Who Decides the World?

Duke Yansheng stood high in the immortal heaven. Behind him loomed a towering statue of the Sage, standing even a fraction higher than the Venerable Master. Standing before the statue of the Sage, Duke Yansheng's aura was entirely transformed, making Eldest Master Gu in the corner look like a mere star circling the moon. Before the assembly of immortals, Duke Yansheng spoke with easy confidence: "A new dynasty is about to be founded. We ought to follow the precedent of our forebears: re-establish the rites and music, enfeoff the realm, and once again establish the Seven Clans and Thirteen Prominent Families. By appointing men of merit to govern the four quarters, we can ensure tens of thousands of generations of peace. "Though the Tang dynasty has waned, both the Grand Ancestor and the Martial Ancestor were capable of dominating their eras, and the systems they instituted were naturally superb. "In my view, the old system of the Nine States should be preserved. It is only the rulers of the Nine States that must be determined anew." The immortals were visibly stirred. Those who currently belonged to the Seven Clans and Thirteen Prominent Families all wished to unite clan and state, as the Qi Li and Zhao Li had done. Meanwhile, certain rogue immortals and sect immortals began contemplating the prospect of branching out to elevate their own lineages into prominent clans. Seeing the expressions of the immortals, Duke Yansheng smiled slightly and said, "The rulers of the Nine States are of secondary importance. For the sake of the realm's living souls and for future generations, we must first choose a universal sovereign to bring an end to these dozen-odd years of chaos. Only by ending the turmoil early and bringing peace to the people can there be merit." Cui Zhengxing sat upright in his study. Hearing this, he cracked his eyes slightly and said, "If Duke Yansheng has some profound insight, by all means, let us hear it." Duke Yansheng took a step forward. The Sage's statue burst with radiant light, and in an instant his immortal form swelled several times over, far outstripping the surrounding immortals and falling only a sliver short of the Venerable Master. The immortals kept their faces impassive, yet the atmosphere in the immortal heaven congealed like ice frozen for ten thousand years. None of them had expected that Duke Yansheng—whom they had always thought of as headstrong, arrogant, and capable only of trading on his ancestral heritage—had hidden his depths so well. He was merely half a step away from becoming an Immortal Lord! From the looks of it, the first Immortal Lord after the Martial Ancestor was very likely to be this man. The immortals silently cursed Duke Yansheng for hiding his strength so deeply, even as they continued to sneer that he relied entirely on his ancestors' leftover grace. They had shared the immortal heaven for so many years; everyone knew Duke Yansheng's root talent and literary ability inside and out, and they all knew what he was capable of achieving in this lifetime. How could he possess the makings of an Immortal Lord? For him to suddenly astonish the world could only mean that the shade of his ancestors was simply too immense—so immense that it could almost fabricate an Immortal Lord out of thin air. Now, Duke Yansheng needed only the merit of enthroning the true dragon and bringing peace to the realm, and he might very well break through to the Immortal Lord realm. The immortals could only curse him in their hearts. Who told their own ancestors not to be Sages? Having awed the gathering, Duke Yansheng continued, "The Heavenly Dao possesses constancy, yet constancy lies only in change. If we were to single out a wise sovereign ourselves, that would be acting in Heaven's stead, fixing a predetermined outcome. That would truly go against the Heavenly Dao and invite Heaven's retribution. Therefore, I propose that we choose two candidates from among the contenders of the realm and allow them to vie for supremacy on equal terms. In the future, no matter who wins the world, and regardless of whose side each of us took, we must all support the new true dragon wholeheartedly. What do you all think?" "What if the candidates don't suit our wishes? Can there not be three or four?" Duke Yansheng replied, "If there are too many candidates, how would it differ from the current state of affairs? If we cannot end the chaos early, the merit of securing well-being for the common people will be lost." The immortal fell silent at once. "Then how are these two candidates to be chosen?" Duke Yansheng looked around the assembly and said, "In truth, there is already a consensus on the choices; even if I don't say them, you can all guess. How about this: let everyone convert their divine abilities, immortal power, and clan and state influence into stakes to place upon their preferred candidates. The two who receive the most backing will vie for universal sovereignty. What say you?" This method was novel and fair, so no one raised any objections. With a flick of the writing brush in Duke Yansheng's hand, figure after figure materialized in the immortal heaven, representing the warlords of the realm. Yet as the immortals observed them, they could not shake the feeling that something was missing. It was Xu Youyi who spoke: "Where is Wei Yuan?" Duke Yansheng said indifferently, "He is a cultivator, not a king of men. Furthermore, his immortal path has been severed; he cannot even become an immortal. What right does he have to take a seat in these deliberations?" Duke Yansheng spoke courteously, but his words essentially boiled down to: *Is he even worthy?