Day of Ascension

When Xu Ying came within five li of the Divine Capital, he saw about a dozen carriages approaching to greet him. They jostled for position, blocking the postal road.

Then someone called out, “Are you Young Master Xu of Lingling? I’ve come on the orders of the Liu clan’s old ancestor to welcome you!”

“I am a steward of the Guo clan’s inner estate, here on the old master’s order to welcome Young Master Xu of Lingling!”

“Lingling’s Young Master Xu, please get on our Cui clan’s carriage!”

“Our Pei clan’s carriage is fast and steady!”

......

Even a eunuch had come in a prisoner’s carriage. Seeing everyone else driving treasure carriages or riding divine mounts while he alone had a prisoner’s carriage, he was too embarrassed to speak.

Xu Ying didn’t get on any of the noble clans’ transport. Instead, he cupped his hands and walked toward the Divine Capital. “I prefer walking!”

The stewards climbed down from their carriages and accompanied him on foot. Behind them, the carriages and divine mounts stretched into the distance like a dragon, forming a long procession.

Xu Ying entered the Divine Capital without anyone stopping him for inspection or questioning. The stewards repeatedly invited him to stay with their respective clans, but he declined them all.

“I have an old acquaintance in the Divine Capital: Young Master Yuan Weiyang of the Yuan clan. I’ll impose on him and stay at his place. Oh, right, do you know which clan this gourd belongs to?”

He took out the large, vermilion gourd.

The Wang clan’s steward stepped forward to examine it, then shook his head. “There’s no marking on this gourd; it’s hard to tell which house it belongs to. Did you encounter someone using it to harvest souls outside the city?”

Xu Ying nodded. “I came across a few strange people harvesting souls by the river.”

The Wang clan’s steward smiled. “It was probably being used to refine elixirs for an elder of some household. Some people resort to underhanded methods, collecting the souls of the recently deceased to refine life-extending elixirs for their elders. This way, Young Master Xu.”

Xu Ying frowned and handed the vermilion gourd to Yuanqi. The tiny snake’s head suddenly expanded several times over. It opened its mouth, swallowed the gourd whole, then shrank back to its original size on Xu Ying’s shoulder.

As the stewards of the various noble clans led the way, Xu Ying looked around. The Divine Capital truly lived up to its reputation. Its people prospered, and its atmosphere was extraordinary. The three divine statues in the city were of the three sovereigns, namely Wenwu Dasheng[1], Zetian Dasheng, and Zhidao Dasheng.

Though the three emperors had passed away, incense smoke still billowed like clouds around their statues, and their worship remained as flourishing as ever.

The three emperors had secured the fortune of the Divine Capital. After their passing, they became gods. The incense offerings for them also became an integral part of the Divine Capital’s transportation network.

The Divine Capital had incense carriage roads, which were official[2] formed by the three sovereigns’ incense qi. They floated in the sky and led directly to the Imperial Palace. Majestic steeds and carved carriages often traveled along them.

Rainbow bridges woven from incense qi also spanned the Luo River. Walking across them felt as though one were strolling among the clouds.

Xu Ying gazed at the statues of the three sovereigns from afar and halted. “Everyone, are the souls of the three emperors enjoying blessings in the underworld, or do they reside within these divine statues?”

They shook their heads. The Pei clan’s steward smiled. “That isn’t something the likes of us can question. However, they do manifest their divine presence during the Lunar New Year, and their divine statues come alive. In times of disaster and chaos. They also awaken during times of disaster and chaos to suppress rebels.”

The statues' incense qi was too powerful. Wenwu Dasheng and Zetian Dasheng's incense qi had formed flame-shaped shrines behind them, each reaching one hundred zhang into the sky. Still, the shrines seemed insignificant compared to the statues themselves.

As for Zhidao Dasheng’s statue, his incense shrine was much smaller.

“Young Master Xu, that is the Lingyan Pavilion[3]!”

The Pei clan’s steward pointed in a certain direction. Xu Ying looked over and saw green qi curling up and rising into the clouds. It surged with vitality. Beneath it stood a towering pavilion that dominated the landscape.

The Cui clan’s steward, a beautiful woman, told Xu Ying, “The most powerful beings of the divine dynasty are enshrined here.”

