Chapter 659: Chapter 659
“We should be on our way.”
“Leaving already? I thought we’d have a meal together in the village tonight, reminisce a bit...”
“I still have other important matters to attend to.”
“Might I ask, sir, what brings you here this time...”
“The true dragon left behind a gift in the cloud pool. I’ve come specifically to retrieve it.”
Hearing this, Mr. Liu didn’t dare press any further about what the gift was, nor did he try to delay the Daoist from leaving. Afraid of interfering with a divine matter, he could only cup his hands and say respectfully:
“Then I offer my deepest thanks to you for the marvelous tree you’ve bestowed.”
“It’s I who should thank you for the generous hospitality.”
The Daoist returned the gesture of respect, then turned to leave.
It was hard to say whether the craftsmen on the mountain were always this industrious, or if they were putting in special effort because Mr. Liu was present. But not long after lunch, many of them, skipping their midday rest, had already gone back to laboring under the intense mountain sun. The clanging of tools once again echoed across the hills, mixed with curious chatter about the magic the Daoist had performed.
Strictly speaking, it hadn’t been the Daoist who worked the magic.
The seed had been found by Lady Calico, the pit was dug by her as well, the soil covered by her own paws. The spell itself was cast by the swallow. As for the Daoist, he’d merely asked one of the spectators to pour on a bucket of water.
“What kind of tree was that?”
Once they had walked far enough for the voices behind them to fade, and the hammering and sawing sounds grew distant, even the loudest shouts growing faint, Lady Calico finally tilted her head up and asked the Daoist.
“I don’t know either,” the Daoist replied truthfully, glancing down at her.
“But building a Daoist temple in the mountains is a good thing, especially building one here, to honor the true dragon. Many years from now, people will still remember that this place in Yunzhou was once the land of the dragon’s ascent, that a true dragon once dwelled in the cloud pool surrounded by mountains ahead, even if by then, the dragon will have long since vanished without a trace.
“The scenery here is beautiful, and the temple complements it. It’s well-suited for mountain recluses to cultivate in peace, and I imagine future generations will enjoy visiting too. If there’s ever a prosperous era again, and the temple survives, people will surely come here in a steady stream.
“Planting a tree is a good deed. In this world, there are few simple things better than planting a tree. Trees live long, and they don’t walk away. Perhaps many years from now, Lady Calico and the swallow may return here and see the tree they planted with their own paws and wings. When that time comes, the feeling will be… quite special.”
The Daoist spoke in a calm tone, walking with his staff as he talked.
The swallow flew down and perched on a branch ahead. The calico cat looked up at him, her eyes wide and unblinking.
“What is special? What does it feel like?”
“It’s hard to put into words.”
“What does it feel like?”
“Indescribable. I can’t say it clearly, and even if I did, you wouldn’t understand. Only when you return here yourself someday, will you naturally understand.”
The cat looked at him seriously, then turned to glance at the swallow nearby, her expression skeptical. “But the swallow looks like he knows what that feeling is!”
“And how do you know that?”
“Just look at him, you can tell.”
The Daoist also looked at the swallow.
For a moment, he wasn’t quite sure how to respond.
The swallow, on the other hand, turned its head away, spread its wings, and tucked its head beneath them, pretending to preen its feathers.
“Did you secretly tell the swallow?”
“Then why does he know?”
“Perhaps the swallow is simply different from a cat. Just as there are differences between people, and some have strengths, while others have weaknesses, there are natural differences between us all.”
The cat stared at him for a long while before finally looking away and casually remarking, “Actually, I already knew. Even though the swallow is just a tiny little thing, he is smarter than me.”
The swallow immediately fluttered its wings and took off into the sky.
“How could you say such a thing? The swallow is indeed clever and meticulous, but truly, it’s just that everyone has their own strengths.”
The cat swayed her head from side to side as she padded forward. Then she suddenly stopped, glanced around, and asked the Daoist, “Where are we going next?”
The cat repeated the Daoist’s words, and with a soft poof, she transformed into her human form, pulling out the little flag.
In the mountains, a white crane spread its wings and soared.
Mount Ding lay in the heart of the Great Yan realm in Angzhou where the capital Changjing was located, eight hundred li from the capital. Since ancient times, it had been one of the celestial ascension points for divine beings, and also a site where emperors held the Fengshan sacrifices.
In Great Luo Heaven, Rising Clouds Palace…
Though the Heavenly Palace had seemed quiet for some time now, in truth, undercurrents were stirring. The atmosphere changed with each passing day, and it was no longer as it once had been.
