Full-Time Magister: I Had No Intention of Reaching the Dimensional Throne

Steep cliffs and ravines, dangerous places everywhere, are all sites where ancient city gates were built.

Before the technology of protecting the borders matured, the Nine Provinces relied on these city gates and the use of earth magic left by the ancient kings to resist demons.

Unfortunately, with the improvement of security, these have all been abandoned.

There aren't many demons in Tianmen Mountain, and it's close to the Ya'an border, so moving around inside isn't difficult. There are four such places in the mountains, but unfortunately, they couldn't find the place where the Lingfang Ritu token would react.

The two then descended the mountain and returned to Tianmen City, where they reunited with Lingling and Ding Yumin.

Tianmen City is a typical small agricultural city, surrounded by various crops, and there are not many hotels in the city.

They then randomly chose a place to stay.

"Judging from your expressions, you probably haven't found anything," Lingling said, noticing their expressions.

"Yes, we found those four locations, but Fang Ling didn't react."

Bai Mo nodded slightly, then asked, "What discoveries did you make while investigating the local customs?"

"Yes, there is indeed a possibility that this place is related to the legend of the Fangri Rabbit," Lingling said.

Before Bai Mo could ask, she began to explain in detail.

"My sister Yu Mian and I investigated all the way from the countryside outside the city to the city itself, and we heard all sorts of rumors and gossip along the way!"

"However, in general, the folk customs of Tianmen City mainly revolve around a deity called Mingwang."

"Legend has it that this Mingwang is a deity who brings light. Its presence makes the Tianmen area abundant with sunshine, which is why it is suitable for the growth of some cash crops, giving this small town its own unique characteristics."

"There are also many other rumors about the Myo-o, such as blessing and granting children. But generally speaking, the first rumor is more prevalent."

"Those who proclaim the power and majesty of the gods, and so on—basically anything that exists elsewhere, is also here."

Lingling picked up her milk tea and took a sip. She didn't really care about any of these things. There were plenty of local legends about gods and deities all over the land, some true and some false.

Ironically, many of the legendary gods have overlapping functions.

It can only be said that people's needs are largely the same no matter where they are born.

"Lingling is right, but I've also noticed that some people don't show the same respect when they mention the Ming King as they do."

Ding Yumin then added, "This disrespect isn't just disdain or contempt for such superstitious behavior. On the contrary, it's a deep-seated aversion and hatred."

She paused for a moment, seemingly choosing her words carefully, "It's like, they met the King of Light, and then were dissatisfied with his original form."

"Sister Yumian is right. We've also seen the statues of the Mingwang (myo-o-man) in their homes. They're mostly similar, but some can be identified as rabbits."

Lingling continued, "Those who harbor resentment towards the Mingwang (Wisdom King) also have very old statues of the Mingwang in their homes."

Upon hearing this, Bai Mo also felt something was amiss. Perhaps finding the location of the city gate corresponding to Fang Ri Tu would require a true understanding of this local legend of the Ming King.

"Since there's something fishy about this legend of the Bright King, shall we continue our investigation?"

Lingling nodded and pointed outside, "Of course we'll continue investigating. Perfect timing! The locals say that the monthly Mingwang Festival in Tianmen City will begin tonight. Perhaps we can glean something from the festival."

"The Mingwang Festival?" Jiang Shaoxu chuckled softly. "This small town has a festival dedicated to gods; it's quite a ritual."

"Yes, it is said to be a local tradition that has been going on for many years, to express gratitude for the protection and blessings of the Ming King."

"During the Mingwang Festival, many people release wishing lanterns into the river. There are probably other activities as well. We might as well join in and maybe gain something from it," Lingling said.

Bai Mo had no objection, but he felt that this Mingwang Festival, which was held once a month and involved the entire city, might be a bit of a waste.

"Then what are we waiting for? I didn't expect there to be such novelties in a small place like this. I've never participated in a festival of gods before. How do I participate?"

Jiang Shaoxu, however, became interested and spoke with great enthusiasm.

