Chapter 38: In the Palace of Divine Might, Crown Prince Meets Crown Prince 2
From the side, Ling Wen had already made her way up to stand before the throne. She was dressed entirely in black, her manner somber as she thumbed through a booklet. "Your Majesty¹. There are a few Heavenly Officials patrolling the outer borders of the realm who were not able to return."
Jun Wu gave a small nod. "They have already sent word."
Ling Wen bowed her head and gave a soft affirmation. Jun Wu's gaze turned to Xie Lian again. "I presume Xian Le already knows why he was summoned here today."
Xie Lian's head remained lowered. "I could guess. However, I thought that General Pei Junior's matters have already been decided on."
At this moment, a male voice spoke out, "We'll still have to see about that. I'm afraid this matter is far from settled."
The voice came from behind him, ringing clear and loud in his ears. When Xie Lian turned around, he saw a Martial God stalking into the main hall, a sword clasped by his side. Without anyone's by your leave, he strode to the front of the assembly. As he passed Xie Lian, he paused. A corner of his mouth curled as he said, "What an honour to meet you, Your Highness."
This Martial God had the appearance of a twenty six to seven year old man. His bearing was graceful and poised, but his manner carried a sense of inexorability. His face was more striking than the statues of worship Xie Lian had seen back in Mount Yu Jun, it was the kind of handsomeness that would appeal to women. At a glance, he brought to mind the heroes so often featured in romantic tales.
Before Xie Lian could frame a reply, the Martial God added, "Our Xiǎo Pei² was truly fortunate to have been in your care."
Xie Lian thought silently, Without a doubt, I've truly offended him this time. He said, "General Pei is too kind. Meeting you, the honour is mine."
What he was was indeed the truth. These days, Xie Lian had been combing through scrolls and books, and also spared some of his scattered attention for the legends of the more famous Heavenly Officials. Among them, General Ming Guang, Pei Ming, stood out the most.
Although this Martial God of the North had impressive military achievements when he was mortal, what the people discussed about most enthusiastically were still the sensational stories of his forays into the red light districts. The flattering ones would tell of how he paid a lot of money to rescue a beautiful maiden who had fallen on hard times and was forced to sell herself, who in turn fell hopelessly in love with him and swore eternal devotion to him, forever keeping herself chaste to await his return, and so on. The less complimentary ones would describe in thrilling detail how he whipped his horse into a lather as he galloped through the night for a thousand miles, scaled the city walls and stole into the home of a married woman to give her a night of unforgettable pleasure…. In short, the stories were all lurid and fanciful. After Xie Lian had finished reading, he privately concluded that it was truly incredible how this Martial God had managed to arouse the wrath of only one woman, Xuan Ji³.
Because Pei Ming had been proud and unbridled in matters of war and love alike, many of his rivals and acquaintances would have loved to see him drop dead, preferably from a venereal disease. Unfortunately for them, he continued living doggedly. He rolled around with thousands of women, but never managed to contract any illnesses. Not only did he cling tenaciously to life, he outlived the best of them. Until one day, when he finally tasted defeat in battle, everyone's hearts rejoiced; Hahahaha! He's done for this time! Then came a rumble from the skies, and, when his life was still hanging by a thread, he ascended to Heaven.
At that time, those who had not already been killed by him probably all died from sheer rage.
Even after ascending, Pei Ming did not change his ways, and tales of his womanizing feats continued to grow. From the female immortals in Heaven to the ghosts and demons in Hell, as long as they were in any way pleasing to the eyes, he would dare make a move on them. But he favoured the beauties from the mortal world the most. Many aspiring writers loved to weave erotic tales of romance about him. If not for Xie Lian's cultivation path requiring a clear heart free from desires, he might have picked up a book or two to satisfy his curiosity.
Therefore, besides being the Martial God of the North, Pei Ming was also worshiped by men as the God of Love and Luck with the ladies. There were even some Heavenly Officials from the Middle Court who, if they happened to bump into him, would furtively pray to his back from afar, hoping that some of his luck and charm would rub off on them. One had to say however, that despite the similarities, compared to the innocent Feng Xin who had been unwittingly tagged with the title of "Ju Yang"⁴, Pei Ming was a great deal more fortunate.
