Gu Hai arrived in the Yan Heavenly Dynasty. After he passed one of the Yan Heavenly Dynasty’s cities, the news soon spread to Divine Farmer City. Then, many officials came to receive him. After all, Gu Hai represented the Qian Heavenly Dynasty, the envoy of a heavenly dynasty.
“Qian Nation envoys, you have traveled a long way. Rest in the Qian District first; your Qian Nation’s residence is there, as well as a group of Qian Nation officials. They arrived three years ago. You can meet with them first,” an official from the ministry of rites said politely.
“Sorry for the trouble.” Gu Hai nodded.
The flying ship headed slowly towards Divine Farmer City.
From far away, Gu Hai’s flying ship could already see the city that the blazing sun shone down on.
It was a megacity that extended boundlessly, yet it seemed divided into regions with cloud and fog spreading out endlessly.
“This Divine Farmer City seems no smaller than the thirty-three layers of heaven.” Gu Hai appeared slightly shocked.
Although there was just one city, it looked even larger than the heavenly court’s thirty-three cities combined.
“More accurately, Divine Farmer City is the merger of sixty-four cities,” Sima Changkong explained.
“Oh? Sixty-four cities?” Gu Hai said in surprise.
“Yes. However, in this place, the sixty-four are referred to as districts. Each district is as large as a city. Hall Master, can you see it?” Sima Changkong said.
Gu Hai narrowed his eyes slightly, peering into the distance.
Indeed, the sixty-four districts each had their own city walls separating them from the other districts. The division was clear.
“Each district reflects a hexagram, one of the sixty-four hexagrams. The Yan Heavenly Emperor established the Dao of the Lianshan Classic. These sixty-four districts are arranged in accordance with the Lianshan Classic. This is no inferior to the heavenly court’s thirty-three cities. These sixty-four hexagrams form a large ritual array. No one knows how strong it is. However, it is widely acknowledged as one of the top three in the world,” Sima Changkong said.
“Oh? Widely acknowledged as one of the top three?”
“Yes. This also took into account the ritual arrays of the various Dao. Even so, it still ranks among the top three. Back then, Old Mister Guan Qi had used his Go Dao ritual array to clash with this Lianshan Ritual Array. However, he did not gain victory in the end.”
“Did not gain victory?”
“Yes. However, the outcome was neither a victory nor a defeat.” Sima Changkong nodded.
Divine Farmer City had surging blessings in its skies. The image of the Yan Heavenly Emperor and all the civil and military officials in the heavenly court stood amid the blessings cloud sea.
There were also various hexagram diagrams in the surroundings—the Qian Hexagram, the Kun Hexagram, the Gen Hexagram, the Zhen Hexagram, and many more—for a total of sixty-four. Each of them corresponded with a district below.
Gu Hai’s flying ship flew towards the area beneath the Qian Hexagram.
“The Lianshan Classic? How familiar!” Gu Hai said with a frown.
“Familiar? Hall Master understands the Lianshan Classic?” Sima Changkong said doubtfully.
“I understand a little. However, not much.” Gu Hai shook his head, entering deep thought.
Sima Changkong and Long Sanqian felt somewhat confused.
“Jiang Lianshan created the Lianshan Classic alone. He has not told anyone about it, and neither has anyone received the inheritance of the Lianshan Classic. How could you possibly understand it?” Long Aotian said skeptically, thinking he could give Gu Hai a good face slapping.
However, Gu Hai did understand a little about the sixty-four hexagrams.
Gu Hai had read the Classic of Changes. However, he had not understood much at that time, so he had not taken it seriously. After coming to this world and cultivating, his memory had improved significantly, allowing him to perfectly recall the Classic of Changes he had read on Earth. Back when he was still an ordinary person, he had studied it. Saying he understood a little was no exaggeration.
However, there were differences between the Classic of Changes and the Lianshan Classic.
Gu Hai narrowed his eyes at the gigantic Divine Farmer City.
It does seem very similar. The Supreme Singularity, the Mosquito Daoist, Kong Xuan, Sect Master Heavenly Access? Could it be that the immortal firmaments all follow a similar script, even creating similar people? If the people are the same, perhaps the laws of the world are the same? That’s why this world also has the Lianshan Classic, just like how Earth has the Lianshan Classic? Gu Hai narrowed his eyes slightly.
