Time flew by, with Dong Ling supporting Chun Xu's efforts by playing a maple drum. One had to admit that the snakegirl didn't do things half-assedly, and spent a substantial amount of time perfecting her drumming rhythm. Xinzi too joined the fray, picking up a drum and playing in an upbeat style. As the performance reached its crescendo, Dong Ling put a jug of wine on Xinzi's lap and motioned for him to taste it.
"Nope. This will do just fine." Xinzi pushed the wine to the side, tapped his storage ring, and summoned a ceramic tea pot. From this minor artifact, the aroma of quality tea leaked out, lacing the vapor that rose continuously.
"Tea? Really?"
"Yes. Relaxes the body and exalts the mood without inducing a rollercoaster of wild emotions. You see, A'Ling, while in recent times I've learned to enjoy the pleasures of booze, tea will always be my favorite drink. If one day you see me routinely indulge in more wine than tea, or worse, narcotics, then you will know that I need help," Xinzi said with a charming smirk and poured all three a cup.
Meanwhile, from a distance, Tusha and Zi Feng peeped on the scene, hiding in a tree as their Spiritual Senses locked on the tea-sipping trio.
"How disgraceful and disrespectful. Is this really what it has come down to? Peeping?" Zi Feng didn't know where to put her face, yet struggled to pull her eyes away from the scene.
"You don't understand. Our position is precarious. Not only do we need to get some pointers from these girls' methods, but we must also find the best ways to get the initiative. I'm not about to get outdone by a bunch of milk-drinking dolls." Tusha opted to set aside her pride and embrace shamelessness.
"So why not bring Yan Le? She's your disciple, after all."
"We still have to test her loyalties. She seems to have sympathies for Chun Xu, which is simply intolerable. You and I are in the same boat and must rely on one another."
"No, we aren't."
"Shut up."
The two went back and forth, jesting with a serious face. But as Xinzi seemed about to leave, Zi Feng's eyes narrowed at him.
"Don't you think that master's views of the world were twisted by the Hengye clan?"
"I don't think, I know. Although I don't know how or who raised him, I have some understanding of how the divines operate. The main Taiyang clan aside, the abbot's habits are in contradiction with all divine principles. Actually, even the Taiyang clan would feel ashamed of having such a depraved scion. So for a son of the Hengye, the contemporary God-Monarch at that, to be this debauched, makes absolutely no sense.
Knowingly or not, his actions are a rebellion against the Hengye clan's beliefs. Even in a mortal shell, this shouldn't be happening, and it all goes to show how deep the abbot's conflict with his clan is. So, to say that his worldviews were twisted by them is likely an understatement. But so what? In one way or another, we were all shaped—if not twisted—by our upbringing." Tusha gave her assessment, never once shifting from her lookout job.
"Interesting. I wonder, what could possibly be the root of that conflict."
"His mother, most likely."
"Huh? What makes you say that?"
"Abbot is chasing a family tree. In that tree, everyone plays a role. Wives, siblings, father-figure, servants, confidants, administrators, children, I can name at least one person that was either placed or is getting considered for each of those categories. Only the mother role doesn't seem to get any love. Maybe he's too busy boning the candidates, or he doesn't care to give that spot meaningful considerations."
"Did it ever occur to you that he might just have someone we don't know about that perfectly fits that role? Maybe someone in his clan like...you know, his mother?"
"Impossible."
"Why?"
"He's surnamed Hengye."
"..."
Not long afterward, Xinzi gathered the gals in the Liberation Temple's main hall to make an announcement:
"I will be gone for a few days. No, really, worst-case scenario, it won't take over three days. And I'm pretty sure I will come back with gifts. In the meantime, cultivation is your only duty. I've selected cultivation methods for those that still needed some, including the babies. As soon as I return, we speed up our cultivation and the development of this territory.
The East has fallen into chaos. Danger lurks in all corners, the common folks bask in fear, with gangs and warlords about to exploit the mayhem and fish in these troubled waters.
It now falls on our Liberation Temple's shoulders to put an end to this chaos. Spread bliss. Spread ecstasy, and enlighten the masses through my peerless Creed of Liberation. I'm counting on you all, see you a bit," Xinzi said and waved the girls goodbye. They had no time to react or comment. A black hole formed above Xinzi's head, sucking him into the void, and shipping him straight to Night Flower City.
Xinzi didn't need to hear Yongye's announcement to know that he had to go back. And so, our monk contacted the Night Flowers, having them activate a portal for him to return to the Evernight Palace.
Needless to say, Xinzi wasn't returning to Heaven as anything but Hengye Zhen. The Night Flowers stored the Xinzi-body, keeping it safe while the Divine Soul left to fuse with the Zhen-body. Again, Xinzi's eyes opened as Hengye Zhen. The vast majority of his emotions and desires vanished, replaced by a melancholic void and despotic authority.
"Oh Greatest One, congratulations on your breakthrough! When you return to Heaven, you will show to all the lords and ladies of the Celestial Paradise why you and only you are worthy of the divine throne!" Led by the great elder, Hengye Mochen, all immortals of the night gathered in the Ancestral Hall, paying their respect to their sovereign.
Hengye Baxian too stood in their ranks, standing among the Heavenly Immortals. Since Xinzi currently occupied the Zhen-body, Baxian didn't dare to make any kind of contact. Xinzi didn't spare him a glance either and rose from his seat.
At that time, a hill-sized ebony gate appeared above the Evernight Palace, surrounded by swirling clouds that rippled with a melodious rhythm.
"Divine Mother, your son is coming back." Xinzi whispered, and turned into a jet-black comet, bolting towards the ebony gate. It opened, wide, revealing the heavenly channels occupied by the Hengye clan.
The void sucked Xinzi in, and he vanished from the Great Desolation World, crossing the invisible barrier that separated the four realms on his way back to Heaven.
