Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 170 Shen Yueye: Your Majesty, come and arrest me!

As these eerie voices rang out.

On the bookshelf in the corner of the study, the books, including those I just bought today such as "The Fragrance of Beauty," "The Apricot Blossom Sky," and "The Dancer's Tears Through the Curtain," all seemed to come alive.

It struggled and writhed on the bookshelf, emitting hoarse cries and groans.

In the gaps between the bookshelves, where the candlelight couldn't reach, one after another, bloodshot eyes opened, some cold and indifferent, others filled with madness.

Outside the Pear Blossom Palace, in the deep darkness shrouded by heavy rain, a sticky crawling sound could be heard, as if some enormous creature had entered the palace and was lurking in the shadows of the rainy night.

Wang Cheng felt as if a snake had crawled into his collar, and his whole body was covered in goosebumps.

After just a few breaths, he was horrified to find that even his own mouth was uncontrollably emitting other people's voices—no, inhuman voices:

"No going out to sea! No going out to sea! No going out to sea!"

At this moment, Wang Cheng's limbs were stiff, his heart was pounding like a drum, and he wanted to use his inner light to resist, but he found that his supernatural powers were being suppressed by something, and he could not move at all.

Whether it was his own "Four Seas Extermination Evil Register" or "Golden Toad Suppressing Treasure Register," or even the throne of the King of Jinghai on his body, they were all as good as dead.

In a state of shock, my brain started working frantically:
"What exactly is going on?

My book, *The Influence of Sea Power*, is really that influential? Could it possibly impact a nation's political landscape like Zheng He's treasure maps? And why is it receiving such a sensational treatment upon its completion?
Why would something from the depths of the vast ocean join in? Perhaps they also don't want this book to be published, encouraging nations to explore the world beyond the walls?

Fortunately, it happened at that moment.

Suddenly, a golden light shone from the copy of "The Influence of Sea Power" on the table and fell upon him.

Suddenly, a cursed Great Wall appeared before Wang Cheng's eyes, stretching across the north and south of Da Zhao and connecting all the maritime vassal states, cutting off that eerie aura.

All the strange phenomena around him disappeared, leaving only the increasingly urgent sound of wind and rain, and he regained control of his body.

"Huchi. Huchi"

Wang Cheng leaned on the desk, panting heavily. When he slowly came to his senses, he realized that the cold sweat on his back had already soaked through his thin undergarment.

He gradually figured out the key to it.

In this world, mountains are considered yang, and water is considered yin; many evil spirits are born from the vast ocean.

The propositions of "The Influence of Sea Power" are tantamount to declaring that the people of China are no longer satisfied with dominating the land, but also want to venture into the vast ocean, and have boldly sounded the charge for ocean exploration.

The key point is that this book is not just wishful thinking, but is based on detailed data, guided by a high-level perspective from another time and space, and also builds upon the work of giants, copying about 70-80% of it.

It is certainly substantial and possesses enormous potential to influence the world order.

"I have a feeling that not only the imperial courts of past dynasties have been able to cast spells on the mountains and seas, but the things outside the walls are also guarding some huge secret that they don't want others to know."

By the way, those six voices that said 'No going out to sea' at the beginning sounded familiar.

Wang Cheng subconsciously recalled the child Wang Cuiqiao had given birth to, and the half-name he had seen at the "Rare Goods" event:
Six days.

The secret hidden behind this seems to be more dangerous than he initially imagined.

The hundreds of evil spirits encountered when sending off the royal ship seemed to become insignificant compared to this secret.

However, his conviction that "I do not desire to be ennobled, but only wish for peace on the seas" not only did not waver, but became even more steadfast.

Since the potential enemy opposes it, it means he did the right thing!

I looked back at the book "The Influence of Sea Power" on the table.

The phrase "the book is so powerful that even ghosts and gods are amazed" has already appeared in the book, but it has not yet been spread out to be refined by the wishes of all living beings, and has not yet been transformed into a true talisman.

The secret manual on naval warfare tactics that he currently desires has not yet been produced.

"This can't be rushed. It's easy to find booksellers within the Confucian cultural sphere who have international distribution capabilities."

However, to release it simultaneously in Western countries, we'll need to find a reputable Western publisher. I'll ask my master and Shan Hai Hui if they have any connections when I get back to Yuegang.”

Just as Wang Cheng was about to put his manuscript away, he suddenly turned his head to look at the bookshelf on the wall.

There, strands of light-formed words were drawn from a pile of erotic novels and slowly coalesced into a lady in a blue robe with her clothes half undone.

She exudes a scholarly air, is beautiful and charming, and has a graceful demeanor.

However, after bowing to Wang Chengying, the words she uttered were anything but ladylike.

"My lord, I am as beautiful as jade, and I am willing to offer myself to you for our pleasure."

As she spoke, she impatiently pulled open her collar, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin, and continued to undress as she walked toward Wang Cheng.

Looking at the vibrant spring scenery before him, Wang Cheng calmly rebuked:

"Nonsense, I can tell you're not human at a glance!"

You are a bookworm.

Hidden within some of the world's old books is a mysterious monster—the bookworm.

These spirits were originally just bookworms that survived by gnawing on the pages of books, but after eating works that were imbued with the rich fragrance of ink and paper, they gained wisdom far exceeding that of ordinary bookworms and eventually transformed into demons.

The Tang Dynasty poet Hanshan wrote in his poem: "Shedding its body like a bookworm, it bites through the books." He was referring to a bookworm spirit.

