Reunion
With her face pale and wet, she turned back to her master's immortal abode.
She rode on colorful clouds, walking quickly with her head down. When she passed through the South Heavenly Gate, a dazzling seven-colored light suddenly rose up. Yan Dan was momentarily dazzled and, without stopping her cloud, passed directly through the light.
The celestial ranks in Heaven are very complex. Anyone who can be called a "Lord" is a High Immortal. The higher the celestial rank, the grander the procession. Her master, the Primordial Eternal Emperor, is one of the highest-ranking High Immortals. She can count on her fingers only a handful of people who can be considered his equals. For example, the Jade Emperor is one, as are the two who share the title of Nine Emperors with her master, the Purple Void Emperor and the Azure Departing Emperor. And then there are others, but she can't name them all.
This seven-colored radiant carriage before us can only be used by immortals.
Yan Dan gritted her teeth. Since she had already barged in, it was too late to back out now, so she might as well make a clean getaway.
Just as she was about to leave the procession, her collar was suddenly tightened, and she was pulled out directly.
A familiar, handsome face came into view, with finely shaped eyebrows and bright eyes, and an extraordinary, refined appearance.
The man pulled her up a bit, then turned her to face his follower: "Which immortal lord taught this disciple? She's so ignorant of the rules."
Among the immortals were some elders, who stammered for a long time before saying, "This humble immortal...this humble immortal does not know."
Yan Dan was so angry she almost ground her teeth to powder. This was an utter disgrace! To be carried around and swung like this! Even if she wasn't tall enough, she wasn't meant to be carried and shaken! She wondered, which immortal lord had taught this ill-mannered fellow?
She pointed at the immortal's nose and shouted, "My master is the Primordial Longevity Emperor, one of the Nine Emperors. I see you've just ascended to the rank of High Immortal, so you must know the rules. Why don't you let me go?"
She believed her words were delivered with great confidence, adhering strictly to the rules of Heaven. The celestial attendants around that man immediately turned pale and stared blankly. She wondered, could it be that her master's name was too prestigious?
The immortal holding her tightened his grip, slowly turning her around. He looked at her with a pair of clear, beautiful eyes, a half-smile on his face: "Do you know who I am?"
Even if Yan Dan genuinely didn't know, she wouldn't be interested in knowing, even if he wanted to.
"Judging from your expression, you don't know either." The man smiled, making his features appear even more handsome. "My immortal title is Emperor Qingli Yingyuan."
Yan Dan was stunned.
There's an old saying: "Enemies often meet on a narrow road," and it's certainly true.
There was a time when Yan Dan was very distressed.
At her master's immortal abode, people frequently came to pay their respects. Some were newly promoted to the ranks of immortals, some had just received a promotion in their immortal rank, and others were people who were on good terms with her master. There were at least several hundred people coming and going. If she didn't bump into them, that would be fine, but if she did, and couldn't even pronounce their immortal titles, would she just stand there awkwardly? Wouldn't that be extremely impolite?
She had put in a lot of effort; she could name everyone she had met even once, regardless of their rank. Even for those she had never met, she had memorized many of their characteristics based on what others had described.
The more people who remember this, the more patterns you can discover.
Leaving aside the Buddhas and Arhats of the West, just considering those who cultivate Taoism, those whose titles include Qingjun, Lingjun, or Yuanjun are all top-ranking immortals. If the title includes the word "Emperor," then they are the highest of the high immortals. Ordinary lesser immortals would have to address them as "Emperor." Her master was one such immortal, as were the other two who were listed among the Nine Emperors.
However, even though they are both emperors, there are still some differences.
For example, the most prominent of the Nine Emperors, the Heavenly Supreme Purple Void Sage Emperor, has such a long title, which is quite remarkable. It is said that when he first rendered great service to the Heavenly Court, he was promoted from Purple Void Primordial Lady to Emperor. The second time, the title "Heavenly Supreme" was added before "Purple Void Emperor." In the third time, "Sage" was added, which shows how particular these titles are.
However, Yan Dan looked at the immortal lord before her. What was his immortal title...? Emperor Qingli Yingyuan?
No, it can't be such a coincidence, can it? She just casually stumbled into the procession of an immortal, and the other party is none other than Qingli Yingyuan Emperor, one of the Nine Emperors who is on par with her master? Moreover, she clearly remembers that she had seriously offended this Yingyuan Emperor on her very first day as a human.
But as an emperor, he must be too busy to think about such trivial matters from the past, right?
"You said you were a disciple of the Primordial Eternal Emperor," Ying Yuanjun said thoughtfully. "I vaguely remember that he had a disciple who was incarnated by a four-leaf lotus, and he was quite unruly. What was his name?"
Without thinking, Yan Dan blurted out, "Zhixi." As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a little guilty. She could only silently repeat three times in her heart, "Zhixi, don't be afraid, I will definitely protect you, but I have to borrow your name for now," before the feeling of guilt subsided slightly.
Ying Yuanjun gently put her down and patted her head lightly: "Alright, go back now. Don't wander around like that next time."
Yan Dan immediately fled on a cloud.
He turned to Xian Sui and said, "Isn't the register of immortals still missing a fairy in charge of sacrifices? I think that girl named Zhi Xi might be suitable. Let's put her on the register for now."
Yan Dan returned to her master's immortal residence and spent some days in unease. However, as the peaceful days went by, her unease gradually faded.
She had initially assumed that the three emperors who shared the same rank as the Nine Emperors should have a good relationship. However, the reality was quite different. The Purple Void Emperor, the Primordial Longevity Emperor, and the Azure Departure Emperor rarely met; they almost never saw each other in a century.
Yan Dan was very satisfied with this.
