Chapter 873: Heaven and Earth, So It Is

Previously, while Xu Fengnian was dozing off on a beam in the hall, the unusually tall woman in white was in the bustling capital city. By rights, she should have been particularly eye-catching. But in fact, apart from a few sidelong and cold glances, no one truly looked at her directly.

She was perplexed.

If the Northern Qi Refiners were merely dependents of the Liyang Dynasty, a peculiar group of imperial advisors, then the Qi Refiners of the Southern Sea Guanyin Sect were clearly much purer. They moved silently between heaven and earth, truly like immortals who "dined on mist and drank dew." As the sect master of the Guanyin Sect, Tan Tai Pingjing, who appeared to be a woman in her thirties, was already a centenarian; otherwise, the old sword-eating ancestor Sui Xiegu would not have been obsessed with her for most of his life. Tan Tai Pingjing was, of course, a being detached from worldly affairs. The sect’s northward migration from the Southern Sea to Beiliang was ostensibly justified by the impending war between Liang and Mang. It was said that Qi Refiners were needed to "build bridges" for countless wandering souls, thereby accumulating merit for themselves. Although Xu Fengnian was somewhat skeptical at the time, he let them be. After all, in terms of combat power, neither Tan Tai Pingjing's own cultivation nor the overall strength of the Guanyin Sect could cause much trouble in Beiliang territory. Thus, Beiliang opened its doors to these white-robed "immortal masters." However, Xu Fengnian did not truly ignore the matter. He knew that Xie Guanying was ranked first on the "Mortal Immortal Dispute" painting by the Charcoal Girl, with Xu Fengnian himself directly behind! Now, Xie Guanying was a stray dog, still relentlessly pursued by Deng Taia. Thus, looking across the land, Tan Tai Pingjing was undoubtedly the foremost opponent Xu Fengnian truly needed to be wary of. Before their reunion on the walls of West Chu's capital last night, Xu Fengnian had always believed that even if Tan Tai Pingjing intended to act on behalf of Heaven, it would only be after Cao Changqing's death. However, he had not expected that she could already absorb the residual fortune of West Chu even while Cao Changqing was still alive. And what was more, today, after Jiang Ni decided to leave Guangling Road, she began frantically devouring the fortune of the Great Chu Jiang clan like a whale.

Xu Fengnian stepped out, moving away from the vicinity of the imperial city gate. Then he walked into what appeared to be an ordinary bustling market. Shops of all kinds and various stalls stretched along the street. Common folk and tourists streamed past, a diverse mix of people. Below, yellow dogs dozed; above, birds circled the eaves. It was a scene of peace in a prosperous era.

The scorching sun hung high in the sky. Xu Fengnian stood at one end of the street, and the woman in white stood at the other.

Even with Xu Fengnian's now terrifying eyesight, he couldn't clearly discern her face; it was blurry. He could only see her standing alone in the bustling market.

Xu Fengnian hesitated for a moment, but finally took a step forward.

Instantly, all sounds ceased. But a moment later, the clamor returned.

Two elderly men in plain clothes brushed past Xu Fengnian, one on his left and one on his right. Both seemed to murmur, "Taibai's talent is too high, too eager to show off, losing his peaceful heart. What a pity, what a pity."

"Old Du, after your country fell, you went to Shu and lost all your scholarly flair, leaving only a rustic clumsiness. Don't you dare disparage me!"

Xu Fengnian's heart jolted. He did not turn to look at the two old men.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw several vendors to his left. Some were selling jade, others calligraphy and paintings, and some sold hairpins. Shouts and hawking filled the air.

Someone held up a jade piece shaped like a seal. "I have three seals," he announced, "inscribed with the small seal script: 'Heaven's Mandate to the Jiang Clan,' 'Encompassing Heaven and Earth, Praising the Divine,' and 'Righteous Example for All Regions.' Who wants them? I'm selling them today for only five taels and three qian."

Soon, a fellow vendor loudly mocked, laughing, "That's worthless junk from twenty years ago! Who are you trying to fool? Three qian is too much!"

Someone spread his hands open, and between them, before his chest, a hazy, ethereal scene unfolded, like a scroll painting, with mountains standing tall and rivers flowing. "This 'Great Feng Landscape Painting' can be yours for just two qian."

Another person, holding a brush, casually waved it. He smiled at Xu Fengnian and lazily said, "For just one qian, I, Wu Gusu, will give you five hundred characters."

