Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 201 Hesitation leads to defeat, initiative leads to giving away your life.

Under a clear blue sky and over a vast sea, Wang Cheng's flagship sailing warship, the "Qingyi," sailed at full speed, gradually approaching the mouth of the Jiulong River.

Located on the upper deck of the stern, in the best-equipped captain's cabin.

A rosewood daybed was placed under the porthole. Yan Yunxiao and Shen Yueye kicked off their embroidered shoes and silk stockings, their legs curled up under their skirts as they leaned against one side.

On the small table between the two men, a pile of "references" for studying the "Golden Chamber Techniques of the Bedchamber" was openly displayed:
The Cantongqi, the Wanshen Guizhi, the Sansheng Tu, the Riwu Yuetu Shuo, and the Huolong Shuihu Tu.
In their competitive spirit, it wasn't just a passing fad; they became serious!
The two girls, who have been best friends for many years, only argue when it comes to Wang Cheng; otherwise, they are as close as ever.

These days, women are full of feudal ideas and never have the unrealistic fantasy of possessing "love" exclusively.

The Yan and Shen families were not ordinary families. Before their deaths and before they were seriously injured, how many female demons and concubines did they have in their homes?

Even according to the usual procedure, whoever becomes the head wife of the household is expected to arrange several concubines for her husband, while she herself is responsible for mediating internal and external affairs and striving to become a virtuous helpmate to her husband.

Scholars of *Dream of the Red Chamber* have said:

When I was young, I read "Dream of the Red Chamber" and felt that I and the crybaby Lin Daiyu were a perfect match made in heaven. Romance and poetry filled our entire lives.
It wasn't until I reached marriageable age that I slowly realized that Baochai, who was emotionally stable and never prone to throwing tantrums, was more suitable to spend my life with.
It wasn't until people started calculating the cost of daily necessities that they realized how good the phoenix chili was.
Even as she grew older and weathered many storms, the once steadfast and resolute Grandmother Jia and Lady Shi still retained their charm.
Only when a family falls on hard times and their former glory fades will they truly realize that Granny Liu, who managed to beg for food with her entire family, was a rare gem indeed!

This is precisely the principle of choosing a virtuous wife and a beautiful concubine.

If you marry the wrong wife, not only will your home be in turmoil, but your entire family and descendants will also be ruined.

If someone is both virtuous and beautiful, and can even pursue another woman, then they must have done a great deed in their past life to save millions of people!

Yan Yunxiao closed the scroll of "The Kinship of the Three" in her hand and looked up, saying:

"Ruyi, I have finished reading these Taoist texts."

However, the threshold for cultivation is not low. Cultivators must possess both Yin and Yang qualities to complement their Daoist partner and mutually enhance each other's abilities.

The celestial child from outside the wall has the method of cultivating both body and spirit, so he naturally doesn't have this barrier, but we divine officials who specialize in cultivating our nature cannot.

Under normal circumstances, only those "living ghosts and gods" who have reached the upper three ranks of the Spirit Refining Realm can, to a certain extent, evolve Yin and Yang and comprehend the Great Dao.

Yan Yunxiao lived longer than any ordinary person in the world, and her knowledge and learning were unparalleled.

She wasn't exaggerating; she was the first to grasp the mysteries of this "immortal technique," her beautiful heterochromatic eyes sparkling.

"It is because each of the three highest-ranking [living ghosts and gods] has two aspects: a 'divine title' and a 'ghost title,' one of compassion and the other of ferocity; one of yang and the other of yin."

If they can learn these techniques, they will greatly benefit their cultivation even without practicing with a partner, much like the legendary internal alchemy method of self-intercourse and self-formation.

For us officials of the middle third rank, the only way to achieve this is to take a shortcut.

Xiao Chengzi was exceptionally gifted. From the very beginning of her cultivation, she was protected by both a yang body and a yin body, which naturally gave her a great advantage in practicing this method.

The Dharma he obtained by chance was inherently connected to him, so there was no reason why he couldn't learn it.

You're quite lucky. The 【Bodhisattva Man】 Dharma position is considered to have taken an easy path. Even when you reach the extreme of cultivation, there are two sides to the same coin. You are called a 'Bodhisattva' but are actually a 'Heavenly Demon'.

The simplest way to cultivate the appearance of a Bodhisattva or a Heavenly Demon is to also cultivate a corresponding Yin-Yang official position.

Ruyi, have you decided which class and which session you want to take as a supplementary course?

Yun Xiao comes from a family with a long tradition of learning and is very knowledgeable about various unique skills and techniques. She once instructed Wang Cheng on the method of merging Dharma positions, and now she can easily instruct Shen Yueye.

Anyway, as long as she doesn't actually ask Yunxiao for practical advice on bedroom techniques, she can talk about them fluently and knowledgeably.

After a moment's thought, he offered his suggestion:
"Why not also take one of the thirty-six courses of the Water Class?"

"Why?"

Shen Yueye also studied the "Golden Chamber Techniques for Bedchamber" for several days and knew that what Yunxiao said was true.

In addition, she had a father who was a senior official in the Water Transport Department and was very fond of the Water Transport Department. At this time, she wanted to hear Yunxiao's opinion.

