Xie Lian raised his head abruptly and said, “No.”
He repeated firmly, "Absolutely not."
The Imperial Master nodded and said, "I anticipated your response. Therefore, we will focus on the second approach."
Xie Lian said solemnly, “Please speak.”
The Imperial Preceptor said, "The second option is for Your Highness the Crown Prince to confess his sins before the entire nation of Xianle, apologize to the heavens, and then face the wall for another month."
Xie Lian said calmly, “No.”
The Imperial Master was startled. "I don't really want you to face the wall and reflect on your mistakes," he said. "Just show some intention... ahem." He suddenly remembered they were still in front of the statue of the Divine Martial Emperor and quickly corrected himself. "As long as you're sincere enough, that'll be enough."
Xie Lian still said, “No.”
The Imperial Master asked, "Reason?"
Xie Lian said, "Master, when I came down the mountain today, do you know what I saw? The people of the Imperial City, far from blaming the accident at the Heavenly Sacrifice Parade, were actually very pleased. This shows that our people all believe that saving that child was the right decision."
"And if, as you say, a right deed is punished as a mistake, what will they think? Doesn't this tell everyone that saving a life is not worth building a seven-story pagoda, but rather a crime? How should they think and act from now on?"
The Imperial Master said, "Whether this is right or wrong is actually not important. Now you must choose one of the two paths. There is no such thing as having the best of both worlds. Either the child will take the responsibility, or you will."
Xie Lian said, “Right or wrong is important. If I have to choose, I’ll choose the third path.”
The Imperial Preceptor rubbed his brow and said, "Well... Your Highness, with all due respect, why should you care what they think? They may think one thing today, and another tomorrow. There's no need to dwell on such trivial details. Believe me, those who should do what they should do will continue to do what they should do after this incident. They won't be moved by you, nor will they take you as an example. It's more important for us to carefully serve those above us."
After a moment's silence, Xie Lian said, "National Master, ever since I became your disciple at the Imperial Monastery, the more I've practiced, the more I've pondered. I've always had an idea that I haven't dared to express."
The Imperial Master asked, "What's your idea?"
Xie Lian asked, “Is it really right for us to worship the gods like this?”
The Imperial Master was speechless for a moment, then said, "If they don't worship the gods, are we going to starve? Could it be that, Your Highness, you think that the thousands of believers who have believed in the priests for thousands of years are wrong?"
Xie Lian shook his head, pondered for a moment, and said, "Of course, there's nothing wrong with believing in something. However, I don't think you should kneel down and worship it."
He raised his head and pointed at the resplendent, towering, and radiant statue of the Divine Martial Emperor. He said, "Humans ascend to become gods. Gods are ancestors, mentors, and guiding lights to us, but not masters. We should be grateful and admire them, but not worship them. Just like the Lantern Festival, I believe the correct attitude should be gratitude and sharing in the joy, not fear, flattery, trepidation, or even putting ourselves in the position of slaves."
The Imperial Master stood still without saying a word, but the three Deputy Imperial Masters could no longer sit still and turned around one after another.
Xie Lian continued, "An unexpected event, nothing can be done. I would love to light a thousand lamps, illuminating the long night, even if it means I'm a moth to a flame, I wouldn't fear. But I refuse to bow my head just because I've done the right thing. Face the wall and reflect on my mistakes? What have I done wrong? What have others done wrong? It's like Qi Rong committing evil, yet Feng Xin, who punished the evildoer, is punished. What's the logic behind this? If Heaven has eyes, it will surely not punish me for this."
The Imperial Preceptor looked away and said, "Then, Your Highness, let me ask you, what if a punishment is really imposed? If that happens, will you apologize or not?"
Xie Lian said, “If that’s the case, then Heaven is wrong and I’m right. I will fight Heaven to the bitter end.”
Hearing this, the Imperial Master's expression changed slightly, and he said with a smile, "Your Highness, you are quite courageous to say this."
The three deputy imperial masters all looked at him, about to speak but hesitant. At that moment, alarms suddenly blared outside the hall, as if many bells were ringing simultaneously. Unable to sit still, the four imperial masters rushed out simultaneously, heading for the back of the hall.
Xie Lian followed closely behind, following them through the buildings behind the Shenwu Hall until they arrived in front of a pitch-black octagonal hall. The hall's door was wide open, and countless plumes of gray smoke whizzed out.
The Imperial Master screamed, "Where's Zhu An?! Where did he go?! What's going on?!"
Several Taoist guards came running over, led by Senior Brother Zhu, who shouted, "National Master!!! I'm here! I don't know what happened. The door was locked, but it suddenly opened!"
The Imperial Master pulled his hair and said, "Quickly get a new Soul Sealing Jar!"
