Chapter 824: The Land Goddess
Chapter 824: The Land Goddess
Several days later.
“The lifespan of the Divine Dao is incredibly long; the current Son of Heaven, in fact, is the Founding Ancestor of the Dao Court. . . ”
Inside the inn.
Fang Xi sat cross-legged, quietly observing destiny with his Fate Gu.
With a flip of his palm, the ‘Treasure of Lord Qing Tong’ appeared in his hand.
Since his Shinto Avatar was stationed on Black Cloud Mountain, he had brought these two items with him.
From the perspective of fate and karma, the karma associated with the Divine Seal of Lord Qing Tong was gathering, creating a pull. . .
“It’s almost time. . . ”
Thump-thump!
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
“Come in! ”
A faint smile touched Fang Xi’s lips as Gan Yu pushed the door open and entered.
“This humble junior greets the Great Sage. . . ”
Gan Yu bowed respectfully, saying, “This junior has already submitted his formal application, but it will take some time for the Ministry of War to review it. Perhaps this junior could act as a guide and introduce Your Divinity to the sights and customs of the capital? This junior has visited his revered teacher and fellow classmates recently, and has gained some understanding regarding the downfall of the previous dynasty. . . ”
“Oh? That would be excellent. ”
Fang Xi’s smile widened further: “Lead the way. . . I’ve heard there are thirty-three scenic spots in this capital, and now is the time to see them properly. ”
“Aside from the ‘Jade Forest and Snowy Sea’ being unsuitable for the season, the other sights are quite good. . . ”
Gan Yu immediately cupped his hands in a salute and led the way.
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“The thirty-three scenic spots of the capital are renowned throughout the world. . . For instance, the top courtesans of the brothels are naturally of exquisite beauty and talent. ”
Gan Yu led Fang Xi, the two of them equipped with bamboo staffs and straw sandals, traveling lightly as they toured one place after another.
After watching the bustling scene at the Capital City God Temple, Gan Yu leisurely remarked.
“Haha, I never thought you, a mere scholar, would have such profound insights into the capital’s attractions. ”
Fang Xi chuckled, “And then? ”
“It’s just that such well-known grand sights, like famous courtesans, though their reputation is great and the scenery is good, ultimately lack a certain rustic charm. They are not as wonderful as some demure maidens from humble families; though less famous, they possess a unique allure. . . ”
Gan Yu said, shaking his head and swaying his body, “Within this capital, there are still a few lesser-known but quite worthwhile places to visit. . . ”
“Indeed, lead the way. . . Even if it’s the Imperial Palace, this Great Sage can go whenever he wishes. ”
Fang Xi said with a hint of meaning.
Gan Yu’s expression remained unchanged as he led the way, like a dutiful tour guide: “Does the Great Sage know that not far ahead, there is a place with exceptionally beautiful scenery, which also holds a story? ”
He stretched out a hand, pointing towards the Land God Temple.
Fang Xi’s heart stirred, but his face showed no hint of it: “What is a mere Land God Temple worth? ”
“This temple is different. To have survived beneath the Dao Court and the Capital City God Temple, it naturally has a story. . . The Great Sage has traveled the world and seen many Land God Temples, where only the Land God is worshipped. But have you ever seen a temple where both the Land God and the Land Goddess are worshipped together? ”
Gan Yu smiled.
“This. . . I truly haven’t seen. ”
Fang Xi recalled for a moment, a hint of hesitation in his voice.
“This temple is precisely one that simultaneously worships both the Land God and the Land Goddess, which is rare in the world. . . And it is also related to the downfall of the previous dynasty. ”
Gan Yu led Fang Xi to the dilapidated Land God Temple from that day.
The temple still had sparse incense, its entrance covered in withered leaves, with only an old woman in tattered clothes, her hair white, holding a broom and listlessly sweeping.
“Oh? Related to the downfall of the previous dynasty? I’d like to hear the details. . . ”
Fang Xi and Gan Yu walked into the main entrance of the Land God Temple, displaying an interested expression.
