To Ascend is Human; to Fall is Also Human 2

Xie Lian whipped up his head, "No."

He then repeated with severity, "Definitely not."

Guoshi nodded, "I had expected this response from you. So, we've put the weight of our

consideration on the second method."

"Please enlighten me." Xie Lian said solemnly.

"The second method," Guoshi said, "Is to have Your Highness publicly repent before the

people of Xianle, ask the heavens for forgiveness, then face the wall in reflection for a

month."

"Not possible." Xie Lian said calmly.

Guoshi was taken aback, "We're not really asking you to face the wall to reflect, you just

have to look like you ar... ahem." He suddenly remembered they were before the statue

of the Heavenly Martial Emperor and immediately corrected himself, "As long as you are

sincere it will suffice."

Still, Xie Lian responded with, "No."

"And the reason?" Guoshi asked.

"Guoshi, when I descended the mountain today, do you know what I saw?" Xie Lian

said, "Not only did the people at the royal capital not condemn the accident that

happened during the Heavenly Ceremonial Procession, they very much approved of it.

This proves that the people of this kingdom all believe that the decision to save that

child was right."

"If I were to do as you say, and be punished for something that was done right, what

would they think? Doesn't this only tell everyone that to save a life, not only do we not

obtain fortuitous merits but instead we'd be punished for sins? How should they think or

act after that?"

"Whether if it's right or wrong isn't important." Guoshi said. "Only that you must choose

between the two paths. Nothing is perfect in this world. Either that child shoulders this

blame, or you do."

"Whether right or wrong is very important. If I must choose, then I choose the third

path." Xie Lian replied.

Guoshi rubbed his forehead, "Um... Your Highness, excuse my boldness, but why do

you care how they think? Today they think such a way, tomorrow they'll think another.

There's no need for you to mind the small details, trust me, people will carry on doing

what they need to do, and will not be touched by your actions nor take you for an

example. It's best if we focus on serving what's above our heads."

Xie Lian was silent for a moment then spoke, "Guoshi, ever since I've entered the Royal

Holy Pavilion to become a disciple here, the more I train, the more I've reflected, and

there's actually something I've always thought but didn't dare to speak of."

"And what's that?" Guoshi asked.

"Is it really right for us to worship and prostrate before the gods like this?"

Guoshi was speechless for a moment. "If they don't worship the gods, then what are we

to do? Go homeless? What, Your Highness thinks that the thousands and millions of

devotees who come here to worship have the wrong beliefs?"

Xie Lian shook his head and chewed on his words. "The beliefs are not wrong. Only,

this disciple doesn't think it right to prostrate."

He raised his head and pointed to the golden, scintillating, glorious and large statue of

the Heavenly Martial Emperor, "When humans ascend they become gods. To humans,

gods are elders, are teachers, are the everlasting light, but they are not our masters. In

such regard, we should be full of thankfulness and also admiration, but never idol

worship. Just like how at the ShangYuan Heavenly Ceremonial Procession, the correct

attitude should be of thankfulness, of joy, and not of fear, not begging to please, not of

intimidation, and certainly not putting myself in a position of servitude."

Guoshi remained poised and silent, but the other three Deputy Guoshis appeared to

have become restless, turning their heads back.

Xie Lian continued, "An accident happened, it couldn't be helped. I am willing to offer a

thousand lamps to brighten long nights; like moths to flames, I'm not afraid. But I refuse

to bow my head for something I did right. Face the wall in reflection? What have I done

wrong? What has anyone done wrong? Just like how Qi Rong committed evil, but Feng

Xin who subdued the wrongdoer had to be punished: where's logic in all this? If the

heavens have eyes, they would not convict me for this."

Guoshi looked away, "Then, Your Highness, let me ask you. If the heavens really do

convict you? Will you apologize then?"

"If that should happen, then, the heavens are in the wrong. I am right. I will stand

against the heavens and defy until the end."

