Chapter 147: When the Heart Desires, All Things Come to Pass

"Big Brother, they're sending you to cultivate in the Kong Family's secret realm?"

"I honestly thought they'd at least let you inherit Commander Fang's official post this time." Li Qing curled his lips, clearly indignant on Li Shun's behalf.

Li Shun sighed.

"The Pacification Commissioner of Guling Commandery is hardly comparable to an ordinary county magistrate. I merely served as acting magistrate for a short period. What qualifications do I have to succeed him?"

"Besides, Guling Commandery has suffered one disaster after another. The imperial court is now treating this region with extreme caution. Just look at the list of newly appointed officials, and you'll understand."

"The new Dongshan Pacification Commissioner is Gu Chensi. He was formerly the Prefect of Liaoxi Commandery, a senior frontier official."

"The new Prefect of Guling Commandery is Cen Jiugao. He previously served as the Right Judicial Inspector of the Court of Judicial Review, a high-ranking official responsible for the empire's criminal laws."

"As for me, I am still, officially speaking, a commoner with no rank or office. If I were to recklessly inherit Master's position, the officials across the empire would condemn me without hesitation."

Li Qing, however, remained unconvinced.

"I think you're far more qualified than any prefect or judicial inspector. Isn't an official's foremost duty to govern his territory well and keep the people safe? They've only just arrived. How could they possibly know this place better than you?"

Li Shun merely waved his hand and chose not to continue the discussion.

Lowering his voice, Li Qing asked, "Brother... will this Kong Family Blessed Grotto Heaven be dangerous?"

Li Shun answered calmly, "Put your mind completely at ease. No matter what happens, I absolutely won't come to harm within the Kong Family's territory. The Kong Family is famous for treating everyone fairly and impartially. They've spent centuries building that reputation. There's no way they'd throw it away."

"This time, you don't need to accompany me. Stay in Dongshan and take good care of my master's shrine."

Li Qing froze upon hearing this.

Scratching his head in confusion, he asked, "But... isn't the shrine already finished? What else is there to take care of?"

Li Shun looked toward the location of Fang Xun's shrine, his gaze distant.

"Guling's catastrophe only ended recently. Everyone still remembers it vividly, so naturally the shrine's incense offerings are flourishing."

"But what about ten years from now? Twenty years from now? How many people will still remember my master's kindness?"

"If they don't remember, then they don't remem..."

Li Qing instinctively began to reply that it didn't matter.

But the moment he saw Li Shun's expression darken, he wisely swallowed the rest of his sentence.

"At the very least, the shrine's incense offerings must never cease for fifty years."

"Find storytellers. Turn my master's sacrifice into novels, operas, and stage plays. Don't limit them to Guling Commandery. Spread them throughout as many provinces and commanderies as possible."

"And in my master's name, perform good deeds wherever you can. Make certain the shrine appears miraculous, that every sincere prayer is answered."

"During festivals, memorial days, and every anniversary of his death, hold grand ceremonies. People naturally follow the crowd. Even those with no intention of going will eventually join when they see enough others paying their respects."

Li Shun quietly explained each measure in meticulous detail.

Although he had no idea why Li Shun cared so much about the shrine's incense offerings, Li Qing still thumped his chest in assurance.

"Brother, just leave it to me. I can't guarantee anything elsewhere, but here in Dongshan, Fang Xun's shrine will never lack incense offerings!"

"Oh, and when you're handling these matters, take Fang Han with you as well. He lost his parents at such a young age, traveled all this way to seek refuge with his uncle, only to lose his last remaining family. I accepted Master's final request, yet now I must leave for the Kong Clan's Grotto Heaven blessed land and can't look after him personally. I'll have to entrust him to you."

Li Qing's expression immediately turned serious.

"I understand."

Li Shun closed his eyes, his consciousness returning to the Fangcun space.

At this very moment, unprecedented changes were taking place within it.

Originally, Li Shun had believed that the greatest function of the Xuanhuang Qi of Heaven and Earth lay in restoring the two Sage puppets.

Only after repeatedly drawing upon the Xuanhuang Qi through Fang Xun did he finally realize...

The greatest transformation was occurring to [Fangcun] itself.

As Fang Xun received the incense offerings of countless worshippers, strands of Xuanhuang Qi of Heaven and Earth had gradually begun to coil around his stone divine statue.