Xu Ying pointed to another place. “And what is that place?”

Everyone looked over, only to see Xu Ying pointing at a massive willow tree that reached into the clouds. No other structures stood nearby. Black mist swirled around the tree, and countless wandering spirits, each carrying their severed heads, could be seen dwelling among its branches.

The Chai clan’s steward said, “That is the Solitary Willow[4], a place of execution.”

They had to pass through that area to reach the Yuan clan's residence.

Executions were underway beneath the Solitary Willow. More than one hundred prisoners knelt in a row while the Jinwu Guards supervised the execution. Command banners sealed the four directions. The Qianyuan Banner sealed the heavens, and the Kunyuan Cauldron sealed the earth, preventing anyone from escaping.

The Cui clan’s beautiful stewardess chuckled. “Young Master Xu, they are beheading the Zhou clan’s members. It’s been going on for more than ten days now, beheading over a hundred people every day. Look at that person holding the white banner over there. That’s the soul collector; they'll use the Zhou clan members' souls to refine life-prolonging elixirs!”

Xu Ying glanced over. Indeed, he saw a Jinwu Guard holding a white banner.

He had seen such white banners before. When the emperor had ordered the Jinwu Guards to kill the Cangwu Sect’s disciples, they were also holding those white banners.

Xu Ying asked, “Why are they only executing men?”

“The women were sold into brothels as official courtesans[5]. The Zhou clan committed treason for daring to plot against His Majesty on Mount Jiuyi. Sparing the nine generations of their clan was already an act of mercy.”

......

Xu Ying arrived at the Yuan clan’s residence—a grand estate with high walls and large courtyards, exuding grandeur at first glance. However, this ancient noble clan had already fallen into decline. Few servants remained, and the entire clan now numbered fewer than ten members.

Seeing so many people arrive, the gatekeeper hurried inside to report the situation.

A moment later, they heard someone from the inner estate coming out to greet them. When the door opened, Xu Ying saw a green-robed servant: Uncle Xiao. Behind him stood a refined young gentleman who carried himself with quiet dignity. It was Yuan Weiyang.

Xu Ying smiled. “Brother Yuan, I’ve come to impose on you.”

Uncle Xiao’s face sank. He wanted to block the door and keep him out. Yet, Yuan Weiyang remained courteous and said to Uncle Xiao, “Demon King Xu has come from afar, and the stewards of the various noble clans have escorted him here. If our Yuan clan refuses to receive him, we would disgrace ourselves.”

Helpless, Uncle Xiao whispered, “It will be difficult to explain this to the old madam.”

Smiling, Yuan Weiyang said, “I’ll speak to Mother myself. Don’t keep our guest waiting outside. Invite him in quickly.”

Uncle Xiao had no choice but to invite Xu Ying in. The Cui clan’s beautiful steward smiled coquettishly. “If the Yuan clan doesn’t welcome you, you can stay at our Cui clan. Our courtyards are large, and our beds are soft.”

Uncle Xiao excused himself and closed the door.

Only then did Xu Ying breathe a sigh of relief. He apologized to Yuan Weiyang.

“I’ve caused trouble for you, Brother Yuan.”

Yuan Weiyang invited him in with a smile and led him deeper in. “It’s been more than two months since we parted ways at the Ghost Cub Hill, and more than a month since the white-browed old ancestor faced his tribulation.

“I’d guessed that you would likely be forced to leave your mountain and come to the capital. Just a few days ago, I was still wondering how you would handle this situation, and here you are.”

Xu Ying was slightly taken aback. Yuan Weiyang no longer treated him with the same familiarity as before. A subtle distance had formed between them.

Still, they had been apart for two months. That much distance was only natural.

When Uncle Xiao arranged accommodations for Xu Ying, Yuan Weiyang didn’t follow. “I’ll go inform Mother about your visit.”

Uncle Xiao arranged a private courtyard for Xu Ying. It was rather spacious. Though quiet, it was very tidy. It had enough space for Yuanqi to lie down and bask in the sun.

Xu Ying asked Yuanqi to take out his clothes and fold them neatly in a stack.

Yuanqi remarked, “Yuan Weiyang doesn’t seem very welcoming.”

Xu Ying smiled. “We haven’t seen each other in two months. Of course, we’d feel a bit distant.”

