A milky-white mist slowly accumulated in the mountain valley. However, the morning sun slowly rose over the eastern sea. Painstakingly climbing over countless mountains, it threw its warmth and light into the air above the mountain manor, causing the white mist to slowly dissipate.
It seemed that in just an instant, the sky had brightened. In the green mountain valley filled with trees, the birds chirped as they woke up. Dew dripped from the leaves. Freed from their heavy burden, the leaves bounced back happily like they were stretching. The entire mountain valley was filled with a fresh, breathing feeling.
Fan Xian rubbed his slightly sore eyes and sat by the bed for a while before waking up. Last night, he had talked too long with his father and slept too late, so he was not used to it. Not many people in Ten Family Village knew of his arrival. There were no servants or serving girls in this place. When he pushed open the wooden door and felt the cool mountain wind hit his face, he couldn't help but be surprised when he saw the basin of hot water at his feet.
Sitting on the threshold, he wrung out a towel in the basin of hot water and wiped his face forcefully until his cheeks were slightly red. Only then did he feel a sense of satisfaction. He threw the towel back into the basin and carried it into the courtyard to the side, indicating for his subordinates to keep quiet when they saw him.
…
…
The entire morning, Fan Xian served his father, brought tea and water, cooked food, and massaged his back. He had been reborn for 20 years. Most of it had been in Danzhou and Jingdou. It had also been three years since he had seen his father. He knew that he was not actually a competent son. It was rare that he was in a foreign mountain valley and had nothing else to worry about. He took his duties as a son seriously.
Minister Fan was only surprised in the beginning. Once he understood what he was thinking, he only smiled and let him be. Calm and unruffled, he was served by his son.
Casually eating some plain porridge and white bread, the father and son pushed open the courtyard door and followed the wide straight path of Ten Family Village toward the large mountain beside the village. The straight path was still covered by a faint white mist. It was impossible to see clearly the cracks in the stone slabs under their feet. Fan Xian carefully supported his father. As they walked, he quietly spoke with him.
The straight path had three horizontal and one vertical. Although it was in the white mist, it was possible to see that the standard was very high and very spacious. It did not match the height of the buildings in the mountain village at all. Fan Xian knew that this was an advance preparation for future transportation needs.
A branch of peach blossom peeked out from the white fog. Minister Fan pointed at it and quietly said something. Fan Xian, who was at his side, nodded repeatedly. Next to another stone well, Minister Fan said a few more words, and Fan Xian nodded again.
On the way out in the morning, Minister Fan warmly explained to Fan Xian what the workshop would be used for in the future, who would be stationed in the house, and how the three workshops would be placed if they were to rise again. Just like that, they talked and walked. It didn't take long for the father and son to walk along the stone path into the green mountain. They only stopped when they reached the side of the mountain next to a flying rock.
The father and son turned their heads at the same time to look down the mountain. They saw a streak of golden light penetrating thousands of li from the east. In an instant, it swept away the white mist in the mountain valley, revealing its true appearance. There were countless different kinds of residences arranged in picturesque disorder in the valley, following the direction of the straight path. Between the green walls and black eaves, an occasional old tree peeked out. It was incomparably fresh. In the distance, they could faintly see a few wisps of smoke curling up from kitchen chimneys. Presumably, the people who had woken up early were boiling water and cooking.
Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and looked into the mountain valley. He saw the densely packed residences gradually growing farther and farther between the two mountains. They stretched out toward the east. He couldn't see the end.
Last night, he had only seen the starlight beneath his feet. Now that he had seen its true appearance, he realized that the Ten Family Village was now such a grand existence. Thinking of the hard work of these two years, thinking of the people who had worked hard for the Ten Family Village, and seeing the results in front of him, a smile gradually spread between his brows, lips, and teeth.
"Treasuring a wall is a crime." Minister Fan supported his tired waist and smiled as he panted. "Right now, it is just a shell. If you actually put the gemstones in and the news gets out, I'm afraid everyone in the world will come to take a bite out of you."
"Not many people have the power to bite me," Fan Xian replied with a smile.
Minister Fan shook his head in disapproval. "Although the valley is easy to defend and difficult to attack, how can a mere few thousand people stop the attack of a country's army?"
"Last night, father showed me the map. If the Emperor were to send out troops to attack, Dongyi and Northern Qi in between should have some reaction."
"Dongyi will soon be part of the Qing Kingdom …"
"That is only in name. Without 10 years of effort, it will be difficult for the Qing Kingdom to peacefully bring Dongyi into their system."
