Chapter 396: A Visit from Heavenly Palace Deities

“Immortal Master...”

“There is no need to be afraid,” Song You said calmly as he looked at them. “For the State Preceptor to have valued and appointed you, you must be people of outstanding virtue and exceptional ability. Please introduce yourselves.”

“...”

The three ghosts became even more uneasy when he mentioned the State Preceptor.

They exchanged glances, and an elder was the first to step forward.

The elder bowed as he spoke. “I’m Fang Dongnian. During my life, I served as the Vice Minister of Revenue for the Great Yan court. After resigning, I passed away at home and became a ghost. The State Preceptor, remembering my integrity and uprightness as an official and my many efforts in disaster relief, appointed me as the vice minister of the First Palace.

“Until a new Ghost King is appointed, I temporarily oversee matters of capturing ghosts, registering them, and evaluating their merits and sins.”

“Greetings,” Song You replied.

He had heard of this Vice Minister of Revenue before.

Fang Dongnian was known for his virtuous conduct and had personally gone to the frontlines during disasters, making significant contributions to relief efforts. However, virtue could be both an asset and a limitation for an official. As a result, he had only risen to the position of Vice Minister.

“I’m Tang Xiu. During my life, I served as the head magistrate of Changjing. I was demoted after offending a powerful noble. After my death, the State Preceptor, recognizing my fairness and impartiality in office, appointed me as the vice minister of the Second Palace. I temporarily oversee the matters of reward, punishment, and the ghost prison.” The Second Palace’s vice minister cupped his hands in greeting.

“Greetings,” Song You said again.

He had not heard of Tang Xiu before, as the position was relatively minor.

However, after the tenure of a certain prime minister named Gu Shou—the one who had reassigned Duke of Thunder Zhou to Changjing—the court had paid significant attention to the governance of Changjing. Although the position of county magistrate wasn’t high, it was often filled by officials of exceptional ability and integrity. Still, being overly honest and upright often made it hard to advance further.

Rank, though, was never the ultimate determinant of one’s importance.

Even Duke of Thunder Zhou, the Chief of the Heavenly Palace Thunder Division, had once been a mere constable—a subordinate to the magistrate of Changjing.

A man in his forties or fifties with a large belly bowed as he introduced himself, “I’m Sha Junyi. During my life, I held only minor offices, but my family was wealthy. Because I frequently aided the poor, I gained a certain reputation locally. Admiring the heroes of the

jianghu

, I often hosted and assisted them as well, earning me some renown among wandering warriors.

“Many in the

jianghu

received my help and were willing to heed my call. Perhaps it was for this reason that the State Preceptor appointed me as the vice minister of the Third Palace. For now, I oversee the ghost officials in the city and ensure the ghosts remain orderly and perform their duties.”

“Greetings, Mr. Sha.”

Song You responded courteously once more.

It so happened that Song You had also heard of Sha Junyi’s name—more than once, in fact.

The first time was six years ago at the Great Liujiang Gathering. Song You had borrowed a seat from the Xishan Sect to watch the martial arts duels up close. Heroine Wu sat beside him and, during the breaks, shared stories about the

jianghu

. She mentioned a certain “Mr. Sha,” renowned for his generosity and righteousness, deeply respected by the

jianghu

community.

“And what led to your death?”

“Perhaps I mingled too much with people from the

jianghu

,” Sha Junyi replied with a bitter smile. “Someone used my name to stir trouble, accusing me of treason. They dragged me off and had me executed.”

“I see,” Song You said.

“Immortal Master...“ The vice minister of the First Palace bowed again and respectfully said, “We are not afraid of losing our positions under you, Immortal Master, but we wish to clarify. Although the officials of the Ghost City, including us, owe our appointments to the State Preceptor, we were entirely unaware of his schemes and never intended to participate in his plans.”

The vice minister of the Second Palace immediately added, “Immortal Master, please discern the truth. Though I carried out the State Preceptor's orders to send certain ghosts to their punishment, all of them were guilty ghosts, and their punishments were according to the law—at most, carried out with added severity. After you left, the State Preceptor even dismissed me from my position and took over my duties himself.”

“There is no need for alarm,” Song You said with a calm wave of his hand. “I will not make things difficult for you, nor do I believe you were involved in the State Preceptor's schemes. I will not remove you from your positions.”

He continued, “Please continue to perform your duties as before, following the same laws and regulations, until someone of great virtue and extraordinary merit takes up the role of Ghost King—though we will rename the position to 'Palace Lord.' When that time comes, your task will simply be to assist the Palace Lord diligently.”

