Simulated immortality allows me to calculate talent stats.

[After leaving your blessings for Lü Zhen in your own unique way, you departed Cangshan.]

[Once you learned the name of this current chief disciple of the Canglan Sword Sect, you recognized his identity.]

[Last time, we simulated taking charge of an intelligence agency spanning Yangzhou and Wuzhou.]

The intelligence was vast and complex, concerning not only the two states but also the rulers of various forces throughout the land.

[Especially for the central court of the Great Cang Dynasty, which they need to contend with, it's essential to understand the powerful officials and ministers of the court.]

[Lü Zhen, ranked first in the list.]

In the forty-sixth year of the Xuanwu reign, Chen Chao captured Wuzhou, Pang Hai's army trampled Yuzhou, and Xiang Che established his dominance over Xuzhou.

[With the fall of the six prefectures of Nancang, the nation was in decline and teetering on the brink of collapse.]

[Lü Zhen entered the cabinet and took control of the empire.]

[To prop up a collapsing building, to stem the tide of disaster.]

You did the math.

[Lu Zhen is currently in seclusion, meditating and seeking enlightenment. After emerging, he will take the imperial examination, enter the court as an official, and eventually become the head of the Grand Secretariat. There are still ten years to go.]

[In the last simulation, you focused primarily on your cultivation, and your work with the intelligence agency was simply following procedures.]

[We haven't gained a detailed understanding of Lü Zhen's reform methods, or whether they can truly achieve their grand goals.]

After Lü Zhen went into seclusion in Longchang, he lost the few friends he had recently made who he could talk to easily, and his interest in Canglan City gradually faded.

After attending several lectures on sword techniques at the Canglan Sword Sect, you understand that one should strive to excel in what one is good at.

Your talent is reflected in the keyword.

Otherwise, why would it be called a talent attribute?

You left Canglan City and continued south, taking your time to slow down and explore the various places more thoroughly.

There are two routes from Suzhou to Jingzhou.

[One option is to head south to Bingzhou, then east to Jingzhou; the other is to head southeast to Xuzhou, then into Jingzhou.]

[Bingzhou is currently under Xiang Che's sphere of influence, and you are unwilling to get involved.]

[We've chosen the route through Xuzhou, which is currently still under the control of the Great Cang Dynasty.]

[Year 21, Age 37]

Upon entering Xuzhou, you inquire and learn that Yuxiao Mountain, one of the three blessed lands of the Daoist prefecture, is located there.

As you climb the mountain to enter the temple, you'll find countless travelers and believers along the way, the spiritual energy abundant, like a sea of ​​clouds floating and sinking.

The sunrise and sunset views were magnificent. We stayed for a few days and ate vegetarian meals.

You find it's not much different from most Taoist temples, except that it's more popular with worshippers.

[It is speculated that the true paradise might be hidden within a sea of ​​clouds that obscures the sky.]

[Because the Taoist sect on Jade Cloud Mountain is the Tai Su Palace, and you found no trace of it after your travels.]

While curious, I wouldn't be so reckless as to risk using "concealment" to sneak in and die.

During this period, you used the abundant spiritual energy of Jade Cloud Mountain to break through the last of the eight extraordinary meridians.

A sea of ​​clouds floats, the mountains rise majestically, and pavilions and palaces are scattered among the peaks.

You sit cross-legged in a guest room at Yuxiao Mountain, where travelers and worshippers stay.

The spiritual energy around him gradually gathered and thickened, swirling like a mist.

[The twelve regular meridians and eight extraordinary meridians are all connected, the microcosmic orbit becomes the macrocosmic orbit, and the speed and output of spiritual energy cultivation are greatly improved.]

[The ancient and profound spiritual energy gathers in the dantian.]

[You open your eyes; your pupils shimmer with a clear, luminous light, like a mirror—this is a sign of perfect and abundant vitality.]

"Finally, the second realm of cultivation has been perfected. It's been a full twenty years of training."

[You suppress the strange phenomena, and cannot help but sigh.]

The further you go, the more you realize how difficult it is for those with mediocre talent to succeed on the path of cultivation.

[I have especially witnessed the skills of Pang Hai and Xu Hui, who reached the Innate Realm in a month, and Lü Zhen, who possessed the sword intent of sixteen swords.]

Compared to them, ordinary people are worlds apart.

