Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu （Novel） Vol. 2
Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
Chapter 12:
In the Palace of Divine Might, Crown Prince Meets Crown Prince
XIE LIAN KNEW this ring must have been left behind by Hua Cheng. He held it in his hand and wondered for a moment, What could this be?
When Xie Lian was still an esteemed crown prince, he grew up in the Palace of Xianle. The Kingdom of Xianle had always reveled in beautiful, precious objects. Collectors who held aesthetics above all else were abundant, and the palace itself was of course glorious and dazzling. Golden columns, jaded steps, innumerable treasures, and precious jewels—the noble children even played with colored gems as if they were toys. Xie Lian was thus familiar with the sight of riches, and from the look of this ring, it appeared to be made of diamond. But its shape was exquisite—even the most skilled jeweler likely couldn’t craft an equal to the ethereal natural beauty it emanated. Moreover, of all the diamonds he had ever seen, this stone was extraordinarily clear, shimmering like a crystal, fascinating and sublime. That scintillating luster made it difficult for him to determine exactly what kind of stone it could be.
Still, even if he couldn’t tell what the ring was made of, it was certainly an item of extreme significance. If it was found around his neck, then it had clearly not been accidentally dropped. It was most likely a gift from Hua Cheng, a keepsake.
Xie Lian was a little surprised to receive a memento like this, and he smiled softly. He resolved to take good care of it and to ask the youth what the gift meant the next time they met. All he owned was this broken-down shrine, and in it there was nowhere appropriate for him to hide treasure. After giving it some thought, he decided the best place to keep it was on his person after all. And thus, Xie Lian fastened the silver chain around his neck once more.
After running around Mount Yujun and Banyue Pass back-to-back, Xie Lian lay paralyzed in Puqi Shrine for a few days. If it wasn’t for the kindness of some overly passionate villagers who came with offerings of buns and congee, he would’ve probably stayed incapacitated for many days more. He spent his time thus, until one day, a sudden message arrived from Ling Wen: Return to the heavens at once.
Judging by her tone, something bad was about to go down. Xie Lian could guess more or less what it was and was already mentally prepared.
“Is this about Banyue Pass?”
“That’s right,” Ling Wen replied. “When you’ve returned to the heavens, come directly to the Palace of Divine Might.”
Upon hearing “Palace of Divine Might,” Xie Lian froze. Jun Wu was back.
Since his third ascension, he hadn’t yet seen Jun Wu. As the number one martial god, Jun Wu spent his days deep in secluded cultivation or out patrolling the realms and keeping the world at peace. With his return, it looked as though Xie Lian wouldn’t be able to get out of making this trip. And so, after only a few days of rest, he hiked up to the Heavenly Capital once more.
The divine palaces of all manner of gods and immortals had been built in the Heavenly Capital, each with their own history and style. Together, they formed the great city. There were sculpted pillars and muraled buildings here, little bridges and streams there. There was a transcendent ambience in the air, and clouds diffused beneath one’s feet.
The Heavenly Court had a single main road: the Grand Avenue of Divine Might. Although there were many such roads built in honor of Jun Wu in the Mortal Realm, such mortal monuments were but a hollow mimicry of their true form in the heavens. Only this road in the Heavenly Court was the true Grand Avenue of Divine Might. Xie Lian walked on down the expansive road and headed toward the Palace of Divine Might. En route, there were many heavenly officials hurrying along, but not a single one dared acknowledge him.
Truthfully, there were not many to begin with who would acknowledge him when he visited the Heavenly Court. However, “not acknowledge” meant no fellow officials would approach and walk with him or initiate any conversation, but they would still nod in greeting and give him basic due courtesy. But now they were pretending he wasn’t there at all, as if a single glance at him would get them in trouble. If they were in front of him, they would hurry away. If they were behind him, they would slow their pace, leaving him a wide berth, desperately hoping his feet would carry him meters away from them.
Xie Lian had gotten used to this sort of treatment long ago, so he didn’t think anything of it. After all, he did just drag down the mighty, newly ascended General Pei Junior. It would be stranger if no one stayed away. Yet unexpectedly, as he walked, a voice suddenly called out from behind him.