Chapter 284 - 279: The Power of a Kingmaker

After sending Yi Huai’an off, Du Youqian had to go through some trouble to erase a specific memory from all those who had heard the words "Lin Sha" and "Soul-shaking Mountain"—the Palace Maids, Guards, eunuchs, Daoist Children, and the two Shengxuan Sect Guardian Disciples.

In his previous life, he could have done all this with ease.

But in this life, as a Body Refining Cultivator, manipulating matters of the soul and memory yielded only half the results for twice the effort. And Fang Hua offered no help, simply watching from the side for her own amusement.

After he was finished, Du Youqian led Fang Hua into the Grass Tower Temple to talk.

"Qingfeng, Mingyue, each of you brew a cup of tea."

"Yes!"

Soon, the two Daoist Children came over, each carrying a cup of tea, and placed both cups in front of Du Youqian.

Qingfeng glanced over curiously. He couldn’t see Fang Hua at all, so he didn’t understand why the Observatory Master had asked them to brew two cups of tea.

Fang Hua’s gaze, however, fell upon the Daoist Child, Mingyue.

After the two Daoist Children bowed and left, Fang Hua said, "Brother Yu, this must be a Puppet you made yourself. It’s so lifelike, just like a real person. Though it might not know it, if it were to unleash its full power, it would have the combat strength of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. How did your Puppetry Art reach Tier Two? I’ve never even seen you practice it."

Du Youqian had received the inheritance for Puppetry Art from Feng Xiaoyi. After becoming a Living Dead, he had frequently studied it.

So, even though he had only started practicing in this life after his reincarnation, his progress was incredibly fast. This was because he had already thought through some of the key difficulties in his previous life and was only waiting to verify his theories.

Thus, in just a few short years, his Puppetry Art broke through to Tier Two. It wasn’t necessarily because he had great talent for it.

Of course, his talent for Puppetry Art wasn’t bad, either—about the same as his talent for Artifact Refining and Alchemy, and superior to his talent for Talisman Making.

"What are your plans now?" Du Youqian knew that Fang Hua was very eager to know his plans.

But he didn’t want to tell her.

So he seized the initiative and asked first.

’I’ll ask your question for you, leaving you with nothing to ask.’

But Fang Hua just asked in return, "What about you, Brother Yu?"

"..." ’Fang Hua, oh, Fang Hua, who have you been learning these bad habits from!’

"Generally speaking, my goal is to improve myself as quickly as possible, strengthen my Physique, and reach the Core Formation Realm through a Body Refining Technique. But as for the specifics, I’ll just take it one step at a time," Du Youqian said, feigning sincerity. "I’ve come to understand a principle now: man’s power has its limits, and one cannot defy fate. Plans can never keep up with changes, so I can only take things as they come."

Fang Hua sneered but said nothing.

’Let’s see how he plans to BS his way through this next.’

As for Du Youqian wanting to reach Core Formation through a Body Refining Technique, although he had never said it explicitly before, Fang Hua, despite her suspicions, wouldn’t ask. She would only observe in silence.

"What about you, Fang Hua? What do you plan to do?" Du Youqian asked again.

"That depends on what arrangements you have in mind for me."

Fang Hua again answered a question with a question.

Du Youqian was now certain she had learned these bad habits from Lin Sha.

’Sigh. A lifetime of learning to be good, ruined in a moment!’

Du Youqian felt a little melancholy.

’The awe-inspiring, pure, and nigh-perfect Female Sword Immortal I spent so much time and effort cultivating... how did she go so far astray?’

’So sharp-tongued and fickle. She’s not as adorable anymore.’

"I’ve set up a Tier Two Upper Grade Spirit Vein on Soul-shaking Mountain. You know this."

"Of course. I was the one who accompanied you to set it up." Fang Hua’s expression turned nostalgic.

At that time, neither of them had reached Core Formation yet.

They weren’t so powerful then, not yet part of the small handful of people at the apex of Momenan.

But back then, they had goals to strive for, they had passion, and they had so many beautiful dreams for the future.

At least, she did.

"You should go into seclusion and cultivate on Soul-shaking Mountain. Try to break through to the Golden Core Late Stage within the next three hundred years. I will build a Communication Array so we can stay in touch."

Fang Hua gave him a sidelong glance. "Brother Yu, just how little do you think of me? Golden Core Late Stage? It won’t take me more than one hundred years."

Du Youqian actually knew her cultivation progress like the back of his hand. He only said "three hundred years" because he didn’t want to lay out all the details of his plan.

This wasn’t a matter of trust.

Even to Lin Sha, who trusted him more, or Luo Jinyu, or even the less-reliable Meng Xiao (mainly because his oath had already expired), he would never reveal the full details of his plan.

Only he himself could be in control of the entire plan.

This was the necessary attitude for someone destined to accomplish great things.

If possible, he would try to bring all these Dao Companions and friends out of Momenan with him.

But if that proved impossible... he would leave by himself first, and then work to help them from the outside.

After all, with his Celestial Spirit Root in this life, his cultivation speed was extremely fast. He estimated that Nascent Soul Formation wouldn’t be much of a problem.

If he could become a Nascent Soul Cultivator, it should be easier to get these friends and Dao Companions out.

