I changed the world.

"You silly child, you're just trying to make me happy..." Even though she knew her daughter was just trying to make her happy, An Xuqing still had a big smile on her face, as bright as a flower.

Afterwards, An Xuqing lingered in her daughter's room for a while, asking her about her master. An Huiling answered according to the same line she had discussed with her father that morning. However, at the end, she couldn't help but say to her mother, "Mom, I suggest we find a reason to send that Master Liyuan away, and it would be best to replace those two temple workers as well."

"What? That Master Liyuan... I think he's a very capable person?" An Xuqing was taken aback: "Your cousin always praises that master too..."

“Mother, your daughter is now a disciple of Yunxiao. Although that Master Liyuan claims to be from the Yunxiao lineage, Yunxiao Mountain has its own secret methods to identify the lineage. That day, your daughter tested him with the sect's sign language, but he did not notice. It is obvious that Master Liyuan's identity is problematic.”

"Ah...could there be a mistake?" An Xuqing clearly trusted Master Liyuan quite a bit, and still hesitated upon hearing this: "A few days ago, my mother kept having nightmares at night. It was this Master Liyuan who chanted a spell for her, and then she got better and it never recurred..."

“Mom…” An Huiling frowned upon hearing this, hesitated for a moment, and finally said, “I once heard my master say that there are many unorthodox tricks in the world, and some charlatans use them to bewitch people…”

"Think about it, did your symptoms appear suddenly...?"

An Xuqing was taken aback upon hearing this, and then seemed to be thinking about it. After all, she came from a noble family, and her knowledge was not comparable to that of ordinary men and women. Hearing her daughter say this, she also became somewhat hesitant.

After all, she herself knew that her family was wealthy, so it was not impossible that someone or some powerful force was plotting something that would require the one who tied the knot to untie it.

Seeing her mother fall silent, An Huiling thought for a moment, then opened a drawer and took out two jade pendants sealed in small plastic bags. They were engraved with Bagua symbols. Both jade pendants were made of white jade and were amulets that An Huiling had asked her senior brother for for her parents. Their main purpose was to ward off evil spirits.

Volume Two: The Truth Hidden Behind History Books: Chapter 745 The Amulet Given by My Daughter

“These two amulets are what your daughter originally intended to give you before she left. Mom and Dad, each of you should wear one. Don’t take them off, and don’t let anyone see them…” An Huiling took one of the amulets out and handed it to her mother, indicating that she should wear it around her neck.

An Xuqing took the two jade pendants and curiously examined them. She felt that the jade pendants were cold, but they were slightly warm to the touch, which clearly showed that they were extraordinary.

An Xuqing then hung it around her neck. It didn't have the icy feel of ordinary jade pendants, which only amplified her sense of wonder. She wanted to ask more questions, but seeing her daughter's reluctance to elaborate, she refrained, though her own feelings had already shifted.

“Since you say so, Lingling, I think you’re right. I’ll have someone talk to Master Liyuan and give him some money to ask him to leave. It’ll be a good way to part on good terms…” An Xuqing finally said. After all, how could parents not trust their own children and trust outsiders instead?

“Okay, that’s good.” An Huiling nodded, then added, “Mom, you don’t need to go to Qinghe Palace anymore. If you really want to go to a temple to offer incense, Nanya Palace in the eastern suburbs of Jin’an is the Taoist temple of Yunxiao Mountain in Jin’an. You can go there in the future, or you can go directly to Yunxiao Mountain in Dinghai. I can make a call to my fellow disciples there, and someone will be there to greet you.”

After An Huiling finished speaking, she had already decided that she would definitely talk to Yunxiao Mountain about this matter later. It just so happens that the day after tomorrow is the weekly training day, and she can talk to Abbot Li about this matter then. She can't let Qinghe Palace use Yunxiao Mountain's name to swindle and deceive people.

“From now on, let’s do as my daughter says. After a while, Mother will indeed go to Yunxiao Mountain to offer incense for our family.” Hearing this, An Xuqing thought for a moment and nodded. After all, Yunxiao Mountain was renowned, and even ordinary people knew it was a legitimate sect of the Xuanmen (Taoist school). An Xuqing had previously been an outsider, but now that her daughter had pointed it out, she naturally understood. Even ordinary people know that when buying things, buying brand-name items is better; when worshipping the Heavenly Venerable, it should naturally be done at a grand and prestigious temple, as that would be more efficacious…

Afterwards, the mother and daughter chatted about An Huiling's daily life in Linzhou until she finished eating the bird's nest. Only then did An Xuqing leave her daughter's room with the empty bowl, completely satisfied.

