If Daniel Davis had seen Simon Westeros's current state, he would have been astonished. The harmony between Simon Westeros and the Dao De Jing was something Daniel Davis had never anticipated. To be precise, it was the combination of Simon Westeros, the Longevity Scripture, and the Dao De Jing that had brought about Simon Westeros's current condition.
Simon Westeros's personality was naturally aligned with Taoist philosophy. Later, he was persuaded by Shi Feixuan to become a protector of the Buddhist sect, largely influenced by the Buddhist concept of detachment from worldly affairs.
The Buddhist sect's growth and prosperity were not without merit. In terms of personal virtue, the so-called "Four Great Holy Monks" surpassed the majority of people in terms of personal cultivation. However, when personal cultivation clashed with the overall interests of the Buddhist sect, even the Four Great Holy Monks could not avoid being swayed by worldly concerns.
This time, however, Simon Westeros had been intercepted by Daniel Davis, who imparted the true essence of the Dao De Jing from the Taoist Heavenly Sect. For Simon Westeros, this was an opportunity comparable to obtaining the Longevity Scripture.
Of course, Simon Westeros's current state was also due to his dedicated study of the Dao De Jing. To put it bluntly, even Daniel Davis couldn't match him in this regard.
But this was natural. After all, Daniel Davis possessed too many things. He only recited the Dao De Jing once a month, but for Simon Westeros, it was different. Having grown up as a street urchin, Simon Westeros had taught himself to read and write, but he had never systematically studied any books. The Dao De Jing was essentially the first complete book Simon Westeros had ever owned.
With nothing else to do, Simon Westeros naturally focused his attention on the Dao De Jing. This was the feudal era, and even though paper had been invented, movable type printing had not. In fact, strictly speaking, not even woodblock printing existed.
Books were primarily circulated through handwritten copies, resulting in a very low literacy rate. While the value of a book in this era couldn't compare to the pre-Qin period, when a single scroll could be a family heirloom, it was still prohibitively expensive.
Throughout the original story, Simon Westeros had learned many things but had never received a systematic education. He only picked up fragments of knowledge here and there, which was why he had been so easily swayed by Shi Feixuan.
Of course, Daniel Davis was unaware that the Twin Dragons were about to arrive at the Flying Horse Ranch. At the moment, he was busy researching the history of this era, not just the legends of the Borderlands, but also the history of the Three Kingdoms period.
The reason for this research was Daniel Davis's curiosity about the true strength of the Five Tiger Generals, Lü Bu, and others from the Three Kingdoms, as well as figures like Zhuge Liang, Zuo Ci, and Yu Ji.
This was a semi-high martial world, so the Three Kingdoms here were definitely different from the ones Daniel Davis knew. In fact, Daniel Davis was aware of several different versions of the Three Kingdoms across various worlds.
For example, in Storm Riders, Guan Yu possessed the "Love that Conquers All," a technique capable of destroying a city and breaking through the void. In The Outcast, Zhuge Liang had sacrificed his chance to ascend to immortality in order to alter fate.
By analogy, the Three Kingdoms of this world were undoubtedly extraordinary. Just look at the first-generation Evil Emperor, Xie Bo. His achievements were solely due to accidentally obtaining the original Evil Emperor's Bead from an ancient tomb in the Qi Kingdom. This alone spoke volumes.
After some research, Daniel Davis discovered that the origins of the Demon Sect could be traced back to the era of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. The techniques of the War God Chi You were the earliest forms of Demon Sect cultivation.
"The War God's Illustrated Manual," Daniel Davis murmured, putting down the book of secrets he had obtained from Hank Pym. He sighed softly. His research into history wasn't solely out of curiosity. There was also an important reason: he wanted to see if he could find any records of the Jingyan Palace, where the War God's Illustrated Manual was said to be located.
After some investigation, Daniel Davis didn't find any clues about the Jingyan Palace, but he did discover something surprising: the origins of martial arts in this world seemed to trace back to the War God's Illustrated Manual.
The so-called "Four Great Marvels" being placed on equal footing was a complete joke. Comparing martial arts derived from the War God's Illustrated Manual to the original was like comparing a single page of the manual to the entire work. It was absurd.
"Could the Jingyan Palace have been built by Guang Chengzi? I remember in Breaking Through the Void, it was said that Guang Chengzi also cultivated the War God's Illustrated Manual before ascending. The War God's Illustrated Manual was left behind by the true War God."
"Forget it. After unifying the world, I'll have people investigate this matter slowly."
Since he couldn't find any information about the Jingyan Palace at the moment, Daniel Davis decided to set it aside for now. If the Jingyan Palace from The Legend of the Condor Heroes could appear and be known to many, there must be records of it somewhere. Once he controlled the world, he could issue a command, and countless people would search for it.
