Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 1001 The Fire Calendar of the Ancestor of Shang
If this mechanism works well... then Xu himself might as well "learn from the barbarians' superior techniques to control the barbarians," study it carefully, and adapt it for his own use.

The title of "acting on behalf of Heaven to punish" sounds very appealing, and it also strongly supports the righteousness of Zen Master Fahai.

The moment my consciousness came into contact with the fire, I thought I would feel a burning pain, but instead I only felt a gentle warmth, like the winter sun, enveloping my consciousness, which was very comfortable.

Then, the scene before the three of them changed simultaneously, as if they had crossed time and space, and saw two clear yet chilling scenes...

In the courtyard of the Tao Tang clan, atop a high platform, the sacrificial fire burned brightly.

A towering platform, constructed from layers of rammed earth, stands majestically between heaven and earth, its form ancient and imposing.

On the platform, the Human King sat high in the central position, his figure imposing, draped in animal skins and jade ornaments symbolizing his authority. His face was shrouded in light and shadow, making it difficult to see clearly, but a majestic aura of ruling over the eight wastelands emanated from him.

Behind him stood a massive totem pole, its top ablaze with what seemed like an eternal, sacred fire, radiating indescribable power and heat, stretching his figure long and majestic behind him, as if connected to the heavens and earth.

The King's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, slowly swept over the crowd standing solemnly below the platform.

Finally, his gaze settled steadily on Qi, the human junior he valued most and who possessed the most extraordinary bearing, at the very front of the steps.

Upon being called upon, Qi stepped forward without hesitation, his posture upright like an unyielding pine tree.

His face was resolute, and his eyes were clear and deep. In his young eyes, not only was the earthly flame of the totem pole in front of him reflected, but it also seemed to clearly reflect the crimson star named "Great Fire" that had just risen in the night sky.

Emperor Shun spoke, his voice deep and resonant, carrying an undeniable will that echoed clearly across the silent and solemn square, proclaiming a sacred appointment with far-reaching implications:

"I hereby appoint you, Qi, as the official in charge of fire!"

Then, the scene before my eyes changed quietly like flowing water, and the scenery changed again.

Upon closer inspection, the three realized that it was the very place they had just thoroughly inspected: Ebotai!

What is now revealed is an even more ancient and primitive scene. The temple that would later be built on that high platform has not yet been erected; it is merely a bare, weathered rammed earth platform.

Qi stood alone on the high earthen platform, looking up at the sky with great concentration.

The night sky at this moment was as clear as if it had been washed with water, with countless stars shining brightly, densely embedded in the deep sky. The magnificent and mysterious scene was almost dazzling.

This is the southern sky on a summer night. The Purple Forbidden Enclosure overhead, symbolizing the imperial residence, stands majestically, as solid as a rock.

Meanwhile, in the eastern sky, the Azure Dragon constellation, composed of the seven mansions of Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail, and Winnowing Basket, stretches out its enormous and graceful body, winding and coiling across the horizon, as if it might take off at any moment.

Qi, standing on the stage at this moment, clearly has a definite goal of his own.

His gaze did not linger on the entire Azure Dragon, but was persistently searching for the traces of the "Great Fire Star".

When the light finally falls precisely on the "Dragon's Heart" position, the bright star, crimson in color and with a stable and warm light like an eternally burning flame, will leap into view and become the most eye-catching focus of the entire sky.

Ahead, the stars of the Tail constellation sway and undulate like a dragon's tail; behind, the stars of the Room constellation rise and fall slowly like a dragon's belly.

It is surrounded by the Azure Dragon constellation at its center, as if receiving the worship of an invisible "imperial throne" in the starry sky, and is extremely revered.

One day, two days, three days...

Year after year...

Qi stood here day after day, year after year, gazing up at the celestial phenomena and recording the appearance, location, and trajectory of the planet Mars.

After a long and meticulous period of observation and calculation, a set of precise laws were finally summarized from the unchanging movement of the stars.

Based on the different positions of the planet Antares in the sky, he divided the year into eight periods, with each four months forming a major season.

