Chapter Eighty-Six: Seeking the True Deity

In the Underworld, Lord Underworld smiled as he sidled up to the second prince.

“Brother, still buried in books? What interest can there be in those manuals of warfare and swordplay? If you ask me, my own volumes are far more amusing. Why not go out and find a little celestial beauty?”

“I have no interest in heavenly maidens,” came the second prince’s reply, cold with hatred.

“Oh, come now, Brother! Even if that year dealt you a terrible blow, it has still been five hundred years. Five hundred years without touching a woman—if you ask me, I’m starting to doubt things. I wonder whether that little wench wounded not your heart, but something else entirely...” Lord Underworld said with a sly grin, staring at him.

“That shameless woman deceived me back then, and I failed to capture Spring Breeze alive. Father dislikes my being close to women. I dared not defy him,” the second prince explained.

“Don’t pretend! You can’t fool me. Maybe Father, but not me. Once I’ve refined my heavenly eyes and ears, the two of us will go out, clear our heads, and enjoy ourselves. I hear there’s a fine leisure isle in the Western Sea. Tell the truth—have you already been there?”

With a forced smile, the second prince said, “Brother sees all with perfect clarity. That isle is guaranteed to suit you. I’ve long had everything arranged; it only depends on whether you have the heart and the leisure.”

“Hah! Just as I thought. A sword in the heart left you with a lingering weakness, but what serious harm could there be? Five hundred years and you’ve really stayed this well-behaved?”

“Uh-oh, Father’s in a foul mood. He’s calling for us.” Lord Underworld’s ghostly eyes and ears had caught the king’s movements within the meditation chamber.

“I’m afraid I’ve failed at something again, and Father means to scold me once more. Brother, you must speak well of me before him. I can’t bear that Underworld thunder punishment again.”

Lord Underworld patted his shoulder. “Relax. I’m counting on you to keep me company on that Leisure Isle. Whatever it is, I’ll cover for you.”

Sure enough, before long a ghost-king came to summon them: the Underworld King requested their presence. The two of them went to the chamber where he cultivated.

The Underworld King sat upon a prayer mat, looking unexpectedly young—almost like Lord Underworld himself—though his build was even sturdier and more imposing. Beside him, Jiang Wu kept her eyes lowered, silently pouring tea and offering water with impeccable care.

“There are rumors in the heavens that the Cloud-Loom Sovereign did not die, and that this so-called Supreme Sound True God is none other than him. Second Prince, how do you explain this?” The Underworld King’s voice rang like a great bell, full and powerful.

“Reporting to Father, it is absolutely impossible! I used the Jade Dragon Chalice to scatter Cloud-Loom’s primordial spirit. Brother saw it with his own eyes and can bear witness. Once a primordial spirit is utterly dispersed, death is certain. Resurrection is even less possible.”

Lord Underworld then reported, “Father, the one spreading these idle rumors are a bunch of blind little sprites. They never went to the battlefield, nor to the Thirty-Three Heavens. I was there the whole time. Cloud-Loom was difficult to deal with, yes, but the second brother had the Jade Dragon Chalice in his hands. No matter how formidable Cloud-Loom was, he could not withstand a chaos divine artifact. And back then, that woman of his took advantage of a moment of carelessness and leapt into the Heavenly River. If the second brother hadn’t had his fill of fun and dragged her back, she’d have died long ago. She came to our Underworld in a political marriage and was tormented in every possible way by the second brother; once she returned to Flower Island, she fell apart. She coughed blood without end. After being scolded by Spring Breeze, she set herself on fire. The blaze was so fierce it could not be extinguished, and she was burned to a lump of charcoal. Even then, the half-witted beast kept by Spring Breeze smashed her remains into ash. Spring Breeze was so frantic she cried until she vomited blood. The ashes were buried on Flower Island. I saw it myself, using ghost-eye power to transform into a spirit butterfly. Even if Cloud-Loom is alive, could he just stand by and watch his precious disciple seek death in this way?”

The Underworld King’s expression eased after hearing this.

“Second Prince, investigate the origins of this Supreme Sound True God. If it is true, as the heavens say, that he possesses the power of rebirth, then Heaven has truly aided me. He must be brought under my control!”

The second prince accepted the command, and the two of them left the Underworld King’s chamber.

As they walked, Lord Underworld grumbled, “That old man spends all day in seclusion refining his true form, and yet he’s still well informed. It must be that Jiang woman stirring up these rumors again.”

