"Zhang Jiao, that guy..." Nanhua sighed helplessly, then suddenly changed the subject. "I want to kill Yu Ji. Do you know where he is? I suspect he's trying to steal the nation's fortune."
"No wonder, I was wondering why I couldn't beat him," Zixu said with a nod after a moment of surprise. "If that's what he's up to, count me in. At least Zhang Jiao had some restraint, but Yu Ji is outright insane."
"The teachings back then were mine, but let me clarify something: Zhang Jiao's power had nothing to do with me. Even though I've cultivated for many years, we all witnessed what happened with Zhang Jiao. To be honest, in a one-on-one fight, I wouldn't be his match," Nanhua said with a cold smile.
Zuo Ci and Zixu exchanged glances, understanding dawning in their eyes, along with a trace of fear.
"So it was as we suspected. But who interfered in the end?" Zixu asked. Zhang Jiao's power had been vast, but in the end, he still fell.
"Someone saw through it and severed the middle channel. Otherwise, he would have succeeded," Nanhua said calmly. "I now suspect Yu Ji is attempting the same thing, though he lacks Zhang Jiao's courage. Instead, he's likely stealing fortune from one region and channeling it into himself."
"Why are you both looking at me?" Zixu asked, displeased.
"Because you're the most suitable. The two of us haven't crossed paths with Yu Ji much yet. You, on the other hand, can settle old scores," Zuo Ci said, staring at Zixu.
"Fine, I'll handle it. But I can't guarantee I'll be able to kill Yu Ji. And Yuanfang, your disciple is with him—aren't you concerned?" Zixu agreed after a moment of thought.
"This is fate," Zuo Ci replied indifferently, not even opening his eyes. "Yu Ji never considered the dangers of what he's doing. Zhang Jiao's failure might have been fate as well."
"You're surprisingly detached," Zixu remarked calmly. "Well then, I'll head out now. I suppose you two have more to discuss."
Zixu left, flying directly towards Jizhou. During his last battle with Yu Ji, he had learned that Yu Ji planned to meet with Yuan Shao in Jizhou, so without further thought, Zixu headed there.
After Zixu left, Zuo Ci, who had been sitting in meditation, opened his eyes and stood up. "Nanhua, did Zhang Jiao really die so easily? Even with heavenly lightning striking him, he should have been able to protect himself, right?"
"Who knows? Perhaps in his final moments, he saw something and forcibly altered his fate. Don't you find it odd that so many brilliant talents have appeared in this era? Should this world really be filled with so many extraordinary people?" Nanhua asked, his expression calm.
"No wonder he died despite being surrounded by so many Yellow Turban warriors, who also disappeared with him. Hahaha," Zuo Ci laughed, a wild and unrestrained laugh, as many things that had previously been unclear suddenly became obvious to him.
"He really was a fool," Zuo Ci suddenly remarked, his expression changing.
"That may be true, but I don't think he was a fool. On the contrary, if someone on this stage manages to defeat all their opponents," Nanhua smiled, full of pride, "then it will all have been worth it."
"Indeed. After Zhang Jiao's death, the fortune he gathered over a hundred years of the Han Dynasty fell upon the exceptional talents of this generation. People who originally had only above-average potential have rapidly transformed into geniuses. The fortune of over a hundred years of the Han Dynasty now rests on this generation, no wonder they shine so brightly!" Zuo Ci said with some emotion.
At this point, both Zuo Ci and Nanhua had guessed Zhang Jiao's intentions. When Zhang Jiao realized his cause was hopeless, he decided to return the gathered fortune to the Han Dynasty. This would ensure that the Han Dynasty would have at least another hundred years of prosperity. However, when all that fortune fell upon the current generation, Zhang Jiao saw things he wasn't supposed to see. As a result, he sacrificed himself to ignite all the fortune of the Han Dynasty.
This explained why the Han Dynasty collapsed so suddenly despite showing no signs of external decline, and why, after the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the world suddenly saw an explosion of brilliant minds.
Both Zuo Ci and Nanhua began calculating the situation. As their calculations slowed, their expressions grew more somber.
"So that's how it is?" Nanhua, who finished calculating before Zuo Ci, finally understood Zhang Jiao's ultimate plan.
"Perhaps he was right. Liu Xuande truly has the potential to rise to the top in this era of shining stars. If that happens, the calamity we've been fearing won't come to pass," Zuo Ci nodded in agreement after completing his calculations.
While Nanhua and Zuo Ci felt relieved, they didn't know that in the original timeline, this era of shining stars had no one capable of bringing it to a close. No one could unite the land, and the extreme brilliance of that era exhausted the strength of the entire nation, leading to the eventual downfall of the country.
But this time was different. Though Nanhua and Zuo Ci couldn't precisely calculate the fate of the nation, they could sense that Liu Bei had a significant chance of uniting the land. If that happened, the original crisis would never emerge.
In their view, as long as the country was unified, it would not only have the national fortune accumulated during its founding but also the century-long fortune Zhang Jiao had gathered, as well as the outstanding heroes born from that fortune. With such a group of civil and military talents, the land would undoubtedly be well-governed!
These civil and military talents were not like those born during the decline of a dynasty, when the national fortune had already crumbled. Instead, they were top-tier individuals born from the explosive culmination of over a century of fortune. Any one of them would be considered a prodigy in any era.
"Where are you going, Nanhua?" Zuo Ci asked as he saw Nanhua's expression change and watched him walk toward the door.
"I'm going to destroy the group centered around Yu Ji. We can't let him succeed. These individuals are meant to prepare for any potential disasters in the future. They mustn't be tampered with. Even in death, they should die among their peers to grow stronger," Nanhua said calmly.
The coldness in Nanhua's voice was unmistakable. Now that he understood what was at stake, he had no intention of letting Yu Ji's reckless actions slide.
"Good. I'll stay here and keep an eye on Chen Zichuan. If I'm not mistaken, his fortune is immense. Go deal with Yu Ji!" Zuo Ci didn't try to stop him. Yu Ji's attempt to steal fate must not be allowed!
Nanhua left immediately, flying directly toward Xuzhou, where Yu Ji had a permanent residence. He planned to wait there for three months. If Yu Ji didn't return, he would seek him out personally.
Neither Zuo Ci, Nanhua, nor Zixu had considered one question: How did Zhang Jiao, a common man who had only recently started practicing Daoism, come up with such a method of cultivation? Borrowing the power of fate, Zhang Jiao's ten years of cultivation had already surpassed that of Nanhua.