Chapter 2417: Make This Town Like Buzhou Mountain

“Shuyi! Do you know the word ‘heaven’? One part is pronounced ‘jing,’ and one part is pronounced ‘ding.’ It hasn’t changed since ancient times, and it won’t shift for ten thousand generations.”

“Shuyi! Do you know the phrase ‘long river’?”

“In the past, Cangjie created characters. Seeing the incomplete, he created ‘mountain.’ Seeing the long river, he created ‘river.’ Therefore, we speak of mountain ridges and river blood, which have become songs throughout the ages. Then there is the ‘human world,’ which at times can be explained as ‘mountain and river’.”

“Shuyi, ah, don't look at this sentence—‘The long river has overturned the divine land for ten thousand generations, the beach and mud are a continuous pile of resentful souls. Nurture me and kill me with this same heart. Human affairs were originally something heaven did not ask about!’”

“The human heart is like water, often having waves. The long river follows its will, joy and anger without constancy. Therefore, it is said, governing water is like governing the heart.”

“Pull the dragon veins as muscle ropes to bind the long river. Erect the emperor’s crown as the incomplete, to support the river ridge. If the Xi Hun have no way, then there is a river path. If the Xi Hun lose righteousness, then gather at the river dike.”

“Now, govern the river, make it like the heaven sea. Fixed since ancient times, all things are born.”

——《Nine Towns Idle Talk》

Narrator, Lie Shan.Recorder, Ao Shuyi.

When Lie Shan was a young human emperor, he personally experienced the flooding of the long river. He saw the banks of the long river abandoned as beach and mud, the people near the water devoured by the water.

He entered the water alone. History records—“Several times chased back by the flood flow,” “several times,” “vomited blood non-stop.”

He was so grief-stricken and indignant that he even waded into the water and asked the long river—if you have no spirit, why are you called the mother river? If you have a spirit, how many things have happened from ancient times until now? How can a mother eat her child?

The book says that the Dragon Emperor greatly protected the water race but could not control the long river’s anger.

The flooding of the long river was like disaster water waves, endless forever. To be born on both banks and destroy both banks is nothing but the ultimate principle of the heaven way, the waxing and waning of the sun and moon, a cycle that returns again.

Later, the Lie Shan clan walked along the banks of the long river, walking through every water eye, one step at a time, back and forth for ten thousand li, bitterly contemplating a method for governing the long river forever.

According to the record in 《Quiet Void Think Er Collection》—“Clothes ragged, disheveled hair and bare feet, people often saw him on the river dike, regarding him as the wild man of the long river.”

Some say the Lie Shan clan’s behavior of walking along the long river was a bitter effort to govern the river. Some say he used it as a pretext to inspect the military power of the water race, leading to the later expulsion of the dragons to the sea—at that time, the long river was still controlled by the Dragon Emperor.

But no matter what is said, the Lie Shan human emperor’s efforts to govern the long river spanned almost his entire life.

As for refining the Dragon Emperor’s nine sons into nine towns, that was a later matter, considered part of the work of fixing the capital and governing the water. After this, the long river was forever calm.

Today’s long river is already a subdued long river.

Subdued for many years!

The long river is like a dragon, its belly against View River Platform, its body pressing down on the nine towns, and with Ao Shuyi’s harmony for tens of thousands of years.

Only then can it be said that in various areas with mutually different affiliations, each for its own political situation, almost using a segmented method to suppress different river sections, the situation of the long river can be stabilized.

In fact, the various sides governing the river today still primarily follow the inherent pattern of the nine towns and View River Platform.

Jiang Wang once personally went to the stone bridges of the nine towns. With Qian Yang’s red pupils, he penetrated every detail of the stone bridges, observing this peak achievement of seal technique in extreme detail. While learning the seal technique, he also deeply understood the long river.

The Long River Dragon Lord gifted him insights from Lie Shan human emperor’s establishment of the nine towns, allowing Jiang Wang to further understand the nine towns seal and seek the method of a seal master of the second day’s state. This was the Dragon Lord’s gift.

This share of insights was precisely Ao Shuyi’s handwritten record of his conversations with Lie Shan about the nine towns, 《Nine Towns Idle Talk》. It is said to be idle talk between the Lie Shan human emperor and the Long River Dragon Lord, but it is more like a teacher instructing a disciple, or close friends exchanging ideas.

