Under One Person: I Have a Billion Taoist Gods Within Me

Chapter 48 Zhuge Qing: Thank you for the ancestral inheritance sent by Li Zu

"Lord Wu...thank you very much."

Li Yuan whispered softly, his voice echoing gently in the dissipating nothingness.

The words fell.

This inner space, which had carried a wisp of Zhuge Liang's consciousness for 1,700 years, began to slowly dissipate.

Like morning mist meeting the sun, like ice and snow melting.

But Li Yuan knew that this was not "dissipation".

This is "returning to its rightful place".

The men led by Zhuge Liang have arrived.

The teachings passed down by Zhuge Liang have been accepted.

Zhuge Liang's wish has been fulfilled.

This interior scene no longer needs to exist.

The void gradually faded away, replaced by the familiar bright lights and faint sounds of people from the outside world.

Li Yuan's consciousness, like wisps of smoke returning to the orifice, passed through the layers of time and space.

Passing through the clash of swords and the thunder of war during the Three Kingdoms period, the desolate landscape of Qishan's six expeditions, and the long, shining star that fell at Wuzhangyuan.

Ultimately, it all returns to the physical body.

He opened his eyes.

The scene in front of the mansion gate remained the same.

Bai Ling remained standing quietly not far away.

She looked at Li Yuan, a barely perceptible glint of something different flashing in her beautiful eyes.

She "senseed" it.

Li Yuan's consciousness had only been gone for a moment.

Although it was only for a moment, and although the way she "left" was extremely mysterious and ordinary people could not detect it at all, she had cultivated for a thousand years and her spiritual sense was extremely sharp. How could she not have noticed it?

She didn't know where Li Yuan went or what he did.

But she knew something must have happened.

Because Li Yuan at this moment seemed to have gained something compared to before.

That "something" was extremely subtle, so subtle that only someone with her keen senses could perceive it.

But it does exist.

Like a deep pool that was originally as clear as a mirror, now there is an invisible but perceptible "source stream".

Bai Ling didn't ask.

She simply gazed silently at Li Yuan, pondering to herself:

This Daozi has more secrets than I imagined.

But... that's what makes it interesting.

Zhuge Yunting maintained his deep bow, his posture so devout that it seemed he wanted to condense all the waiting of the past 1,700 years into this single bow.

He waited for a long time, so long that he thought Li Yuan might not respond to him.

But he remained bowed and motionless.

Because after he said that, Li Yuan closed his eyes.

He didn't know what Li Yuan was doing, but he knew it must be related to the incomplete Eight Trigrams Formation scroll.

Zhuge Yunting dared not disturb him and simply waited quietly.

Further away, the guests who had not yet left, the Lu family members, and the onlookers were still immersed in the shock brought by the Qimen formation that enveloped the entire city of Tanzhou.

Everything was exactly the same as before his consciousness sank into the inner vision of the Marquis of Wu.

It was as if that time-traveling encounter was just a dream that was too realistic.

But Li Yuan knew that it was not a dream.

Deep within the inner palace of the Great Luo Palace, the newly erected divine tablet serves as the best proof.

He lowered his eyes and looked at the incomplete Eight Trigrams Formation scroll in his hand.

On the bamboo slips, those ancient patterns and symbols no longer glow faintly.

They lay there quietly, like an ancient book that had finally completed its mission, peaceful and serene.

Li Yuan gently closed the bamboo scroll, then looked up at the night sky.

The Qimen Dunjia formation that covers the entire city of Tanzhou is still slowly operating.

Tai Chi rotates, Bagua turns, the eight gates open and close, the eight gods appear and disappear, and the nine stars shine and fade.

Everything follows the "order" he just established in a single thought.

But at this moment, as Li Yuan looked at this world that he had personally "defined," he felt a different kind of understanding than before.

That was an insight I gained from Zhuge Liang.

Throughout his life, Zhuge Liang set up countless battle formations, yet he never used them to "dominate" any part of the world.

Zhuge Liang's battle formation was based on "borrowing".

Borrowing the power of heaven and earth, borrowing the principles of yin and yang, borrowing the changes of the five elements.

Zhuge Liang never "defined" anything, he only "borrowed" it.

Because Zhuge Liang knew that he was ultimately just a human being.

As human beings, we cannot overstep the bounds of heaven and earth.

But they are different from each other.

The very existence of Li Yuan is a manifestation of the "Tao".

He can "define".

He can "dominate".

