Chapter 17: Too Much of a Coincidence?

"So, this Heavenly Lotus Seed can actually sprout..." Wang Zhenling remarked, filled with astonishment.

Before he could even process this, the seed began to germinate and sprout with increasing speed. Countless branches extended from it like a dense network of roots, piercing into the Moon-Wheel Heavenly Palace and touching every corner of the structure.

"This is..." Faced with such a transformation, Wang Zhenling was not only amazed but also overwhelmed with joy. He clearly felt that his spirit chamber was undergoing a substantive change, as if it were transforming from the ethereal into the tangible.

"So this is the miraculous nature of the Heavenly Lotus Seed. No wonder the head of the Juntian Temple insisted that this seed must be planted!" Wang Zhenling carefully savored the wondrous changes brought about by the lotus. As it grew, deeper insights flooded his mind.

"I see, so even this Jade Pivot of the Two Worlds has such a function..." Wang Zhenling sighed inwardly. The transmissions of the sages are not to be found in written words. Many sectarian legacies are like this—they are not recorded in any text or language, but are passed down through other means.

Just now, had Wang Zhenling not reached the Ectopic Stage and caused the Heavenly Lotus to bloom, he would never have attained this realization. Even the official heir of the Juntian Temple, Zhen Yunzi, likely remained ignorant of this, as he had yet to reach such a realm.

With a slight shift of his intent, the Heavenly Lotus stirred, as if summoning something. The Jade Pivot of the Two Worlds flew up, turned into a stream of light, and descended into the spirit chamber, merging with the Moon-Wheel Heavenly Palace. In an instant, the spirit chamber shifted from illusion to reality; the heavenly palace manifested, shimmering with the luster of fine jade.

A person's sea of consciousness is a convergence of awareness, and the primordial spirit is likewise an intangible entity. Practitioners borrow the false to cultivate the true, condensing their primordial spirit and forging a spirit chamber upon a foundation of illusion. Yet, until one reaches the Realm of Pure Yang, both the spirit chamber and the primordial spirit remain essentially illusory. The process of cultivation is the transformation of an intangible, powerless primordial spirit into a tangible, substantial, and truly existent force.

However, for a practitioner of Wang Zhenling’s level, such a feat was usually far beyond reach—at least two or three major realms away. Under normal circumstances, he could never have achieved this, but the fusion of the Jade Pivot of the Two Worlds with the Heavenly Lotus Seed had constructed a spirit chamber that was truly, undeniably real.

"Right, the Jade Pivot of the Two Worlds is not merely for positioning during travel; it is also a natal magic treasure..." It was a treasure refined in unison with the primordial spirit, protecting it and granting it inconceivable powers. This transformation left Wang Zhenling feeling overjoyed.

***

By the time the next day dawned, the news that the County Lieutenant Wang Zhenling had experienced a profound realization while reading the night before—a moment of sagely illumination that lit up the night sky—had already spread throughout Danling County, causing quite a stir.

Everyone in Danling had assumed that Wang Zhenling, having dared to defy the Emperor's decree, was doomed. They expected that before long, a prisoner transport from Shenluo would arrive to drag him before the Court尉 to face severe punishment. Yet, no one expected that under such circumstances, he would instead grasp the principles of the scriptures and manifest the light of the sages.

"He truly is a seed of the Confucian school; no wonder he refused to enter the Hongdu Gate Academy!"

"Indeed. I heard that when the great plague struck, no one dared to leave the city to care for the people. Only Wang Zhenling, alone on horseback, ventured out to direct the commoners, seal the roads, and quarantine the sick. His handling was so impeccable that not a single person under his jurisdiction caught the plague. The people say he can ward off pestilence, calling him the Plague God!"

"Exactly! And just recently, when the County Lieutenant led men to eradicate those demonic rebels, it is said that he rebuked them sternly, invoking the laws of the heavens, and causing thunder and lightning to crash down. What ordinary official has such ability? Only we of the Confucian school, who study and understand reason, can commune with the hearts of the sages of old and drive the legal net to execute the mandates of heaven!"

In an instant, many began to lean toward Wang Zhenling. In this world, Confucianism was the preeminent school of thought. Almost every family’s private studies centered on it. Everyone was a scholar, and there was already much dissatisfaction with the Emperor for suppressing the literati and the Confucian school in favor of the Hongdu Gate Academy. Coupled with the fact that Wang Zhenling’s reputation in Danling was untarnished—whether through his curing of the plague or his suppression of the Cheng Tian Dao rebels—the local scholars viewed these as meritorious deeds. They could not help but sympathize with him.

Only the members of the Danling Wang clan were shocked into silence when they learned that the Confucian seed of the previous night was none other than Wang Zhenling.

Only the clan head, Wang An, had some vague inkling of the truth. Now that it was confirmed, he sighed in his heart, wondering whether this would be a blessing or a curse for the Danling Wang clan and for Wang Zhenling himself.

The Emperor’s envoy had left Danling three days prior and was already on his way back to Shenluo. Upon learning the news, his face turned ash-gray.

"How could things be such a coincidence? Wang Zhenling refuses the Emperor’s summons, and immediately becomes a Confucian seed, manifesting sagely light? The impudent brat! He dares to deceive me! He dares to deceive the Emperor!"

The envoy had originally planned to report Wang Zhenling upon his return, hoping the Emperor would issue a decree to throw him into prison and have him executed. But this development made him realize that things were not so simple. The situation might change. If news of Wang Zhenling being a "reading seed" spread, many literati in the imperial court would likely protect him. Furthermore, the Emperor’s establishment of the Hongdu Gate Academy, which prioritized poetry over classical exegesis, was seen as cultivating talent outside the Confucian system, effectively undermining its roots. This had already stoked the resentment of scholars throughout the court. If the Emperor moved against Wang Zhenling now, it would likely cause a massive scandal, placing the Emperor in a difficult position.

The envoy, a protégé of the Emperor from the Hongdu Gate Academy, was fiercely loyal. Recalling how he had been sternly rejected by Wang Zhenling while on his mission, his hatred grew.

"No, I must kill this boy before word reaches Shenluo..." Driven by murderous intent, he issued orders immediately. Soon, a member of the Cheng Tian Dao was summoned before him: "Wang Zhenling must not remain alive. I don't care what method you use, but within five days, I want to see his head! This mess was started by you, and it was your idea to recruit him into the Hongdu Gate Academy. If you fail, do not blame me for turning against you!"