Yet nearly half of that Xuanhuang Qi quietly flowed into the Fangcun space instead.

It did not gather directly upon the puppet Fang Xun, but was first absorbed by Fangcun itself.

Fangcun was his heart.

From another perspective, it meant Li Shun was personally comprehending the incomparably profound Xuanhuang Qi of Heaven and Earth.

One had to understand that he had only just entered the Primal Simplicity realm. Theoretically speaking, he wasn't even qualified to perceive, much less gaze directly upon, the Xuanhuang Qi.

Yet through Fangcun, he could directly comprehend its very essence.

"The primordial essence of the beginning, the foundation of creation itself. The root from which all things manifest, the source from which all worlds arise and perish."

"Its smallest measurable unit is known as a [strand]"

"One hundred strands form one [thread]. One thousand threads form one [cord]. Ten thousand cords form one [epoch]..."

"This qi contains boundless miraculous transformations. Mortals simply call it... when the heart desires, all things come to pass."

An endless torrent of information poured into Li Shun's mind.

Within his eyes, the once hazy streams of Xuanhuang Qi, previously resembling drifting smoke, gradually became distinct and tangible.

"So my earlier perception wasn't mistaken. Every time the remains of the Three Elders condensed Xuanhuang Qi, they only produced a single thread."

"In other words, one hundred strands. Because the scale of a single strand was far too minute, I had previously been unable to perceive or manipulate them. But now that I'm personally absorbing the Xuanhuang Qi, everything has become perfectly clear."

"I obtained Xuanhuang Qi before from both Ge Linfeng and the Three Elders, yet none of it ever produced today's transformation."

"The reason is that their karmic connection with the Xuanhuang Qi already existed before they entered the Fangcun space."

"Fang Xun, however, first entered Fangcun and became a puppet. Only afterward did he gather Xuanhuang Qi within the world of Great Qian."

"And thus, a connection was formed."

Li Shun began counting the amount of Xuanhuang Qi currently residing within the Fangcun space.

"Eighty-six strands."

"Fang Xun's shrine has only just been established. The people are still grieving deeply, so the Xuanhuang Qi is condensing at an astonishing rate."

"It will undoubtedly slow down later."

"But without question, it's still vastly faster than relying on the remains of the Three Elders."

Li Shun carefully savored the wonders brought about by the Xuanhuang Qi permeating the Fangcun space.

"So the saying that one's wishes come true is no mere empty phrase."

"According to my understanding, so long as one possesses a sufficient quantity of Xuanhuang Qi, it is possible to bypass countless intermediate steps and directly arrive at the desired result."

"For example..."

"If my goal were to return to my hometown before I transmigrated..."

The Xuanhuang Qi within his mind immediately began to circulate, churning like primordial chaos itself.

Moments later, it returned a number so unimaginably vast that Li Shun felt dizzy just contemplating it.

"The required unit actually exceeds an epoch..."

"It has completely surpassed the limits of my current understanding."

Speechless for a moment, Li Shun soon changed his objective.

"I wish to advance into the Heaven-Earth Realm."

The Xuanhuang Qi circulated once more.

This time, the projected result fell within the bounds of his comprehension.

"Only... thirty-six epochs."

"Heh..."

Li Shun continued changing his objectives, gradually arriving at an understanding.

Although Xuanhuang Qi could indeed directly produce the desired outcome, the more stages of cultivation it bypassed and the longer the chain of cause and effect it skipped, the amount of Xuanhuang Qi required for every forcibly crossed causal loop increased geometrically.

When accumulated together, the final cost became an astronomical figure.

"In that case... perhaps there's a more economical approach."

"For instance, if I only aim to break through into the Spirit Resonance realm first."

His thoughts shifted.

The Xuanhuang Qi immediately produced another answer.

"Ten threads."

Seeing that result, Li Shun frowned deeply.

"How is that still such a terrible bargain?"

"Obtaining ten threads of Xuanhuang Qi is far more difficult than advancing to the Spirit Resonance realm through ordinary cultivation."

"So where exactly is the problem?"

As Li Shun pondered in confusion, he suddenly recalled Great Qian's official stance toward the Xuanhuang Qi of Heaven and Earth.

"Supervise only."

"Neither abuse it, nor even encourage its use."