Chapter 80

In the evening, Li Xian presented the remaining lingzhi to his wife as if it were a treasure. "Qingqing, I heard that lingzhi has beautifying effects."

"Are you saying I'm not very pretty now?" Xia Qingqing was still dressed simply, perhaps out of habit.

Li Xian was at a loss, and the topic must not continue. "I just love you so much that I don't know how to express it."

"You pass this time." Xia Qingqing finally took the lingzhi with joy.

Li Xian gently hugged Xia Qingqing, savoring the rare moment of peace.

The next day, Li Xian was busy distributing rewards and salaries to the soldiers, earning a chorus of cheers. Only then did Li Xian truly gain the loyalty of the thirty thousand soldiers. However, the number of thirty thousand was just a nominal figure, as several thousand casualties needed to be replenished. This task naturally fell to Beichen Yuqing.

Afterward, Li Xian began preparing for the negotiations.

"Master, I'll go to Cai State," Xu Ren volunteered.

Li Xian shook his head. "Negotiations aren't done that way. Such negotiations are too passive."

"Then how should it be done?" Xu Ren was confused again. What strange ideas do you have, Master?

Li Xian, of course, had a good idea. He called Liu Leigang. "How many motorcycles do we have now?"

"We already have 30!" Liu Leigang was very happy.

"Send them all out to greet the soldiers of Cai State at the front line. You know how to fight, right?"

Liu Leigang was overjoyed. "Master, rest assured, I know what to do!"

Li Xian then said seriously, "Go then, don't worry about the bullets, use them freely. Just be careful."

"Yes."

Half an hour later, 30 tricycles roared off, envied by other armies. Wang Jian volunteered, "Master, we can do it too. We can ambush halfway. If Cai State soldiers chase us, we can set up an ambush."

Li Xian kicked Wang Jian away. "Go guard the pass. What if Cai State sends a large army? Also, hurry up and close yourself off for cultivation. Once you reach the Golden Core stage, I'll let you out!"

"Really? It's a deal!" Wang Jian ran out laughing.

Seeing this, Xu Ren laughed. "Congratulations, Master, you've truly taken control of Anyang."

"None of this would be possible without your help. Without your assistance, it would have taken Li Xian several more years, and the process would have been much more difficult."

Xu Ren, being a smart man, knew some things needed to be clarified. "Master, do you know the difference between worldly cultivation and otherworldly cultivation?"

"Otherworldly cultivation, isn't that the old method of cultivation? It emphasizes seclusion, purity, and the pursuit of ascension. Worldly cultivation, on the other hand, is a recent development, emphasizing cultivation in the world, amidst the red dust."

"It's not just that." Xu Ren looked at the distant green mountains. "Many people don't know that the reason cultivation techniques are so widespread now is because of us who practice worldly cultivation; of course, that was a long time ago. We spread all the cultivation techniques so that everyone could cultivate; and with everyone cultivating, resources would be consumed in large quantities.

In just ten thousand years, all the resources in the Immortal Realm were depleted."

"Why?" Li Xian was alarmed. What are these people up to?

"Of course, it's for cultivation!" Xu Ren's expression turned serious. "There's a saying: one's fate, two's luck, three's cultivation.

One's fate is one's destiny, how one is born. For example, Master's destiny of the Nine Stars of the Northern Dipper.

Two's luck includes merit and fortune.

Three's cultivation is naturally cultivation.

Among these, fate is the hardest to change, while cultivation is the easiest. Luck is in between.

Cultivation can be done by one person. This is the foundation of the numerous sects. When the Immortal Realm was rich in resources, individual cultivation was the easiest way to become an immortal.

But when the resources of heaven and earth were depleted, the choice for cultivators was the next one—cultivating luck.

Cultivating luck requires a large sphere of influence; hence, the rise of nations.

Of course, luck is intangible, but those who follow it find cultivation easier and more likely to break through. Luck can replace heavenly treasures. Luck exists in everyone.

The power of a nation is to gather the luck of the entire country to provide for officials and even the emperor; thus, a centralized system was formed. Look at the emperors of various countries; even those with the poorest aptitude are at the Golden Core stage. Even the emperor of the Great Xia, who is idle and almost talentless, can become a Golden Core expert."

Li Xian pondered these words for a long time. "But what does this have to do with worldly cultivation?"

Xu Ren chuckled. "Traditional cultivation emphasizes purity, seclusion, and cutting off karma. However, to borrow the luck of the world, one must enter the world, that is, engage in worldly cultivation. First, enter the world, then leave it; in this process of entering and leaving, absorb luck and promote cultivation.

But human desires are endless. Once the door to desires is opened, it leads to endless corruption. Therefore, behind the brilliance of every nation lies a pile of sins.

These sins need to be borne by someone! Naturally, the most suitable person to bear these sins is the emperor! These sins and the responsibilities of the emperor ensure that the emperor can never 'leave the world' and will always be in the world of karma.

Thus, the emperor, on one hand, bears supreme glory, and on the other, bears boundless sins and responsibilities. Therefore, the emperor can never ascend. But the emperor can enjoy all the wealth and glory of the world, which is a kind of alternative enlightenment.

After the emperor filters out the sins, what remains is a small amount of pure luck, which is what we strategists need. Although this luck is minimal, it has no negative consequences; over time, it is enough for us to ascend in broad daylight."

"Ah, I see!" Li Xian finally felt relieved. "Are there many who ascend through worldly cultivation?"

"Very few!" Xu Ren's expression was somewhat melancholic. "Who among strategists can say they have never done anything wrong? Who has never devised a wicked plan? In this world, there is no such thing as a perfect person, thing, or event."

Li Xian was about to agree when he suddenly straightened his face. "There is! Why not! In my eyes, Xia Qingqing is perfect."

Xu Ren's face turned dark.

A light laugh came from the doorway, and Xia Qingqing walked in with a joyful expression. "Husband, should we move the school to Anyang City? Although Qingyun Valley is nice, it's not conducive to the children's growth."

"Oh, I forgot about that. The school's name is too old-fashioned. Let's change it to 'Hope Star' School. The school should be spacious and bright, and everything should be the best.

Let Xiang Yun from the concrete division be in charge of construction. Tell Xiang Yun to use reinforced concrete, floor-to-ceiling glass windows, and stainless steel railings. All school buildings should be at least five stories tall. I want to make the school a landmark."

Li Xian's impulsive decision caused a series of complaints.

Xiang Yun came first to complain: "Master, the concrete factory isn't even built yet."

Then Song Gang from the smelting division complained: "Master, the tridents for the sea clan aren't finished yet, and stainless steel is in short supply."

Li Xian was troubled. "Everything is difficult at the beginning! Let's use magic to temporarily build a school and move the students over."

Then Liu Bin from the machinery division complained: "Master, many of the school's teachers are excellent workers or even researchers from the machinery division. We welcome the move, but they can't leave!"

Then Tang Rong from the research department complained: "Master, don't make decisions on a whim. Many researchers are also part-time teachers and can't leave."

Li Xian was furious. "So many problems, split them up! Directly split some researchers to focus on teaching and part-time theoretical research."

From then on, Li Xian's researchers began to split into two parts: theoretical research and production research.

Tang Rong came not just to complain but also to take away all the war magical weapons for study.

While Li Xian was dealing with a myriad of issues, the Cai State was also in a state of chaos.