Chapter 20

The hall fell silent, then murmurs rose one after another, growing louder. How could a god possibly die? That was utterly absurd!

Fu Ming's eyes flickered with surprise. He had been lounging lazily against the armrest, but as Lin Yu stepped closer, he suddenly sat up straighter.

Although Lin Yu had relived a part of the Rain Goddess's experience in the illusion, that illusion was man-made and had later been altered by the Moon God and the Crimson God, so it would inevitably differ from reality. It couldn't be taken as absolute truth. Yet Fu Ming didn't interrupt her; he gestured for her to continue.

"When the Rain Goddess sealed Gujin Mountain back then, all her divine artifacts were destroyed. A god's most important possessions are their artifacts and their followers. If she were to return, she should first restore her artifacts, then gather new followers—not demand useless wealth."

A cultivator couldn't help but ask, "The Rain Goddess sealed Gujin Mountain? I've never heard of that. How do you know?"

Lin Yu: "..."

For a moment, Lin Yu felt a pang of guilt. Gujin Mountain was geographically advantageous, a perfect place for spirits and demons to cultivate. The false Mountain God had arisen there, cultivating and harming mortals. To prevent another such demon from appearing, she had sealed the mountain.

Her fate had once intertwined with the Rain Goddess's for a brief moment. She was certain that what she had chosen to do in the illusion—sealing Gujin Mountain—the real Rain Goddess must have done the same.

If Gujin Mountain wasn't sealed, demons would run rampant. A tree demon impersonating the Mountain God might be dead, but similar situations would arise again.

Moreover, the plague in Liangcheng had originated from Gujin Mountain, and enemy troops would pass through it when attacking the city. Only by sealing the mountain could those troubles be cut off. Sealing Gujin Mountain was the inevitable choice.

But all of this was just Lin Yu's intuition and speculation. How could she make these people believe her?

While Lin Yu was pondering her words, Fu Ming spoke up: "Who did the Rain Goddess first appear to in a dream?"

"Your Majesty, it was the young master of the Xie family in Jiangnan."

Jiangnan had developed agriculture and convenient irrigation, so it relied heavily on the weather. The Rain Goddess had the most followers in Jiangnan, but many followers were useless. The Rain Goddess had vanished for twenty whole years, and her followers had gone without her protection for all that time, leaving her temples abandoned for ages.

The Xie family had once been the wealthiest in Jiangnan, and the old master of the Xie family was the Rain Goddess's most devout follower. The Rain Goddess's return made it fitting for the Xie family to spread the news of rebuilding her temple.

Fu Ming looked thoughtful, his gaze fixed on Lin Yu. "Convey my decree: invite the Xie family of Jiangnan to the capital to attend the Divine Maiden's sacrificial ceremony."

The Rain Goddess A Si had been the previous Divine Maiden of the Yu Kingdom, and Lin Yu would be the new one. Inviting the Xie family to the ceremony was perfectly reasonable.

The attendant beside him received the order and, as he passed Lin Yu, gave her a casual glance before leaving to deliver the message.

With that, the discussion came to an end. Fu Ming ordered everyone to withdraw, and the dozens of cultivators hurried off, all grateful that His Majesty hadn't gone mad and killed anyone today.

Soon, only Lin Yu and Fu Ming remained in the room.

Lin Yu spoke first. "The Ascension Token shattered."

Fu Ming raised an eyebrow. This had been their original agreement: Lin Yu retrieves the Ascension Token, and Fu Ming helps her become the new Divine Maiden. But now, Lin Yu had shattered two Ascension Tokens in a row, and no more existed in the mortal world.

Lin Yu hadn't fulfilled her initial promise, yet Fu Ming still allowed her to become the Divine Maiden.

Fu Ming looked up, studying Lin Yu's features. He felt something was missing between her brows. "After the Rain Goddess, the Yu Kingdom hasn't had a new Divine Maiden for twenty years. You're very suitable."

Then he realized what was missing: a divine mark—that bright red, golden-glowing seal.

"When the Xianzun returns, you must seek to become his disciple. I've given you the title of Divine Maiden, but in the end, it depends on whether the Xianzun acknowledges you."

Lin Yu nodded. The Xianzun was the person closest to the gods in the mortal world. Only if he accepted her could she learn spells and step onto the path of immortal cultivation.

