Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 185

"Afterwards, we can repair the statue of Shennong and hold a grand sacrificial ceremony. The ancestor will understand."

“...You’re being ridiculous.” Tian Guang shook his head: “This is absolutely not going to work. If you want to get the farmers to settle down, you should do it my way.”

“Okay, then we’ll do it your way.” With his plan blocked, Lu Wei neither argued nor asked Tian Guang what his solution was.

After all, blowing up the Shennong statue was indeed a very risky idea; any suggestion would surely be stopped by this former leader of the knights. He had several other alternative plans, but the reason he chose the most treasonous one was because of his conversation with Zhou Wen a few hours earlier...

Tian Guang noticed Lu Wei's undisguised abnormality, but didn't care much: "Zhou Wen should have told you that Luo Wang will soon be laying an ambush on me. Don't issue the Shennong Order this year. I will arrange everything."

"Tomorrow, go to Zuimenglou first, and come to the Tomb of the Six Sages from there through the tunnel. I will take you to see the Sixth Elder."

The issuance of the Shennong Decree can be put aside for now; the trip to the Tomb of the Six Sages to see the Six Elders must be related to the matter of succession.

With Hikaru Arita recommending Lu Wei to the Sixth Elder, Lu Wei's position as the leader of the chivalrous sect can basically be decided on the spot.

The reason for sneaking through the Zuimenglou tunnel was undoubtedly to avoid being seen.

Tian Guang cannot let anyone other than the Sixth Elder and the two previous leaders of the Heroic Order know about the true location of the Shennong Order and the fact that Hall Master Lu has succeeded him, including Zhou Wen, who is an important part of the Farmer's Net Plan.

“I understand the gravity of this matter, but regarding Zhou Wen… you haven’t given me an explanation yet.”

After receiving the Shennong Decree, succeeding to the throne was a natural progression in his mind. In ten years, he transformed from a penniless deserter from the State of Zhao into the leader of hundreds of thousands of disciples of the Farmer's School.

Compared to this mental preparation that had been established from the beginning, what Lu Wei was more concerned about was: why did the Luo Wang plan, which had been repeatedly deliberated over for several years, change just before its implementation?

“The net of power is changing, and the part of the farming community that involves it will naturally change as well.” Tian Guang said something vague, but he also openly indicated that he was hiding something.

Over the years, Lu Wei has traveled all over the country, recruiting a great deal of talent and development opportunities for Gonggongtang. Tian Guang, on the other hand, has been traveling to various regions and has also made some special new discoveries.

The farmer's plan to counter the net is like Changping Jun's Azure Dragon Plan; the weaker party always has to constantly modify the process at any time.

It's not impossible for the two plans to overlap in the same year...

...

The current Drunken Dream Tower, located near Daze Mountain, was formed by merging the Drunken Dream Tower and the Tantai Terrace in Daliang City.

Thanks to the beauty of Zhao Wu's dance at Tantai and the meticulous management of Hua Ying, a noblewoman from the Chu Kingdom, coupled with the support of Shennong Hall, Zuimenglou maintained its popularity even though it was far from the bustling capital of Wei, attracting passing merchants and dignitaries from the Wei, Qi, and Qin kingdoms.

Sometimes, guests from the southern Chu region even come here specifically to enjoy this enchanting and tender haven.

In fact, Lu Wei has never stepped into the Drunken Dream Pavilion, whether in Daliang City or outside Daze Mountain.

This was the place where he waited for his prey to fall into his trap, because the year before last, he had deliberately let Xue Nu relinquish Gonggongtang's power in Zuimenglou.

Those dancers and musicians who originally belonged to Tantai, having lost their support, could only seek refuge under the tutelage of Hua Ying, the most beautiful courtesan of Zuimenglou.

Xue Nu felt it was a bit of a pity at the time. She thought she could develop a few women among the dancers and musicians who were loyal to Gonggong Hall for future use, but the Hall Master rejected her without hesitation.

There was no need for him to risk being exposed in the Drunken Dream Pavilion for the sake of a few dancers and musicians. All he wanted was the daughter of Lord Changping who would come here to hide in the future; nothing else mattered.

Upon arriving near the Drunken Dream Pavilion, he still didn't intend to enter this brothel. Instead, following Tian Guang's instructions, he found a hidden tunnel entrance and crawled inside...

To excavate from the vicinity of the Six Sages' Tomb in Daze Mountain to the Drunken Dream Pavilion outside the Daze Mountain area is a huge undertaking.

It was only with the cooperation of the chivalrous leader Tian Guang that this tunnel could be completed; otherwise, it would have been discovered by the patrolling disciples of the Farmer's Clan halfway through its excavation.

Allowing such a tunnel to be controlled by outsiders is ultimately a hidden danger. However, Tian Guang has received too many favors from Lord Changping, making it inconvenient for him to do certain things. But Lu Wei is different; apart from inheriting Lord Changping's daughter and some inheritance in the future, he has not received any favors from Lord Changping.