“Father desperately needs that divine power...” The second prince’s voice was faint.

“Who would have thought that forging Spring Breeze’s divine body would be harder than Father refining one himself. Your little woman wasn’t even afraid of disgrace after death, all to protect Spring Breeze. Seems her heart held neither you nor her master. She said she was sorry to Spring Breeze, and Spring Breeze had no choice but to say he forgave her—that girl had a fierce temper indeed. I was wrong before. Your little woman and her master were only bound by teacher and disciple affection; she and Spring Breeze were the pair of ill-fated lovers! Life and death parting—what a splendid show!”

“Pity I did not witness such a splendid scene,” the second prince forced through clenched teeth, hunching slightly.

“On your wedding night, did you do exactly as I wrote for you, pretending to be her master? Wasn’t it amusing?”

“Utterly without charm.”

“Haha, then Leisure Isle must be more interesting! Tell me—what’s there to eat, drink, and do for fun?”

“You should experience it yourself...” The second prince stopped, one hand gripping the railing of the suspended corridor.

“Haha... Good! Why did you stop? Is that wound from the little wench acting up again?” Lord Underworld noticed the change in him.

“It is... The mention of Leisure Isle... stirred me too much...” The second prince’s voice grew lower and weaker.

“Is your body even up to this? You’re far too frail! If you can’t fight, Father will have to send me instead.” Lord Underworld looked unhappy.

“Brother, rest assured...” With that, the second prince collapsed to the ground.

Lord Underworld kicked the unconscious man and shouted, “Hey! Hey! Don’t faint! Wake up! Deathless! Come here and haul this sickly second prince back!”

On Flower Island, all was white and shimmering beneath the barrier set by the Supreme God Spring Breeze. Inside the barrier, life teemed everywhere, lively and bustling. Spring Breeze himself, dressed in a sharp, practical outfit, directed the flower sprites and tree sprites as they planted flowers and trees, while he used divine power to shout, “Little White! Go get your mother to help! Hurry up!”

“Father! Mother says you should think of a way yourself!” came the young voice of a little fairy child from afar.

“Get over here and help carry water!” Spring Breeze roared.

“I’m studying! Auntie gave me two buckets of sweet dew; they’re in Falling Blossom Gorge. Father can go get them himself!” Little White called back.

“You little brat, always reading! Whose fault did you take after, anyway? If the seasons on earth ever go out of order, I’ll throw you into the mortal realm to suffer your tribulation!” Spring Breeze muttered in exasperation. Nearby flower and tree immortals covered their mouths, daring not to laugh too openly.

After commanding the immortals to finish planting the flowers and trees that controlled the seasons, Spring Breeze was attended by a host of tree immortals as he bathed, groomed himself, and changed into his immortal robes. Then he flew to the study.

There, the tiny fairy child, Little White, was sprawled over the desk, hugging a huge scroll and reading with great relish.

Spring Breeze came beside him, fanning himself with a folding fan, his face all smiles. “Little White, what are you up to?”

“Reading, Father.” Little White did not look up.

“What book are you reading?”

“Military strategy.”

“What kind of military strategy?”

“Be good, Father. I’m busy. I’ll play with you later.”

Spring Breeze glared. “You little brat! Busy my foot! Just like your mother—no conscience at all! I should have let your mother drink that bowl of safflower soup back then!”

“Mother drank safflower soup?” Little White looked up at him.

Realizing his slip, Spring Breeze hurriedly said, “Your mother had a sore throat. It was medicine for her voice...”

Little White lowered his head and continued reading the military texts at his own pace. “Safflower is for causing miscarriage.”

Spring Breeze snapped his fan shut and slammed it on the table. “You little brat! You’re barely old enough to know what a miscarriage is, and here you are talking about one...”

“I’ve read Mother’s medical books. Mother did not want me.” Little White’s tone was entirely serious.

Hearing this, Spring Breeze panicked and hastened to explain, “That’s not true. Father was only teasing you!”

Little White said nothing and kept reading.

Seeing that he could not fool the child, Spring Breeze rolled his eyes and tried another explanation. “Back then, there was such a matter. Your father was not around, and your mother was alone, weak and unable to protect you. She feared some villain would seize you and make you suffer terribly.”

Little White gave a soft laugh. “It’s all right. I’ll protect Mother.”

