Chapter 241: Comforting the Spirits

"No need, don't worry about this. There's still more than a month left, plenty of time for me to handle it," Chen Xi waved his hand dismissively. He had already decided that he would just throw on whatever clothes he had at the time. After all, with the marriage, the conferral of titles, and the various ceremonies that Li Jue would be conducting, they would surely prepare an appropriate outfit for him, if only to save face. Chen Xi felt no pressure. If anyone thought it inappropriate, they'd understand once the title was conferred.

"Oh." Fan Jian nodded, thinking that Chen Xi might go out to arrange for a set of clothes. After all, Fenggao's tailors were quite capable, and making an outfit fit for a marquis wasn't much trouble.

Though she was a bit unhappy that her husband wouldn't be wearing something prepared by family, at this point, there was no need to be too particular.

"Rest well. I'm planning to go check on the construction of the Memorial Hall," Chen Xi said as he patted Fan Jian's head, indicating she need not worry about such matters. After all, what business did a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl have with these things?

Fan Jian, not too pleased, shook her head in a huff, her loosened hair from resting making her look a bit disheveled. It was clear she wasn't entirely happy with Chen Xi treating her like a child.

"Hmph, come back early," Fan Jian muttered, not entirely willing.

"Don't worry, I'm off now." Chen Xi waved his hand and prepared to leave. In addition to the Memorial Hall, he also needed to check on the Library and Liu Bei's house. As the quality control inspector, he had to ensure everything was up to standard.

Honestly, Chen Xi's attitude towards Liu Bei's house was that as long as it didn't collapse and was livable, it was fine. The gold and glitter on the outside didn't matter much to him. In his view, Liu Bei's house was just for show, perhaps with a bit of educational significance. Everything else was superficial.

As long as it looked grand and imposing, enough to awe people, that was good enough. That's why the tiles on Liu Bei's house were of all colors—aiming for a dazzling, colorful display. Interestingly, this was partly due to the craftsmen's skill levels—despite using the same materials, the results varied...

Next was the Library, which was somewhat more important, but still just a building. The value lay in the books, not the decorations. Making it luxurious was just a way to emphasize the idea that "there's gold in books, and beauty within," but even stripped of all the embellishments, it would still be a library.

As for the Memorial Hall, this was the main reason for Chen Xi's inspection. This place needed to convey the utmost solemnity and reverence. As the final resting place for all the heroic spirits, it had to be imposing enough to evoke a sense of being watched over by the spirits of the deceased.

Whether it would achieve that effect, he wasn't sure. But his instructions had been clear: the earth should be black, the bricks on the path black and reflective. The flowers on either side should be only red spider lilies on the left and white spider lilies on the right. That's the atmosphere he wanted!

Black bricks, black walls, black pillars—the entire Memorial Hall was to be shrouded in black. The only contrasting elements would be white decorations. Besides black, white, and red, no other colors were allowed. Chen Xi believed his aesthetic sense was on point.

Liu Bei saw the black walls from a distance, and his pace slowed involuntarily. As he got closer, everything turned pitch black, from the ground to the surroundings, slightly reflecting the sunlight. It didn't seem dark, just cold.

"Big Brother!" Zhang Fei's voice reached Liu Bei's ears, though it lacked the usual booming force, sounding rather subdued instead.

"Third Brother, it really is you guarding this place. I didn't expect you to have tempered your wild nature." Liu Bei smiled. "Has there been any trouble?"

"I don't know why, but once I got here, I couldn't help but be extra cautious. My soldiers feel the same. Come, Big Brother, let's light some incense at the Memorial Stone," Zhang Fei replied, scratching his head.

"I was just about to check on the Memorial Hall's construction. Yide, since you've been stationed here, have you noticed any issues with the building?" Liu Bei asked as they walked together.

"Zi Chuan did a great job." Zhang Fei led Liu Bei and the others deeper into the Memorial Hall until they reached a towering black stone monument. Carefully, Zhang Fei took out some incense sticks, lit them, and handed them to the group.

Liu Bei and the others took the incense, bowed three times before the monument, and quietly inserted the incense into the earthen jar before it. From the looks of it, the jar had likely been brought by one of the soldiers from home, as had the incense.

"I don't know why, but once I'm here, my heart feels at peace, and I can't help but lower my voice," Zhang Fei said, gazing up at the massive black monument. His usually robust figure and fierce demeanor seemed to soften, a more contemplative aura surrounding him.

"Me too!" Liu Bei placed a hand on Zhang Fei's shoulder and joined him in looking up at the towering black monument.

At that moment, both men felt a tranquility they had never known before. After a long while, Liu Bei took another incense stick, lit it, and placed it into the jar.

"To all the heroic souls resting here, may you find peace. I, Liu Xuande, will ensure that your families are cared for. If I ever knowingly allow your families to suffer injustice without intervening, I, Liu Xuande, swear to offer my life in atonement. Heaven and earth bear witness, and so do the spirits," Liu Bei vowed solemnly, as if speaking directly to the spirits.

"Granted!" A faint voice echoed through the air, though its source was unclear. It seemed to drift from nowhere, heard only by those present. Liu Bei and the others were momentarily startled but quickly composed themselves, bowing once more to the monument.

After Liu Bei and the others left the Memorial Hall, an elderly man with white hair and a youthful face appeared at the main gate. "Liu Xuande is indeed a man of virtue. It wasn't in vain that I traveled from Lujiang to Taishan to witness this. I wonder if my response on behalf of heaven will cause any trouble," Zuo Ci murmured, habitually performing a calculation with his fingers.

"Will it shorten my life? No matter. To meet such a virtuous ruler, there's still hope for peace in this world," Zuo Ci remarked indifferently. Having seen much in his long life, he no longer feared death. Born into the Han dynasty, he hadn't fully embraced the Daoist detachment, still harboring a hope that the Han could endure.

Taking an incense stick, Zuo Ci calmly lit it and placed it in the jar, softly chanting an ancient song of passage from the shamanic era.

When Chen Xi entered, there was still half a burning incense stick in the jar, and he could faintly hear a calming song that made him frown.

"Who's here?" Chen Xi asked as he stared at the monument, frowning. He couldn't see anyone, but he could sense a presence standing there. Though the situation was eerie, he was certain there was someone there.

There was no reply, but Chen Xi sensed a slight fluctuation in the calming song, and instantly, he felt more at ease. He feared the unknown, but not a sentient being he could perceive.

Feeling more confident, Chen Xi avoided the spot where Zuo Ci stood, took an incense stick, lit it, bowed to the monument, and placed the incense in the jar. He then stood quietly, waiting for the song to end.

"Marquis Chen, I am Zuo Yuanfang. Greetings," the elderly Daoist, now visible, said after the incense burned out, bowing to Chen Xi.

"Zuo Yuanfang?" Chen Xi was momentarily stunned but quickly composed himself and returned the greeting. "Chen Zichuan greets the chief celebrant."

"No need for formalities," Zuo Ci replied calmly, his eyes studying Chen Xi's face. He tried to divine more but found his efforts repeatedly thwarted, only able to tell that Chen Xi's fate was extraordinarily noble.

"Since the chief celebrant is already here in Taishan, why conceal yourself? Are you worried that Taishan would not properly welcome you?" Chen Xi asked with a smile, remaining composed in the presence of this legendary figure.

Chen Xi was confident, knowing that even if Zuo Ci did not favor him, he had nothing to fear. The most orthodox of Chinese immortals did not harm mortals, especially those who had contributed greatly to the world. Chen Xi was certain that his contributions were significant enough—saving millions, at least.