Becoming a martial arts god starting from the mortician.

The capital city.

A sunny winter day with warm sunshine, no wind and no snow.

A black-feathered eagle broke through the clouds, folded its wings, and landed steadily on the white jade railing at the top of the Tower of Babel.

The Tower of Babel is extremely tall, rising hundreds of feet from the ground, like a white jade sword piercing the clouds. Bronze wind chimes are embedded on all four sides of the tower, ringing without wind, their sound like the clear sound of jade chimes, ceaseless day and night. Standing atop the tower, one can see the entire glazed-gold tiles of the Dayan Imperial City spread out before them. Palaces and pavilions stretch endlessly, row upon row.

The Tower of Babel and the Taiji Hall are separated by a palace wall and two passageways, and are no more than half a mile apart.

At this moment, inside the Taiji Hall.

Inside the three-legged, openwork bronze incense burner, wisps of styrax smoke rose straight up, lingering between the domed beams and pillars for a long time.

The Emperor of Dayan sat upright on his dragon throne, his bright yellow dragon robe rising and falling slightly with his breath. In his hand he held a folded book, the very one that Jiang Xinyue had sent urgently.

The courtiers stood on both sides of the hall, each with their heads bowed and eyes lowered.

"Chengping County was attacked by heretical cultivators, and the Imperial Observatory and the patrol battalion suffered over a hundred casualties." The Emperor placed the urgent memorial on his desk, his tone calm. "The military guards previously dispatched are still en route when the Hidden Nether Sect launched its attack. My ministers, the border pass is the first gateway to the Great Yan Kingdom. If the border pass falls, how will the people of the several northern prefectures live in peace?"

The emperor shifted his gaze, landing on the head of all officials, the first person on his left.

He was an elderly man with white hair and beard. He wore a plain white robe that remained spotless, the hem of which reached the ground without a single wrinkle. All the civil and military officials bowed their heads, but he alone stood with his back straight and his hands behind his back.

The Director of the Great Expansion Observatory.

The entire court was accustomed to this. The Imperial Observatory was separate from the Six Ministries, and its chief official held a position equivalent to the Three Dukes. They did not kneel before the Emperor, a rule personally established by the founding emperor.

"Supervisor," the Emperor said calmly, without questioning, "if the border gates were damaged, the Astronomical Bureau should have detected it immediately. Why was there no warning this time?"

The supervisor slowly raised his right hand, flicked his long sleeve, and bowed.

His voice, though aged, was still strong: "Your Majesty, the array at the Northern Border Pass is intricately linked to the earth's veins. Recently, the north has suffered a severe drought, depleting the veins and causing the array to operate sluggishly. This matter seems suspicious, and I must investigate further before I can draw a conclusion."

The Emperor nodded slightly. "The Supervisor's words are reasonable. Then, in your opinion, how should we respond?"

"I have already ordered all departments in the northern border to strengthen patrols. As for the border passes themselves, I am willing to personally send capable people to investigate and report back within the month."

The emperor pondered for a moment, then shifted his gaze from the supervisor to the assembled officials in the hall.

"The situation in the north is becoming increasingly urgent. I intend to dispatch another contingent of imperial guards north to reinforce the region. What do you all think?"

Upon hearing this, the Vice Minister of War stepped forward, holding his official tablet and bowing.

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Guards are the nation's defenses, and any rash action could affect the defenses of various prefectures. It is currently winter, and pirates are harassing the coast of the East China Sea, while the Qiang tribes in the west are restless. If the Imperial Guards are redeployed again, it may leave the east and west vulnerable. I believe that the Imperial Guards can be conscripted from the three northern prefectures to supplement the defenses, and the Imperial Guards on the east and west flanks should not be redeployed for the time being."

The Minister of Revenue and the Vice Minister of Personnel also stepped forward to second the motion, their words earnest and their arguments clear.

The emperor frowned slightly.

"Your concerns are all well-founded and prudent. In that case, the transfer of the Imperial Guard to the north will be postponed for the time being. However, the matter of the border crossing must be investigated as soon as possible."

The emperor stood up and surveyed the hall. "Court adjourned."