Just like how Yang Guang, even when he was in decline, could still issue an order to find the Longevity Scripture.
"It's quite lively here. Helen Herman, Li Tianfan."
Staying in Hank Pym's pavilion, Daniel Davis was naturally well-informed about the happenings at the Flying Horse Ranch. After Hank Pym sided with him, Sophia's Flying Horse Ranch had no choice but to align with him as well, both publicly and privately.
Thus, Sophia informed Daniel Davis in detail about the representatives from the Li Clan, Helen Herman, and Li Mi's son, Li Tianfan, who had come to purchase warhorses. Even though Sophia had a good relationship with Helen Herman, when it came to matters concerning the survival of the Flying Horse Ranch, Sophia had no other choice.
Knowing Daniel Davis's strength, Sophia was well aware that he would be the one to unify the world in the end. The only question was how he would do it.
Given Sophia's cooperation, Daniel Davis naturally didn't make things difficult for her. He allowed her to proceed with the transactions with the Li Clan and Li Mi. At this stage, there was no need for the Flying Horse Ranch to antagonize these two powerful factions.
"Military Advisor Daniel, what a coincidence to meet you here."
"So it's Mr. Daniel. It seems you've also set your sights on the Flying Horse Ranch."
As Shen Luoyan entered the room and heard the sudden voice, she immediately gripped the short sword at her waist, alert. However, upon seeing it was Daniel Davis, she relaxed and let go of the hilt.
"Military Advisor Shen, it seems you haven't been doing well lately." Although Shen Luoyan was still as radiant as ever, a closer look revealed a trace of weariness in her expression.
"All thanks to you," Shen Luoyan replied with a cold snort.
The Wagang Army had been in a favorable position, but due to a few words from Daniel Davis, their plans had fallen apart. Now, Daniel Davis was undoubtedly the person Li Mi hated the most, without exception.
"Instead of blaming me, you should blame Li Mi for his lack of magnanimity. Otherwise, why would he still be at a stalemate with Zhai Rang?"
Although the Wagang Army was founded by Zhai Rang, it had to be said that Zhai Rang was more suited to being a martial arts leader than a contender for the throne. He was even less capable than Du Fuwei.
The Wagang Army had struggled in its early days, but after Li Mi joined, it gradually expanded. In this regard, Li Mi's contributions were undeniable.
However, while Li Mi was indeed capable, he could only fight when the odds were in his favor. Once faced with setbacks, his personality became his greatest weakness.
Li Mi loved to play with fire, as evidenced by how he seized control of the Wagang Army from Zhai Rang. In the original story, after his defeat at Luoyang, instead of regrouping, he sought to join the Li Clan, hoping to repeat his success with the Wagang Army. He failed to consider that the Li Clan was not comparable to the Wagang Army.
In the original story, if Li Mi hadn't lost confidence after his defeat at Luoyang and had instead returned to his base, he could have regrouped. After all, his base was still intact, and he had capable generals like Xu Shiji and loyal subordinates like Shen Luoyan. However, Li Mi chose to distrust Shen Luoyan and Xu Shiji, instead placing his faith in Wang Bodang, who ultimately betrayed him.
"Lord Li Mi."
At the mention of Li Mi, Shen Luoyan sighed softly. Before the Wagang Army split, Li Mi had been undefeated and full of ambition. But after the split, Li Mi made several strategic errors, failing to crush Zhai Rang's faction of the Wagang Army in a timely manner.
One of the plans Shen Luoyan had proposed was to recruit Zhai Rang's subordinates by offering them generous benefits. After all, most members of the Wagang Army were there for a better future, and following Li Mi clearly offered more promise than following Zhai Rang.
However, Li Mi rejected the plan. Although he gave Shen Luoyan reasons at the time, she knew it was because he no longer trusted her. As a result, her influence within Li Mi's faction dwindled, as did Xu Shiji's. In contrast, figures like Wang Bodang, Zu Junyan, and Pei Renji were given more authority.
"It seems you haven't been doing well under Li Mi. How about joining me? I now have a territory of my own." As he spoke, Daniel Davis took out the edict from Yang Guang and handed it to Shen Luoyan.
"Governor of Luoyang? You?" The contents of the edict made Shen Luoyan's expression complex as she looked at Daniel Davis. Even at its peak, the Wagang Army couldn't compare to the position of Governor of Luoyang. This was why the Song Clan's condition for allying with Li Mi had been the capture of Luoyang.
Luoyang and Chang'an were two key locations. Controlling either one would give a contender a significant advantage in the struggle for supremacy. This was why Wang Shichong was truly despicable.