A cold sweat broke out in Spring Breeze’s heart. “And you don’t know how to spare a thought for your father? I’ve raised you for hundreds of years for nothing—you peed on my robes ninety-eight times, defecated on them forty-five times, and ruined sixty of my immortal trees. When you grow up, you’ll have to pay me back for all of it!”

“Father, it wasn’t sixty immortal trees. It was sixty-one. When I’m grown, you can come collect them all at once.”

Spring Breeze froze. “Sixty-one?” he repeated, wondering when the great Supreme God Spring Breeze had ever miscounted his own accounts.

“I was just practicing immortal arts and accidentally ruined one more,” Little White said unhurriedly.

“Oh, my immortal trees! How can a child so small have such strength? You’re driving me mad! Finish your reading quickly, then come with Father to Jade Bamboo Mountain to find your mother!”

“Oh, and Father must remember to pick a few pears for Mother,” Little White reminded him like a little adult.

“You little brat! I know that already!” Spring Breeze cried, then rushed out in distress to inspect his trees.

Not far from Flower Island lay Jade Bamboo Mountain, where the peaks were hazy, mist veiled the slopes, and green bamboo swayed amid cheerful birds and beasts. Yet this serene mountain had already been quietly surrounded by ten thousand heavenly soldiers led by the Second Prince, Heaven’s Brightness.

Heaven’s Brightness ordered the soldiers to hold their positions. He and his two officers each took thirty troops and split into three routes to scout the mountain.

As the second prince led his men along a forest path, a faint and悠然 song drifted from within the woods...

“Seeking gods, seeking gods—where in the green hills can one find a god?
When will peace and plenty come, and silver coins overflow?
Being a god is hard, being a spirit is hard;
One god wakes while ten thousand go mad,
One immortal puts out the fire while ten thousand wait idly.
No gods, no gods—where in this world are there any gods?
The god is found within one’s own heart;
The god is found in a single thought.”

“This song is extraordinary,” the second prince could not help praising.

After a while, a little immortal who was digging bamboo shoots came down the path, carrying a hoe over his shoulder and a bamboo basket on his back, strolling along while singing.

“May I ask, fellow immortal, what song that is? Where did you learn it?” the second prince asked, saluting as he approached the mountain.

“Too kind, fellow immortal. This song is called The Sigh of the True God,” the little bamboo-digger replied.

“Then may I ask whether you know the Supreme Sound True God?” the second prince asked.

“Of course I do. Right here,” said the little immortal, patting his own chest.

At this, the heavenly soldiers all reached for their weapons, thinking the little immortal was claiming to be the one themselves. The second prince raised a hand to stop them.

“Are you saying you are the Supreme Sound True God?” he asked.

“Yes, of course. You are, he is, and all of you are,” the little immortal said earnestly.

“All of us?” The second prince was baffled.

“Every one of us is the Supreme Sound True God. If you follow your heart and do what you ought to do, then you are your own true god. If everyone were lazy and numb, only bowing and praying and waiting for others to save them, even the supreme gods would work themselves to death.”

“The supreme gods are powerful, and can live as long as heaven and earth. How could they work themselves to death?” one soldier asked.

“Why not? Back then, if so many in Heaven had not feared power, craved ease, and retreated into numbness, even sinking willingly into corruption, how could the Cloud-Loom Sovereign have perished?” the little bamboo-digger said.

The second prince bowed slightly. “Wise words indeed!”

“Aren’t supreme gods supposed to be bloodlines passed down from ancient divine clans? Or born through calamity? How could ordinary immortals be one too?” another soldier asked.

The little bamboo-digger smiled. “There are many with inherited blood who do not do the work of gods and immortals, and there are likewise many without such blood who nonetheless keep all beings in their hearts. The Supreme Sound True God was never of divine blood. She never called herself a god. But everyone was willing to honor her as one, and so she told them that so long as they hold fast to their original hearts, everyone can be a god. She is more like a god than those gods we cannot see or touch.”

“I am enlightened!” the second prince said, bowing. “May I ask whose dwelling is this sacred mountain?”

“It belongs to the Supreme Sound True God,” the little bamboo-digger replied.

After parting from the little bamboo-digger, the second prince had formed some notion of this Supreme Sound True God.

Meanwhile, the left and right officers of the other two routes searched fruitlessly and eventually met up.

The two officers were at a loss. Then the left officer suddenly had an inspiration and came up with an idea... The two of them whispered together for a while, discussing in low voices.