Chapter 83 She Remembered the Heavenly Dao Again
The Eastern Ghost King guards the Gate of Hell alone.
During their daily rest, they would only stay in a small pavilion that was temporarily built on the edge of the gates of hell.
Working year-round without a fixed abode.
Moreover, that Gate of Hell, though it has a name, is actually just a desolate path.
When Di Ting arrived in the underworld, it no longer stayed by Jiang Yuzhi's side, but went to visit its long-lost master, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
Only Chichi lingered at Jiang Yuzhi's feet, never missing a step.
"What's wrong?" She squatted down slightly, looking a little puzzled, and patted Chichi's head.
The closer they got to the gates of hell, the more clingy Chichi became. It kept gently rubbing Jiang Yuzhi's calves with its still-growing horns.
"Mwah~" The sweet, coquettish voice carried a deep sense of reluctance.
"If only Di Ting were here," Jiang Yuzhi thought with a headache. She really didn't know what Chi Chi was talking about.
Just as they were carefully choosing their words of reassurance, the Eastern Ghost King noticed them and asked, "Little Zhi! Why aren't you coming over?"
"Coming right now!"
Jiang Yuzhi simply gave up on thinking about it and patted Chichi's little horn on its head. Chichi wasn't clingy at all and walked side by side with Jiang Yuzhi, trotting along.
"Lord Dongfang seems to be in a good mood today?" In the past, when passing through the Gates of Hell, the Ghost King Dongfang always looked rather unwell, his face gloomy. But today, he seems to have a bright smile on his face.
“Not bad, not bad,” the Eastern Ghost King grinned, “Little Zhi seems to be in a good mood. My little pavilion has not been very hospitable. I will invite you to have tea again when the Gate of Hell is completed.”
"Completed?" Jiang Yuzhi truly believed that the Gates of Hell was as simple as it was now.
“That’s right. The Emperor gave the order a couple of days ago to improve the Gates of Hell. My residence is also nearby. Now that the Underworld isn’t so busy, we can free up some little ghosts to help.”
"Then congratulations, sir."
As he spoke, the Eastern Ghost King suddenly remembered something, "Look at me, I forgot to mention the important matter. You should hurry to Fengdu City to find the Great Emperor; there are distinguished guests waiting for you along with the Great Emperor."
"Distinguished guest?" Several names that Jiang Yuzhi could recall swirled in her mind, but she still couldn't remember who would come to the underworld to find her.
“It can’t be a bad thing,” the Eastern Ghost King glanced at Chichi subconsciously. “Go quickly.”
"good."
Jiang Yuzhi led the group, and they walked at a brisk pace.
After walking a distance, looking back at the Gates of Hell, what comes into view is an endless expanse of crystal orchids, emitting a faint, shimmering white light.
A thick fog filled the air, which Jiang Yuzhi initially mistook for miasma, to prevent others from accidentally entering the underworld.
It looks exceptionally spacious today.
Many young men carrying building materials greeted her along the way.
Jiang Yuzhi responded with a smile to each of them.
Fengdu City hadn't changed much. Knowing the way well, she informed the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards on duty and was about to enter the main hall directly.
The hall was quiet; there was no sound of the Emperor of Fengdu chewing food, nor the sound of turning pages.
If it's not in the main hall, then it must be in the backyard.
Chichi wasn't as clingy as she had been when she was on the verge of death. The whole sheep seemed to be enduring something, yet it was incredibly obedient, staying right next to Jiang Yuzhi.
Looking into the distance, it was clear that Di Yan wasn't the only one sitting in the pavilion in the backyard; there was also a familiar yet unfamiliar figure and a strange beast he didn't recognize.
The three were chatting happily when the strange beast's ears twitched slightly, and it stopped talking.
"Hey, our hero is back," Di Yan waved to her. "Come here, Meng Po has been talking about you for a long time. She personally made food for you. I wouldn't dare to eat first if you didn't come."
Of course, it's a joke. In the underworld, there's nothing the Emperor of Fengdu wouldn't dare to do.
