Wei's talent in military strategy is unparalleled; he is a peerless commander, his commands are powerful and his victories are invincible."]

[The voice faded into the distance.]

The marks on the hands change.

"My pursuit of the secrets of military strategy has led me here, and my unexpected encounter with a commander of such extraordinary talent as Brother Wei is truly a stroke of luck and a meeting of fate."

Wei Qi understands the meaning of your previous words.

This contemporary Daoist disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion came here in search of a secret realm of military strategy.

[And I, for my part, am confident that I deserve the title of a commander-in-chief.]

There is indeed a serendipitous connection between the two, a meeting of fates.

"Brother Wen... I observe that your divination seal subtly aligns with the art of thunder."

[I heard Wei Qi's doubts.]

Xu Kun, who was biting into grilled meat next to him, almost couldn't help but burst out laughing. His emerald eyes gleamed with a mysterious light, eager to see what kind of nonsense Xu Kun was about to spout.

Wei Qi's vision has indeed exceeded your expectations.

[They even recognized some of the old Taoist's lightning magic seal.]

[But if someone has been battling their inner demons for years, what chance do they have of a greenhorn just starting out?]

"Brother Wei, are you aware of the Celestial Master's Mansion's most powerful methods?"

"Thunder Magic."

You nodded, your eyes radiating arrogance: "Medicine, divination, physiognomy, military strategy, magic, alchemy, weaponry... the Celestial Master's Mansion has inheritances in all of these, but the method that commands the world's reverence and fear is thunder magic."

"The Celestial Master's Thunder Magic wields the power of divine retribution."

"This also implicitly aligns with the calculations, predictions, and the mysteries of tracking and locking."

Wei Qi suddenly realized: "So this is an evolution and application of thunder magic. My knowledge is too shallow. Thank you for helping me out, Brother Wen."

Xu Kun was taken aback for a moment, not expecting you to be able to smooth things over like that.

You subtly withdrew your hand that was holding the seal.

The mysterious light in the broken mirror's eye seems to penetrate cause and effect, and foresee the future.

[You originally planned to use the Jade Folding Finger and the Disorder Field to create your own atmosphere.]

However, given the previous unexpected incident, it's possible that Wei Qi has recognized the secret techniques of the Demonic Sect.

At that point, it became very difficult to explain.

"While cultivating on Zhenwu Mountain, he comprehended the profound principles of heaven and earth, and accidentally captured traces of a secret realm of military strategy. Therefore, he descended the mountain to search for it, while also experiencing trials in the human world."

"Meeting Brother Wei here is a perfect match, a meeting that seems to be predestined."

"Perhaps this is our destiny."

Wei Qi's gaze was lowered; he acknowledged the principles of fate and divination, but he didn't truly believe in them.

It's impossible for him to change his decision to lead troops, hone his skills, and quell the unrest.

You naturally understand his personality.

[She rose leisurely.]

"Brother Wei, farewell."

Your sudden farewell caught Wei Qi, who had expected him to persuade him to join in the search for the secret military realm, completely off guard.

"Brother Wen..."

Your dark robe seemed to blend into the darkness, your figure dissipating into scattered specks of light.

Chen Zhe, carrying his sword, approached Wei Qi.

Her eyes were fixed on the direction you left in, revealing a deep sense of wariness.

"General, this doesn't look like a good person."