Not long afterward, Guo Xiaodie's cheerful voice drifted over. “Guy surnamed Xu, you really dared to come to the capital! You’re really gutsy!”

Xu Ying approached with a smile. Guo Xiaodie was still dressed in her usual style, though her outfit had turned purplish-pink. She also wore her bodice higher than before, making it far less revealing.

Guo Xiaodie followed his gaze and giggled. “It's to guard against those so-called gentlemen. Otherwise, they'd claim I disturbed their pure Dao hearts and blame me for... You’ve grown stronger again!”

She punched Xu Ying in the chest and nearly sent him flying as she barked, “Your Xiao Qi bit my fourth uncle! My second aunt had no choice but to chop off his entire arm! He planned to have a good friend from the Zhou clan help him regrow it, but the Zhou clan ended up in trouble.

“Now he's still missing an arm and keeps complaining about how inconvenient it is to use the latrine!”

She glared at Yuanqi fiercely, causing him to shudder and quickly slither away, crying out, “I only bit your fourth uncle because he was trying to strangle Ah Ying! Don’t come near me, you crazy woman, or I’ll wipe out your whole clan with a breath of toxic gas!”

Xu Ying rubbed his chest and smiled. “Tell your fourth uncle to come find me. I’ll help him regrow his arm.”

Only then did Guo Xiaodie’s anger turn into joy. “He was on His Majesty’s order to hunt you down. I’ll have him kowtow and apologize to you, so make peace. Where’s Brother Weiyang?”

A moment later, Yuan Weiyang arrived, her expression calm. She showed little joy at Guo Xiaodie’s presence and only offered a few words of courtesy. “I need to practice the Primordial Dao Heavenly Domain Resonance technique in the upcoming days. I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep you two company.”

Guo Xiaodie left dejectedly.

Yuan Weiyang said to Xu Ying, “Please forgive me, Demon King Xu. I’m at a critical juncture in my cultivation. I won’t have time for you.”

Xu Ying smiled. “Please attend to your cultivation, Brother Yuan.”

“You and I are close friends, so I feel uneasy leaving you unattended. My family is small. I only have a younger sister. She bears a striking resemblance to me. I told you before that I would introduce the two of you. Since you've come all this way, I'll have her show you around the city over the next few days.”

“Go ahead and attend to your business. I can go out on my own.”

Yuan Weiyang said seriously, “That is not the way to treat a guest. My sister’s name is Yuan Rushi[6]. You’ll know when you see her later.”

Xu Ying had no choice but to agree.

Yuan Weiyang left. After a long while, a bright, cheerful maiden appeared and walked over elegantly, brushing past the flowers. She wore a goose-yellow dress, had captivating eyes, and pearly white teeth.

She smiled from afar and asked, “Are you Brother Xu from Lingling?”

Xu Ying looked over. She did indeed resemble Yuan Weiyang. Unlike her older brother, however, she possessed a youthful charm and delicate beauty that could easily set hearts racing.

She wore light makeup; her fair skin had a faint pink glow, looking so tender that it seemed a breath could blemish it.

Standing before her, Xu Ying couldn’t help but feel a little shy. He would have been perfectly at ease with someone as boisterous as Guo Xiaodie. Faced with such a beautiful young woman, especially the younger sister of a close friend, he didn't know how to act.

“Brother Xu, my older brother told me to show you around the city.”

Unlike Xu Ying, Yuan Rushi showed no trace of shyness. She grabbed his hand, pulled him toward the gate, and laughed.

“The capital is huge. There’s plenty of delicious food and fun things to do. We can spend the whole day exploring!”

Yuanqi quickly slithered over as he cried out, “Wait for me!”

Yuan Rushi turned her head back and glanced at him. Yuanqi instantly felt a chill run through him, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

Shuddering, he quickly corrected himself, “Ah Ying, I’m tired from the travel. I think I'll stay here.”

Pulled along by his hand, Xu Ying stumbled after Yuan Rushi as they ran out of the Yuan clan’s residence.

Uncle Xiao happened to be returning from outside when he saw a girl dragging Xu Ying out of the Yuan residence. He stood there, dumbfounded.

“Where did that girl come from? She’s so pretty... Wait!”

