Chapter 61: Lord and Lord

In the sixty-first year of Fude, the fourth ruler of the Baiwei Dynasty, King Ming Han, passed away in Pei Du. His son, Ming Zhuo, ascended the throne and became known as King Yongze. In the same year, in October, Cui Ruiquan, the head of the Qiankun Sect on South Emperor Mountain, entered the capital to pay respects to the late king. Unexpectedly, just two days later, Yongze accused him of misconduct before the throne and had him brutally killed on the steps of the palace. 

The news caused an uproar across the land, with people in the streets and alleyways discussing the shocking event. 

"Ai, Cui Ruiquan was personally appointed by the Queen as the head of the Qiankun Sect and came from one of the four Heavenly Pillar sects. How could such a distinguished person be killed just like that?" 

"Haven't you heard? Yongze killed him because he discovered a secret!" 

"What secret?" 

"The secret that Yongze murdered his father!" 

"What‽ There's such a thing! But I don't understand, why would Yongze, as the crown prince, kill his father. The throne would have been his eventually!"

"You don't know. Yongze's birth mother is unknown, and he was never favoured by the late king. If it weren't for the true royal heirs either dying or going mad, he wouldn't have become the crown prince. Besides, I heard the late king had already planned to depose him. If it weren't for the high priest's interference, he would have been exiled from the capital long ago." 

"Now that you mention it, our Baiwei Dynasty kings all bear the name 'Ri' (1), but he alone has the single character 'Zhuo' (2), which clashes with 'Ri'. This clearly shows the late king's disdain for him!" 

"That's why he harboured hatred towards the late king and seized the opportunity when the king returned from sealing the heavens, weakened and depleted of spiritual energy, to kill him... Ai, how hateful!"

"Unfortunately, the deed is done. Even Cui Ruiquan, who tried to investigate, was hacked to death. Who would dare bring it up now? Moreover, people are fickle. If Yongze shows kindness to the late king’s supporters, they might forget the past for their own benefit." 

"It's always been said, officials are spineless! Yongze killed Cui Ruiquan in public, and not one person tried to stop him. Ai, the Qiankun Sect guarded South Emperor Mountain for the Queen for hundreds of years, and this is the end they meet." 

"I heard Yongze not only beheaded Cui Ruiquan but also left his body to rot in front of the palace. Such a respected Immortal Sect Master left to decompose!" 

"Don't lose heart, everyone. As the saying goes, 'The four mountains are one body, we are all in the same boat'. The other three mountains won't stand idly by. They have already started to act." 

"Good! Now that the four mountains are united and besieging Pei Du, let's see how long Yongze can keep his arrogance!" 

"But it's strange. Yongze's reign is new and unstable, where does he get the audacity? Could it be his cultivation is heavenly, and he doesn't fear the four mountains?" 

"Heavenly cultivation? Heng, you overestimate him! His spiritual roots are terrible. Despite all these years, he still can't use the Ming family's Binding Fire Incantation. He's a complete waste!"

"Then why dare he kill Cui Ruiquan? Isn't he afraid of rebellion from the sects?"

"He's naturally suspicious and ruthless. Cui Ruiquan was outspoken about his faults, and Yongze couldn't tolerate it. So, he picked up a knife and killed him!" 

"I heard he's addicted to killing. Even in his youth, he would often drink human blood..."  

"Ai, Cui Ruiquan, a great master, endured so many wounds to repay the Queen’s favour, but still couldn't escape Yongze's hand..." 

"This isn't a King Yongze, it's a Tyrant Yongze, ah!" 

"Now that the four mountains have reached Pei Du and even the Heavenly Sea Guards are alarmed, I bet Yongze won't keep his throne for long..."

Amidst the gossip, the last autumn rain fell on Pei Du. Cold winds blew as a dozen disciples in mourning clothes set up a funeral hall. Their intermittent cries were occasionally directed towards the direction of the divine palace.

"The Ming family brought benevolence and righteousness to the Six Prefectures, but look at it now! The monarch killed my Shixiong for no reason!" A man knelt inside the hall, covering his face in tears. "You all saw it, my Shixiong’s head is still hanging from the Jian Ling Palace Gate! Heaven, what heinous crime did our Qiankun Sect commit to deserve such humiliation? The monarch disgraces us like this, he might as well kill us all!"

