Chapter 190: Quietly Altering Fate

“A recurring dream, in which the grand spectacle of a Confucian Sage descending into the mortal world appears again and again?”

Deep within Li Shun's eyes, a barely perceptible flicker of surprise flashed.

If anyone else heard this, they would probably dismiss it as nothing more than Kong Changqing thinking about something during the day and dreaming about it at night.

But in Li Shun's eyes, there was likely far more to it.

After all, the stone statue of the Confucian Sage was currently within his Fangcun space!

“Threefold Self-Reflection is a divine ability of the Confucian Sage.”

“Every time I activate Threefold Self-Reflection, in a certain sense, it can indeed be regarded as the Sage descending into the mortal world.”

“If that is the case, then the reason this ancestor of the Kong Family suddenly developed the desire to change his ways actually stems from me?”

Li Shun naturally felt no guilt over this. Nevertheless, his thoughts could not help but wander further.

“Elder Wei once told me that after Threefold Self-Reflection is activated and the world is reset, only those in the Confucian Heaven-Earth realm can retain their memories.”

“But judging from Kong Changqing's reaction, even those in the Creation realm can faintly sense the world's reset. Not to mention the various Sages of the Hundred Schools, and that unfathomably mysterious Qian Emperor.”

“Although I possess the ability to reset time, I absolutely cannot afford to let my guard down.”

“Take the Kong Family's calamity this time, for example.”

“Several Creation realm experts were seriously injured in this calamity. With my foresight, I can naturally change the course of events and unravel the conspiracy. But once the matter is investigated afterward, the people behind it will inevitably notice something unusual about me.”

“If I choose to interfere in this matter, I must first ensure my own safety.”

Li Shun's thoughts raced.

At this moment, Kong Zhao's expression turned solemn as he asked, “All right. I have already told Junior Brother Li everything you wished to know. Now, can you satisfy my curiosity? How exactly did you see through these secrets?”

Li Shun smiled faintly and said casually, “I merely noticed a few clues from the backgrounds of the cultivators who entered the Kong Family's Grotto Heaven over the past year.”

“The number of Confucian cultivators among them was far greater than that of the other schools. At first, I merely found it strange. Today, I suddenly felt a vague sense of unease, and only then did I connect all the pieces together.”

“Is that so?”

Kong Zhao was skeptical.

Yet Li Shun was not entirely making this up.

Among the newly arrived cultivators within the Kong Family's Grotto Heaven, the Confucian cultivators did indeed slightly outnumber those of the other schools.

It simply was not particularly obvious.

In the end, however, this explanation was still nothing more than an excuse Li Shun had improvised on the spot.

Li Shun did not dwell on these minor details and quickly changed the subject.

He sighed softly. “It seems the source of the unease in my heart is indeed connected to the Kong Family.”

Upon hearing this, Kong Zhao's expression immediately turned cold.

In his eyes, today was the five-hundredth birthday celebration of the Kong Family's ancestor. Numerous distinguished officials from the imperial court, including high-ranking officials of the first and second ranks, would all come to offer their congratulations.

The Kong Family's prestige was currently at its peak.

Even the Left and Right Chancellors had to show them some respect. Although neither had come personally, they had already sent people bearing congratulatory messages and lavish gifts.

Yet on such an auspicious day, this Junior Brother Li was actually spouting such ominous words...

“Junior Brother, do not speak recklessly. Although the Ancestor is five hundred years old, he remains vigorous and full of spirit. With him here, what could possibly go wrong?”

Kong Zhao's face was as cold as frost.

Li Shun naturally could not directly reveal the catastrophic disaster that would occur only a few hours later.

For now, he could only follow Kong Zhao's lead and apologize with an awkward smile.

“It was merely a slip of the tongue. Senior Brother Kong, please don't take offense.”

Seeing that Li Shun had sincerely apologized, Kong Zhao's expression gradually relaxed.

However, after this incident, he no longer had any desire to chat idly with Li Shun.

It was not until they entered the Kong Family's ancestral residence and were greeted by the magnificent scene of guests arriving in droves that his brows once again revealed a hint of excitement. Just as he had done in the First Reflection, he quietly introduced the identities of the distinguished guests to Li Shun.

Around eleven in the morning, several major guests, including General of Chariot and Cavalry Jiang Yubai, had all taken their seats.

