Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 446 The most important affairs of the state are sacrifice and war.
The 482nd year of the Ming Dynasty, the Double Ninth Festival.

For seven or eight days straight, the lights on Mount Jiuyi have been burning brightly every night. Flags flutter everywhere, and people are everywhere. On the Double Ninth Festival, this is even more true; everyone is busy making final preparations.

After midnight, everything was ready, and those who had participated in the preparations withdrew from the Imperial Temple Garden, awaiting the start of the sacrificial ceremony.

"Thank you so much, Master Jing and Master Song."

In Chong Sheng Garden, west of the Imperial Temple, everyone rested temporarily. Deng Qingyang repeatedly thanked Cheng Xinzhan. This ancestral worship ceremony was attended by neighbors from all over the country, from Wudang in the north to Luofu in the south, and from Kuaiji in the east. Such a grand event would be incredibly embarrassing if it were to be botched or become a laughing stock. Deng Qingyang felt utterly overwhelmed; he wouldn't have felt this much pressure even if he were asked to climb Rotten Peach Mountain with his sword. Fortunately, they had managed to invite Master Guangfa, who in turn had invited Master Song from Gezao Mountain. Under their combined leadership, although the preparations were rushed, everything proceeded smoothly, and thankfully, nothing went wrong.

Cheng Xinzhan smiled and waved his hand.

"It is our honor to contribute to the grand ceremony."

"It's extreme, it's extreme."

Song Jishu nodded and nodded in agreement. He was a natural at making friends and was never afraid of strangers. Coming from a prestigious sect, he was also quite bold. He had only known Deng Qingyang for a few days, but he already dared to joke with this taciturn fourth-realm swordsman.
"Hey, Master Deng, when you go up on stage to recite the eulogy as the chief officiant, don't be too nervous."

Upon hearing this, Deng Qingyang smiled wryly and raised his hand to wipe his forehead.
"It would be a lie to say I wasn't nervous. Even when I took over as the head of Hengshan Sect, there wasn't such a big scene."

After saying this, he bowed to Cheng Xinzhan again in thanks.
"Thanks to the scripture master who wrote the eulogy for me. These hands of mine can wield a sharp sword, but when it comes to writing, they are really lacking."

Cheng Xinzhan noticed Deng Qingyang's nervousness and smiled.

"Master Deng, please don't bother with our pleasantries. We are not outsiders, and we don't need your company. Please make yourselves at home. The auspicious time is almost here. Please review the ceremony again."

"it is good."

Deng Qingyang responded and then closed his eyes to rest.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), the moon had already begun to set in the west, and the stars in the east were gradually fading. However, the autumn night sky was exceptionally clear and bright, making the heavens seem closer to us, so even at this hour, the night was still very bright. Among them, the Ziwei star in the north shone brightly, almost vying with the moon for brilliance, its silvery-purple light illuminating the summit of Mount Jiuyi.

The newly renovated imperial temple appeared exceptionally tranquil and sacred under the light of the imperial star.

This is certainly not a coincidence, but rather Cheng Xinzhan's use of "Ziwei Chengyu Gang" to enhance the starlight, which is why such an effect can be achieved.

At this moment, Cheng Xinzhan, as one of the spectators, was already waiting outside the North Gate Square. With the Five Realms not present, given his current status, position, and cultivation level, he was undoubtedly placed at the very front of the first row.

At the fourth quarter of the hour of Yin (3:45 AM), with a shout from the ceremonial official in the square,
"Entrance of the ceremonial guests! Play the music!"

Then, dancers in the center of the square began to dance with feather flutes, while the music troupe played "The Deer's Cry".

Cheng Xinzhan stepped forward, leading the guests through the gate and into the North Gate Square.

The entire North Gate Square resembles a semi-circular valley, with the circular edge facing outwards and northwards, and the straight edge facing inwards and southwards. The center of the circle is the north gate of the Imperial Temple Garden, which is also the entrance to the sacrificial hall. The bottom of the valley is flat and paved with bricks and stones. Stone steps have been carved out of the semi-circular hillside, with carpets and chairs placed on the steps.

The valley plaza is where this ceremony will be held, and the surrounding area is a viewing platform.

Guided by the master of ceremonies, the guests took their seats.

