Chapter 3.1: Scrap-Collecting Immortal’s Third Ascension to Godhood

He left the Immortal City that day. Originally, he had already decided the location he would descend to; Xie Lian had wanted to fall near Mount Yu Jun. Who would have thought that when he left without a care and jumped down without a care, his sleeve would get caught on a carefree cloud. Yes, it got caught on a cloud. Even Xie Lian didn't know how his sleeve got caught on a cloud. In any case, he tumbled around at a lofty, high altitude, and by the time he rolled down, he had no idea where he was. After three days on foot, he finally reached his originally planned arrival location. Thus, for a short while, he felt extremely moved.

Entering the teahouse, Xie Lian picked a table beside the window before asking for some tea and snacks. He finally got seated after his previous difficulties, when he suddenly heard endless wailing and the sound of beating drums from outside the room.

Xie Lian turned his gaze toward the street before seeing a group of people from all ages escorting a crimson-red marriage sedan as they walked past the teahouse.

This procession was surrounded by an extremely odd air. At first glance, they seemed to be the relatives delivering the bride. But if one looked closely, they would notice how the faces of these people all had solemn expressions—expressions of grief, anger, dread, yet the only emotion that wasn't present was joy. Whatever the case, it didn't have the appearance of a wedding. However, contrary to that thought, everyone was wearing red flowers as they played wind instruments and beat their drums. This situation was really too strange. That tea sommelier carried a copper teapot in his hand and raised it up high to pour some tea. He had also seen this scene, but he only shook his head before leaving.

Xie Lian followed that strange, departing procession with his eyes, before pondering for a brief moment. He was just about to take out the scroll Ling Wen had given him to look over one more time, when he suddenly felt something dazzling flit by.

The moment Xie Lian raised his head, a silver butterfly flew past his eyes.

That silver butterfly was sparkly and translucent, looking pure and limpid. As it flew around in the air, it left behind bright traces. Xie Lian couldn't help but reach out a hand toward it. This butterfly was extremely intelligent. Not only was it not frightened, it even temporarily stopped on his fingertips, both wings glittering and beautiful to the utmost degree. Under the sunshine, it looked as if it was a fragment of an illusion. After a moment, however, it flew away.

Xie Lian waved at it, something that could be considered as his goodbye. But when he turned back, his table had two more people sitting there.

This table had four sides. One person sat on the left and another sat on the right, each taking one side. Both people were teenage boys who looked around eighteen or nineteen years old. The one on the left was taller, with facial expressions that looked quite defined and brightly handsome. Within his gaze was an arrogant and obstinate light. The right side had very light skin. He looked delicate and pretty, yet also refined. However, his expression looked somewhat overly cold and apathetic, an appearance that made it seem as if he wasn't too happy. In fact, the colour of the faces of both people didn't look that great.

Xie Lian blinked his eyes before asking: "You two are?"

The person on the left replied: "Nan Feng."

The person on the right responded: "Fu Yao."

Xie Lian mentally thought: "It's not like I'm asking for your names..."

At that moment, Ling Wen suddenly transmitted her voice over. She said, "Your Highness, there are two small martial gods from Middle Heaven who are willing to help. They've already gone down to look for you, so they should have arrived by now ah."

The so-called Middle Heaven was naturally relative to Upper Heaven. The Heavenly Officials of Heaven could be simply and roughly divided into two categories: the ones that ascended, and the ones that didn't. The Heavenly Officials of Upper Heaven had all ascended by relying on themselves. There were only about a hundred within the whole of Heaven, and they were each extremely precious. But within Middle Heaven, the deities there were the ones who were brought up by "appointing them as deputy". Strictly speaking, their full names ought to be called "Fellow Heavenly Officials". However, when people called them, more often than not they would leave out that "fellow" word.

Since there was an Upper Heaven and a Middle Heaven, was there a Lower Heaven?

There wasn't.

Actually, when Xie Lian ascended for the first time, there really had been a Lower Heaven. At that time, Heaven was still divided as Upper Heaven and Lower Heaven. But later, everyone found a problem. When they introduced themselves and opened their mouths to say, "I am from Lower Heaven's so-and-so", it sounded truly unpleasant. With the 'lower' word existing, it made them feel especially inferior. Among the deities of Middle Heaven, there was definitely no shortage of talented people. Their spiritual power was rich and strong, and they were each excellent and well-known figures. The only difference between them and real Heavenly Officials was merely how they lacked experiencing a Heavenly Tribulation. But who knew when the day that Heavenly Tribulation they were waiting for would really come. Therefore, some people proposed to change a single word—turning introductions into 'I am from Middle Heaven's so-and-so'. This was much more pleasurable to hear, though they both had the same meaning. In short, after the change, Xie Lian hadn't gotten used to it even after quite a while.