Whether high god or lesser deity, whether virtuous or not, all were deeply concerned about the current actions the human-world Hidden Dragon Temple intended to take.
Even putting aside the sensational gossip surrounding the consecutive defeats of the Golden Spirit Officer and the Fiery Sun Emperor Lord—one perishing and his Dao extinguished, the other retreating to recuperate in seclusion—everyone clearly understood that this matter directly affected the future fate of the Heavenly Palace and the Celestial Emperor.
If the present master of Hidden Dragon Temple triumphed, the Heavenly Palace would inevitably undergo great upheaval. Even if the master failed, depending on the extent of the losses suffered by Heaven, the structure of the Heavenly Palace would still be altered, perhaps even leading to the Celestial Emperor losing his authority and being replaced by another great emperor.
Therefore, before and after court sessions, many gathered to discuss the situation, some veiled in their language, others more direct.
Just like the State Preceptor of the human world.
However, the officials of the Heavenly Palace were not the same as those in the human world. The latter were politicians; the former, divine beings. Compared to politicians, these deities valued virtue and merit far more. Moreover, within the celestial hierarchy, though divine ranks and titles varied, the disparities were not as stark as those among mortal officials. Those of virtue often respected one another, drawing mutual admiration.
As such, many deities, once outside Rising Clouds Palace and among close friends, felt no pressure in discussing these matters freely. Though they were divine officials of the Heavenly Palace, their loyalties did not necessarily lie with the Great Emperor Chijin.
Among deities, there were far more who stood for the people.
As the ancient saying went, “Those who follow the Dao have many allies; those who forsake it have few.” This held especially true among those with true virtue.
Today, yet another message arrived, delivered into Rising Clouds Palace.
The court had already dispersed. Only the Celestial Emperor and a few Divine Lords remained.
“Mount Ding has been sealed as well?”
“How long has it been since the last time Mount Tianjin was sealed?”
“Reporting to Your Majesty, the last time Mount Tianjin was blocked, it was early summer in the fourth month of the mortal calendar. It is now early autumn.”
“Still no movement from the Heavenly Bell Emperor?”
“He has not descended to the mortal realm yet.”
The Great Emperor Chijin was visibly anxious.
If Mount Tianjin was the least-used of the five path to heavens to the heavens, then Mount Ding was by far the most used, more so than the other four combined. Since the Great Emperor Chijin's own ascension, nearly all of his trusted subordinates had risen to the Heavenly Palace via Mount Ding.
Now, of the five paths, three had already been sealed.
More than half were now sealed.
“Your Majesty, please don’t be anxious. To my knowledge, even the Heavenly Bell Emperor can no longer afford to wait, he has already begun preparations. If I were to go and request that he descend to the mortal realm now and give him some support, he would surely agree.”
“Is what you say true?”
“Your Majesty, for the Heavenly Bell Emperor, this is also a rare opportunity.”
“Oh? What kind of opportunity?”
“Your Majesty may not know this, but the Heavenly Bell Emperor has been in seclusion for a very long time. He hasn’t manifested in the human world for centuries. At present, aside from his former Daoist stronghold in Guangzhou and the surrounding regions, where several temples and shrines still enshrine his image and offer incense, there is almost nowhere else in the mortal realm that still worships him,” the elder Divine Lord said, then paused briefly.
“One of the key reasons why the Fiery Sun Emperor Lord lost to the current master of Hidden Dragon Temple was because he rushed off to the Western Regions, far from his incense-burning sites, causing his divine power to run dry. The Heavenly Bell Emperor will never repeat that mistake.”
“You mean to say...” The Great Emperor Chijin only had to think for a moment before realizing, “The master of Hidden Dragon Temple is passing through Guangzhou?”
“Not necessarily,” the elder Divine Lord replied thoughtfully. “Since the current master of Hidden Dragon Temple dares to attempt such a monumental task, he must be well prepared. With Hidden Dragon Temple’s ancient heritage, he would surely know of the Heavenly Bell Emperor’s existence in the Heavenly Palace, he may have even already marked him as one of the gods to be purged.
“The Heavenly Bell Emperor likely sees it this way too, which explains his current state of panic. Knowing that Guangzhou is the ancient Daoist base and main source of incense for the Heavenly Bell Emperor, even if the master of Hidden Dragon Temple were to pass nearby, he would likely detour around it.”
“That makes sense...”
