Chapter 548: We Bear the Burden

The same quiet room as before had been converted into an alchemy chamber.

In the center stood a dantian furnace, with several meditation cushions beside it, and two wooden shelves nearby holding alchemical materials.

“Senior brother,” the junior sister said to him again, “you’ve just taken on a disciple, yet you’re here watching me refine pills—won’t that interfere with teaching them?”

“No. Shan has Xu Yi and Pu Mei, just like the former senior and second senior brothers, and Master Wan and the others—they can teach Xianzhu the basics. For deeper teachings, there’s Fuyao. In time, I plan to bring Xu Yi, Pu Mei, and Xianzhu here too, so they can observe and cultivate using the spiritual resonance of the Golden Core.” Lin Jue smiled at her. “Besides, these past two years I’ve learned a new skill from Master Fuyao…”

“What skill?”

Lin Jue said nothing, only shifted slightly.

In an instant, two Lin Jues appeared in the quiet room.

“The technique of bodily division.”

It was a skill Fuyao had learned from the Eastern Queen Mother, and now it had come to Lin Jue.

“Light the fire.”

“Mm…”

The junior sister, whose main focus was the Five Elements spiritual arts, sat down and simply pointed a finger at the furnace—

Boom! Flames erupted violently within the furnace!

The temperature in the quiet room rose swiftly.

Lin Jue also sat down. Zi Yun and Xiao Hua looked down and saw two more meditation cushions on the ground; each took one and sat.

“Here, take this,” Lin Jue tossed them a thin robe. “It’s a Fire-Resistant Robe—your Fourth Master’s possession. I borrowed it before when refining pills, and now I’ve borrowed it again. Wear it, and you won’t fear the heat of alchemical flames.”

“Thank you, Fourth Master.”

Zi Yun quickly took it and draped it over herself.

“Watch closely and learn well. Every Golden Core formula in the world is the crystallized result of ancient alchemists’ understanding of the Dao and their painstaking research. This Four Directions, Five Elements Golden Core is among the rare ones suited to our Spirit Law Sect—not just anyone can obtain it. Though it has fallen from its divine status, it still surpasses ninety-nine percent of all spiritual pills, aiding Spirit Law cultivators in achieving True Immortality, and even offering benefits afterward. You’ll need to refine it yourself someday.” Lin Jue said to Zi Yun, “In a few days, I’ll bring Xu Yi, Pu Mei, and Xianzhu here to learn too.”

“I’ve noted it,” Zi Yun, though grown, remained obedient. “Thank you, Fourth Master.”

“What about me?”

A cat’s head popped up beside them!

“You? Don’t run around in the quiet room and knock over the alchemical materials. Go outside to play, but don’t crawl into the furnace, and don’t bring in rats or birds from outside.”

“Yes!”

Xiao Hua nodded solemnly, as if she’d truly listened.

The junior sister remained silent. Though she’d heard everything, she said nothing, focusing entirely on refining the pill.

Time passed slowly.

Zi Yun went from wearing the Fire-Resistant Robe to wrapping it fully around herself, covering even her head, leaving only her eyes visible as she watched her master refine the pill and listened to her senior brother’s instructions.

Xiao Hua left her cushion and jumped into Zi Yun’s lap, hiding beneath the robe.

This moment for refining the pill came slightly earlier than in the illusion.

Though Lin Jue stayed to watch over his junior sister and guided her, he remained far less burdened than her, often slipping into distraction—sometimes sending his clone back to Fengshan to check on the disciples’ progress and teach them new arts, sometimes simply strolling to admire the red autumn leaves or the deep mountain snowscapes.

Sometimes he went out to wander the capital.

Sometimes he visited the imperial palace to catch up with old friends.

…

In the imperial palace, the Vice Minister of Rites arrived with the Director of the Sacrificial Bureau.

“Your Majesty,” the Director began timidly, “last night, I dreamed of an envoy from the Heavenly Emperor.”

The Emperor felt a premonition of ill omen:

“What did he say?”

“The Heavenly Emperor’s envoy told me that over the past decade, Daoists from Zixiao Palace have hunted demons and monsters in Qinzhou, and celestial soldiers from the Nine Heavens frequently descended to aid the City God’s nightly patrols. Yet they’ve found people across the land worshipping false gods, suffering their harm, and even examples of deities once officially sanctioned by the court falling into corruption.” The Director paused. “This—this is precisely because the human world has been too hasty in deifying spirits. Before granting divine titles, they only heard fragments of a person’s final deeds or partial life stories, without strict evaluation—leading to deception.”

The Emperor’s expression darkened—he understood—but still asked:

“What do you mean? Speak plainly!”

“It means—meaning that deities are like human officials: human officials are appointed by the court, so deities should be appointed by Heaven. Henceforth, when deifying spirits, the Sacrificial Bureau must report to the Nine Heavens, and the Heavenly Emperor must personally approve—no longer should the human court handle it. This will ease the burden on the court and prevent the corruption and fall of true deities.”

“What do you think, Vice Minister Zhou?”

The Emperor turned to the Vice Minister of Rites beside him.

The current Vice Minister of Rites had once been the Director of the Sacrificial Bureau in the previous dynasty—he knew more about rituals and deities than anyone.