“Back then. . . ”
The dappled tree shadows reflected on Gan Yu’s face, making his expression shift unpredictably: “The Heavenly Court governs the world, the Divine Dao governs humans. . . According to legend, there are an indescribable number of worlds like ours, all under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Court. The Heavenly Court is the Heavenly Dao, wielding the Heavenly Laws. . . Even if a dynasty exhausts its military resources through endless warfare, and the common people rise in rebellion, it would only bestow True Dragon Qi, and not just to one person, but would rather let the world contend for the dragon, with the final victor then establishing a new dynasty. ”
“Therefore, no matter how corrupt and rampant the previous dynasty was, and how dire the people’s lives were, it would certainly not have collapsed so suddenly in one day. . . The collapse of the previous dynasty was, in fact. . . an accident. ”
“An accident? ”
Fang Xi arrived at the main hall and saw the young Land God, clad in a yellow robe, appearing very handsome and vigorous, standing within the divine shrine.
In the other shrine, there was still only the lower half of a skirt sculpture remaining.
“Back then. . . the Crown Prince of the previous dynasty was ordered to clarify the divine order of the world. . . He began by inspecting the capital. This clarification was essentially about clearing out minor deities with few believers and weakened divine power, while also demolishing evil sacrifices and licentious temples. It was a matter of rectifying the source and purifying the stream. . . The Crown Prince obtained this authority, and could gradually gather the authority of the Divine Dao, which was a clear sign of his preparation to take over the throne. . . ”
Gan Yu chuckled, “When the Crown Prince stepped out, a hundred gods accompanied him. With a single word, he could determine the rise and fall of temples, elevate or demote the ranks of deities. His prestige was truly unparalleled. . . The capital inspection eventually reached this Land God Temple. ”“At that time, this Land God Temple had little incense, and it worshipped both the Land God and the Land Goddess. . . But both deities were absent. The Crown Prince was enraged by this and immediately ordered their conferred titles to be reclaimed and the temple destroyed. . . ”
“Wait. . . Where did this Land God and Land Goddess go? And when was this temple established? ” Fang Xi asked, somewhat puzzled.
“Perhaps it was the dynasty before the previous one, or even earlier. . . Who knows? ” Gan Yu smiled. “Deities have long lifespans, and after several dynastic changes, their original background would have become difficult to ascertain. . . Subsequent imperial courts mostly recognized those deities based on their divine power, faith, and incense. . . one by one! ”
Fang Xi understood. It was like how secular dynasties changed hands.
If there were influential noble families or powerful local factions from the previous dynasty, they would generally be appeased and recognized, and even their old land deeds might remain valid.
This was also a method to stabilize rule!
And the method of discernment was to see if they still possessed power!
If their power was strong, they would still be recognized; if their power was weak, they would have arbitrary power over their lives and deaths.
In essence, it was about buying off powerful factions.
In the Divine Dao, this manifestation was even more apparent.
After all, the strength of divine power could be clearly seen at a glance.
The Land God Temple was almost the lowest rank among Earth Gods, and both deities had disappeared, so naturally, it had to be razed to the ground to clear the spot.
Originally, this Land God and Land Goddess temple might have been able to muddle through, but with the Crown Prince overseeing the divine inspection, there was no way for it to escape.
“What happened then? ”
Fang Xi asked, his gaze falling upon the Land Goddess’s shrine.
“That night. . . the Crown Prince had a dream. He dreamt that an old woman came to plead, calling herself Land Goddess Ming Furen, earnestly begging the Crown Prince to spare the Land God Temple. ”
Gan Yu’s voice seemed to carry a hint of solemnity: “But when the Crown Prince awoke, he was furious. . . He roared, ‘How dare a mere minor deity use a nightmare curse on me? ’ He immediately ordered his men to smash the Land God Temple. . . I heard that when they were about to destroy the Land God statue, the Land Goddess statue automatically flew out and blocked the attack for him. Then, the Land Goddess statue shattered into dust, leaving only this base fragment. . . ”
“Immediately after, the capital experienced an earthquake, and it is said that over a hundred thousand lives were lost. . . And the previous dynasty’s Dragon Qi suffered a Heavenly Retribution, its national destiny severed, which is why the Founding Ancestor of the Dao Court then rose to power, taking advantage of the situation. . . ”
“A dynasty at its peak, yet its downfall was incredibly swift; truly a rare sight. ” Fang Xi also sighed, “Lady Ming? I wonder which deity she is? ”
Even the Capital City God couldn't accomplish such a major feat.
