Hong Hong'er suddenly turned around, burying his face into Xie Lian's chest, and started screaming wildly.
The scream had no words, no meaning, not even like crying, yet it was chilling. If you didn't see who it was, you might think it was an adult on the verge of a breakdown or a small animal with its throat cut, struggling for life. It seemed like dying immediately was the only relief, and anyone could make such a sound, but it shouldn't come from a ten-year-old child. As a result, everyone was shocked.
After a while, the national teacher said, "I mean it, it's better to let go."
Feng Xin snapped back to reality and said, "Your Highness! Let go, be careful..." But in the end, he couldn't bear to finish. Xie Lian said, "It's okay."
The senior brother Zhu was very concerned about the Crown Prince's safety. Seeing Hong Hong'er smearing blood, tears, and snot on Xie Lian's white robe, he went to pull the child away, saying, "Little friend, you mustn't!"
Unexpectedly, the more he pulled, the more the child screamed and refused to let go, using both hands and feet to cling tighter. Three or four Taoists came to help, but they only made him cling to Xie Lian like a little monkey. Xie Lian found it both amusing and pitiful, holding Hong Hong'er with one hand and soothing his thin back, while raising the other hand, saying, "Alright. Don't worry, just let him be."
After a pause, feeling the child in his arms calm down, Xie Lian quietly asked the others, "Did anyone else get hurt when the Divine Joy Palace caught fire?"
Mu Qing replied, "No. It was just us in the building."
Since the Divine Joy Palace had been burned to a charred ruin, Xie Lian couldn't stay there anymore.
After confirming that only the building was burned and no one was hurt, the Taoists who arrived began cleaning up the scene. They found gold debris and blackened gems, which pained them, but Xie Lian didn't care much.
Apart from some daily used items, he hadn't placed anything valuable in the Divine Joy Palace. The most valuable were the over two hundred famous swords he collected. However, true gold fears no fire; these swords were forged in intense flames, remaining unharmed. After retrieving them, Xie Lian temporarily stored them in the Four Symbols Palace of the national teachers.
As for Hong Hong'er, he clung tightly to Xie Lian, cried until he was tired, and fell asleep. Xie Lian intended to take him down Tai Cang Mountain to find a place for him, but the national teacher wanted him to go to the Four Symbols Palace first, so Xie Lian took him there.
After placing the child on a bed inside, Xie Lian tucked him in, lowered the curtain, and stepped out with Feng Xin and Mu Qing, saying, "National teacher, is this child's fate really that terrible?"
The national teacher pursed his lips and said, "Why don't you think about what happened after he appeared?"
The three fell silent. As soon as the child appeared, he fell off the city wall in front of everyone, interrupting the Lantern Festival parade. Then Qi Rong dragged him with a horse, causing chaos on the street, leading to Feng Xin losing an arm, Xie Lian clashing with the king, and the queen weeping. Now, he caused the spirits suppressed on Tai Cang Mountain to break free, burning the Divine Joy Palace. Truly, misfortune followed him like a shadow.
Xie Lian asked, "Is there a way to fix it?"
The national teacher said, "Fix it? You mean change fate?"
Xie Lian nodded. The national teacher said, "Your Highness, you didn't study divination with me, so you really don't understand this. If you did, you wouldn't ask this question."
Xie Lian was taken aback and sat up straight, saying, "I'd like to hear more."
The national teacher picked up a teapot from the table and poured a cup of tea, saying, "Crown Prince, do you remember when you turned six, the emperor and empress summoned me to the palace to divine your fate, and I asked you a question?"
Looking at the steaming cup of tea, Xie Lian thought for a moment and said, "Are you referring to the 'two people, one cup of water' question?"
Back then, to divine Xie Lian's fate, the national teacher asked him many questions. Some had answers, some didn't, and every time Xie Lian answered, the national teacher praised him, making the king and queen smile. Many of these questions became well-known stories. But there was one question that, after Xie Lian answered, the national teacher didn't comment on, and it wasn't widely known. Even Feng Xin wasn't clear on it, and Mu Qing hadn't heard of it. That question was "two people, one cup of water."
The national teacher said, "Two people in a desert, dying of thirst, only one cup of water left. The one who drinks lives, the one who doesn't dies. If you were a god, who would you give the cup to?—Don't speak yet, let me ask others and see how they answer."
He directed this last sentence to the two standing nearby. Mu Qing thought for a moment and cautiously replied, "Could the national teacher tell us who these two people are, their character and deeds? Only by knowing the details can a decision be made."
Feng Xin said, "I don't know! Don't ask me, let them decide for themselves."