For example:

In the first month of the lunar calendar, when the planet Antares appears on the eastern horizon at dusk, it corresponds to the spring equinox, when all things begin to revive.

In the second month of the lunar calendar, when the planet Antares rises to the eastern sky at dusk, it corresponds to the beginning of summer, when temperatures rise and crops grow rapidly.

...and so on, in each season and at each time period, the specific location of Mars corresponds precisely to the specific climatic characteristics and vital agricultural activities on Earth.

When Antares appears in the eastern sky at dawn, it signifies the arrival of the spring equinox, a time to begin spring plowing and sowing; when Antares disappears below the western horizon at dusk, it marks the arrival of the autumn equinox, a time to begin harvesting the fruits of the year's labor.

This is the "Fire Calendar" created by Qi, which uses the planet Mars as a reference to guide the production and life of our ancestors!
A great calendar originating from the stars and used on earth!
Then, the story and scenes contained in the fire slowly dissipated, the three people's consciousness returned to their original bodies, and silence returned to the meditation room.

They exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with emotion. Xu Xuan and Hui Ren, being of the human race, felt a surge of heartfelt admiration for the ancient sages who had overcome countless obstacles and created the calendar.

Well, the problem is coming.

After watching a deeply moving account of the pioneering history of the ancients, the Justice Team roughly understood the specific reasons behind the "divine punishment" that targeted the people in the backyard of the Liang Prince's Mansion and affected the Linji Temple.

Surprisingly, it had nothing to do with the many speculations at the beginning. At first, everyone thought it was a physical calamity like heavenly fire, or a concept of conquest like war.

Who would have thought it was related to the ancient "Fire Calendar"? The problem is, the Taichu Calendar, which is in use today, has been perfected and implemented for hundreds of years, deeply rooted in people's hearts, and guiding the agricultural seasons and festivals throughout the world.

The imperial court even possessed a national treasure—the armillary sphere—that embodied the merits of observation and deduction, used to calibrate celestial timing and stabilize the calendar.

What use is a calendar from the past, long since replaced and buried in the corners of history, in the present day?

How could it possibly trigger such a domineering divine punishment?

Hui Ren was completely confused and had no clue what to do, so she could only turn her hopeful gaze to the two people opposite her again.

One was the seemingly all-knowing Zen Master Fahai, and the other was a demon king who had lived for countless years and possessed vast knowledge.

Just then, Xu Xuan and Shi Wangzhen exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of understanding and seriousness in each other's eyes.

Clearly, their greater experience allowed them to immediately think of the same type of thing.

“Things from the past may not necessarily be useful,” Xu Xuan said slowly, his tone carrying a profound meaning, “but they can certainly become a scourge, especially when someone tries to ‘awaken’ them and give them power or meaning that they shouldn’t have in this era.”

Then, he selected and edited a series of events that occurred in Dongting Lake in Jiangnan, cutting out 90% of the content that involved his own secrets and was too shocking, and gave a general account of Huiren.

The main focus is on how Yun Zhongjun abandoned the Dongting Lake he had cultivated for so long and painstakingly chose to bring down the "Ancient Yunmeng Marsh," which had long been lost and left in an unknown place by the ancient demon god.

Its fundamental purpose is to attempt to reverse the changes in nature and force the secret realms of the old era to cover the present world, thereby breaking its own shackles and seeking crazy acts of transcending the human realm.

“Inside this place,” Xu Xuan concluded, his voice low, “that ‘Yunmeng Secret Realm’ from the old era brought about a catastrophe that nearly caused an irreparable calamity to the three continents of the human world.”

His implication was clear: this seemingly useless "Fire Calendar" could be used by certain beings in a manner similar to Yun Zhongjun's to attempt to "awaken" its ancient power of laws, or even to make a fuss about it.

Therefore, the disaster it might cause is probably not much smaller than the calamity that would have occurred in the ancient Yunmeng Marsh!
This "divine punishment" may be the backlash caused by this dangerous attempt, or... it may be the self-defense and punishment after the ancient laws have been touched!
Hui Ren was stunned and speechless for a long time as the "person involved" in front of her recounted such a thrilling secret involving the reversal of heaven and earth in such a calm tone.