................................................

After handing the empty bowl to a maid, An Xuqing went directly to An Zhengquan's study.

In the study, An Zhengquan was replying to emails on his laptop. Seeing his wife enter and close the door, he put down his work and looked at her: "How is it?"

“Boyue, I’m afraid…you guessed right, Lingling may have really had some kind of miraculous encounter.” An Xuqing didn’t say much, but took out a pendant and handed it to An Zhengquan: “My precious daughter got this for you, try wearing it.”

"Oh? Then I'll have to take a look..." An Zhengquan smiled and took it. He immediately sensed its extraordinary quality and examined it from all angles.

With his wealth, he had amassed a considerable collection of jade artifacts over the years and was no stranger to fine jade. However, the jade before him was Tian jade. Judging by its appearance, while it was quite good, it wasn't top-grade. The whiteness was decent, with a slight bluish tinge, and the oiliness wasn't quite there—not quite as smooth and lustrous as mutton fat. Yet, holding it in his hand, he felt a warmth that wasn't cold, and he immediately put it around his neck…

"Also, I just went to deliver bird's nest to Lingling, pretending to trip and fall..." An Xuqing said, making a falling motion: "Who knew, my daughter reacted so quickly, she caught me right away and even caught the bowl, I checked, not a drop spilled..."

“I think you might be right… Our daughter’s new master is no ordinary person; he might have really taught Lingling something extraordinary…”

Upon hearing this, An Zhengquan stood up from his seat: "Now that I think about it, ever since she went to Linzhou with her classmates and was supposedly saved by an immortal, it seems that the changes in her have started to become quite significant..."

"I later tried to find out more about these kinds of things, and then I learned that there really are some supernatural beings in this world... For example, some of Qianluo's video and self-media platforms have specific requirements for deleting posts. I didn't pay attention to these things before, and left them to my subordinates. Later, after asking around, I discovered that videos and information like 'spreading cults, promoting unverified supernatural phenomena...' are highly classified. The network office has dedicated personnel who liaise with various platforms just to handle this kind of information. Furthermore, as far as I know, the Special Crimes Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Justice reportedly has a special department handling these kinds of matters..."

“I had someone get some internal videos that had been deleted from the internet and watched them. This Xuanmen is really not simple. That’s why I told you before that I suspected our precious daughter might have had some extraordinary encounter.”

"It's thanks to your reminder that I hadn't even considered this possibility." An Xuqing patted her chest lightly and said, "After all, she's a piece of my own flesh and blood. How could I, as her mother, not notice the changes in her? These last few times I've come home, Lingling's complexion and figure have been so noticeably different, it's like she's become a completely different person..."

"Although I'm much better now, I'm still feeling quite anxious."

"Fortunately, this time it was all a coincidence. If it weren't for this acquisition, she probably wouldn't have revealed her apprenticeship." An Zhengquan nodded and said, "I just confirmed some more information. Recently, there have indeed been large funds secretly selling off their assets in various markets. Lingling's information was correct. If she hadn't reminded us, we would have been in real trouble."

"This matter was brokered by Wei Feng of the Maritime Bank. Now that I think about it, the Wei family probably has ulterior motives..."

"In that case, you'd better be careful over there," An Xuqing said anxiously upon hearing this.

"Don't worry, it's already been stopped. As long as we're on guard, it'll be difficult for them to do anything else..."

"Take more bodyguards with you when you go out recently. Be careful that others don't have ulterior motives..." An Xuqing said upon hearing this.

“I understand. I’ll also have the security company add more staff at home. Speaking of which, I’m a little worried about Lingling. The security personnel I arranged last time, they said they encountered some inexplicable accidents, things like being hit by a car, falling from a tree while installing a security camera, and other random things…”

"Boyue, do you think... it might be Lingling's master..."

Volume Two: The Truth Hidden Behind History Books: Chapter 746 I'd better go to Yunxiao Mountain.

Upon hearing this, An Zhengquan took a deep breath. For a moment, he recalled the stories of powerful figures playing among humans in the many myths and legends of Chinese history. To be honest, those bodyguards couldn't keep up for some inexplicable reason, and their injuries weren't too serious. If there was a powerful figure behind them who didn't want them to follow, it wasn't impossible.

After all, what happened to their daughter seemed beyond the realm of common sense to the couple. Just look at how their daughter had become a completely different person in just a few short months. If they said they couldn't see it, they would truly be unworthy of being parents.

However, seeing everything moving in a positive direction, especially with their daughter on the verge of death, made this positive trend all the more precious, and in their eyes, it was like a lifeline!

