Chapter 234
The Mahabharata, however, is different. It is an epic that tells the story of the blood feud between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, and is also known as the "War of the Dharma".
The significance of the war of Dharma to Bharata is like that of the war of gods to Cathay.
So here's the question: whose bloodline are Dhritarashtra and Pandita?
Tianshi has sworn a solemn oath not to marry or have children, and he also refuses to take the two widows as wives or concubines.
In this situation, he suggested that Zhenxin find a Brahmin of exceptional virtue and purity to conceive a child—this is the "Niyoga".
Upon hearing this, Zhenxin immediately despaired.
She knew all along that the Tianshi would uphold the Kshatriya Dharma, but she never expected this person to be so earnest.
This child... might have been born in the Vedic Age.
Then he was kicked to death by Sita, who was invincible at the time.
"Are you truly determined to forgo the throne and not even wish to continue the bloodline of the Kuru clan?"
Empress Dowager Zhenxin made a final confirmation.
"Of course, my vow is as unbreakable and indestructible as my will."
The Tianshi wearing a silver crown said, "If you cannot find Brahmin of noble character, I will help you find one."
"No need to trouble you."
Zhenxin sneered, "Now that things have come to this, I won't hide it from you anymore. Years ago, before I married into the palace, I traveled with the Ruin Immortal Parashara, and gave birth to an illegitimate child on a small island. Now that my child has become an immortal, I plan to have him perform 'Niyoga'."
Tianshi frowned as he listened.
Is this something a human being could do?
Let's interview the King Pindola for his opinion.
—He had no objection.
In short, since the deceased King Pindola remained silent, Qiwu, who died in the same manner, also did not express his opinion.
Empress Dowager Zhenxin immediately recited a spell, summoning the "Island-Born Black Immortal" to arrive.
Hebe heard a knocking sound on the door, somewhat like a notification sound from a chat application.
Hebe chuckled softly, her face veiled in mist.
Krishna, the hacker who logged in from another location, should wait a little longer.
—The account user is currently logged in!
Inside the royal palace of Elephant City.
Empress Dowager Zhenxin hurriedly chanted an incantation, while Tianshi stood by and watched coldly.
Brahmin practice asceticism outside the home are often unkempt and even have a horrifying appearance. These ascetics who renounce the world worship the Mahadeva Shiva. They only cover their lower bodies with a piece of cloth and then go around capturing living people to sacrifice, not even sparing children of the same Brahmin caste.
In legends and murals, the Mahadeva Shiva is depicted holding a trident, carrying a precious bow, and holding Damaru rattle drum.
When Brahmin monks make ritual implements, the trident needs to be adorned with three male skulls that are dried, fresh, and partially decayed; the Damaru rattle drum requires the skulls of fourteen- and fifteen-year-old children to be pieced together.
This is not the complete set of ritual implements. To make the complete set, the procedures are even more stringent.
In addition, these reclusive outcasts also have extremely strange personalities.
Tianshi had already mentally prepared himself.
Empress Dowager Zhenxin's voice grew louder and louder, and at one moment, she even exhaled a thick white mist from between her teeth!
Call--
As the clouds and mist dispersed, a round beam of light, like the bright moon, suddenly appeared.
Dressed in a light blue and white dress, Hebe descended the steps on clouds.
Tianshi's eyes widened. He saw that Empress Dowager Zhenxin also looked as if she had seen a ghost.
With each step Hebe took, her appearance changed. After seven steps, she landed gracefully, her attire completely transformed.
She wore a golden crown shaped like a cassia branch, her black hair, as dark as clouds, was tied into a long braid, her skin was as smooth as fine milk, her eyes were like lotus flowers, and a cinnabar dot was placed between her eyebrows.
This stunningly beautiful woman! She wore a short-sleeved blouse called "Koli," with a low neckline and a light blue gemstone adorning her chest, revealing her slender and graceful arms.
Her pleated skirt was adorned with countless exquisite bluish-white jade stones, which were linked together in an unprecedented style, jingling and creating a rhythmic sound.
This stunningly beautiful woman! She waved her hand in all directions, and the clouds transformed into a rosy sari in her hand, which she gently and gracefully draped over her shoulders;
The bright light hanging behind her head also acted as a veil, obscuring her peerless beauty.
Only a pair of slender feet, like white fish, landed lightly and gracefully on the ground of the Elephant City Palace.
Then the pleated skirt fell down, completely concealing her feet.
With her hands behind her back, Hebe looked at Zhenxin and Tianshi, who were bowing their heads deeply. "Did the Empress Dowager summon me here to hold the 'Niyoga' ceremony?"
Her voice rang out, and even blue jade beads fell from the air around her, turning into blue spring water as they hit the ground.
Tianshi buried his head low, for he was well-versed in the scriptures and knew that Indra would send celestial maidens to tempt ascetics and trick them into having offspring.
But what if the ascetic himself is more beautiful than countless celestial maidens?
Even celestial beings would surely die of shame.
The typical Bharata, begins to discriminate against women from the moment she wakes up; yet, when facing a goddess, she is extremely respectful.
At this moment, Tianshi sincerely thanked his past self for making a vow not to marry or have children, so that he could meet this peerless and unparalleled woman at this time.
Empress Dowager Zhenxin was dumbfounded. At this moment, this elegant and noble woman looked timid and hesitant, showing no trace of the demeanor of an empress Empress Dowager.