The timing was perfect; the music ended and the dance troupe left the square after all the guests had taken their seats.

The guests waited quietly for a while, as the moon sank and the starlight faded.

Sunrise occurred at 3:45 AM.

The sun shone brightly, dispelling the darkness, and the morning light that descended upon the land of Hunan first illuminated the summit of Yangmingshan. A giant mirror had been installed on Yangmingshan, facing southeast. At that moment, the crimson morning light from the east shone on the mirror, then was immediately deflected southwards by the giant mirror, reaching Jiuyi Mountain, where it transformed into a crimson pillar of light that enveloped the Imperial Temple Garden at the center of the mountain peak.

"call--"

In the Imperial Temple Garden, including all the torches, oil lamps, and hearths in the North Gate Square, all were lit by the morning light at that moment, emitting a bright red glow.

A long, red rainbow appeared in the sky, connecting Yangmingshan and Jiuyishan.

This is a signal.

Immediately afterwards, a faint light came from the direction of Langshan, and the light fell on the North Gate Square, turning into a flurry of dust and rain.

The dust, light and airy, didn't scatter; instead, it fell swiftly and accumulated on the ground. In no time, witnessed by the guests, it rose nine zhang high, transforming into a magnificent octagonal altar. The altar was adorned with bas-reliefs depicting ancient people, under the leadership of Emperor Shun, engaging in pottery making, farming, fishing, hunting, and flood control. The bas-reliefs were simple and easy to understand, with bold strokes, yet conveyed a sense of sacredness.

After the altar was completed, a golden rainbow flew from the summit of Mount Heng, streaking across the sky and arriving at Mount Jiuyi. The golden rainbow landed on the altar and condensed into a magnificent, square cauldron that shone with golden light.

Then, a shimmering light flew from the direction of Dongting Lake, like waves flowing across the sky. The light poured into the golden cauldron, transforming into magical water until it was completely filled. The guests present, listening to the sound of the water in the cauldron, felt as if a vast lake was contained within it.

Immediately afterwards, in southeastern Hunan, the long-secluded Su Xianling also lifted its restrictions, and a beam of green light flew out and landed on the North Gate Square. Then, along both sides of the square's main road, green plants sprouted from the soil and, in the blink of an eye, grew into towering trees. These were Xiangfei bamboo and Cangwu trees growing intertwined, leaning on each other.

At this moment, five-colored spiritual light intertwined in the square, and the five elements of energy surged and entangled, transforming into a five-colored canopy that hung directly above the altar. At the top of the canopy, five rainbows, like silk ribbons, were tied to the sky, connecting the five places: Yangming Mountain, Langshan Mountain, Hengshan Mountain, Dongting Lake, and Suxianling.

"How did you come up with this 'Five Elements Gathering at the Origin' dish? It's truly beautiful, grand in scale, and has a wonderful meaning."

Song Jishu sat to Cheng Xinzhan's right, in the center of the first row of the audience seats. Logically speaking, given his current status and level of understanding, he was not qualified to sit here. However, he was the one who oversaw the construction of the grand array for this ceremony, and he was placed here because this location offered the best vantage point, allowing him to respond immediately should any mistakes or problems arise.

At this moment, Song Jishu looked at the canopy above his head, his eyes shining, and communicated with Cheng Xinzhan in his mind.

Cheng Xinzhan replied with a smile,

"It's a coincidence, but also fate. With the establishment of the sect in Langshan and the reconstruction of Yangmingshan, plus the three major sects in Hunan—Hengshan Sword Sect, Suxianling, and Dongting Water Pavilion—the five elements have just come together on this land. Perhaps it's the will of heaven. As for persuading Dongting Water Pavilion and Suxianling to participate, that's thanks to Sect Leader Deng."

"Tch, what's there to be unwilling about? They don't come out of the mountains when it's time to exorcise demons, but they come running as soon as they're called when it's time to show off."

Song Jishu was somewhat indignant.

"Don't say that."

Cheng Xinzhan corrected him and said,

"Everyone has their own ambitions. Whenever the rivers of Hunan flood, people from Dongting Water Pavilion can be seen appearing to guide the water. And whenever there is a major epidemic in Hunan, the disciples of Suxianling are always at the forefront. Both of these families are reclusive and prestigious sects. Not all cultivators are good at fighting, and it is not only about eliminating demons that is considered a good deed."