In Xu Fengnian's line of sight, the ordinary, old-fashioned brush in the calligrapher's hand had two iron trees coiled around it.

Soon, another person with a brush laughed. "Five hundred characters for one qian is a fair price, but esteemed guest, would you like to see this brush in my hand, Han Songshan's? For one and a half qian, it's enough to write twenty years of brilliant prose. I recall a young lad from the Jiang family once bought one from me years ago."

Wu Gusu, the Calligraphy Sage of Northern Han. Han Songshan, a literary giant renowned throughout the land during the Southern Tang period.

Xu Fengnian did not reply. He continued forward.

By the roadside, two men sat on small stools, playing chess. There was no board or pieces. Yet, before them, indistinct sounds of clinking, hooves, and flowing river water could be heard.

One of them said angrily, "Li Sanhuang, how can you play with me when you're so distracted? Do you truly not want that grotto-heaven and blessed land? Fine, fine, this is utterly boring! I won't take advantage of your state. Let's seal the game for a hundred years."

The person opposite sighed deeply, his face filled with pain. He turned to look at Xu Fengnian, his gaze complex.

Xu Fengnian remained unmoved.

Li Mi, Grand Tutor of Great Chu, courtesy name Sanhuang!

Someone approached, carrying three feet of sword qi on his back.

It was sword qi, not a sword.

He glanced at Xu Fengnian, who did not stop. He hesitated, then reluctantly stepped aside, muttering endlessly, "Why didn't that brat Li Chungang come? Otherwise, I'd certainly experience his 'Two Sleeves Green Snakes'... Hmph, slaying a dragon where there's a dragon, is that worth boasting about? What's so rare? When I was alive, dragons were as common as cattle hair... I just wonder what kind of situation that junior, Deng Taia, is in... If I weren't unlucky to touch a living person, why would I yield the way? How unlucky, truly unlucky... Who was it last time? Lu what-was-it? That person was truly remarkable, I admire them, I admire them..."

Xu Fengnian continued to walk forward, his expression unchanged.

On this street, no one was pretending to be supernatural.

This was the truly terrifying part.

What if someone who loved dragons saw a real dragon manifest around a beam amidst thunder? What if a Taoist priest, accustomed to subduing demons, genuinely saw monstrous evil spirits lunging at him? How would they compose themselves?

As Xu Fengnian slowly walked forward, curses began to erupt.

"The Great Qin was brutal, harming living beings! How could it usurp such a high position?!"

But as soon as these words were uttered, someone quickly whispered to stop them. "True Lord, be careful what you say! Mortals on earth have gods three feet above their heads; how are we any different, in truth...?"

"In just two hundred years, the literary tradition has been severely damaged. Three hundred years from now, the Central Plains will face an unprecedented catastrophe, and both the Zhao and Xu families are the culprits!"

"It's fortunate this isn't one of *those* places, otherwise your body and spirit would have long since been annihilated!"

"How dare this fellow first abandon the Way of Heaven, and then conspire with that Wudang Taoist to sever the connection between Heaven and Earth?!"

"Dragon Tiger Mountain shall flourish, Wudang Mountain shall fall! When that audacious Lu Dongxuan turned and walked into the mortal world, Wudang Mountain's incense offerings should have been cut off!"

Amidst the curses of the crowd, sparrows chirped like phoenixes, and mongrel dogs roared like pythons.

Xu Fengnian concentrated and held his breath, trying his best not to let even a trace of his chaotic Qi scatter. Thus, every step he took was incredibly difficult and painful.

It was like a frail child walking alone through a gorge, with gusts of fierce winds sweeping past.

A cold sneer appeared at the corner of Xu Fengnian's mouth. "Do you intend to use this to diminish Beiliang's fortune? The so-called few taels and few qian are probably your celestial immortals' unique 'copper coins and silver taels,' right? It's probably similar to how mortals pay for bone divination. If I couldn't resist the temptation today and chose to stop and buy, my Xu family and Beiliang's entire foundation would surely be wiped clean."

When Xu Fengnian reached the middle of the street, two people finally showed him benevolent smiles. A monk and a Taoist priest sat cross-legged, facing each other across the street. Unlike the vendors and pedestrians, both were seated on steps, appearing as if subtly seated on lotus platforms. Although they were not acquaintances of Xu Fengnian, they both nodded at him with smiles. One appeared compassionate, the other natural.