Oh, thank goodness, you're no ordinary person, you've blossomed.

[Mediocrity in cultivation talent? Then the talent in attribute fields is anything but mediocre.]

Now that you have reached the second realm of peak attainment, you also need to seek a way to break through to the third realm of divine observation.

[The Three Realms of Contemplating the Spirit involves introspecting the spirit and visualizing consciousness.]

[The ethereal and scattered spirit coalesces into a tangible spiritual force.]

First, you need a visualization method.

"Now that I'm in the sacred land of Yuxiao Mountain, if I want to practice meditation... I need to go to Jingzhou."

As for the attempt to infiltrate the Taisu Palace in search of opportunity, even without "foresight," the inevitable death was already known.

Moreover, your brothers Pang Hai and Xu Hui now hold sway over Jingzhou.

[Isn't creating a visualization technique a piece of cake?]

[Leaving aside immortal scriptures and Daoist texts, top-tier visualization techniques can be chosen at will.]

You leave Yuxiao Mountain and head towards Jingzhou.

There's still no rush; the momentum has reached its peak, but consolidation and refinement are needed to prepare for a breakthrough.

Xiangyang City, the capital of Jingzhou, guards a strategic pass, surrounded by the Han River on three sides and backed by Zhenwu Mountain. It is a place of outstanding people and abundant resources.

When you arrived, winter had already begun; everything was covered in snow, a seamless blend of white and black.

Along the Han River, merchant ships thronged the area, and the imposing pass was faintly visible.

"It seems that over the past ten years, Pang Hai and Xu Hui have completely controlled Jingzhou, and the lives of the people and the flow of commerce have been quite good."

[Throughout the journey, apart from the heavy garrison along the border, the atmosphere within Jingzhou itself has been relatively peaceful.]

Last year, on the banks of the Huai River, the envoys dispatched by Jingzhou, Yangzhou, and the central court of Dacang signed a treaty, ending the war and achieving peace.

[Now, trade has even resumed.]

[Xiangyang City, with its high walls reaching tens of meters high, occupies a strategic location on the Han River, giving it an aura of natural defense.]

After entering the city, you found an inn, ordered a pot of warm wine, and began gathering intelligence and information.

After all, you can't just walk right up to the Xiangyang city government office and shout, "I'm your lord's elder brother!"

[Then he was looked down upon by the yamen runners, who angrily cursed and drove him away. He fought back, which attracted the attention of the chief clerk and the military commander.]

[Finally, Pang Hai and Xu Hui were invited to address you as "Big Brother" amidst the attention of the crowd, shocking everyone and ending the pretentious act.]

Sipping warm wine and admiring the snowy scenery, you have gained some understanding of the situation in Xiangyang City and are roughly aware of the deeds of Pang Hai and Xu Hui over the past ten years.

Upon arriving in Jingzhou, he was recommended as a colonel and led troops with unstoppable force to sweep away the floods raging in Dongting Lake.

[Then they united the notorious bandits of Dongting Lake and rose in rebellion, sweeping across southern China.]

The major powerful clans and families defected one after another, quickly seizing control of Jingzhou.

[Their rise has been nothing short of phenomenal.]

[You've found out where Pang Hai and Xu Hui are. That's not difficult; as the current overlords of Jingzhou, their residences are naturally magnificent.]

You wrote a visiting card, had it delivered to the mansion, and then waited at the inn.

……

[The Young Marshal's Mansion.]

The waiter had taken your money, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and hesitantly step forward.

"My lord, a gentleman has asked me to deliver a visiting card."

The guard at the gate accepted the visiting card, which read: "A friend of ten years, Wen Yu."

The waiter, seeing that the waiter had taken the money, turned and ran, looking as if he were afraid of being caught.

The vast Young Marshal's Mansion had a complete set of rules and divisions of responsibilities.

With so many visiting cards received every day, they certainly wouldn't be sent directly to Pang Hai's desk.

Most matters were handled by the steward; for the few that remained unresolved, Pang Hai would only consult him during his leisure time.

The number of cases that are actually submitted is extremely small.

The butler received the visiting card, glanced at it, and was about to open it for inspection when he suddenly remembered something and stopped.

[Gazing at the signature above: Wen Yu.]

Her eyes widened instantly, and she hurriedly got up and ran towards Pang Hai's courtyard.