Gods of the Nation: You worship the God of Longevity, I worship the King of Hell!

Chapter 190 The Wen Bell Rings Twice! At this moment, the Celestial Venerable was shocked!

Wenchang Dijun said gently, "You ask me, do you value the brilliance of literature more, or the purity of virtue more?"

"Have you not heard that Cangjie created characters, enlightening all living beings? Writing is the externalization of one's mind and nature."

The scholar spent ten years studying diligently, upholding the virtue of diligence; every word he wrote was a gem, revealing a pure and clear heart.

One's literary fortune is determined by one's writings, and one's blessings are bestowed through hard work.

This is the principle of Heaven rewarding diligence, and also the path to integrating literary pursuits with moral virtue.

Lu Chen nodded upon hearing this: "What Your Majesty says is absolutely right, and I wholeheartedly agree."

He then quoted a passage from the Taiping Jing: "But 'karma is interdependent, and good and evil are repaid in turn.'"

Consider that there are two types of people in the world: one type writes beautifully and writes as if guided by a god, but uses their pen to seek personal gain, deceive the world and steal fame;
One type has mediocre writing skills, unworthy of high art, yet possesses a benevolent heart to help the world and accumulates great merit.

Compared to the other, the latter, though lacking in literary brilliance, can be described as 'beneficial without being harmful'.

"I wonder, Star Lord, what do you think is the proper way to balance the blessings bestowed upon these two individuals?"

"Oh~"

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, Emperor Wenchang was slightly startled, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"This boy is eloquent and has the air of someone who can discuss philosophical matters."

He thought to himself, and when the divine voice rose again in the hall, it was with a newfound interest: "You shall finish your argument, and then I shall make my judgment."

"Yes." Lu Chen bowed deeply, his voice growing clearer: "This junior believes that 'heaven and earth were born together with me, and all things are one with me'..."

He quoted Zhuangzi and continued: "Therefore, I dare to believe that if the bestowal of blessings can take into account both literature and merit, with merit as the foundation and literature as the wings, then literature and morality can truly benefit all people!"

—"Splash!"

Upon hearing this, for some unknown reason, the bells in the hall suddenly trembled slightly.

The starlight flowing on the statue seemed to be drawn in, slowly gathering around Lu Chen.

The interest in Wenchang Dijun's eyes intensified: "Young man, while there is some truth to what you say, you have overlooked one thing."

The fate of literature is not only tied to the fortunes and misfortunes of an individual, but also to the rise and fall of a region's cultural heritage.

If blessings are bestowed solely based on merit, wouldn't those scholars who dedicate themselves to learning and preserving cultural traditions feel disheartened?
If this continues, the art of writing will wither, and the spirit of literature will be severed. How then can we speak of using literature to convey moral principles and to cultivate people through culture?

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen cupped his hands in a smile and calmly replied, "What Your Majesty is concerned about, I have also pondered deeply..."

He responded, citing the Yin Fu Jing, saying, "In my opinion, 'Observe the way of Heaven and act in accordance with Heaven, and that is all.'"

Heaven's way is never biased.

Those who possess literary talent and have good intentions will be granted official titles and honors, enabling them to educate and enlighten people in all directions through their writings.
Those whose merits are illustrious, even if their writing is slightly inferior, are granted blessings and instructed to protect the people through their actions.

Only when both are practiced in parallel can the Way of Heaven be complete.

He paused for a moment, then continued, “'The way of Heaven benefits without harming; the way of the sage acts without contending.'”

Why be bound by the "either/or" principle?
Based on merit and supported by literature, so that the virtuous may be blessed and the wise may achieve their ambitions, this might very well be the path to the flourishing of literature and the Way!

These words were so grand and powerful that even the Wenchang Emperor felt a jolt in his mind.

"What a fine saying, 'The way of Heaven benefits without harming; the way of the sage acts without contending!' If you were to speak ill of the way of Heaven and the sage in ordinary times, you would be punished; but since we are discussing the Way today, we will not be bound by such rules."

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and couldn't help but ask, "Young man, where did you learn such principles? You have quite the spirit to conquer mountains and rivers."