"What about Dongyi themselves? Or perhaps the Northern Qi people. " Minister Fan looked at him with a slight smile. "The inheritance your mother left behind has great allure. No one can resist it. This place is already close to Northern Qi. How could the Northern Qi people let it go? "
Fan Xian smiled and helped his father sit on a rock halfway up the mountain. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I have a way to keep the little Emperor in check on Northern Qi. Even if she is blinded by the diamonds, I have a way to make her give up on this idea."
"A second palace treasury has appeared in the world. Do you think the ruler of a country can just give it up if he says so?" Minister Fan used an amused gaze to examine his son. "Although I don't know where your confidence in the Northern Qi Emperor comes from, if this matter were to get out, the civil and military officials of Northern Qi would certainly be drooling. Even if the little Emperor doesn't want to offend you, how could he stop the will of the entire country?"
Fan Xian stood by his father's side and withdrew his gaze from below. With a pained smile, he said, "What can I do? This has always been a hot potato. Putting aside the Emperor's side for now, even in the future, if I want to protect this place, I need to be strong enough. "
"Alright, we'll do as you say. Putting aside the Emperor for now." Minister Fan smiled. The father and son both knew that the greatest danger to Ten Family Village still came from the Emperor in Jingdou. "Let's talk about the three countries. You have to contend with them. How much power do you have right now to protect this place?"
"I have the most ninth-level aces in the world under my command." Fan Xian was silent for a moment and then said seriously, "More than the Emperor."
"Are you sure Sigu Jian is willing to give those people to you?" Minister Fan asked. "Even if he is willing to give them to you, once he dies, how will you control the people in the Sword Hut?"
"That will depend on how Sigu Jian handles it," Fan Xian replied. "As for whether to give them or not, I don't think he needs to consider it. This matter has the greatest benefit for Dongyi."
"Speaking of benefits, I am truly worried about the people of the Qing Kingdom." Fan Xian suddenly became gloomy.
"This is only a supplement, a backup, and a threat." Fan Xian pressed his lips together and quietly said, "If we don't have to use it, that would be the best outcome."
The white fog in the valley had long dissipated. Being forced by the gradually rising temperature of the ground, it floated upward invisibly. Halfway up the mountain, it met with the slightly cool mountain wind blowing through the valleys and gradually seeped out a white mist.
The Fan father and son sat among the white clouds on a green rock. Mist swirled around them. Their sleeves fluttered lightly, making them look like two immortals. Not far away, on the side of the path leading into the mountain, a farmer was chopping wood. He forcefully suppressed the curiosity in his heart and did not turn his gaze toward the two figures in the clouds. Even further away, there were a few branches hidden in the darkness. These people were the guards of Ten Family Village, secretly protecting the buildings and people here.
Naturally, the existence of these people could not be hidden from Fan Xian. They probably could not be hidden from Minister Fan either. The two of them did not want to alarm too many people. They only silently watched the clouds rise and fall around them.
They had been silent for a long time. Suddenly, Minister Fan calmly said, "For a person to be able to change a world from his bones is something that has never happened in the thousands of years of history."
Fan Xian did not reply. He knew what his father was talking about.
"Your mother was a genius. She had the bearing and talent of a celestial. Perhaps she wanted to use her own power to change this world. However, in the end, she still failed." Minister Fan's expression was cold and wooden. However, there was an indescribable regret in this coldness and wooden.
He raised his arm and waved his sleeve amidst the faint mist. Pointing at the buildings in the valley, he said emotionally, "Many years ago, on that wasteland in the north of Min, I was also like today, looking at the boundless magnificence of the scene, born out of desolation. Your mother's mind always had so many strange and wonderful ideas. Not only did she convince the people of the world, she also seemed to have convinced the heavens of the restrictions they gave us. How could one not be moved? "
Fan Xian listened and was moved slightly.
"Back then, if your mother had not died, the palace treasury would certainly not be what it is now. Based on her thoughts, the Ye family's business would eventually spread all over the world." Minister Fan sighed. "I originally did not approve of your intention to build this Ten Family Village. Thinking of your mother's wish, I let you do it."
"In those years, no, these years, I have been thinking about a question. That is, where did your mother come from? What did she want to do in this world? Also, why did she leave? "
Fan Xian sat down and sat close to his father in silence.
Minister Fan's thin face appeared particularly calm in the mountain wind. "Us old people have all experienced things from many years ago. We can guess that your mother came from that illusory Temple. Wu Zhu was her guard. The Temple has never been involved in worldly affairs. Why would there be such a dream-like story?"