Hearing this, Guoshi's face changed slightly and smiled, "Your Highness, you're pretty

brave to say such words."

The other three Deputy Guoshis watched him, wanting to speak but stopped

themselves. Just then, a sudden huge alarm went off outside the hall, like the chiming of

multiple bells at once. The four Guoshis could no longer remain in their seats, and all

rushed up at the same time, running towards the back of the hall.

Xie Lian followed closely behind. They traversed through the many buildings behind the

the Great Martial Hall, and came before a black pagoda. The doors to that black pagoda

were open, and countless wisps of dark smoke were whooshing out.

The Guoshi let out a despairing scream, "WHERE'S ZHU AN??! WHERE THE HELL

DID HE GO! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN??!"

A number of trainee guards rushed over, the one leading was that Zhu-ShiXiong.

"Guoshi!! I'M HERE! I don't know what happened, the door was locked but it suddenly

opened on its own!"

Guoshi pulled at his hair, "QUICKLY! BRING ME A NEW SOUL-SEALING JAR!"

Xie Lian rushed straight inside. Within that black pagoda, the walls were covered in

lattice sandalwood panels of varying sizes and shapes, stacked unevenly atop each

other, and within each panel were various clay jars, porcelain vases, jaded boxes, etc.

Each of those containers were originally securely placed, the red cover stoppers stuffed

firmly in place, the openings sealed with yellow talisman with crimson spells, but now

many were shattered, and many more continued to drop off the shelves themselves,

and those not yet fallen were all swaying and vibrating.

Those soul-sealing containers each had a demon or ghost who once caused havoc

sealed within, and such a black pagoda existed in every single temple of Mount

Taicang, purposely utilizing the clean, saintly essense to keep them represed. However,

something happened that caused this sudden insurgence, and they've all escaped!

"It's too late!" Xie Lian shouted.

He immediately kicked the doors close. The steel lock that originally chained up the

door had been broken by the resentful spirits, so Xie Lian unsheathed his sword, used

the tip and drew out some characters, then plunged it down. He brought over two

hundred swords with him when he entered the mountain, and he'd switch the one

carried on his person almost everyday, and each was an incomparable, singular

treasured sword. That sword, having slantily plugged into the ground, sealed the door

shut, and only the sounds of resentful spirits within rioting and roaring could be heard.

Once they left the black pagoda, they looked up and atop each of the summits, all the

black pagodas behind each temple were filled with black clouds, and all the resentful

spirits were rushing to the sky, flying towards a certain direction that was now heavy

with smoke.

"What's over there? Why are they all flying over there?" Zhu An asked.

Guoshi yelled, "ARE YOU DUMB?! THAT'S THE XIANLE PAVILION!"

The group ran like the wind, and in the blink of an eye, arrived that the Xianle Summit.

On top of Mount Taicang, heavy, thick smoke emerged from countless temples across

innumerous peaks rolled over to barrage, and formed an enormous swirl above the

Xianle Pavilion.

"What's going on in that Xianle Pavilion of yours?! All the demons and ghosts are being

lured over, what exactly did you put inside?" Guoshi demanded.

Xie Lian was bewildered too, "Nothing! Just..."

Just what? Xie Lian suddenly remembered: that small child!

Just then, Zhu-ShiXiong cried, "Guoshi, this is bad! His Highness' place is on fire!"

Sure enough, a corner of the Xianle Pavillon was alight, flames bursting towards the

sky, reflecting dark crimson in the black clouds above. Yet, at the foot of Mount Taicang,

all those in the royal capital who hadn't gone to bed had no idea what was going on

when they witnessed the scene from afar, and were excitedly dragging others to watch

in awe: "Wow! The great immortals on the godly mountain are conducting a ceremony!

What a show!"