Xie Lian charged forward. This black hall was covered in sandalwood lattices of varying sizes, arranged in a staggered pattern. Upon these lattices lay a myriad of pottery jars, porcelain bottles, and jade boxes. Originally, each container had been neatly placed, tightly sealed with red stoppers and sealed with yellow talismans inscribed with red ink. But now, many of them were smashed to pieces, constantly falling from their shelves, and those that remained standing were swaying.
Each of these soul-sealing containers contained a demon or ghost that had caused trouble. Such black halls existed behind every temple on Mount Taicang, and the revolving doors used pure and holy energy to suppress them. I don't know what happened, but they suddenly rioted and all of them ran out!
Xie Lian said, “It’s too late!”
He said this and kicked the door shut. The iron lock on the door had been broken by the vengeful spirits that had burst through. He drew his sword, wrote a few words in the air with the tip, and casually plunged it into the ground. He had brought over two hundred swords with him up the mountain, wearing a new one almost every day. Each one was a peerless masterpiece. The sword stuck diagonally into the ground, and the door could no longer be opened. All that could be heard was the angry roar of a group of vengeful spirits crashing around in the black hall.
As they retreated from the Black Hall, they looked up and saw dark clouds rising from the Black Halls behind various temples on the mountain peaks. The vengeful spirits rushed into the sky, gathering in a certain direction with billowing smoke. Zhu An asked, "Where is that? Why are they all flying there?"
The Imperial Master scolded, "You've lost your mind! That's the Palace of Fairy Music!"
The group, like treading on the wind, arrived at Xianle Peak in a flash. Meanwhile, on Taicang Mountain, black smoke billowed from countless temples atop countless peaks, rolling toward them and forming a massive swirling cloud formation above Xianle Palace. The Imperial Master asked, "What's going on with your Xianle Palace?! The demons and monsters sealed within the Black Palace have all been drawn there. What did you put there?!"
Xie Lian was also stunned. “Nothing! Only…”
Only what? Xie Lian suddenly remembered: that child!
At this time, Senior Brother Zhu said, "Oh no, Imperial Master! There's a fire at the Crown Prince's place!"
Sure enough, a corner of the Xianle Palace was already ablaze, the flames soaring into the sky, casting a faint red glow on the dark clouds above. However, at the foot of Mount Taicang, some of the still-awake civilians in the imperial city witnessed this scene, completely unaware of the severity of the situation. They excitedly pulled others to watch, saying, "Wow! The gods on the mountain are performing rituals! It's truly spectacular!"
In a flash, the group arrived at Xianle Palace. Xie Lian hadn't left many servants behind; dozens of Taoists, who had rushed in from elsewhere, were fetching well water to put out the fire. Xie Lian ignored the two attendants and rushed in. The vengeful spirits from every dark palace on Mount Taicang had gathered there, leaving Xianle Palace practically pitch black, unable to see a finger in front of one's face. Xie Lian vaguely spotted two figures in the center of the hall, shouting, "Feng Xin! Mu Qing!"
The two of them were guarding a protective formation, trying to keep out evil spirits. As expected, Feng Xin's voice rang out, "Your Highness, don't come in! There's something strange about this kid. Those things are coming for him!"
Only then did Xie Lian notice that behind the two figures, there was a small black figure, seemingly kneeling on the ground with its head in its hands, saying, “It’s not me!!!”
After observing for a moment, Xie Lian said, "Stop holding on, let go!"
Mu Qing said, “We can’t let them go! If we do, these things will go crazy. Wait until I find the most…” But Xie Lian shouted, “Don’t be afraid. Let them go! Now!”
Mu Qing gritted his teeth and pulled back simultaneously with Feng Xin. As expected, the vengeful spirits lost their power to restrain them and began to scream, on the verge of going mad!
However, the next moment, Xie Lian stretched out his hand and pinched off a wisp of black smoke with lightning speed.
Without even looking, he simply pinched a wisp of black smoke with his bare hands and held it firmly in his palm. After he caught this vengeful spirit, the vengeful spirits that were frantically roaming throughout the Xianle Palace all slowed down.
Outside the Xianle Palace, everyone nodded secretly.
When many vengeful spirits are still in a chaotic state and are wandering around in the same place, they will instinctively follow the strongest one among them.
As long as he could capture that one, the others, without their leader, would be momentarily lost. At that moment, Xie Lian instantly saw which one was the strongest and pinned it down, giving it no chance. With a slight exertion of force, the vengeful spirit was reduced to ashes in his palm.
Then, the four imperial masters raised their sleeves and shouted, "Come back!"
The leaderless horde of vengeful spirits wandered around the Xianle Palace like headless flies for a while, finally accepting their fate and reluctantly returning to the hidden worlds of the Imperial Masters. Dozens of Taoists extinguished the remaining flames, and the thick black smoke gradually dissipated. Only then did Xie Lian get a clear look at the three men.
