Chapter 784: Fate and Fortune

"Hey, Wenru, are you sure this thing is your forgery? I’ve already confirmed it’s the real deal. I can feel the weight of national fortune pressing on me, but I can also feel its support," Chen Xi quietly asked Li You.

"It’s definitely my forgery. I even carved a tiny engraving of myself on it," Li You replied with a dark expression. He had whimsically carved a small version of himself into the masses of people and spirits on the Human Ding when he originally made it.

"...," Chen Xi tugged at the corner of his mouth. "But the national fortune is real, and no one would doubt that. Since the Ding is a fake, I won’t feel any pressure about carving something on it myself."

"You really plan to carve something on it?" Li You whispered back.

"I said I would, and I mean it!" Chen Xi chuckled. "Are you going to do it, or should I?"

"I’m not doing it," Li You refused flatly. This wasn’t the kind of thing that just anyone could pull off. He wasn’t confident that he wouldn’t end up getting killed for it, so he’d rather not risk it.

As the officials and military leaders of Taishan headed to Jingling Hall, Zhao Yun arrived as well. His hair moved without wind, his gaze was fierce, and his cold expression made him seem unapproachable. Dark energy occasionally flickered from him, prompting Chen Xi to unconsciously put some distance between them.

"What’s up with Zilong?" Jia Xu asked, slowing his pace and leaning back slightly. Everyone in Taishan had a good relationship with Zhao Yun—after all, he was both highly capable and had an exemplary character.

"I don’t know. Maybe he just had a big battle on the way and hasn’t had time to clean up," Chen Xi speculated, filling in the blanks with his imagination.

"General Guan mentioned that Zilong helped him block..." Li You mimicked a hand gesture, indicating something significant. "That’s already quite impressive."

"They seek immortality, not combat. Their path is different, and their fighting ability is much weaker," Chen Xi rolled his eyes. It’s like comparing people in the same field: some make hydrogen bombs while others study nuclear forces. The gap is massive, even if they’re technically in the same field.

In truth, Chen Xi had the most confidence in Zhao Yun. Ten unknown cultivators? They were nothing!

Although both martial artists and cultivators trained, cultivators pursued immortality, often forsaking emotions and worldly attachments. Martial generals, however, trained in the art of killing and were designed for combat. The two paths were incomparable. In a fight, it would be strange if the cultivators won!

"Zilong, your hair’s a bit messy," Guan Yu commented, which was unusual for him to mention such trivial matters.

"...," Zhao Yun didn’t know what to say. Did his current look not appear as intimidating as he thought?

"He seems like he’s been dealt a serious blow," Mi Zhu remarked, tilting his head. "Zilong, are you feeling down because no one’s taking care of you? How about I arrange a marriage for you?"

"Is this about marrying your sister, Zizhong?" Liu Bei asked, turning around. He was quite concerned about his subordinates’ personal lives. Both Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun were getting on in years and were still single, which worried him.

Mi Zhu looked Zhao Yun up and down, then thought of his sister and sighed, waving his hand to indicate he didn’t want to bring it up.

When Lu Jun of the Lu family had visited, Mi Zhu had met him during Lu Xun’s time in Taishan. Lu Xun was indeed a talented young man, and the families were of similar standing. Mi Zhu’s family wouldn’t have been overreaching, and it seemed like a good match.

However, Mi Zhu cherished his sister, Mi Zhen, as if she were a precious jewel. She had already met Lu Xun, and since she had taken advantage of her seniority over him, the matter of marriage was ultimately dropped.

"Zizhong, it seems you’re quite troubled about your sister. If I recall correctly, in a short while, you’ll have to pay double taxes," Jia Xu teased with a smile. If Mi Zhu didn’t arrange a marriage for his sister soon, he would face some embarrassment. Of course, it was just about getting engaged, and the actual wedding could take months or even years.

"Don’t mention it," Mi Zhu waved dismissively, looking downtrodden.

Mi Zhen had already been placed under Cai Yan’s care, with the hope that she could be properly educated. If that didn’t work, Mi Zhu was prepared to reluctantly marry her off as a concubine to one of his close friends. If she succeeded in her education, he would look for someone suitable for her to marry as a proper wife, ensuring it was a good match for everyone involved.

Clearly, Mi Zhu was a responsible and honorable elder brother. He understood that if his sister wasn’t properly educated, marrying her off as a wife could bring misfortune upon the entire household.

The walk from Central Avenue to Jingling Hall wasn’t short, so the group took their time. Meanwhile, the city management troops gradually fell in line behind Liu Bei and his entourage, forming a massive procession that followed Guan Yu’s lead toward Jingling Hall.

"Place it in front of that stone monument," Liu Bei said, gazing at the towering stone stele. He had no intention of placing the Xuanyuan Ding inside a building. Instead, he chose to set it in front of the monument, which commemorated those who had died in battle for the nation. Perhaps this was Liu Bei’s way of honoring their sacrifice.

Whenever Chen Xi visited this place, he would shed his usual playful demeanor and silently gaze at the massive stone monument with reverence.

"To offer the national fortune in tribute to the spirits of those who died for the country... perhaps their souls will rest in peace," Li You said softly, bowing deeply before the monument.

Jia Xu remained silent, tightly pressing his lips together as he bowed. He had some suspicions about the Xuanyuan Ding, but as the saying goes, "Falsehood, when taken as truth, becomes truth." Who could really say for sure?

"Am I offering tribute to the national fortune or to the heroic spirits that protected it? The Xuanyuan Human Ding is a national treasure meant to unite the people’s hearts. It should be enshrined in the ancestral temple, but I’m placing it before the monument that honors those who fought and died for the Han Dynasty," Liu Bei thought, feeling a moment of uncertainty. He wasn’t sure whether he was paying tribute to the nation’s fortune or to the souls of the fallen heroes.

Liu Bei performed three deep bows to the stone monument and the Xuanyuan Ding. With each bow, the wind stirred, the national fortune extended, and a dragon’s roar echoed across the land.

At that moment, the once-faint golden dragon above Mount Tai became fully solid. Many people in the region even saw the apparition of a dragon ascending to the heavens.

"As expected of Liu Xuande, he’s already made the Xuanyuan Ding submit to him. The once-scattered fortune of the Han Dynasty has begun to stabilize with this influx of national power," Fan Liang remarked as he gazed at the hidden but majestic dragon’s aura over Mount Tai.

"Yet somehow... you aren’t destined to be the founding emperor," Fan Liang muttered as he glanced at the northwest, where the national fortune was nearly dissipated. His expression was one of confusion. By all logic, with Liu Bei’s overwhelming fortune and the fall of the previous dynasty, he should have been poised to become the new emperor!

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