He ran inside the Yuan residence to look for Yuan Weiyang, but a maidservant told him, “The young master is in secluded cultivation.”

Uncle Xiao burst into the seclusion chamber, but he only found a set of men’s clothes. Yuan Weiyang was nowhere to be seen.

Uncle Xiao’s mind went blank. “He abducted her as soon as he arrived? This is bad!”

Xu Ying hurried to keep up with Yuan Rushi. She was like a canary that had broken out of its cage, running around happily. She wanted to try every food, buy every fun item, and stop to check every unusual sight she saw on the streets.

Weiyang said he'd have his sister show me around, but it feels more like I'm the one taking her out to have fun.

Before long, Xu Ying and Yuan Rushi were carrying a variety of food in their arms, their cheeks bulging like goldfish.

Xu Ying didn’t have much money, only a huge gold ring that weighed over a thousand jin. Whenever it came time to pay, he simply snapped off a tiny piece to settle the bill, leaving the vendors stunned and overjoyed.

“I’ll bring you to a fun place!” Yuan Rushi grabbed his hand and ran forward.

Xu Ying had no choice but to run with her. The two weaved through the streets and alleys, occasionally squeezing through the crowd or ducking under giant beasts.

When the marketplace became too crowded, Yuan Rushi led him onto the rooftops. They raced along the roof ridges before she leaped onto the incense carriage road and sprinted across it.

Following her, Xu Ying saw official carriages driving out from the Imperial Palace onto the incense carriage road. The horses galloped like thunder, moving swiftly. Yuan Rushi pulled him through the flow of traffic, weaving between the carriages. Before long, the Jinwu Guards spotted Xu Ying and immediately gave chase.

The Jinwu Guards each carried a sword case on their back. Slapping it, the sword qi within flew out and sped toward the pair.

Giggling, Yuan Rushi pulled on Xu Ying’s hand and jumped off the incense carriage road. Sword qi swirled around her like a flurry of snowflakes, shielding her as they flew underneath the incense carriage road.

Brother Yuan’s sister has quite the aptitude!

Xu Ying quickly followed, using the Sword Kinesis Technique himself. The two became streaks of sword light and flew beneath the incense carriage road. The pursuing Jinwu Guards had no chance of catching them and soon lost their trail.

Shortly afterward, Xu Ying followed Yuan Rushi to the crown of Emperor Zetian Dasheng’s divine statue. The surface was surprisingly flat. The colossal statue pierced the clouds, allowing them to overlook the Divine Capital and the surrounding land for more than one thousand li in every direction.

The two dispelled their sword qi and sat down. Pressing her hands against the ground, Yuan Rushi leaned back and looked up at the sky. She cried out in excitement, and her face flushed red with surging emotion.

The maiden glanced at Xu Ying and saw the youth placing the food he had just bought onto the crown.

Yuan Rushi also took out her food to share with him. The two sat atop the divine statue, eating while gazing over the mist-shrouded Divine Capital. The moment felt peaceful.

Yuan Rushi’s eyes darted playfully before she picked up a green grape between her fingers. “Brother Xu, do you know what this green grape tastes like?”

Xu Ying shook his head. “This is the last one. I haven’t tasted it yet.”

The maiden held the green grape with her lips, then suddenly pounced forward and pressed down on him.

Xu Ying’s mind went blank. The next instant, the grape was pushed into his mouth, carrying with it a warm, sweet fragrance.

1. It refers to Emperor Gaozong of Tang. ☜

2. Postal roads are specialized networks built exclusively for state communication, military intelligence, and official mail courier services. Official roads are general-purpose highways built and maintained by the government, though civilians, farmers, and commercial merchants are allowed to travel on them. ☜

3. A historical tower in Chang'an (modern-day Xi'an), built in 643 AD by Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty to honor the twenty-four greatest ministers and generals who helped establish the empire. ☜

4. In the Tang dynasty, the main public execution ground in the capital of Chang'an was located in the southwest corner of the Imperial City. Many prominent officials and rebel leaders were beheaded or executed there. ☜

5. They were on government payroll, and rather than just engaging in sex work, they were highly trained in the arts, such as singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments, and were utilized to entertain government officials at state banquets and social gatherings. ☜

6. The made-up name means 'like this', and coincidentally(?) her surname means 'originally.’ ☜