Lin Yu suddenly asked, "What about the previous Xianzun of the Yu Kingdom?"

Fu Ming was taken aback. "The Yu Kingdom has only ever had this one Xianzun."

Since he was five years old, the Xianzun had come to the Yu Kingdom, and he had held the position for twenty years.

Lin Yu's thoughts drifted back to the illusion, where the Divine Attendant had said the Xianzun of the Yu Kingdom was dead, and A Si's opportunity was cut off.

If the Yu Kingdom had only ever had this one Xianzun, then more than twenty years ago, he must have been the teacher of the Divine Maiden A Si as well.

He had gone to great lengths to secure an Ascension opportunity for A Si, earning her a divine position. His efforts were truly sincere.

But it was also he who, under the Moon God's orders, had killed the eleven female priestesses on the eve of the Moon God Festival.

Because of him, A Si had survived, but Lin Zhao had died because of him.

"You must be very careful with this Xianzun. Since I first met him when I was five, over twenty years now, I still haven't figured him out."

"Why?"

A young immortal attendant ran in: "Divine Maiden! The Xianzun has returned! He sent me to bring you to him!"

Lin Yu and Fu Ming exchanged a glance, both surprised. The Xianzun had been in Jiangnan yesterday, and now, just as Lin Yu woke up, he had suddenly returned—most likely specifically for her.

No one stopped the attendant since the guard at the door had been dragged away and not yet replaced. The little attendant burst in and, upon seeing Fu Ming, slipped and fell to her knees!

She slid right to Lin Yu's feet and, noticing Fu Ming staring at her, hastily bowed: "Y-Your Majesty!"

Fu Ming didn't pay much attention to the attendant's rude behavior. He only said to Lin Yu, "Be cautious in all things."

Seeing that Fu Ming ignored her, the little attendant grabbed Lin Yu's skirt and climbed up, hiding behind her, then clung to Lin Yu's arm, ready to flee.

Then, as if remembering something, she spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito to Fu Ming: "I... I shall take my leave!"

It was clear the attendant had never learned proper etiquette. Fu Ming waved his hand, and the attendant pulled Lin Yu away.

Lin Yu let the little attendant lead her out. Seeing how flustered she was, Lin Yu remembered that she herself hadn't bowed to Fu Ming when entering or leaving...

Well, Lin Yu hadn't learned etiquette either.

Once they were a distance away, the little attendant hesitated before speaking: "Divine Maiden, what do you think of His Majesty?"

Lin Yu stopped, crouched down to eye level, and asked patiently, "What's wrong?"

"His Majesty looks so fierce and terrifying; I'm scared. You don't know how many people he's killed, wuwuwuwu..." The little attendant burst into dry sobs.

Lin Yu pondered the phrase "fierce and terrifying." More than Fu Ming, it reminded her of Fu Qing.

She had only met Fu Ming twice, actually—once at the Temple of Ten Thousand Gods, and again just now in the Hall of Government. Her impression of Fu Ming was mostly from Fu Qing in the illusion.

Back then, he was just a frontier officer, while she was a princess. And when she recalled how she had forced Fu Ming to go along with a fake marriage to lure out the Mountain God, and how she had said he wasn't good enough for her and teased him...

Meeting the real Fu Ming again, Lin Yu found it rather awkward...

After a long pause, Lin Yu said, "He... is quite handsome, actually."

What could she do? Lin Yu was a shallow person. Although she'd heard people say the current emperor was moody, like a madman, that one wrong word could lead to utter ruin, that blood flowed wherever he went—all of that. But she couldn't connect any of it to the man in the illusion.

Her only impression of Fu Ming was his face...

The little attendant didn't know what Lin Yu was thinking and was still anxious: "Wuwuwuwu I was so rash just now; I'm probably going to die soon. If! If I die, you have to help me take care of my little sister..."

Lin Yu cut off the attendant's melodramatic lament, lifted her sleeve, and wiped away her tears. "Enough, enough. If you die, I'll die with you. There, there, don't cry."

Lin Yu thought for a moment. "Since you're with me now, what's your name?"

"I don't have a name."

No name? Lin Yu wiped the attendant's face clean. "Then let me give you one, shall I?"

By then, they had walked a short distance from the study. Lin Yu glanced around at the scenery, and when she looked past the attendant, she noticed that the Hall of Government's doors weren't closed, and from her angle, she could just see the edge of Fu Ming's sleeve.