The worst-case scenario was that he would wait until he became a Great Power, and then pluck them from the river of time...

Carefreeness is precious, and sentiment is worth even more, but for the sake of the Great Dao, both can be cast aside.

The two chatted for a while longer, and then Du Youqian escorted Fang Hua to Soul-shaking Mountain.

When they arrived, Fang Hua said, "By the way, it’s not that I want to badmouth anyone... but I’ve noticed that in recent years, Lin Sha, Luo Jinyu, and Meng Xiao have been plotting something behind my back. They’ve excluded me, and I don’t know why."

Du Youqian pondered for a moment, simply making a mental note of the matter without commenting. He smiled and said, "I’ll find a chance to get justice for you. For now, let’s keep the fact that you’ve recognized me a secret from them, alright?"

Fang Hua gave a dazzling smile. "Are you planning on keeping a beauty hidden in a golden house?"

Du Youqian was momentarily at a loss for words.

"One more thing," Fang Hua said, her face growing serious. "Feng Xiaoyi is approaching the end of her lifespan. She might only have a few years left."

Du Youqian nodded, not feeling even a hint of sadness.

’Her time is almost up?’

’She’s someone who can use Possession indefinitely, someone who can compete with me in a contest of longevity.’

Unfortunately, her constant use of Possession had its limits; she could never surpass her original Cultivation level, leaving her with no hope of reaching the Great Dao.

’I just wonder who Feng Xiaoyi will possess?’

’It’s quite an interesting thought.’

’Let’s just wait and see which Sect produces a female disciple whose fame and beauty suddenly skyrocket in the near future.’

At the same time, he couldn’t help but wonder if he should find some time to visit Feng Xiaoyi’s cave residence. He could check on Little Wukong, and while he was there... see what was really hidden behind that screen.

But he quickly extinguished the thought.

To take without asking is to be a thief.

So far, Feng Xiaoyi had never done anything to wrong him.

Naturally, he couldn’t betray her trust.

"You need to be careful, too," Du Youqian warned. "The Cultivation Realm isn’t peaceful. An organization whose origins I can’t trace has appeared, recruiting many out-of-favor Foundation Establishment Cultivators from various Sects. The mastermind is likely at the Core Formation Realm, but I have no idea who it is. My entire family in this reincarnation was harmed by that person. I investigated for some time but found nothing."

Fang Hua said proudly, "If they dare to provoke me, then that’s perfect. I’ll avenge you, Brother Yu! Let them come and test the sharpness of my Sword."

Du Youqian smiled and stroked her cheek. Fang Hua’s bright eyes watched him, not with shyness, but with a joyful smile.

~~~~~~

After returning to the Capital City, Du Youqian increased his infiltration of the imperial court and began to attempt reforms of the civil service.

In truth, he had a comprehensive package of reforms planned, but having lived for so long, he understood one thing very clearly.

No matter how good a policy is, if implemented too hastily, it will become lazy governance or even outright tyranny.

No matter how cleverly designed a reform is, without enough outstanding and incorruptible officials to implement it, its benefits cannot be shared by all the people.

Take Emperor Qin Shi Huang, for example. If he hadn’t been so impatient, if he had left behind a solid plan and entrusted many things to his successors, would he still be called a "tyrant"?

Or consider Yang Guang. If the things he did were spread out over the reigns of two or three generations of emperors, he probably would have been remembered as a Monarch with a fine reputation.

And Wang Anshi, who was too hasty in pushing his reforms like the Green Seed Technique, turning many good policies into vicious ones that ruined families and cost lives.

There are also many counterexamples, like Emperors Wen and Jing. It was precisely their policy of non-interference and inaction that laid a solid foundation for the rise of Emperor Wu of Han.

For a reformer, it is crucial to avoid seeking speed and comprehensiveness at all costs.

But in reality, by the time a reformer ascends to a high position, they are often no longer young.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang was 42 when he unified the land and only lived to be 51.

Yang Guang was 35 when he took the throne and 49 when he died.

Wang Anshi was 47 when he became a high-ranking chancellor and began his reforms, only to be dismissed a few years later.

A major reason for their impatience was the feeling that their time was short and they needed to seize every moment.

But for Du Youqian, this was not a problem.

’It’s fine. During Emperor Shunde’s reign, I will only reform the civil service.’

’I’ll spend twenty to thirty years focusing on that, and then, with the next Emperor, I’ll reform agriculture. With the one after that, I’ll reform healthcare...’

’After all, I have a long life ahead of me.’

’I can spend one or two hundred years slowly pushing forward these reforms, one step at a time.’

’I will strengthen the Wu Kingdom, enrich its people, and allow its population to grow rapidly.’

’Every household will know the name of the Celestial Master.’

By then, the Human Dao Fortune he could acquire would be more than ten times as strong.

It would be enough to help him break through the bottlenecks of the Golden Core Middle and Late Stages.

In the years that followed, Du Youqian, the National Guardian Celestial Master, became an unshakable juggernaut in the Wu Kingdom.

Even without using the power of Magic, deposing and installing new rulers based on his political status alone would be a simple matter.

There was only one matter that left him feeling helpless and gave him a massive headache.