"We haven't asked yet, but we should be able to participate directly. However, we can go down and inquire about it."

"I'll do it," Bai Mo said.

With a gentle tap, strands of musical notes instantly merged into the void, followed by countless sounds flowing into his mind.

Bai Mo quickly found the content he wanted and released it.

"Tonight is the Myo-o Festival, and we still don't have any wishing lanterns. Xiao-ming, go to Myo-o Temple and ask for two. Don't throw away the divine leaves they give you."

"Okay, Mom."

"Don't wander around outside. We can't participate in the festival at night without lights."

"I know!"

"And make sure to keep the divine leaves safe; with them, the crops in the fields will grow better!"

"Okay, I understand."

Surprisingly, a lot of information was revealed in just a few simple sentences.

"The more I listen, the more I feel that something is off about this Mingwang Festival. Is there really a deity protecting this Heavenly Gate? It sounds so real."

Jiang Shaoxu frowned, a hint of doubt on her face. "They seem quite devout."

"There's a temple here?" Bai Mo asked, grasping the key point.

"Yes, it's on a small hill to the north, just what I was about to say."

The bright, adorable little head shook up and down a few times.

"There is a temple here, which I've heard about for a long time. I think if we want to learn more about the legend of this Myo-wang, we should go there and ask him."

Ding Yumin reminded, "We need to carefully discern those who are skeptical of the Ming King, and verify the statements of both sides."

"Let's go together then. It's a good opportunity to participate in the Mingwang Festival, and it seems we need those wish-granting floating lanterns," Bai Mo said.

So the four of them set off for Mingwang Temple in the north.

"Young Master, someone is inquiring about the Ming King!"

A burly man, dark-skinned and dressed like a farmer, strode into the courtyard and spoke directly to the young man who was tidying his clothes.

"Who are you? What do you do?"

The young man patted a female servant kneeling on the ground wiping her mouth, telling her to leave, and asked casually.

"I don't know, but they seem unusual. A young woman with a little girl, both of them are very pretty."

At this point, the burly man glanced at the disheveled waitress and emphasized expressionlessly.

"They're even better looking than the ones you have here, young master."

"Oh? They're not locals. Go and probe them, find out where they're from, and then stop bothering me." The young man made himself a cup of tea and said slowly.

"yes!"

Myongwang Temple is not a Buddhist temple, but a temple dedicated to a deity.

It occupies a small hill, situated at its summit. Steps lead down to the foot of the hill, ascending step by step until one can see the top of the temple reflecting golden light.

It does indeed have the style of a temple, with a solemn and majestic appearance, and a sacred and lofty aura.

There were quite a few people on the steps leading to the temple, men, women, and children, mostly locals from Tianmen City.

Along the way, Bai Mo and his companions encountered a diverse array of people, from commoners to wealthy farmers and officials.

Among them are many monks.

This only made them more curious about this Mingwang. The legend of this Mingwang seemed to be highly trusted or loved by the locals.

They naturally attracted a lot of attention, after all, everyone has a love for beauty.

This is something we've gotten used to.

Upon entering the temple, no one was needed to lead them; they simply followed the flow of people and found out where to obtain the so-called wishing lanterns.

As we lined up to enter the side hall, we saw people ahead of us asking for floating lanterns to make wishes.

Although it was said to be a request, Bai Mo believed it was simply a business operation of a temple.

I watched it three times; it was all about exchanging money for it. The price of one lamp was about one hundred.

Bai Mo didn't see anyone buy just one; the most common purchase was two.

He frowned, but didn't jump to conclusions. He decided to see if the wishing lantern was worth a hundred first.

Thinking of this, he glanced at Ding Yumin again, and Yumin immediately understood, transmitting her thoughts to him.

"Most of these people are doing it voluntarily, and a small number don't understand why they're doing it."

Upon hearing this, Bai Mo understood. It was like the mooncakes and rice dumplings for the Mid-Autumn Festival and Dragon Boat Festival.

To be honest, it wasn't that delicious; it's just tradition, it's always been this way, so it is.