Fu Ming was currently wiping a sword. Lin Yu squinted, and after a moment, she saw clearly that the sword in his hand was Qingxian.

"Then I'll call you..." Lin Yu's gaze quickly swept past Fu Ming and toward the sky, where golden-red clouds burned at the horizon. Though it was evening, it looked like dawn. "I'll call you Chen Lu!"

The little attendant sniffled, her big watery eyes fixed on Lin Yu, and then she suddenly smiled. "Alright, that sounds fitting for cultivation. From now on, I'll be Chen Lu!"

"Then, then what's your name, Divine Maiden?"

Lin Yu also smiled, her eyes curving as she looked at the quick-changing attendant. "My name is Lin Yu."

"Lin Yu?" Chen Lu muttered. It had rained not long ago, and there were shallow puddles on the road. Chen Lu hopped along as she walked.

Lin Yu didn't realize Chen Lu had misunderstood. She suppressed her smile. "Mm, Lin Yu."

Chen Lu pulled Lin Yu to continue walking, then suddenly asked, "Lin Yu, do you know the name of our previous Divine Maiden?"

"It was A Si."

"A Si?" Chen Lu shook her head, thinking that everyone's names were so casual. Hers was much better.

After walking a long way, Chen Lu finally stopped. "Here it is! This is the Xianzun's residence!"

Lin Yu nodded to Chen Lu and stepped forward to knock on the door of Bushou Hall.

After a moment, a low but powerful voice came from inside: "Enter."

Lin Yu crossed the threshold and finally laid eyes on the legendary Xianzun of the Yu Kingdom. His appearance, however, was utterly unlike what she had imagined.

In the illusion, she had seen the Xianzun of the Li Kingdom as an old man in his eighties, so she had expected the Yu Kingdom's Xianzun to be similar. Instead, the Xianzun here was a lean man who looked about thirty, though his complexion was palely sickly.

The Xianzun said, "So, you're the new Divine Maiden chosen by His Majesty?"

Lin Yu lowered her eyes and bowed. She had lived as a commoner for twenty years and never learned proper etiquette. The Xianzun watched her less-than-standard bow, said nothing, but sighed.

"The previous Divine Maiden was chosen by the late emperor. It's been many years, so you may not have heard, but you and she are quite alike."

"When I saw you, I almost felt a flicker of recognition. You're very, very similar." The Xianzun studied her openly. "Similar in looks, and similar in demeanor."

Lin Yu didn't respond. She didn't understand what he meant by that. Her eyes were calm as still water, quietly gazing at this man who had killed her sister Lin Zhao.

She resented him, wanted him dead, but given the situation, he was the Xianzun. She wanted to become the Divine Maiden, and only he could teach her cultivation arts. She had to accept him as her master. Lin Yu lowered her eyelashes and stared calmly at the ground.

"Speak," the Xianzun said.

Lin Yu was startled, not understanding what he wanted her to say.

"Tell me about your life in the mortal world—anything you're worried about: enemies, troubles, debts, romantic ties. Anything you can think of. Since you've entered my sect, I'll take care of whatever concerns you."

Lin Yu was bewildered. "Well... there's nothing, really..."

Her enemies were all dead by her hand. Apart from those gods in the sky, she had no enemies left in the whole world...

Oh, wait. Lin Yu glanced at the Xianzun's face. If she really had to name one, then she did have one enemy...

And that was the man before her.

The Xianzun didn't know what she was thinking. He nodded. "From now on, if anyone dares to oppose you, harm your prospects, or trouble you—regardless of cause or right or wrong—you may come and tell me. I will see to it that they are reduced to ashes."

Lin Yu felt a chill run down her spine. She tested the waters: "Even if it's my fault? What if I do it on purpose?"

The Xianzun stared at her face. Her features seemed to overlap with A Si's from before, and he froze for a moment.

"You are the Divine Maiden of Heaven's Mandate Tower. You cannot be wrong. The wrong will always be others."

In other words, once you joined the Heaven's Mandate Tower, the Xianzun would shield his disciples regardless of right or wrong.

Lin Yu clenched her fists. "Understood."

The Xianzun asked, "Do you have any other questions?"

Lin Yu hesitated, then cautiously said, "Xianzun, do you remember that not long ago, there was a priestess in Heaven's Mandate Tower who had already attained half-immortal status?"