All the Heavenly Officials present tacitly understood the "honour" they were referring to, and silently cracked their sides laughing. Having dispensed with the courtesies, Xie Lian said, "If I may ask, what did General Pei mean by the matter being far from settled?"
Pei Ming snapped his fingers. In the middle of the hall, a corpse suddenly appeared, suspended in mid air.
More accurately, it was an empty shell reclining in the air. However, this human-shaped body which was missing a soul and dripping blood from head to toe looked no different from a corpse. Xie Lian observed the handsome face with the tightly closed eyes. It was Ah Zhao, General Pei Junior's puppet.
For such a thing to suddenly appear among the the Heavenly lords and ladies within the halls of the Supreme Martial God's palace was shocking, to say the least. Immediately after, Pei Su was also brought out. Although his hands and feet were shackled together, he still carried the same air of indifference, his head lowered in silence. "What is the meaning of this, General Pei?" Xie Lian asked.
As Pei Su knelt within the Palace Hall of the Supreme Martial God, Pei Ming declared, "When Xiǎo Pei was being questioned, he mentioned something which I found rather odd."
He circled Xie Lian slowly. "I am very clear on Xiǎo Pei's abilities. Although the power of his puppet is far beneath that of his true self's, it could not be considered lacking either. Defeating a Wrath would not have been a difficult feat. Yet, he informed me that there was one person who had been able to beat him back with ease. Is this not strange?"
Pei Ming continued, "When I questioned him further, it turned out that at Ban Yue Pass, His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of Xian Le had been accompanied by a young man dressed in red."
Upon hearing the words "dressed in red", some of the Heavenly Officials began sporting rather stiff and peculiar expressions. What Pei Ming said next nearly made them fall over. "And in complete darkness, this young man wiped out over a hundred Wrath soldiers of Ban Yue in a single instant!"
"——Your Royal Highness, pray enlighten us, who was this young man in red?"
If he wasn't a "Wrath", then he could only have been a "Devastation"! And... a Devastation clad in red who could slaughter a hundred Wraths in a the blink of an eye.
It wasn't that nobody could guess at the young man's identity. However, no one took the initiative to voice his name. Xie Lian threw a brief glance at the silent Pei Su before he gave a little cough and said mendaciously, "Oh, is that so? I really can't quite recall anymore. At that time, there was a also group of travelling merchants who were lost in Ban Yue Pass. We only interacted for a few days at most, maybe it was someone from the caravans."
Pei Ming gave a humourless smile. "Oh no, Your Highness. According to Xiǎo Pei, you were very close with the young man, it didn't seem like you had only been acquainted with him for a few days. How could you have forgotten so quickly?"
Xie Lian thought, No, I'm telling the truth, I've really only known him for a few days.
His expression was still calm and unruffled. At that moment, a cultivator dressed in white robes⁵ who was standing nearby flicked his horse-tail whisk and said, "General Pei, what you are telling us are all from General Pei Junior's side of the story. He has already been found guilty and is still under arrest, soon to be sent to exile. Have you considered that his words may not exactly be trustworthy?"
Pei Ming said, "That would depend on whether I can impose on General Nan Yang and General Xuan Zhen to assist me on a small matter."
Following Pei Ming's gaze, Xie Lian found Feng Xin and Mu Qing standing apart in the Southwest and Southeast poles of the palace hall.
Feng Xin⁶ looked exactly the same as Xie Lian remembered him. He has always been particularly tall, standing straight and proud, his gaze firm, with that ever present faint crease between his brows. It had always made him look rather cross and impatient, even when he wasn't.
Mu Qing⁷, on the other hand, seemed to have changed somewhat. Although his face was still fair, with the same pale skin and thin lips tightly pressed together, his eyes were hooded, and his entire body radiated cold indifference and heavy disdain. He stood with his arms folded, the fingers of his right hand lightly tapping against his left elbow. It was difficult to tell if he was merely being calm, or if he was scheming something, but the latter seemed more likely.
