Xie Lian suddenly lifted his head and said, "No way."
He firmly repeated, "Absolutely not."
The national teacher nodded and said, "I expected you to say that. So, we're focusing on the second option."
Xie Lian seriously asked, "Please tell me."
The national teacher said, "The second option is for you, Crown Prince, to apologize publicly to the people of the Divine Joy Kingdom and ask the heavens for forgiveness, then meditate facing a wall for a month."
Xie Lian calmly replied, "No way."
The national teacher was taken aback and said, "It's not like you really have to reflect while facing the wall, just the gesture... ahem." Suddenly remembering they were in front of the statue of Emperor Jun Wu, he quickly corrected himself, "As long as you show enough sincerity, that's enough."
Xie Lian still said, "No."
The national teacher asked, "Why?"
Xie Lian said, "National teacher, do you know what I saw when I went down the mountain today? The people in the royal city not only didn't blame the accident during the festival, they actually praised it. This shows that our citizens believe saving that child was the right thing to do.
"And if we do as you say, punishing something right as if it were wrong, what will they think? Wouldn't that be telling everyone that saving a life is not only not a good deed but also something to be punished for? How should they think and act in the future?"
The national teacher said, "Whether it was right or wrong doesn't really matter. You have to choose one of two paths. There's no perfect solution. Either the child takes the blame, or you do."
Xie Lian said, "Whether it's right or wrong is very important. If I must choose, I'll choose a third path."
The national teacher rubbed his forehead and said, "Well... Crown Prince, if I may be blunt, why do you care so much about what they think? Today they think this way, tomorrow they'll think another way. You don't need to be so fixated on these small details. Trust me, those who are going to do what they want will continue to do so after this is over. They won't be moved by you or see you as a role model. We should focus on pleasing those above."
After a moment of silence, Xie Lian said, "National teacher, since I started training at the Imperial View Temple, the more I learn and think, I've always had a thought I didn't dare to express."
The national teacher asked, "What thought?"
Xie Lian said, "Is it really right for us to worship the gods like this?"
The national teacher was silent for a moment and then said, "If they don't worship the gods, what will we live on? Do you, Crown Prince, really think that millions of believers over thousands of years have been wrong in their faith?"
Xie Lian shook his head, thought for a moment, and said, "Believing is not wrong. I just think we shouldn't kneel."
He lifted his head, pointing at the grand, shining statue of Emperor Jun Wu, and said, "Humans ascend to become gods. Gods are like ancestors, mentors, guiding lights, but not masters. We should be grateful and admire them, but not worship them. Just like during the Lantern Festival, I believe the right attitude should be gratitude and joy, not fear, flattery, or placing oneself in a servant's position."
The national teacher stood silently, while the three deputy national teachers seemed restless and turned around.
Xie Lian continued, "If something unexpected happens, it's unavoidable. I'm willing to light a thousand lamps to brighten the long night, even if it means being like a moth drawn to a flame, unafraid. But I won't bow my head for doing the right thing. Reflect on past mistakes? What mistake have I made? What mistake have others made? It's like punishing Feng Xin for dealing with the evil Qi Rong. What's the logic in that? If the heavens have eyes, they wouldn't punish for this."
The national teacher looked elsewhere and said, "Crown Prince, what if the heavens do punish? Will you apologize then?"
Xie Lian said, "If that happens, then the heavens are wrong, and I'm right. I'll fight against the heavens to the end."
Hearing this, the national teacher's expression changed slightly, and he smiled, "Crown Prince, you certainly have courage saying that."
The three deputy national teachers all looked at him, wanting to speak but hesitating. Just then, an alarm sounded outside the hall, as if many bells were ringing at once. This made the four national teachers uneasy, and they all rushed out, heading to the back of the hall.
Xie Lian followed closely behind, going with them through several buildings behind the Divine Martial Hall to a dark octagonal hall. The doors of the black hall were wide open, and gray smoke was pouring out.
The national teacher cried out, "Where's Zhu An?! Where did he go?! What's going on?!"
Several guards rushed over, led by a senior disciple named Zhu. He said, "National teacher!!! I'm here! I don't know what happened, the door was locked, and it suddenly opened!"