He can make this world operate according to his will.

This is something Zhuge Liang could not do.

It was also the deepest expectation that Zhuge Liang left him.

Marquis Wu..."

Li Yuan silently recited in his heart:

I accept your legacy.

I have noted your expectations.

The rest—

Leave it to me.

He raised his right hand, his five fingers slightly spread, and gently waved it.

The Qimen formation that had enveloped the entire city of Tanzhou slowly receded.

Like the receding tide, like the dispersing clouds and the opening of the sky.

In just a few breaths, the world returned to its original state.

It was still the brightly lit Lu Mansion, still the bustling street, and still the star-studded night sky.

It was as if that astonishing scene just now was merely a dream that was too realistic.

But everyone knows that it wasn't a dream.

Those faces still immersed in shock, those hearts still pounding, are silently telling a story:

Everything that just happened was real.

Li Yuan lowered his right hand and glanced around.

Those gazes held awe, admiration, gratitude, and an indescribable complexity.

He didn't pay any attention, but looked at Zhuge Yunting, who was still bowing, and said in a gentle voice, "Mr. Zhuge, please rise."

Zhuge Yunting slowly straightened up, his eyes still red and his face still wet with tears, but his eyes were brighter than ever before.

It was a sense of relief, as if one had finally laid down a heavy burden.

"Michiko..."

Zhuge Yunting opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but didn't know where to begin.

He simply looked at Li Yuan, his gaze filled with gratitude, anticipation, trepidation, and a hint of unspoken longing.

Zhuge Yunting wanted to ask.

He wanted to ask if his ancestors were still alive, if there had been any response to his 1,700-year wait, and if the scroll had truly fulfilled its final mission.

But Zhuge Yunting dared not ask.

He was afraid the answer would be no.

He feared that his 1,700 years of protection would ultimately amount to nothing.

He feared that his ancestor's dying words, "Only those destined by Heaven can understand," were merely leaving future generations with an unfulfilled dream.

Li Yuan could see right through Zhuge Yunting's thoughts just by looking into his eyes.

He spoke slowly, his tone still calm, as if he were merely stating an ordinary matter, but his words were astonishing: "Mr. Zhuge."

"I just saw Zhuge Liang."

"Zhuge Liang left a wisp of his consciousness in his inner world and waited for seventeen hundred years."

"The day we've been waiting for has finally arrived."

"What we are waiting for is for this incomplete scroll of the Eight Trigrams Formation to be handed over to someone who can decipher it."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Yunting trembled violently and instinctively blurted out, his voice filled with anticipation, "Daozi..."

"Did our ancestor leave any words behind?"

Li Yuan looked at Zhuge Yunting in front of him, at the current head of the Zhuge family, and at those expectant eyes.

His gaze seemed to pierce through time, landing on the figure of that extraordinary man with a feather fan and silk turban, a figure from ancient times. After a moment, he nodded slightly and said, "The Marquis of Wu said..."

"He had three regrets in his life."

"It is a great pity that the Han Dynasty is in decline and cannot be reversed."

"My second regret is that the late emperor entrusted his son to us, and I was unable to complete my work."

"Those three regrets are that although I could foresee what would happen after my death, I was powerless to participate in it."

He knew about the chaos of the Five Barbarian Tribes and the fall of China; he knew about the migration of the elites to the south and their retreat to a corner of the country; he knew about the glorious Sui and Tang dynasties, which eventually turned to dust; he knew about the rise and fall of the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.

He knew that countless lives were lost, countless traditions were broken, and countless people and events that should have been remembered were ultimately lost to the long river of time.

"But I also know that there's nothing I can do but watch, calculate, and wait."

"Waiting for someone who can truly participate" to appear.

"We'll wait for today."

Li Yuan looked directly at Zhuge Yunting, his gaze still gentle, yet seemingly able to see into the deepest ripples of the human heart: "The Marquis of Wu also said..."

"The Zhuge family has guarded this scroll for 1,700 years, passing it down through generations without ever neglecting it."

"He saw it all: his perseverance and his loyalty."

"The Marquis of Wu asked me to deliver a message to the descendants of the Zhuge family."

Zhuge Yunting was startled and immediately bowed, pretending to listen attentively.

Li Yuan's voice echoed softly in the night: "No need for regrets."

"What you cannot solve is not a lack of wisdom, nor a lack of effort."

"But the fragments of the Eight Trigrams Formation were never meant for you."

"Your mission is to protect."

