Chapter 65 (1/2)

Chapter 65: Bonus Epilogue 1 – Scenes from Ancient Times Original and most updated translations are from volaretranslations.

Auspicious clouds bore down on three grand palaces that glowed in the skies above. I think the memories that I lost from that time were thoroughly erased, so I spent many years in complete darkness.

Back then, humans didn’t call upon celestial phoenixes. Not that it was very hard to call for one, but with their paltry cultivation states, they could only manage to call out a single phoenix with difficulty using two people. The one that came would have to be a bird that took pity on the humans and had the compa.s.sion to help them. If it was this hard for two people to summon a live phoenix, imagine how much harder it’d be for a single person to create one successfully.

Birthing a Fang Hua Beast from a piece of wood was similar to reviving a phoenix from nie wood[1]–two different approaches that produced equally satisfactory results. All across the Heavens, it was only the Nine Spirits Sovereign G.o.ddess who could manage such artful magic. She was also the only one who could bring forth a live phoenix from nie wood.

I was none other than that Nine Spirits Sovereign G.o.ddess. Even the esteemed High Immortal Zhao of Omens had to respectfully refer to me as ‘auntie.’ From seas to mulberry fields and back again[2] was just a blink of the eye for me.

I sprawled on the ground by the Immortal’s Pool, peering at my reflection in the water. The face I wore now only resembled my original one slightly.

“The Jade Emperor said it was about time you woke up,” the Immortal of Fates laughed as he stood to one side. “I calculated with my fingers. When I saw that they were preparing to burn your body, I brought your spirit here.”

The High Immortal Zhao of Omens wiped a forehead full of sweat. “Auntie, I didn’t know it was you. I’d rather burn myself than scorch a hair on your head.”

To be honest, I didn’t know I had the chance to find back my immortal roots, either. I didn’t blame High Immortal Zhao for not recognizing me, especially when this body barely resembled my old looks. The rest of it was extremely pretty.

—

I remembered when I slept as the Nine Spirits Sovereign G.o.ddess in a cave for tens of thousands of years during the era of Chaos. When I woke up, I had thoroughly understood the universe’s mysteries and had climbed onto the path of immortal cultivation. Stretching lazily, my eyes blinked away tens of thousands of years’ worth of gunk and I made my earth-shaking way to the Heavens.

At that time, things weren’t as lively as they were now. A few ancient immortals always said it was rare to see Great Immortals in the courtyard, so there were no amus.e.m.e.nts. They spent their days staring at the clouds and wis.h.i.+ng for another celestial being to appear and be their friend. It was nothing like now, where cultivation had to meet with a few strikes of tribulation lightning to continue.

Speaking of this heavenly lightning, I couldn’t help but lodge a complaint. High Immortal Zhao was such a handsome youth before he became an immortal. Because of those three strikes of lightning, his looks were ruined in the time it took for me to open and close my eyes. Now he looked both h.o.a.ry and old.

I’m getting off-topic…

Speaking of looks, I was more sloppy than others. My clansmen had naturally androgynous physiques, but I spent tens of thousands of years as a woman who couldn’t stand those blus.h.i.+ng and shy immortal types. Still, I was unmistakably female, down to my very bones. I didn’t realize that the strange immortals who gathered to see me by the Southern Heavenly Gates would respectfully call me a sovereign instead. So it seems, that even a person born female could be made into a male sovereign G.o.d. You should see how refined I looked in the mirror, like a jade tree facing against the wind.

Remembering up to this point, my body couldn’t help but s.h.i.+ft as I gathered some pond water and cupped it in my hands like a mirror. My actions surprised the Immortal of Fates so much that he dropped his chin to stare at me with wide eyes. High Immortal Zhao had to deeply reconsider for awhile. My face turned red as I coughed and drew my hand back. “I’ve looked at this face for so long that I’ve grown used to it.”

“You’ve been suffering for someone else’s sake these past few years. I didn’t expect you to meet with multiple disasters in the human world and suffer through multiple reincarnations. You’ve been completely reborn each time.” the Immortal of Fates nodded his head righteously. “No wonder Zhao of Omens didn’t recognize you.”

For the bold and upfront me to be reincarnated into such a delicate, fragile body was something neither them nor I could foresee. What a sad story it was…

“Speaking of which, it was the Immortal of Fates that gave me such good lives.”

He only smiled back. “This is old news, why bring it up? I don’t know if the Sovereign G.o.ddess still remembers that Fang Hua Beast?”

“How could I forget?” I said with a long sigh.

The Immortal of Fates seemed to have brought up my heartache for no reason. After I achieved immortality as the Nine Spirits Sovereign G.o.ddess, I wasn’t used to the cold and cheerless heavenly palace. Everyday I loafed about and made a mess of disturbances around the place. For thousands of ten-thousands of years, not one as strange as me had been born. All of the ancient immortals said I was young and inexperienced as they refused to argue with me. Actually, I thought I was genuinely steady and seasoned. Despite this, even an experienced person like myself had a serious stumble over the issue of ‘sentiment,’ enough to let me live through various emotional lives on earth.