Moreover, even if it were done, there would surely be Heavenly Retribution!
That Lady Ming was clearly a terrifying existence within the Divine Dao, and ‘Land Goddess’ was merely a disguise.
“'ming’ implies'Ming’ (Underworld). . . So ‘Lady Ming’ is naturally ‘Lady Underworld’! ” Gan Yu seemed to grind his teeth as he spoke.
“Lady Underworld? Could it be the Underworld Empress? ”
Fang Xi thought of a possibility.
This world has the concept of reincarnation. Legend has it that after ordinary people die, if they are not enfeoffed by the imperial court and do not become Yin Gods, their wisp of a soul must go to the Underworld!
Furthermore, it’s not just this world; any mortal soul under the Heavenly Court’s jurisdiction should, in theory, go to the Underworld!
This Underworld Empress, though still under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Emperor, was also a powerful divine feudal lord in her own right.
To casually inflict a minor retribution on a small world, even if there was backlash, it would be as futile as an ant trying to shake a tree!
“Lady Underworld? ”
Fang Xi gazed at the statue, now only a fragment of a skirt, and fell silent: “Her plight. . . was rather moving, yet there are some points of doubt. The Crown Prince of the previous dynasty was not a fool. The Divine Dao respects power, and as the Crown Prince of the Divine Dao, his rank was almost a notch above the first rank. Having been visited in a dream by Lady Underworld, he should have known that her divine power and divine status were astonishingly immense. How dared he continue to act? ”
Although a person might do anything in a fit of rage, someone who could rise to be Crown Prince under the Son of Heaven of the Divine Dao would not be so foolish.
“There is another point of doubt: if the Land Goddess is the Underworld Empress, then who is this Land God? ”
He looked at the young Land God, feeling that although the divine statue was weathered, his dark and profound eyes seemed to hold a gaze, similarly descending from the Nine Heavens above.
“Although the Underworld Empress is as noble as a Heavenly Lord, and can even casually slay a Son of Heaven. . . it is difficult for her to directly sever a dynasty’s national destiny. She would have to bring down natural disasters and man-made calamities, causing great chaos in the mortal world for decades, to achieve that. ”
Gan Yu, however, sneered: “The one who can sever the Dragon Qi and Heavenly Pillars of a world in an instant is naturally only ‘Heaven’ itself! As the saying goes, ‘If one offends Heaven, there is nowhere to pray’ – that is precisely it! ”
“So that’s how it is. . . ”
Fang Xi looked at the young Land God, and couldn’t help but stare blankly: “So the Heavenly Emperor of the Heavenly Court, at first, was merely a Land God? ”
The position of a Land God was very diminished. Some larger villages or towns could be ranked from the ninth rank upwards.
But in a place like White Sweet Village, where Gan Yu was from, there was no divine rank at all, making him no different from a mere clerk!
To climb from such a humble status to the supreme position of the Heavenly Emperor, truly an incredibly inspiring feat.
In Fang Xi’s eyes, it was like a mortal in the Human World cultivating to become a Nascent Soul True Immortal!
“Precisely! ”
Gan Yu said solemnly: “The Crown Prince of the previous dynasty was ignorant, daring to destroy the worship of the Heavenly Emperor and the Underworld Empress, which led to the immediate severance of the imperial court’s national destiny. . . The Dao Court took this as a warning, but also deeply buried the matter, not allowing anyone to know. ”
“So, you are not Gan Yu. ”
Fang Xi looked at ‘Gan Yu’ and smiled faintly.
“Precisely! ”
From ‘Gan Yu’s’ body, a purple and green qi shot skyward, accompanied by an Emperor’s Sacrificial Text: “Your servant manages the rivers and mountains and informs Heaven: there are heretical gods from outside this domain invading our world. I implore the Heavenly Emperor to clearly discern and execute them! ”
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