Soon, the group of them arrived at the Xianle Pavilion. Xie Lian didn't keep too many

servants, and so a number of cultivators from the other summits had rushed over,

desperately drawing well water trying to put out the fires. Xie Lian didn't see his two

attendants, and immediately rushed inside. All the resentful spirits of the entire Mount

Taicang had been gathered there, the Xianle Pavillon was completely pitch black inside,

nothing could be seen. Xie Lian sensed two silhouettes within the main hall and yelled,

"FENG XIN! MU QING!"

The two had drawn a protection array so as to not let the evil spirits invade, holding on

but just barely. Sure enough, Feng Xin's voice rang, "YOUR HIGHNESS, DON'T COME

IN! THIS CHILD IS STRANGE, ALL THOSE SPIRITS WERE COMING FOR HIM!"

Only then did Xie Lian notice that behind the two silhouettes were another small

shadow, seemingly to be kneeling on the floor, his head in his hands. He screamed,

"IT'S NOT ME!!!"

After observing them for a moment, Xie Lian shouted, "Stop holding on. Let it go!"

Mu Qing cried back, "We can't let go! If we do, those things will go crazy! Let me find

the most –"

Xie Lian cut him off, "NO FEAR. LET GO. NOW!"

Mu Qing gritted his teeth, and dropped his hands with Feng Xin at the same time. Sure

enough, with the restraints off, those resentful spirits screeched and started going

erratic.

However, in the next second, Xie Lian reached out, lightning fast, and choked a

particular wisp of black smoke.

He didn't even look, and grabbed that black smoke with his bare hands, holding in his

palm firmly. The moment he caught that one resentful spirit, all the crazed swarm of

resentful spirits within the Xianle Pavilion slowed down.

Outside, everyone silently nodded.

In a situation where a large swarm of resentful spirits gathered in the same place, they

would usually follow the lead of the strongest one. Once that one is caught, without a

leader, the spirits would lose direction. At that moment, Xie Lian immediately recognized

the strongest one and choked it, not giving it any chance, and with only a squeeze, that

one resentful spirit disintegrated into nothing in his palm.

Immediately after, the four Guoshis raised their sleeves and called out, "Come back!"

That swarm of resentful spirits having lost its leader flew haphazardly around the Xianle

Pavilion like headless flies until finally they had no choice but to give up, and reluctantly

returned to the seal within the Guoshis' sleeves. The other cultivators continued to put

out the remaining fires, and only until the heavy smoke had gradually dispersed did Xie

Lian see clearly the figures of the other three.

Feng Xin and Mu Qing were half kneeled on the floor, still in shock. Behind them, that

child was still holding his head, uttering not a word. The Guoshis entered and spoke

after only a look, "Where did that child come from? Feng Xin said all the resentful spirits

were going after him? What's going on?"

"That's the child who had fallen from the city wall during the ShangYuan Heavenly

Ceremonial Procession."

The Guoshis were taken aback. Guoshi demanded, "Why did you bring him here?"

Xie Lian shook his head, not wanting to explain, and instead asked Feng Xin, "What did

he do to attract all the resentful spirits of the black pagodas?"

One of Feng Xin's arms was still in a sling, and he rose to his feet, "I don't know what he

did! But once he entered the mountain, soon after coming inside the Xianle Pavilion, all

those black things suddenly flew over from all over the peaks and broke in, swarming

around him, gathering more by the minute, and we couldn't get out."

Xie Lian looked around at the walls and pillars burnt to crisps inside the pavilion, "Then

what's with the fire?"

Mu Qing, whose face was covered in soot, said, "We couldn't leave so we had to draw

an array to defend. Those resentful spirits kindled the candlelight and burnt the curtains,

hoping to force us out."

"Thank goodness Your Highness came swiftly and immediately seized their vitals!

Otherwise if it kept burning we'll all be dead along with the array!"

Hearing his words, Mu Qing closed his eyes and lowered his head. On the side, the

Guoshis had already surrounded that young child, observing him closely.

"Guoshi, is there anything the matter with that child?"

