Republic of China Era: Entering the Dao through Divine Strike.

We are of mediocre talent, possessing only a heart to serve our country but lacking the power to protect it; we are utterly incapable of shouldering this heavy responsibility.

Li Xin smiled but didn't reply.

He understood Zhang Dingjia's fervent patriotism and respected his desire to serve his country.

But he himself had no intention of getting involved.

Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together; there is no need to argue.

The procession continued its slow march, accompanied by the clamor of gongs and drums.

……

Inside a Western-style attic in the foreign concessions in the south of the city.

Two heavy machine guns were mounted at the window, their muzzles fixed on the Imperial Street below.

More than twenty standard-issue foreign guns were arranged in a staggered pattern, all of them loaded, and the firepower of the entire building was enough to wipe out the people on the street in an instant.

German officer Hans stroked the medals on his chest, his eyes cold and sharp as he stared intently at Li Xin on horseback.

He was seething with anger, determined to avenge Herman and also to use this opportunity to suppress the arrogance of the Qing Dynasty.

"Sir, the target will be within firing range in one minute," Hans whispered. "Once we open fire, we can turn this newly crowned Martial Saint and his entourage into mincemeat in an instant."

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to both avenge our country and crush the morale of the Qing people.

He was fully prepared to fire, convinced that this was a sure-fire kill.

A cold, sharp rebuke suddenly rang out.

"Withdraw your troops! Anyone who dares to fire will be court-martialed..."

The middle-aged German officer had a stern face, but his eyes showed lingering fear.

He stared at the excited Hans, his tone icy: "Don't be so clever as to ruin our years of planning."

Hans looked puzzled: "Sir, why give up such a good opportunity?"

"Call him 'sir'," the officer sternly corrected.

Hans suppressed his emotions and asked in a deep voice, "Sir, we could have severely damaged their military fortune and forced the Qing Dynasty to submit, so why didn't we take action?"

The officer looked out the window at the bustling street and slowly said, "The opportunities you see can be seen by the Angas, the Japanese, and the Northern Bears."

"Everyone understands, and everyone is holding back. Do you really think they're fools?"

Hans was speechless for a moment.

"This is a dead end, not a good opportunity," the officer said gravely. "To act now would have devastating consequences, which we cannot afford."

Retreat immediately, or it will be too late.

Military orders are absolute...

Although Hans was unwilling, he could only order all ambushes to be withdrawn and all firepower to be concealed.

The long-planned assassination attempt was rendered futile.

At the same time, the exact same scene was playing out in all the foreign strongholds in the capital.

The Changsheng Trading Company's Citibank influence was completely neutralized; all the gunmen withdrew, and the gun barrels fell to the ground.

The spies from the north of Rouge Alley dismantled the assassination site and quietly retreated.

Countless foreign spies and assassins, despite holding the perfect opportunity to kill, dared not make a move.

As if guided by some unseen force, the gazes of all the extraterrestrial powers passed over the bustling crowd and looked towards the inner palace.

The West City Catholic Church is quiet and solemn, with flickering candlelight.

Bishop Bernard stood before the cross, then suddenly looked up toward the imperial city, his gaze indifferent.

"That broken ancient dragon has stirred up its fortune again." He spoke softly, then gave the order, "Everyone, suspend all actions for now. The Qing Dynasty's fate is sealed, its demise is inevitable. There's no need to be impatient; just wait for the outcome and reap the benefits."

The atmosphere in the courtyard of the Japanese embassy was oppressive and deathly still.

An elderly man with white hair, as withered as a dead tree, sat quietly on a futon, his face pale and his breathing disordered.

He was the most skilled fortune teller in Japan, having made countless divinations throughout his life without ever making a mistake.

Ito stood to the side, his eyes eager, waiting for him to calculate Li Xin's fate and the changes in the Qing Dynasty.

No one knew that in just a short while, the old man had exhausted half a lifetime's worth of heavenly secrets to forcibly probe the forbidden destiny once again.

The hexagram obtained remained unchanged.

Mountains and rivers collapse, the nation's fate is sealed, and all who enter the game perish.

Everyone believed the divination foretold the demise of the Qing Dynasty, but only he knew the truth…

This cataclysmic event is probably not aimed at everyone who schemes against or gets close to Li Xin.

After a long silence, the old man slowly spoke, his voice hoarse and weary: "There is no way to dispel the evil spirit. My only advice is to stay as far away from that person as possible, and never provoke him."

As soon as he finished speaking, the old man's body trembled violently, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, which splattered onto the bluestone ground.

His already gray hair turned white again in large patches, and his vitality was rapidly fading.

He became increasingly withered and decaying.

Ito and Ryuichi exchanged a glance, both filled with horror.

This is a backlash from the heavenly secrets.

Forcibly prying into a destiny defying the heavens violates the rules of heaven and earth, resulting in severe injury.

If even those who perform divination are like this, then forcibly entering the game to assassinate and scheme will only hasten their demise.

The two completely abandoned any intention to test each other, and were filled only with extreme apprehension.

……

Despite the undercurrents and hidden dangers on all sides, the grand parade on the Imperial Street remained calm and undisturbed.

Li Xin traveled on without encountering any accidents.

People crowded around to watch, and many women and maids hid behind the crowd, secretly observing the boy on horseback with curious yet shy eyes.

In previous years, when the top scholar paraded through the streets, wealthy and powerful families in the capital would take the opportunity to curry favor with him, and even seek sons-in-law in front of the horse to win over the newly powerful.

This year, however, despite the presence of numerous dignitaries along the Imperial Street, not a single person stepped forward to offer their favor or propose marriage.

