Chapter 20: Xiang Xuanqing

【Yes!】

Although Shenxiao was momentarily stunned by Meng Wuyou’s blunt question, she still gave a positive answer.

【You’re just going to admit it like that?】

Meng Wuyou was surprised; she waved her hand and altered the space, transporting the two to a small world for private conversation.

Shenxiao reached out and tapped Xiaojiu’s forehead; the little fox lay in her arms, sinking into deep sleep.

“What’s there to deny?”

Shenxiao remained calm and said, “Aren’t we all here under false identities?”

“Aren’t you the same?”

“How can that be the same?”

Seeing Shenxiao’s indifferent reaction, Meng Wuyou realized something was off.

She gritted her teeth and whispered sharply, “Xiang Xuanqing!”

Shenxiao looked around, bewildered: “You’re… calling me?”

Meng Wuyou’s lip twitched.

It seemed she had guessed wrong.

Qingqiu’s vibe had nothing to do with Xiang Xuanqing.

Nine-tailed foxes are just naturally strange like this.

Outside.

The sudden departure of Meng Wuyou and Shenxiao puzzled Yinglong.

“Where did they go?” Yinglong glanced at Qingxiao Goddess.

Qingxiao Goddess’s lips curled slightly, a faint smile on her face: “Who knows?”

Yinglong gave her a puzzled look as well.

Why is everyone acting so strange today?

“Forget about them.”

Yinglong pulled her toward Nvwa’s direction.

Nvwa Daofriend said last time she was preparing for the Opening of Heaven—let’s ask how her preparations are going.

“You want to observe?”

“Of course! Don’t you?”

“Isn’t that unnecessary…”

Qingxiao Goddess looked at Yinglong: “Aren’t you the one who often opens heaven and creates worlds in the Chaos?”

Yinglong shook his head: “That’s different. My previous attempts were just small-scale trials.”

“They only help a bit with cultivation—nothing truly significant.”

Nvwa Daofriend seems ready for something big!

The Underworld.

Xiang Xuanqing suddenly felt a pang in his heart.

“Huh? Why is Wuyou muttering about me?”

A chatter of Meng Wuyou’s voice echoed in Xiang Xuanqing’s mind.

“I haven’t offended her lately, have I?” Xiang Xuanqing muttered to himself.

The Underworld differs from the Honghuang land—it is the yin aspect of the Wu Shang Zhen Jie, originally the realm of the dead, thus lacking vitality.

Altogether, only three and a half beings in this era could be called primordial deities of the Underworld.

He and Meng Wuyou counted as two.

Minghe’s connection to the Underworld was unique—he could be counted as one.

Wangchuan’s true spirit awakened late and had not yet fully matured—he counted as half.

Fewer beings meant fewer conflicts.

So their relationships were generally good.

Xiang Xuanqing and Minghe were in Taiwei Yuan; Meng Wuyou knew this.

Meng Wuyou often visited Kunlun Xu; they knew this too.

But Xiang Xuanqing had too many disguises; Meng Wuyou and Minghe rarely asked, and he rarely volunteered explanations.

For instance, Xiang Xuanqing had real arrangements in Kunlun Xu.

But they weren’t a Dao body—they were a primordial spiritual treasure.

A primordial spiritual treasure that had taken form.

“Could she have found out?” Xiang Xuanqing wondered.

Nuqing’s true form was a scroll of law, acquired by Xiang Xuanqing during his travels by chance. Since he himself wasn’t short of spiritual treasures,

he hadn’t kept it with him.

Instead, he intended to cultivate another primordial deity for the Underworld.

After all, his Underworld truly lacked personnel.

Why not build a future foundation by nurturing a deity of law and order?

So he helped Nuqing take form.

Along the way, he found her a blessed land to settle in.

By coincidence, Nuqing joined Kunlun Xu and became one of the Tai Su Nine Xiao—the Qingxiao Goddess.

Even more coincidentally, Meng Wuyou was there too.

Xiang Xuanqing had always assumed Nuqing had long since contacted Meng Wuyou and revealed her identity.

But she hadn’t.

Meng Wuyou had never even suspected Nuqing’s connection to Xiang Xuanqing.

In Xiang Xuanqing’s mind, Meng Wuyou was still chattering away.

“Xiang Xuanqing, you wait!”

Xiang Xuanqing was baffled.

He arrived before Dushuo Mountain.

Daofriend!

The spirit of the Divine Peach Tree emerged and bowed to Xiang Xuanqing.

Xiang Xuanqing returned the bow: “Are you comfortable staying here?”

“Very comfortable!” The Divine Peach Tree, thinking Xiang Xuanqing had come to reprimand him, hurriedly replied:

“If I’d known the Underworld had you, I wouldn’t have wandered all over!”

He referred to his habit of dragging Dushuo Mountain across the land.

Xiang Xuanqing smiled: “I’m glad you’ve truly settled in the Underworld.”

“I have a request—I’d like to know your thoughts.”

The Divine Peach Tree didn’t dare delay: “Please speak!”

“The rules of the Underworld have changed—the Ghost Gate has become the sole entrance.”

“I’d like to place the Ghost Gate on Dushuo Mountain, with you guarding the entrance to the Underworld—what do you think?”

The Divine Peach Tree froze in place.

“Do you trust me so much?” He was puzzled.

Xiang Xuanqing smiled: “I have no choice—my Underworld is short on deities. I must entrust this great responsibility to you.”

The Divine Peach Tree fell silent.

“I accept.”

Xiang Xuanqing immediately granted him authority over the Underworld’s great array.

He pushed his hand forward; the Ghost Gate reattached itself to the northeast branch of the Divine Peach Tree’s trunk.

Xiang Xuanqing had fully mastered the Ghost Gate; he could reverse its teleportation ability without needing the treasure on his person.

He explained this to the Divine Peach Tree.

His sincerity made the Divine Peach Tree feel increasingly weighed down.

“Alright, I won’t disturb you further. I hope you take form soon—then I’ll be truly at ease!” Xiang Xuanqing wished him well, then turned and descended the mountain.

Watching the receding figure,

the silent Divine Peach Tree suddenly called out to Xiang Xuanqing.

“I’m Shentu!”

Xiang Xuanqing turned back.

The spirit of the Divine Peach Tree split into two—no longer vague as before, their forms gradually sharpening.

“Or you can call me Yulei!”

Two true spirits, one to the left and one to the right, bowed to Xiang Xuanqing.

Xiang Xuanqing smiled.

“You learn fast!”

Excellent—now the Underworld would have one more qualified primordial deity!

————

NOTE: Shenshu is pronounced “shenshu”; Yulu is pronounced “yulu”

Wang Chong’s “Lunheng: Ding Gui” from the Han Dynasty cites the “Classic of Mountains and Seas”: “There is a mountain called Duoshuo… atop it are two divine figures, one named Shenshu, the other Yulu, who oversee and govern ten thousand ghosts.” This passage does not appear in the current version of the “Classic of Mountains and Seas.”

(End of chapter)