Jiang Yuzhi noticed Chichi hesitate for a moment and was about to ask it what was wrong. The next moment, Chichi resolutely took a small half-step ahead of her and walked towards the pavilion.
Jiang Yuzhi frowned and quickened her pace.
"Uncle Yan, who are these two...?"
"It can't be said, it can't be said, this is Bai Ze." Di Yan shook his head and said mysteriously.
Unspeakable? That must be the Way of Heaven.
Jiang Yuzhi truly did not know how the Heavenly Dao formulated the rules of heaven and earth. The first thing to be bound was himself, and he could not even walk freely in the world.
According to Di Yan's explanation, whenever the Heavenly Dao affects the natural operation of the world, it will be shielded by a layer of rules, making it unable to do anything.
The barrier will only be lifted once the rules determine that Heaven does not have this tendency.
And all of this was set up by the Heavenly Dao itself.
Invoking the term "Heavenly Way" will attract the attention of the rules.
Heaven doesn't do anything, but being constantly watched isn't very comfortable.
"My lord, Bai Ze." Jiang Yuzhi nodded slightly to them, her mind filled with thoughts.
“Miss Jiang, you’re too kind. I’ve only come for one thing: Taotie has been a great help to you these past few days. Now that things are settled, it’s time for it to come back with me.” Bai Ze’s clear, gentle voice, like a spring, overwhelmed Chichi and Jiang Yuzhi like a flood.
"Go back?" Jiang Yuzhi finally understood where Chichi's hesitation came from.
The beast before us, exuding an aura of peace, with the body of a lion, two horns, and a pair of wings, is the guardian beast of the mountain and sea realm. It is our duty to bring back the beasts that have been lost abroad.
"No rush, Bai Ze. You and Di Yan can take Taotie for a stroll in the Underworld. Let the children say goodbye for a few more days," Tian Dao said with a smile.
"Yes, sir."
Bai Ze was so intelligent that he naturally knew that Tiandao had something to say to Jiang Yuzhi alone.
Di Yan casually agreed, patted Jiang Yuzhi's head before leaving, and didn't forget to take a few pastries with him.
The one that least wanted to leave was Chichi. It couldn't speak, but it could understand and sense things.
It doesn't want to leave.
A cool embrace encircled its furry body. "Chichi, you play with them for a while. A-Ting should be coming to find you soon, and so will I."
As Jiang Yuzhi spoke words of comfort, her mind raced, trying to figure out how to negotiate with the Heavenly Dao, at least to secure a chance to meet Chichi.
"Meow..."
"Taotie, it's time to go," Bai Ze's urging voice came.
"Go on, go on." Jiang Yuzhi loosened her embrace and gently pushed Chichi towards Bai Ze.
The lamb had no choice but to leave, looking back every few steps.
Only Tiandao and she remained in the pavilion.
"Is there anything you want to ask?" Tiandao looked at the young woman he had watched grow up with great interest.
"I... am the Map of the State, right?" Jiang Yuzhi asked, expressing her certainty with a question.
"Very clever." Heavenly Dao couldn't hide his admiration.
That day, in the painting of the land and grain, Bai Yan said that they came from the same source. Jiang Yuzhi pondered for a long time and came to a conclusion that surprised her but she had no choice but to believe.
She is also part of the Sheji Tu (a map of the land and state).
Otherwise, why could she, a mere mortal, repair the Map of the State, which no one else could? Why did the power of the Map of the State flow to Bai Yan through her? Why could Bai Yan, who was clearly struggling to maintain even the various aspects of the Map of the State, still help her keep it as it was...?
Everything that had puzzled Jiang Yuzhi seemed to have been explained.
“To be honest, it’s not exactly a map of the land and the state,” Tiandao said, downing the tea that Meng Po had prepared for Jiang Yuzhi in one gulp. “Heaven and earth are black and yellow. Tianqing and Xuanyu are in charge of the affairs of heaven, while Diyan is in charge of the underworld. And you, Huang Qi, you should be in charge of the affairs of the earth and the underworld together with Diyan.”
As the last sentence fell, the tangled threads in Jiang Yuzhi's mind instantly cleared up.