“L-Lord, I believe the Director’s dream holds some truth. I’ve reviewed the archives: the people’s worship and deification of spirits have indeed been careless, with many falsely worshipping evil deities, and even once-sanctioned mountain gods, land gods, road gods, river gods, and city gods failing in duty, acting corruptly, extorting offerings, or tolerating demons and ghosts to absorb incense and offerings—especially rampant in the previous dynasty.”

“Second, deities in some places can indeed be compared to human officials…”

Vice Minister Zhou glanced at the Emperor and saw his grim expression—he immediately added: “Yet deities originate from humans, from the human world. Since ancient times, the court and the people have always held the power to deify, especially the Emperor.”

“Third, this is merely the Director’s dream. Though deities often appear in dreams to the Sacrificial Director, he is still human—people imagine wildly. As the saying goes: ‘What you think of by day, you dream of by night.’ Dreaming of strange things is normal. We must wait for a true Daoist from Zixiao Palace to confirm it before we can judge its truth.”

No sooner had he finished than a servant announced:

“Master Mingchang of Zixiao Palace requests an audience.”

Boom! The Emperor slammed his palm onto the armrest of his chair, shattering it effortlessly!

Both old ministers jumped in fright.

At that moment, the imperial eunuch beside him, ever thoughtful, bowed low and whispered:

“Your Majesty, the fresh seafood from the Eastern Sea you ordered the imperial kitchen to prepare—it should be nearly ready.”

The Emperor’s expression softened slightly. He waved his hand:

“Send a portion to the old courtyard.”

“Yes…”

With that, the Emperor’s mind calmed.

“Tell Master Mingchang to wait!”

The Emperor waved dismissively, then added:

“I know all people revere deities and yearn for immortals. But deities originate from humans. As high ministers of the Great Yu court—especially you, Director He, whose duty is to communicate with deities—you represent the entire court, the entire human realm. How can you be so timid? Are you letting deities naturally tower over humanity, over the court? Or are you two old ministers still clinging to the old dynasty’s ways?”

The two ministers, hearing this, fell into abject fear and stammered, “We dare not!”

The new dynasty had just been established; the court, and the Emperor himself, must be far harsher than the previous dynasty—and far harsher than its final years.

After all, this Emperor and some of his generals had truly drawn swords against deities and slain demons and evil spirits.

The two ministers suddenly sensed something—

Perhaps this new dynasty had truly swept away the old ways. In this Emperor, they saw the shadow of the great Da You dynasty—a time when emperors feared neither demons nor deities.

Yet this dynasty’s Zixiao Palace and Heavenly Emperor were also tyrannical.

Imperial authority and divine authority were already in conflict.

“Summon the Southern Celestial Master!” the Emperor said. “When he arrives, bring Master Mingchang in.”

…

On the bustling streets of the capital, palace guards cleared the way. Behind them, several eunuchs carefully carried food boxes, stepping daintily, delivering them to the courtyard where the Emperor and Master Lin had once lived.

Occasionally glancing around, they heard passersby and merchants in teahouses and taverns speaking of the Southern Celestial Master’s name.

The young eunuch, too young to remember Fan Tian Shi or Pan Gong, had only heard fragments of their stories from elders—tales of Fan Tian Shi, Pan Gong, and the River God Wei Shui—but in the palace, he often heard stories of Master Lin, sometimes even linked with the Emperor’s own name, though he’d never seen him.

In today’s capital, the most renowned and most revered by the people was unquestionably the Southern Celestial Master.

After repeated court honors and rewards, the Southern Celestial Master had distributed the gifts to the poor inside and outside the city. Coupled with popular ghost stories compiled by literati—stories that frequently featured the Immortal Gathering Mansion and the Southern Celestial Master—his fame spread rapidly, revered by all, feared by demons and ghosts.

Thus, through streets and alleys, they soon arrived at the courtyard.

Unlike before, it was now guarded day and night by battle-hardened imperial guards.

Rumor had it this was where the Emperor and Master Lin had once lived—and now Master Lin had returned here, entering seclusion to refine pills.

“By the Emperor’s command…”

The lead eunuch announced his identity and purpose.

The young eunuch, holding the food box, looked up—and saw the sky seemed brighter, suffused with a faint glow. Memories of the old tale of Master Lin refining pills and ascending to immortality surged back.

…

In the quiet room, several people returned carrying the food boxes.

“Master, Fourth Master, this was sent by the palace—seafood from the Eastern Sea, prepared by the imperial kitchen’s finest chef,” Zi Yun, as the senior disciple, spoke up.

“Eastern Sea seafood…”

Lin Jue suddenly remembered how, long ago, he had traveled to the Eastern Sea with the fox to gather morning aura, feasting on the shore.

So much time had passed.

He never expected to taste it again in the capital, thanks to Luo Gongceng.

“Junior sister, focus on refining the pill—eat little. You others, learn well—eat little too. Xianzhu eats grass, so no need. Myself, Fuyao, and Xiao Hua will eat more—we’ll bear the burden.”

“….”

They set down the food box and exchanged glances.

“Oh, Master!”

Xu Yi suddenly had an idea and pulled out a letter from his sleeve: “A letter from Grand Senior Brother.”

“Let me see…”

Lin Jue took the letter and read it while eating.

The disciples exchanged glances and quickly began eating.