Perhaps for the people here, this floating lantern also represents a wish?

Soon it was their turn, and just as he was about to pay, he saw the temple attendant, dressed in plain clothes and with a solemn expression, say...

"Are you travelers visiting Tianmen City?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

Bai Mo nodded, and at the same time used sound magic to make his voice sound more like a Qingzhou accent in order to gain trust.

Otherwise, who would be a normal person to travel across mountains and seas to an unknown small town?

"These four don't look like locals." The solemn-faced attendant glanced at them, chuckled, and without giving them a second look, focused on Bai Mo and said:

"Since you gentlemen have come to visit, we are your hosts. To express our welcome, we present you with these tokens of participation in the Mingwang Festival."

Those who participate in the Myo-o Festival are all followers of Myo-o. The lamps are merely an expression of faith to Myo-o; please do not refuse.

Upon hearing this, Lingling wrinkled her nose. "If the lamp is just a symbol, why don't they make it themselves instead of buying it here?"

The attendant didn't react much, just smiled and glanced at Lingling, looking like a child who didn't understand anything.

"The lamp is a symbol, but symbols also have different levels. Everyone wants to be favored by the Wing King, so they voluntarily offer him incense."

"We take care of the Mingwang Temple, and we are always worried that people will just give incense. Mingwang is not watching over us all the time, so we spontaneously made these wish-granting floating lamps. Even if Mingwang does not protect us, we can still place our hopes on him."

His words were extremely mysterious, but he could justify them. Lingling pursed her lips.

Unfortunately, there were a few onlookers chiming in.

Bai Mo thanked him and didn't rush to leave. Instead, he said he was very curious about the legend of the Ming King.

They inquired about who at the temple knew about this topic, expressing their interest in learning more. They also mentioned that they were students at Qingzhou University, preparing to conduct a graduation project on folklore research.

Many listeners still trusted his words and were willing to help.

After all, when students are given the opportunity to do homework, most people will choose to lend a hand.

Before the divine servant could even speak, several onlookers immediately transformed into helpful and enthusiastic individuals.

"This attendant understands; ask him. We're not in a hurry."

"No, he's just a junior member of the Yuwen family, a young man. Go find the gatekeeper."

An old man, fanning himself, said, "That used to be a sacrificial ceremony. Don't worry about him ignoring you. The Yuwen family, a family of divine sacrifices, is a powerful force in the Heavenly Gate!"

The old man gave a thumbs-up as he spoke.

"That's right, the road in the city center was paved with money from the Yuwen family."

"Hey, old almanac, they built that bridge over Tianmen River too."

"."

The conversation quickly shifted from giving Bai Mo and the others an encore of the mythological story king to what the Yuwen family had done.

Bai Mo and the others exchanged glances and followed the old man's advice, finding the old man who opened the temple gate.

The old man was not particularly handsome; at first glance, he looked like a charlatan.

Hearing that the group wanted to know about the Ming King, he composed himself and asked with a smile:

"My Lord, no one knows more about it than I do. Tell me, what do you want to know?"

"Grandpa, please tell us once, we don't know anything about this," Lingling said sweetly, practically a charmer for the old man.

The old man immediately began to speak with a smile, "The earliest records of the Ming King date back to the Qin Dynasty, and the Ming King Temple also dates back to that time."

The old man recounted the birth of the Bright King, how it protected this land, its miraculous power, and its worthy of worship.

Bai Mo and the others exchanged glances. The information they had gathered was similar to what Lingling and Ding Yumin had found out, only more detailed.

There were no clues about Fangritu Town.

"That's roughly what happened. Do you have any other questions?"

"Grandpa, is the story of the Ming King true?" Lingling asked.

"Of course it's true." The old man immediately puffed out his beard and glared. "I won't mention anything else, but I'll just tell you something the whole city... knows!"

Upon hearing this, the group's eyes lit up immediately, all feeling that a clue about Fang Ritu was about to be found.

"Yes, that was fifty or sixty years ago."

