Chapter 292: Tianze National Preceptor
Tianze Kingdom, Tianze City.
On the wide, straight official road, graceful palace maids lined both sides. They gently lifted bouquets of flowers, and though there was no wind, nine-petaled red lotuses floated into the air. The blossoms scattered lazily, blanketing the sky over Tianze City in a splendid red.
An unhurried procession walked down the middle of the official road. Eunuchs and palace maids held up amethyst-jade boxes that shimmered with a brilliant, lustrous light, clearly extraordinary.
At the head of the procession, He Qian and He Yong were dressed in fine silks and magnificent clothes, walking forward with solemn expressions.
Shen Daoxing followed behind them, also changed into gorgeous attire, looking dashing and elegant.
The procession advanced slowly. After walking for some time, it began to ascend a high mountain.
Shen Daoxing noticed tall Silver Trees standing erect on both sides of their path.
The Silver Trees were pure white from top to bottom. They had no green leaves, yet they contained boundless Primordial Energy, glowing with a soft, splendid brilliance.
As Shen Daoxing passed beneath them, he immediately smelled a refreshing and alluring fragrance.
"These are Snow Trees. Don’t be fooled by their ordinary appearance; our ancestor planted them with his own hands. They are as old as our Tianze Kingdom itself."
He Yong explained from beside Shen Daoxing, "They are the national trees of Tianze and are extremely precious. It is said that when the Snow Trees bloom and fill all of Tianze, that will be the time our ancestor emerges from his seclusion."
The procession continued its unhurried advance, passing by one white Snow Tree after another. Finally, Shen Daoxing saw a cave in the distance.
The cave was simple and not very large, wide enough for only four or five people to walk abreast.
"Bow!"
A eunuch’s shrill voice rang out before the cave.
The entire procession bowed as one toward the cave before slowly filing inside.
Inside, rows of candelabras on both sides lit up, illuminating the cave’s interior.
Shen Daoxing turned his head and saw ancient murals carved into the rock walls.
The murals seemed to record the life of a single person.
First, Shen Daoxing saw a young man traveling alone through the East Continent with a single sword, invincible wherever he went.
The young man also wore a white robe and carried a greatsword on his back.
Next, he saw the young man enter the Celestial Lake Swamp and engage in a fierce battle with a colossal beast. The beast was taller than a city, with four sharp claws and a long tail. The battle must have been incredibly intense, as it took up more than ten murals to depict.
Finally, Shen Daoxing saw a majestic city rising from the center of the Celestial Lake Swamp.
He Yong pointed excitedly at the murals on both sides. "This is our ancestor! Back in his day, he was a Great Sword Immortal renowned throughout the East Continent."
He Yong then pointed to the giant beast. "And that Fierce Beast is the Great Wilderness. The ancestor fought it for seven days and seven nights before finally subduing it. Only then could we safely establish our kingdom here."
’So this is the Great Wilderness, one of the Four Great Fierce Beasts?’
Shen Daoxing couldn’t help but take a closer look. The depiction of the Great Wilderness in the mural was blurry; he could only make out a vague shadow.
Before they knew it, while they were talking, the group finally reached the deepest part of the cave.
Shen Daoxing looked up and saw a large stone door set into the rock wall, upon which was an imposing carving of a greatsword.
"Present the offerings."
The eunuch’s shrill voice echoed inside the cave.
The palace maids and eunuchs behind Shen Daoxing then walked forward respectfully and placed the amethyst-jade boxes they were holding before the stone door.
At this moment, He Qian stepped forward and bowed respectfully to the stone door.
Then, she gently stepped forward, pushed open the stone door with her hands, and walked inside. No one else moved, all waiting quietly outside.
This was because the area within was the Forbidden Land of the entire Tianze Kingdom. Even within Tianze, no one could enter except for direct descendants of the Royal Family.
He Qian pushed open the stone door and stepped inside. It was a small space with simple furnishings—a bed and a table, like a private bedchamber.
He Qian walked forward reverently until she reached a desk. An ancestral tablet was placed upon it.
And on the wall above the tablet, there was an ink wash painting.
He Qian looked at the painting with a solemn expression and bowed deeply. "He Qian, a descendant of the eleventh generation of the Tianze Kingdom, respectfully requests the ancestor to emerge from seclusion to celebrate the Qinyuan festival!"
As He Qian’s voice fell...
A ripple spread across the ink wash painting on the wall, but it quickly subsided.
Seeing this, He Qian hurriedly bowed again. "He Qian, a descendant of the eleventh generation of the Tianze Kingdom, respectfully requests the ancestor to emerge from seclusion to celebrate the Qinyuan festival!"
This time, however, the ink painting showed no reaction at all.
Clearly, the ancestor was unwilling to come out.
After a long while, seeing that the ink painting still gave no response, He Qian sighed heavily and gave up.
Then, she slowly turned and walked out of the room.
On that ink wash painting, amidst green mountains and by the bank of a verdant stream, a simple wooden hut stood. In front of it, a young boy of thirteen or fourteen gazed into the distance, as if waiting for something.
And behind him, by the creek, a beautiful woman was washing clothes.
If Shen Daoxing had been there at that moment, he would have surely recognized the place depicted in the ink painting as Taoyuan Village. The two people, the sister and brother, were Yi and his sister, He Tian.
And on the ancestral tablet below the ink painting, six prominent words were inscribed—The Spirit Tablet of Ancestor He Yi.
...
RUMBLE!
The stone door opened again, and He Qian’s figure slowly emerged from within.
He Yong quickly stepped forward and asked, "Sister, how did it go?"
He Qian didn’t speak, merely shaking her head.
The members of the He Royal Family at their side looked disappointed.
The younger generation of Tianze had all grown up listening to the stories of their ancestor, whom they revered as a god. Every one of them longed for a glimpse of this mysterious founder. If they were fortunate enough to receive his guidance, their future on the path of cultivation would surely be limitless.
Having failed to summon the ancestor from his seclusion, the group could only turn back in disappointment and exit the cave. However, the procession did not leave but continued its slow ascent up the mountain.
Upon reaching the summit, a wide-open space unfolded before Shen Daoxing’s eyes. In the center of the mountaintop, he saw a huge altar, and in the middle of the altar was a towering, majestic statue of the Tianze ancestor.
The Tianze Emperor and Elder Xu were already there, surrounded by the officials of Tianze.
Seeing He Qian and the others, the Tianze Emperor and Elder Xu slowly walked over.
He Qian shook her head. "The ancestor is still unwilling to come out."
Hearing this, the Tianze Emperor was silent for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh. "So be it. If the ancestor is unwilling to emerge, he must have his reasons. We shouldn’t force the issue."
With that, he returned to the altar and suddenly clapped his hands. "Today is the Day of Ancestral Invitation, and I also have an announcement to make."
When all eyes were on him, the Tianze Emperor slowly began to speak. "From this day forward, Mr. Xu will be the National Preceptor of our Tianze Kingdom. He will govern Tianze alongside me."