Chapter Five: Discussing Cause and Effect Within the Cavern of Paradise

"The Empress is indeed wise," Emperor Hongzhi exclaimed, clapping his hands in praise, which made the Empress a little embarrassed. She replied, "Then let us proceed as planned. I will notify my brother and ask him to come to the palace. You should also send a message to Lord Xing. His residence is nearby; he must have already heard something. Just inquire whether the rumors are true."

The next day, an imperial decree traveled from the Palace of Heavenly Purity to the Directorate of Ceremonies, then to the Grand Secretariat, and after being marked with blue ink, was issued to the realm. Because Emperor Hongzhi intended to withhold the memorials, even the Grand Secretariat had not seen the memorial and did not know why such a decree suddenly appeared. The decree conferred: "The Xuanguang Temple in the wild mountains of Jing County, Hubei, has greatly contributed to enlightening the people; it is hereby designated a royal Taoist temple. The temple's abbot is granted the rank and title of Fifth-Grade Virtuous Immortal, along with a hundred taels of gold. An imperial plaque inscribed 'Virtue and Purity in Cultivation' is bestowed."

Li Dongyang, Xie Qian, and Liu Jian, the three Grand Academicians, gathered to discuss the matter. It was not a significant issue, but since it was to be proclaimed to the realm, they could not afford to make a fool of themselves. "What do you all think? This decree is abrupt and without context. Do any of you know what is going on?" Li Dongyang asked.

Xie Qian flipped through the decree and said, "Isn't this about last year's incident in Jing County? At the time, we thought His Majesty had already let the matter drop, but apparently it lingered in his mind." Xie Qian was somewhat perturbed.

"That magistrate of Jing County is a top-ranked scholar, yet he doesn't know that sages avoid discussing supernatural matters. To curry favor, he claimed that an immortal descended from the mountains, bestowed elixirs upon elders, who then became young overnight. Utter nonsense! A disgrace to the teachings of the sages!" Liu Jian criticized harshly. Only Li Dongyang smiled silently.

"But this is indeed a trivial matter. As long as that charlatan doesn't come to the capital to mislead His Majesty into believing in alchemy and mercury refining, there's no need to forcefully intervene. After all, His Majesty is the emperor. It is not worth creating a rift between ruler and ministers over such a minor issue," Li Dongyang advised, seeing that Liu Jian and Xie Qian were inclined to reject the imperial decree. The emperor's dignity must not be challenged; if they rejected it this time, who could say it would not anger His Majesty? The Grand Academicians cared little for themselves, but who among them had no family or descendants?

"That's true. This isn't a matter concerning the foundations of the state; opposing His Majesty's wishes would not do," Xie Qian, now older, was less irascible than before.

"Very well, we shall respect His Majesty's decree. But under no circumstances must that Taoist be allowed into the capital to mislead His Majesty and corrupt the court!" Liu Jian concluded.

The Grand Academicians did not know that, even as they deliberated, Marquis Hening was packing his luggage at home, preparing to depart for Hubei. Meanwhile, a letter from His Majesty to Lord Xing was already on its way to Hubei.

As the imperial decree was being prepared for dispatch to Xuanguang Temple, Liaochen awoke in a stone hut. Upon opening his eyes, he saw a simple stone chamber, built from ordinary granite, with rough, uneven walls and a few patches of moss in the corners. Inside, there was only a stone bed and nothing else. Liaochen quietly drew upon his inner energy to examine his injuries, finding them severe but fortunately still allowing the flow of energy; given time, he could recover.

He struggled up from the bed and walked toward the door. As soon as he stepped outside, he was stunned, unable to believe his eyes.

Green mountains, clear waters, ethereal mist and haze. White cranes soared in the sky, auspicious beasts roamed the land, and a great river flowed from the horizon, winding through the mountains. Where was this place?

"Is anyone there?" Liaochen shouted loudly, startling a nearby fawn into a desperate flight. His voice echoed across the distant sky, but no one answered for a long time.

"Wasn't I knocked unconscious by the drought demon? This place certainly doesn’t resemble the lair or tomb of a drought demon. The spiritual energy here is dense, the landscape beautiful—clearly a haven for cultivation. Why would the drought demon spare me and send me to such a blessed land?" Filled with doubts, Liaochen could only suppress them for now. He returned to the stone hut, sat on the bed, and began meditating. Whatever the case, answers would come in time. For now, he was at the mercy of others, powerless to decide his fate. He resolved to heal his wounds first before making another attempt; his previous carelessness had led to this predicament.

Outside, the moon rose and set, the sun rose and fell. Liaochen put aside all distractions, set up a few simple warning formations around the stone hut, and focused on recovering. Once healed, he tried to leave, but found that no matter how far he walked, he always returned to the starting point. It was clear he was trapped within someone else’s formation. His own skill in formations was mediocre; unable to break the spell, he could only return to the stone hut to continue cultivating, awaiting the owner’s appearance.

Time loses meaning in secluded cultivation, especially within such a small, isolated paradise. Who knows how long passed before someone finally entered Liaochen’s warning formation. He immediately awoke from meditation. His magical implements had been taken when he was unconscious, leaving him defenseless, yet he knew he must be ready to fight for his life once again.

He stepped out and saw, not the drought demon, but an elderly Taoist with the bearing of an immortal. The old man had silvery hair and youthful features, clad in a blue Taoist robe, a simple wooden hairpin in his hair, and holding a wooden staff, smiling gently at him.

Though startled, Liaochen suppressed his surprise, bowed deeply, and said, "I did not know I was in the presence of a venerable elder; please forgive my offense."