Lu Chen gave a perfectly timed smirk and cupped his hands, saying, "Although I am not good at poetry and prose, I am often fascinated by the laws of heaven and earth, and thus I ponder them from time to time."

Later, I learned a little from the family's classic texts, but unfortunately those texts have been destroyed, otherwise I would have presented them to the Emperor for his perusal.

He shut down the matter completely, leaving no room for Wenchang Dijun to investigate further.

The divine voice of Emperor Wenchang carried a hint of profound meaning: "It seems that your ancestors were indeed extraordinary."

"Well... I really don't know either, but that's about it."

My goodness, you're praising me like this in front of the Emperor! You should be secretly thrilled!

But then the Emperor suddenly laughed: "I never expected to have such an opportunity in the mortal realm today. Very well! Since you have gone to such lengths, it is only to seek blessings and break the formation. Very well, if you can fight me for three rounds without being at a disadvantage, I will grant your request."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen's eyes lit up, and he immediately stood up and bowed deeply: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty!"

"Don't rush. These three rounds won't be as easy as you think."

"Junior understands!"

Lu Chen sat down again, took a deep breath, and then solemnly gestured to the statue, "Please, Your Majesty, enlighten me!!"

……

Meanwhile, outside the Wenchang Hall.

Wang Yiming kept looking up at the celestial phenomena: "Strange, is that all?"

The clouds continued to swirl and linger, but there were no further unusual signs.

He clicked his tongue, somewhat disappointed: "I thought the Emperor Wenchang would descend in his imperial procession; that scene would be absolutely stunning! What a pity, what a real pity..."

"No, no, no, Young Master Wang, it's no pity at all!" The head of the Hu family was already beaming from ear to ear, his face crinkling with joy: "To be able to trigger such a celestial phenomenon is already a great blessing. The incense offerings of my Hu family temple will at least increase by 10% in the future!"

He suddenly leaned closer and asked, "By the way, Young Master Wang, who exactly is this Young Master Lu? He's incredibly powerful! I thought he was just here to ask for some ordinary incense and would probably leave empty-handed, but..."

"Heh." Wang Yiming glanced at him sideways: "See? You still look down on people."

The head of the Hu family hurriedly waved his hand.

Wang Yiming was too lazy to waste any more words with him, but the words Lu Chen had said in the car kept echoing in his mind.

"The commotion is in heaven? What does that even mean?! What does this earthly offering have to do with the heavens?"

He was completely baffled and continued to look up at the celestial phenomena, but he still couldn't make heads or tails of it.

……

Meanwhile, in the Heavenly Court, at the Office of Officials.

The Crimson-Robed God sat calmly atop the cloud platform.

Kui Xingjun paced back and forth in the hall, his brow furrowed with anxiety.

"Alright, the Emperor has already personally descended to the mortal realm to investigate the situation, what is there for you to rush about?"

Kui Xingjun stopped in his tracks: "You make it sound so easy! A mortal who can ascend to the highest rank by rushing into the Dipper suddenly appears out of nowhere, wanting to become an immortal without receiving any divine office. If this precedent is set, won't my Kui Xing Mansion be thrown into chaos?"

"It's alright." The Crimson-Robed God-King flashed with red light and came to the side of the Star Lord Kui Xing: "If he is truly a rare talent in the mortal world, we can simply grant him a divine position. Why be so anxious?"

He paused, his brows furrowing slightly, and said, "Strange, the Emperor has been gone for so long, why hasn't he returned yet? I think we should go to Kaihua Palace and wait there, so that if the Emperor has any orders, we can respond promptly."

Kui Xingxing nodded upon hearing this: "That makes sense, let's go!"

The two gods were about to transform into a rainbow and depart.
"Clang—!!!"

But at that moment, an unexpected, earth-shattering bell rang out again, startling the two divine lords and causing their divine light to momentarily freeze.

"The Wen Bell...it's ringing again?"

"This, how is this possible?!"

The two deities exchanged a glance, and a chill suddenly ran down their spines.

In an instant, divine power surged outside the Silu Mansion, and rosy clouds soared into the sky.

All the Kui Xing (a deity associated with the gods of literature) flew out of the palace and stood in mid-air, their eyes fixed intently on the direction of the Jiutian Kaihua Palace.