An angry shout rang out, directed at the old monk. "Old bald ass, how dare you disrupt the fortune of my Central Plains! How dare you even come to my Eastern lands...!"

The old monk smiled without speaking, then vanished.

Three figures, appearing as armored soldiers, saw Xu Fengnian while patrolling the street. Although they hesitated for a moment, they still respectfully made way for him.

At the far end of the street, Tan Tai Pingjing remained standing in place.

Xu Fengnian finally noticed her face was filled with an expression of struggle and pain. Her eyes slowly turned silver, becoming increasingly cold and ruthless. A dazzling light bloomed from her chest, like a bright moon suspended over the vast sea.

Xu Fengnian frowned.

To see through the finite body, to comprehend the unbound realm, and for a full moon of the mind to radiate light.

This was one of the signs of enlightenment recorded in obscure ancient Taoist texts.

He recalled what Girl Hehe had told him, that Huang Sanjia had said on his deathbed: "Since the beginning of time, for this millennium, Buddhist and Taoist ascensions have had an advantage. Once a scholar later proposes the idea of 'preserving Heavenly principles and eradicating human desires,' Confucian sainthood will become much easier, like finding a shortcut to Zhongnan Mountain, similar to Buddhism's instant Buddhahood, enabling one to ascend to Heaven in a single step. But the cost will be a subtle and gradual decline in human morality and societal values, a great folly of picking up sesame seeds while losing watermelons, a great sorrow where 'the great sun has set in the west, and the bright moon does not rise from the vast sea.'"

Xu Fengnian angrily rebuked, "Tan Tai Pingjing, have you seen such a ridiculous scene and still not realized?! How is this Heaven different from our mortal world?! Why, after Lu Dongxuan, did people like Gao Shulu, Liu Songtao, and Li Chungang all refuse to ascend?!"

As soon as Xu Fengnian spoke, it was very strange. The bustling street, previously filled with curses, instantly became utterly silent. Afterward, only a few scattered rebukes like "Audacious mortal!" or "Utterly rebellious!" could be heard.

Xu Fengnian looked around and sneered, "What 'exiled immortal origins,' what 'born to fulfill a destiny'—in the end, when you return here, isn't it all about seniority and hierarchy? Going to the mortal world, I suspect, is one of two scenarios: if you're unlucky, it's equivalent to being banished to a remote place in the human world, right? And if you're lucky, it's like sending promising young disciples to the battlefield to gain military merits? Is the so-called 'immortals fishing for mortal fortune' any different from human merchants accumulating copper coins by doing business? Of course, I suppose immortals are still carefree, enjoying grotto-heavens and blessed lands as their mansions, living forever and watching the mortal world's bustle. Most who achieve the true status of 'men above men' in the immortal ranks find it a one-time effort. But I am very curious: for those who achieved great merit for the Way of Heaven in the mortal world, will there also be cases here where their merits cannot be rewarded? Will there also be cases of apparent promotion but actual demotion, like in officialdom? Will there be immortals who borrow others' prestige to flaunt their power?"

For a moment, no one replied.

Xu Fengnian's body began to sway, like a rootless duckweed in a strong heavenly wind.

A voice, neither light nor heavy but extremely majestic, rang out. It was inclined towards a woman's voice and came from the south.

Xu Fengnian turned his head and saw her sitting on a rooftop. She wore a phoenix crown and embroidered robes, appearing solemn and magnificent. On her shoulder perched a small crimson sparrow, holding a small, snow-white... flood dragon in its beak.

As she appeared, the entire street soon trembled violently. The tremors intensified, showing no signs of stopping. The commotion originated from a tall building.

But Xu Fengnian couldn't clearly see the scene in that building, even though the windows were clearly open and he knew someone was there.

After the violent, world-overturning tremors, everything instantly settled into calmness.

A middle-aged man wearing a bright yellow dragon robe stood beside Tan Tai Pingjing. Behind him, the magnificent sight of the rising sun unfolded.

As Xu Fengnian had walked along, the appearance and clothing of everyone he saw had been utterly ordinary. Only this man and the woman were distinctly different from common folk.

The middle-aged man in the dragon robe was likely the culprit who had drawn Xu Fengnian into this celestial realm.

