Chapter 219
"Fellow Daoist Chu, rest assured. Cause and effect and destiny are mysterious, but we two will do our best to find their traces for you."
Yang Mei and readily agreed.
Chu Feng nodded, intending to find a quiet place to meditate and digest what he had learned, when Luohu beside him gently urged him to stay, with a hint of reluctance. "Husband, why go so far? My Demon Realm is your training ground."
Seeing the expectation in her eyes, Chu Feng felt a warmth in his heart and agreed.
Almost simultaneously, in the Purple Heavens Palace outside the Thirty-Three Heavens, a disheveled figure knelt on the ground.
Haotian is back.
She went through countless reincarnations, experiencing all the hardships of life, and finally achieved enlightenment after overcoming numerous tribulations.
She reported in detail to Hongjun, who was sitting high on his cloud bed, about her experiences and insights during her tribulations.
Hongjun closed his eyes slightly, a hint of approval on his face. "Haotian, very good, your willpower has become much stronger."
Remember, this tribulation is only the beginning. Great changes will occur in the world in the future, and only those with great perseverance can overcome it."
Haotian's heart tightened, and he respectfully kowtowed. "This disciple will certainly live up to Master's high expectations and will guard the Three Realms and protect the Xuanmen."
Hongjun waved his hand, signaling her to leave.
The news of Haotian's return spread throughout the Heavenly Court like a spring breeze. The Lingxiao Treasure Hall was bustling with activity as immortals and gods from all directions came to pay their respects.
During the celebration, celestial music filled the air, and fine wine flowed freely.
Haotian sat high on his imperial throne, his gaze sweeping across the steps below and landing on the several fairies beside him.
Among them, the most eye-catching is his younger sister, Yao Ji.
She had bright eyes and white teeth, an ethereal air about her, and her eyes sparkled with an innocent and curious naiveté.
After the celebration, Yao Ji met Ling Guang, a fairy who had just returned from her tribulation in the mortal realm, in the imperial garden.
Fairy Ling Guang's brows carried a trace of serenity, a quality refined from worldly experience, which greatly intrigued Yao Ji.
She took Lingguang's hand and asked excitedly, "Sister Lingguang, is the mortal world really that interesting?"
Looking into her clear eyes, Ling Guang couldn't help but smile and said softly, "Interesting, yet bittersweet. Heavenly Court only has eternal daylight and celestial music, while the mortal world has four seasons."
In spring, all things revive, and tender buds break through the soil; it is a force of life that you can see and touch.
In summer, there are cicadas chirping and frogs croaking; in autumn, there are golden leaves falling; and in winter, there is heavy snowfall, so you can build snowmen and warm yourself around the fireplace.
Yao Ji listened intently, murmuring, "How wonderful... Then, what are the loves and hates of mortals like?"
Ling Guang explained to her, "Mortals can be moved by a chance encounter, make promises to stay together forever, and be heartbroken by separation."
That feeling was like having your heart split in two, one half sweet as honey, the other bitter as gall, yet mortals would find it sweet and sour.
Yao Ji seemed to understand, but not quite; she couldn't imagine that immortal beings could have such intense emotions.
These words planted a seed in Yao Ji's heart.
Unable to suppress her curiosity about the mortal world any longer, she secretly rode a cloud and slipped down to the mortal realm during a break in her duty at the Heavenly Gate.
(PS: The current mortal realm is a universe jointly created by the Heavenly Dao and Chu Feng; further explanation is not provided here.)
When Yao Ji first arrived in the human world, everything felt new and exciting.
She saw farmers working hard on the ridges of the fields, their faces beaming with anticipation for a bountiful harvest despite being drenched in sweat.
She saw the people coming and going in the market, the cries of vendors, the laughter of children, and the hammering of blacksmiths blending together into a vibrant symphony.
She bought a string of candied hawthorns; the sweet and sour taste was something she had never experienced in Heavenly Court.
However, when she turned a street corner, she saw a completely different scene.
A ragged old beggar huddled in a corner, stretching out his withered hand to passersby, his eyes filled with murky pleading.
At the entrance of a nearby pharmacy, a young mother held her feverish child in her arms, sobbing uncontrollably, but she couldn't afford the medicine.
Yao Ji's heart was deeply pierced; for the first time, she truly understood the bitterness that Sister Ling Guang had spoken of.
Meanwhile, in the Chaos World, the Demon Realm.
Chu Feng, who was in seclusion, suddenly opened his eyes, and his divine sense swept across the Three Realms like a tidal wave.
He clearly sensed the renewed aura of perfection that followed Haotian's return, and couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Haotian has returned to his position. It seems that the Investiture of the Gods Calamity of the Investiture of the Gods, which will sweep across the Three Realms, is truly about to begin."
As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Feng closed his eyes again, his aura returning to stillness, as if everything outside was irrelevant to him.
At this moment, Yao Ji, who was still lingering in the mortal realm, was unaware that her unauthorized descent to the mortal world would make her a pawn in this cataclysmic calamity.
In the Primordial World storyline, her final fate is to be suppressed on Peach Mountain and die a tragic death.
Yao Ji concealed her celestial aura, transforming into an ordinary woman in a simple white dress, strolling among the clouds, overlooking the myriad aspects of human life.
Suddenly, a noisy commotion drew her attention.
Under the old locust tree at the village entrance, there was a scene of utter chaos.
A burly man with a face full of scars, holding a cowhide whip, was leading several thugs as they dragged several bags of grain off an old man's oxcart.
The burly man called himself Wang Hu, a notorious bully within a ten-mile radius.
"Wang Hu! This is blatant robbery! This is the food rations that our entire village has pooled together to get through the winter!"
An elderly village chief, his hair and beard white, leaned on a cane, trembling with anger.
Wang Hu kicked over a grain sack, scattering golden millet all over the ground, and sneered, "Old man, stop talking nonsense!"
You rented land from my Wang family, but this year's harvest was poor, and you can't pay the rent. Consider this grain as payment for the debt!
If you know what's good for you, get out of here, or don't blame me for this whip being merciless!
The villagers dared not speak out in anger, cowering in fear behind the scenes.
Wang Hu's whip is no joke; he broke a young man's leg last year.
Just then, a clear voice rang out. "Stop!"
The crowd parted, and a scholar in a blue robe stepped forward.
He had delicate features and a slightly thin build, a stark contrast to the fierce-looking Wang Hu.
This man was Yang Tianyou, a down-on-his-luck scholar who was passing through this area.
Wang Hu glanced sideways at Yang Tianyou and spat contemptuously. "Where did this poor, pedantic scholar come from, daring to meddle in your business, Tiger Master?"
Want to be a hero and save the damsel in distress? Too bad there's only a bunch of old, weak, and disabled people here!
Yang Tianyou remained unmoved, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, and said in a loud voice, "As a landowner, it is perfectly reasonable for you to collect rent."
However, the law states that in the event of natural disasters and crop failures, exemptions may be reduced or waived as appropriate.
Now, to forcibly seize the people's winter grain is no different from robbery. As the sage said, "A gentleman loves wealth, but he acquires it in a proper way." Your actions are truly immoral.
"Virtue? Laozi only recognize fists!"
Enraged by what he'd been said, Wang Hu, too lazy to say another word, swung his leather whip and lashed it across Yang Tianyou's face.
The wind howled, carrying a fierce gust of wind.
Yao Ji, in the clouds, felt a pang of unease. This Human Book, utterly powerless, dared to stand up for villagers he didn't even know. His courage and righteousness moved her...