Chapter 546: Message to the Rulers of All Nations

The witch who rushed here, when she arrived at the village entrance, jumped down from the giant bird's back.

The giant bird let out a low cry, folded its wings, crouched at the village entrance, its eyes scanning the surroundings warily, like a loyal guard.

The witch stood where she was, lifted her hand and removed her hood.

Revealing a handsome face.

Her hair was speckled with gray, yet her features were youthful, revealing no clue of her true age.

On the right side of his face were etched some bluish‑black patterns, like an ancient totem, winding from the corner of his eye down and disappearing into his collar, adding a distinctive beauty to him.

He lowered his head to glance at his attire, lifted his hand to smooth the folds of his robe, then adjusted the jade ornament hanging at his waist; after confirming everything was in order, he took a deep breath and strode toward the village.

At the eastern edge of the village, two wooden houses stood quietly.

He walked straight to Yu Lin's door and halted.

Then, he bowed and performed a respectful salute, his posture reverent, his voice clear:

"Yao Xian, may I have an audience with you, sir!"

The words hung in the air.

A moment later—

Creak.

The wooden door opened silently.

A flash of excitement crossed Yao Xian's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.

He stepped over the threshold and entered.

Inside.

A figure stood with its back to him, by the window.

Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, outlining the figure sharply.

The person stood with hands behind his back, gaze fixed on the outside, as if watching something far away, yet as if watching nothing at all.

Just a silhouette.

But Yao Xian felt—

What stood before him was not a person.

It was a realm of heaven and earth.

A realm lofty and unfathomable, that made one feel awe at the mere sight.

No, it was more mysterious than heaven and earth, deeper, compelling one to kneel in reverence.

Or…

He is the very earth and sky itself!

Almost instinctively, Yao Xian bowed again, his voice even more reverent than before:

"Honored to meet you, sir."

The figure by the window finally moved.

Yu Lin turned around, his gaze landing on him.

"Surname Yao? Descendant of Emperor Shun?"

Yao Xian was slightly startled, then nodded and said:

"Yes, my elder ancestor is indeed Emperor Shun."

"Very well."

Yu Lin looked at him, his eyes lingering a moment on the totem patterns on his face, as if weighing something.

A moment later, he spoke:

"Stay here. Ten years, perhaps."

Yao Xian was taken aback.

"Do some tasks for me here." Yu Lin continued, "As a reward, I will teach you a method."

Method?

Could the 'method' spoken by this very being be an ordinary thing?

Yao Xian only felt a booming in his mind, all thoughts scattered, leaving only a voice echoing repeatedly: Method! He will pass me the method!

Almost instinctively, he kept bowing repeatedly, his head lowered almost to his knees, his voice trembling slightly with excitement:

"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"

"Please give me your command!" He straightened, his gaze blazing at Yu Lin, "I will spare no effort, and will not shy away from death!"

"Hmm."

Yu Lin nodded, then raised a finger.

"Then, the first task I want you to do is—"

"Go to the rulers of all the nations and tell them I do not see them."

Yao Xian was stunned.

Go to the rulers of all the nations? Tell them 'the sir does not see them'?

This…

Before he could think it through, Yu Lin gave a gentle wave.

In the next instant, the scene before his eyes flickered—

He found himself standing outside the door.

The wooden door had shut tightly.

Yao Xian stood there, dazed, unable to regain his composure for a while.

So… it's out?

He didn't even see how Yu Lin did it. No, he couldn't even muster a hint of resistance; his whole being was like a fallen leaf, gently carried away by a gust of wind!

He lowered his head to glance at his own hand, then raised his head to look at the tightly shut door.

Such power…

No wonder it could cause such a celestial phenomenon!

Yao Xian inhaled deeply, suppressing the shock and excitement in his heart, and turned toward the village entrance.

On the old locust tree, the giant bird saw him emerge, let out a low cry, spread its wings, and leapt before him.

Yao Xian jumped onto the bird, sat cross‑legged, and lifted a hand to pat its neck.

"Let's go."

The giant bird let out a long cry, beat its wings, and carried him into the clouds, disappearing from the horizon in an instant.

Yao Xian rode the giant bird, soaring through the clouds, heading south.

The first place he intended to announce to was not his own Chen State, but he planned to go to the neighboring Chu Guo first.

The capital of Chu Guo lay at Ying, a towering city perched upon the Jianghan Plain.

The giant bird landed outside the city, and Yao Xian walked on foot into the city, heading straight for the Royal Palace.

The current King of Chu is King Gong of Chu, who is the son of Chu Zhuang Wang; when he ascended the throne he was still a child, and heavy ministers such as Zi Zhong and Zi Fan assisted in governance, for he was only ten years old at accession.