Yun Xiao raised her hand and flipped it, causing water vapor outside the warship to rise into the sky, transforming into a large rain cloud. In an instant, the rain fell and sprinkled the mountains and forests on the shore, returning to the earth.

She then explained:
"The essence of the Water Official is the [Heaven generates water and the golden toad's energy]."

Water is the source of Heaven and Earth, and it completes the earth. Water is the medium that connects the natural world, and even the celestial and terrestrial officials. The stability of this world depends entirely on water.

Throughout the two-thousand-year history of Shintoism, the possibility of conflict arising from combining Shinto practice with water magic is minimal, and it is also the safest approach.

Of the three, A-Xiao studied both the Water Class [Pearl-Picking Girl] and the Heaven Class [Dragon's Blood], while Wang Cheng studied both the Water Class [White Water Gentleman] and the Water Class [Chao Feng Gentleman].

Shen Yueye should ideally be able to study the Water class in addition to the Earth class [Bodhisattva Barbarian].

Even if they fail to merge successfully, they will definitely not end up like Lu Yunchen, who was envied by ghosts and gods, and ended up in a miserable state.

"let me see."

Shen Yueye once held a baby's first birthday celebration in the small building in the backyard of Fenglinzhai.

Unfortunately, they couldn't reach the level of being favored by Wang Chengshui and blessed by the gods. None of them were a perfect match, and none were as good as the maternal Bodhisattva Man.

Nowadays, even choosing one from the thirty-six halls is somewhat difficult.

"I think the Lin family's sister's 'Fairy Goddess' is quite good, and the rituals are very fitting."

One is in charge of killing, the other is in charge of burying; after the Bodhisattva Man kills, the Fairy Woman enslaves the ghosts.

"【Chaofenglang】is not bad either. It's basically about murder and robbery, taking the loot after killing someone. The promotion speed should be quite fast."

The two sisters were discussing animatedly when Yan Yunxiao suddenly made another suggestion:
"【Salt people】are also an option. Murder and arson are done together, so the efficiency must be extremely high."

Shen Yueye, however, was quite disgusted:

"Ugh, this is bad for your skin."

Then it suddenly dawned on me:
"Oh, Ah Xiao, are you trying to murder my beauty and turn me into an ugly woman so you can win without a fight?"

You're so ruthless!

Enraged, Shen Yueye grabbed A-Xiao's small feet, which were tucked under the table, and began to scratch her fair soles.

The latter's cool demeanor immediately crumbled.

"Hahaha, stop! I'm going to fight back!"

A-Xiao also tickled Shen Yueye; even when the two beauties were playfully fighting, it was a truly delightful sight.

After discussing it for a long time, they still couldn't make up their minds.

After straightening their disheveled clothes, they turned to look at Wang Cheng, who was sitting behind the captain's desk, diligently deciphering the blueprints for the [Mirage Cloud Dragon Ship].

With the research framework laid out by over 120 experts in this field, and his undivided attention, his deciphering progress was quite rapid. If
He didn't secretly glance at his two older sisters' beauty, nor did he hold the blueprint upside down; that made him seem more like the right person.

Seeing his sisters asking his questions, he quickly coughed lightly, put down the Zheng He treasure map in his hand, thought for a moment, and suggested:

"Senior sister, why don't you choose [Star Guardian]?"

One's own position is high enough, and one can take up a position as soon as the deer antlers fall off at the end of May, the first sign of summer solstice.

The ritual requires traveling thousands of miles; the more places one goes, the faster one's advancement. This perfectly matches the famous line by the poet Li Bai: "Killing one man in ten steps, leaving no trace for a thousand miles."

Besides calming the seas and bringing peace, my dream is also to see the ends of the earth and see what's beyond the walls. Will you come with me?

Shen Yueye was still considering it, but upon hearing the last sentence, she automatically switched to: Wang Cheng invited her to a romantic date at the ends of the earth.

Without any further hesitation, he nodded vigorously under the stern gaze of Ah Xiao, you little heartless rascal:

"I'll listen to you, then let's choose the Star God."

I will perform the ritual on May 26th, the summer solstice.

The 24 solar terms are based on the Earth's orbit around the sun, which is divided into 360 degrees. The vernal equinox is 0 degrees, and each subsequent 15 degrees constitutes a solar term, for a total of 24 solar terms.

Based on the movement of stars, the measurement of shadows by the gnomon, and the ecliptic longitude of the sun, each step falls within the domain of the star-gazing official.

The eight solar terms that represent the changing seasons—the Beginning of Spring, the Spring Equinox; the Beginning of Summer, the Summer Solstice; the Beginning of Autumn, the Autumn Equinox; and the Beginning of Winter, the first pentad of the Winter Solstice—can all be used to perform the rituals of the Star-Pulling Official.

As long as the ritual is performed correctly, the spiritual response obtained regardless of the solar term will be [star-gazing]!
Wang Cheng helped his senior sister take stock and suddenly discovered a blind spot that he hadn't noticed before.

"The Star-Tracing Official is probably one of the most universally applicable official positions, directly pointing to the essence of the operation of celestial laws such as the Twenty-Four Solar Terms."