More accurately, it is more like the Lie Shan human emperor’s 《Govern River Notes》.

It describes not only the Lie Shan human emperor’s conception of the nine towns but also his exploration of seal techniques. It more specifically tells how the Lie Shan human emperor governed water, including the various problems encountered during the water governance process, and including Ao Shuyi’s own various doubts.

Jiang Wang had a feeling—the Lie Shan human emperor’s experience of resolving doubts for the Long River Dragon Lord was also a kind of water governance process.

Until today, Jiang Wang is not clear whether the Dragon Lord, in giving this notes at that time and sending such a “small gift,” had foresight for today or was making some pessimistic preparation.

But he once said to the Dragon Lord—later I will deeply consider the matters of the water race, and I will do my best. However, this is not a transaction.

This is merely the result of his deep thought!

This is also the moment he is doing his best.

When he stood in front of Fu Yunqin and held the Ying Jianghong sword for him.

He thought not only of the Long River Dragon Lord’s feelings for the human race and common people, and not only of the childhood friendship between Song Qingzhi and his own sister.

Not only did he refuse the Long River Dragon Lord’s transaction, but the Long River Dragon Lord still gifted him the 《Nine Towns Idle Talk》.

He also thought of Song Qingyue’s efforts for Zhuang Country’s new policies—those water race living in Qingjiang also consider Zhuang Country their own country, always making their own efforts, hoping to build it better.

Who among those water race who exhaust their hearts for their homeland and the hardworking farmers on the shore doesn’t “have feelings” for this piece of mountain and river!

He also thought of that shell girl he saw by the bank of Qingjiang that year, who was almost kidnapped. That scene challenged his understanding of the ancient alliance, and he realized for the first time that many people do not care about the alliance, and do not treat the water race as the same kind.

Later, he saw many people who did not treat people as people.

But when they met again in the water mansion, that shell girl was panicked but still bit her teeth to help him cover his tracks.

This is called “knowing grace.”

What is the difference between the human race and the water race, really?

Until now, Jiang Wang still doesn’t see it.

He was educated from a young age that the human race and water race are one family. When he was young, he even thought that the water race were just people who lived in the water.

Today he stands here, standing in the midst of the world’s people’s gaze.

He still wants to say, what he sees is a Dragon Lord with emotions.

And this is not a transaction.

This is something he was going to do anyway.

The human emperor dies, the Dragon Lord governs.

The Dragon Lord dies, Jiang Wang succeeds!

Nothing but passing on the fire, one lineage continuing.

The Lie Shan human emperor’s governance of the long river was to “make the long river like the heaven sea,” hoping to transform the long river into an existence like the sun and moon of the heaven way, so as not to harm the human world.

While Jiang Wang is precisely the unprecedented thirteen-proven heaven person, he has a different interpretation and cognition of the heaven sea than the masses. He also knows how to stir up the waves of the heaven sea, and he also knows how to sink into the ocean of the heaven way and detach.

Why “like the heaven sea?”

Now, let the heaven sea come!

Jiang Wang stands firm on View River Platform, leading the power of the heaven way, causing it to pour into the human world, irrigating the long river.

Creating the wonder of “nine heavens above, heaven sea upside down.”

Such a great feat shocked the world.

Only at this moment did the crowd on View River Platform understand what Jiang Wang meant by saying he would “fish out Yuan Zhiben’s possibility of interference.”

Jiang Wang actually wanted to lead the power of the heaven way ocean to suppress the long river!

This is absolutely not something that can be done easily. Without divine abilities that penetrate heaven and earth, one cannot accomplish this matter. If one does not have an extremely profound understanding of both the heaven sea and the long river, it is fundamentally impossible to connect them.

Of course, at this time, he cannot be interfered with.

Once the heaven way ocean stirs up waves, it is hard to say whether Yuan Zhiben will not wake up—he is such a wise person, even in a sleeping state, would he not leave warning means in the heaven sea?

It is still very possible to happen.

And once Yuan Zhiben knows what Jiang Wang is doing, he will absolutely not sit idly by, and he will absolutely have a way to stop him.

If the process of leading the heaven sea to suppress the long river goes out of control, the consequences are unthinkable.

