In the backyard of the Yizhou City’s governor’s mansion, Commander Qian Jin was also entering that mysterious realm.

Under the influence of the golden stone medicinal powder, Qian Jin closed his eyes, allowing the blood in his body to surge like a roaring river. His senses became acute; he could even touch the shape of the wind. At this moment, it felt as though his consciousness had ascended to the heavens, overlooking the beings of the world.

At this instant, Qian Jin almost felt omnipotent.

After a while, when he had completely finished using the powder, Qian Jin reluctantly returned from his previous trance-like state.

Using the powder is not a good thing, Qian Jin knew that, as the golden stone medicinal powder would harm the body, and long-term use would even create a dependency—yet there was no choice, Qian Jin couldn’t break away from it. It surpassed mere instinctual craving; it was a refusal deep down in his heart to abandon it.

After all, it was his best method to reach the so-called "mysterious and profound" realm.

Although Qian Jin also graduated from the Imperial Academy, he always envied the other students—those students genuinely could cultivate scholarly righteousness from reading sage books and could truly transform those scholarly principles into personal abilities.

But he couldn’t.

He couldn’t do it; no matter how hard Qian Jin tried, he never managed to draw anything from those thin books—having grown up in a bureaucratic family, he knew from a young age that the so-called principles in sage books were mere ornaments when it came to actual deeds.

From the start, he never believed in the principles in sage books.

Then what could he possibly learn from them?

Fortunately, he was not alone; he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t understand the sage books. Liu Bolun, a classmate, was another student who didn’t get them—at that time, Qian Jin thought he had found a kindred spirit. They all couldn’t understand the sage books; they were all useless people, which was seemingly wonderful.

However, Qian Jin didn’t expect that Liu Bolun was completely different from him.

He couldn’t learn it, but Liu Bolun didn’t want to learn it. Rather than following the lectures on sage books, Liu Bolun preferred to go out to taverns to drink and revel—but even in drinking, Liu Bolun found his unique way, especially after starting to study brewing; his homemade liquor could even dissolve Evil Qi, and lead one into the mysterious realm.

It was precisely because of this skill that the teachers in the academy could no longer handle Liu Bolun, and simply issued a certificate declaring that he had completed his studies.

It was around that time when Qian Jin, with hints from his family, was preparing to find some connections to switch to the Imperial College.

Compared to the Imperial Academy, which had been established at the founding of the nation, the Imperial College was relatively newly established, primarily admitting aristocratic children, distinct from the Imperial Academy. Students from both sides frequently engaged in debates and sometimes even resorted to physical altercations—thus, whether switching from Imperial College to the Academy, or vice versa, it was seen as betrayal by former classmates.

Qian Jin didn’t care about the other students; they didn’t regard this useless person who couldn’t read sage books favorably anyway. But only Liu Bolun, even though he had escaped the label of a useless person, Qian Jin still felt he shouldn’t make things too tense with this former useless friend.

So, upon parting, Liu Bolun gave him newly brewed wine as a gift, while Qian Jin mentioned that he could try to find connections to go somewhere relatively leisurely.

Being a useless person himself, this was all he could achieve.

Imperial College also taught sage books, but nobody really cared—like Qian Jin, the students there were all children of aristocratic families, naturally unable to learn those principles. Thus, upon entering Imperial College, Qian Jin felt he had finally found his community, indulging in revelry every day, enjoying life to the fullest.

Moreover, even he, a useless person, could find ways to cultivate in the Imperial College.

"Is there a possibility that reading sage books to that mysterious realm was indeed taking a wrong path?"

Qian Jin recalled the kind elder brother saying this to him back then.

"Why don’t we directly reach that mysterious realm?"

It was then when Qian Jin realized why there were so many metaphysical scholars in the capital city of Jiankang, speaking of mysticism—there was a reason behind it.

Just throw out possible ideas, and naturally, there would be metaphysical scholars to test them. If they didn’t work, a few metaphysical scholars would die; if they worked, those aristocratic children would adopt it as their cultivation method—this was indeed the way they should cultivate.

"We are horseback riders by nature, why bother competing with those who walk on foot in the Imperial Academy?"

Qian Jin recalled the elder brother advising him like this.

"Moreover, if you’re made to walk, made to read sage books, can you manage it?"

Of course not, absolutely not.

It was then, in the gaze of the elder brother, that Qian Jin saw a reflection of his own kind.

Yes, they were truly the same kind.

Simply because they were too clear-headed.

Born into aristocratic families, they had higher starting points from childhood, but it also let them see more at a young age. Situations that many would only experience in their thirties or forties, they had already accompanied their elders through them when young—but it was precisely this accumulation of experience that made them aware of reality at a younger age.

Reality was not the same as what was written in books, reality followed another colder logic.

Therefore, they couldn’t fully believe the books, couldn’t fully believe those teaching sages. There was always a doubt deep in their hearts, making them drifting farther from that mysterious realm.

However, the more elusive it was, the more they desired it.

Even Qian Jin, who considered himself useless, couldn’t truly suppress that longing. If there was an opportunity to wield such incredible power, who could resist?

So despite the Mystical Technique and this dangerous practice, he aimed to touch that realm, time and again.

"But it’s impossible."

As his reminiscing ended, Qian Jin smiled helplessly.

Impossible, utterly impossible, whether it’s Mystical Technique or practice, he couldn’t do it—even though he was infinitely close to that mysterious realm, the feeling of omnipotence remained like a mirage, unattainable.

The feelings brought by the golden stone medicinal powder were ultimately an illusion; fake would always be fake, unable to become reality.

"Ah..."

Arranging his garments, Qian Jin couldn’t help but sigh.

False euphoria is ultimately short-lived; he always had to face the harsh reality.

For instance, how to write the memorial to the court.

To articulate that hellish situation in Yizhou City clearly, even for someone skilled with words like Qian Jin, it was a tremendous challenge.