Chapter 141: Read the Book! 4 Directions, 6 Harmonies, 8 Desolations
Chapter 141: Chapter 141: Read the Book! 4 Directions, 6 Harmonies, 8 Desolations
Possessing [Spider] and [Kunpeng] might not have seemed like much.
One was for planning and manipulation, the other for thought and insight.
But in reality?
These two traits gave Zhu Ge an exceptionally powerful boost.
This boost wasn’t something as straightforward as adding a few tons to his strength or a few meters to his speed per second.
Instead, it was a different kind of enhancement.
For example, now that he was using [Spider], Zhu Ge felt as if he could see all sorts of threads.
These were all the "threads" he could manipulate!
There were many things he had seen before, but he never "noticed" them, never "understood" them, and certainly could never "control" them.
It was like how a textbook lies on a desk. For one person, it’s a ticket to an Ivy League university. For another, it’s a one-way path to community college. The principle was the same.
Things that had been unclear to Zhu Ge before were now crystal clear.
As he saw it now, the appearance of the Sword and Axe Mantis was both accidental and inevitable.
It wasn’t the most important thread, but it was the fuse.
With the Sword and Axe Mantis as a thread, everything became much easier to manipulate.
But where were all these "threads" ultimately supposed to lead?
Zhu Ge turned and looked into the distance.
That was the direction of Yuan Yang City.
"Plague God Sparrow... Red River Dragon Python..."
Zhu Ge murmured.
Meanwhile, the Sword and Axe Mantis waiting nearby was trembling from head to toe, its senses screaming in terror.
Other things might have been bearable.
But that single, momentary beat of Zhu Ge’s Martial Arts Heart had chilled it to the bone.
It couldn’t hear the sound of Zhu Ge’s Martial Arts Heart, but its Divine Sense could feel it!
The Blood Qi, as vast as a boundless ocean, was terrifying beyond belief to its Divine Sense.
Back when it was hunting Zhu Ge, it had merely thought him an incredible genius.
And now?
Now, it felt that even calling Zhu Ge a "prodigy of the Human Race" was an understatement.
He was, at the very least, on the level of the great sages of the Ancient Human Race!
Furthermore, when Zhu Ge activated his [Spider] trait, the Sword and Axe Mantis felt a terror that gripped its very soul.
This terror was even greater than what it had felt when trapped by the fungal threads.
It was as if the world itself had formed a great net, wrapping it completely.
’Thank goodness I surrendered...’ The Sword and Axe Mantis actually felt a flicker of relief.
Haaa...
Just then, Zhu Ge finished his minute of planning.
He looked at the Sword and Axe Mantis, a glint in his eye. "Go back, bring me the Ba Yuan Fruit, and declare this place your territory. I will arrange what comes next and instruct you step by step."
"As you command, Great Master!"
Without a second thought, the Sword and Axe Mantis flapped its wings and flew off.
Zhu Ge looked over to where Liu Jianjian was busy subjugating the Second Realm Demon Beasts.
Most of these Demon Beasts were ancient mutant breeds. A few were just spouting nonsense to save their skins, but some showed decent talent, and Hua Liusha had kept them all.
According to Hua Liusha, a living Demon Beast could potentially be more useful than a dead one.
Zhu Ge simply couldn’t be bothered to manage them, but he had to admit Hua Liusha had a point.
He believed personal strength was paramount, but "paramount" did not mean "exclusive."
While personal strength was crucial, possessing a vast and powerful faction had only benefits and no drawbacks.
"Little Sis, we’ll wait here until Liu Jianjian has finished subjugating all her Believers."
Zhu Ge said to Hua Liusha, who was in the Upper Yuan Palace, "Once she’s done, we’ll make a trip to Jianshui City. I have a very important plan to set in motion."
"Brother, what kind of plan?" Hua Liusha asked, her curiosity piqued.
Zhu Ge smiled. "A plan against the Red River Dragon Python and the Plague God Sparrow. A plan for the future of Red River Prefecture. A plan for the great cause of our Human Race!"
