He thought cultivation was too simple.
Lu Zheng thoroughly read the "Tao Te Ching" and the "Diamond Sutra," and then used a strand of the Light of Fortune, only to make himself memorize these two scriptures backward and forward.
Immortal cultivation? Dream on!
Determined, Lu Zheng crossed over to the Great Jing Dynasty again, but the Jade Seal still didn't react.
Online novels are really misleading! Damn the author!
"A few possibilities!"
"First, the Buddhist and Taoist system of the Great Jing Dynasty is different from the modern one, making these two books useless."
"Second, these two scriptures are not cultivation manuals, just high-level theoretical guidance. After all, the same theory might lead to different outcomes in different environments."
"Third, these two scriptures can be used for cultivation, but someone must guide the entry. I can't understand a thing now, basically considering myself a complete beginner."
"Fourth, these two scriptures are too profound; just the first step to improvement requires a vast amount of the Light of Fortune, and my meager amount is only enough to memorize the scriptures."
The first case is the worst; it means all the Buddhist and Taoist canons easily accessible in modern times are useless.
The second case is slightly better; at least it can serve as an auxiliary, and with theoretical guidance, Lu Zheng can more easily understand the real cultivation manuals.
This scenario is also the most likely.
As for the third and fourth cases, just writing about them in a web novel or imagining them in the mind is fine, but taking them seriously can drive one crazy.
...
The "Tao Te Ching" and the "Diamond Sutra" didn't work, and Lu Zheng lost interest in finding other Daoist and Buddhist scriptures full of theories, or cultivation manuals of unknown authenticity.
Since there are ready options in the Great Jing Dynasty, wouldn't it be much more efficient to start there, and then reverse-engineer to find usable ones in the modern era?
With that decided, Lu Zheng set aside cultivation for now and pondered over the situation of the Light of Fortune.
"I spent over ten days in the Great Jing Dynasty and didn't trigger the Light of Fortune at all."
"Until I met an old beggar, gave him a chicken leg and a meal, and got five strands of the Light of Fortune."
"Turning in a flower thief to the County Government Office, which presumably altered his fate, earned me one strand of the Light of Fortune."
"Hiss!"
"This old beggar isn't an ordinary person! Just one meal caused such significant gains or losses in fortune?
Or was it because I had an epiphany from this meal, thereby increasing my fortune?"
"But in this case, wouldn't increasing the Light of Fortune mean I have to change others' fates on a large scale?"
"Then how can I develop quietly? In this era, surviving in obscurity is the way to go!"
"Or perhaps I should focus on those with significant fortune?"
"If I quietly take down a protagonist, won't I immediately become a saint?"
"Villain route?"
"Or... become a Nameless Elder, gifting the 'Tao Te Ching' to some potential rising stars or supervillains, enhancing their fortune?"
"Mastermind route?"
"So difficult, there are just too many options, it's really hard to choose!"
Drowsily, Lu Zheng fell asleep.
...
The next morning.
First thing, check the Jade Seal in his mind; second thing, check the balance on his phone.
"Ring ring ring!"
"Hello."
"Hi, is this Mr. Lu Zheng?" The voice on the other end was sweet, clearly not a robot.
"Yes."
"I'm your personal customer service from your bank. We noticed you have eight million idle funds, and our bank recently launched..."
"Beep beep beep..."
Humph! Trying to get to my eight million, no matter how sweet your voice is, it's useless!
Hanging up the phone, Lu Zheng put away his mobile, and in an instant, he was back in the Great Jing Dynasty.
"Uncle Li!"
"Young Master!"
"Are there enough supplies at home?"
"Plenty! There's no shortage of vegetables, rice, or flour, plus the money you gave for shopping is still there, enough to last until next month. My wife has been keeping account!"
"Great!" Lu Zheng nodded, then prepared for his routine outing.
"Young Master, the tailor from East Street came yesterday and delivered the clothes you ordered. Seeing you weren't here, I put them in the West Wing."
Uncle Li was now used to Lu Zheng's occasional sudden appearances and disappearances.
But as a servant, as long as the master doesn't break the law, it's best not to ask unnecessary questions, and to lead a better life is the real logic.
"Oh? The clothes are here, I know." Lu Zheng, when he first arrived, wore modern replica ancient clothes.
Though claiming to be professional, there were subtle differences compared to those of the Great Jing Dynasty, not to mention the fabric was clearly superior.
If not paying attention, it's fine, but once noticed, it's easy to differentiate.
So after buying a house, Lu Zheng first bought several ready-made clothes from a clothing store, then got several custom-made clothes upon the persuasion of the shopkeeper.
"Not bad, I'm also a wealthy person who can wear custom-made clothing now."
Returning to the West Wing, Lu Zheng checked the set of clothes delivered.
Two cyan silk robes, two moon-white cotton round-collar robes, three pairs of black cloud cotton trousers, two flower-patterned crimson gauze belts, and a black silk cloak.
Exquisite!
Changing into a set of custom-fitted outer garments, Lu Zheng felt every move was well-fitted and, back in modern times, checking in front of the mirror, looked every bit like a refined prince in troubling times.
"Which cosplay could rival mine? Full ancient weaving techniques, tailored by an ancient seamstress, hand-stitched, the only one in the 21st century!"
Admiring himself for a while, Lu Zheng once again crossed to the Great Jing Dynasty.
Last night was too exciting, and after trying on the clothes this morning, it was almost noon already, the storytelling at Qingsheng Building had ended, and in the afternoon, it would be the opera.
Lu Zheng couldn't even understand various modern dramas, let alone those of the Great Jing Country.
So, Qingsheng Building PASS.
Then, what's left was preparing gifts for visiting White Cloud Temple, and considering how to enhance his Light of Fortune.
Six strands of the Light of Fortune: one for strengthening, one for computing, one for memorizing scriptures, and now only three strands left.
Not much at all, they must be used sparingly.
"Should I prepare in modern times and present a treasure to White Cloud Temple?
If White Cloud Temple truly holds secrets, it might alter fortune and let me share a piece."
"No rush, better to test with a small gesture first, like giving some treasure notes, to see if White Cloud Temple has real skills. Randomly gifting modern items draws too much attention."
Deciding quickly, Lu Zheng returned to modern times, took several treasure notes from his folder, and then called Uncle Li to head out, planning to rent a donkey cart from the city's stable to visit White Cloud Temple.
Even though it was still morning, Shaotong Mountain in the east was less than twenty miles from the county town, but the roads were difficult. Walking would mean not returning by sunset.