"Oh, I see. I guess I misunderstood them."

Upon hearing Cheng Xinzhan's words, Song Jishu immediately admitted his mistake. However, he couldn't be entirely blamed. In recent decades, at least since Song Jishu began his cultivation, Yuzhang hadn't experienced any major floods or epidemics, and these two families had been largely absent from public view. Furthermore, Song Jishu was from Yuzhang, so it was normal for him to be unfamiliar with the situation in Hunan. Cheng Xinzhan, on the other hand, had a habit of reading local gazetteers wherever he went, and after being promoted to vice leader, he began reading introductions to other sects, which gave him a more impartial understanding of these two families.

Furthermore, given this experience of jointly hosting the festival, it would be only natural to invite these two families to join the "Jiuyi Association." In that case, the Taoist community in Hunan would become even stronger and more united.

The appearance of the five-colored canopy also signifies the official start of the ancestral worship ceremony.

"YoYo--"

A melodious deer call rang out, echoing through the square. The guests looked in the direction of the sound and saw several groups of stone deer leaping through the clouds among the mountains, appearing and disappearing in the distance.

"hold head high--"

Then came the roar of dragons, and one after another, stone dragons flew out from the mountain crevices and cliffs, circling in the sky, with clouds rising around them. Afterwards, stone birds, stone fish, stone dragons, stone rhinoceroses... all kinds of mountain spirits emerged from the mountains, riding the clouds to and fro in the sky, creating quite a lively scene.

With a flash of light, these mountain spirits transformed back into human form, each clad in magnificent robes, stepping on clouds as they descended and stood beneath the ancient phoenix trees and Xiangfei bamboo groves lining the sacred path, ready to welcome them. The clouds beneath their feet spread across the central sacred path, naturally transforming into cloud patterns on the bricks and stones.

Song Jishu nodded in satisfaction at the scene before him, for this was his own idea, and he had brought it to life through the grand formation. These mountain spirits were not true mountain deities, but neither were they mere illusions. Rather, they were created after he carefully studied the images of the mountain gods of the Three Xiang regions in ancient times, using the grand formation to activate the earth's energy of Mount Jiuyi, then sculpting stone puppets and transforming them using the method of "sealing and transforming." Although they currently lacked sentience and were merely controlled by the grand formation, once the ceremony was over, leaving these stone puppets on Mount Jiuyi to be nurtured by incense offerings and the earth's energy, it was highly likely that within a hundred years, they would awaken their spirits and transform into demons.

However, while Song Jishu was smug about his methods, he also secretly admired Cheng Xinzhan's idea once again, because the scene before him was a problem that Cheng Xinzhan had set for him:

"The Nine Peaks are adorned with vibrant colors, welcoming the spirits as they arrive like clouds."

As the Nine Peaks welcomed them with vibrant colors and spiritual clouds paved the way, the grand sacrificial procession entered through the North Gate. Leading the procession was Deng Qingyang, dressed in full regalia and holding a jade disc. The last time he wore this robe was when he took over as the head of the Hengshan Sect.

At this moment, the music troupe located at the edge of the square began to play music, with the xiao, qin, se, and conch shells playing in turn.

The melody of Shun, "Xiao Shao," sounds like the cry of a phoenix.

The sacrificial procession walked along the cloud-patterned sacred path toward the altar, flanked by stone statues of the gods of Hunan, with the Cangwu bamboo grove overhead.

The sacrificial procession stopped in front of the altar.

The music then became somber and solemn.

At the front of the line, behind Deng Qingyang were three people: a young woman, a middle-aged man, and an elderly man in his sixties.

Among them, the woman, dressed in a dignified and elegant long dress, turned around, picked up a stone wine vessel from a tray held by an official behind her, and then slowly walked out of the procession to the first step of the altar. Facing east, she raised the jade wine vessel with both hands and recited aloud:

"We humbly acknowledge the Holy Emperor, whose virtue shines throughout the world. In the past, his cultivation of the Lishan Mountains benefited the plants and trees; today, he offers this sacrifice to bless the common people. We respectfully offer this simple offering to repay the Emperor's virtue!"

