Lord Shenxiu
Chapter 99 Oath (To quit LOL, congratulations to the Alliance Hierarch! Ask for monthly tickets!)

Chapter 99: Chapter 99 Oath (To quit LOL, congratulations to the Alliance Hierarch! Ask for monthly tickets!)

Great Protector’s Mansion.

Zhong Shenxiu looked up, feeling the towering buildings coalesce into a dark mass, while an air of solemn severity swept over him.

"This is only my second time here, isn’t it?"

He muttered to himself internally, following Feng Xixi inside.

"The true scriptures are never kept in the martial arts archives; they are entrusted to the secret storehouse of the Great Protector’s Mansion. Everyone in the officialdom who receives inheritance must make this journey."

Feng Xixi led the way, "I’ll take you to meet the Great Protector first, get the command tablet, and then you can open the secret archive. There, you will find the Oath Stone, where only with true sincerity can you take the oath."

This was likely some sort of test and oath?

Zhong Shenxiu’s heart tensed as he followed behind Feng Xixi, being led by the Mansion’s attendants to a side hall.

This time his luck was good; within just half an hour, someone came with a command: "The Great Protector summons you!"

Feng Xixi quickly led him to the main hall.

"Greetings, Great Protector."

Zhong Shenxiu suppressed all his diverse powers, his expression steady, and followed Feng Xixi into the hall, not even looking at the high seat as he performed the formal salute.

After rising, he glanced sideways at Yan Beiling feeling that the man seemed much aged, likely from recent exhaustive struggles.

"Are you Su Daoshi?"

Yan Beiling scrutinized Zhong Shenxiu.

At the same time, Zhong Shenxiu felt the conscious probing of a Divine Power Practitioner.

This kind of probing had been deceived by him many times before; it was an easy procedure as he bowed again. "Yes, I am Su Daoshi."

"Emerging from a convict background, making contributions to the country and earning merits to clear charges, that is commendable..."

Yan Beiling encouraged him, "This time, according to Captain Feng, you have achieved great merits again. The Protector rewards where merits are due. I hereby grant you the command tablet to access the Ten Thousand Beasts Technique. Additionally, I promote you one level to the rank of Standard Ninth Rank Evil Slayer Envoy!"

Although Zhong Shenxiu knew this was a prime time for winning people’s hearts, he still displayed an overwhelming joy, "Thank you, Great Protector."

"Hmm, you may leave. Cultivate diligently, for the future possibility of your Su Family’s entire clan clearing their charges might well depend on you alone."

Yan Beiling nodded, waving him off.

For the Great Protector dealing with countless matters daily, sparing such time was already quite generous.

Once the two had left, Yan Beiling inquired, "What do you think of this individual, Daoist?"

From behind a folding screen, an elderly Daoist hobbled out, stooped and hunched, yet his eyes were piercingly sharp, emitting radiance: "He is filled with the pure True Qi of the Ten Directions Beast Skill. Besides, his facial features suggest mild nobility, although he also has a break in his forehead’s lines, indicating a past brush with death... Such a fate indicates a thin thread of life left by Heaven, which, having passed, may bring him some later fortunes."

"Having come from a convict background, enduring hardships is just normal for him. But that’s about it."

Yan Beiling, relieved to hear there was nothing unusual such as espionage from rival factions, took it lightly.

Even if Su Daoshi successfully entered the path and became a Gang Sha Realm cultivator, he wasn’t really a concern for him.

What about the fortunes and misfortunes indicated by one’s life’s aspects?

Such trivial Daoist matters, to some extent, were under the control of the Great Protector here, who could determine someone’s fate by a single word.

And aspects of one’s life force depended on strength.

Those with more power naturally had stronger life forces.

Records in certain Daoist texts even speak of an adept who originally was a beggar. A Half Immortal had proclaimed his life force broken beyond repair.

Yet, this beggar later encountered a heavenly fate and upon entering the path, his life force significantly transformed.

After he had become a great cultivator, his fate was as strong as a dragon, and Gua Half-Immortal looked again, only to find both his eyes had gone blind.