Over 10,000 Years Ago

The Fang Hua Beast that the Immortal of Fates had mentioned was the cause of all these emotional lives. Back then I wasn’t steady enough for the Jade Emperor, who didn’t grant me any t.i.tles or offer me a post in any office. I lived my carefree days in leisure, frequently paying visits to the other immortals in hopes of making friends and confidants. But as time pa.s.sed, I became aware of something wrong.

Besides the Moon G.o.ddess Chang’e calling me her sister in our conversations, the Celestial General’s celestial grandchildren considered me their brother, one calling me Brother Spirit Sovereign, the other Nine Spirits Little Sovereign Brother.

I was very disconsolate.

They couldn’t even tell whether I was male or female, so this wasn’t a deep friends.h.i.+p at all. Slowly, I re-focused my warm hearted zeal on raising mythical beasts instead. On a typical day, I’d take care of the Most Exalted Lord Lao’s ox to the daoist deities’ flaming qilin… Not one of them escaped my attentions, until it got to the point that the Dragon King’s third crown prince would detour out of the way when he spotted me. The Immortal of Fates would often sigh, “Loving beasts to your extent is a rare sight to see.”

“That’s not true, it’s just my weakness for animals. You’re praising me overmuch, really.” I cupped my hands before my chest in obeisance. At that time, the Immortal of Fates had just been conferred the t.i.tle of one who manages destinies. He used to be a bit stiff before, but now he loved to walk around my estate and play with the mythical beasts I raised. Oftentimes he’d talk to me about those furb.a.l.l.s with a yearning look. As for me, I loved raising animals and had plenty of four-footed beasts and birds in my domain. But I didn’t love those with fur. So when he started rambling, I never paid much attention but answered him carelessly.

“None of the animals you’re raising now are rare,” the Immortal of Fates said after a pause. “I heard that after the G.o.ddess Nüwa went through her disasters on earth, something stuck to her skirt on her way back. She was about to throw it away when I recovered it for you.”

“Was it a mythical beast? I don’t want it if it has fur.”

“If it was a furball, I’d raise it myself,” the Immortal of Fates laughed lightly. “Of all the furless beasts I know, he’s the rarest and cutest one.” He sneakily brought out a tree branch from his sleeve and offered it to me.

“You’re not trying to fool me, are you?” I knitted my brows, staring blankly.

“You’ve known me for so long. When have I ever tricked you?” the Immortal of Fates said, rolling the round, chubby stick in his hands a few times before it rolled before my feet. “Take a closer look.”

That branch was mellow and full, red with spots of black in the wood. Pinching it between my fingers, I could sense a thin strand of spiritual essence emanating from within. But after being stuck to G.o.ddess Nüwa’s skirt and spending time with the Immortal of Fates, having some lingering essence was natural.

“There’s a Beast who can take on human form with pale white skin that emanates a fragrant scent. He also has a teardrop-shaped cinnabar mole by the corner of one eye. When the Beast dies, it burns itself out in a sea of flames and turns back into dead wood. With these details, you should know what I’m talking about, right?” the Immortal of Fates gave me a significant look.

I figured out what he meant and lowered my head with sparkling eyes. “Do you mean the fabled Fang Hua Beast?”

“Good eyes. This very object contains the soul of a Fang Hua Beast. They say it’s capable of distilling tens of thousands of worldly poisons.”

“It’s a shame that’s it’s already died and turned back to wood.”

“That’s not necessarily the end. If you plant the wood in soil and feed it a mixture of crushed medicinal plants and flowers with morning dew, you might be able to grow another exceptional Fang Hua.” There was an expression of fascination on the Immortal of Fates’s face before he looked my way. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to find some soil and raise him.” I replied simply.

“It was just a legend. You’re really going to try?”

“Didn’t you bring him here just so I could?”

—

One month later, I stood in my courtyard watching the Fang Hua Beast flourish in the dirt. I couldn’t help but feel happy enough to open my doors and dragged every friend I knew into the yard to praise the Fang Hua wood.

“Look at how bright it is after growing in the dirt! Isn’t it even redder than the eyes of your furball back in the Moon Palace?”

“He’s not my furball, but my Jade Rabbit,” Chang’e replied with tears in her eyes.

—

Two months pa.s.sed.

“Immortal of Fates, look at how cute this little fellow is. The wood’s sprouted four limbs.” I crouched on the ground, pulling him down to showcase my treasure. “Take a closer look, these four lumps look like arms and legs.”

The Immortal of Fates grew thoughtful for a while before pointing at a different place. “But what’s that tiny lump down there, half buried in the dirt?”

“I think it might be a tail,” I said hesitantly.

“Fang Hua Beasts don’t have tails.”

“Well, they’re male animals, right? Then maybe that spot is his…”

“Un.”

My face turned red. The two of us suddenly fell silent and stopped talking.

—

Three more months pa.s.sed.

Under the bright sunlight, the heat inside the courtyard was intense. My armadillos and qilin led a group of mythical beasts to rest by the well, dozing with their eyes shut. Still, not one of them dared to approach it. Beneath the shade of a tree by the ancient well was a strange, nameless wood that differed from all the other trees in the courtyard. It didn’t have delicious celestial fruits or even any branches, but bore a white and delicate baby. When a breeze blew through the courtyard, it ruffled the hairs of the child, whose chubby hand twitched before he inserted a finger into his mouth. He was like a beautiful little prince.