* Seeing that the immortals had no further questions, Duke Yansheng said in a clear, resonant voice, "Southern Jin has bided its time and pushed forward with determination, refining its weapons of war. Forgoing the weaker Ji, it struck first against the mighty Zhao. Such ambition to bear the weight of the realm alone is rare under heaven! Therefore, for my placement, I back Huaipu of Southern Jin." As he cast a ray of light, Huaipu instantly expanded several times in size. Eldest Master Gu pointed a finger, and a ray of light also merged into Master Huaipu's figure, causing him to grow taller once more. However, this second increase in stature fell far short of Duke Yansheng's, offering a direct comparison of their respective strengths. The immortals had assumed Eldest Master Gu would vote for Li Zhi, who was, after all, his most outstanding disciple. They had not expected him to back Huaipu instead. Only then did the Venerable Master speak: "Then I shall choose the King of Qi." With a point of the Venerable Master's finger, the King of Southern Qi swelled instantly, overtopping Huaipu by a head. Clearly, even if Duke Yansheng's strength had advanced by leaps and bounds to fall just a hair short of an Immortal Lord, that slight difference could not be bridged even with Eldest Master Gu added to the scale. The immortals followed suit, casting their backing one after another. The Three Cuis were joined in purpose: with Cui Wantong personally taking the field in Southern Jin, Cui Zhengxing voted for Huaipu on behalf of Song Cui and the Ji-Zhao Cui family. Zhao Li and Xu Youyi cast their support for Southern Qi. The remaining immortals made their respective selections, almost all backing one of the two. The other contenders across the realm were left far behind in the dust. The board was set: it would be a duel between the King of Southern Qi and Huaipu of Southern Jin. At that moment, a young immortal whispered to an elder immortal beside him, "Li Zhi belongs to the Southern Qi imperial clan, is a disciple of the Academy, and has always maintained good relations with Qingming. How is it that in this selection, not a single person voted for him?" Stroking his long beard with serene composure, the elder immortal spoke with the world-weary air of someone who had seen every rise and fall of mortal affairs: "That is where you fail to understand. Being on good terms with everyone means you are truly on good terms with no one. Who would choose someone who wavers? Look, didn't Southern Qi and the Academy both put forward their own candidates? Those are their true people." The young immortal nodded, feeling a little dazed. Another immortal spoke up: "Many immortals are absent today. Will they acknowledge the matters we have decided upon?" Duke Yansheng sneered. "They did not show themselves when it was time to support the true dragon. When the true dragon ascends the throne, this torrential karmic luck and merit will belong only to those of us present. Will there be any need to care whether they acknowledge it or not? If anything, they should worry about whether what little foundation they possess can survive before the new dynasty's true dragon!" The Venerable Master spoke mildly: "The Pure Land has always remained aloof from worldly strife. Their refusal to take part in this mortal contest aligns with their Dao. The Sword Palace has long wandered free, unstained by worldly dust. Should the new dynasty be established, both sects ought to remain as they are." "The Venerable Master speaks truly. The Pure Land and the Sword Palace should remain immortal sects," Duke Yansheng agreed. *** In eastern Southern Jin, two armies stood locked in standoff. Tents stretched for dozens of li, intersected by a crisscrossing maze of trenches. The three eastern commanderies of Southern Jin had already fallen completely into Li Zhi's hands. After consecutive days of bitter combat, both sides had suffered devastating casualties. Inside the central command tent, Sun Chao'en hurried in and asked, "My lord, why have you summoned me so urgently?" Without a word, Li Zhi handed the imperial decree in his hand to Sun Chao'en. Sun Chao'en unfolded it and read, his face instantly filling with astonishment. "The King of Qi and Huaipu are to contest the realm, and all other warlords must submit to one side or the other?! On what grounds?" Li Zhi's face was dark as stagnant water. In a voice so quiet it was barely audible, he said, "Yes, on what grounds?" Sun Chao'en shook the decree in his hand and scoffed, "The King of Qi conferred only the title of Marquis Ningyuan upon you. Hah! He certainly thinks highly of you!" Li Zhi slowly raised his head. "We marched into Southern Jin, and Huaipu already considers me a thorn in his side. The King of Qi is banking on the certainty that I have no choice but to accept." "Who decided that only two men could vie for the realm?" Li Zhi pointed upward. "The immortals."