"Wait until the person who can 'solve' this problem appears."

"Wait until the person who can be 'used' arrives."

"Hold on until this moment."

"You held firm."

"Your ancestors were proud of you."

Tears welled up in Zhuge Yunting's eyes.

He didn't say anything more.

He simply bowed deeply to Li Yuan.

This bow was deeper and heavier than any of the previous ones, and he remained standing for a long time.

Li Yuan stood quietly, without urging him.

He knew that this bow carried more than just Zhuge Yunting's personal gratitude.

That was the expectation of the Zhuge family for seventeen hundred years and dozens of generations.

That was the dying wish of Zhuge Liang, the strategist.

That was a cause and effect that had finally come to fruition after a long period of time.

a long time.

Zhuge Yunting finally straightened up and wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve.

His expression was much calmer than before, but the relief and gratitude deep in his eyes were even more profound.

"Michiko..."

"I have another request."

Li Yuan nodded slightly: "Please speak."

Zhuge Yunting took a deep breath and said solemnly, "I will remember the meeting between Daozi and my ancestor and pass it down through generations."

"But one—"

"I would like to humbly request that, if the opportunity arises in the future, you would be willing to make a trip to Wolonggang?"

"Our Zhuge family is willing to welcome the Daoist Master's carriage with the most solemn ceremony."

"So that our ancestors throughout history can also... can also share in this auspicious connection."

Wolonggang is the ancestral home of the Zhuge family, the place where Zhuge Liang cultivated the land, and the foundation of the Zhuge lineage's thousand-year heritage.

Zhuge Yunting's invitation was not merely a matter of etiquette, but also an expectation that the entire Zhuge family could establish a connection with this predestined relationship that transcends time and space.

Li Yuan looked at Zhuge Yunting's expectant eyes and nodded slightly.

"If fate allows in the future, this humble Taoist will naturally go to Wolonggang."

"The wisdom of Zhuge Liang will be remembered for all time. It is my great honor to be able to visit the place where he personally cultivated the land."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Yunting's eyes shone even brighter, and he repeatedly cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you, Daoist! Thank you, Daoist!"

"With your presence, Daozi, our humble abode is truly honored!"

His voice trembled with excitement, as if he could already see the grand spectacle of that day—before the ancestral tablets, he could finally burn incense and offer his condolences.

The person you've been waiting for has arrived.

The scroll you guarded has been unraveled.

Your mission is complete.

However, what Li Yuan said next left Zhuge Yunting completely stunned.

"Mr. Zhuge."

Li Yuan's voice remained calm, yet carried an indescribable solemnity: "The Marquis Wu did more than just say those words."

Zhuge Yunting was taken aback, and quickly composed himself to listen respectfully.

Li Yuan's gaze fell on him, and in those gentle eyes, there was now a deeper meaning that was hard for others to detect.

"Zhuge Liang also presented his life's work and creations: the complete Eight Trigrams Formation, the renowned Zhuge Liang's Divine Calculation Method, the complete Zhuge Liang's Qimen Dunjia, and other formations..."

Talismans, military strategy, Qimen Dunjia, Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, astrology and calendrical systems...

"Everything he knew, understood, and created—he passed it all on to me."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Yunting's eyes widened in shock, and he was overwhelmed with excitement.

All the knowledge and creations of our ancestors throughout their lives!

What vast wisdom that is!

What a precious legacy that is!

That was the legacy of the ancestors that the Zhuge family had guarded for generations but had never been able to fully inherit!

And now, Marquis Wu has actually passed all of these on to Daoist Li Yuan?!

Zhuge Yunting's heart was churning with turbulent emotions, yet also felt a sense of indescribable relief.

He couldn't help but recall the saying passed down through generations of family heads: "The incomplete Eight Trigrams Formation scroll cannot be deciphered by anyone but a person of destiny."

"If that person ever appears, I will give him this scroll."

"The truth will come in time."

At the time, he took it as a dying wish from his ancestor, to ensure that future generations would never give up.

But at that moment he understood.

The ancestral saying, "Everything will be revealed," is exactly what this means.

It's not about having the Zhuge family decipher the Eight Trigrams Formation.

Instead, the Zhuge family was tasked with acting as a bridge, delivering the fragments of the Eight Trigrams Formation to someone who could decipher them.

Then, that person receives the complete inheritance.

That person made everything possible.

But that's the legacy of our ancestors...

That is the foundation upon which the Zhuge family is connected by blood...