Although both men could be regarded as handsome, they both had their own shortcomings. When singled out by Pei Ming, they both turned in unison to first look at Jun Wu. Only after Jun Wu give a slight nod, did they slowly step out.
This was Xie Lian's first time meeting them face to face since his third ascension. He could feel all the gazes drawn to them growing even more avid by the second.
Well, it was understandable. The main point was that they were all standing in the Palace Hall of the Supreme Martial God, that is to say, the palace hall belonging to the preeminent Martial God. Only Heavenly Officials from the Upper Court had the right to enter. The first time the Crown Prince of Xian Le soared to Heaven, Feng Xin and Mu Qing were the companions he brought with him. At that time, the both of them were not even fit to scrub the floors of this palace hall⁸. Yet now, these two who had been little more than mere deputy generals not only had a rightful place within the Palace Hall of the Supreme Martial God, they ranked far above their former master. This was truly a reversal of fortunes, a demonstration of how fickle fate could be.
The three of them traded a round of furtive looks, their gazes sliding quickly away from each other before they immediately began feigning nonchalance. No one could quite figure out what they were thinking. However, Xie Lian could already deduce what Pei Ming had called on Feng Xin and Mu Qing for.
Sure enough, Pei Ming announced, "General Nan Yang and General Xuan Zhen have both traded blows with Hua Cheng before. They would have more than a passing familiarity with the weapon he uses⁹."
He had summoned Ah Zhao's empty shell of a corpse precisely so that everyone present could observe the wounds on the body. Feng Xin and Mu Qing slowly walked to the side of the hollow shell floating in the air, and Xie Lian also followed a few steps closer. The blood which flowed from the body ran in thick rivulets, pooling in a congealed, blackened mess. It seemed to have completely bled out, and made it difficult to observe the details. The two Martial Gods examined it briefly, their expressions grim. Then they lifted their heads and shared a quick look between them, seemingly reluctant to be the first to break the silence.
From beside the throne where Jun Wu was seated, Ling Wen asked, "Generals, what have you found?"
Feng Xin spoke first, his voice low. "It's him."
"It's the scimitar, È Ming," Mu Qing said flatly.
In the Palace Hall of the Supreme Martial God, Xie Lian was probably the only Heavenly Official who did not understand the significance of those words.
In dreams, when Hua Cheng had debated and battled with the thirty three Heavenly Officials and crushed them soundly, thus terrifying them half to death, he had been wielding that strange scimitar, È Ming!¹⁰
Within the palace hall, the Heavenly Officials began muttering softly among themselves and shooting strange, sidelong looks at Xie Lian. Pei Ming said, "Thank you, Generals, for confirming this point. It would seem my guess had been correct. If the young man in red who had been following His Highness was really him, then this certainly complicates matters."
The cultivator swathed in white robes interjected again, "General Pei, are you implying that His Royal Highness colluded with a Devastation Ghost King to falsely incriminate General Pei Junior?"
Twice, this cultivator had spoken, and both times he had stood on Xie Lian's side. Xie Lian could not help wanting to take a look to see who this strangely honest Heavenly Official was. When he turned his head, he caught sight of the man with clear eyes and dark pupils, a horse-tail whisk resting in the crook of his arm, a long sword strapped to his back, and a folding fan stuck through the jade-white belt at his waist, looking like a cultured and refined gentleman, glowing with health and vigor. His features looked somewhat familiar, although Xie Lian could not recall having met this cultivator before.
Pei Ming also flashed him a quick, irritated look, like an elder with his patience worn thin by an argumentative child. He shook his head, then waved his hand, sending away the Ah Zhao's empty, floating body. Turning around, he said, "It may not have been a collusion. Merely, that creature is powerful, frighteningly so. Who knows if His Highness had been deceived by some skillful enchantment."