As time went by, she grew taller and looked much better than before when she had short legs and arms. She also began to have a girlish look in her eyes.
Just when she had almost forgotten about trespassing on Emperor Qingli Yingyuan's seven-colored radiant carriage, a celestial lord dressed in a light blue robe, who looked very upright and serious, arrived at his master's celestial residence and specifically asked to see Zhixi.
The immortal lord, named Lu Jing, was a document officer under Emperor Qingli Yingyuan. His clothes were impeccably neat, with every hem ironed flat. Even the strands of hair tied under his jade crown were perfectly styled. In terms of attire, there was not a single flaw to be found. Even the way he looked at his master was just right—any more would have seemed obsequious, and any less would have been disrespectful.
Yan Dan stood behind her senior brother, Tan Zhuo. He was quite tall, completely obscuring her from view. She peeked out through a few gaps in the wall.
Lu Jing said, "Emperor Yingyuan's intention is that it's not good that the position of the celestial being in charge of sacrifices in the Heavenly Court has been vacant for so long. The Jade Emperor is also aware of this decision. He believes that since Fairy Zhixi is the reincarnation of the Four-Leaf Lotus and has made considerable progress in her cultivation in recent years, she is capable of taking on the role. I just don't know what Your Majesty thinks?"
With such a good thing, Master would naturally agree, especially since it would only bring benefits and no harm to Zhixi.
Yan Dan, however, felt a pang of sympathy.
The three emperors, Jiuchen and his companions, each had their own duties. Tianji Zixu Zhaosheng Emperor was in charge of the rites, arts, and rituals of the Six Realms. It was said that he was so learned that he knew everything. Yuanshi Changsheng Emperor was in charge of longevity, cultivation, and ascension. As for Qingli Yingyuan Emperor, he was in charge of mortal sacrifices and dynastic changes.
If Zhixi were to adopt the title of Fairy Zhi, wouldn't she be destined to be bullied under the very nose of Emperor Qingli Yingyuan?
She reported Zhixi's name that day, which really got her killed.
But in the current situation, if she were to stand up and shout, "Zhixi, you can't go," how could she explain the whole story to others? If she couldn't explain it clearly and was disrespectful in front of Lu Jingxianjun, would her master skin her alive in his rage?
...So even though her conscience wouldn't allow it, all she could probably do was remain silent, right?
So her twin sister Zhixi left with Lu Jingxian.
Yan Dan, residing at her master's immortal abode, worried daily about Zhi Xi and her own conscience. Lately, she often had nightmares where Zhi Xi, her eyes red and swollen from crying, pitifully told her how the Qingli Yingyuan Emperor had bullied her. Yan Dan frequently woke up from these dreams filled with murderous intent, gritting her teeth and vowing that if Zhi Xi suffered even the slightest injustice there, she would raze the Qingli Emperor's immortal abode to the ground when she grew up and became successful.
However, it turned out that she was just overthinking things.
Emperor Qingli Yingyuan was usually too busy to concern himself with such trivial matters. He only chose Zhixi because the position of Fairy Zhi had been vacant for too long, and he couldn't recall any other fairies in the Heavenly Court. After Yan Dan stormed his Seven-Colored Light Chariot, he remembered that mischievous little devil who had been incarnated by a four-leaf lotus long ago. He had no recollection of the little devil's name, nor did he remember that the Sun-Transformed Man was a twin. Zhixi had been living in the Yanxu Heavenly Palace for almost half a year and hadn't even seen Emperor Qingli once, let alone been bullied by that "despicable and shameless villain who likes to hold grudges."
Every time Zhixi returned to pay her respects to her master, Yan Dan would anxiously ask if she had been bullied by anyone in Yanxu Heavenly Palace. At first, Zhixi would shake her head with a smile, but later, annoyed by her questions, she sneered and said, "If anyone dares to bully me, I will definitely kill that person and throw them into the cycle of seven lifetimes. Please don't ask the same question every time."
The Seven-Life Cycle is perhaps the most severe punishment in Heaven. It is said that those cast into this cycle, no matter how powerful, must suffer the torment of seven lifetimes in the mortal realm. The suffering during these seven lifetimes is utterly incomprehensible. Generally speaking, whatever is missing in the Book of Life and Death in the underworld, you must be reincarnated to fill that void.
Once upon a time, a celestial being broke a heavenly rule and was reincarnated seven times. In his first three reincarnations, the underworld lacked cockroaches, rats, and bedbugs, so this poor celestial being lived as one for three lifetimes. In his fourth reincarnation, he finally got the good fortune of being reborn as a mortal. However, his mortal fate was extremely difficult. Shortly after birth, his family was destroyed, and he was sold into slavery by human traffickers. After twenty years of slavery, he finally managed to marry a young maid who lived under the same roof as him in a wealthy household. However, the cruel young master of the household took a liking to the maid and forced himself on her. The celestial being, who had always been upright in heaven, became even more so after being reincarnated as a mortal. He deeply understood the virtuous principle that "poverty and hardship cannot sway him, nor can power subdue him," and he fought back against the young master, only to be beaten to death by the young master's accomplices. But that wasn't the end of it. The young master happened to know a very powerful sorcerer who seized the immortal lord's soul, shattering his immortal essence so he could never reincarnate. Thus, the immortal lord went down to the underworld and never returned.
At that time, Yan Dan had no concept of the Seven Reincarnations Path. She was just heartbroken by Zhi Xi's attitude and felt a sense of sadness, as if her own daughter had grown up and was no longer under her mother's control.
She loved Zhixi so much that there was no one in the world closer to her than her.
At that time, she didn't know that her tribulation would begin from this moment. Emperor Qingli Yingyuan was merely one of the tribulations in her long life.
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