Gu Hai stared at the sixty-four hexagrams in the sky, lost in thought.
On Earth, the sixty-four hexagrams were passed down from Fuxi. There were changes later on, deviating into the Lianshan Classic, the Guicang Classic, and the Classic of Changes.
[TL Note: Fuxi is a figure from Chinese mythology, the mythical creator of fishing, trapping, and writing. Here is the Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuxi.]
[TL Note: Here is the Wikipedia entry for the Guicang Classic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guicang. Here is the Wikipedia entry for the Classic of Changes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching. Unfortunately, there is no English version for the entry on the Lianshan Classic. Nevertheless, here is the Chinese version: https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%80%A3%E5%B1%B1%E6%98%93. You can use google translate to try and understand it. They are all basically different interpretations of the sixty-four hexagrams.]
This was the result of changes over time. The Lianshan Classic appeared first. Then, the Guicang Classic slowly replaced it. Eventually, it got replaced with the Classic of Changes during the Zhou Dynasty. Hence, the later generations of Earth no longer had the inheritance of the Lianshan Classic and the Guicang Classic and only knew of their names.
Now, Gu Hai finally got to see the Lianshan Classic for himself.
The sixty-four hexagrams were the same. However, they were ordered differently from the Classic of Changes.
In the Lianshan Classic, the Gen Hexagram was the leading hexagram.
However, the Classic of Changes had the Qian Hexagram as the leading hexagram.
“The Gen Hexagram? The Yan Heavenly Dynasty’s palace is in the Gen District?” Gu Hai looked quizzically at the ministry of rites official at the side.
“That’s right.” That ministry of rites official nodded.
“Then, it should be right. It is as I guessed. It is indeed the Gen Hexagram.” Gu Hai narrowed his eyes slightly.
Long Aotian rolled his eyes at the side. “Does the Yan Nation’s palace being in the Gen District need to be guessed? That is something everyone knows. Hall Master, don’t put on a pretense of understanding. Look at how the ministry of rites officials are laughing at you.”
The Yan Nation ministry of rites officials did indeed evince skepticism, giving Gu Hai strange looks.
“Humph! Just because you don’t understand it does not mean that my master doesn’t. It’s just the Lianshan Classic. Is there anything in the world my master does not know? If you are that capable, write a Classic of the Dao and Virtue yourself. If you don’t understand anything, don’t speak blindly, you illiterate!” Ensnaring Performance said scornfully as he coldly eyed Long Aotian.
“Me, illiterate? What do you, a broken zither, know?” Long Aotian retorted with a glare.
“Then, how about you write something even more incredible than the Classic of the Dao and Virtue?” Ensnaring Performance said in disdain.
“Humph!” Long Aotian snorted coldly, feeling depressed.
“Alright. Stop arguing!” Gu Hai said indifferently.
The flying ship headed slowly to the Qian District and arrived at a cluster of palace halls.
A large number of Qian Nation officials already stood by the palace halls. The leader of the officials was someone familiar to Gu Hai, the chancellor of the imperial academy, Gongyang Sheng.
Gongyang Sheng had led this group to the Yan Heavenly Dynasty long ago. When he heard that another group of Qian Nation envoys had arrived, he immediately came out to welcome them.
At the sight of Gu Hai on the flying ship, Gongyang Sheng raised his eyebrows. “Mister Gu? It’s you?”
“Mister Gongyang, it has been a long time!” Gu Hai said with a smile.
The ministry of rites official at the side said, “Lord Gongyang, these are the Qian Nation envoys. I’ll leave them to you to make arrangements. You already know all the rules.”
“Thank you for the trouble!” Gongyang Sheng nodded.
The Yan Nation ministry of rites officials left.
Gongyang Sheng turned his head to look at Gu Hai again in amazement, then at the others on the flying ship.
“Oh? Marquis Aotian, Marquis Sanqian, Sima Changkong, and Ao Shun? Why are you with Mister Gu?” Gongyang Sheng asked in shock.