It would be a lie to say I wasn't disappointed.

But Zhuge Yunting knew even more deeply that his ancestor's choice must have had a profound meaning.

He subconsciously took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions in his heart, and forced himself to remain calm, saying, "Thank you for your frankness, Daozi."

"Our ancestors passed on all their knowledge to Daozi; it was the wisdom of our ancestors and also Daozi's destiny."

"Although my Zhuge family is descended from Zhuge Liang, we have not been able to fully inherit the legacy of our ancestors. This is due to our limited abilities, and we cannot blame others."

"I, on behalf of all the ancestors of the Zhuge family, thank you for accepting me into this lineage, Daozi!"

As he spoke, his voice trembled slightly, yet he tried his best to maintain the dignity of the current head of the Zhuge family.

Looking at him like this, Li Yuan's eyes flashed with a hint of admiration.

Zhuge Yunting, the current head of the family, is indeed an extraordinary person.

If it were someone else, upon hearing that their ancestor's lifelong legacy had been acquired by an outsider, they would probably have already lost their composure and said something inappropriate.

However, despite his inner turmoil, Zhuge Yunting was able to remain so restrained, so reasonable, and so focused on the greater good. He truly lived up to his reputation as the descendant of the greatest extraordinary man in history—the Marquis of Wu.

These thoughts flashed through my mind.

Li Yuan smiled slightly, a smile as faint as a distant mountain: "Mr. Zhuge, you have misunderstood."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Yunting was slightly taken aback.

Li Yuan looked at Zhuge Yunting with clear and sincere eyes: "Mr. Zhuge."

"The inheritance I have received this time was originally left by Zhuge Liang."

"The Marquis of Wu entrusted them to me because I can decipher the incomplete Eight Trigrams Formation and because I can fulfill his unfulfilled expectations."

"but-

—

"These traditions, in the final analysis, belong to the Zhuge family."

"These are the fruits of Zhuge Liang's life's work, the wisdom of your ancestors, and the foundation that your Zhuge family has protected for generations."

"I am merely a person entrusted with this task; by a fortunate coincidence, I have received this generous gift."

"But I never thought of taking them for myself."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Yunting suddenly looked up at Li Yuan.

In those eyes, there was disbelief, indescribable shock, and a hint of...

An expectation I dare not even imagine.

"Michiko..."

You mean...

Li Yuan did not repeat himself, but simply looked at Zhuge Yunting quietly.

That gaze was calm as still water, yet it seemed to bear the weight of an eternal night.

Upon seeing this, Zhuge Yunting felt his mind go blank for a moment.

The legacy of our ancestors...

The complete Eight Trigrams Formation...

The long-lost art of Zhuge Liang's divination...

This is the legacy that the Zhuge family has guarded for 1,700 years, a legacy that successive family heads have tried their best to complete but have never succeeded in.

Li Yuan Daozi, are you going to pass on everything to him?

It's not about hoarding, not about possession, not about claiming it as one's own, but rather... returning it?!

Zhuge Yunting opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that he couldn't say anything.

He just stared blankly at Li Yuan, at the figure in the moon-white Taoist robe, his eyes reddening again.

Bai Ling stood quietly not far from Li Yuan, taking in all of this.

Those exquisitely beautiful eyes, at this moment, held none of their usual playfulness and composure, only one—

It was as if I had come to understand this person's seriousness all over again.

She looked at Li Yuan, silently pondering:

The legacy of Zhuge Liang is truly invaluable.

Anyone who had such a miraculous encounter would probably treasure it and keep it a secret.

But he did just that, turning around and returning it all to the Zhuge family.

Leave nothing behind, take nothing for yourself.

"It's as if it's nothing special at all."

This mindset, this vision...

She couldn't help but recall the secrets passed down through generations of the esoteric practitioners outside the Great Wall.

Recalling those accounts about "enlightened beings"—

"Those who attain enlightenment do not seek personal gain from it."

Those who obtain the Dharma do not conceal it.

"Those who receive Heaven's favor do not claim it as their own."

"He who possesses all things regards all things as himself, and regards himself as all things."

She used to think that it was just an exaggeration by the ancients, an ideal state that was impossible to reach.

But at this moment, looking at Li Yuan, she suddenly felt a little dazed.

That's no exaggeration!

That's real!

There are truly people in this world who can "not be selfish in their ways" and "not hide their methods"!

The legendary "enlightened one" is right before my eyes!