But he looked at Xu Fengnian and smiled, "There are indeed many unpleasant things in Heaven, as you said. But Heaven has countless sights, and your mortal body cannot grasp the entire autumn of the world just from this short street scene. The cycle of the Heavenly Dao is also far less petty than you perceive. When you return..."

Xu Fengnian wanted to open his mouth and curse "bullshit," but he found he couldn't even open his mouth to speak at that moment and place.

However, a shout suddenly rang out from the north, voicing Xu Fengnian's innermost thoughts.

"Shut your mouth!"

The middle-aged man merely smiled, seemingly helpless.

The woman on the rooftop pursed her lips and smiled.

She teased, "You Northern fellow, this child on the street isn't even willing to acknowledge his ancestors, and you're still speaking up for him? You're truly protective of your young. Regarding Xu Xiao, you've already incurred public wrath..."

That deep voice, clear from thousands of miles away, scoffed, "You stinking hag, just go birth your child! You've been pregnant since my Great Qin's time, and it still hasn't landed. Aren't you ashamed?"

Upon hearing these words, Xu Fengnian felt a surge of satisfaction.

"Indeed worthy of being my true self."

She stood up and said angrily, "You Northern fellow, with rituals and music collapsing in the mortal world, do you truly think the Heavenly Dao won't collapse because of it?! Even ordinary mortals understand the simple truth that a thousand-mile dike can be destroyed by an ant's nest!"

The voice rose again, utterly arrogant, "Then let it collapse, damn it! When the time comes, I'll mend the heavens alone! A man stands tall between heaven and earth; women like you just watch the show, and I guarantee you'll be perfectly fine!"

In her rage, she was about to break the rules and cross from south to north.

The middle-aged man in the dragon robe sighed, clearly accustomed to the contention between these two great deities.

*Thump, thump, thump!* Sounds like war drums on a battlefield, approaching from far away, from north to south.

With this, the woman on the rooftop suddenly calmed down.

The gentle-faced middle-aged man narrowed his eyes, a hint of anger also appearing on his face.

The tall building that had caused the earlier tremor shook again.

Then the uninvited guest sneered, "Which grandson of a turtle said my Great Qin was tyrannical? Do you really think I can't deal with you just because you're hiding in the East?!"

Someone on the street suddenly radiated golden light all over their body. Then, with signs of the golden light exploding, they knelt to the ground with a thud, their skull seemingly sheared off.

The middle-aged man in the dragon robe flicked his sleeve, and the person beside the street vanished. Then he looked up and said angrily, "True Martial Emperor!"

The voice, like thunder, came from the tall building. "You're not convinced? How about we strip off these skins and find a quiet place for a fight?! If you don't have the guts, call that hag along! Anyway, you two have been exchanging glances for almost a thousand years. I even suspect what's in her belly..."

Just then, someone interrupted the fellow's rambling. "That's enough. Three hundred years from now, the Central Plains will be ravaged, with nine out of ten homes empty. She is merely acting according to principle. It's one thing that you can't bear to see the mortal world fall apart, but unity after prolonged division and division after prolonged unity have always been parts of the Heavenly Dao..."

The original speaker snorted coldly, "I'm not one who can't stand to see the rise and fall of dynasties. Rather, there's a certain fellow on the street who wishes his mortal incarnation could seize the opportunity to become an emperor for thousands of generations, treating the entire mortal world as his own small plot of land, claiming all its produce to accumulate fortune and scheme for a higher position... And he wants to close the Heavenly Gate through that boy and the young Taoist from Wudang Mountain, all while not wanting to incur the karma of the Heavenly Dao himself. Xie Guanying was just a smokescreen; it's actually that fellow named Chen Zhibao... Hmph, there's no such good deal under Heaven, and certainly not in Heaven! You want to scheme against me? How could I not beat him until he's spitting teeth?"

Xu Fengnian heard "himself" speaking intermittently and indistinctly, but the general meaning was clear to him.

And the person next to that "self" was none other than "Wang Xianzhi"!

Just then, a woman and a young man, appearing to be mother and son, appeared on the street. The young man had a brilliant smile, cupped his hands in greeting, and bowed.

Behind the mother and son stood an old man, appearing as a servant, smiling without speaking.

Xu Fengnian smiled.

He didn't recognize the woman, but the old man was unmistakably Han Shengxuan.

The young man was Zhao Kai, the illegitimate son of the late Liyang Emperor.

