Chapter 133: Heavenly Eye

“Quelling the chaos of this turbulent world?”

Wu Ming sat inside the carriage heading back to Chufeng Commandery, recalling the words of Wu Zhi from the previous night, his expression filled with deep emotion:

“Who would have thought… I would actually encounter such an extraordinary woman again! Truly, she rivals men in valor! Yet, this path she treads is indeed not easy!”

In the Great Zhou dynasty, supernatural powers existed, allowing women to cultivate the Dao and martial arts, accumulating formidable strength within themselves, thus enjoying a slightly higher status compared to the past. Confucian doctrines regarding social norms and gender roles were merely one minor school of thought, lacking significant influence.

Even so, due to inherent advantages men possessed in temperament and cultivation, their societal status remained higher, for power stemmed from actual strength. Male cultivators were generally more powerful and better suited for conflict, naturally commanding greater authority.

In this world, it was not easy for women to attain great power or step into the public spotlight.

“Especially considering… the Phoenix Fate only enhances one’s husband’s fortune. To wield it for oneself is practically impossible… No wonder she begged my sister Wu Qing to alter her destiny against Heaven’s will…”

A contemplative gleam shone in Wu Ming’s eyes: “Given Wu Qing’s close relationship with Wu Zhi, I fear our Wu family has already boarded this dangerous ship. Getting off now won’t be so simple…”

Wu Zhi had recently demonstrated her strength. Although she had concealed her terrifying prowess as a Grandmaster of martial cultivation, her forces—including two sorcerers and two masters of the martial school—had utterly destroyed the vast power base of her rival, greatly intimidating others.

Of course, this only intensified existing conflicts, with all factions silently preparing for a decisive strike. Thus, Wu Zhi had described the current peace as the final one.

This woman deeply understood the principles of warfare. Although she had revealed part of her strength, she had not leaked even a hint of her greatest secret—her cultivation as a Grandmaster of martial arts, revealing the depth of her strategic mind.

“If we cannot complete the act of altering fate against Heaven’s decree before the final confrontation, there will still be some issues…”

Wu Ming furrowed his brows, feeling for the first time that the matter had become urgent.

“Even if my sister Wu Qing reaches the level of True Man, altering fate for a woman of such Phoenix Fate still carries risks…”

As these thoughts crossed his mind, a sharp glint flashed in Wu Ming’s eyes, and he made a firm decision.

…

Chufeng Commandery’s city bustled with activity, having long recovered its former prosperity, even surpassing it slightly.

Since Li Yu married the daughter of Xing Ju, the two—father-in-law and son-in-law—had divided governance and military affairs between them, maintaining an outwardly peaceful relationship. After several months, they had finally managed to restore stability within the commandery.

Of course, in Wu Ming’s eyes, the people’s hearts and fortune still bore slight fluctuations.

However, it wasn’t a major concern. Once a year passed and the autumn harvest came, with food in their homes, the people’s minds would calm.

These common folk, as long as life remained bearable and there was a slight hope of upward mobility, would not care who ruled above!

Just like in Wu Ming’s past life, even if a few enlightened emperors emerged during ancient dynasties, once a new dynasty arose, after just a few years, how many still remembered the old one?

Only those who had benefited under the former regime and suffered under the new one would feign mourning. As for actually risking life and limb to rebel? Few would dare…

“It seems… Li Yu has done quite well!”

Wu Ming specially visited the governor’s mansion to observe its aura. He saw golden-red qi gathering in clouds, with a vague shape resembling a python within, its scales and horns vividly displayed. He smiled with satisfaction.

Now, Li Yu governed eight counties in the commandery, and the collective fortune he commanded far surpassed what Wu Ming had originally bestowed upon him.

Even with the Heavenly Eye, Wu Ming deeply understood that fortune was merely a reflection of strength.

To be precise, in most cases, power or authority must come first, followed by fortune. Thus, an aura was merely a benchmark.

Even an ordinary person, if he cultivated to the level of True Man or served as a county magistrate, would possess red fortune! The difference was that one could not be seized, while the other could.

As for other innate noble fates—such as heavenly favor, the support of dragons in the earth, and feng shui arrangements—they were merely an initial windfall, an external fortune.

If one failed to capitalize on this fortune to rise, once it dissipated, the outcome might be worse than that of ordinary people!

“Previously, Li Yu bore the form of a snake, but now he has the shape of a python. Truly, his time has come…”

Wu Ming smiled faintly, no longer lingering, nor entertaining thoughts of stepping forward to claim credit.

The current Li Yu was no longer the refined young nobleman of before, but a minor warlord governing a commandery with thousands of troops under his command. How could such a ruthless character tolerate someone like Wu Ming, who could alter fate itself?

He would certainly first attempt to control him, employing every means possible—from manipulating his family, Dao sect, and relatives—to bring him under control. If all else failed, he would simply eliminate him.

Wu Ming, of course, had no intention of walking into such a trap!

“Still… what I planted before is now ready for harvest!”

At this moment, sensing the fortune emanating from the governor’s mansion, a large surge of golden-red qi stirred restlessly, tinged with a hint of green.

He had a premonition that with but a single thought, this fortune would rush toward him, repaying his earlier investment. This was the principle of celestial cycles!

