From Under One Person: Sincere Journey Through the Heavens

"It shouldn't be."

Jiang Liu shook his head. "The land of Elket includes Hamnata, Amshe, and the desert between them. Ultimately, it is still within Egypt. According to its location, it is south of Cairo, but the direction that the paper monkey sensed was pointing to the west."

Either the other party took the wrong path.

Or perhaps the person behind this isn't actually headed to the Amshe Oasis.

"If the thieves' destination wasn't the Amshe Oasis, then why steal the Death Bracelet?" Duanmu Ying was completely bewildered.

"You've all seen the Scorpion King, that monster who tried to integrate the flow of Qi into himself and simulate its operation. He's more like a brute than an alchemist who can craft alchemical items."

Jiang Liu described his views on the Scorpion King, "And one of the legends about the Scorpion King is that he only obtained the Death Bracelet after his defeat..."

So who forged the Death Bracelet?

Lu Jin and Duanmu Ying were both speechless, unable to answer this question.

Although the bracelet is named "Death," after learning about Western alchemy, both of them knew that Death was not a real entity, but a special concept, similar to the effect of losing one's "past" due to an impact from an aura.

However, just to be on the safe side, Jiang Liu informed the library director, Terence, about the theft of the Death Bracelet.

As the "clerk" among the Medgar warriors, Terence immediately realized the seriousness of the problem. He relayed the message to Ades Bay, summoning the Medgar warriors and instructing them to not only plant trees in the Selkha region but also to increase patrols and be vigilant for any groups or individuals recently entering the Selkha desert...

Subsequently, Jiang Liu, Lu Jin, and Duanmu Ying each requested a long leave from the academy—heading westward with an unknown destination and uncertain timeframe, they naturally needed to prepare everything in advance to avoid being expelled from the academy.

In addition, an acting president and acting vice president should be appointed for Shenzhou Society to manage the affairs of the three of them during this period.

And the acting president was chosen to be Isaac Taber!

That's right!

This "high achiever" from Flamel College joined the Shenzhou Society and developed a strong interest in Shenzhou culture.

"Huh? I'm going to be the acting president?"

Taber pointed to his own nose, incredulous, "You shouldn't let your own people..."

“Although our skin color and appearance are different, and our cultivation methods are also different, we are all cultivators, aren’t we?” Jiang Liu patted Isaac’s shoulder and said sincerely, “China welcomes friends from all over the world.”

"Thank you for your trust! I will definitely manage the club well during this time!" Isaac was moved by Jiang Liu's magnanimity and promised.

"And you, Wang Ming, will be the acting vice president."

Wang Ming.

This man's background is quite extraordinary. He comes from the Wang family, one of the four prominent families of China (Lu, Lü, Wang, and Gao), and is the grandson of the current head of the Wang family.

However, Wang Ming did not have much talent in the Wang family's divine path of cultivation. Among the four families, only the Lu and Gao families often sent their children to other sects for cultivation. If the children of the Lü and Wang families did not have talent in their own methods, they had to manage the family's business and rarely joined other sects.

Without him.

It's not that these disciples don't want to, nor that they can't learn the skills of those major sects, but rather that their elders in the family are unwilling.

The most basic reason is that family businesses need someone to manage them, and it is only reassuring to have someone close to the family by blood handle them. They must never hand them over to outsiders.

If one were to join a major sect, especially Taoism or Buddhism, although it would allow one to establish connections with them, the Taoist priests and monks of these sects are quite aloof, and most of them are landlords, so they don't need to make a living or do business on their own.

If one's children and grandchildren join a major sect, what substantial benefits can they bring to the family besides learning a skill that cannot be passed down to the family?

Does this mean that the family can also receive offerings and worship from the world?

Totally impossible!

As for saying they are short-sighted?

The Lü and Wang families relied on their own abilities to make a living, unlike the Lu and Gao families who possessed lofty moral character.

The world of extraordinary beings is indeed dominated by the two major sects of Taoism and Buddhism.

But the world is not like that!

Most of their family members don't just stay on the mountain and have a sugar daddy to support them or collect land taxes; they don't have to worry about food, clothing, shelter, or transportation like monks and Taoists!

If all the descendants who lack talent in their own methods join other sects, who will manage the farmland? Who will run the business? Who will support the children in the family who have talent for cultivation?

They don't have the ability to recruit followers like Taoism and Buddhism. If things go wrong, they might be labeled as a heretical sect that "confuses and bewitches people" by those two major sects, which would be terrible!

As for having children in the family with the talent to cultivate their own family's techniques abandon their cultivation and instead have them personally cultivate fields and run shops...

What's the point of cultivation then!

The establishment of the cultural street in Yuhang allows supernatural abilities to be integrated into daily life and work. Members of such families will just watch the spectacle without imitating them.

After all, for the Lü and Wang families, those with talent can focus on cultivating their own methods. Those without talent, or those who simply lack the talent to cultivate their own methods, should not think about anything else. They should obediently follow the arrangements of their family elders, farm, manage the land, and support the family members with cultivation talent.

Strictly speaking, it means that talented disciples receive support from those without talent, focus on cultivation, and protect the family; while those without talent only need to focus on their work and, incidentally, receive protection from those with talent when foreign enemies invade.

It's that simple.

Humans are not mechanical creations after all. Even without the talent for cultivation, they still have a self and emotions, and there will always be those who are unconventional.