“The laws will remain unchanged? Nothing will be revised?”

“For now, no changes will be made,” Song You replied. “However, there is no longer a need for harsh measures. Simply follow the rules as they are. I only ask that you remain steadfast, govern impartially, and continue to benefit the spirits.”

In truth, no one but the State Preceptor himself was likely to know the full extent of his schemes.

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Firstly, he would have feared any leaks and thus used both humans and ghosts without involving them deeply. Secondly, the State Preceptor was a complex and enigmatic figure. He might have foreseen his own failure long ago and ensured that these ghost officials would not be implicated.

The more Song You thought about it, the more intricate the situation seemed.

“All three of you, go about your work,” Song You instructed calmly.

He merely asked them to continue ensuring the Ghost City’s smooth operation, while pondering the selection of the Palace Lords for the three palaces.

With these three officials in place, even without a Palace Lord, the Ghost City could still function without worry.

As for the choice of the Palace Lord, it was likely that the State Preceptor had already devised a plan. However, it was unclear who he had chosen, whether he had made the decision alone, left it to the creatures of the mortal and nether realms to decide, or even engaged in negotiations and dealings with the Heavenly Palace.

Then there was the Emperor sent by the Heavenly Palace to oversee things, the ruler of the underworld, and perhaps even deities from the Buddhist sects...

The underworld indeed required a deity to preside over it.

While the Heavenly Palace bore its sins, the deities within it did not necessarily share in those sins.

Song You had no intention of adhering to the State Preceptor's candidate, even if he knew who it was. Nor would he, like the State Preceptor, allow the Heavenly Palace or the Buddhist sects to dictate the appointment of a deity. However, he did intend to follow the broad structure the State Preceptor had devised.

After all, he couldn’t stay here forever, and the State Preceptor’s system of checks and balances, with its division of power, was quite sound.

Fortunately, during his previous stay at Qingxiao Temple, Song You had thoroughly read through the registry of deities, which included many familiar names.

He decided to take his time considering the matter.

In the meantime, he formed a hand seal and cast a spell to cleanse his dreamscape, ensuring no deities could intrude and disrupt his thoughts.

“...”

When he returned to his senses, the three ghost officials had already departed.

The swallow, however, remained nearby, patiently waiting. Song You smiled and beckoned him over, and the swallow cheerfully hopped forward.

“Listen carefully...“ Song You remained seated, slowly teaching the swallow the art of wood magic.

The swallow, being quite intelligent, picked it up quickly.

Once he had learned, the two little demons—along with the jujube-red horse—frequently ventured out, leaving early in the morning and returning late in the evening. Every day, Lady Calico would bring something back for Song You.

If it wasn’t a fish or mud eel, it might be a rabbit caught somewhere. Occasionally, she would bring back a bug, often a butterfly or dragonfly, and present it to him, saying it was meant to stay here to keep him company when he got bored, standing in for her.

Meanwhile, Song You continued constructing his small world.

The little demons were busy, and so was the Daoist.

Meanwhile, the great demon played the

qin

from time to time, day and night without care.

***

In the spring of the eighth year of Mingde, an earthquake struck Zi Commandery in Fengzhou, causing Yin River to break its course and return to its original path. Half a day later, the earthquake subsided, and the river’s waters flowed again.

Rumors circulated of a battle between gods and demons that changed the very colors of the heavens and earth. Whether the tale was true or false, no one knew for certain.

The account was faithfully recorded in both the county and commandery annals.

In the summer of the same year, a celestial official visited Mount Ye.

At that time, Song You was still seated atop the high platform. Countless streams of light filled the air, like a sky full of fireflies and stars, weaving and dancing together.

Lady Calico, having been busy all day, wasn’t resting. Instead, she had climbed to the suspended steps, chasing after the glowing streams. She would occasionally leap into the air to catch them, playing with boundless enthusiasm.

Suddenly, a ghost official arrived outside with a report.

“Immortal Master, there are three divine officials outside the mountain, accompanied by two divine generals. The leader claims to be an Immortal Elder and says they wish to visit you.”

From the high platform, a calm voice replied, “Let them in.”

“As you wish...”

The gates of the Ghost City opened, and blinding sunlight poured in.

Five deities entered from outside.

As soon as they stepped in, they were struck by the sight of countless radiant streams of light filling the mountain, marveling at the abundance of spiritual energy and resonance in this place. Their eyes were then drawn to the central stone pillar with its high platform, upon which sat the young Daoist.

The three divine officials exchanged glances, cupped their hands in salute from a distance, and then slowly walked forward, ascending the suspended steps.