The hall was filled with people, all of whom were invited by the Qiankun Sect to seek justice. The leader among them was a scholar with a jade-like face. He had been listening to Qiankun Sect's grievances for half the night, drinking strong tea left over from the previous day. He said, "Kill everyone? Ruishan-xiong, don't say such things! We understand your grievances, but this matter is rather peculiar..."

Cui Ruishan cried, "Peculiar? The lord publicly hacked my Shixiong to death with over a hundred strikes! His body is rotting away!"

The jade-faced scholar replied, "That may be true, but he is still the monarch—"

Another person interjected, "Does being the Lord give him the right to wantonly kill the head of a sect? Heng! When the Queen was still around, she never treated everyone so lightly. But now, he comes into power and kills Ruiquan-xiong! Look back three generations of rulers, which one was as brutal as him?"

Cui Ruishan, heartbroken, wiped his tears with a handkerchief and said, "My Shixiong died a horrible death. Without him, who will lead South Emperor Mountain? The sacred relic is still enshrined in our ancestral hall. With just me, I surely cannot protect it!"

The jade-faced scholar said, "There's no need for such self-deprecation. In terms of cultivation, who among us is superior to you? If even you can't safeguard the sacred relic, then what are we even doing here? Besides, if it comes to it, the relic can be transferred to the other three mountains."

The man who had interrupted earlier sneered, "Oh, is that why you've been obstructing our attempts to denounce the monarch? Lin Shifei, do you think that with Ruiquan dead, the sacred relic will be handed over to your South Emperor Mountain?"

Lin Shifei's face darkened, "Don't speak nonsense! I am defending the Lord for the sake of the greater good. If this escalates, it might lead to mutual destruction."

The man replied, "Mutual destruction then! If the Lord can kill Ruiquan-xiong today, he might kill us tomorrow. Better to act than to wait for death—" 

"Enough!" an elder in yellow clothes slammed the table. "We haven't even seen the Lord yet, and you're already quarrelling. Do you want to resolve this or not? Ruishan, stop crying! With your brother gone, you're now the head of the Qiankun Sect. How can you lead if you keep crying?"

Cui Ruishan said, "What else can I do but cry? I can't even retrieve my Shixiong’s head. I'm the most useless person in the world!"

Then he covered his face and cried harder, "With my Shixiong’s body incomplete, how can I command respect? Tell me, how can I? If I can't handle this, I don't want to live!"

The elder frowned, "Ruishan, you can't spend all day and night crying—"

Cui Ruishan retorted, "I used to be strong! With so many fallen gods in the Two Prefectures, I participated in every sealing ritual. I have been injured and bled for the monarch, fulfilling my duty to both Heaven and the Ming family. Now my Shixiong is dead, and I can't even cry? Is there no justice left?"

The man sighed, “Pitiful, it's so pitiful! They say 'The four mountains are united, sharing the same boat,' but look at what happened. North Heron Mountain won't even show their face!"

Lin Shifei said, "Jiang Shuangke is in seclusion, and her disciple is just a little girl. What would be the point of calling them?"

The man replied, "She is always noble and aloof, never much loving to deal with others. Who knows if she is really in seclusion or deliberately avoiding this."

Lin Shifei said, "You can say whatever you want about me, but she has no quarrel with you. Why slander her behind her back? Moreover, everyone here knows that the Posuo Sect never gets involved in others' affairs."

The man replied, "I say one thing about her, and you retort with ten. Fine, why don't you two set a date and get married? Oh, speaking of marriage, I remember you were once engaged! But, ai, while Xiang Wang was willing, the goddess was not. Jiang Shuangke seeks the Great Dao and looks down on you..."

Lin Shifei, enraged, shouted, "You mix-bred thing!"

They were about to come to blows when the elder intervened: "How can you quarrel like this? Fu Zheng, say no more!"

Cui Ruishan continued to cry, "You all are here fighting, aren't you disgracing me? I invited you here to seek justice! What should we do? Can we retrieve my Shixiong’s head?"

The elder said, "Of course, we must take back the head. We can't let Ruiquan be buried like this."

Lin Shifei said, “The monarch has a violent temper. If we ask him for the head, he... he certainly won’t give it to us!”

Fu Zheng responded, “Are you afraid of him? Now that the Queen is gone, the Ming family needs to prove their worth if they want to lead us again. But what skills does he have? If he refuses to give it, we’ll just take it by force. I don't believe he can stop us.”

Cui Ruishan sobbed, “Will that work? When we were all granted our titles, we swore to protect the Ming family...”

Fu Zheng retorted, “It's been a long time since those oaths mattered!”