Of course, without this fortune, although Li Yu would not immediately perish in battle, his foundation would be damaged, and he would certainly face misfortunes in the near future.

“Enough… no rush. I’ll leave this as a reserve, waiting for the future…”

Withdrawing now would mean completely losing any connection or influence. Thinking of Wu Zhi in Nanfeng Commandery, Wu Ming’s eyes flickered with intent, and without further hesitation, he turned and walked away.

…

Outside the City God Temple.

The main reason Wu Ming did not return directly to the Wu family fortress was to investigate Wang Zhong’s situation.

After all, this was his true deadly enemy. Although currently in decline, Wu Ming still felt uneasy about leaving a snake alive.

At this moment, the once bustling temple square stood completely deserted. The edges of the official seals on the temple doors had turned pale yellow, but the governor’s seal remained vividly red, sharply contrasting with the weathered wooden doors and walls.

Around the City God Temple, two parasol trees bore withered yellow leaves. Even as spring’s vitality flourished, no sign of life emerged.

A gentle breeze swept through, lifting the dry leaves, as if lamenting the decline of this once-revered shrine.

“People’s hearts are fickle!”

Seeing this, Wu Ming sighed deeply. Even if the City God possessed divine powers, once the government forbade worship, how many would dare to defy the authorities and risk confiscation and exile?

As long as the Li family remained in power and the ban continued, without the people’s prayers and offerings to replenish his strength, unless he was a mountain or river deity drawing power from the land or water, or even a primordial god like the Great Emperor of Mount Tai who commanded the world’s original forces, how long could a human-made deity like the City God or Earth God survive?

Precisely because he understood the limitations of the divine path so clearly, Wu Ming had never sought it.

“A god’s decree grants power, but also binds it… Even an ancient deity like the Great Emperor of Mount Tai remains limited by the world and cannot transcend it.”

Such deities, so deeply intertwined with the world, could never truly attain freedom and transcendence.

It was precisely because he had sensed the enormous limitations and future dangers that, during his previous encounter in the realm of spirits and gods, Wu Ming had been able to resolutely reject the position of Heavenly Emperor.

Of course, as the former Great Emperor of Mount Tai and Lord of Mount Tai, Wu Ming now possessed unparalleled divine knowledge, experience, cultivation techniques, and secret teachings, far surpassing ordinary individuals like Wang Zhong and Ao Nu.

Moreover, he had applied his knowledge broadly, mastering one method to understand all, thereby truly realizing his own path—an insight beyond material value.

“This method of opening the spiritual eye—Daoism has the Spirit Eye, Buddhism has the Heavenly Eye, Legalism has the Law Eye, and even the divine path has its own so-called Divine Eye, which sees through Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. In truth, they all lead to the same destination!”

Wu Ming lightly pressed his forehead, slightly narrowing his eyes, as an unfathomable light emanated from his mud-pond palace, radiating outward through his third eye.

Legend says that humans, as the most intelligent beings, are born with the Heavenly Eye.

However, due to the muddied energies of the human world, it becomes sealed, located precisely at the third eye between the eyebrows.

Many deities in the Great Zhou, and even the Erlang Shen of Jiangkou in Wu Ming’s past life, bore such a vertical eye in the center of their foreheads.

Now, Wu Ming was employing precisely this technique.

His previous Spirit Eye technique had been learned from a guardian of the Zhou family, a self-developed method that could barely perceive fortune. Without the support of the Main Temple’s true vision, it lacked such supernatural abilities.

The current Heavenly Eye technique, however, was a Daoist secret Wu Ming had developed based on the Divine Eye method of the divine path, tailored to his own cultivation.

Previously, the Spirit Eye could only perceive a person’s fortune in minute detail.

But now, the Heavenly Eye could observe mountain and earth energies, water dragons’ movements, and even detect subtle shifts in heavenly will and human affairs.

“If I were to abandon everything now and retreat deep into famous mountains and great rivers, accumulating day by day, I might actually stumble upon a few dragon veins of imperial fortune… Unfortunately, Feng Shui alone cannot determine everything. If a ruler merely relies on dragon veins and neglects his own foundation, it will end in tragedy, leaving him without even a grave…”

In reality, such hidden dragon veins were only useful for rapid initial growth. Even among the feudal lords of the Great Zhou dynasty, not to mention dozens, at least seven or eight families had ancestral ties to dragon veins. Without the right timing and virtuous governance, how could they overthrow the Zhou imperial court?

“When the heavenly timing is not right, and lacking support from human affairs, even a dragon vein cannot allow one to soar…”

At this moment, with a faint sigh, he used his Heavenly Eye to observe the aura, instantly revealing a scene above the commandery city that had previously escaped his notice.

“Hmm… wisps of black qi forming a wolf shape—must be Xing Ju! It slightly opposes the red python, indicating that Li Yu and Xing Ju still harbor some underlying tensions…”

This was understandable. After all, not everyone who wields military power is willing to pave the way for others. Especially when it comes to a son-in-law—an outsider!

After Li Yu gained power, he naturally would not tolerate Xing Ju monopolizing the military.

Previously, under external pressure, they had united and worked together, but now the situation had become problematic.

“This black wolf, formed from military qi, bears a look of suspicion and ambition, likely indicating a traitorous nature… but it’s not yet time…”

Wu Ming shook his head and turned his gaze back to the City God Temple.