Hua Liusha was taken aback. "The Red River Dragon Python? The Plague God Sparrow? But those are a Great Demon and a Great God!"
"They are a Great Demon and a Great God, yes, which is precisely why we need a plan." A sharp glint flashed in Zhu Ge’s eyes. "But..."
"What does it matter if they’re great? Once they’re caught in my web, who can hope to escape?"
Sensing Zhu Ge’s confidence, Hua Liusha couldn’t help but recall his past deeds.
She had to admit, Zhu Ge had earned the right to say such a thing.
"Will you need me to use my Yin Qi this time?" Hua Liusha asked.
"No." Zhu Ge shook his head. "Yin Qi is difficult to detect, but only difficult. It’s still hard for you to move about in the daylight, Little Sis."
"Even without your Yin Qi, I will simply triumph with an overt plot."
"One year!"
"In just one year, I will become a Martial Arts Venerable. At the same time, I will reach enlightenment in the Confucian Dao and understand my true heart. From that day forward, I’ll be able to roam the world as I please."
"At the same time, I will leave my mark on history, giving True Monarch Minmian a reason to keep me by his side."
Zhu Ge laid out his plan to Hua Liusha, his heart incomparably calm.
Hua Liusha had been through life and death with him; he could naturally trust her with such matters.
"I understand, Brother." Hua Liusha’s voice was gentle. "I will help you, in any way you need."
"Good!" A heroic spirit surged within Zhu Ge.
He then sat down and took out the books he had previously bought in Jianshui City.
The Sword and Axe Mantis had followed him right after he returned, so he hadn’t yet had time to read.
These books had cost him several gold coins, but to Zhu Ge, their value was immeasurable.
As it happened, Liu Jianjian was busy subjugating the Demon Beasts, so Zhu Ge sat at the mouth of the valley. He kept an eye on her progress, providing backup while he read his book.
The books he’d bought were excellent and helped him understand the state of the world.
"So this is what the world is like..."
Zhu Ge muttered as he read.
His tone was one of sudden realization.
The world was vast!
How vast?
It encompassed the four cardinal directions, the six points of harmony, and the eight wastelands!
The four cardinal directions were east, south, west, and north. The six points of harmony were northeast, southeast, northwest, southwest, the sky above, and the earth below.
All lands within the four directions and six harmonies were the king’s domain, while the eight wastelands beyond were filled with barbarians.
However, for the Da Sheng Dynasty at its peak, all of this was a trivial matter.
Barbarians from all directions had to come to Shengjing to pay tribute.
However, this all changed after a war of succession erupted in Shengjing.
The Holy Emperor fell, and a chaotic free-for-all broke out between the Crown Prince, the Third Prince, the Empress, the various Consorts, the Foreign Relatives, and countless other factions.
In the end, more than half of the top echelons of power were wiped out, and the flames of war ignited across the land.
Many clever non-humans and barbarians seized the opportunity to profit from the chaos, colluding with corrupt officials to bleed the Dusk Dynasty dry.
Now, several hundred years have passed since the fall of the Holy Emperor.
The prefectures and cities of the realm were now virtually independent, each fighting for itself. Hordes of Ghosts, Gods, and Demons had risen, and Demon Beasts and Spirit Monsters ran rampant.
After several hundred years of chaos, the population of the Human Race had been cut in half. In contrast, the non-human races, free from any control, had flourished.
This was the state of the world today.
’The realm is masterless, the dragons have no head.’
Zhu Ge shook his head.
’It’s a shame I wasn’t born in a golden age,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, I could have just coasted through life.’
’However, this is also my opportunity...’
A plan was already forming in Zhu Ge’s mind.
Prosperity was a thing of the past, but that also meant ordinary people could now access resources and opportunities that had once been monopolized by the great aristocratic clans.
Zhu Ge’s own *Great Sun Glaze Body* was a perfect example.
’Now that I’ve finished the overview of world geography and history, it’s time to look at this *Sheji Chart*.’