The old man stroked his beard, lost in thought, gazing ahead, and said slowly,

"At that time, Tianmen was just a larger town, and the Yuwen family was not as wealthy. Life was quite difficult. In order to seek development, the people rarely believed in the deeds of the Ming King anymore."

"Finally, the decline of faith angered the Bright King. The Heavenly Gate was bathed in brilliant light for a single day, light that is normally beneficial for crop growth."

But the intense light began to scorch and bake the crops, and vast swathes of farmland were set ablaze, flames engulfing the entire Tianmen area from all sides!

"Everyone is at a loss. Even requesting a high-level water mage would only be a temporary fix. Nobody knows what's going on, yet this situation only happens at Tianmen!"

The old man sighed heavily as he spoke, as if recalling the desolation and heartache he felt when the land turned to scorched earth.

Then he continued, "Only our ancestors, who were devout believers of the Ming King at that time, understood that it was the Ming King who was dissatisfied and thus unleashed his divine power."

"So our ancestors renovated the Mingwang Temple and worshipped there every day. This inspired everyone, and the Heavenly Gate united as one. It was because the Mingwang once again felt the presence of his followers that he withdrew his divine power and bestowed divine grace."

"From then on, Tianmen became a blessed land with abundant sunshine, which was beneficial to crops."

Upon hearing this, the group exchanged glances, and Jiang Shaoxu said, "So, the Mingwang Festival started around that time?"

"Of course, but the Mingwang Festival has actually been around for a long time. It was born when Mingwang appeared and has been passed down from the Tang Dynasty to the present day. It was born at the same time as Mingwang."

The old man chuckled, but then Lingling said, "Grandpa, didn't you just say that the Ming King only appeared in the Qin Dynasty?"

"Huh?...Ah~~" The old man was taken aback, then realized what he meant and smiled sheepishly.

"I'm getting old, I'm getting old, my memory isn't what it used to be."

"Thank you, sir. Your words are a great help to us," Bai Mo said.

"It's alright. The old folks in the city have all witnessed the deeds of the Ming King. If you still want to know, you can ask them."

"good!"

Bai Mo smiled and nodded, then bid farewell to Ding Yumin and the other two and left.

"I feel that Fang Ritu's things were likely taken by the Yuwen family, or that the Yuwen family discovered Fang Ritu's ruins and obtained something from them," Ding Yumin said.

Upon hearing this, Bai Mo and the other two stopped thinking and looked at her. Jiang Shaoxu said...

"That old man didn't tell the whole truth, but he was mostly telling legends, though he probably didn't even believe them himself. What does this have to do with the Fangritu ruins?"

"Those historical legends about the Ming Kings were all made up by him, but the statement that the Heavenly Gate was once bathed in great light is true."

After a pause, Ding Yumin continued, "It is true that the Yuwen family ancestors rebuilt the Mingwang Temple, and it is also true that the Tianmen Gate is bathed in sunlight."

Upon hearing this, Lingling and Bai Mo also felt that this was possible. Based on the principle that whoever benefits the most is the most suspicious, the Yuwen family was indeed worthy of suspicion, and Fang Ritu's token just happened to require light-type magic energy.

"Maybe it's something left behind by Fang Ritu, or an energy leak that caused this, and the Yuwen family just happened to get it," Lingling said.

Experience has shown that it's best not to speak in front of a master of mental manipulation.

And when there is a sonic mage around, don't let your mouth get out of your way behind their back.

Bai Mo pointed his finger in the air, and several strands of air condensed into sound strings, which began to broadcast the sound live around them.

"Sir, have those people left?"

"He's gone. What's wrong? Got your eye on someone?"

"No, the young master sent someone to say that someone in the city is inquiring about the Ming King, and asked us to investigate who it is and what their identity is."

"The students don't seem to have any magical aura. And, just go about your business!"

"Really a student?"

"If you're not comfortable with that, go check it out yourself. I'm just a beginner!"