On the stairs, the calico cat tilted her head and stared at them for a few moments. Seeing them approach, she suddenly turned and dashed up the steps, stopping next to the Daoist and settling herself close beside him, waiting with him for the visitors to arrive.

The leading divine official was an elderly man dressed in a white robe, his divine light radiant and his demeanor kind. His hair was as white as a crane’s feathers, yet his face was youthful and serene. Behind him were two younger divine officials, dressed in the elegant and resplendent attire often associated with deities, their appearances both striking and spirited.

Following them were two imposing divine generals clad in golden armor, exuding an air of strength and majesty.

The three divine officials ascended slowly, their divine light illuminating the suspended stone steps as they climbed.

Countless ghosts watched the scene in awe.

“May I ask which divine beings have come to visit?”

The Daoist remained seated atop the platform, his voice calm as he posed the question.

The elder at the front stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting. “I’m the Immortal Elder of Green Wood of the East. Forgive my boldness in visiting unannounced—I hope you will pardon the intrusion.”

“Immortal Elder of Green Wood...”

Song You had heard of this deity before—an ancient, virtuous, and cultivated being.

The Immortal Elder held a ceremonial position and was not involved in the political affairs of the Heavenly Palace.

It seemed that the Heavenly Palace had deliberated carefully before sending a deity to visit him. They must have been aware of his stance toward divine beings. The Immortal Elder, at least, didn’t appear to be a confidant of the Great Emperor Chijin or a high-ranking figure in the Heavenly Palace.

For Hidden Dragon Temple, which didn’t view divine beings as enemies, the Immortal Elder seemed a neutral and balanced choice.

“I have been sitting here, attuning myself to the spiritual resonance and mysteries of heaven and earth, so I cannot rise to greet you. I hope you will forgive me,” Song You said, bowing his head in salute. “Greetings.”

“Cultivation is meant to follow one’s natural inclinations; there’s no need for such formalities,” the Immortal Elder replied with a kind smile.

“That is for the best.” Song You’s gaze shifted to the two divine officials and two divine generals standing behind the Immortal Elder. He asked, “And who might the four of you be?”

“I serve as the curtain-drawer for the Celestial Emperor’s chariot,” said one of the young divine officials, bowing his head.

“I serve as the scribe for the Celestial Emperor’s chariot,” said the other, bowing as well.

Both divine officials kept their eyes down, not daring to look directly at Song You.

The Daoist asked casually, “How did you ascend to become deities?”

“...”

The two young officials trembled slightly but answered truthfully, “When His Majesty descended to the mortal world to undergo tribulation, we served as his attendants. After His Majesty returned to the Heavenly Palace, he rewarded our loyal service by bringing us along to ascend and now keeps us at his side.”

Their words were fluent, without hesitation, but they still dared not meet Song You’s gaze.

The Heavenly Palace’s War Division was teeming with war generals, and all deities there had witnessed the might and power of the Great Star God, who ranked second in the ministry. When the Great Star God descended to the mortal realm and joined forces with a great demon to confront Hidden Dragon Temple, his defeat and death within mere moments—his divine soul utterly destroyed—had sent shockwaves throughout the Heavenly Palace.

The news of his death left the gods of the Heavenly Palace in stunned disbelief. Whether they were outraged on his behalf or felt he deserved it, none could deny the gravity of what had transpired.

As for the so-called “Celestial Emperor descending to the mortal world to undergo tribulation”, it was little more than a glorified story. The Great Emperor Chijin’s time as a mortal was embellished to enhance his divine reputation.

There was an old saying, “When one ascends to the Dao, even their chickens and dogs rise to the heavens.” These two young officials were among those who had ascended alongside the Great Emperor Chijin.

Although it was unjust for such individuals—lacking both virtue and ability—to receive the offerings of mortal incense and prayers, Song You refrained from mocking them. After hearing their explanation, he simply nodded and turned his attention to the two figures standing behind them.

The two golden-armored divine generals stood tall and fearless. They introduced themselves with confidence, revealing that they were both Star Officers of the War Division.

“Greetings,” Song You said calmly.

He more or less understood their purpose but turned his gaze back to the Immortal Elder, waiting to hear what he had to say.

On the stone pillar platform, streams of radiant light flowed freely, divine brilliance intertwined with spiritual resonance. Countless ghosts and wandering souls couldn’t resist stealing glances, curious to witness the demeanor of the divine beings and to compare it with that of their own Immortal Master. The balance of power between the two sides could very well determine their future fates.