The national teacher pulled at his hair and said, "Quick, get a new soul-sealing jar!"
Xie Lian rushed forward. Inside the black hall, there were wooden shelves with various jars, vases, and boxes, all originally sealed with red stoppers and talismans. Now, many were smashed, and more were falling off the shelves, shaking violently.
These containers held spirits and demons that had been causing trouble. Every temple on Mount Taicang had such a black hall, using holy energy to suppress them. Something had happened, causing them to suddenly riot and escape!
Xie Lian said, "There's no time!"
He kicked the door shut. The iron lock outside had been broken by the spirits, so he drew a few characters in the air with his sword and stabbed it into the ground. He had brought over two hundred swords up the mountain, changing them almost daily, each one a masterpiece. The sword stood firm in the ground, and the door wouldn't open again, only the angry sounds of spirits hitting the walls inside could be heard.
Looking up, black clouds were rising from the black halls behind the various temples on the mountain peaks. The spirits were gathering and heading in one direction. Zhu An said, "Where are they going? Why are they all flying there?"
The national teacher cursed, "Are you blind? That's the Divine Joy Palace!"
They rushed to the Divine Joy Peak. On Mount Taicang, black smoke was rising from the black halls behind countless temples, forming a massive swirling cloud over the Divine Joy Palace. The national teacher asked, "What's going on in your Divine Joy Palace?! Why are all the spirits being drawn there? What did you put inside?!"
Xie Lian was also puzzled and said, "There's nothing inside! Only..."
Only what? Xie Lian suddenly remembered: the child!
At this moment, the senior disciple said, "National teacher!! There's a fire at the Crown Prince's place!"
Indeed, a corner of the Divine Joy Palace was ablaze, the flames lighting up the black clouds. However, down in the royal city, some citizens who hadn't gone to bed yet saw this and, not realizing the danger, excitedly pulled others to watch, saying, "Wow! The gods on the celestial mountain are performing magic, how beautiful!"
In no time, they arrived at the Divine Joy Palace. Xie Lian hadn't left many servants there, and dozens of disciples were rushing over from elsewhere to draw well water to put out the fire. Xie Lian didn't see his two attendants and rushed inside. The spirits from all the black halls on Mount Taicang had gathered here, making the palace pitch black, impossible to see anything. Xie Lian vaguely saw two figures in the center of the hall and shouted, "Feng Xin! Mu Qing!"
The two were maintaining a protective array, keeping the evil spirits out, struggling to hold on. Sure enough, Feng Xin's voice came, "Your Highness, don't come in! There's something strange about this child, those things are all coming for him!"
Only then did Xie Lian notice a small black figure behind the two, seemingly kneeling on the ground with its head in its hands, saying, "It's not me!!!"
After observing for a moment, Xie Lian said, "You don't have to hold on, let go!"
Mu Qing said, "We can't let go! If we do, these things will go crazy. Let me find the strongest one among them..." But Xie Lian shouted, "Don't worry. Let go! Now!"
Mu Qing gritted his teeth and released his hold with Feng Xin. As expected, the spirits, losing their restraint, began to scream, ready to go wild!
However, in the next moment, Xie Lian reached out and grabbed a wisp of black smoke with lightning speed.
Without even looking, he grabbed a wisp of black smoke with his bare hands, holding it tightly in his palm. After capturing this one spirit, all the other spirits in the Divine Joy Palace slowed down.
Outside the palace, everyone nodded in approval.
When many spirits are in a chaotic state, all gathered in one place, they instinctively follow the strongest one.
Capturing that one, the rest, without a leader, will momentarily lose direction. At this moment, Xie Lian immediately identified the strongest one and caught it, giving it no chance. With a slight squeeze, the spirit turned to dust in his palm.
Then, the four national teachers raised their sleeves and called, "Come back!"
The spirits, leaderless and like headless flies in the Divine Joy Palace, finally accepted their fate and unwillingly returned to the sleeves of the national teachers. Dozens of disciples extinguished the remaining flames, and as the thick black smoke in the hall gradually dissipated, Xie Lian finally saw the three figures clearly.