If there was anything the matter, such as being possessed by ghosts, Xie Lian should've

been able to recognize it immediately. After having trained at the Royal Holy Pavilion for

a number of years, he had worked on his sight especially, and very few things could

deceive his eyes. Yet he couldn't see anything off with this child. The Guoshi shook his

head, seeming to have seen nothing either, and asked, "What's your birth date, month,

year, and time?"

Hong Hong-Er seemed to be guarded against everyone, tensed with hostility, and would

only stare at him, not speaking. Xie Lian encouraged gently, "Just tell him. Guoshi only

wants to tell your fortune for your own good."

The moment he spoke, Hong Hong-Er obediently told the time of his birth in a low voice.

Guoshi knitted his brows and started calculating with his fingers. The people around

watched him, talking in low voices, and saw his expression grow dimmer and dimmer.

Xie Lian watched, and became more and more solemn too.

Guoshi looked to be no more than a tender thirty-something young man, but Xie Lian

knew better than most just how powerful his teacher was to be able to rule over the

Royal Holy Pavilion. The number one Guoshi of Xianle Mei Nianqin was famed

throughout the land for his fortune telling. Xie Lian learned the art of the sword and of

spells from the Deputy Guoshis, but never learned the art of fortune telling from the

Guoshi himself, only because Guoshi told him it's an art of the streets, the golden

stature of Crown Prince had no need for such tricks. Plus Xie Lian himself wasn't

interested, so he never tried. However, whenever Guoshi worked his art, there were

never wrongs.

A while later, more and more cold sweat was rolling down the forehead of Guoshi, and

he mumbled, "No wonder... no wonder... no wonder he ruined the Heavenly

Ceremonial Procession; that the spirits of the black pagodas grew excited from sensing

him; that the Xianle Pavilion was burnt too... This... This... This is truly..."

"Truly what?" Xie Lian asked.

Guoshi wiped his sweat and suddenly backed a meter away, "Your Highness, you really

picked up something you shouldn't have up the mountain! That small child is toxic! His

sign is borne of the most ominous star, the Star of Solitude*, destined to bring

misfortune and destruction, the kind that evil loves the most. Whoever touches him will

have misfortune befall upon them, whoever gets close will lose their lives!"

Before he even finished, there was a loud scream, and Hong Hong-Er leapt to his feet,

running towards Guoshi to headbutt him.

His voice was tender, but his screams were filled with rage, as if his heart was filled to

the brim with unspeakable pain and anguish, making many shiver. That young child was

covered in injuries, yet he yanked and struck like a red-eyed rabid dog, violent and

aggressive. The Deputy Guoshis blocked Hong Hong-Er and Guoshi backed away,

yelling, "MAKE HIM LEAVE THE MOUNTAIN, HURRY! Don't touch him, I mean it! That

fortune is too toxic, don't touch him!"

The Deputy Guoshis hurriedly moved aside, and Mu Qing and Feng Xin didn't know

whether to act. Seeing that everyone was avoiding him like he was a poisonous snake,

that child was shaken and started thrashing even harder, biting and screaming, "I'm not!

I'M NOT!! I'M NOT!!!!"

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped him around the waist, encircling his small form. A

voice came from above his head, "You're not. I know you're not. Don't cry, now. I know

you're not."

That young child pressed his lips closed tightly, grabbing on to that pair of snow-white

sleeves around his waist with a death grip, forced himself to hold back for a long time

but in the end he still couldn't. A stream of tears suddenly rolled down from that round,

black eye, and he burst out crying.

Xie Lian embraced him from behind and reiterated firmly, "It not you. It's not your fault."

———

●The Star of Solitude - People with this sign in fortune are said to bring

the greatest misfortune to those around them, while they themselves are fine,

which is why it's called the Star of Solitude. This sign can be nullified with the

meeting of a saviour.

On a separate note, Sha Po Lang is the other great sign of misfortune along with

the Star of Solitude, and the two signs are the most unfortunate in Chinese

fortune telling