The officials bowed and filed out of the hall.

……

The Tower of Babel, the quiet room on the top floor.

The quiet room was small, with walls inlaid with ebony, neither gilded nor adorned with jade. There was only one north-facing window, which opened very wide. Winter sunlight streamed in, illuminating an inkstone on the table and a half-burnt candle.

The supervisor sat down behind his desk, with two bronze letter tubes spread out in front of him.

The official document in the first mailbox has just been presented to the Emperor at the court assembly.

He picked up the second letter tube, rubbing his thumb against the familiar vermilion seal that had been sealed with wax. This was a secret letter sent by Crescent Moon alone, not circulated through official channels.

The wax seal was removed, and two thin sheets of letter paper were pulled out and flattened.

The supervisor read it word by word.

"...By a twist of fate, this person obtained an ancient copy of 'Yuanming Sui' that his disciple had brought from Shendu. Without a teacher, he mastered the art of observing fate and discerning evil..."

"...This person had predicted a few days ago that Chen Wu, a warrior in Chengping County, was nearing the end of his life... Several days later, Chen Wu indeed died in battle..."

"...What puzzles me even more is that when I examined his fate, I found nothing. I only observed the sign of 'a shift in destiny and a change in fate.' I cannot see through this person's destiny."

"Destiny shifts, fate changes..."

He repeated it to himself, his brows furrowing slightly.

It's not surprising that the new moon can't see through him. This child has extremely high martial arts talent and is considered outstanding among his fellow disciples in the Six Ministries, but he has always lacked a certain level of comprehension in the art of destiny. This was the case back in the capital, and even after sixteen years in Chengping County, he still hasn't made much progress.

He stretched out his left hand, his thumb rapidly calculating on the knuckles of the other four fingers.

A moment later, the calculation stopped.

The supervisor looked at the birth date and time on the letter and stroked his snow-white beard in confusion.

How can a destiny ordained by Heaven be changed or altered without cause?

The supervisor gathered the two pages of letter together and brought them close to the candlestick on the corner of the table. He reached out and lifted it, the flame licking the paper, causing the letter to curl and turn black, turning into a pinch of ash that scattered in the copper dish.

"Someone come here."

A black-clad guard immediately flashed in from outside the door and knelt on one knee.

"Retrieve the household registration files of Qingping Town, Chengping County, and find a man named Shen Qi. Retrieve the records of his father, grandfather, and up to three generations."

"Your subordinate obeys."

The guards withdrew, their footsteps fading away down the stone steps.

The supervisor walked to the window, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked north.

"A storm begins with a single ripple... Chengping County is quite an interesting place."

……

Chengping County, the official mortuary in the southern part of the outer city.

What Shen Qi was doing was very simple: practicing his boxing.

This ironwood stake was newly replaced by someone Zhao Youtian had arranged; it was more than three times harder than the old elm stake. Shen Qi punched it, but the ironwood stake didn't budge.

He shook his hand, changed his angle, and continued hitting.

Ever since Zhou Wenyuan told him not to run around, Shen Qi has stayed quietly in the backyard. He gets up at dawn to practice boxing, takes his medicine at 7 am, and spends the rest of his time sitting cross-legged in meditation, using the Spring Wood Technique to guide his blood and qi to cleanse his meridians.

For five consecutive days, he did not leave the hospital.

Fortunately, the situation outside is gradually becoming more peaceful, so he doesn't have to go out and worry about anything.

With the imperial funds for disaster relief finally disbursed, the prefect ordered the outer city to be cleared, wiping out any remaining gang forces. Patrol battalions patrolled day and night, and the order on the streets visibly improved. As order improved day by day, restaurants and teahouses gradually reopened their signs.

As a result, the business at the mortuary naturally became quiet.

Zhao Youtian, on the other hand, was happy to have a leisurely life. While the servants swept the courtyard and tidied the storeroom every day, he would stay in his accounting room, warm himself by the fire, drink tea, and read anecdotes. He lived a more carefree life than anyone else.

That afternoon, Zhao Youtian ran happily to the backyard, clutching an oil paper package in his hand. He grinned as soon as he entered the gate.