The Great Emperor Chijin paused, then humbly asked, “Then what is your suggestion, Elder Divine Lord?”
“The master of Hidden Dragon Temple is now at Mount Ding, in Angzhou. His next stop will certainly be Mount Tianzhu, which lies in Yuezhou. Traveling from Angzhou to Yuezhou means heading northeast, he will likely pass through Hezhou.” As he spoke, the elder Divine Lord raised a hand and drew an imaginary line in the air from in front of him to the upper right. “He would cut diagonally through Hezhou, then pass through a corner of Yanzhou before reaching Yuezhou.”
He paused briefly, then added, “Hezhou borders Guangzhou, and there are still some people in Hezhou who worship the Heavenly Bell Emperor. If we engage the master of Hidden Dragon Temple in a magical duel there while he passes through, it would be highly advantageous to the emperor.”
“And if he doesn’t go through Hezhou?”
“Yuezhou, where Mount Tianzhu lies, also borders Guangzhou. But after the devastating demon uprising years ago, Yuezhou was depopulated. Its current inhabitants were all relocated from elsewhere, and very few still worship the emperor. Comparatively, it would be far less advantageous to engage in a duel there than in Hezhou.”
The Celestial Emperor fell silent, lost in thought. It did make a lot of sense.
Looking around, he saw that all those present, whether elder gods of the Heavenly Palace or trusted confidants he had personally promoted, were nodding in agreement.
Such was indeed the nature of divine beings.
If one could engage the master of Hidden Dragon Temple in battle within Guangzhou, it would of course offer the benefit of home advantage. But the master of Hidden Dragon Temple was no fool, quite the opposite. Having already slain the Golden Spirit Officer and defeated the Fiery Sun Emperor Lord, he had clearly proven that his cunning and foresight rivaled his magical prowess. In fact, up until now, he had hardly even needed to fully display that magical prowess.
A man like that would never take a single step into Guangzhou.
The next best option, then, was Hezhou. Get full chapters from novelFirｅ.net
“What do you estimate the Heavenly Bell Emperor’s chances of victory to be?”
“I believe… at least seventy to eighty percent.”
“Seventy or eighty percent?”
The Celestial Emperor’s expression lit up with joy for a moment.
“The Heavenly Bell Emperor commands the Death Bell, which excels in magical combat against living beings, especially against cultivators of the human path. He is naturally well-suited to restrain the current master of Hidden Dragon Temple. Furthermore, the Hidden Dragon successor cultivates the Four Seasons Rotation Method.
“This path is indeed wondrous and highly versatile, and if it were any other divine power facing him, a single misstep might easily fall into his trap. However, the Heavenly Bell Emperor is also a master of this very path. His Four Seasons Bell governs the cycle of the four seasons.
“The Hidden Dragon successor may excel at fire arts, but he could never match the Fiery Sun Emperor Lord in that regard. Similarly, though he cultivates the Four Seasons Rotation Method, his grasp of the seasonal forces could not possibly compare to that of the Heavenly Bell Emperor.”
The elder god said with great confidence, “When it comes to confronting the current master of Hidden Dragon Temple, the Heavenly Bell Emperor is the ideal choice!”
The Celestial Emperor looked to the other gods.
Most of the gathered deities were nodding in agreement, clearly endorsing the elder Divine Lord’s assessment.
And indeed, what he said was not wrong.
No matter how favored by the Heavenly Dao the Hidden Dragon successor might be, no matter how gifted his talent, if two beings practice the same path, how could several decades of cultivation compare to the millennia of mastery held by an ancient god?
“Besides,” the elder god added, “even if the emperor is defeated, he will surely exhaust much of the Hidden Dragon successor’s preparations and magical strength, perhaps even injure him. Should we lose the Heavenly Bell Emperor in the process, it would still shift the balance of divine power more firmly into Your Majesty’s hands. Truly, there’s no downside.”
“Then I entrust you to speak with the Heavenly Bell Emperor,” said the Celestial Emperor. “If this matter succeeds, the Elder Divine Lord shall be the foremost contributor. I shall grant you the incense offerings of ten prefectures for one hundred years, and confer upon you an imperial title, proclaiming your merit to all under heaven.”
“It is only my duty...”
“I entrust it to you.”
“I shall depart now...”
The doors of the Rising Clouds Palace opened once more, and the elder god rode the clouds away.
The guardian generals stationed at the gates watched silently, uncertain whether, this time, yet another venerable ancient god was being sent to his doom.