Fan Xian hugged his knees with his hands and gently pressed his face against them. He looked at his father from the side and sank into a daze. He knew that his father had once been a famous dissolute scholar in Jingdou. Poetry, literature, calligraphy, and painting were all among the best in the world. It was only later that his companions began to plot for the world that he gave up those spiritual things and threw himself into dry and important matters such as accounts.
Halfway up the mountain beside Ten Family Village, Fan Xian, who had already retired from the position of Minister of Revenue in the Qing Kingdom for three years, finally returned to the appearance of an artistic youth. However, the youth was approaching old age.
"If it was truly the Emperor's web back then, why was Wu Zhu moved away?" Minister Fan's voice suddenly became sharp. He stared at Fan Xian and said, "In this world, there is only one kind of threat that could move Wu Zhu away from your mother's side."
Fan Xian muttered, "The Temple."
"Correct. If someone from the Temple hadn't descended, Wu Zhu would certainly not have left Jingdou to stop that person," Minister Fan said with narrowed eyes. Minister Fan narrowed his eyes and said, "If all of this was part of the Emperor's plan, how did he know that people from the Temple would come? How could he come into contact with the illusory Temple? "
"You suspect that the Emperor was working with the Temple?" Fan Xian sat up straight. His hands left his legs as he looked at his father.
Minister Fan lowered his eyelids slightly and said, "These years, Chen Pingping and I have guessed. The reason we haven't done anything is because we still respect and fear the Temple in our hearts. If the Emperor is truly the person designated by the Temple, what can we do? "
"If only Wu Zhu had not lost his memory. He should know the secret of the Temple." He looked at Fan Xian warmly and said, "If you are truly going to break off relations with the Emperor, you must make this matter clear. We are all mortals. We are not your mother. It is impossible for mortals to oppose the Temple."
Fan Xian's expression was calm. Even after hearing about the Temple, he still did not feel a glimmer of fear. "Uncle Wu Zhu has already left."
"Where did he go?"
"He went home … hmm, to the Temple to have a look." The corners of Fan Xian's lips twitched slightly. "Before he left, he said that there was no one left in the Temple. Father, don't worry too much. If the Temple truly does not interfere in worldly affairs, then he will not be able to affect me at all."
"How many years has Wu Zhu been gone?"
"Almost three years."
"He still hasn't returned in three years." Minister Fan slowly closed his eyes. "I'm afraid there are some problems."
Fan Xian didn't reply. He was also incomparably worried about Uncle Wu Zhu. However, he had never thought of using the worldly affairs of the world to stop Uncle Wu Zhu's journey to find him. Furthermore, from the beginning, he knew that the Temple hidden in the ice and snow must have played some sort of role in the story from many years ago. Hearing his father's analysis, he was increasingly certain of this point.
"Back then, Chen Pingping insisted that you send Xiao En back to Northern Qi. You should know now why."
"Yes, in the world, only Xiao En, Ku He, and Uncle Wu Zhu know where the Temple is. Naturally, Ku He would not say, and Uncle Wu Zhu has never remembered. Only Xiao En knows, "Fan Xian replied." The old Director wanted me to know the secret of the Temple. "
With these words, Fan Xian's eyelashes suddenly blinked. Many things from the past and the future were strung together in his heart. He even clearly remembered the conversation he had with the old man in the wheelchair by the pool in the Overwatch Council beside the fish that had sunk to the bottom of the sand.
…
…
Chen Pingping waved his hand and furrowed his brows. "In the future, you have to learn to open up your sights. Don't always stare at a single ministry, a single department, a mere official, a mere Jingdou. You have to learn to stand higher … "
Fan Xian replied, "Do I have to place my sights on the entire world?"
Chen Pingping smiled. "Perhaps it should be higher."
…
…
Where should one place their sights higher than the world be? Naturally, it was the Temple high above the clouds and deep in the cold. Fan Xian's expression changed slightly. Only now did he understand that a long time ago, Chen Pingping had guessed that the Temple stood behind the Emperor. That was why he had him send Xiao En back to the North to remind him that the Emperor was not just one person.
"Since you understand, it is good. The Emperor himself is already incomparably powerful, but there is still a Temple standing behind him." Minister Fan's eyes remained closed. "Thus, I cannot summon any thoughts of rebelling against him. Since you dare, you have to dig up the roots."
Fan Xian did not reply. In reality, Uncle Wu Zhu returning home had always been a hidden move in his plan. To deal with the Temple, only a Great Grandmaster and above could do it. Uncle Wu Zhu returned to the Temple while Fan Xian stayed in this world to continue his training.