This meant that he was trying to cast Hua Cheng as the mastermind who had stirred up the turmoil in Ban Yue Pass. Xie Lian said, "General Pei, even if you do not believe me, you should believe in the Wind Master. When General Pei Junior confessed to his crimes, the Wind Master was there and heard everything."
Pei Ming threw another oblique look at the cultivator in white. Xie Lian continued, "Also, we are now all in the Palace Hall of the Supreme Martial God. You may ask His Majesty if there are any traces of enchantments on me that prove I had been under a spell."
Jun Wu looked at them serenely from his throne, which was evidence enough that Xie Lian was perfectly fine. Xie Lian added, "Let us be very clear. Before we discuss about whether the young man with me was really Hua Cheng or not, or even if we did take a thousand steps back and finally conclude that he was Hua Cheng, the fact remains that this has got nothing to do with what General Pei Junior did. The Devastation Ghost King may have an evil reputation among the populace that spreads far and wide, but this does not mean we should assume all ills were caused by him."
Several Heavenly Officials in the palace hall broke into a cold sweat when they heard Xie Lian coolly mention that name. Pei Ming said, "Nevertheless, I strongly believe that this matter needs to be looked into again. Your Highness, it'd be for the best if you would hand over the Ban Yue State Preceptor for questioning."
Questioning? What questioning? Interrogation under torture you mean? Before Xie Lian could frame his reply, someone else spoke up. Pei Su seemed unwilling to remain in the Palace Hall of the Supreme Martial God any longer. He said quietly, "General, let it go."
Pei Ming snapped, "What?"
Pei Su said, "There was no enchantment. It was my design. I've disappointing you."
Pei Ming was here to argue on his behalf, but the latter ended up pulling such a move instead. Pei Ming's expression was frosty. "What kind of potion did the Ban Yue State Preceptor feed you? Hold your tongue."
Pei Su raised his head. "Drop it, General! Xiǎo Pei is not afraid of admitting his wrongdoings. Since I've been caught red-handed, I'm willing to face the consequences."
The words You used to be so sensible, why have you suddenly gone mad today? were scrawled all over Pei Ming's shocked features. He was about to deliver a kick at the man in the hopes of kicking him sober, when Jun Wu finally spoke, "Enough."
Pei Ming froze, then put his leg down and gave a shallow bow. Jun Wu said, "The matter of Ban Yue Pass is settled. Bring Xiǎo Pei away, he is to be exiled in a few days."
After a moment's silence, Pei Ming answered stiffly, "Yes."
Xie Lian had just inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, when he heard Pei Ming add, "But the wounds left on the puppet were indeed caused by the scimitar È Ming."
Jun Wu said, "En. That is another matter."
Pei Ming said, "I pray this will be thoroughly investigated."
"It will be, everyone please be at ease," Jun Wu replied. "Today's convention has ended. Xian Le, you will stay."
It seems that he intends to personally question Xie Lian. The remaining Heavenly Officials had nothing more to say, and quietly acknowledged. "Yes, Your Majesty."
Since they were dismissed, the Heavenly Officials began filing out in twos and threes. As Feng Xin walked past, he gave Xie Lian a hesitant look, as if he had something to say. Xie Lian offered him a small smile which seemed to startle him instead, then the man left without a word. Mu Qing strode out without a sideways glance as if determined not to see him, yet still somehow managed to sweep pass right in front of Xie Lian.
The cultivator in white flicked his horse-tail whisk as he walked towards Xie Lian with a smile. Before he could speak, Pei Ming, who had just suffered a defeat, also walked over with one hand on the hilt of his sword and the other rubbing at the side of his nose. He said helplessly, "Qing Xuan, can't you behave yourself for your brother's sake?"
The smile on the cultivator's face turned stiff. "General Pei, don't bring up my brother against me, it's not like I'm afraid of him."
"You..." Pei Ming looked angry enough to start grinding his teeth, but there was nothing else he could do. In the end, he pointed a finger at the cultivator. "You. You've really done Xiǎo Pei in this time. Two hundred years of exile!"