Even more directly speaking—He fundamentally has no chance of confronting Yuan Zhiben in the deep sea of the heaven way.

Just now he said his “water nature” is better.

But he can gain inspiration from Yuan Zhiben on “deceiving heaven,” and Yuan Zhiben can also learn his roaming skills.

He dares to hold a sword and fight for his life with Yuan Zhiben in the deep sea of the heaven way, but he also clearly recognizes that life and death are not only about drawing a sword.

Both sides have their own means. He doesn’t think he can win against Yuan Zhiben’s schemes.

So before this step began, Jiang Wang specially made a trip to the demon world’s heaven sea, cutting off Yuan Zhiben’s possibility of interfering in this matter. At this moment, the heaven sea surges, and Yuan Zhiben cannot roam freely.

He can then safely proceed with this matter.

He does indeed have the deepest忌惮 towards Yuan Zhiben, because the sin of the heaven constitution was the closest he came to death, and also because he personally saw how Xing Nian Zen Master fell.

At this time, his pupils were like the golden sun and snowy moon, and a sun and moon heaven seal appeared on his forehead. The upside-down silver river danced for him, and the power of the heaven sea was led like a flying canal!

Even Ying Jianghong, who was accustomed to seeing wonders and skilled in stirring up wind and clouds, held his breath for a moment—Leading the heaven sea to suppress the long river, this matter is unheard of since ancient times!

Before the Lie Shan human emperor and the Long River Dragon Lord, the long river was still untamed, and this matter could absolutely not be realized. Not to mention whether it could be done or not, or whether there was a heaven person willing to do this, rashly leading a canal to connect the heaven sea and the long river would only cause a strong confrontation between both sides.

It is even possible for the river of the land ancestor to impact the heaven sea.

While today, with the long river already tamed by the Lie Shan human emperor and Ao Shuyi, only Jiang Wang is doing this.

Ying Jianghong, as the strongest heavenly master in the central empire, of course knows some ancient secrets.

He understands that today’s clear and peaceful long river is still not the Lie Shan human emperor’s final grand plan.

According to the layout of the middle ancient human emperor, the last ideal state of the present world’s long river is like the sun and moon being eternal, casting light on the present world, yet forever without flood disasters. At that time, even if the nine towns are destroyed, View River Platform collapses, the Dragon Lord no longer exists, and no one guards both banks… the long river will still be forever peaceful and without disaster.

Jiang Wang today leads the power of the heaven sea, clearly continuing the layout of the middle ancient human emperor with this, using the heaven sea as a guide, pushing the present world’s long river to the position of “constancy throughout the ages, governing forever,” accelerating such an evolutionary process.

The Lie Shan human emperor, with supreme great power and grand layout, across countless years, pushed the long river to the ancient times.

Although Jiang Wang today is taking a shortcut, on the foundation of the long governance by the Lie Shan human emperor and the Long River Dragon Lord, with the help of View River Platform and the nine towns of the long river, leading the water of the heaven sea, irrigating the long river in reverse, influencing the long river… once completed, it is also a merit unheard of in the present world!

He finally understands why Jiang Wang said from the beginning, “I am here to镇 the world.”

Because this is the best way to govern water right now, it is the great conception being verified by the middle ancient human emperor!

This must not be stopped. Any knowledgeable person concerned about the future of the human race will only support it!

Even if they had known this earlier, would Jiang Wang still need to go to the heaven sea to fish?

The actions of various sides in the present world are not unable to stir up mad waves in the heaven way; they have more ways to cut off Yuan Zhiben’s possibility of interference.

Jiang Wang choosing to go fishing alone was also truly as he said, to exchange fish for money, to redeem some lives.

Are those water race really that important to Jiang Wang?

Or rather, what is important is the “justice” in the heart of a young person?

Everything that should happen, is still happening.

All is silent, still silent.

In the complex and differing eyes of various sides, Jiang Wang, standing on the high platform and leading the heaven sea, undergoes new changes—

His sun and moon heaven seal, and his gold and silver double pupils, all gradually fade in glory.

But from within his dao body, a grand virtual shadow slowly floats out.

As it leaves his body, it also condenses from virtual to real.

That is a figure with golden hair and a golden crown, majestic, lofty and remote, with tightly closed eyes, seeming to be asleep.