Li Xin knew the reason clearly.

He intimidated princes, awed officials, and vanquished evil spirits in the palace. He acted domineeringly and disregarded worldly etiquette.

The reputation is too formidable, too dangerous.

Ordinary wealthy and powerful families have too many entanglements, and they dare not provoke them at all.

No one wants to associate with such a jinx; one wrong move and the whole family could be ruined.

It's perfectly normal that no one seeks favor with him or arranges marriages with him.

The state of the people along the street, however, sent a chill down his spine.

Tens of thousands of people knelt down to offer their congratulations, displaying meticulous etiquette and a respectful attitude.

But Li Xin could see clearly that everyone's eyes held a sense of wariness and alienation.

Kneeling is done out of obligation to maintain order, and offering congratulations is merely going with the flow; there is not a shred of trust in their hearts.

Many people bowed deeply, their bodies tense, ready to get up and flee at any moment.

There is awe, there is envy, but little trust...

In the midst of years of chaos, the government lost its credibility, the powerful and wealthy became arrogant, and wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice occurred one after another.

The common people have long been numbed by oppression and have completely lost faith in the imperial court and the powerful.

No matter how prestigious or high-ranking the person above them is, in the eyes of the common people, they are ultimately a high-ranking ruler, someone who is not on their side.

The grand parade that spanned all nine gates ended with Li Xin gaining only 312 pink faith points.

Judging from the numbers alone, this is already his highest single-time achievement.

However, compared to the hundreds of thousands of people in the capital, this amount of credibility is negligible and can be almost ignored.

Li Xin secretly chuckled to himself, thinking that the power gained from such a grand national ceremony and the worship of the people was not even as great as the genuine recognition gained from a street performance.

All the hustle and bustle and extravagance are just illusions.

He instantly lost interest in parading through the streets.

Too lazy to continue with this empty ceremony, he simply signaled to the leader to end the parade.

He turned his horse around and returned home alone.

The grand procession came to a halt, and the spectacle of the masses paying homage slowly came to an end.

Li Xin spurred his horse and galloped away, leaving his entourage behind, and quickly returned to Li Garden.

Outside the mansion, banquets were laid out in the streets and alleys, and guests came and went in an endless stream.

Neighbors, fellow villagers, old acquaintances, and local dignitaries were all present.

Everyone raised their glasses in celebration, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.

Li Xin walked along, smiling and nodding at everyone's greetings, treating people with gentleness and showing no airs of a newly appointed imperial advisor.

He had no interest in lingering at the banquet and social gatherings. His gaze quickly swept across the crowd, and he soon spotted Cheng Feiyan.

Cheng Feiyan moved nimbly, chatting and laughing with a group of women and girls, calmly managing the trivial matters of entertaining guests in the mansion.

These people were all connections she had built up over many years in the capital. They came from diverse backgrounds, but they were all reliable and approachable.

Li Xin stepped forward and asked, "Senior Sister, where is Master? He said he was waiting for me at home."

When Cheng Feiyan saw him return, her face lit up with joy, and she immediately replied, "Father has been waiting for you for a long time in the Bamboo Garden in the east."

"it is good."

Li Xin nodded, gave a slight nod to the group of shy, peeking women beside him, and then turned and walked straight towards the bamboo garden on the east side.

Today, Li Garden has been expanded several times and is now extremely large, with courtyards and pavilions scattered throughout, and lush flowers and trees and winding paths.

As the owner, finding a secluded courtyard requires a long and winding journey.

Only after he had walked away did the group of women behind him dare to whisper among themselves.

"Scholar Li was exceptionally handsome and truly unparalleled in his gentle and refined manner."

"The twelve-year-old Martial Saint National Preceptor is even more legendary than Gan Luo of ancient times, and is truly admirable."

"Sister Feiyan is so kind. She can stay by his side all year round. No one will dare to bully her anymore."

Everyone was filled with envy and kept praising it.

Cheng Feiyan smiled and instructed, "Today we are only celebrating, not discussing marriage or seeking personal connections. Anyone who tries to use this opportunity to arrange a marriage or curry favor will be immediately kicked out."

Everyone quickly responded, indicating they dared not act rashly. Some whispered jokingly, wondering if Li Xin was usually strict.

Cheng Feiyan instantly suppressed her smile and said solemnly, "If you really anger him, regardless of gender, you will surely die."

Everyone took it as a deliberate warning and laughed it off, no one really taking it to heart.

Deep in the bamboo forest, a gentle breeze rustles through the leaves, isolating the area from all the noise of the outside world.

Beside the artificial hill and calm lake, Cheng Yuanhua, dressed in plain clothes, stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the still water in a daze.

Hearing footsteps, he slowly turned his head, his gaze falling on Li Xin, and got straight to the point.

"Is that dragon vein aura still lingering in your meridians, and you can't get rid of it?"

Li Xin walked closer and nodded seriously: "It can't be cleared away."

"When I looked into the eyes of the Sky Dragon, our energy merged, and a wisp of golden fortune power appeared in my body."

It is invisible and intangible, yet it is truly rooted in the blood vessels and meridians.

I circulated all my internal energy repeatedly to wash it away, but I couldn't budge that force in the slightest.

On his way back, he had tried many times to refine and remove this strange power, but all to no avail.

Therefore, it was speculated that this power did not belong to martial arts internal strength, nor to evil arts or secret techniques, but was a genuine dragon vein of heaven and earth.

The dynasty's national destiny originated from a level far exceeding the current martial arts system.