The elder interjected, “We can't just take it by force; even if we're in the right, it would make us wrong.”

Cui Ruishan lamented, “If we can’t beg for it, and we can’t take it by force, then there’s no solution!”

The elder put down his tea and stood up. “There is a way, but while you were all busy arguing, you forgot that there’s someone in this world who can overpower the Lord.”

Everyone asked, “Who?”

The elder lifted the curtain and looked out into the heavy rain. “He’s here!”

Before dawn, a few white lanterns flickered on the streets. In the cold, oppressive fog, a lone iron-hoofed horse galloped through the rain, finally stopping in front of the grand and imposing city gates.

The gatekeeper asked, “Who goes there?”

A rider stepped forward, took out a token from his cloak, and held it up, saying coldly, “Open the gate!”

The gatekeeper recognised the token and was shocked. “The Silver Command of Heaven's Punishment! Are you the Imperial Guards of the Heavenly Sea?”

The guard put away the token, his tone impatient, “Since you know who we are, why haven’t you opened the gate yet?”

The gatekeeper replied, “The Lord has ordered that the gates of Pei Du can only be opened at dawn. It's only just after midnight now. Please, Imperial Guards, wait a bit longer...”

The guard shouted, “Open your eyes and see who has arrived!”

They were lined up in six rows, all wearing armour and carrying swords, strong and imposing. At the center was a massive black panther covered in silver armour. Its fur was sleek, its golden eyes fierce, and its forehead bore a silver symbol of the "manji"(3). The rider on its back was tall and broad, with arms like an ape and a waist like a wolf. Clad in full armour, his face was hidden by a menacing helmet, only his long, powerful hands were exposed.

These hands were adorned with a chain marked with the "manji" symbol. The chain had four rings, worn on his index and ring fingers, segmented at the joints, each section about the size of a copper coin, with short protruding spikes, making it more of a weapon than an ornament.

Seeing the "manji" symbol, the gatekeeper instantly straightened and hurried down, “... Imperial Lord!”

The Heavenly Sea Imperial Guards were the old forces of the Ming family, and every Imperial Lord wore the "manji" silver symbol. Legend has it that when the Queen granted the four mountains, she distributed the four sacred treasures to guard the Heavenly Sea and assigned an elite unit to patrol the Heavenly Sea, thus was the origin of the Heavenly Sea Imperial Guards.

In recent years, while the fame of the four mountains spread across the Six Prefectures, the Heavenly Sea Imperial Guards, seldom seen, became less known. Who had the influence to summon the Imperial Lord of the Heavenly Sea?

The guard demanded, “The Imperial Lord is here; will you open the gate now‽”

The gatekeeper hesitated, “The Lord has ordered—”

The cold rain pelted down, the Imperial Lord’s armour gleaming coldly. He remained silent, but the black panther under him grew impatient, pawing the ground.

Da! (4)

The gatekeeper’s expression changed abruptly. Clutching his chest, he felt a surge of pressure, his back bearing an invisible weight as if pressed down by a thousand pounds. 

Da! 

The gatekeeper’s body bent lower. Holding onto his sword, he suddenly collapsed to his knees. But it wasn’t over. The Imperial Lord’s gaze, through his helmet, seemed to pass through the gatekeeper. His sword bent, his spine trembled, and he was forced completely to the ground by that invisible force!

The guard shouted, “Open the gate!”

The giant statues on either side of the gate, under some great pressure, bowed and pushed open the gates. The ground shook violently, and golden symbols lit up one after another. The gatekeeper, struggling to speak, said, “The Lord... has ordered...”

The iron hooves splashed into the water, kicking up mud. The Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord approached, his black panther leaping past without mercy.

A ruler without virtue leads his followers to humiliation!

The elder had already led people to greet them at the gate. “The roads are difficult in the rain; the Imperial Lord must be weary from the journey. Please, come this way!”

The Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord asked, “Where is Yongze?”

His voice was deep and smooth, with a lazy undertone, as if coming here was just a detour for him.

Cui Ruishan quickly complained, “The Lord is busy holding a banquet in the Divine Palace...”

As he spoke, a powder-faced official with an umbrella approached from the direction of the Divine Palace. He bowed to the Heavenly Sea’s Imperial Lord and said softly, “The Lord is hosting a banquet in the Jian Ling Divine Palace and invites the Imperial Lord and all the immortals to join and watch the rain.”