"Seventh Brother, good news, good news!"

Shen Qi was squatting by the well washing his hands, wrung out a towel to wipe his face, and looked up at him.

Zhao Youtian placed the oil paper package on the stone table—it contained half a pound of freshly roasted chestnuts, steaming hot—rubbed his hands together, sat down on the stone bench, and announced three private jobs in one go.

"The three lords of the Wang, Sun, and Liu families in the inner city have all sent word that they wish to invite the 'Lord of the Observatory' to their homes to see off their elders. The Wang family asked for 150 taels, the Sun family for 200 taels, and the Liu family was the most generous, asking for at least 300 taels, and all of them said they would offer a further reward afterward."

Zhao Youtian's small eyes narrowed into slits with a smile, and he rubbed his hands together faster and faster.

"Seventh Brother, think about it. These three things combined are at least six hundred taels of silver. And that doesn't even include the reward!"

Shen Qi peeled a chestnut, popped it into his mouth, chewed it twice, and swallowed it.

"Let's cancel them all."

Zhao Youtian paused in his hand-rubbing motion, his hands frozen in mid-air, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly, unable to utter a word for a long time.

"Just say that the Bureau of Astronomy is too busy to deal with everything." Shen Qi peeled another one.

Zhao Youtian was stunned for a long time before finally squeezing out a breath and nodding reluctantly. Although he was heartbroken over the loss of money, he had gotten to know Shen Qi's temperament better after spending time with him.

Moreover, Shen Qi was a well-known figure in the Observatory, and Zhou Wenyuan treated him like a son. At this time, Shen Qi could easily decline, and Zhao Youtian dared not say a word.

"Alright, I'll do as Seventh Brother says."

Zhao Youtian stood up, dusted himself off, and shuffled towards the gate. He turned back at the gate, scratching the back of his head.

"Oh right, I almost forgot the important matter. That eldest son of the Yan family is here again today. He's waiting for us up ahead."

Shen Qi looked up, holding half a chestnut in her hand.

"Please ask him to come in, brother."

……

backyard.

Two bowls of coarse tea sat on the stone table, steam rising from them.

Yan Qing sat on a stone bench, his robe stained with mud, clearly from his work at the porridge stall. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and his brow relaxed.

"There are fewer refugees in the outer city than in the past few days." Yan Qing put down his teacup. "The imperial relief grain has arrived, and the prefect has set up a separate resettlement camp outside the south gate, giving priority to the elderly, women, and children. The government has compiled a list of able-bodied men and women and assigned them to repair the city walls and dredge the ditches. They are provided with two meals a day and three copper coins as wages."

Shen Qi nodded. "Work relief is better than simply handing out food. If people eat for free for too long, their hearts will drift away. If they have work to do and money to earn, the refugees will be able to settle down on their own. Rather than giving alms, it's better to give them a way to earn their own living."

Yan Qing's eyes lit up, and he put down his teacup.

"What Brother Shen said coincides with what my father said yesterday. My father also said at home that the key to disaster relief is not how much grain there is, but how to give people a way to survive."

The two chatted for another half an incense stick's time.

They talked about everything from the resettlement of refugees to the drought in the north, from fluctuations in grain prices to trade routes between different states. Shen Qi didn't say much, but every time he did, he hit the nail on the head. Yan Qing initially just chatted casually, but later he unconsciously sat up straight and nodded frequently.

Before leaving, Yan Qing stood up and dusted off his robe.

"Brother Shen, your insight is truly remarkable. I have benefited greatly from every visit." He bowed and took his leave, his steps light and quick.

At the entrance of the courtyard.

Zhao Youtian was carrying a plate of melon seeds and peanuts, intending to bring it to Shen Qi.

As Yan Qing emerged from the courtyard, she nodded slightly and politely addressed Zhao Youtian as "Manager Zhao."

Zhao Youtian was flattered and immediately bowed, almost dropping the plate on his forehead.

"Young Master Yan, please wait!"

Yan Qing and his servants walked away.

Zhao Youtian turned his head and looked at Shen Qi, who was wiping the stone table in the courtyard, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

Seventh Brother is truly unfathomable.