Wang Ming is an unconventional person!

Because he lacked the talent to cultivate divine skills, his elders asked him to go to a nearby large town to do business with an older cousin.

However, he went to the town school every day to study. Fortunately, the teachers appreciated him and taught him to read and write, and even taught him foreign languages, which broadened his horizons and made him want to save money, escape the Wang family, and go abroad to study and live.

At the age of nineteen, he had saved enough money and, under the cover of night, hired a carriage and traveled eastward to Shanghai. By chance, he saved an Englishman, which earned him a letter of recommendation, allowing him to travel by ship to Cairo, Egypt, to study.

Although life abroad was somewhat different from what he had imagined, at least he had escaped the royal family and gained his freedom.

That's enough!

The establishment of the Shenzhou Society earned him respect, and now the president of the Shenzhou Society has appointed him as the acting vice president!

It's like a dream!

"Can you take on this responsibility?" Jiang Liu asked.

"can!"

Wang Ming immediately agreed.

"Ah."

Jiang Liu patted him on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Keep it up, I have high hopes for you, Wang Ming."

A guy who dares to run away from his family and come to study in a strange overseas place alone is an ordinary person, but his knowledge and temperament are much broader and stronger than the rest of his family.

He's a promising talent!

# Chapter 691 Driving is also a form of cultivation

Then, Jiang Liu turned his gaze to Isaac Taber, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Are there many people with naturally silver hair in the Western alchemy lineage?"

“Natural silver hair? That’s quite rare. The most famous example is the McDougall family, who live on a small island between England and Scotland.”

Without hesitation, Isaac Taber said, "The direct descendants of that family all have white hair normally, but when they use their abilities, it turns into shiny silver hair, and the silver luster doesn't disappear after it falls out. It must be a rather peculiar kind of naturally silver hair."

Their family has an extremely low birth rate, but each generation has a long lifespan, around two hundred years.

Now only one member of the family remains, thirty years old, named Siobhan McDougall, nicknamed the Silver Banshee, a master thief with a less than stellar reputation among Western alchemists.

At this point, Isaac asked, "Why are you asking about guys with naturally silver hair?"

"The Death Bracelet was stolen, and I found a silver hair at the scene."

Jiang Liu didn't hide the fact that the Death Bracelet had been stolen. He took out a piece of white paper from his storage ring, folded it into a paper monkey, poured in a Water-Fire Yin-Yang Qi Pill, explained its usage, and said, "By the way, I'd like to ask you a favor. Since you know about the Silver Banshee, please investigate her current situation. You should have a way to contact the teachers and students at Flamel Academy, right?"

"no problem."

Isaac Taber had a good relationship with the teachers and students at Flamel College, and as long as it didn't involve some sensitive matters, they were willing to help him for free.

After all, it's obvious to anyone with eyes that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Isaac Taber will definitely become the next dean of Flamel Academy.

"Then I'll leave it to you. If you have any news, just contact me with this paper monkey."

Jiang Liu expressed his gratitude.

"Don't mention it, we're all friends."

Multiple friends have multiple roads.

After joining the Shenzhou Society and getting to know these students from China firsthand, Isaac Taber truly gained a real understanding of this Eastern philosophy.

In Western terms, this means that humans are social animals.

However, compared to "having more friends means having more options," this saying is seven parts less human touch and three parts cold and serious.

The more Isaac Taber learned about the people and culture of China, the more alarmed he became, and he was certain that the East's backwardness compared to the world was only temporary.

"When the sleeping lion awakens, its roar will resound throughout the earth." Isaac Taber sighed as he watched Jiang Liu's departing figure.

"You really have such high hopes for China?"

Hermione came to Isaac's side and, upon hearing what he said, naturally understood what he was thinking.

"The birth of science has led us alchemists and magicians to study new knowledge and confirm the fact that we practitioners are also subtly influenced by the culture of the land we live on."

Isaac laughed and said, "There's an old saying in the East: 'One's environment shapes one's character.'"

This shows that while China lagged behind the West, the wisdom they accumulated was no less than ours, and perhaps even more advanced, but...

However, they haven't yet used science to systematically integrate the wisdom accumulated in ancient times.

"Do you think Jiang Liu and his group are the kind of people who will use science to integrate the ancient wisdom of their homeland?" Hermione asked thoughtfully.

"one."

Isaac Taber added two words, turning back to look at the Shenzhou Society, "Some of them will definitely return to Shenzhou after completing their studies."

"so--"

Hermione was surprised.

"Since the awakening of the sleeping lion in the East is a predetermined fate, what we need to do is to befriend Jiang Liu."

Isaac Taber doesn't possess the skills of a sorcerer and cannot predict the future, but he is a wise man. Based on his understanding of Eastern culture after joining the Shenzhou Society, he deduced the fact of Shenzhou's rise. "But this awakening process will inevitably be accompanied by disasters and hardships, so when necessary, that is, when the flames of war once again reach Shenzhou, we can lend a helping hand to help them resist foreign enemies."

There's an Eastern saying: "To offer charcoal in snowy weather."

Hearing this, Hermione nodded, but then suddenly chuckled and said, "You actually have mastered so much 'Eastern wisdom' now?"

"The more I learn about Eastern idioms and ancient sayings, the more I feel that the wisdom of ancient Eastern culture is no less than that of modern Western knowledge. The only drawback is that they have not yet systematized this wisdom."