Miracle

The array appeared to be the same, and the room was similar in size to the previous one, but the walls were made of massive blocks of stone. He Lingchuan could feel the air grow distinctly colder, crisper, and fresher. Naturally, the guards keeping watch over the room were different as well. "We're here," Fu Shanyue said, stepping out of the array first. He Lingchuan stepped out of the building and looked back. Sure enough, it was the very tower Ke Yanming had emerged from previously. The surrounding view had changed to the scenery of Tianshu Peak, and a large crowd of tourists were casting curious, reverent glances in their direction. They had arrived at the Heavenly Palace. Anyone stepping out of a teleportation array was no ordinary figure. Just as the two were about to climb the white jade stairs, a guard suddenly spoke up. "The Demon Emperor will see the Chiyan Crown Prince first." *What, an audience separately?* He Lingchuan felt a chill run through him. Fu Shanyue was also caught off guard, but having already reached this point, how could he disobey an imperial order? He gave He Lingchuan a nod and set off toward Zhaixing Tower first. He Lingchuan wondered how the Heavenly Palace intended to deal with him, but then a young maiden strolled out from the side and offered him a faint smile. "My lord, you may rest and take tea at the Cloud Gallery while awaiting your summons, or you may tour the Heavenly Palace. The scenery on Tianshu Peak is beyond compare, and no fewer than a million tourists come each year to pay homage." She looked only fourteen or fifteen, with a lovely face naturally flushed with youth. Her smile made her doubly endearing. He Lingchuan paused in surprise. "I don't need to wait in a designated spot?" "No need," the young maiden said. "The Demon Emperor's audience with the Chiyan Crown Prince will take some time. As long as you do not leave Tianshu Peak, we will come summon you when the time arrives." The Cloud Gallery resembled the side chambers of an imperial palace, a place where subjects and lamp wardens waited to be received. Tea and light refreshments were fully stocked, yet it was deserted and lacked any signs of life. Looking outside the Cloud Gallery, however, tourists bustled everywhere. Although people usually dared not shout or make noise in the Heavenly Palace, gathering in small groups and whispering amongst themselves was unavoidable. Any ordinary person would know which option to choose. He Lingchuan asked the young maiden, "Am I to walk around by myself?" She covered her mouth with a soft chuckle, and through the gaps between her fingers, He Lingchuan caught sight of her dimples. "If this is your first visit, I would be happy to accompany you." "Then I shall trouble you." The two walked side by side, and as expected, no palace guards followed behind. He Lingchuan followed her lead, asking her name as they walked. It turned out the young girl was named Lu Shishi, only fourteen years old, and had just been chosen as a lamp warden of the Heavenly Palace the previous year. He asked curiously, "I've heard that the Everlasting Lamps of the Heavenly Palace are never blown out by the wind. Is there really any need to guard them?" "The wind cannot blow them out, but that does not mean other powers cannot extinguish them," Lu Shishi said. "Since the Heavenly Palace was built, there has been no shortage of surprise attacks by outside foes. In the most severe incident, half the lamps in Zhaixing Tower were knocked out." He Lingchuan was astonished. "What kind of foe could be so formidable?" "A great demon named Chifeng. It infiltrated Mount Xu before suddenly launching an assault." Lu Shishi pursed her lips. "In short, it caused utter chaos on Mount Xu, and the Heavenly Palace was shut down for over two months before reopening to travelers." "Why did they come here to make trouble?" Lu Shishi shook her head lightly. "That is not clear. In this world, there are many nations and places that fear and despise the power of the celestial gods." He Lingchuan gave a slight nod. The old Demon Emperor had passed away over a decade ago, before this young girl was even born. The tale of the great demon Chifeng was merely something others had told her. Even so, this at least proved that despite Beijia's immense power, enemies still lurked in the shadows, watching for an opportunity. *By the way, wasn't the great demon Chifeng ultimately defeated at the hands of Fan Long?