“His Holy Eminence decreed that we join Elite Hall temporarily and obey the hall master’s orders,” Sima Changkong explained.
“Lord Gongyang!” Long Sanqian smiled faintly.
However, Long Aotian grimaced as he ignored Gongyang Sheng. Ao Shun did not say anything, either.
“Oh? You joined Elite Hall? Mister Gu, did His Holy Eminence think that this old official is incompetent and sent you to oversee this old official?” Gongyang Sheng asked with an unsightly expression.
Gu Hai shook his head. “Mister Gongyang worries too much. The Qian Heavenly Emperor appointed me as an envoy to the Yan Heavenly Dynasty during the Ten Thousand Sages Convention. It is just that I got delayed for three years, tied up by some matters.”
Gongyang Sheng, Long Aotian, Long Sanqian, and Ao Shun turned their heads to look at Gu Hai and gaped.
“You…you are saying that His Holy Eminence gave you this appointment during the Ten Thousand Sages Convention? You actually dared to disobey his decree?” Long Aotian said in shock, wide-eyed.
“I had some important matters that prevented me from leaving.” Gu Hai shook his head.
Gongyang Sheng: “…”
You couldn’t leave? You actually dared to set aside His Holy Eminence’s instructions to deal with your own matters? You are the first in the Qian Nation to have done that.
However, it proves that His Holy Eminence did not send Gu Hai out of disappointment in me. Rather, he sent me because he was disappointed with Gu Hai.
“Mister Gu, you took so long to arrive. How truly relaxed of you!” Gongyang Sheng said coldly.
“It was still alright. We got delayed slightly along the way, then rushed over,” Gu Hai said while shaking his head with a smile.
“Delayed? There’s something even more important than coming to Divine Farmer City?” Gongyang Sheng said sullenly, apparently displeased.
“The angels obstructed us, so we went to Heaven City, killed some angels, and had an argument with the Supreme Genesis.” Gu Hai nodded.
This revelation stunned Gongyang Sheng for a moment in incomprehension. He only sorted through the information after a while.
“You argued with the Supreme Genesis, but he let you go? Mister Gu, I respect you for rescuing me before. However, I am not stupid. You had best not use such low-level lies to cheat me,” Gongyang Sheng said while glaring.
“Cheat you?” Gu Hai felt somewhat confused.
“Humph! You dared to go to Heaven City? The angels all wish to capture you and take revenge on you. The Supreme Genesis also hates you to the bone. If you go to Heaven City, would you be able to come back out alive? That is the Supreme Genesis’s largest residence; many angels are stationed there. Would you be able to come out—and safely at that? Are you insulting my intelligence?” Gongyang Sheng ranted furiously, glaring.
Gongyang Sheng had just finished speaking when Mu Chenfeng’s shout came from a palace hall on the flying ship. “We have arrived. Get out! Hurry up!”
Creak!
The palace hall’s doors opened.
Two chained men walked out at the very front.
“This is…First Young Master Yanxuan? Why are they chained? Also, Yehua? Why is he alive? He is chained too?” Gongyang Sheng said in shock.
“As we already told you. We went to Heaven City. Gongyang Sheng, why are you being so pedantic?” Long Aotian said impatiently.
Gongyang Sheng rubbed his eyes. Likewise, the subordinates behind him rubbed their eyes, unable to accept this development.
Gu Hai caused trouble in Heaven City and abducted the Supreme Genesis’s two sons before the Supreme Genesis. In the end, Gu Hai came out unharmed? Did I recall things wrong? Since when was the Solar Divine Palace so agreeable?
“Gu Hai, you have already sealed our cultivations, yet you still put chains on us. Are you trying to humiliate us?” Yanxuan glared furiously.
“I recalled that you said you chained Bing Ji when she just returned?” Gu Hai said indifferently.
“You!” Yanxuan glared, feeling incensed.
Gu Hai turned his head and looked at Gongyang Sheng. “Lord Gongyang, would you arrange for a residence for us? Also, a place to lock up Yanxuan and Yehua.”
Gongyang Sheng: “…”
Chapters for July: 18 / 30