Most people in the cultivation world have only vaguely heard that "Zen Master Fahai suppressed the water vein riot of Dongting Lake". A small number of well-informed people may know that this matter is related to the "Yunmeng Secret Realm". As for the crazy reasons hidden in it, such as "reversing heaven and earth" and "guiding the ancient secret realm", it is probably a top secret known to only a very few people!

After listening, besides the immense shock to my soul, I was also filled with an involuntary, chilling association.

"So... if this ancient 'Fire Calendar' was used to cover up or interfere with the current 'Taichu Calendar'..." Following this line of thought, he felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

"Disrupting the cycle of the four seasons and the changing of the hours in the human world!"

He seemed to see that terrible future:

The land of Kyushu is in chaos due to the disorder of seasons, with the seasons out of order and day and night reversed. Agricultural activities are completely disrupted, and the growth patterns of all things are thrown into disarray... Hundreds of millions of living beings will be plunged into the danger of famine and chaos!

Considering the terrible destructiveness, if King Liang was indeed secretly engaging in similar activities... then he deserved divine punishment and was struck down!
Meanwhile, the Linji Temple, unaware of the situation, would frequently visit the backyard of the Prince's mansion to perform Buddhist rituals to avert disaster and mitigate some of the divine punishment...

Isn't this inadvertently becoming an accomplice to such heinous acts that could wreak havoc on the world and poison the lives of ordinary people?!
The thought of this possibility caused the anger that had just been suppressed by Xu Xuan in Huiren's heart to burn uncontrollably once again!
Xu Xuan, on the other hand, gleaned deeper clues from the ancient story he had just heard, and vaguely deduced the more precise origin of this "divine punishment".

Because while the video appeared to be describing the creation of the calendar, it actually provided two key pieces of information.

The name “Ebo” is also known as “Qi”.

Qi's title and achievements can be summarized by far more than just the title of "Fire Master".

Xu Xuan's thoughts quickly connected the classical texts he knew:

The Book of Songs, in the section "Hymns of Shang, Black Bird," states: "Heaven ordained a black bird to descend and give birth to Shang, settling in the vast and boundless land of Yin."

This section records the miraculous birth of Qi, who was the ancestor of the Shang tribe!
The land we are currently in—the Liang Kingdom—had an even more ancient name in ancient times and even in modern times: 'Shangqiu'!

Qi, the ancestor of the Shang dynasty, observed the stars and created the calendar in this place during his lifetime, and was worshipped by the ancestors. After his death, he was posthumously honored and supported by the national fortune and destiny of the Shang dynasty for hundreds of years. His existence is naturally different from ordinary gods who rely on natural beliefs. He must have his own unique 'divinity' and 'laws' left in the world.

It even... formed a kind of 'instinct' to protect the proper order of time in this place.

Moreover, this ancestor was active during the reign of the sage emperor Yu the Great, and historical records show that he assisted Yu the Great in controlling the floods.

Now that we have witnessed the manifestation of Brother Love of Laughter's incense offerings, it is not entirely unacceptable that Qi, the Shang Ancestor who was equally accomplished in the same era, retained some special divinity in this place and could even react to attempts to disrupt the foundation of time with 'divine punishment'.

After hearing this second analysis, Huiren's "anger" was no longer an empty flame, but had a clear goal and reason, and instantly solidified, taking half of its form!
This is no longer a simple personal grudge!
He abruptly rolled up his wide monk's sleeves, revealing his muscular forearms with prominent veins, and asked in a deep voice, his tone carrying an undeniable determination:
"Please teach me, Zen Master! What should I do next?!"

Xu Xuan directly provided the safest and most effective strategy:
"Wait."

"The strange phenomena at Ebo Terrace today, and the removal of the fire, have alerted the enemy. Now we'll see how the Liang Prince's Mansion will react."

The best strategy is to remain still and wait for the enemy to act before striking.

The Zen Master Fahai was a man of many talents; now, the one online is Xu, the Master of Military Strategy, Xuan.

(End of this chapter)