Bai Mo ended the sound-based detection and looked at the three of them. Jiang Shaoxu said, "What are they hiding? Otherwise, why would they be paying attention to our movements?!"

"Ha! What else could it be? The Yuwen family is no good, but they have a great reputation."

Lingling sneered and put down the lantern in her hand. "It's obvious that the so-called Mingwang Festival is just a money-making scheme by this priestly family. These floating lanterns are useless; they're just ordinary paper lanterns!"

"As for why they could convince so many people of the existence of that Ming King, it's very likely that it was something they obtained from the Fang Ritu ruins."

"So, what method did they use to make everyone in Tianmen City worship the Ming King?" Jiang Shaoxu asked.

When they came up here, they met many people from all walks of life.

"Divine Leaf," Ding Yumin suddenly said. "In the voice Bai Mo released earlier, he mentioned that buying lamps would come with Divine Leaf, which is good for crops."

Upon hearing this, Bai Mo also remembered, but the gifts they received were not the gifts of the gifts.

"And also, what would happen if we didn't have Shenye?" Lingling asked.

"The old man said that the Ming King descended with divine power and burned the crops. Later, the divine power turned into grace and became abundant sunshine that blessed the crops."

Agriculture is the foundation of everything, and Tianmen was originally a town built around farmland.

If the Yuwen family had control over the methods that influenced the agricultural harvest in Tianmen, they could have easily achieved what they are doing now by using the so-called legend of the Ming King.

If successful, the entire Tianmen City would become the Yuwen family's coffers.

In this way, it becomes easy to explain why Ding Yumin discovered that some people outwardly respected the Ming King but inwardly loathed him.

"It's very likely, a reasonable guess, but we need to verify the guess before we can take action against the Yuwen family."

Bai Mo said, "Let's find out first, for example, what consequences have occurred without the Divine Leaf."

"Another thing is that legend from fifty or sixty years ago. Since tonight is the Mingwang Festival, we can also see the public's reaction to releasing floating lanterns with wishes."

"Over the years, even with the influence of legends and stories, there have always been people who understand something about it."

The three nodded, and Bai Mo added, "I'll go get some divine leaves to check on. You guys go first."

After saying that, his figure disappeared into the space and vanished.

He was somewhat prepared that the tokens he obtained from others might end up in the hands of people nearby, as totem objects could potentially fall into the hands of those in the vicinity.

If he confirms the unusual nature of the Yuwen family, what he needs to find is what the Yuwen family obtained and where they obtained it.

Following the inner space, Bai Mo sneaked into the side hall of Mingwang Temple and went straight to the divine servant, taking away a few divine leaves without anyone noticing.

After that, he didn't rush back, but instead began to explore around to see if he could find anything unexpected.

The temple covers a considerable area, with a plaza for worshippers to offer incense and for visitors, as well as an open space at the back.

It was an ordinary garden, where a few people who seemed to be from the Yuwen family were taking a stroll. Their conversation was uninformative and not worth paying attention to.

Suddenly, a figure walked past Bai Mo at a fast pace.

This is also a priestess of Myōō-ji Temple, but his clothes look more gorgeous and exquisite.

At the same time, his temperament became more composed and dignified. From the way people addressed him, Bai Mo knew that this was the current priest of Mingwang Temple.

He moved his feet and easily followed, and saw that the person walked through corridors and pavilions, far away from the temple area, taking a winding path in the mountains, and then went straight into a waterfall and into a stone cave.

Bai Mo followed him inside, secretly thinking that there was indeed an unexpected surprise.

But then they saw a woman with a hot figure, dressed in formal attire, and with a face as beautiful as Xi Shi sitting there.

"Hehehe, Mrs. Xu, what's the matter that you're so urgent in notifying me?"

A smile bloomed on the old priest's face as he walked up to the woman and placed his hands on her full, smooth shoulders.

"Don't touch me! The city lord sent me to inform you that outsiders have arrived. Be careful these next few days!"

"I already know, he's not some kind of expert."

As the priest spoke, his hands untied the buttons binding the two high, perilous gates. (End of Chapter)