But he lacked his father's abilities; his father had defeated the Jin Guo and established dominance over the Central Plains, whereas he fought Duke Li of Jin at Yanling (now Henan Yanling).

As a result, the Chu army suffered a crushing defeat, King Gong of Chu himself was shot blind in one eye, and Chu Guo was defeated, marking Chu's loss of hegemony and Jin Guo's resurgence.

Consequently, later King Gong of Chu blamed his lack of virtue for the loss of his army at Yanling, which shamed the nation and worried the ministers, so before his death he asked his subjects to posthumously name him "Ling" or "Li."

His disciple Zi Nang, unable to bear it, used the king's willingness to amend his mistakes as a reason and posthumously named him "Gong."

But at this moment—

Deep within the Royal Palace.

King Gong of Chu sat behind the desk, leafing through the bamboo slip in his hand.

His face was handsome, with a youthful, ambitious vigor evident in his brows.

Since his accession, he has won several battles; though not as awe‑inspiring as his father Chu Zhuang Wang, he has kept Chu Guo's reputation from falling.

He has not yet experienced that pivotal Yanling battle.

He does not yet know he will be shot blind in one eye, does not yet know Chu's hegemony will be shattered in his hands, does not yet know he will request his subjects to posthumously name him "Ling" or "Li."

At this moment, he is merely a young, vigorous ruler, brimming with confidence about the future.

Footsteps sounded.

A servant hurried in, kneeling to report, "Your Majesty, a shaman entered without permission and is now outside the hall."

King Gong of Chu frowned.

Entered without permission?

He set the bamboo slip down and lifted his gaze toward the hall's doorway.

A figure had already walked in.

It was a handsome man, his hair speckled with white, yet his face remained youthful, with a totem pattern tattooed on the right side of his face.

He wore a loose black robe, a jade ornament hanging at his waist, and walked calmly as if the Royal Palace were no different from his own backyard.

King Gong of Chu's brow furrowed even tighter.

He watched the man walk to the center of the hall, halt, then slightly bow in a respectful yet unflinching manner.

"Your Majesty," the man said, his voice clear.

King Gong of Chu did not rise, merely leaning on the desk, his gaze calmly fixed on him.

"You came without notice," he began, his tone neither cold nor warm, "for what reason?"

He paused, then said in a deep voice:

"Do you think this Chu Guo of mine has no one?"

Those words were rather impolite.

But Yao Xian only gave a faint smile and shook his head.

"Your Majesty is mistaken; I have come not to trouble you, but to deliver a message on someone's behalf,"

King Gong of Chu raised an eyebrow.

"Deliver a message? Whose message?"

Yao Xian looked at him, saying word for word:

"To convey the words of the one who caused the celestial phenomenon."

King Gong of Chu's expression shifted slightly.

He had naturally witnessed yesterday's phenomenon.

A sea of Purple Qi rose from the east, spreading across the sky, lasting for a long time.

He stood on the Royal Palace's high platform at the time, seeing the anomaly with his own eyes, deeply shaken.

But because he was far away, he only knew the fact, not the cause.

He intended to wait a few days before sending someone to investigate, to discover the origin of the anomaly.

Unexpectedly, before he could begin searching, someone came looking for him?

King Gong of Chu sat upright, his gaze becoming serious.

"That…" he chose his words carefully, "what message does he have for me?"

Yao Xian looked at him, calmly relaying:

"He says, 'No need for the rulers of the various states to appear; you need not go to visit.'"

King Gong of Chu was stunned.

Not seen?

He sent people to look, but before he even went, the other side sent someone to say "not seen"?

This…

He was both exasperated and amused, yet he couldn't muster any anger.

Because as he watched Yao Xian's attitude and listened to Yao Xian's retelling, he could vaguely sense—

That person, it seems, truly doesn't care about us monarchs.

It's not a pretended stance, not a ploy to trap; it's genuinely indifferent.

King Gong of Chu was silent for a moment, then rose to his feet.

He descended the steps, came before Yao Xian, and gave a slight nod.

"I, the king, have understood," his tone had softened considerably.

He paused briefly, then added:

"Please, sir, go back and tell that person—if there is any need, they may freely address me."

Yao Xian nodded, and again bowed low in salute.

"I shall certainly convey it."

Having said that, he turned, and strode out of the hall.

King Gong of Chu stood where he was, watching the figure's silhouette recede, disappearing into the sunlight outside.

He shook his head.

Sorry, I wrote it wrong; now Ku County belongs to the State of Chen.

In the forty‑second year of King Jing of Zhou (478 BC), King Hui of Chu destroyed Chen, and only then did Ku County become part of Chu Guo.

Too lazy to change it; just look at it as is. It will later be written as Chen State, hehe.