She remembered.
She was born at the same time as human beings, and was the last one to be born in the universe.
Huang Qi should have been born alongside the Heavenly Dao, just like the previous three.
She was scattered amidst the chaos of the times.
Divide into two.
Once the cycle of reincarnation was established, according to the original plan of the Heavenly Dao, each of the four elements—Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow—should contribute a wisp of their soul to the cycle of reincarnation.
Firstly, to observe the development and changes in the human world; secondly, to check for any oversights in the cycle of reincarnation.
Part of Huang Qi's soul flowed into reincarnation under the guidance of the rules, while another part remained in the human world.
The portion that remained in the human realm, sensing the prayers of the people, spontaneously formed the "Map of Mountains and Rivers".
However, Huang Qi, representing the self-repairing part, has already become Jiang Yuzhi in the cycle of reincarnation.
As the Sheji Tu (a type of mythical creature) gained popularity, its power increased, but so did the number of wounds it sustained.
Desperate to survive, the Sheji Tu (a mythical map of the state) gave rise to another consciousness: He Ji.
As if drawn together by fate, He Ji and Jiang Yuzhi met.
Jiang Yuzhi: "I am no longer Huang Qi."
Heavenly Dao: "Naturally, it was my oversight. You should have grown up by my side... well, by Di Yan's side, but it would have been about the same."
Jiang Yuzhi: "My lord, my aunt's spirit..."
The hand that was adding tea paused, and Tiandao's carefree expression slowly turned into something indescribable. "Ahem, it's very safe, very safe."
"It's good that you're safe." Jiang Yuzhi breathed a sigh of relief, but she still had doubts, "But why have I never seen you in the underworld?"
"This...this is both far away and right in front of us. No rush, no rush..."
Tiandao seemed to want to say something but couldn't bring himself to do it, so Jiang Yuzhi didn't press him further.
Little did he know that Heaven itself did not wish to conceal the truth, but he himself felt guilty because of his favoritism towards Tianqing. He refrained from speaking of things others did not wish to discuss, lest it disrupt their family harmony.
In a way, he suddenly had two more children.
Tianqing, Diyan, Xuanyu, and Huang Qi who has become two—not bad at all.
Jiang Yuzhi suddenly realized that she really deserved to be called "elder sister" by Bai Yan!
But a new problem has arisen: can they still be together?
"Bai Yan and I..."
The Heavenly Dao waved its hand, "No problem, no problem. First, you won't have any offspring. Second, strictly speaking, you two are one person."
Jiang Yuzhi fell silent, feeling that something was off.
"Is there anything else you want to know? If not, go have some fun."
I almost forgot to eat!
"The gluttonous beast has gone back. Will I ever see it again?"
"No." Heaven's Dao gave a crisp and decisive answer.
Jiang Yuzhi opened her mouth, about to argue.
Tian Dao continued, "It's definitely not possible now. Let the little guy go back and rest. It won't go hungry with you, but the environment here is still not suitable for its survival. Haven't you noticed that it still looks like a cub after all this time?"
"Don't worry, it has consumed so much of Tianqing's ghostly energy. As long as it is in a suitable environment, it will quickly recover and grow normally. When the time is right, we can meet again in the Mountain and Sea Realm."
Jiang Yuzhi smiled genuinely. "Thank you, sir. Well, I'll be going now. I won't bother you any longer."
"Go have some fun."
The Heavenly Dao gazed at Jiang Yuzhi's light and agile figure, released a ray of white light to chase after her, and merged into her body, murmuring, "I don't think I'm doing this to wrong Xiao Yan. She found out on her own, so she can't blame me."
As Jiang Yuzhi passed by the main hall, she stopped for some reason.
There is a hidden door in the main hall, which houses a variety of books.
Jiang Yuzhi sometimes goes inside to read, and she doesn't have to worry about seeing anything she shouldn't.
She can't even open the books that are off-limits to her.
For some reason, I suddenly felt like going in again.
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Author's note: There are only a few chapters left, and it will definitely be finished. If you have any requests for extra chapters, feel free to request them!
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