Traveling through countless heavens, an immortal being

"The worst kind of people are those who are bad but not thoroughly bad, and good but not quite good enough. They are the most troublesome to deal with."

The old king's palace was paved with white jade bricks, tribute from the Western Regions. Each brick was two feet square and so shiny it could reflect a person's image. Candles from the Imperial Preceptor's residence burned on the gold and silver dragon lantern stands. Although the palace was brightly lit, the second prince, who was kneeling on the ground, felt that the room was cold and made him feel uncomfortable.

The crane-shaped incense burner was filled with the tribute of ambergris. Amidst the wisps of smoke, the old king lay on a brocade couch behind layers of embroidered curtains and spoke these words to his second son, who had come to visit him in his illness.

The second prince was titled the King of Qin. His mother was the old king's first wife, but she died suddenly during childbirth due to breech presentation and postpartum hemorrhage. She left the second prince to the old king, who raised him in the residence of his maternal grandfather, the Right Chancellor and Grand Marshal. Therefore, the second prince could not easily leave except during the New Year and festivals.

But today he entered the palace just like that, and his reason was perfectly justifiable: he was going to visit his sick father, the emperor. Loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness are the highest virtues of ancient times. The Grand Preceptor did not stop him, and the Right Chancellor tacitly approved of it. So the newly adult second prince knelt in the old emperor's bedroom.

The second prince didn't know who his father was speaking to. If it was addressed to him, his son, he dared not fathom its meaning. But if it was addressed to someone else, it could only be to the Imperial Advisor…

Before he could even raise his head, the eunuchs outside the palace fawned over the Imperial Preceptor and invited him into the hall. The Second Prince could only hastily kowtow three times to the bed and turn to leave through the side hall.

"well_______"

The old king let out a heavy, long sigh, just as the royal advisor entered his bedchamber.

The Grand Preceptor waved his jade whisk, and a gust of wind blew open all the layers of curtains in the hall, revealing the old king sitting or reclining on a couch deep inside.

The Imperial Advisor took two or three steps forward and stood there, bowing respectfully to the old monarch from afar. "Your subject greets Your Majesty."

Before the old king could answer, it straightened up and continued to maintain that ethereal, otherworldly posture.

The old king had a sallow complexion, graying beard and hair, and a slightly thin figure. He coughed a few times, covered his mouth, and then grabbed a handkerchief to wipe his mouth before speaking in a hoarse voice.

"The Imperial Preceptor isn't at his residence refining elixirs and cultivating in seclusion. What brings him to visit this ailing old man today? Perhaps the Imperial Preceptor is short of 'medicinal herbs' again?"

"Hehehe, Your Majesty speaks frankly. My Imperial Preceptor is currently refining the Blood River Soul Gathering Pill. Once the pill is completed, Your Majesty will no longer need to be confined to your sickbed and can enjoy longevity."

However, this batch of pills is still missing one key ingredient, but His Majesty is probably unwilling to provide it.

Upon hearing this, the old king on the couch turned his head to look at the royal advisor, who was dressed in golden robes and holding a jade whisk, and asked, "What does the royal advisor desire?"

The Grand Preceptor's voice remained so clear, so clear that the old king did not wish to hear it.

"Your Majesty has waged war since your youth, uniting the nine provinces. Your descendants, blessed with great fortune, are most suitable to be the main ingredient in this elixir. We humbly request Your Majesty's permission."

The palace was eerily quiet. After a long silence between the Grand Preceptor and the old king, the old king, trembling, raised his hand and uttered a single word as if stuck in his throat.

"allow……"

..............................

"Are you ready? The Heavenly Emperor's birthday celebration is only seven years away. This time, we absolutely cannot let those rogue immortals steal the show!"

"Rest assured, Immortal Elder, the matter you have entrusted is of paramount importance, second only to His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor. The celestial official below will certainly do his utmost to procure it for you. As for the matter in the mortal realm, what do you think..."

"What happened to the lower realm?"

"The memorial that the Immortal Elder sent to the Capital Heavenly Privy Council has been presented to the Grand Judge. He bestowed upon us a treasure, which the messenger brought back. I suspect it is related to the mortal realm."

"Then bring it in."

"Yes, sir!" The celestial official walked backward out of the main hall where the Left Immortal Elder handled the Heavenly Palace's memorials. He looked around and saw the messenger who had delivered the letter earlier waiting under the palace lantern on the right. He quickly walked up to him.

The messenger, a boy dressed in blue with his hair in two buns, carrying a warm jade box tied with a green silk ribbon, stood under the palace lantern with concerned eyes, awaiting orders.

Only when the celestial official strode towards him did he raise his head and carefully bow to the official, saying, "This humble immortal greets the venerable deity."

The celestial official grunted and raised his hand, saying, "Give it to me."

The messenger hurriedly took the jade box from behind his back and presented it to him.