They love to transform into human form, pretend to be knowledgeable, and debate with others, but they often make mistakes.

For example, when two people are discussing various topics, one might say, "Outside the long pavilion, along the ancient road, fragrant grass stretches to the sky," which is a well-written poem. The other might be bewildered and say, "Shouldn't it be 'fragrant grass stretches to the horizon'?" If the former insists that it is indeed "fragrant grass stretches to the horizon" and refuses to change his mind, then he is clearly a bookworm.

Because the bookworms had already inadvertently eaten away at these words or sentences when they were still bookworms, there are naturally many omissions.

When this kind of monster traveled eastward to Yingzhou with the monk Jianzhen, it became known as the "Wenche Demon Consort" among the locals, and mostly took on a female form.

It senses the infatuation and resentment in women's love letters and articles, transforming into a demon that loves to haunt palaces filled with books.

The reason Wang Cheng bought so many imperial books this time was not out of thin air; he really did have a friend who liked to read them.

Instead, while browsing a bookstore today, I discovered this bookworm in a book using the "Sihai Tongbao" (a type of coin), and quietly bought it to snag a bargain.

He even thoughtfully bought back the "nest" she had built with her little prince uncle, so as not to interfere with her pregnancy.

Tonight, the "fragrance of ink and paper" born from "The Influence of Sea Power" is so strong that it seems to solidify, instantly bringing this bookworm spirit to life.

"We're lucky. Although this kind of monster has no combat power, it is a natural 'great language model'. It can navigate the sea of ​​books and retrieve a vast amount of documents in the blink of an eye, generating top-quality articles."

She's absolutely the best secretary choice for adding beauty and elegance to your life!

Wang Cheng turned and pounced on the lady in green, grabbing her fair wrist with one hand and striking her forehead with the other, using the technique of "Gathering Beasts and Taming Birds, Transforming All Kinds" to transform her into his guardian spirit general.

"Monster, I need your help in my cultivation! Hehehehe!"

Just at this time.

Bang!
The palace doors swung open, and a slender figure rushed in, accompanied by wind and rain.

"Junior brother, there's demonic energy! Are you alright?"

The visitor was Shen Yueye, who had always lived in the Qiluan Pavilion next door.

She had already gone to bed, but in her haste, she only put on a white silk robe and rushed in with her bare, crescent-shaped white feet.

Underneath the silk robe was a peacock-green bib that couldn't be concealed at all; the pair of rounded breasts made the peacock embroidered on the bib look even rounder and fatter.

With her slender waist and long legs, she was truly like a delicate branch laden with abundant fruit, so dazzling that one didn't know where to look.

The girl was completely unaware of the strange phenomenon that the ghosts and gods had initially shouted in unison, "You are not allowed to go out to sea."

But she sensed something was wrong the moment the demonic aura descended, and rushed over to save him without even having time to put on her outer skirt and shoes.

But upon seeing the "hehehe" scene in the hall, she gradually stopped in her tracks, her rosy lips slightly pursed:

"Did I come at a bad time?"

Seeing a blue talisman begin to appear between the bookworm's smooth brows, Wang Cheng immediately released her and pushed her aside without hesitation.

Looking up at the beautiful woman with disheveled hair and alluring fox-like eyes, she said earnestly:

"Senior sister has misunderstood."

With a stunning beauty like my senior sister by my side, how could I possibly be interested in such a common and vulgar woman?
Spending all day with you has raised my standards. Compared to you, senior sister, there's probably not a single woman in this vast East Sea Kingdom who can capture my heart.

Such a straightforward compliment left Shen Yueye speechless.

The young girl stared blankly at the handsome young man with a refined air and a touch of purple in his brows. She recalled the novel she had read during the day, "The Dancer's Tears," and her heart began to flutter. Her cheeks were even redder and hotter than during the day.

It took her a while to come to her senses. She walked up to him, pointed her slender white finger at his chest, and, feigning the sternness of a senior sister, scolded him:

"You're good at talking, kid."

"Of course, I, your senior sister, am a beauty that can topple kingdoms and no one can compare."

The longer Shen Yueye spent with Wang Cheng, the more labels she discovered about him: handsome, strong, noble, sweet-talking, considerate, and also an undeniable cunning.

The most valuable quality among them is honesty!

He always tells the truth, especially when praising her.

Miss Shen never underestimated her beauty; wasn't what Wang Cheng said simply a self-evident fact? It was incredibly convincing!
Immediately, a pair of fox-like eyes swept across the table and spotted the book "The Influence of Sea Power" on it, and asked curiously:
"Is the military treatise finalized? Let me take a look at it for you."

Wang Cheng reached out to block it, giving a mischievous smile:
"Senior sister, don't forget the bet we made."

Although military treatises have not yet begun to circulate and secret military manuals have been created, it is now possible to view them in advance at a cost.

You don't need to become my maid right away, just... imitate a fox's cry for me a couple of times first.

"Waaaaah?"

Shen Yueye immediately looked like a little fox whose tail had been stepped on, and said fiercely, hands on her slender waist:

"That's not how foxes call themselves! Apologize to the fox!"

Wang Cheng was immediately curious:

"What did the fox call?"

Shen Yueye suddenly smiled alluringly, like a vixen capable of bringing ruin to a country, and breathed softly into his ear:

"The real fox's cry should be, 'Your Majesty, come and catch me!'"

(End of this chapter)