Dou Zhao looks at this尊 for a while, then looks at the black-haired and black-pupiled true body of Jiang Wang—it is still Jiang Wang’s eyebrows, but the temperament is completely different. Too majestic. Too high above! This gold-haired and gold-pupiled figure makes the Tian Xiao in his palm tremble with a kind of eagerness to draw his knife and overthrow it!

He looks down on everything; how can he endure being overlooked by the crowd?

But upon closer inspection of this dazzling golden Jiang Wang, it is not a solitary body.

This尊 is virtually suspended in front of Jiang Wang, eyes closed and eyebrows set, long hair hanging straight down, without any movement, silent like death.

And as its dao body gradually becomes clear with blood and flesh, the golden light, blue light, and frost light outside this尊’s body also gradually condense into reality.

That is a golden heaven pillar!

Outside it, a wind-blue divine dragon, engraved with frost-colored heaven patterns.

The congenital eternal golden尊 of the town seal is within it.

Just like this, it stands straight, suspended in front of Jiang Wang, not displaying a tall posture, yet giving people the feeling of supporting the ground and holding up the heaven.

A name floats up in Dou Zhao’s heart—“Bu Zhou Mountain.”

The heaven pillar in legend!

He has never personally seen Bu Zhou Mountain, but the feeling about Bu Zhou Mountain is extremely similar to this.

“This is the Fixed Sea Town, or various lords can also call it the Fixed Sea Divine Needle!” Jiang Wang says on the high platform: “In the past, I was in danger of falling into the heaven sea, with no way to save myself. Fortunately, I received help from various sides, which saved my confused thoughts and benefited my future path. The Long River Dragon Lord was one of those who helped me. It shared with me some insights and experiences from the time Lie Shan human emperor established the nine towns of the long river.”

The crowd all suddenly realize.

At this point, they understand why Jiang Wang can have such a profound understanding of the long river, and why he can even understand and continue the Lie Shan human emperor’s grand plan.

Jiang Wang continues: “I cultivated this Fixed Sea Town, standing in my heart prison, using it to fix my heart sea.”

“The Lie Shan human emperor said, governing water is like governing the heart.”

“The Long River Dragon Lord once asked me—‘Am I wrong?’”

“Jiang Wang is of thin virtue, not daring to compare myself to the human emperor, and not qualified to give the Long River Dragon Lord an answer, but I—”

“Various lords!” He looks at the people present, and there is a very lonely light in his eyes, just like ten years ago at the Yellow River meeting, that figure wearing a golden robe, sitting on the high platform, casting his gaze towards the platform.

All the water race heavenly prides withered under the Long River Dragon Lord. When he saw the human race heavenly prides on that former day, he still had a few points of sincere appreciation from his heart!

That kind of light is the lonely ideal of a transcender trapped by the long river.

“I truly very much want to tell the Long River Dragon Lord—perhaps It is not wrong.”

“An ideal, how can it be wrong?”

Jiang Wang lifts his hand, pushing it flat and straight forward, as if virtually pressing down on that Fixed Sea Divine Needle: “This Fixed Sea Town was originally my brother Li Longchuan’s arrow. Someone named Jiang filled it with blood and flesh, using the bones of a heaven person, casting it with the soul of a Dragon Lord, and teaching it with the ultimate principle of a human emperor. It was taken from the Dragon Lord, and used in the long river. It was accomplished from the human emperor, and fixed in the human world.”

He lightly rolls up the hem of his green long robe, and pushes with his hand—

Rumble!

This root heaven pillar, the Fixed Sea Divine Needle, just like this shifts in the air, flies out of View River Platform, and flies down into the middle of the long river. It fixes itself in place, probing down to the bottom of the long river, and exhausting the waves of the heaven sea above.

All the power of the long river pouring from the heaven sea into the human world must pass through this Fixed Sea Divine Needle to be adjusted, irrigated into the long river, governed in the long river for a long time, and not damage the long river.

This heaven person body, the eternal尊, the Fixed Sea Town. Just like the stone bridges of the nine towns, it is immortal.

From now on, between heaven and earth, there is this pillar like Bu Zhou.

From now on, between the heaven sea and the long river, there is this needle like a divine canal.

He says in a firm voice: “From now on, it will forever镇 the long river.”