Xie Lian chuckled, and the national teacher asked, "Why are you laughing? Do you remember how you answered?"
Xie Lian stopped smiling and said seriously, "Give another cup."
Upon hearing this, Feng Xin and Mu Qing both turned away, seemingly unable to listen. Xie Lian turned back earnestly and said, "Why are you laughing? I'm serious. If I were a god, I'd definitely give another cup."
The national teacher waved his hand over the cup of tea, and the tea began to flow slowly in the cup, as if alive. He continued, "In this world, good and bad fortune are fixed amounts. Just like this cup of water, there's only so much.
If you drink enough, others won't have any. If one person has more, another has less. Throughout history, all conflicts boil down to there being many people but only one cup of water, and there's reason to give it to anyone.
Want to change fate? Though difficult, it's not impossible. But if you change this child's fate, others' fates will also be altered, creating more grievances.
You once said to give another cup of water, just like today you said to choose a third path, aiming to create more, which sounds nice, but I'm telling you, it's basically impossible."
Listening quietly, Xie Lian didn't agree but didn't argue much either, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, national teacher."
The national teacher drank the tea and smacked his lips, saying, "No need to thank me. You won't listen to my advice anyway."
"..." Xie Lian, caught, coughed lightly and said, "National teacher, today at the Divine Martial Hall, I spoke out of turn and offended you, I hope you can forgive me."
The national teacher folded his hands in his sleeves and smiled slightly, saying, "You're my prized student and the Crown Prince, how can I not forgive you? Your Highness, I can say you're the most blessed person I've ever met."
Not understanding, Xie Lian listened carefully. The national teacher continued, "You have talent, ambition, are willing to work hard, and are born noble and kind. No one is more deserving of the title 'favored by heaven.' But I'm still worried about you. I'm afraid you won't pass that test."
Xie Lian asked, "What are you worried about?"
The national teacher said, "Although you've reached such heights, there are things you still don't understand, and others can't teach you. Like today in the Divine Martial Hall, you spoke about not worshipping gods, which is a rare insight for someone your age. But don't think you're the only one who's thought of it throughout history."
Xie Lian opened his eyes slightly, and the national teacher said, "What you said today was thought of decades or even centuries ago, but it never became mainstream, and few heard it. Do you know why?"
After a moment's thought, Xie Lian said, "Because those who thought of it didn't act on it, and weren't determined enough."
The national teacher said, "And you? Why do you think you're determined enough?"
Xie Lian said, "National teacher, do you think I can ascend?"
The national teacher glanced at him and said, "If you can't ascend, no one can. It's just a matter of time."
Xie Lian smiled slightly and said, "Then, please watch."
He pointed to the sky and said, "If one day I ascend, I will make everything I said today become the trend!"
Feng Xin and Mu Qing stood behind him, hearing his words, both unconsciously raising their heads slightly. Feng Xin smiled, while Mu Qing's eyes shone with the same light as Xie Lian's. The national teacher nodded and said, "Alright, I'll watch—but I don't think ascending too early is a good thing for you. Let me ask you, what is the Way?"
Xie Lian bowed his head and said, "You said, 'Walking the path is the Way.'"
The national teacher said, "Yes. But you haven't walked enough paths. So, I think it's time for you to go down the mountain and explore."
Xie Lian's eyes lit up. The national teacher said, "You're seventeen now, and I permit you to leave Tai Cang Mountain for a journey."
Xie Lian said, "That's perfect!"
Staying in the royal city for a day, thinking of the king, Qi Rong, and others made him uneasy. Plus, with the lavish Divine Joy Palace burned to ashes, he'd inevitably have more entanglements with his parents. It's better to travel further and focus on his own path.
At this moment, the national teacher added, "Crown Prince, for many years, a saying has been passed down as truth, but it's actually wrong, and no one noticed."
Xie Lian asked, "What saying?"
The national teacher said, "People go up, become gods; people go down, become ghosts."
Xie Lian thought for a moment and asked, "What's wrong with that?"
The national teacher said, "Of course it's wrong. Remember: people go up, still people; go down, still people."
Xie Lian was still pondering this when the national teacher patted his shoulder, looked back, and said, "In any case, don't worry too much about this child. Everyone has their fate. Often, even if you want to help, there's no way to do so. Let's talk about it later. For now, go out and train well. Hopefully, you'll have grown when you return."
However, no one expected that that very night, the child escaped from the Royal Extreme Temple and disappeared.
Even more unexpectedly, after this journey, the seventeen-year-old Crown Prince of the Divine Joy Kingdom, Xie Lian, defeated an unknown ghost at the Bridge of Thoughts and ascended amidst thunder and lightning.
The three realms were shaken.