Feng Xin and Mu Qing were half-kneeling on the ground, still shaken. Behind them, the child remained silent, holding his head. The national teachers came in, looked at the child, and asked, "Where did this child come from? Feng Xin said all the spirits were coming for him? What's going on?"
Xie Lian said, "This is the child who fell from the city wall during the Lantern Festival."
The national teachers were shocked. The national teacher asked, "Why did you bring him up the mountain?"
Xie Lian shook his head, unable to explain, and asked Feng Xin, "What did he do to attract all the spirits from the black halls?"
Feng Xin, with one arm hanging, stood up and said, "I don't know what he did! But as soon as he came up the mountain and entered the Divine Joy Palace, suddenly all these black things flew over from other peaks, all rushing into the hall, surrounding him, more and more, and we couldn't get out."
Xie Lian looked around at the charred remains of the Divine Joy Palace and asked, "What about the fire?"
Mu Qing's face was covered in black soot, and he said, "We couldn't get out, so we drew an array to protect ourselves. These spirits then set fire to the curtains, trying to force us out of the array."
Feng Xin said, "Luckily, Your Highness arrived quickly and grabbed their leader, or else the array and everyone in it would have been burned away."
Hearing this, Mu Qing closed his eyes and slightly lowered his head. Meanwhile, the national teachers surrounded the child, examining him closely.
Xie Lian asked, "National teacher, is there anything wrong with this child?"
If there was something wrong, like being possessed by a demon, Xie Lian should have noticed immediately. After years of training at the Imperial View Temple, he had honed his vision, and few things could escape his notice. However, he didn't see anything wrong with the child. The national teacher shook his head, seemingly unable to see anything either, and asked the child, "What's your birth date and time?"
The child seemed wary of everyone, filled with hostility, just staring without speaking. Xie Lian gently said, "Go ahead, the national teacher wants to check your fate, it's for your own good."
As soon as he spoke, the child quietly reported his birth date and time. The national teacher furrowed his brow and began calculating. The others watched him for a while, discussing in low voices, their expressions growing more serious. Xie Lian also grew more serious.
Although the national teacher appeared to be a slick young man in his thirties, Xie Lian knew best how capable his master was, being the head of the Imperial View Temple. Mei Nianqing, the chief national teacher of Divine Joy, was famous for his unparalleled divination skills.
Xie Lian had learned swordsmanship and magic from the national teachers but never learned fortune-telling from the chief national teacher because he said it was a skill for the common folk, and as the Crown Prince, Xie Lian didn't need to learn it. Xie Lian wasn't interested either, so he never delved into it.
But whenever the national teacher took action, he was never wrong.
After a while, as he calculated, the national teacher's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and he muttered, "No wonder... no wonder... no wonder the festival was ruined by him, the spirits in the black halls got excited when they sensed him, and the Divine Joy Palace burned, this... this... this is really..."
Xie Lian asked, "Really what?"
The national teacher wiped his sweat and suddenly backed away eight paces, saying, "Crown Prince, you've really picked up something incredible! This child is extremely unlucky, a cursed fate that attracts evil things, whoever gets close will have bad luck, whoever loves him will die!"
Before he finished speaking, the child suddenly leaped up and charged at the national teacher.
Though his voice was young, the shout was filled with anger, as if his heart was full of endless pain and despair, making everyone present shiver. The child, clearly covered in wounds, was fighting like a mad dog, truly fierce. The deputy national teachers stopped him, and the national teacher kept retreating, saying, "Quick, take him down the mountain, take him down the mountain! Don't touch him, I'm serious, his fate is too cursed, don't even touch him!"
The deputy national teachers quickly backed away with him, while Mu Qing and Feng Xin didn't know what to do. Seeing others avoiding him like the plague, the child hesitated, then fought even harder, biting and shouting, "I'm not! I'm not!! I'm not!!!!"
Suddenly, a pair of hands wrapped around his waist, holding him tightly. A voice above his head said, "You're not. I know you're not. Alright, don't cry. I know you're not."
The child tightly clutched the white sleeves of the hands around his waist, stubbornly holding back for a long time, but finally couldn't hold back, and a tear rolled down from his wide-open black eyes, and he burst into tears.
Xie Lian hugged him from behind and firmly said, "It's not your problem. It's not your fault."