Everyone was speechless with astonishment, their faces filled with shock.

……

And the aftershocks of the Wenzhong bell swept across the heavens.

The momentum that had just subsided.

At this moment, it was pulled up again.

And this time, the momentum is far more intense than before!
This is because all the immortals in Heaven are well aware of the significance of this supreme treasure.

When the Wenzhong bell tolls, it signifies the birth of a great sage or a momentous change in the literary world.

In the Heavenly Court, it might not ring out even once a year, which corresponds to more than three hundred years in the mortal realm.

But now, in a short period of time, the Wen Zhong bell has been struck twice, something that has never happened before!

In an instant, myriad lights rose above the heavens, and auspicious clouds swirled around.

Countless immortals, heavenly generals, true lords, and primordial lords all turned their divine senses toward the Kaihua Palace, filled with astonishment and doubt.

"...What's going on? Why is the Wenzhong bell ringing again?!"

"I don't know! Could it be that two Kui Xing (a deity associated with literature and literature) are simultaneously trying to return to the ranks of immortals?"

"It's not surprising that Kui Xing has returned to the ranks of the immortals, but to strike the Wen Bell twice in such a short time is absolutely impossible! This has never happened before!"

"Yes, I have never heard of such a thing before, from ancient times to the present!"

"Could it be that a great sage, one in a thousand years, has been born into this world, causing the Wen Bell to ring twice?!"

"It's not impossible... but such a great sage is extremely rare, perhaps only one in ten thousand years!"

……

Similar conversations were taking place in various departments and corners of the Heavenly Court.

All the immortals were astonished, and some even secretly began to search the mortal realm, trying to find out where the source of this was.
…………

The Heavenly Court, the Jade Palace of the Divine Firmament.

Thunderclouds surged endlessly for 100,000 miles.

"Clang—!!!"

As the second chime of the Wenzhong bell rang, it reverberated throughout the world.

On the throne in the cloud platform, the Heavenly Venerable of Universal Transformation of Thunder and Lightning, with his divine body spanning ten thousand feet, finally slowly opened his eyes.

"Someone is coming."

"Wow—"

A streak of azure light transformed into a rainbow and landed, revealing a figure—the Left Attendant of the Thunder Ancestor, General Azure Thunder.

"Tianzun!"

"Why did the official bell toll twice today at the Silu Mansion?"

General Qing Lei bowed and reported: "Your Majesty, the reason is still unclear. Some say that Kui Xing has returned to his position, while others say that a great sage has been born in the mortal world... There are also reports that the Emperor has severed his avatars and personally went to the mortal world to investigate."

"An avatar has come in person?" Thunder God's eyes flashed with lightning, then he slowly closed them. "That's rare... It seems the Silu Mansion will have another Kui Xing (a high-ranking official). You may leave."

"Yes!"

At the same moment, high above the clouds, deep within the purple mist—the Great Brahma Palace, where Doumu Yuanjun resides.

A thousand golden rays descended from the gaps in the clouds, like an inverted Milky Way, enveloping the palace in a warm glow, as if surrounded by stars.

"Clang—!!!!"

The sound of bells pierced through the clouds and echoed deep into the heavenly palace.

On the cloud platform, Doumu Yuanjun slowly withdrew her divine consciousness from meditation.

"Child~"

"Miss!"

The attendant fairy boy arrived immediately upon hearing the call.

Why did the Wenzhong bell ring twice?

"Your Majesty, it is said that Kui Xing has accumulated enough merit in this lifetime and wishes to return to the ranks of the celestial beings in Heaven."

"No." Doumu Yuanjun shook her head, her eyes sparkling with starlight: "The celestial signs indicate that this is not the sign of Kui Xing returning to his position. Go and check it out quickly. If it is true that a sage in the mortal world has risen to the position of Kui Xing and triggered literary fortune, then prepare a generous gift for me and send it to congratulate him."

"Yes, madam!"

After the celestial child departed, Doumu Yuanjun closed her eyes and entered meditation once more.

The continuous stream of incense, like a stream flowing into a river, slowly flowed into her body, shining brightly alongside the stars in the sky, displaying supreme divine power.