The entire banquet was filled with a peaceful and joyous atmosphere. Hosts and guests alike were enjoying themselves as they quietly awaited the arrival of the Qian Emperor's envoy.

“I heard that His Majesty has dispatched an envoy this time to bestow his blessing and offer birthday congratulations. The envoy was personally instructed in advance by the Minister of the Secretariat, who carried the Emperor's imperial document.”

“His Majesty has secluded himself deep within the imperial palace for several centuries and has long ceased concerning himself with worldly affairs. Yet today, he is actually willing to make an exception and bestow an imperial document upon the Kong Family for its ancestor's birthday. The depth of His Majesty's favor toward the Kong Family is truly evident!”

Amid the bustling crowd, someone suddenly exclaimed aloud.

The speaker's voice was clear and resonant, immediately drawing the attention of the guests throughout the hall.

“However, I do have a few doubts. His Majesty personally sending an envoy is already an immense imperial favor. Why would there be any need to notify us in advance?”

“In my opinion, it is most likely nothing more than an exaggerated claim intended to make the Kong Family look good.”

The man's tone suddenly shifted, and he let out a mocking laugh, shaking his head repeatedly.

The moment these words were spoken, the expressions of the surrounding Kong Family disciples changed dramatically.

“Who are you? You look unfamiliar. Were you even listed on today's guest register?”

“What sort of solemn occasion is this? How dare you spout such nonsense! The Minister of the Secretariat personally arrived carrying an imperial document. The evidence is irrefutable. How could our Kong Family possibly fabricate something like this?”

Faced with the furious questioning of the Kong Family members, the man remained completely unperturbed. Instead, he sneered in response.

“As the saying goes, a guest who travels from afar is still a guest. I merely made an offhand comment, yet all of you are already so agitated...”

“Could it be... that I actually hit the nail on the head?”

“How dare you!”

The Kong Family members glared furiously at him.

Several of them looked ready to erupt at any moment and seize the insolent man on the spot.

The peaceful banquet suddenly descended into turmoil.

Naturally, this disturbance attracted frequent glances from the guests seated in the outer halls.

Before long, the murmurs and whispers spread like a tide into the inner court.

Kong Changqing, who had been chatting and laughing with several important officials of the imperial court, suddenly stopped speaking.

There was not the slightest trace of anger on his face. He merely smiled faintly.

“I never imagined that, in the eyes of the world, the reputation of my Kong Family had already fallen to such a state.”

“It seems this old man has indeed failed to manage his household properly.”

Those around him immediately offered words of reassurance.

“Please calm yourself, Elder Kong. It is nothing more than the ravings of an ignorant madman. Hardly worth paying attention to.”

“Exactly. Simply have the guards beat that slanderous fool and throw him out of the residence!”

Kong Changqing, however, suddenly raised a hand and pressed it down gently.

“Wait.”

“Since the man has already made his accusation openly, if I do not produce His Majesty's imperial document today, would that not instead make it appear as though I have something to hide?”

“Someone... go to my study and bring His Majesty's imperial document here!”

A junior member of the clan immediately accepted the order and hurried away.

Before long, he returned with a solemn expression, holding a single imperial document reverently in both hands.

“Please, everyone, examine it!”

Kong Changqing took the document.

For some inexplicable reason, he first glanced at it himself before calmly handing it over to the others present.

“Indeed. This flowing, vigorous calligraphy is unquestionably the work of the Minister of the Secretariat.”

“The aura of His Majesty's imperial seal condensed upon it is also completely authentic.”

Ji Tongguang, the Minister of the Lesser Treasury, Su Wenqu, the Minister of the Imperial Clan, and several other powerful ministers of the imperial court had all seen the Qian Emperor's documents before.

After personally examining it, their doubts immediately vanished.

With several of the highest-ranking officials present personally verifying its authenticity, naturally no one else had anything more to say.

The disturbance came to an abrupt end.

Only after everyone regained their composure did they suddenly realize that the man who had been the first to stir up trouble had apparently sensed that the situation was turning against him and had slipped away without anyone noticing.

“He was nothing more than a clown. If I ever run into him again, I'll make sure he regrets it!”

Kong Zhao's face was dark as he snorted coldly.

Li Shun casually nodded in agreement.

Yet inwardly, he was deep in thought.

'That imperial document was actually that authentic? With so many high-ranking officials present, not a single one of them could distinguish the truth from the fake.'