The Guiguzi Secret  

"Ding!"

"Congratulations, Host! You have successfully recruited Yu Shenzi, completing the mission 'Great Jin Imperial Hospital'!"

"Reward: Heavenly-grade, first-rank spirit treasure 'Staff of Shennong'!"

Fan Li felt a weight settle in his hand. Instinctively, he grasped a verdant, ancient-looking wooden staff, entwined with vines and radiating a surge of life energy.

Yu Shenzi, as a medical cultivator, was acutely sensitive to the aura of life.

"Your Majesty, this is…" He stared in astonishment.

It was clearly a medical spirit treasure, and a high-rank one at that!

Even the Azure Cloud Sect, with its thousand-year legacy, possessed nothing of this caliber.

Yu Shenzi unconsciously swallowed hard.

He wanted it.

"This treasure is called the 'Staff of Shennong.' Since you have joined the Great Jin today, I bestow it upon you. Use it well."

Fan Li solemnly presented the staff to Yu Shenzi with both hands.

Yu Shenzi had never dreamed that after nearly missing the opportunity to lead the Imperial Hospital, after scrambling to redeem himself, not only was he not rejected by Fan Li, but he was also bestowed with such a precious medical treasure!

"Your subject…"

Yu Shenzi carefully took the Staff of Shennong, instantly feeling its perfect harmony with his cultivation path.

All the secret medical techniques passed down through the Azure Cloud Sect would be amplified by this staff.

Even the legendary "unity of man and weapon" couldn't be more perfect!

He even sensed other profound uses for the staff, waiting to be unlocked through diligent study.

Fan Li observed the old man's reaction with delight.

"Yu Shenzi, from this day forward, I appoint you as Director of the Great Jin Imperial Hospital, with a rank of Third Grade."

"Long live the Emperor! Ten thousand years! Ten thousand years! Ten thousand ten thousand years!"

Yu Shenzi, already kneeling, prostrated himself before Fan Li.

The elders and disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect who had traveled from afar couldn't believe their eyes.

Just a few days ago, Fan Li had been an ordinary guest at their sect, a "fat sheep" their sect leader had intended to fleece.

Now, their relationship had transformed into that of emperor and subject?

However, they had spent many days in Jin City, participating in the planning and construction of the Imperial Hospital.

Perhaps because they had invested their time and effort, these medical cultivators felt a sense of belonging towards the Great Jin.

Fan Li continued, "Director Yu, I entrust you with full authority over the Imperial Hospital's construction. Any requests you have, I will grant."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Yu Shenzi was elated, but a thought occurred to him.

He glanced at Wang Ban, who was standing nearby watching the scene unfold, and asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, if I have a conflict with Grand Secretary Wang regarding the Imperial Hospital's construction, whose decision will be final?"

"Hmm?"

Wang Ban was taken aback. He almost blurted out, "My rank is higher than yours. Naturally, my decision takes precedence."

Fan Li responded, "If it's a matter of organization and coordination, Grand Secretary Wang will have the final say. If it's a matter of medical expertise, Director Yu's decision will be final."

"Your Majesty is wise! Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Overjoyed, Yu Shenzi bowed to Fan Li once more.

The old man worked efficiently. He immediately gathered all the Azure Cloud Sect elders and disciples in Jin City and announced his decision.

Aside from sending one elder and several disciples back to the sect to inform them of their allegiance to the Great Jin, the remaining Azure Cloud Sect members joined the Imperial Hospital, dedicating themselves to their new tasks.

When Yu Shenzi and his disciples had departed, Fan Li turned to Wang Ban.

"Grand Secretary Wang, I have a question for you."

…

Emperor Jiajing's voice had spread throughout the Central Plains, but to Fan Li's surprise, not a single sound had reached the Southern Ridge Mountains.

He knew that with Emperor Jiajing's extraordinary cultivation, he could easily make his voice echo through the vast mountain range if he so desired.

However, the Emperor hadn't done so.

This meant that in the struggle for dominance among dynasties, the Southern Ridge Mountains were considered insignificant.

For Fan Li, this was good news.

"Brother, uh, Emperor Brother, what does the Investiture of the Gods look like?" Fan Yuehua, who had been listening to their conversation, couldn't contain her curiosity.

Fan Li shook his head. "How would I know?"

Surely it couldn't be that pearl Tuan Tuan carried everywhere, could it?

Fan Yuehua turned to Lu Fubao, tugging at her sleeve.

