Chapter 78: The Immortal

Liaochen did not know what a Divine Kingdom was.

Yet, because he had spoken that there must be light, there was light.

As pure light suddenly and inexplicably replaced the darkness, Liaochen stood dumbfounded, wandering in an ocean of radiance. He would have been a fool not to realize where he had arrived. This was a realm exclusive to deities—a domain uniquely theirs. This was a Divine Kingdom.

The *I Ching* states, "The divine is that which manifests in the mystery of all things." By looking up to observe the heaven and earth, the yin and yang, one perceives all things. By grasping the Dao of Heaven, one acts on its behalf, governing nature, where every word spoken becomes law. He was a guardian of the Heavenly Dao, an extension of its will. Being naturally in harmony with the Heavenly Dao, he was favored by it, wielding the authority of the universe.

But this was also a cage. The authority of the laws was granted by the Heavenly Dao, yet it remained under the Heavenly Dao's control. One would be busy day and night, never finding release. Immortality and eternal vision relied on the aspirations of humanity. A deity of innate laws might suffice, for they could endure as long as heaven and earth, but a deity of humanity, whose power and position depended on the incense of prayer, was like duckweed—this was not what Liaochen sought.

If there were no hope for the Dao of Immortals, the Divine Dao might be considered a path to longevity. But Liaochen was unwilling to enter this enclosure, never again to attain the transcendence of an immortal.

"The Dao begets One, One begets Two, Two begets Three, and Three beget all things." Since Liaochen possessed this authority, within the Divine Kingdom, his thoughts manifested, and the laws followed.

Within the endless sea of light, a strand of hazy purple energy first emerged from the void. Then, the purple energy divided, manifesting two distinct masses of black and white, which began to collide and merge violently. Subsequently, the masses annihilated each other, heaven and earth separated, the clear energy rising and the turbid sinking. Thus, a patch of heaven and earth was born within the void.

When Liaochen stepped onto this land—which floated in the void like a small island—the world began another rapid growth. The mirror-smooth ground extended in all directions, and within moments, the horizon was nowhere to be seen.

"All things carry the yin and embrace the yang, harmonized by the breath of the void." As Liaochen spoke, another evolution began. A sun appeared in the sky, its light replacing the pure, primal radiance that had filled the world, and the earth ceased to be flat. Mountains and rivers began to rise, and lakes formed. A great river meandered through the center of the land, surging forward. As clouds gathered and dispersed in the sky, torrential rain poured down. On the once-lifeless land, greenery began to emerge, and all things began to grow.

This was the Divine Kingdom—everything was an extension of the deity's will. Words became law; a single utterance could bring life or destruction. Liaochen finally glimpsed a fraction of the power of the Heavenly Dao.

Liaochen stood upon the highest peak of this world, looking down at his kingdom amidst the swirling mist. Here, heaven and earth had just opened, and the air of the primordial was overflowing. Aside from its size and the absence of three thousand gods and demons, it was no different from the ancient earth.

However, if Liaochen wished to remain here, he had to accept the divine office of the Heavenly Dao. This world had been created by his own whim; should he reject this authority, the Divine Kingdom would surely vanish into nothingness in the blink of an eye.

"Fish is what I desire, and bear's paw is also what I desire." Without this manifestation of the Divine Kingdom, Liaochen would not have been so conflicted. To abandon the Divine Dao for the Dao of Immortals was an obvious choice. Yet, in this Divine Kingdom, where all things were newly born and filled with the primordial breath, cultivating here meant the Dao of Immortals was within reach. Alas, it belonged to the Divine Kingdom.

Liaochen lingered on the mountaintop, unable to let go. Unknowingly, the sun set and the moon rose. As the sun and moon alternated, a magnificent palace appeared in the center of this world, radiating thousands of auspicious rays. It seemed that the office granted by the Heavenly Dao required Liaochen to step into that palace and accept the "Seal of the Heavenly Dao," which would signify his acceptance of the divine position—a new deity would be born in an instant.

What path should he take?

