Chapter 773: A Shock to the World

Chen Xi had no real way to comfort Li You in his current state. After a few words of reassurance, he said nothing more. At the very least, Chen Xi didn’t believe that there was any issue in the world that could shake the foundation they had built.

"Zhen Mi, pour some tea for Wenru and me!" Chen Xi called lazily to the outside. Moments later, Zhen Mi appeared with a tray of tea. This had become a sort of exclusive service—tea that had only been available in Taishan for a few years now.

Dressed in a delicate silk robe with floral patterns, Zhen Mi brought over a tea tray. She replaced the old cups and filled them with fresh tea for Chen Xi, and then moved to pour tea for Li You.

Just as the sun dipped below the western mountains, a strange sound suddenly echoed across the entire Han Dynasty. It was indescribable, but at that moment, almost every person instinctively bowed toward a certain direction, as if moved by some unseen force.

Both Li You and Chen Xi immediately stood up. In that instant, they could see the golden clouds of fortune surrounding each other. These clouds, normally invisible, now manifested clearly. But neither of them paid attention to this; they turned their heads toward the same direction, eyes wide with disbelief, as if they could see through all obstacles.

"How is this possible?" Li You murmured to himself, still in shock. "This… how is this possible?"

As he spoke, the golden clouds surrounding him began to condense visibly, slowly turning the same color as the scholar's robe he wore—deep green.

Meanwhile, Zhen Mi, who had been carrying the tea, felt her legs buckle beneath her as the mysterious sound reached her ears. She instinctively fell to her knees, facing north. However, Chen Xi, his expression grave, reached out to support her. She too began to emanate golden clouds of fortune, though not as intense as Chen Xi's. Even so, they were remarkable.

Chen Xi’s own golden clouds gathered around him rapidly, losing their golden hue and transforming into a pure white, radiating a seven-colored brilliance. At the same time, the fortune surrounding Zhen Mi shifted in sync with Chen Xi’s, turning from gold to the same radiant white.

Neither Chen Xi nor Li You paid any attention to the changes in themselves. Instead, their disbelieving eyes remained fixed in the direction of the north.

At the same time, in his home, Liu Bei, who had been spending time with his wives, Zhang and Gan, stood up reflexively as the strange sound reverberated through his heart. His eyes seemed to pierce through the northern horizon, as if seeing through all obstructions.

In that moment, the golden clouds surrounding Liu Bei began to condense at an astonishing speed. As they gathered, the golden light, which was almost too bright to look at, gradually dimmed and transformed into a thick, earthen yellow.

As the sound echoed, both Zhang and Gan felt their knees give way, but Liu Bei, with a calm expression, gently helped them to their feet.

As soon as Liu Bei touched them, the same golden aura began to emanate from their bodies, turning the same earthy yellow as Liu Bei's. The aura grew thicker and heavier, making Lady Gan, who had always seemed a bit ordinary, appear more graceful and dignified. Lady Zhang, already elegant, now seemed to exude an even greater noble presence.

"This divine artifact…" Liu Bei murmured in disbelief. Although he had suspected that something extraordinary would appear, he was still shocked by the magnitude of it. He finally understood the true nature of a "divine artifact."

Jia Xu, showing no emotion, ripped the intelligence report in his hand into pieces. All of the preparations they had made could now be set aside. Heaven had played a trick on them, and a divine artifact had descended. The golden clouds of fortune surrounding him went unnoticed as he gazed silently toward the north.

When the dragon’s roar had rung out, Man Chong had immediately activated his spiritual talent. His legalistic mind, cold and logical, overpowered his emotions, and he stared north with an icy, merciless gaze.

Mi Zhu gritted his teeth, refusing to kneel, though his eyes were locked toward the north. Even though he could not see what was happening, he understood what had just been born.

Cai Yan’s music abruptly stopped. She had been kneeling at a low table, instructing her students in the art of the qin, but now she stood, her graceful movements filled with elegance and poise.

Among the other women who had been listening to the music, only Huang Yueying and Wang Yi stood reflexively. The rest bowed their heads and kneeled toward the north.

Soon after, Jiang Ying and Cai Zhenji also struggled to their feet. Jiang Ying seemed to be lifted by some invisible force, a testament to Fa Zheng's pride and her connection to him. As for Cai Zhenji, she wavered for a moment before managing to stand firm.

"A divine artifact…" Cai Yan whispered, glancing around at the women gathered for her music lesson. Those who had managed to stand understood the significance, while the others, no matter how talented, found themselves bowing low toward the north.

As her gaze swept over Wang Yi and Huang Yueying, even Cai Yan felt a twinge of surprise at their strength. When she looked at Jiang Ying and Cai Zhenji, she sighed softly, murmuring to herself, "It seems it’s true that a husband’s status raises his wife, or perhaps a mother’s position elevates her children."

At the same time, in a secluded chamber, Fan Jian and the sleeping Chen Lan suddenly awoke. Though the servants around them had already fallen to their knees, the two women stared blankly toward the north. Although they couldn’t see anything, they instinctively knew to look in that direction. Around them, the same pure white aura of fortune that surrounded Chen Xi began to gather, glowing with seven-colored light.

In Xuzhou, the troops of Yuan Shu and Zhang Fei suddenly froze mid-battle, then all turned north and knelt. In that moment, the clouds of war dissipated. The only one still standing was Zhang Fei, next to his kneeling warhorse, Wuyun Treading Snow. Yet even he, rather than pressing the attack, stared gravely toward the north.

In Yuzhou, Fa Zheng stared northward, his face a mixture of confusion and awe. Gan Ning stood by, his face pale with shock, while Yuan Shu, supported by Ji Ling, struggled to stand, only to throw his head back in wild laughter.

On the Yangtze River, the soldiers rowing Zhou Yu’s ships suddenly dropped their oars and knelt toward the north. Zhou Yu alone remained standing, a proud figure emitting a great golden aura, as he gazed solemnly northward. Behind him, Zhou Tai stood silently.

In Jiangdong, the duel between Zixu and Yu Ji in the sky abruptly halted. Both men turned to look north, and a powerful force immediately knocked them from the sky. Neither of them resisted, both wearing expressions of sudden understanding as they plummeted toward the ground.

In Jingxiang, Huang Zhong gripped his blood-red saber, staring northward with a heavy expression. Xu Shu struggled to his feet, a breakthrough finally arriving at the moment he least wanted to kneel. Zhuge Liang, too, gazed into the distance as though seeing through time and space, watching the divine artifact manifest. Meanwhile, Sun Ce and Pang Tong stood side by side, their faces filled with uncertainty as they too gazed northward.

In Yongliang, Cao Cao stared toward Yanzhou with a bitter smile. Beside him, Dian Wei scratched his head in confusion but also turned his gaze toward Yanzhou.

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