"Empress Sister-in-law, my brother is so clueless. He doesn't know anything. The Lu Clan is the most prestigious family in the world. Empress Sister-in-law, you've read countless books. Surely you know what the Investiture of the Gods looks like?"

Flustered, Lu Fubao looked pleadingly at Fan Li.

"Ahem! Yuehua, stop it," he said, glaring at his sister. "I came back to ask Grand Secretary Wang about this. He's the only one who knows the details."

As expected, Wang Ban didn't disappoint.

After organizing his thoughts, he said, "Your Majesty, the Investiture of the Gods is a gift from heaven. In ancient times, it descended upon Mount Qi and was obtained by the Zhou Dynasty. From that moment forward, all heroes and talented individuals in the land pledged allegiance to the Zhou. The Zhou Dynasty prospered, conquering the Shang Dynasty in just two generations."

Fan Li nodded. Ancient historical records were often vague. It wasn't that Wang Ban wasn't being detailed; it was that the available written accounts were likely limited to what he had just described.

It seemed the general story aligned with what Fan Li remembered from his previous life.

"From ancient times to the present, the Investiture of the Gods has only appeared once. There are no records of it after that. Later, the Qin Dynasty replaced the Zhou Dynasty as rulers of the land. Emperor Qin Shi Huang, seeking to achieve national ascension, ordered Xu Fu to search the world for the Investiture of the Gods. Initially, the Emperor suspected that the Zhou Dynasty's Investiture of the Gods had been lost to the common people. But after years of research, Xu Fu discovered that the Zhou Emperor had taken it with him to the Immortal Realm during his national ascension. Thus, it was confirmed that the Investiture of the Gods no longer existed in the mortal realm."

Wang Ban finished his explanation, and everyone fell silent, lost in thought.

"Wait a minute!" Fan Yuehua suddenly exclaimed. "You just said that the Qin Dynasty replaced the Zhou Dynasty, but then you said the Zhou Emperor achieved national ascension? Isn't that a contradiction?"

Before Wang Ban could explain, Lu Fubao said, "The Zhou Dynasty Emperor Qin Shi Huang conquered was actually a branch of the Zhou family, known as the Eastern Zhou. The Eastern Zhou was weak, not even one percent as powerful as the Zhou Dynasty at its peak."

"I see." Fan Yuehua nodded repeatedly. "Empress Sister-in-law, you're so well-read! You know so much."

Lu Fubao blushed, hiding her face in Fan Li's chest.

"You're the chattiest one here." Fan Li glared at his sister. "If you make another inappropriate joke, I'll send you back to Peng City."

Fan Yuehua quickly apologized. "Emperor Brother, I'm sorry!"

Perhaps it was just his imagination, but as Fan Li scolded his sister, he sensed Lu Fubao stiffen in his arms.

"Ahem!"

Unsure what to make of her reaction, Fan Li returned to the previous topic.

"If the Zhou Dynasty hadn't achieved national ascension, leaving only a weak branch behind, how could there have been the Spring and Autumn period, the Warring States period, and Emperor Qin Shi Huang's unification of the land?"

"Actually, it's the same with the Qin Dynasty. If Emperor Qin Shi Huang hadn't ascended, how could the Qin Dynasty have collapsed after only two generations? What was Hu Hai? He wasn't fit to rule the Qin Dynasty!"

"But…"

Fan Li looked at Wang Ban, his tone serious. "Grand Secretary, can you tell me, since the Zhou Emperor took the Investiture of the Gods with him to the Immortal Realm, how did Emperor Qin Shi Huang achieve national ascension?"

He had deliberately brought Lu Fubao with him and stayed in the Great Jin kingdom, hoping Wang Ban wouldn't disappoint him.

Thankfully, the Guiguzi lineage was known for its genuine talent.

"Your Majesty, please look."

Wang Ban retrieved a drawing and unfurled it before Fan Li.

"This is a blueprint for the 'Investiture Platform.'"

"Constructing this platform achieves the same effect as the 'Investiture of the Gods.'"

Fan Li felt a buzzing in his head.

What?

The Investiture Platform was equivalent to the Investiture of the Gods?

So, by obtaining the third-generation Guiguzi, Wang Ban, he had essentially stolen a patented product from the Immortal Realm?

Fan Li unconsciously swallowed hard.

Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Sun Quan… and Emperor Yao Guang.

These four individuals didn't have divine beasts. How much should he charge them for the patent rights to the Investiture Platform?