"My forces are currently short on talent. If you join, you can take any position you want," Daniel Davis said directly after retrieving the edict.
"Is that so? What if I want to lead my own army?" At this moment, even Shen Luoyan couldn't help but feel tempted.
"Of course, that's no problem. I can promise you this: whether you choose to serve in the military or in governance, everything you achieve will not disappear after the unification of the world. As long as you have the ability, you can even stand in the imperial court. In other words, you will be the first woman in history to stand in the imperial court."
No matter how talented Shen Luoyan was or how great her contributions during the founding of the nation, once the country was unified, she would never have the chance to openly appear in the imperial court.
Helen Herman was formidable, a princess among princesses. The Niangzi Pass was named after her. But in the end? This was a world ruled by men. Women might wield power behind the scenes, but to do so openly, they would have to wait until Wu Zetian appeared.
"Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Daniel. I am deeply grateful. Please allow me some time to consider." Whether Daniel Davis was being sincere or not, his words were enough to excite Shen Luoyan.
"Take your time. I can promise you that there will always be a place for you here. Now, let's set that aside. I'm curious—why did Li Mi send you to the Flying Horse Ranch? Is he planning something? Does he have the resources to spare for such a venture?"
Daniel Davis understood Shen Luoyan's hesitation and didn't press her. However, he was very curious about her presence here. After all, Shen Luoyan was a strategic genius. If the goal was simply to buy horses, there was no need for her to come personally.
Especially since Li Mi's forces were much weaker than in the original story. In such a situation, even if he obtained the Flying Horse Ranch, he wouldn't be able to hold onto it.
Moreover, if the plan failed and the Flying Horse Ranch was antagonized, it would be a devastating blow to Li Mi's already precarious position.
"We're just here to buy horses," Shen Luoyan said slowly.
"Just to buy horses? Do you take me for a fool?" Daniel Davis sneered and continued, "What about the Four Great Bandits gathering outside? Don't you think their timing is too convenient? Li Mi is indeed greedy, but I'm curious—what makes him think he can control the Flying Horse Ranch? Or are you targeting Helen Herman? No, Li Mi doesn't have the strength for that unless he has outside support."
"It can't be the Song Clan. They have good relations with the Flying Horse Ranch and wouldn't do such a thing. Moreover, there aren't many factions in the world daring enough to attack the Li Clan. I see. So, Li Mi has allied with the Demon Sect."
Daniel Davis's words caused Shen Luoyan's expression to flicker briefly before she regained her composure. However, this reaction didn't escape Daniel Davis's notice.
"Give up. With me here, no matter what your plan is, it won't succeed." With that, Daniel Davis left Shen Luoyan's room.
Whether Shen Luoyan heeded his advice and abandoned the plan was of little concern to Daniel Davis. If it weren't for the need to uncover the traitor within the Flying Horse Ranch, he would have already dealt with the Four Great Bandits—Xiang Batian, Fang Jianding, Yu Maozao, and Cao Yinglong.
"Brother Daniel."
"So you two really came."
Two days later, when Daniel Davis saw the Twin Dragons appear at Hank Pym's pavilion, he couldn't help but smile and shake his head. Just like in the original story, the Twin Dragons had entered the Flying Horse Ranch as chefs, using the dishes Daniel Davis had taught them to make.
Later, while exploring the terrain of the Flying Horse Ranch, Daenerys accidentally discovered the pavilion in the back mountains and was spotted by Hank Pym.
"You've come at the right time. A battle is about to break out here." Since the Twin Dragons had appeared, Daniel Davis naturally wouldn't let them sit idle.
Upon hearing that they would be fighting the Four Great Bandits, the Twin Dragons immediately expressed their willingness to help.
The gathering of the Four Great Bandits would take some time, so the next few days were relatively peaceful. However, while things were calm at the Flying Horse Ranch, the outside world was in turmoil.
Yang Guang's edict had spread throughout the world, as had the news that all the temples in Yangzhou had been purged. The numbers released were staggering, causing widespread shock and fear among the Buddhist community, as the scale of the purge was immense.
The saying goes, "Wealth should not be flaunted." This was especially true for the Buddhist sect, which had always presented itself as poor and detached from worldly desires. With this news spreading across the world, the number of people practicing Buddhism dropped by nearly half in a very short time. Many changed their attitudes toward the Buddhist sect.
This situation caused many high-ranking Buddhist monks to spit blood and exclaim similar sentiments:
"Yang Guang, how ruthless!"
"Yang Guang, how dare he?" In the hidden depths of the Temple of Compassion, Fan Qinghui, upon receiving the news, also spat out a mouthful of blood.
(End of Chapter)
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