The Golden Seal Jade Book is the national treasure that stabilizes Qi Fortune for Huazhang Country.
It is a jade book, nine inches square and three inches thick, with white jade pages bound by golden threads, currently consisting of sixty-two pages.
It has always been placed at the center of the main hall of the Imperial Ancestral Temple of Huazhang Country, enshrined on a three-tiered white jade altar, suppressing the nation’s fortune, concentrating the Literary Energy, and sensing the people’s hearts, while also warning of national crises.
At this mont, the golden threads weaving the Golden Seal Jade Book are all taut, emitting a piercing tallic sound. The sound is sharp and harsh, as if sothing is tearing at the golden threads, trying to break them one by one.
On the cover, the four large characters ’Hua Zhang Jade Scroll’ are also trembling slightly.
The guard was utterly terrified, his legs turned to jelly as he rushed out of the Ancestral Temple. He stumbled across three courtyards and nurous corridors, finally crashing into the office room.
In the office room, the Imperial Ancestral Temple Director Zhou Zheng was organizing the list of sacrificial offerings for the day. Hearing the sound of the door being slamd open, he looked up sharply and saw the pale face of Lu Huairen, causing his heart to sink.
Zhou Zheng urgently asked, "What’s happened?"
The guard opened his mouth, but no sound ca out. He pointed in the direction of the Ancestral Temple, trembling all over as if sieved.
Zhou Zheng stood up abruptly, quickly walked to him, and supported him: "Speak!"
The guard finally squeezed out a few words: "Jade... Jade Scroll... anomaly... warning!"
Zhou Zheng’s face changed dramatically, and without another word, he rushed out.
Monts later, Zhou Zheng rushed out from the Ancestral Temple. He took out a blank Jade Slip from his bosom and inscribed eight characters with mana: "Jade Scroll anomaly, Monarch, please hurry!"
The next instant, the Jade Slip, infused with mana, transford into a streak of light, soaring into the sky.
The Huazhang Country Lord was polishing chess pieces.
His greatest hobby was playing chess. He had collected many famous chess sets, and in his spare ti, he did not linger in the harem but spent almost all his ti playing with these famous chess sets, wiping chessboards, and studying chess pieces.
In the next mont, the Jade Slip smashed through the window lattice and flew towards him.
The Huazhang Country Lord hurriedly caught it, infused his Divine Sense, and his face changed dramatically.
The Huazhang Country Lord imdiately stood up, activated the secret Transmission Array in the room, and directly entered the main hall of the Ancestral Temple.
As the Monarch, his every move was highly impactful, with significant implications. In the event of a major ergency, to prevent court turmoil, the Huazhang Country Lord quietly entered the Ancestral Temple without fanfare.
The main hall door of the Ancestral Temple was tightly closed, with only Zhou Zheng inside.
Upon seeing the Huazhang Country Lord’s arrival, he quickly kneeled.
The Huazhang Country Lord waved his hand, indicating for him to rise, then imdiately walked to the Golden Seal Jade Book, continuously activating spells, forming Finger Seals, and murmuring incantations.
The simultaneous use of the Heart Seal, Body Seal, and Oral Seal revealed the Huazhang Country Lord’s anxious mood.
Half an incense stick’s ti later, the Golden Seal Jade Book gradually cald down, returning to its usual radiant and auspicious state.
However, the Huazhang Country Lord’s expression remained grim.
He had cald this national treasure while also gaining a vague sense of the forthcoming threat: "It is a fallacious doctrine, capable of greatly undermining the literary foundations of my Huazhang Country! It seems to originate from the Demon Path. Recently, the Demon Path’s Qi Fortune entangled with our Confucian Sect’s Qi Fortune, which triggered the warning from the Golden Seal Jade Book!"
"Demon Path..."
The Huazhang Country Lord pondered for a mont, then suddenly called out: "Zhou Zheng."
The Imperial Ancestral Temple Director Zhou Zheng bowed: "Present, my liege."
"Deliver my secret edict: Summon Jixia Academy Sacrificial Wine Han Song, Imperial College Professor Zheng Jing, and National Academy Supervisor Wang Shu to the Ancestral Temple imdiately. Let it not alarm others, and do not disclose the news."
Zhou Zheng accepted the order and quietly retreated.
Half an hour later, the three Great Scholars arrived together.
Leading them was Han Song, with white hair and beard, a clear and emaciated face, and eyes like stars. Behind him, Zheng Jing displayed a calm deanor, while Wang Shu had a slightly furrowed brow. All three wore plain robes without any adornnt—a ritual attire representing the highest level of secret discussion within the Confucian Sect.
"Your Majesty." The three bowed in greeting.
The Huazhang Country Lord raised his hand, signaling them to forgo the formalities. Through Divine Sense Transmission, he inford them of the situation.
The expressions of all three subtly changed.
The Huazhang Country Lord added, "This is a serious matter, and to avoid personal misjudgnt, I ask the three of you to each communicate with the Golden Seal Jade Book, verifying among ourselves."
Han Song stepped forward first to sense it, followed by Zheng Jing and Wang Shu.
"Your Majesty’s intuition is correct," Han Song slowly said, "This is a sign of the Demon Path’s Qi Fortune entangling with our Confucian Sect’s Qi Fortune. Though the entanglent is shallow, it has already triggered the Jade Scroll, indicating its significance."
Zheng Jing nodded, "What kind of matter is the Demon Path’s Qi Fortune nurturing that it can unsettle Huazhang’s literary continuity?"
Wang Shu’s brows furrowed deeper, "If left unchecked, at best, national fortunes will waver; at worst... the literary lineage could be severed. Your Majesty, I suggest an imdiate initiation of the ritual ceremony."
For a nation, the most important affairs are war and sacrifice.
The Huazhang Country Lord nodded, "Indeed, I summoned the three of you in secrecy to assist in conducting a secret national sacrifice!"
He looked at Han Song, "How long do you think preparation will take?"
Han Song frowned and lowered his head in contemplation for a mont, then responded, "At least three days."
The Huazhang Country Lord shook his head, "Two days."
Han Song imdiately saluted, "As you command, my liege."
The Huazhang Country Lord’s gaze swept over the other two, "Who will compose the ceremonial text for this national sacrifice?"
Both Wang Shu and Zheng Jing excelled in this art. After exchanging a glance, Zheng Jing took a step forward: "Your Majesty, I am willing to take on this task."
The Huazhang Country Lord nodded and addressed Wang Shu, "The national sacrifice requires secrecy, without any grand disturbance. You will arrange the altar within the Ancestral Temple."
Wang Shu bowed in compliance, "As you command!"
Wanxiang Sect’s Main Mountain Gate.
A high-level discussion was underway.
Deputy Peak Master Wei Ji of Heavy Array Peak sat in the chief position.
He remained in plain hempen robes, sitting as steadfastly as a mountain. A middle-aged face over forty, with ordinary features and a light wheat complexion, resembled a riverbed stone polished smooth by flowing water. His pure black pupils turned to the left side, his gaze calm and detached, observing the world as if through a transparent glass barrier.
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