This is why the couple dared not probe or inquire too much, for fear that they might offend the mysterious factor and ruin their daughter's chance.

It's true that parents' hearts are always full of love and worry.

“By the way, Lingling just told me about that Master Liyuan…” As she spoke, An Xuqing recounted the relevant conversation between An Huiling and her husband.

Finally, she added, "Lingling said that from now on, when we go to temples to offer incense, we shouldn't go to Qinghe Palace anymore. Nanya Palace in the east of the city is the main Taoist temple of Yunxiao Mountain in Jin'an. We can go there in the future. We can also go directly to Yunxiao Mountain in Dinghai. She can contact the fellow disciples there, and someone will be there to greet us..."

"Oh?" An Zhengquan pondered upon hearing this. He had previously suspected that his daughter's master was probably not an ordinary Taoist priest, and now it seemed that this possibility was even greater...

“Our daughter has always been a woman of strong opinions. Since she says so, then you should have someone find a reason to dismiss this Master Liyuan. Give him some money, and that will save face.”

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Well, I already told Lingling that I'm planning to have Qianluo's charity foundation contact Yunxiao Mountain and donate some money first. I think you should take this opportunity to go to Yunxiao Mountain and see what's going on there..."

“That’s what I was thinking too. If I don’t go and see it, I’ll always feel uneasy. I’ll go to Yunxiao Mountain in a while. Everyone says it’s a blessed land of immortals and the Taoist temple of the Supreme Heavenly Venerable. I should at least go and offer incense for my family…” An Xuqing nodded.

* * *

承和三十七年 2016年4月6日08:23 临州云山坊张宅

"In today's daily morning news, we have an important news item: just now, Major Jennifer, a spokesperson for the Human Joint Defense Command, confirmed the rumors about the Kuber Planetary Debris Belt that had been previously reported by several news media outlets."

"According to Major Jennifer's statement, the Joint Human Defense Command's detectors previously detected a giant meteorite passing through the Kuber planetary debris belt. The Beacon Fortress deployed ships and used weapon systems in an attempt to guide it off its intended trajectory, but the guidance was not successful. Finally, on the evening of March 30, a nuclear missile was launched to destroy it. The explosion was observed by some amateur astronomers, which aroused some rumors and attracted some public attention."

"This has led to the closure of the civilian air route to Fengsuibao. It is expected that the subsequent work to clear the meteorite will continue, and the final completion time will be announced separately depending on the specific situation."

"Furthermore, Major Jennifer, on behalf of the Joint Human Defense Command, announced that the expansion project of Beacon Tower Airport will commence soon. Beacon Tower Airport will be positioned as a dual-use military and civilian port, serving as a crucial hub for humanity's journey into deep space..."

Zhang Jing was having breakfast in his own restaurant. He hadn't gone anywhere for the past two days. Apart from keeping an eye on some clues in his plan, he had been focusing on cultivating in the cave and recovering the power he had exhausted.

With the help of the Demon Refining Pot, everything went quite smoothly. In addition, he could feel that after the conferment of the title of City God of Linzhou, the power of faith in the entire conferment system was gathering at an unprecedented speed. He knew that this was the gathering of faith brought by all the City God Temples and Earth God Temples in Jiangdong Province.

Although, apart from Linzhou City, the city gods and even the gods and land deities of the underworld in other parts of Jiangdong Province have not yet been officially appointed and thus unable to exercise their powers, in his view, this is only a matter of time.

The City God of Linzhou whom he had previously appointed was a Prefectural City God. If he were to delegate authority, the City God of Linzhou could appoint some of the underworld officials in his jurisdiction to act as City Gods. In this way, Zhang Jing's speed in establishing a pantheon would be greatly increased.

Here, Zhang Jing has the ultimate power of life and death over the entire imperial decree system, and he doesn't need to worry about the kind of troublesome things that only happen in human officialdom, such as "my subordinate's subordinate is not my subordinate."

Of course, this also takes time. The Yin Si in Linzhou is newly established, and the City God Shi Qing still needs to further accumulate power.

"For this reason, we interviewed Professor Wang Bo'an from the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Beijing University of Science and Technology. Professor Wang, hello."

"Hello, host, hello, viewers."

"What are your comments, Professor Wang, regarding Major Jennifer's remarks?"

"As everyone knows, the Kuiper Belt is actually a very large region. Its most complete extent, including the outermost region far from the center, extends from about 31 to 53 AU. Of course, it is generally believed that the main part only extends from 40 to 48 AU. But no matter how you look at it, it is a very large region."