Not only Lei Zu and Doumu Yuanjun.

At this moment, the eight main gods of the Heavenly Court—the Plague Emperor Haotian, the Water Virtue Star Lord, the Fire Virtue Star Lord, the Jiazi Tai Sui, the Bixia Yuanjun, and the Golden Dragon Ruyi Zhengyi Longhu Xuantan Zhenjun Zhao Gongming—were all startled by the two unprecedented chimes of the Wenzhong bell. Almost simultaneously, they opened their divine eyes, their eyes filled with astonishment and curiosity.

Such an unusual phenomenon was something that even those in high positions couldn't help but want to investigate.

Outside the Nine Heavens Enlightenment Palace.

The Crimson-Robed God and the Star Lord of Kui Xing, who had transformed into a rainbow, stood before the Wen Zhong (a type of ancient Chinese bell).

The two deities clenched their fists, their minds already churning.

"This is the second time... If it rings again, it might ignite a small fire!"

The Crimson-Robed God was completely focused, not daring to be distracted in the slightest.

If the bonfire is lit, it signifies that the Office of the Minister of Personnel will officially gain a new Kui Xing (a high-ranking official in the imperial examinations).

The key point is that this future Kui Xing is actually a mortal who has not yet been granted a divine office!
This action is tantamount to violating divine law.

It is highly likely that this will invite the Great Celestial Venerable to punish us.

No wonder the two deities were extremely anxious.

Just as the two deities were experiencing intense emotions, they suddenly felt a stirring in their hearts, as if they had sensed something.

The next instant, the two gods no longer hesitated, transformed into two streaks of rainbow light, and flew into the palace.

As soon as he landed, he knelt down respectfully: "Your Majesty!"

On the throne in the cloud platform, the Wenchang Emperor, whose clone had returned, slowly opened his divine eyes.

The Crimson-Robed Deity couldn't help but ask urgently, "Your Majesty, what exactly happened? Why did the Wen Bell ring twice in a row?"

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Lord Kui Xingxing quickly echoed.

Unexpectedly, on the cloud throne, the Emperor revealed a rare smile:
"He's quite an interesting young man..."

Then he closed his eyes again.

"It's alright, go ahead."

The Crimson-Clad God and the Star Lord of Kui Xing exchanged a glance, both completely bewildered, but dared not ask any further questions. They could only clasp their hands and bow, saying, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Once the hall fell silent again, Emperor Wenchang frowned slightly and sighed softly, "It's just a pity that there are too many variables; I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse..."

In the lower realm, in Rongcheng, at the Hu Clan Temple.

Before we knew it, the sun had set and dusk had fallen.

Most of the worshippers who had gathered in front of the temple had already dispersed, leaving only a few people still curiously looking around.

I wanted to see what that boy, who spent the entire day in the Wenchang Hall, had been doing inside.
Wang Yiming was getting drowsy.

The head of the Hu family, who was seated, also looked tired and yawned repeatedly.

"Squeak——!"

Suddenly, the doors of the Wenchang Hall were pushed open with a loud bang.

Startled, Wang Yiming tumbled off the stool and scrambled to his feet.

"Out?"

He rubbed his eyes and froze on the spot—

Lu Chen stood before the hall, his body radiating light and displaying a myriad of auspicious signs.

With each step, a golden lotus blooms beneath his feet, radiating brilliance, as if a celestial being has descended to earth.

"Holy crap!!!!!!!!! Bro...you, you turned into light?!"

Wang Yiming darted forward to Lu Chen, only to see Lu Chen raise his hand, first pointing to his mouth, then to his ear.

Finally, he shook his head at him.

"What do you mean?" Wang Yiming was stunned for a moment, then his expression changed drastically, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head: "You...you can't hear or speak?"

Lu Chen shook his head again, but seemed to understand lip reading, and nodded emphatically!
Wang Yiming's head buzzed.

Finished!

Praying for blessings backfires!

—A fallen genius! ...

　Another all-nighter.

　　The second minor climax of "The Heavenly King Chapter" has come to an end.

　　
　　
　
(End of this chapter)