The cultivator swung his horse-tail whisk agitatedly. "That's what Xiǎo Pei brought on himself, it's got nothing to do with me!" Then he took to his feet and hurried to escape Pei Ming. Xie Lian expected Pei Ming to next take his anger out on him, but unexpectedly, the Martial God also left without another word. Now, besides Jun Wu on the throne and His Highness Xie Lian, there was one other person left standing in the magnificent Palace Hall of the Supreme Martial God. It was the Crown Prince of Yong'an, Lang Qian Qiu. Puzzled, Xie Lian walked towards him and stared at the young man who had his eyes closed. He had fallen asleep on his feet.
Xie Lian twitched, feeling both amused and impressed. How amazing. He gently tapped the young man on the shoulder. "Your Highness? Your Highness?"
Lang Qian Qiu woke up with a start. "What happened?!"
Xie Lian said, "Nothing, the meeting is over."
Lang Qian Qiu was still in a muddled state. "It's over?" he asked dazedly. "What did they talk about just now?? I didn't hear anything."
Xie Lian replied, "It's fine, it wasn't anything important. Go on, it's time to leave."
"Oh!" Lang Qian Qiu began walking out, but then paused at the threshold of the palace hall. He turned his head back to look at Xie Lian somewhat doubtfully again, before breaking into a wide grin. "Thank you for waking me up."
Xie Lian waved him away with a smile. After everyone has finally left, he slowly turned back around. Hands clasped behind his back, Jun Wu slowly stepped down from the throne and walked towards him. "Blood Rain Seeking Flower," he said. "The scimitar, È Ming."
Xie Lian involuntarily straightened up, like a cat who had been picked up by the scruff of its neck.
Jun Wu said, "So, will you tell me what's going on?"
Xie Lian looked at him, then suddenly fell to his knees.
Before his knees could touch the ground, Jun Wu reached out and gripped him by the elbows, preventing him from kneeling. "Xian Le," he sighed.
Xie Lian stood upright again, his head lowered. "I'm sorry."
Jun Wu looked at him intently. "Are you admitting your wrongs?"
Xie Lian, "I was wrong."
Jun Wu, "Well then, why don't you tell me what you did wrong?"
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Translator Notes:
¹Dì jūn – this honorific is specific for the Emperor of Gods.
²Xiǎo Pei = Pei Su = General Pei Junior
³Reminder – the female ghost from Mount Yu Jun who was murdering brides
⁴Tremendous Masculinity; Recap, Feng Xin was originally known as Ju Yang (Altogether Bright) but due to a typo by his believers, became Ju Yang (Tremendous Masculinity). It was subsequently changed to Nan Yang, which is his current title. But because of his history of being the God of Tremendous Masculinity, he is still worshiped as the ahem ahem God of Love by women, whereas Pei Ming was worshiped by men for luck in pursuing women.
⁵Taoist. This would be referring to cultivators in Xianxia
⁶Feng Xin, aka General Nan Yang, aka General Ju Yang, former General of Xian Le
⁷Mu Qing, aka General Xuan Zhen, used to be a palace sweeper in Xian Le
⁸Reminder, officials from the Middle Court are those who did NOT ascend to Heaven. They were brought up by those who ascended and appointed as deputies, and will loiter around in the Middle Court until the day they experience heavenly tribulation and ascend properly.
⁹Refer Ch 12. Feng Xin and Mu Qing were the 2 who did not take up Hua Cheng's challenge long ago, and escaped the sad fate of their 33 compatriots. But Hua Cheng still harasses them every now and then when they are on inspection tours during the Ghost Festival. Lol.
¹⁰Refer Ch 12, when Hua Cheng challenged the 35 Heavenly Officials, they had been so confident they would win that they held the contest in the dreams of some lords and nobles of the mortal realm. When the 33 of them lost, their believers also lost faith in them and as a result, these 33 eventually vanished, and their spots were eventually filled up by the newer generations of Heavenly Officials.
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