Mortal entanglements, resolved in Heaven.

At that moment, Xu Fengnian's eyes suddenly reddened, and he began to look around.

A voice resonated in his mind.

"Don't bother looking; you won't find them. Apart from your eldest sister Xu Zhihu, your parents will both become the last group of exiled immortals from Heaven, falling to the mortal world like rain."

"At that time, you can open your eyes wide and witness the magnificent sight of thousands of exiled immortals descending together upon the mortal world—it will be a grand spectacle! As for whether you can see your parents among them, that will depend on your own good fortune. Rest assured, with my planning, they will be united as husband and wife for all their lives, generation after generation. Even if they aren't born on the same year, month, and day in every life, it won't be far off. As for whether they share wealth or hardship, that's beyond my control and concern."

"This Tan Tai Pingjing is a mortal chess piece of that dragon-robed man on the street, specifically intended to target you. However, since I've been able to reach this place, that's another matter entirely."

"She'll be fine today, but you'll still need to be careful of her in the future."

"That Xu Xiao, the first time he saw me at my place, he called me 'son'! Son of a bitch..."

The vulgarities that followed, Xu Fengnian, who dearly wanted to burst out laughing, simply pretended not to hear.

The entire street erupted in an uproar. Even Wang Xianzhi in the tall building let out a surprised 'Eh?' His blurry figure vaguely appeared at the window.

Xu Fengnian's heart jolted. The next moment, he was no longer in control of himself.

His eyes glowed with a pure, ultimate golden yellow.

The True Martial Emperor.

But Xu Fengnian's mind remained remarkably clear. When he turned around, he saw the tip of a sword slowly piercing through heaven and earth.

From a high place, a voice leisurely sounded. It was like the roar of a dragon, yet also like the sound of a wooden fish drum, and at the same time, like the chime of a jade chime.

It seemed to be delivering a definitive judgment upon Heaven and Earth.

The middle-aged man in the dragon robe's face turned grim. His gaze briefly met that of the woman on the rooftop. Then they both looked toward the tall building where "Wang Xianzhi" stood. Finally, all "three" vanished simultaneously.

Tan Tai Pingjing also vanished with them.

The True Martial Emperor, or rather, the Great Qin Emperor, looked with sadness in his eyes at the young woman who seemed to have tripped over the threshold, stumbled with her sword, and crashed into the room.

During his life, he reigned as Emperor of Great Qin in the mortal world. After his death, he was revered as the True Martial Emperor in Heaven. He not only governed the Northern Heavenly Court but also commanded half of Heaven's military forces.

He felt remorse only for that gentle and timid woman. Although it was no longer a question of letting go, he still couldn't bring himself to ignore her.

Through Xu Fengnian's mouth, he said to the young woman who had rushed over, "I'm sorry."

Jiang Ni, the "Little Mud Doll," replied with an innocent, charming look on her face, "Are you sick?"

The golden light in those eyes instantly faded. Xu Fengnian was stunned for a moment, then burst into roaring laughter on the street.

She was furious.

He reached out and forcefully pulled her cheeks. "You're still the best!"

She, who had endured immense hardship to break the Dragon Pearl and enter this place, was about to erupt in anger when his body swayed, and he was about to fall.

On the battlefield near Guazizhou, the Great Snow Dragon Riding Army had already absorbed over five hundred West Chu scholar talents and begun their return north.

A single sword gleamed cold across thirty states.

A young woman carrying a zitan sword-box on her back helped the young prince dismount from the Great Liang Dragon Sparrow sword. They stood at the side of the cavalry.

This cavalry force suddenly halted their horses.

As the long sword returned to its sheath, an old Xu family veteran who had experienced the Spring and Autumn campaigns, upon seeing that scene, suddenly seemed to awaken with a jolt. He quickly dismounted and roared loudly, "Great Snow Dragon Riding Army! We pay respects to the Princess of Beiliang!"

The few scattered shouts of "Greetings, Your Majesty!" were completely drowned out by the thunderous shouts of "We pay respects to the Princess of Beiliang!"

Frightened, Jiang Ni immediately hid behind Xu Fengnian.

But perhaps even Xu Fengnian himself had not imagined that this timid "Little Mud Doll" behind him would soon beat the war drums on the walls of Jubei City, personally giving a heroic send-off to the Beiliang Iron Cavalry.