In fact, because he protected Changping Jun's bloodline, Changping Jun actually owes him a great favor!

Silently wondering who else owed him a favor, Lu Wei came down from underground to the Tomb of the Six Sages and climbed out from the side cliff.

The temperature dropped in the mountains tonight, and the wind was biting.

The sky was covered with dark clouds, obscuring the moon, let alone the stars.

Unfortunately, a storm is coming tonight...

Tian Guang didn't take a torch. He stood in front of the entrance steps of the Tomb of the Six Sages, looking up at the intact horns of the giant Shennong statue, quietly waiting for Lu Xiaozi to arrive.

Lu Wei didn't bring a torch either, even though there was no light in the tunnel.

"Let's go."

Hearing footsteps behind him, Tian Guang knew he was coming without turning around, and took the lead on the steps leading to the Tomb of the Six Sages.

"Speaking of which, you have an old friend in Tsukane."

“Elder Zhou He? It’s been six years since we last met.” Although Tian Guang was turned away and couldn’t see him, Lu Wei still nodded: “I was personally promoted by him.”

"Compared to the scheming Xu family, Elder Zhou He is my true mentor."

Although the Xu family betrayed Luqiu Pavilion, not many people knew about it.

When most outsiders learn about the rise of the Gonggong Hall Master, they naturally assume that Lu Wei is an unfaithful and treacherous person who has repeatedly plotted against his superiors and arrogantly slaughtered his benefactor's entire family. They can hardly understand his sincere devotion to the peasants.

In other words, the sect leader is not one to hold grudges. Regarding the Xu family's affairs, he will only make a symbolic mention of it in the history books in the future, and will not pursue the matter further.

“His current identity is Yu Tu, so he can no longer be called by his original name.” Although Tian Guang said this, he was still very pleased that Lu Wei could subconsciously call out the name Zhou He: “Just like the assassins of Luo Wang who are given famous swords, the elders of the Six Sages’ Tomb must forget all worldly affairs after entering the tomb and only shoulder the corresponding Six Sages’ positions.”

"When the elders are replaced in your office in the future, you must remember that the most important thing to consider when selecting elders is whether they can be selfless and dedicated to public service."

"This is the foundation of our family traditions, and we cannot be careless about it."

"Among the six hall masters of this generation, only the Zhu family is qualified to enter the Tomb of the Six Sages. Even though his connection with Lord Changping is no less than mine, he still has a heart for the public good."

"Can't I become an elder?" Hall Master Lu asked half-jokingly.

"I will choose you to be the leader of the heroes, but I will never let you succeed as an elder." The shrewd Tian Guang answered bluntly this time: Lu Wei was not a person who could steadfastly serve the public good...

Torches were neatly arranged on the two rows of walls in the passageway to the Tomb of the Six Sages, but none of them were lit.

After walking through the long passage, at a bend, the path ahead turned into a downward staircase.

There are no defensive mechanisms in the Tomb of the Six Sages. Anyone who can defeat the six elders of the Farmer's Family who set up the Twenty-Four Earthly Branches can do whatever they want inside the tomb.

As they descended into the darkness, the only sounds besides their footsteps and breathing, which seemed particularly heavy in this unknown underground depth, were the sounds of flames burning ahead.

Lu Wei's senses were very sharp. After turning another corner, the two of them could already see the bright light at the exit of the passage ahead.

It was an octagonal hall.

Strangely, there is an opening directly above the hall, through which light shines down and illuminates the half-body statue of Shennong, which faces the entrance to the passageway.

According to Lu Wei's estimation, given their current depth underground, the opening at the height of this hall could not possibly reach the surface, not to mention that the Tomb of the Six Sages is actually a large mountain.

It is highly likely that it combined mechanical techniques with the principle of light refraction to bring in sunlight during the day and firelight at night from the outside.

Using this light, the hall is also filled with plants, and the stone walls are covered with hanging branches.

Especially on the Shennong statue, which receives the most light, it seems as if it is covered with a layer of green leaves, which is in line with Shennong's identity.

This shows that when the farmers built the Tomb of the Six Sages, they had some knowledge of mechanical techniques passed down through generations.

Moreover, Lu Wei could clearly sense that there was at least one additional layer of space beneath the stone slabs beneath his feet. Only the Sixth Elder should know exactly how many layers this Tomb of the Six Sages has.

Therefore, it seems that the passage leading to Zuimeng Tower was not dug by Changping Jun and Tian Guang later, but was originally there by the farmers, which is why Zuimeng Tower was built there.

The very structure of the Six Sages Tomb Hall gave Lu Wei a lot to think about.

Following Tian Guang, the two arrived at the Shennong statue, which was much smaller than the Six Sages' Tomb but far more exquisite. They respectfully performed the disciple's salute.