The same applies to the position of Chaofenglang; what they seek is not wealth, but trust.

Compared to the supreme authority of 'reward and punishment' held by the most powerful official, the Lord of the State, it is probably closer to the essential power of the Three Officials Alliance.

However, the nature of the [Chaofeng Lang] is too weak, which is why it is far from being comparable to the officials of the Heavenly Rank.

No wonder Yue Ke, when his master was cultivating both the Star-Tracing Official and the Court Attendant, his ambition was second only to Lu Yunchen.

Wang Cheng felt that his master's idea of ​​using the "Star-Pulling Official" to supplement the "Chaofeng Lang" was correct, but he had not yet found the right opportunity for himself, which was why there had been no progress.

However, it is not only the Star-Gazing Official who can access the essence of the operation of the Heavenly Dao; the Five Senses Spirit Platform Master of the Heavenly Class and some physiognomists who cultivate the Golden Point Method of the Earthly Class can also do so.

The successful experiences of predecessors in the Eight Outer Paths are almost impossible to replicate; if the quality is insufficient, quantity can only be used to make up for it.

The pairing of officials is like the blind men and the elephant to everyone.

Wang Cheng felt that perhaps only when he himself advanced to the third rank and became a rare commodity would he be able to see the secrets behind it and help others increase their chances of fusion.

Now, relying entirely on his natural intuition, which was favored by the Water Class, he felt that the Star Goddess was indeed the most suitable for his senior sister.

"Big ship, we've arrived at Moon Harbor!"

Hearing the shout, the three of them turned to look out the window.

Wang Cheng glanced over his headquarters and was surprised to find that a considerable number of merchant ships belonging to the Mountain and Sea Society and managed by his master were loading cargo in Yuegang.

Raw silk, iron pots, iron chains, sugar, musk, silk fabrics, porcelain, and other in-demand goods from Yingzhou were loaded onto boats one after another, as if they were free. The entire dock was bustling with activity.

Her mouth opened slightly wider:
"What is Master up to? Is he also going to join the Yuegang-Pinghugang shipping route and do maritime trade?"

Shen Yueye smiled slyly, like a little fox who had stolen a chicken, jumped off the daybed barefoot, and stood beside him, naturally taking his arm in hers.
"You guessed wrong."

These first batch of thirty-eight cargo ships carrying in-demand goods are all gifts from your master to you as a congratulatory present for the founding of the nation.

My dad said that our Shen family, the God of Wealth, doesn't have much to offer except for money, which is quite considerable. We exchanged all of it for supplies in advance, and they will be shipped out in three days.

There will be a second and a third batch later.
At the beginning of the founding of the Great Zhao Dynasty, my family paid for the construction of one-third of the capital city. However, due to my ignorance of the dangers of politics, I proposed to Emperor Taizu Hanlin to reward the court's million-strong army, which led to my death.

You're planning to take Jiufan Island first, then conquer Yingzhou? You can't do that without money.

My senior sister has covered all the military expenses needed to unify the nine kingdoms.

She blinked her alluring fox-like eyes at Wang Cheng, her emerald eyes brimming with laughter.

This was said so casually, as if it weren't about providing a military budget capable of destroying a nation, but rather as if I had just bought a bag today.

Clearly, Shen Yuting's "Donghai Kingdom Major Shareholder Plan" has been implemented with the full financial resources of the Shen family.

Faced with this scene, Wang Cheng felt as if a rich woman had handed him a blank bank draft and said, "Fill in the amount you want to withdraw yourself."

"Gudong!"

Even with his wealth and composure, he swallowed hard, marveling at the Shen family's extravagant spending.

His war to destroy the country hasn't even started yet, and no one knows how the battle will turn out. This round can truly be considered an angel investment with huge risks.

Hesitation leads to defeat, while initiative leads to failure!
Yan Yunxiao couldn't do this, but Shen Yueye did it with unparalleled ease.

Looking down, Wang Cheng saw the burning passion in his senior sister's emerald fox eyes, and he felt his heart scald.

"Sister."

Before he could even say it.

Then, Yunxiao, the older sister beside him, jumped off the daybed and stood on the other side of Wang Cheng. For the first time ever, she grabbed his sleeve in front of Shen Yueye and uttered a single word expressionlessly:

"with!"

In short, the angel investor immediately doubled their investment!
After saying that, she turned her head away deliberately, refusing to look at him, and added stubbornly:
"This is just for the pearl diver's ritual of 'discerning pearls with discerning eyes,' Xiao Chengzi. My whole family has high hopes for you."

Wang Cheng found the icy beauty's haughtiness particularly endearing, and in turn, he grasped her slightly cool little hand.

I secretly said:

"Who was it that said they could never marry a rich woman and couldn't endure any hardship in their life?"

So, Senior Brother was right! I love this bitterness!

It smells so good!

In that moment when his views on life and money were violently impacted by his two older sisters, this second-generation Prince Jinghai even had a bizarre thought:

"Whichever rich woman offers the most money will become the empress, the list will be re-ranked every month, and every night you can bid to have your name chosen?"

(End of this chapter)