* The wind at the mountain summit was exceptionally gentle today, making even the perpetual snow appear somewhat less harsh. With a beauty walking beside him—a girl whose smile was as sweet as pear blossoms blooming in spring—He Lingchuan found that passersby frequently turned their heads to look. A few days earlier, He Lingchuan had already toured most of the Heavenly Palace's architecture with the tour group. Yet how could the commentary of that unscrupulous guide, Old Ge, compare to Lu Shishi's thorough and detailed explanations? This young girl seemed to possess a natural affinity; anyone by her side would feel as if bathed in a warm spring breeze, their spirits lifting in comfort. "Chongyang Hall is just ahead." A thought stirred in He Lingchuan's mind. "Just how many celestial gods are there under Holy Venerable Lingxu?" "Thirty-six primary gods, one hundred twenty-eight attendant gods, and three thousand six hundred subordinate gods," Lu Shishi explained as she led him toward the Golden Hall. "Those enshrined here are the primary and attendant gods." "There are so many gods?" What He Lingchuan was actually thinking, however, was that Mitian had clearly stated the celestial gods numbered a hundred thousand, yet those serving under Holy Venerable Lingxu did not even amount to four thousand. Where were the remaining celestial gods, then? Under whose seat did they belong? Yet Lu Shishi made a remarkably mature remark: "On earth lies a mortal realm, in heaven a divine realm. Without followers and masses, how could it be called a realm at all?" Just as He Lingchuan was about to reply, a sharp *smack* rang out ahead, followed by an angry shout: "Outrageous! You crazy hag, how dare you disgrace yourself inside the temple!" The two had already stepped into the Golden Hall. It was packed with people, making it the liveliest attraction aside from the Dao-Seeking Tree on Tianji Peak. Normally, the atmosphere inside the hall was solemn and reverent. People kowtowed, offered incense, and prayed in hushed whispers. None dared raise their voices, fearing they might offend the celestial gods. This was the Heavenly Palace, after all! Yet right now, a woman was gripping a man's sleeve tightly, shrieking, "Why don't you dare let the celestial gods judge truth from falsehood, huh? If you have nothing on your conscience, why don't you dare test it!" The man's face was livid. He raised a hand and slapped her across the face—the very crisp smack He Lingchuan had heard moments before. The blow knocked loose the woman's silver hairpin, sending her hair spilling down and ruining her previously neat appearance. Yet as if insensible to the pain, she grabbed the man and insisted on dragging him to kneel and seek the truth. As the two grappled, palace guards rushed over upon hearing the commotion, intending to haul them out. A bystander nearby chuckled. "Brother, just how many debts of passion have you run up out there?" The onlookers were all grinning, but the woman suddenly screamed, "My former husband died under bizarre circumstances, and this scoundrel immediately showed up with debt notes to force me into marriage! I endured three years of humiliation, finally managing to trick him up to Mount Xu to beg the celestial god Miaozhantian to discern the truth and grant me justice!" Her shrill cries echoed through the vast hall, instantly drowning out the crowd's laughter. Even the guards' footsteps slowed. *Hmm? There's more to this?* Looking closer at the woman, despite half her face being swollen and red from the slap, her striking beauty was still plain to see. The man was both alarmed and enraged. Cursing furiously, he yanked her toward the exit. Right then, a clear *clang* sounded from the divine statue behind the woman. The sound was not loud, yet it resonated in everyone's chest like the chime of a great bell. Someone nearby immediately cried out, "The touchstone! The touchstone dropped into the pan!" The palace guards stepped forward at once, lowering their polearms to bar the man's path. "Get back and kneel!" The man's face instantly went white as a sheet. "My lords, she's speaking utter nonsense! You can't believe her!" "It has nothing to do with whether we believe her or not. The celestial god demands you undergo the trial," a guard said, hauling him back and forcing him to his knees before the statue of Miaozhantian. When He Lingchuan had entered the Golden Hall previously, he had already seen this statue of Miaozhantian. It depicted a benevolent, solemn goddess whose golden form was