Thus, those who came later understood that the count of fate represented the embodiment of all strength, and one’s own cultivation was the most stable kind of fate.

In addition to this, possessing wealth and power, and even being favored by those in high positions, also involved fate and could change one’s original life trajectory.

However, compared to one’s own cultivation, it was just like duckweeds in the wind, one day, with wealth and power empty, or a change of thought by those in high positions, one would be cast down into the dust.

Therefore, within the Second Yan Han Empire, this method of cutting fate was regarded only as an auxiliary, to be consulted but not relied upon.

"So... about the person you looked at earlier, what do you think?"

Yan Beiling thought for a moment then asked another question.

"That young nobleman has a full celestial appearance with a golden azure cloud spiraling above his head, obviously indicating a very noble status. However, upon careful inspection of his foundation, an obscure hint of purple was seen. This is not his own energy but an external dragon energy he has come into contact with... This person has inherited aristocratic grace, certainly of the esteemed princely heir class, and has also relied on a certain prince."

The old man touched his few remaining whiskers and said gravely.

"Haha, your eyes have truly become sharper with age; I have some doubts in my heart and wanted to ask."

Yan Beiling laughed heartily as his expression suddenly turned serious, "I wish to borrow the power behind this person to overcome this crisis, is it feasible?"

"This..."

The Daoist’s face was conflicted as he looked at Yan Beiling’s face, only to see it seemingly overshadowed by dark air, signifying a great crisis approaching, but in a blink, it was enveloped by green energy, indicating unending wealth and honor. He couldn’t help saying, "The foundation of the Great Protector is stable. Although there is some calamity this time, it is not a major event. If we could borrow that person’s power, it would be easier to overcome the crisis, but there might be complications later."

Relying on a certain prince, once aboard it was naturally hard to disembark. If the struggle for power failed, the Su Family would be the best example.

There was no need for face reading or fate cutting, a mere analysis could draw a conclusion.

Yan Beiling couldn’t help but swear with a laugh, "You sly old fox."

...

Zhong Shenxiu followed Feng Xixi all the way to the depths of the Protector Mansion, outside a lake.

The lake was like a jade mirror, with a small building constructed in the middle, connected only by a water corridor.

Outside the lake, Zhong Shenxiu faintly sensed the traces of an array.

In terms of power, it might not be inferior to the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation.

"The command of the Great Protector is here. You may enter, take the oath, and retrieve the book. I shall not accompany you."

Feng Xixi stood aside to avoid suspicion, her tone seemingly envious.

’If the official department could teach the "Dragon Tiger Pill Book," Feng Xixi would certainly not have joined the Cloud Mirror Sect. It seems that although the Ten Thousand Beasts Technique is good, it is difficult to obtain later, and it is extremely difficult to recommend entry into the Supreme Dragon and Tiger Sect, even the Feng Family is unwilling to try... or perhaps, is Feng Xixi not worth such a massive investment?’

Zhong Shenxiu thought as he walked into the pavilion holding Yan Beiling’s command.

After entering the door, what met his eyes was a spacious hall with a black giant stone standing at the center, emitting an indescribable energy, obviously a rare treasure.

By the black stone, a Daoist official was sitting cross-legged, evidently another Divine Power Practitioner.

’The strength of Yan Han Court is indeed unfathomable. Even in a Protector Mansion, where three Great Divine Powers have died, there are still many remaining.’

Zhong Shenxiu thought to himself, stepping forward to bow, "Evil Slayer Envoy Su Daoshi, at your service!"

"What for?"

The elder opened his eyes and sized up Zhong Shenxiu before asking.

"I have the command of the Great Protector, and have come to seek the method of the Ten Thousand Beasts Technique!"

Zhong Shenxiu bowed again.

The elder took the command, looked it over, and with a wave of his horsetail whisk, golden letters emerged on the black stone: "This is the Heart Oath Stone. Anyone who obtains the technique must make an oath never to reveal it, or else their body and spirit will be destroyed... This oath requires your sincerity, and once made, cannot be taken back..."