Just then, a rumbling sound of stones rubbing together rang out behind them. Surprisingly, six old men wearing leather half-face masks rose up from below the bronze cauldron bonfire in the octagonal hall.

Each of them wore the same number of Nine-Star Bead Grass as the leader of the Heroic Clan; they were the Six Elders, the foundation of the Farmer's Family lineage.

The Master of History, the King of Medicine, the Master of War, the God of Grain, the Disciple of Yu, and the Master of Strings.

Among them was a familiar figure to Lu Wei. His expression towards the two was no different from that of the others. After becoming Yu's disciple, Zhou He strictly adhered to the elder's rules.

"Chief, is this the successor you've chosen?"

The historian with gray-brown hair and beard spoke first. His voice was deep and powerful, and his gaze kept sweeping over Lu Wei.

Although both were Nine-Star Pearl Grass, the Sixth Elder was still half a rank lower than Tian Guang. Furthermore, because Tian Guang had a long and distinguished career as the leader of the chivalrous sect, the Sixth Elder stood up when speaking to him.

"Yes!" It wasn't Tian Guang who answered, but Lu Wei, who took out the Shennong Token from his pocket and puffed out his chest.

Tian Guang then took a half step back, leaving the main character's position open.

"Judging from your appearance, you're only in your early twenties. You're not bad as a hall master, but do you think you're qualified to succeed as the leader of the chivalrous sect?"

With a straight mustache and the voice of the elder of the String Sect in charge of music, he asked Lu Wei, who was holding his head high, with a questioning look in his eyes and tone.

In any test, someone has to step forward and play the villain. Hall Master Lu was not annoyed at all. He simply clasped his hands together and said, "If I were not qualified, I would not have been able to meet the elders in such a setting."

"What kind of nonsense is this? When we ask you a question, just answer yes or no directly. Don't try to be clever."

Elder Bingzhu, carrying a huge broadsword, had a fiery temper and reprimanded Lu Wei mercilessly for his clever words.

“I understand, Elder is right.” Lu Wei paused for a moment, turned slightly and bowed to the Lord of War, but then suddenly said, “But the Shennong Token is a sacred object of the agricultural family, and I have a stone statue of the ancestor Shennong behind me. Even if Elder of War has a problem with me, he should not speak rudely in front of these two objects.”

"you..."

"Elder Bingzhu should not have been disrespectful to the ancestral master Shennong. We are discussing a serious agricultural matter!"

The warlord glared and was about to speak again, but was interrupted by the Medicine King with his full beard. After the statue of Shennong was lifted, the atmosphere became even more solemn.

"Now that the Heroic Leader has handed the Shennong Token to you, we only have the responsibility of conducting the assessment. There will be a fierce storm tonight, so let's get started quickly."

Yu Tu closed his eyes and, in the face of the stalemate, spoke up to skip the character assessment.

“Alright.” Master Li nodded in agreement, looking at the younger generation who maintained a smile on their faces.

No one else has an opinion.

The only one who remained silent throughout, the white-haired and bearded Gu Shen, was the first to shoulder his sickle and retreat to the round stone bearing the insignia of his six halls that had brought him up. The other five also returned to their positions, their gazes fixed on Lu Wei. It was the calendar master who spoke:

"To be the leader of the Farmer's Clan, you will only bring shame to the Farmer's Clan if you do not have enough strength. Therefore, you will now have to undergo the test of the Twenty-Four Earthly Tribulations!"

“You…you?” Lu Wei grasped a key word.

“It’s us.” Tian Guang behind him silently took out a long incense stick, lit it, and placed it in front of the Shennong statue. He then stood shoulder to shoulder with Lu Wei and said, “Only when the two successive leaders of the Heroic Order undergo the Twenty-Four Trials of the Earth and Swamp under the witness of the Ancestor Shennong and can endure for the duration of an incense stick can it be proven that the chosen leader of the Heroic Order is correct. This is the rule.”

Is there really such a rule? I seem to recall that the Farmer's Code didn't specify any requirements regarding the martial arts prowess of the leader...

Besides, in the original timeline, Xiao Yan'er didn't do these things when she became the leader of the chivalrous sect, right?

With a thoughtful expression, he drew his sword and stood back to back with Tian Guang on the octagonal field. The Sixth Elder, who had originally returned to his position, suddenly jumped down again, each displaying their weapon.

Greatsword, scythe, stringless zither, Shennong ruler...

For a moment, the various internal energies swirling wildly in the hall of the Six Sages' Tomb were enough to crush an ordinary person who had unwittingly wandered in...

This is not a weakened version of the internal energy formation test like that of Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang; these six old men will have to fight hand-to-hand and use their true skills!

This is truly... the most formidable opponent Lu Wei has encountered in twenty-two years...