Indeed, that was the case! At this moment, Zhenxin seemed to have returned to the time when she was still a fisherwoman. At that time, she happened to see the Kshatriya princess traveling with nearly a hundred attendants. Just from a distance, she felt ashamed of herself.
Decades later, she thought she had reached the pinnacle of power.
But now, when she sees Hebe, Zhenxin has reverted to the humble fisherwoman she once was.
As Hebe's voice rang in her ears, Zhenxin was somewhat confused: Is this really the dark-skinned child I Firstborn?
And I remember it should have been a boy who was born...
But when she mustered the courage to speak, all her courage vanished when she saw Hebe's green eyes, which seemed to be both smiling and not smiling.
"Time is precious. Empress Dowager, please lead the way."
Hebe spoke casually, and although he was urging her, he didn't seem to feel any sense of urgency.
The tinkling sound of jade beads falling from the sky turned into spring water gushing from the ground. Only then did Zhenxin realize what was happening and hurriedly turned around to walk towards the palaces of the two concubines.
Hebe followed behind Zhenxin with her hands behind her back, drifting away into the distance.
Tianshi finally dared to raise his head, but upon seeing it, he was struck dumb.
On the ground where clear water flows, lotus flowers bloom in full glory, exuding fragrance.
These lotus flowers are small and exquisite, and all are pale gold.
Tianshi stared in utter shock at Hebe's retreating figure, only to see that beneath her pleated skirt, wherever her fair feet passed, golden lotuses bloomed.
Both the Vedic teachings of the past and the teachings of today emphasize "purity".
The heavens are pure, the human realm is impure; the gods are pure, the Asura are impure; the Kshatriya and Brahmin are pure, the Vaishya, Shudra, and Dalit are impure...
For the Kuru Dynasty, who were supposed to unify Bharata, their clan of Kshatriya was considered more noble and "pure" than more than 90% of the Brahmin!
Even the immortals who live in seclusion in the forest must take off their shoes when they come to the Elephant City Palace, so that their soles can come into contact with the smooth, mirror-like ground.
But now, Hebe never let her feet touch the ground; instead, she caused golden lotuses to spring up from the earth, forming a path for her to walk.
This... this—this should have been a sign of disrespect towards the Kuru Dynasty and the Elephant City.
But Tianshi felt from the bottom of his heart that such an incomparably beautiful goddess should be treated this way.
The ascetic raised his eyes and looked at the spacious and magnificent palace around him, and surprisingly felt a sense of disgust and filth.
He inexplicably recalled the hymns he had heard from his Brahmin guru during his studies—
"Homage to Mohini, the most beautiful woman."
"He possesses great magical power, and also a heart for redemption."
"Its voice is like that of a lion, but it is as hard to find as the wind."
"Emerging from the water like a lotus flower, joyfully it should be paraded."
"Praise be to Mohini, with this song of praise."
"Grant me cleanliness, and let me sing in the power of God."
At that time, Tianshi asked his master if there really was a goddess as beautiful as Mohini in this world.
The Brahmin guru said that Mohini does not exist, because there is no definitive definition of ultimate beauty in the world.
But now Tianshi knows that the guru is wrong.
Hebe is Mohini!
The two concubines were sisters before they were abducted to the emperor, so their palaces were next to each other.
Zhenxin was very powerful in the harem. Long before she told Tianshi, she had already told the two sisters about the matter of "borrowing a womb to give birth".
They had initially thought it would be Tianshi, so they secretly hoped for it; but Zhenxin told them that Tianshi was unwilling, so what came was her illegitimate son, "Island Born Black".
Zhenxin described the illegitimate son's appearance to the two sisters—dark-skinned, with unusual features, and a thick beard...
Before he could finish speaking, the two daughters-in-law were too frightened to listen any further.
When Hebe stood in front of the palace gate, she saw a queen lying on the magnificent bed with her eyes closed, her teeth clenched, and her forehead covered in sweat.
When the maids present saw Hebe, they all knelt down in awe and reverence—they were not only ashamed of their own appearance, but also deeply ashamed of their mistress's disrespect.
Zhenxin wanted to tell the Queen to open her eyes and come down to greet her, but Hebe stopped her.
But then Hebe raised her hand and flicked it.
The doors and windows all around suddenly swung open with a rattling sound, and the colorful flags hanging in the air fluttered in the wind.
The cold wind from the Snow Mountain Pure Land howled into the palace, lingering on the large bed. The queen, unable to bear the cold any longer, opened her eyes.
The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Hebe standing outside the palace gates, smiling.
How can there be such a beautiful girl...
"Oh ho!"
The queen couldn't help but let out a strange, emotional sound.
"Are you the guru who will be conducting 'Niyoga' with me?"
The queen was overjoyed and patted the bed impatiently, "Come here quickly, I can't wait any longer."
"No, Your Majesty."
Hebe smiled and turned around. "It's over."
"Ah?"
The queen felt as if her heart was being torn apart.
No matter how much she called out, Hebe did not stop, but went straight to the Queen's bedroom.
The princess, however, kept her eyes open.
Upon seeing Hebe, she couldn't help but bring her legs together and rub them tightly.
As the princess happily undressed, she reached out to pull Hebe onto the bed.
"That won't be necessary."
Hebe reached out her hand in refusal.
She resorted to her old tricks again, summoning the cold winds of the snow-capped mountains.
Caught off guard, the princess turned pale from the cold.
She thought it was just some little quirk of Hebe's, so she gritted her teeth and endured it.
Once the cold wind had subsided, she quickly rubbed her face and asked shyly, "Can we begin?"