บท 3: Chapter 3
Brahma furrowed his brows, showing a worried expression.
"Indra is now in deep meditation. Vishnu must be anxious!"
"Why is that?"
The goddess Saraswati tilted her head, a hint of confusion flashing in her bright eyes.
Vishnu is one of the Trimurti, the Preserver God. Even if the King of Gods, Indra, is in meditation, it shouldn't affect Vishnu.
Brahma shook his head, winking at his wife, his eyes glinting with wisdom.
"Don't forget the curse of the sage Durvasa!"
At Brahma's reminder, Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom, immediately understood the intricacies involved.
In Brahmaloka, she gazed towards the Milky Ocean beneath the three realms.
Indeed, on the serpent bed that supports the world, there was a missing figure beside Vishnu.
"I understand now. His wife, Lakshmi, is the goddess of wealth and fortune. Due to Durvasa's curse, the gods have lost their wealth and opulence. As the embodiment of wealth, Lakshmi has also vanished from Vishnu's side."
Saraswati held her veena, realizing the situation.
Brahma nodded.
"The Trimurti cannot descend arbitrarily, as it would cause disturbances in the world, contrary to the role of the Preserver God. There must be a significant reason for him to act, which requires the King of Gods, Indra, and the other deities to invite him. But now, Indra is in deep meditation..."
"Vishnu must be quite troubled!"
Brahma smirked.
"Husband, why do I sense that you are taking pleasure in his predicament?"
Saraswati's beautiful eyes shifted as she glanced at Brahma with a soft smile.
"I am not, absolutely not. You've got it wrong!"
Brahma turned his head, eyes shifting evasively, muttering to himself.
...
Above the infinite Milky Ocean.
This is the ocean of all existence, the source of everything, the foundation of the world, and the three realms float above it.
The thousand-headed serpent Shesha coiled into a massive circle, its gigantic body extending billions of miles, forming the serpent bed that supports the Preserver God Vishnu.
At this moment, the thousand-headed serpent Shesha flicked its tongues nervously, its tail stirring up gigantic waves, as its thousand heads looked at its master Vishnu.
"Master, why has the mistress suddenly disappeared?"
Shesha asked.
"Don't worry!"
Vishnu lay on the giant serpent, smiling faintly.
He wasn't worried at all!
Not even a little bit!
He naturally knew that the goddess of wealth was affected by the curse and had sunk into the Milky Ocean. However, the curse was enforced by the power of asceticism, and he couldn't break it by force.
The solution now was to restore the deities' powers.
As the Preserver God, he certainly had a way to restore the deities' powers, and he had already planned it out, replaying it in his mind several times.
That plan was to churn the Milky Ocean!
Due to the sage's curse, many treasures had returned to the Milky Ocean. He would call upon the deities to churn the ocean, thereby retrieving the treasures that embodied their powers.
Indra, the King of Gods, might be in deep meditation now, but he wouldn't stay there forever. Vishnu knew him too well. Arrogant and proud, yet weak-willed inside.
Most importantly, Indra was used to luxury and couldn't endure hardship.
Once Indra couldn't bear the meditation anymore, he would naturally come looking for him. Vishnu just needed to wait.
Smiling, Vishnu rested his chin on his hand and closed his eyes, lying down to sleep.
Seeing that his master was not worried, Shesha felt somewhat reassured.
"The master must have a plan. Perhaps this is the master's **Lila**!"
**Lila**, meaning divine play.
All things are within the grasp of the Trimurti. Perhaps the mistress's disappearance was part of Vishnu's Lila, a bit of playful reunion.
Thinking this, Shesha's previously restless tail settled into the Milky Ocean.
...
Ah~
Vishnu yawned softly, his starry eyes slowly opening, gazing at the vast Milky Ocean.
"Shesha!"
"How long have I been asleep?"
Vishnu asked.
"Master, you have been asleep for five hundred years!"
Shesha lowered his heads, responding.
To the gods, time was trivial. Five hundred years was but a brief nap.
However...
"Five hundred years..." Vishnu blinked, pondering, then asked, "Has Indra not come?"
"No!"
Shesha's thousand heads shook, answering honestly.
"..."
"No way, Indra really hasn't come!"
Vishnu was startled, narrowing his eyes as he looked towards the heavens.
The heavenly realm was even more dilapidated!
The once pristine and holy heavenly realm was now nearly indistinguishable from the mortal realm, in a state of disrepair.
The deities were even weaker!
Vishnu looked towards Indra's temple, seeing a powerful aura of asceticism rising, forming azure lightning, bursting forth, showcasing a scene of vibrant life and thriving growth.
"He really is in deep meditation!"
Vishnu was taken aback, furrowing his brows.
The time for ascetic meditation was counted in hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years.
For his wife Lakshmi to return, wouldn't it take an eternity!
Vishnu frowned slightly, pondering for a moment before his brows relaxed, having come up with a solution.
As long as he informed Indra that he had a way to restore the deities' powers, Indra would definitely bring the deities eagerly to find him, allowing Lakshmi to return.
"Garuda!"
Vishnu called softly, summoning his devotee.
Garuda! Garuda! Garuda!
His voice echoed across the Milky Ocean, reverberating through the three realms, spanning billions of miles, endlessly reaching everywhere.
Garuda!
The great bird!
He was also the son of the sage Kashyapa and a devoted follower of Vishnu!
"My master is calling me!"
Garuda's eyes gleamed.
He flapped his wings, stirring up fierce winds, darkening the sky as if night had fallen, sweeping across the Milky Ocean.
Whoosh!
His enormous wings blocked out the sky, and Garuda soared above the Milky Ocean, casting a heavy shadow like nightfall, amidst the endless waves, meeting his master Vishnu.
"Salutations to my master Vishnu!"
Garuda clasped his hands together, bowing slightly before looking up at his master with reverence.
Heh!
Vishnu smiled, sitting on the serpent bed, gazing affectionately at his devotee.
He was unlike Brahma, whose followers were all Asuras, and once they finished their asceticism, they would no longer heed Brahma!
He had countless followers, half of whom were devoted to him.
"Garuda, by my command, go to the heavenly realm and tell the deities that I have a way to lift their curse. Have them come to the Milky Ocean to see me!"
Vishnu spoke softly.
Garuda, immersed in the joy of meeting his master, hadn't even noticed that Lakshmi, the goddess, was missing.
Upon hearing Vishnu's command, he hesitated for a moment before quickly responding.
"At your command, my master!"
Garuda said.
As the great bird, Garuda was incredibly fast, traversing the three realms with ease.
In no time, he spread his wings and arrived in the heavenly realm.
Whoosh!
Garuda transformed, appearing as a divine being with wings.
His hair was disheveled, a golden band around his forehead, holding back his black hair, revealing his heroic face, and his golden armor gleamed.
Garuda looked around the heavenly realm in shock, wondering if he had mistakenly arrived at a village in the mortal realm.
The once drifting clouds had turned into rotting mud, luxurious palaces had vanished, replaced by ramshackle straw huts, seemingly fragile enough to be blown away by a flap of his wings.
The Gandharvas, who served the deities, had faces full of dust, their skin rough and sallow.
"The heavenly realm has become like this!"
"It's all Indra's fault!"
Garuda realized, clenching his fists, his face showing anger.
Angry!
Garuda was enraged!
(Chapter End)
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