Another mythical beast with the form of a four-winged singing snake stared at him as if enthralled, circling around him before suddenly swooping towards the branch. Before he could even get close to that child, a barrier flung him back with his feet in the air. Of course, a snake didn’t have feet, so he just rolled around a few times before flying towards the Fang Hua Beast again. Once more, he was flung away to roll about the ground. An armadillo cracked open an eye at the strange sight, before tucking its head beneath its front claw and going back to sleep.

The four-winged singing snake tried less than ten times before the s.h.i.+ning photosphere above the child pelted him to the ground. Finally, he climbed shakily onto the floating sphere, his dirty belly hanging above the little child’s head, and contentedly rubbed against the ball of light.

A pa.s.sing immortal child observed, “This snake probably thinks the the Fang Hua Beast is the Sovereign G.o.ddess.”

A fellow immortal friend had a different idea. “With the Sovereign G.o.ddess watching after the Fang Hua Beast day and night, it’s normal for the Fang Hua Beast to carry some of her immortal qi as well. If you look closely, you’ll see that this child’s face is fine and delicate, especially with that bright red mole at the corner of one eye. It’s an excellent detail.”

Another immortal friend mused, “Day after day, he grows more and more handsome. This Fang Hua Beast really looks quite celestial.”

And then a crowd of immortals a.s.sembled by the well to study him for awhile, filling the courtyard with their divine light and celestial auras. I couldn’t help be feel gratified watching the scene.

—

Four more months pa.s.sed.

By now, the Fang Hua Beast had completed transformed into the shape of a young child. He had a soft, thick head of hair and fine, unwrinkled skin as fair as white jade. Across all of Heaven, there was no other child as cute as he. I sat on a mat of woven cattails with my chin on my hands, observing his face as I mused, ‘I’m already considered attractive and charming, yet you’ve eclipsed my beauty. How irksome.’

A qilin that I’d been ignoring recently anxiously took my robes in his mouth and tugged. In an instant, a part of the robes were scorched black. I kept my careful gaze on Fang Hua as I s.p.a.ced out, reaching out to pat the young qilin’s head. Instead, I petted the armadillo instead. The qilin was used to people holding his head in their heads, and balked at such ill-neglect. He couldn’t help but fly into a rage from shame and spurt out a mouthful of feeble flame. The fires stopped just outside the spherical barrier surrounded the little Fang Hua, but gave the sleepy four-winged singing sleeping on its surface a nasty fright. His tail wrapped around the barrier as his body slithered down in a panic, completely forgetting the fact that he had four wings as well.

Before my eyes, my singing snake was on the verge of turning into a singed snake.

I clapped the qilin’s head and hastily covered his fire-spewing mouth. The startled snake gave out a cry and stiffened its body as it hurried down. Even a simple cry like his carried a bright and sonorous tone. Fang Hua was obviously frightened by this sudden strange noise, his body shaking in response. When I looked back at him, he’d fallen straight onto the ground.

The little Fang Hua opened his eyes for the first time and peered at me with round, bright, panic-stricken pupils. His mouth curled up as if nursing a huge grievance. Before he could start crying, I quickly picked him up and coddled him into my arms. The little fellow’s tiny fists gripped my clothes tightly. After all that fuss, he didn’t cry, but buried his face inside my robes. The bright red mole by his eye was tender and lovable. I suddenly had a feeling of satisfaction. From planting the wood to raising it successfully, a full 10 months had pa.s.sed.

“He’s been born, he’s been born! Most Exalted Lord Lao, Immortal of Fates, come look! Though he lacks my heroic spirit, he’s still outstandingly handsome.”

The Most Exalted Lord Lao usually conducted himself uprightly, but even he couldn’t hold onto his dao whisk at this moment. He peered at the naked child in my eyes before he spoke. “I’ve never seen you make a move in all these tens of thousands of years.” Then his eyes s.h.i.+fted to my stomach with a dumbfounded stare. “When was he born?”

“Just now.”

“I haven’t seen the Nine Spirits Sovereign G.o.ddess this happy even when she asked the Jade Emperor for the Grave Guardian Beast. She’s really given too much care into this little Fang Hua,” the Immortal of Fates said, smiling at Most Exalted Lord Lao.

Lord Lao followed with a smile of his own.

The young Fang Hua suckled on my fingers with his mouth, his tongue wrapping around my index finger as he chewed and chewed without teeth. I patted his behind and he burped. Crinkling my eyebrows, I turned to Lord Lao.

“I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Go on and speak, there’s no harm.”

“Thanks to a stroke of luck, this Fang Hua Beast was brought to Heaven. His name hasn’t been recorded in the Book of Celestials yet, so I don’t know if it’d be possible for him to cultivate the Dao from you.”

“That’s easily done. But as the Nine Spirits Sovereign G.o.ddess, your own cultivation base is very high. Why not teach him the path of cultivation yourself?”