After reciting the poem, the woman poured the dark wine from the cup onto the five-colored soil that had already been laid out on the ground.

This is the first offering, made by the Lord of Dongting.

The woman returned to the group.

Then, a middle-aged man dressed in a plain hemp robe turned around, picked up a bamboo cup from the tray of the ceremonial official behind him, stepped out of the procession, came to the altar, faced west, raised the cup to his head, and shouted:
"The majestic Emperor Chonghua, whose filial piety sets an example for Heaven and Earth. He served the blind elder with utmost diligence, bringing peace to every household and harmony to his clan. With this sweet offering, we respectfully present this offering to comfort his heart!"

This is a tribute, offered by the Lord of Suling.

The man returned to the line.

Finally, the old man turned around, picked up a bronze wine cup from the tray of the ceremonial official behind him, stepped out of the procession, came to the altar, faced south, raised the cup to his head, and offered a prayer:
"The Emperor's glorious achievements illuminate the entire realm. He commands all officials to harmonize like jade candles, and orchestrates the music of the phoenix. With this fragrant offering, may his virtuous rule continue forever!"

This is the final offering, made by the Lord of Langshan.

After the Three Offerings Ceremony concluded, the chief officiant, Deng Qingyang, stepped out of the procession, holding a jade disc in his hands, and ascended the stage. Who was this Deng Qingyang? He was the head of Hengshan Sect, the number one swordsman of his time, and skilled in martial arts such as the Dipper Step and the Wind Chasing the Moon. However, as he ascended the stage, this fourth-realm master's steps were unusually slow and heavy.

The nine-zhang-high platform has nine levels and a total of one hundred and eighty steps. In the past, it was only a short distance for Deng Qingyang to take a step, but today, it took him a full quarter of an hour to walk up it.

Deng Qingyang stepped over the last step, reaching the top of the altar and standing before the golden cauldron. He surveyed the surroundings, his gaze lingering for a long time on the newly built Hall of Heroes in the Imperial Temple, before turning his attention to the statue of Emperor Shun within the sacrificial ceremony. Then, he loudly proclaimed:
"The illustrious Holy Emperor's virtue extends throughout the eight directions;"

He diligently cultivated the land at Mount Li, and his filial piety moved the heavens.

When the official in charge of the time arrives, the jade candle shines brightly.
When the emperor went south to spread his teachings, the region of Hunan began to prosper.

How glorious is our ancestor, whose sacred deeds are manifest:
Pottery making takes place along the riverbank, and the people have their own set of tools.

When the music of Shao music is played nine times, the phoenix arrives to soar.
This great undertaking will be remembered for eternity!
Even today, the evil atmosphere is rampant;
The Southern faction, relying on its wickedness, has harmed Hunan.

Evil spirits and wicked corpses have torn apart my land;
Heretical religions usurped the worship, and Jiuyi Mountain fell into ruin.

Xiangling wept bitterly, and the emperor's power was thwarted;
For over forty years, the sacrificial fire has been barely lit!
Today, there are righteous warriors who protect the borders and safeguard the homeland;
Having returned to our homeland, we once again experience its sweet fragrance.

The Hall of Heroes rises, the chivalrous spirit remains;
The hibiscus bears witness, its beauty pure and elegant, tinged with frost.

The lake and ridge are majestic, with swords and halberds gleaming in the air;

The Jiuyi Assembly stands, vowing to protect our homeland.

With one heart and one mind, we proclaim this to the Holy Ancestor;

After preparing for battle, the war drums were sounded.

They ravaged the southern wilderness, using knives and axes;
The truth is revealed by Heaven and Earth.

Enjoy this meal!

After reciting the poem, Deng Qingyang tossed the jade disc into the golden cauldron. The jade disc sank to the bottom and gently struck the cauldron, producing a clanging sound.

At some point, the melodious sound of the flute in the square turned into the stirring sound of drums.

Today is not only a day to pay homage to our ancestors and avenge our humiliation, but also a day to launch a counterattack!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Note: The memorial text is modeled after Chairman Mao's "Four-Character Poem: A Tribute to the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum".

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(End of this chapter)