Night fell. Xu Xing was being punished, tasked with washing a dozen or so warhorses in Xiaoyi Hall. Originally, Master Ma, seeing he was already a scholar, had exempted him from this punishment. After all, having a scholar like Xu Xing scrub horses was somewhat inappropriate. To put it mildly, this was against the rules. To put it more harshly, this was an insult to scholars.
However, Xu Xing willingly accepted the punishment. He stated that as a brother of Xiaoyi Hall, he must accept punishment according to its rules; otherwise, things would fall into disarray, and that would be his failing.
Regardless of whether Xu Xing's words were merely a performance, with these words, coupled with his actions, the sworn brothers of Xiaoyi Hall found him much more agreeable.
People aspire to greater heights, just as water flows downwards. Xu Xing had entered the Weijing Academy without notifying everyone, which was indeed improper. But who would willingly continue a life of danger when they had the opportunity to study?
Xu Xing considered himself a part of Xiaoyi Hall. If he became successful in the future, it would, by extension, be their success too. Although they harbored some dissatisfaction with Xu Xing in their hearts, his display of humility transformed any lingering resentment into acceptance.
I was such a good official...
Who would've known that I just had to meet Emperor Chongming of Fengxi Country, that bastard emperor...
After pouring a bucket of warm water on a four-year-old, jujube-red warhorse, Xu Xing cursed Emperor Chongming of Fengxi Country while he scrubbed the animal.
He considered himself to have been a decent official, flattering superiors and uniting subordinates... Yet he had the misfortune of encountering Emperor Chongming, that incompetent ruler with grand ambitions but little talent.
However, even as he was cursing, the [Destiny] column on the Bronze Ancient Mirror finally showed a change: from [Death by Misfortune (Grey)] to [Ordinary Life (White)].
After the change, Xu Xing placed the scrubbing bucket on the ground and closed his eyes, his consciousness returning to Reality.
「Fengxi Country, Sky Prison.」
Cell D24.
Xu Xing stared unblinkingly at the Bronze Ancient Mirror in his mind.
The opportunity to change his fate was here.
[Mirror Master: Xu Xing.]
[Dao Fruit: None.]
[World: Late Qing Country (All Heavens).]
[Descent: Soul.]
[Time Flow Rate: 1:5.]
[Destiny: Ordinary Life (White).]
On the gold-clear Mirror Surface, his Destiny had changed.
However... after his consciousness returned to Reality, the [Ordinary Life (White)] Destiny showed signs of instability, as if it might shatter at any moment.
"Your Grey Destiny [Death by Misfortune] has been changed to the White Destiny [Ordinary Life]."
"Do you wish to use a [Dao Fruit] to solidify this Destiny, transforming the illusory cause into a real fruit?"
One sentence after another scrolled across the Mirror Surface.
Xu Xing naturally chose to use a [Dao Fruit] to solidify his Destiny.
If he guessed correctly, his original Destiny in Fengxi Country had also been the White Destiny [Ordinary Life]. However, after his reincarnation, he had defied the Heavenly Order to change his fate. By relying on his mathematical skills, he successfully became an Eighth Rank Official in the Taipu Temple. As a result, his virtues did not match his position, and he lacked the necessary 'nobility' in his fate. This disparity ultimately led to his current tribulation and imprisonment.
The advantage of the Bronze Ancient Mirror was its ability to solidify one's Destiny, thereby raising one's lower limit.
The next moment.
The word 'None' in the [Dao Fruit] column slowly transformed into the four large characters: [Ordinary Life (White)].
At the same time, Xu Xing didn't know what was happening to him. From the moment his Destiny began to change, it felt as if a significant part of him had been hollowed out. The after-effects were comparable to those he experienced on their wedding night in the Bridal Chamber after taking the Musk Dragon Powder.
He felt weak and listless. The strength he had regained over the past few days from eating meat was once again depleted...
From an illusory cause to a real fruit...
There must be a price to pay.
And the price is the consumption of my life energy?
Perhaps life energy doesn't need to be consumed; other forms of power might suffice for the transformation. It's just that I don't practice martial arts nor do I cultivate immortality. In the Sky Prison, all that's left is this fleshly body, so that's why it consumed my life energy?
Xu Xing lay on a pile of wheat straw, gasping for air to ease his fatigue, pondering.
Legends of Immortals existed in Fengxi Country. As an Imperial Court official, he had heard some of them, though he had never witnessed a real Immortal.
He was skeptical not only about Immortals but also about the Martial Dao. After all, the Martial Arts Experts he had encountered could neither project three-foot-high energy barriers, nor leap over rooftops and run on walls, nor extend their lifespans...
For example, in his hometown on Guanxi Road, there was a martial arts expert named Iron Palm Immortal. Though just past forty, he already had a white beard and hair, and an aged face, appearing like a man in his sixties or seventies. He walked with a shaky gait and looked as if he didn't have many days left.
Therefore, he had long ago abandoned such ethereal pursuits as the Martial Dao and the Immortal Path, focusing instead on how to enter officialdom and secure a position. Becoming an official was the way to become a person of high standing.
But now, the Bronze Ancient Mirror was in his mind. He once again firmly believed in the existence of cultivating immortality.
It's just... finding Immortals is too difficult, far too difficult...
To explore the territories of Fengxi Country would take at least a decade.
However, while finding Immortals is difficult, acquiring martial arts isn't. The Instance World has Master Ma's family-inherited Internal Power, and perhaps there's a way to obtain it. Even if Master Ma doesn't share it, there must be other places with Internal Power manuals...
The [Ordinary Life (White)] Destiny could allow Xu Xing to temporarily avoid disaster, perhaps even live a life of peace.
But what about the future? He certainly didn't want his entire life to be truly 'ordinary' as per the [Ordinary Life (White)] Destiny.
Besides, an 'ordinary life' didn't guarantee protection from sudden death due to natural disasters or accidents. In ancient times, it was common for ordinary people to die from plagues or famines; such deaths were also considered part of an 'ordinary life'.
「The next day.」
As Xu Xing was lost in thought, Zhao Yunniang, accompanied by Old Li, appeared before Xu Xing in the Sky Prison once more.
"Husband..."
"Princess Anren is getting married, and the Emperor has ordered a nationwide amnesty. Although your group of convicted officials is not included in this amnesty, your life is safe for now... Lord Han told me he will use his connections within the Ministry of Justice to try and have your death sentence commuted."
Upon meeting, Zhao Yunniang softly relayed this important news to Xu Xing.
Xu Xing wasn't surprised. Having already altered his Destiny, he knew he wouldn't die.
However, hearing about Princess Anren's sudden marriage still made him click his tongue in surprise. As far as he knew, Princess Anren's wedding was scheduled for March of next year. This sudden advancement of the marriage was likely related to the Bronze Ancient Mirror in his mind...
"Thank you, Yunniang, for telling me this," Xu Xing said gently, taking Zhao Yunniang's delicate hand.
He felt no particular affection for Zhao Yunniang, but they had, after all, been husband and wife for one night. Furthermore, Zhao Yunniang had left a silver ingot with the prison guards to improve his meals. He noted this act of kindness.
As he spoke, he also glanced at Zhao Yunniang. He saw that Zhao Yunniang had also changed her appearance. She had let down her previous hairstyle of twin buns, adopting the 'Fallen Horse' bun, a style worn by married women. She had also removed the gold and silver hairpins she once wore, now securing her hair with only a simple wooden hairpin. Her clothing had also changed to a wide robe, concealing her figure.
Seeing this, Xu Xing nodded silently.