"So how many small celestial bodies are there in this region? I can tell you, my friends, there are over 10 small celestial bodies with a diameter of more than 100 kilometers. As for even smaller celestial bodies, they are countless..."

"Wow, there are so many celestial bodies!" The host expressed his amazement at just the right moment.

"Yes, because there are so many celestial bodies involved, the probability of astronomical disasters occurring is actually quite high. Things like meteorite impacts have been happening all along. Generally speaking, we can detect and destroy them in advance. If the incoming celestial body is large, then we try to deflect its trajectory..."

Professor Wang interacted frequently with the host on television, and at least in Zhang Jing's opinion, the program was quite effective. If he hadn't been a witness, he might have actually believed it...

"Professor Wang, what are your thoughts on the upcoming expansion of Fengsuibao Airport?"

Volume Two: The Truth Hidden Behind History Books: Chapter 747 Research on Imperial Edicts

"Personally, I think it is very necessary to expand Fengsuibao Airport at this time. Please note that Fengsuibao Airport is currently positioned as a 'dual-use' port for military and civilian purposes. So, it is likely that this port will become the starting point of the 'interstellar voyage' that everyone is talking about, and serve as a home port for resupply."

"Therefore, in my opinion, the current size of the Fengsui Fortress Airport is indeed insufficient, and it is necessary to start construction as soon as possible..."

"Okay... Professor Wang's comments are very professional. I'm sure you, the viewer, are filled with confidence and anticipation for the even more magnificent Fengsuibao Airport and the even more spectacular future of deep space exploration..."

Zhang Jing turned his gaze away from the television and sighed softly. Although various television programs were still touting the glorious future of interstellar travel, the stock market and commodity market had been unable to stop their downward trend in the past few days. Yesterday, stock markets in various countries continued their downward trend. Although the decline was generally not large, there were still no signs of the market stabilizing.

Judging from his views on the economy and the current capital market, the news announced by the Human Joint Defense Command today can be considered a typical case of "turning a tragedy into a celebration." The incident of a suspected nuclear explosion flash appearing at Beacon Tower, which had been gradually fermenting in the public opinion field, was not only temporarily suppressed, but also revealed a so-called "positive news," namely the plan to expand the Beacon Tower's dual-use military and civilian port.

In fact, Zhang Jing also knew that the core issue here was not expanding the port, but repairing and further expanding the defensive capabilities of the beacon tower. After all, the previous deep space threat was tangible and visible, and the beacon tower's defensive capabilities were insufficient and needed to be further strengthened. Presumably, this would not be opposed by any country.

But how long can the real bad news be kept hidden? Zhang Jing didn't know. Perhaps some powerful figures were still hoping to find a better solution in a short time...

When will this bomb explode? Only time will tell...

After finishing breakfast, Zhang Jing turned off the TV, returned to his study, opened his laptop, and accessed his encrypted email account, where a single email lay quietly.

This email was commissioned by Zhang Jing to a professional research agency to conduct a survey on domestic temples and shrines, especially the systematic compilation and statistics of city god temples and land god temples in various regions. Because the direction of the survey was too sensitive, Zhang Jing did not handle it himself, but instead handed it over to Sen Baolin, who further broke down the task and then, through his channels, subcontracted these repackaged and distorted tasks to different commercial research agencies.

When these tasks are handed over, they are usually presented as follows: "A tourism company is preparing to conduct research on new tourism routes and hopes to investigate characteristic religious tourist attractions in XX province, and hopes to obtain detailed information on these tourist attractions and their approximate tourist flow..." or "An online game company is developing a new game with a traditional Chinese style and hopes to conduct related promotional activities, and needs to obtain relevant information on City God Temples in various parts of the province, as well as relevant tourist flow statistics." These kinds of tasks, once received as commercial research commissions, completely fail to reveal the client's ultimate purpose from the requirements alone.

Ultimately, Senbaolin would extract the valuable information from these commissions, summarize it again, and then form the final text, which he would then hand over to Zhang Jing.

This text is of great value to Zhang Jing’s next plan. Based on the practice of bestowing titles upon the City God of Linzhou, Zhang Jing has confirmed that the upper limit of his current bestowal is roughly the City God of the prefecture level, including the underworld under its jurisdiction. If he were to bestow titles upon higher-level deities, it would be too much of a stretch for Zhang Jing with his current abilities.

Therefore, Zhang Jing does not plan to bestow titles upon higher-ranking deities in the short term. Relatively speaking, the city god at the prefecture level is sufficient for his current plans.