When the morning mist dissipated over a small hill, groups of people began to arrive, carrying incense and candles, following the mountain path toward the Mountain God Temple. The temple keeper, having opened the gates early to welcome the pilgrims, would occasionally interpret fortune sticks for them.

"Cutting the banana leaves to write sutras, the golden lotus no longer blooms in the courtyard. In the cool breeze and bright moon, I remember you always; will you listen to the jade flute and crimson strings? Sick and frail, the robes are thin; the makeup from last night remains as I wake from wine. How many years have passed since we parted? I lie here, watching the Cowherd and Weaver Girl stars." When an old woman brought this fortune slip to the keeper, he sighed, thinking, "Why is it this slip again?"

The keeper composed himself and explained, "This is not a bad slip. Whatever you seek, with effort, your wish will naturally be fulfilled. Old lady, go back and give it some thought."

The old woman refused, saying, "Not bad? That means it's bad! Why are you speaking in riddles? Forget it, I'll draw another one."

The keeper groaned internally. Could one simply draw again if the fortune was bad? Was that not absurd? As the keeper, he could not allow ignorant country folk to act recklessly and offend the deity, so he stepped forward to stop her. Just as they were arguing, a sudden, heavy pressure descended, sweeping over the entire mountain. The pilgrims and the keeper were all struck by the awe, and they all involuntarily knelt to the ground.

*Clang, clang, clang!* Three deep, resonant bell tolls drifted from the horizon. The statue of the Mountain God inside the temple suddenly glowed with brilliant light. A mysterious, intoxicating fragrance filled the air, and faint, celestial music began to play. The crowd cried out in astonishment, thinking the Mountain God had manifested. They did not know that it was not just the statue of the Mountain God that was glowing; the entire temple was shining, radiating auspicious rays that could be seen for a hundred miles in broad daylight.

In a Temple of the Immortal near Fox-Singing Valley, Liaochen’s statue also suddenly erupted in light, drawing the attention of the surrounding villagers. In an instant, the small temple attracted countless gazes. The old woman who had finally waited for her son to return home in glory stood weeping before her own glowing temple, kowtowing repeatedly. Even her son and daughter-in-law, who had previously been skeptical of the so-called "Immortal," knelt in shock. The villagers who had actually met Liaochen were even more so.

As the radiance appeared, the deification began. Everywhere Liaochen’s incense was burned, bell tolls were followed by dazzling light and auspicious clouds. Overnight, flowers bloomed and birds sang. From the south of the great desert to the banks of the Yangtze River, wherever Liaochen had set foot, strange phenomena occurred. As the world turned its gaze toward him, various legends about "Liaochen" sprang up, and through these bizarre and exaggerated tales, the "Faith of Liaochen" spread to all corners of the land.

"Yunhua, is your master truly a deity descended to earth?" Even the Zhengde Emperor, who had been staying in the Leopard Quarter, heard reports of these "miracles" and couldn't help but run back to the Forbidden City, asking his sworn sister with little imperial decorum.

"I don't know either! I don't even know where my master is," Yunhua replied, rolling her eyes.

"Very well. When your master arrives in the capital, everything will be clear. I am impatient to meet your 'Immortal' master." After saying this, Zhengde looked at Yunhua, complaining, "Can't you secretly teach me a few moves from your master?"

Yunhua didn't fall for it. Zhengde was an emperor in front of others, but in front of Yunhua, he was always just a reckless big brother. She immediately shouted toward the inner hall, "Empress Dowager, Emperor brother wants to become a Taoist monk again!"

The Empress Dowager laughed at her son.

Zhengde was embarrassed. When did he say he wanted to become a Taoist monk? She always used this to stall him.

However, Zhengde was not unreasonable. He knew that the Dharma was not easily transmitted, let alone the secrets of immortal cultivation. Yunhua certainly wouldn't teach him behind her master's back. But he still glared at the lawless Yunhua before leaving, disgruntled.

The Empress Dowager, however, turned to Yunhua and asked, "Do you think I should also build a temple for your master? That way, I can offer incense daily and ensure the Great Ming dynasty remains secure for years to come!"