Upon hearing "Jian Ling Divine Palace," Cui Ruishan nearly fainted. “Heavens, my Shixiong’s head is still hanging there! How can the Lord... how can he do this...”

Fu Zheng also exclaimed, “This is outrageous!”

Lin Shifei hesitated, “It's still not dawn; why hold a banquet now? I think we should decline.”

However, the Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord’s black panther had already followed the powder-faced official, so the others had no choice but to follow. Upon reaching the Jian Ling Divine Palace, they looked up and indeed saw a head hanging there.

Cui Ruishan's legs gave way, and he would have collapsed if not for someone supporting him. He covered his mouth with a handkerchief and began sobbing again, “Heavens, heavens! It’s my Shixiong!”

The elder sighed, “When we see the Lord, I hope the Imperial Lord can persuade him. We need an explanation for the Qiankun Sect, or the public outrage won’t be appeased. Outside, a hundred or so sects are waiting for news.”

The powder-faced official lifted the curtain, smiling cheerfully, “The Lord said this person deserved his fate; no one can change that.”

His flirtatious manner and frivolous speech infuriated the crowd. 

Someone said, “How hateful! The previous ruler has been gone for less than a month, yet the Lord indulges in nightly revelry. Not to mention the sect's rules, even an ordinary family wouldn't behave like this!” 

“Yes, and to use such a coquettish official in the palace is disgraceful and immoral!” 

“Master Cui's eyes are wide open, surely due to lingering resentment. Ruishan-xiong, after retrieving the head, you’ll need to light a discipline lamp for Master Cui.”

They chattered away, following the Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord into the brightly lit hall, filled with hanging curtains. Small tables and cushions were already set up, and several officials guided them to their seats. Though the tables were laden with delicacies, they refrained from eating out of respect. 

The elder asked, “Where is the Lord?”

The powder-faced official laughed, “He’s in the hall!”

They looked around but saw only the swaying curtains, no sign of Yongze. Fu Zheng said, “If the Lord invited us, why the theatrics? Let’s resolve this matter now!”

Lin Shifei added, “Indeed, the disciples are waiting in the rain for the Lord’s word.”

The Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord, still wearing his helmet, poured himself wine but did not drink, merely listening to the conversation as if watching a show.

At that moment, a wine cup suddenly rolled out from the depths of the hall, as if kicked, and stopped by the Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord’s table. Everyone looked towards the source and saw a spotted leopard emerge from behind the curtains.

This leopard was smaller, with coin-sized spots on its back. It stretched lazily, half-opening its drowsy eyes, and sat before the crowd, its tail flicking.

“Strange,” someone said, “why don’t you kneel before me, yet kneel before this Prime Minister Hua?”(5)

The voice was lazy as if just waking up, with a hint of mockery.

Fu Zheng asked, “What Prime Minister Hua?”

The powdered-faced official replied, “Naturally, it’s this leopard. It’s the Lord’s beloved pet, appointed as the Prime Minister in our Baiwei court!”

The crowd was outraged. Someone exclaimed, “Nonsense! How can a beast be Prime Minister‽”

The man inside the curtains laughed, raised his hand, and stepped out, “Why can’t a beast be Prime Minister? In this world, anything is possible. A beast can be Prime Minister and can even cultivate to become a god, surpassing humans.”

As soon as this man appeared, the hall’s lights dimmed, as if afraid to compete with him. He held a wine jar, looking like he had just woken from a drunken sleep. His shoulders were draped with a red and gold robe, exposing his neck and collarbone, with loose fabric barely covering his chest, which bore unknown faint dark red runes. 

The dozen or so people present fell silent at the sight of this man, their chopsticks dropping to the ground as they stared, their eyes wide and mouths agape. 

He approached the leopard, gently patting its head, still smiling, “Cui Ruishan, did you come to collect your Shixiong’s body? How unfortunate, I just fed his hands to Prime Minister Hua.”

Cui Ruishan slid from his cushion to the ground, trembling, pointing a shaking finger at the man, and finally let out a heart-wrenching cry, “—You tyrant!”

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Foot Notes

1. 日 (Ri) as in “sun”.

2. 濯 (Zhuo) is the same Zhuo in Jiang Zhuo’s name, it means “to cleanse”.

3. The manji or “wan” (卍) looks like a swastika but does not have the modern connotations attached to it.

4. 嗒 (da) can be used to represent clatter.

5. Ming Zhuo’s Leopard’s name is “Prime Minster Hua,” the Hua is the same character as “Flower”.