The celestial official grasped the jade box in his hand and turned to walk towards the main hall. The messenger behind him bowed respectfully again, saying, "This humble celestial official respectfully sees off the venerable deity."

……

In a short while, the celestial official bowed slightly, held the jade box in both hands, and quickly walked into the main hall.

When Zuo Ji Xian Weng, who was sitting behind his desk reviewing memorials, saw him enter the hall, he raised his hand and beckoned, and the jade box in the immortal official's hand fell into Zuo Ji Xian Weng's hand.

The old immortal placed the brush in the brush holder with his right hand, placed the jade box in front of him with his left hand, and opened the lid with both hands.

"The will of Heaven is unfathomable... indeed, the will of Heaven is unfathomable..."

The celestial official standing below did not understand what the old immortal meant, and could only continue to bow and clasp his hands in greeting.

"Raise your head."

Upon hearing the old immortal's voice, the celestial official cautiously raised his head and saw that the old immortal was holding a... ruler?!

The old hermit's face betrayed no emotion. "A ruler is a good thing; it has measure."

The old immortal picked up the ruler, examined it, then put it back into the jade box and closed the lid.

"Inspector"

"Your humble servant is here. What are your orders, Immortal Elder?"

"Send this ruler to the Imperial Preceptor's residence."

"Follow the law"

..............................

In the human world, outside the city gate of Baiqi County.

The man and the ox stared at each other, bewildered, at the charred city gate before them.

"Ox"

"Sir, the city gate wasn't like this when I left this county."

Upon hearing this, Lear climbed back onto the ox's back, still carrying his dragon-headed staff and red gourd. "Let's go into town and see what's going on."

The blue ox shook its big head and strode into the city.

Passing through the dark doorway, the scene inside the city was even more devastating than outside. As far as the eye could see, there were only broken walls and ruins, and a few buildings that had not yet been completely burned were still burning.

The blue ox walked forward while looking left and right.

"This is the wine shop my master frequented when he was alive."

"This is the school where my master used to teach."

"This is the property of my master's in-laws."

"This is Lu Erniang's house. Her little grandson often feeds me fruit."

"This is……"

As Lear sat atop the blue ox, listening to it rattle off the names of the burned and collapsed buildings lining the streets, a chill ran down his spine.

The worst has happened. Combining what Qingniu had said before about the black-clad men who blocked the road and killed people, he now understands why the old city god of Heyang County said that this drought was a natural disaster caused by human error.

On this occasion, I will inevitably have to borrow the name of Laozi (the founder of Taoism) and act as a teacher to kings, emperors, and people.

……

The blue ox's hooves clattered on the stone pavement, and the flickering firelight around him obscured the emotions on Lear's face until the ox suddenly stopped, at which point Lear looked up.

The sight before him filled him with rage, even after two lifetimes. It was a pile of corpses, a human altar made of corpses of men, women, children, the poor, the rich, and the poor of different genders and ages!

Lear's gaze swept over their ripped necks, the wounds from their severed limbs, and their corpses twisted into grotesque shapes, finally settling on the shrine on the central table of the altar.

The faces beneath the altar were filled with disbelief, terror, and fear, emotions frozen on their faces, making them appear like ghosts in the flickering firelight.

Lear was unusually furious. These innocent people were just trying to escape; what had they done wrong? Heaven was unjust! The ruler was incompetent! Demons were wreaking havoc!

Lear was burning with rage. He raised his hand and used his magic to draw the inscription on the tablet on the table, then read the words aloud...

"The Venerable Title of Master Xianyou Tongfu, the Great Sage National Preceptor"

"Ha," Lear laughed in fury.

"What a fine Mr. Xianyou Tongfu... what a fine Grand Preceptor!! You dare to challenge me?!"

Lear mustered all his strength and threw the memorial tablet high into the sky. He raised his hand and made a lightning spell. With a series of "Boom! Crack!" sounds, several bolts of lightning appeared out of thin air and shattered the memorial tablet into pieces.

……

For a very long time...

Lear finally spoke, "Cow."

"master"

"This humble Taoist priest is going to slay demons and monsters. Do you dare to accompany me?"

"I swear to follow the immortal master to the death!"

Lear nodded and jumped off the bull's back. He walked to the pile of corpses, raised his dragon-headed cane, and slammed it heavily on the ground. As the cane hit the ground, the huge pile of corpses was rolled over, covered, and buried by the churning earth.

Lear and Qingniu stared at the tomb in silence for a long time before finally turning around and leaving the city the way they came. They still had to go to the capital, and along the way, they didn't know how many more cities, like Heyang and Baiqi counties, had been cruelly slaughtered by the Grand Preceptor.

Only after their figures had walked far, far away from the city did clouds begin to gather above Baiqi County. With a series of crackling thunderclaps, a heavy rain finally fell on this city, which had been suffering from both drought and fire. Amidst the pouring rain, faint cries accompanied the appearance of wandering spirits, which then slowly sank into the ground and disappeared...