Xie Lian looked at these two small martial gods. With one face slightly more unpleasant than the other, it was unlikely they were "willing to come forward and help". Thus, he couldn't help but ask, "Ling Wen ah, I think they don't look like they came down to help me, and instead it looks more like they want to retrieve my dog head. Did you deceive them to get them to come?"

Unfortunately, it seemed that this question of his wasn't transmitted out. He was also now unable to hear Ling Wen's voice by his ear. It was probably because he was so far away from the Immortal City, and it had been so long since he descended, so his spiritual power was all depleted. Xie Lian was incapable of doing anything else, so he first gave a smile to both the small martial gods before saying, "Was it Nan Feng and Fu Yao? To be willing to come and help me, let me thank you in advance."

The two of them only nodded their heads, both appearing to have a somewhat lofty attitude. It seemed that the martial gods they were under had a rather illustrated reputation. Xie Lian had the tea sommelier bring two more cups of tea. Picking up his cup, he scraped the tea leaves before casually asking, "Which Highness' Palace are you under?"

Nan Feng replied: "Nan Yang Palace Hall."

Fu Yao said: "Xuan Zhen Palace Hall."

"...."

This truly made one feel frightened.

Xie Lian swallowed a mouthful of tea before asking, "Your Palaces' Generals allowed you to come?"

The both of them responded, "My Palace's General didn't know I came."

Xie Lian thought for a bit before again asking, "Then, do you know who I am?"

If these two small martial gods came here because they were muddleheaded and thus deceived by Ling Wen, then after helping him, they would return to get scolded by their Palace's General. Something like that certainly wouldn't be worth it.

Nan Feng replied, "You are His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Fu Yao said, "You are the correct path for the human world, you are the heart of the universe."

Xie Lian choked once, before he asked Nan Feng in an uncertain manner, "Just now, did he roll his eyes?"

Nan Feng responded, "He did, let him scram."

Nan Yang's relationship with Xuan Zhen wasn't good. This wasn't a secret. So when Xie Lian heard of that matter, he didn't really feel surprised. This was because, even back then, Feng Xin and Mu Qing's relationship hadn't been all that great. Only, in those days, he had been the master and they were the retainers. The Crown Prince said don't argue ah, you guys have to become good friends, so the two of them endured and refrained from becoming hostile with each other. When they became extremely unhappy, at most, they merely use words to stab the opposite side. Muddling until today, there was no longer a need to be so insincerely courteous. Thus, even the worshippers from the Southeast and Southwest didn't look upon each other in a positive light, while the Nan Yang Palace Hall and the Xuan Zhen Palace Hall had even more mutual hatred for each other. The two before him were a prime example. Fu Yao smiled sarcastically as he stated, "Ling Wen ZhenJun said that if you were willing, you could come. So, for what reason would I scram and leave?"

The word 'voluntary', saying it with his expression didn't look convincing. Thus Xie Lian said, "Let me confirm once. Are you two really voluntarily doing this? If you're not, by all means, don't force yourself ah."

The two of them both said, "I willingly volunteered."

Looking at those two deeply depressed faces, Xie Lian mentally thought, the words the two of you actually wanted to say were 'I want to commit suicide', right?

"In short—"

Xie Lian began, "Let's first discuss the real work. You guys already know why we came to the North this time, so I won't start explaining from the beginning..."

The two of them both said, "I don't know why."

"...."

Xie Lian was incapable of doing anything and could only take out the scroll before saying, "Then it would be best if I explain everything from the start."

It was said that many years ago in Mount Yu Jun, there was a bride and a groom who were about to be wed.

The couple loved each other very much. The bridegroom waited for the procession that delivered the bride, but even after waiting for a long time, he didn't see the bride arrive. The bridegroom began to feel anxious, and thus began to look for the bride's family. The result was his father-in-law and mother-in-law informing him that his bride had long set off. The two households reported this to the officials before they began looking in all directions. However, from beginning to end, they never found her. But even if she had been eaten by a fierce beast in the mountains, there should have been remains of an arm or a leg or what not. What was the justification behind her disappearing in thin air? Thus, it was inevitable that people harbored suspicions that the bride herself didn't wish to marry, resulting in her colluding with the procession before escaping. But who would have known that after a few years, another new couple married and the nightmare repeated itself.

The bride disappeared again. However, this time she didn't leave without a trace. On a small road, people found a foot that something hadn't quite finished eating.

1. This is from the first part of the Chinese saying "All taboos are off and all evil withdraws". Honestly, it seems like Xie Lian said that as a customary reply to Ling Wen's sentence about the blessing, AKA its unclear even in the raws why Xie Lian said that.