the height of a living person. Each god possessed their own magic artifact. The one held in this goddess's hand was rather unusual: a golden balance scale. Aside from its extraordinary craftsmanship, the balance's most distinctive feature was an eye resting atop the central fulcrum. The goddess's other hand was formed in a mudra, index finger pointing upward while the thumb and middle finger met, holding a counterweight that was likewise cast in gold. The clear chime everyone had just heard was the sound of this counterweight falling into one of the scale pans below. Lu Shishi whispered an explanation to He Lingchuan. "Countless believers come and go here every day, praying for divine favor. Today, this good woman shares an affinity with Miaozhantian, and the goddess has answered her plea." He Lingchuan's interest was piqued. "Do the celestial gods often respond to believers?" "Only occasionally," Lu Shishi said with a smile. "There are a hundred and eight thousand voices whispering in the ears of the gods. How could they attend to every single one?" "How will Miaozhantian help her?" "Although the touchstone has dropped into the pan, the two pans remain level, with neither side rising or falling," Lu Shishi murmured. "Every word that man speaks next will be placed on the scales to be weighed. If he speaks falsehood, it will not match the weight of the touchstone, and the other pan will tip upward instantly!" "Then how does the touchstone confirm the truth of his words?" "No lie can deceive the Dharma Eye." Lu Shishi gestured with her chin toward the eye on the balance scale. "Can it ever make a mistake?" *So the celestial gods refer to the Eye of Truth as the 'Dharma Eye'?* The symbolism was crystal clear: the celestial gods were the law. The young girl was utterly resolute. "Never!" The woman had already walked before the statue and knelt of her own accord. Turning to the man, she demanded, "Did you kill my husband?" The first question was so piercing that a wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd. The man shook his head violently. A palace guard barked, "Answer!" "No, absolutely not!" the man cried. "He and I were friends for twelve years, knowing each other since childhood! Why would I kill him?!" Everyone looked toward the balance. On the empty pan, a small piece of gold had materialized at some point, causing the two arms of the scale to sway gently, but the touchstone did not noticeably sink. In other words, Miaozhantian accepted his answer? The woman was stunned. The man, meanwhile, retorted angrily, "Your ex-husband died in an accident! I told you, but you wouldn't believe me. Now that the celestial god says so too, do you believe it now?" The woman still wore a look of utter disbelief. Seeing that the guards seemed ready to let the man stand, she had a sudden flash of inspiration and said, "Let me change the question! Did the death of my former husband, Wang Qing, have anything to do with you at all?!" The man snapped in frustration, "Woman, are you ever going to finish..." A palace guard cut him off. "Answer!" The man drew a breath and said forcefully, "None at all!" The moment the words left his mouth, the touchstone sank, and the pan bearing the small gold piece tilted high into the air! "A lie! Even the celestial god sees through it!" the woman shouted immediately. "Did you hire someone to murder him?!" The man shook his head furiously, his face as pale as death. The surrounding spectators began whispering among themselves. A guard poked the man's shoulder with his weapon. "Answer!" The man clenched his teeth, refusing to utter another syllable no matter what. Naturally, the onlookers could see the truth for themselves. The palace guards summoned the garrison soldiers stationed on Mount Xu, ordering them to take the man down the mountain and hand him over to the government office for trial. The woman gave ceaseless thanks, kowtowing repeatedly before the statue until her forehead left traces of blood on the stone floor. Then, she hurried down the mountain in pursuit of the soldiers. After this incident, the number of worshippers crowding before the statue of Miaozhantian to kneel and pray surged noticeably. He Lingchuan noticed that the piece of gold on the scale pan had vanished, and the touchstone had returned to the statue's hand. Divine power truly was attached to this golden statue. Just as he was about to step back, he suddenly saw the large eyeball atop the balance turn and glare straight at him!