Feng Xin and Mu Qing half-knelt on the ground, still in shock. Behind them, the child still clutched his head, silent. Several Imperial Masters entered and immediately asked, "Where did this child come from? Feng Xin just said that all the vengeful spirits were coming for him? What's going on?"
Xie Lian said, “This is the child who fell from the city wall during the Lantern Festival.”
The Imperial Masters were shocked. The Imperial Master asked, "Why did you bring him up here?"
Xie Lian shook his head, not bothering to explain, and asked Feng Xin, "What did he do to attract all the vengeful spirits in the Black Palace?"
Feng Xin, still with one arm in a sling, stood up and said, "I don't know what he did! But as soon as he went up the mountain and entered the Fairy Music Palace, suddenly this bunch of black things flew over from another mountaintop and rushed into the palace, surrounding him. They kept gathering and growing, and he couldn't get out."
Xie Lian looked around at the charred Xianle Palace, its pillars and walls alike, and asked, "What's with this fire?"
Mu Qing's face was covered in black ash. He said, "We couldn't get out, so we had to draw a formation to guard it. These resentful spirits ignited the candles and burned the gauze curtains, trying to force us to move out of the formation."
Feng Xin said, "Fortunately, Your Highness arrived quickly and caught them in the throes. Otherwise, if the fire had continued for a while, the formation and the people would have been burned to ashes."
Hearing this, Mu Qing closed his eyes and lowered his head slightly. Over there, several imperial masters had already surrounded the child, scrutinizing him closely.
Xie Lian asked, “Master, is there anything wrong with this child?”
If anything was amiss, like being possessed by a demon or monster, Xie Lian would have spotted it instantly. Having spent years cultivating at the Imperial Monastery, he had honed his vision, and few things could slip past him. Yet, he couldn't see anything wrong with the child. The Imperial Master shook his head, suggesting he couldn't see it either, and asked the child, "What are your birthdates?"
Hong Hong Er seemed wary and hostile towards everyone. She just stared at him without saying anything. Xie Lian said gently, "Tell me what you say. The Imperial Master wants to read your horoscope. It's for your own good."
As soon as he spoke, Hong Hong'er whispered her birth date. The Imperial Preceptor frowned and began to count on his fingers. The others stared at him for a moment, whispering to each other, their expressions growing increasingly solemn. Xie Lian, in turn, grew more solemn.
Although the Imperial Preceptor appeared to be a slick young man in his early thirties, Xie Lian knew best the true extent of his master's abilities, allowing him to preside over the Imperial Temple. Xianle's Chief Imperial Preceptor, Mei Nianqing, was renowned throughout the world for his mastery of the word "calculation." Xie Lian had learned swordsmanship and martial arts from several Imperial Preceptors, but he had never learned physiognomy and fortune-telling from the Chief Imperial Preceptor. The Imperial Preceptor said it was a martial art, something he, as the crown prince's daughter, didn't need to learn. Furthermore, he had no interest in it, so he had never dabbled in it. But whenever the Imperial Preceptor took action, he was always right.
After a long while of calculating, the Imperial Master's forehead was covered with cold sweat. He muttered, "No wonder... no wonder... no wonder the Heavenly Sacrifice Tour was ruined by him. The Yin spirits in the Black Palace became excited as soon as they smelled him, and the Fairy Music Palace was also burned. This... this... this is really..."
Xie Lian asked, “Is it true?”
The Imperial Preceptor wiped his cold sweat and suddenly stepped back eight feet, saying, "Your Highness, you've really picked up something incredible up the mountain! This child is incredibly poisonous. He's destined to be doomed, the kind evil creatures love the most. Anyone who touches him will suffer misfortune, and anyone who kisses him will die!"
Before he could finish his words, there was a loud scream, Hong Hong'er jumped up and rushed towards the Imperial Master.
Though his voice was childish, it was filled with rage, as if filled with endless pain and despair, sending shivers down the spines of everyone present. The child, clearly covered in wounds, tore and lashed out like a mad dog, truly ferocious. Several deputy imperial preceptors stopped Hong Hong'er, and the Imperial Preceptor retreated repeatedly, shouting, "Let him down the mountain, let him down! Don't touch him! Seriously, this life is too damn dangerous! Don't even touch him!"
Several deputy imperial masters quickly followed him out of the way, leaving Mu Qing and Feng Xin unsure whether to move or not. Seeing others avoid him like snakes and scorpions, the child froze and immediately fought even more fiercely, biting and screaming at the top of his lungs, "I'm not! I'm not!! I'm not!!!!"
Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed his waist and encircled him. A voice said above his head, "You're not. I know you're not. Okay, stop crying. I know you're not."
The child pursed his lips tightly, clutching the snow-white sleeves of his hands around his waist, and tried to endure it for a long time. Finally, he couldn't hold it back anymore. A line of tears suddenly rolled down his round black eye, and he burst into tears.
Xie Lian hugged him from behind and said firmly, "It's not your problem. It's not your fault."
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