"Although Wu Zhu thinks there is no one in the Temple," Minister Fan furrowed his brows, "who knows? Based on what you said, he has already left for over two years, yet there has been no news of him. What if something happened to him there? "
"I don't know either." A feeling of defeat rose in Fan Xian's heart. However, in front of the Emperor, he had already experienced too many defeats. It was so many that he was almost numb, so he did not care.
"In the future, if things do not work out, I will go to the Temple to find him. Even if he dies, I will dig up his body from the snow." Fan Xian's heart felt a wave of coldness. Within the coldness, there was a glimmer of heat that could not be extinguished. Resolutely and calmly, he said, "This has nothing to do with the Qing Kingdom. It is only my business."
Uncle Wu Zhu was his closest family. He was an indispensable part of his life. If something happened to Uncle Wu Zhu, even if Fan Xian continued to live, he would not be able to live comfortably. If he could not live comfortably, what was the point of living?
Minister Fan looked at him calmly. He knew that the secret regarding the Temple was hidden in the depths of this kid's heart. Thinking of how he had been hiding it from him all these years, Minister Fan was not angry. On the contrary, he was happy. There were not many young people in this world with such shrewdness. Probably only young people like this could survive in the struggle against the Emperor and live better and better.
"Things do not work out?" Although he admired him in his heart, Minister Fan still said mockingly, "If that day truly comes, do you think the Emperor will still let you live on the path to find the Temple?"
"I don't know." This was the second time Fan Xian had said he didn't know. There were not many unfathomable people in this world, but the Emperor was clearly one of them. Fan Xian did not wish to completely break off relations with the man on the throne. Firstly, there was some affection. Secondly, Fan Xian knew that, no matter what, he was no match for the Emperor.
"I don't know," Fan Xian repeated. Fan Xian repeated, "But to live, there are always things that must be done. So what if you lose? Although the Emperor is incomparably powerful, if he wants to kill me, it will not be a simple matter. "
He smiled bitterly and said, "Unless he is willing to leave the Royal Palace, throw aside state affairs, and chase me all over the world."
Minister Fan smiled slightly and said, "This kind of thing is truly not in line with his personality. However, you are his most trusted and favored official. If he discovers that you have truly betrayed him, it would not be surprising if he did anything under the agitation of such emotions."
"Then, I can only pray for the blessings of the heavens," Fan Xian said with a slight smile. "So, it's still the same thing. Before Uncle Wu Zhu returns, I don't want to have a falling out with the Emperor."
Minister Fan also smiled. He finally understood that his hesitation these two years was not just because of the unease he felt under the pressure of ethics. It was also because he was waiting and had to stall for time.
If the source of the Emperor's powerful confidence was the Qing Kingdom's powerful national strength, the endless money in the palace treasury, the scheming techniques that controlled the world, and his own powerful Grandmaster cultivation.
Fan Xian's confidence came from the part of the Overwatch Council that belonged to him. He had enough information in his head to rebuild the palace treasury, banknotes in his pocket to rebuild the palace treasury, and that powerful Wu Zhu.
"I hope Ye Liuyun has truly gone out to sea." Minister Fan glanced at Fan Xian with deep meaning.
Fan Xian was silent for a long time. He knew what his father wanted to remind him of. A moment later, he said, "I also hope so."
…
…
Fan Xian only stayed in Ten Family Village for a day. He secretly met with the Qingyu Hall shopkeepers who had been rescued from Jingdou. Both sides sighed endlessly. Although these old shopkeepers were already dead in the records of the Qing court, they still had relatives in Jingdou and friends in the three workshops in Jiangnan. Fan Xian had been worried that if he left these old shopkeepers in Ten Family Village, they would have other thoughts.
But after meeting them, he found that these old shopkeepers were particularly passionate about the rebuilding of the palace treasury. They even wanted to throw the rest of their lives into it.
For the old Ye shopkeepers, this had nothing to do with the bullsh * t palace treasury. They also didn't care how much the Qing Kingdom's national strength would be weakened. They only thought that these things had always belonged to the Ye family. Back then, they had been taken by the shameless Qing royal family. Now that the young master wanted to rebuild the Ye family, tears began to flow. Old Ma's heart began to jump.
Fan Xian and the old shopkeepers once again checked the flow charts of the three workshops and once again confirmed the possibility of Ten Family Village's future. They finally completed the goal of this trip. At dusk, he bowed deeply to his father, and then left the large village alone, walking into the deep valley.
He was halfway up the mountain. When he turned his head back to look, the valley was already dark. The lights gradually lit up like the stars in the sky. He raised his head and looked up. The sky was dotted with stars like the lights of the mortal world. The starlight filled the sky. He didn't know whether it was falling from the sky or rising from the ground. It was extremely beautiful.
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