Chapter 413 - Grasping Four Domains
Chapter 413: Grasping Four Domains
Seven days came and went, and Chen Ming was stubborn as ever, not showing any sign of coming out.
Jade Lake’s decree came at this time and the prince was eager for success. It descended before Chen Ming’s dwelling, “I invite Sage Ran Zui to grasp Jade Lake’s High Priest Scepter!”
No extra pleasantries, no inane flattery, just a simple line.
Prince Qian Qiu mirrored Second Crown Prince in standing with a decree in one hand and a High Priest Scepter in the other, abreast, outside Chen Ming’s door.
Second felt some anger building up as he gazed at the prince, Jade Lake thinks it can invite Sage Ran Zui?
In our own backyard?
Days still passed, three in number, and said Sage was still as a rock, the door as closed as ever. People suspected, on good authority, Jade Lake was not Sage’s choice.
Before the crack of the fourth dawn, prince Cang Kong from Void arrived with their decree, “I ask that Sage Ran Zui picks up Void’s High Priest Scepter!”
It was just a second after Cang Kong finished that an old woman, Grandma Ban Yue from Moon Palace, presented her decree with a boom, “I ask Sage Ran Zui to wield Moon Palace’s High Priest Scepter!”
Two hours later, after having his breakfast, Chen Ming smiled. It’s time.
The door cracked open and a white-garbed monk enveloped in a lofty Buddhist aura walked before Second and received the High Priest Scepter.
The hearts of others sank.
Jade Lake, Moon Palace, and Void’s people were crushed by disappointment.
Yet Ban Yue saw as Chen Ming walked before her and took the High Priest Scepter.
The crowd was eerie quiet, not getting Chen Ming’s angle.
And then went to Cang Kong, also taking his High Priest Scepter. He wasn’t one to leave Qian Qiu the exception either, agreeing to the last and final decree.
Chen Ming planted each of the High Priest Scepter before him and prayed, “If not I, who then shall enter hell to wish for light and dispel the darkness!”
“I am most indebted to Emperors. Little monk wishes to be the four Domains’ High Priest!”
They went slack-jawed.
Would the Emperors even agree?
Sage Ran Zui wanted to wield the power of all Great Immortal Domains!
Heavenly Court’s High Priest watched from afar, “That’s the ingenious trick. This will solve it, but you should know, the price for this will be worse than death!”
Past Chamberlains seldom had a good ending, just like Jade Lake’s Jiu Qiansui. He did nothing wrong, didn’t even force himself on a princess yet still ended up in jail, never again to see the light of day.
A princess wasn’t worth a dime to a High Priest, to say the least of four and even five!
Jiu Qiansui’s power grew too much for the Emperor’s liking and now was spending life in prison.
Chamberlain’s power was great, handling matters with but a word, but so did the Emperor. He didn’t dare to meet him eye to eye in case his thoughts would leak and become a pawn in Chamberlain’s hand.
Heavenly Court’s High Priest heard his last words.
He is willing to embrace death, all to wield the four Great Immortal Domains’ power!
Outclassing Headless Assembly, which it was anything but certain, still wouldn’t be enough to immortalize his name in history.
Chen Ming embraced the four symbols of power and stepped before Ban Yue, “Let’s go to Moon Palace!”
She was at a loss, What does this mean?
Must we let Sage Ran Zui wield all this power? One man to rule the world?
She couldn’t find any words, Sage won’t be skipping for long, no Emperor will agree.
For now, let us observe his behavior.
Ban Yue watched with awkwardness the other three and gestured, “Please get in Sage, and we shall go to Moon Palace!”
Chen Ming went to Moon Palace, where his objective was all along. He didn’t waste the days here either. Moon Palace and fiends were at each other’s throat in the Lasting Jade Constellation. He needed to go prevent that, he needed to give the four Great Immortal Domains a sweet little taste first.
After a three-month-long journey, the sight of the star housing Moon Palace left him speechless. It was of immense proportions, the same as Azure Dragon Star. This star was, in fact, the moon.
Its name was Moon Star.(1)
Out with the arrogance and in with the reverence, that was the only feeling Grandma Ban Yue had for Chen Ming when the four Emperors did not react to him taking all that power for himself.
No reaction was the reaction, a tacit approval.
This man can’t be offended. He is the first High Priest to wield such power for a million years!
On his first day here, Moon Palace’s Crown Prince came to welcome him. His complexion was fair, to say the least. If not for knowing he was a male beforehand, Chen Ming would’ve dubbed him a crossdresser. He was just too soft and gentle for a male.
Chen Ming resided in the former High Priest’s palace. Crown Prince paid him a visit in the courtyard behind it where he bowed, “Greetings, High Priest!”
He nodded.
Crown Prince was careful to extreme, The power in his hands can shake the world.
He said, “High Priest, what is your course of action?”
“All cultivators strive for Heaven’s Will.(2) Little monk’s visit to Moon Palace is to enact Heaven’s Will!”
“Correct, fate is illusory, but in Sage’s eyes, it is clear as water. Where shall Sage begin?”
“Does Your Highness know why Moon Palace lasted throughout the ages?”
“Our Tree of Martyrs of course! Moon Laurel!”
“Past High Priests gave serious considerations to Moon Laurel’s position and where it is must be perfect for it. What I’m talking about is something else, the steles!”
(1) Here it is written with a Daoism term, different from the ‘moon’ character describing a celestial body.
(2) It is also known as fate, and longer life. I have chosen the literal translation here, as the Domains do the same. The Mandate of Heaven (“Heaven’s will”) is a Chinese political and religious teaching used since ancient times to justify the rule of the King or Emperor of China. According to this belief, Heaven — which embodies the natural order and will of the universe — bestows the mandate on a just ruler of China, the “Son of Heaven” of the “Celestial Empire”. If a ruler was overthrown, this was interpreted as an indication that the ruler was unworthy, and had lost the mandate. It was also a common belief that natural disasters such as famine and flood were divine retributions bearing signs of Heaven’s displeasure with the ruler, so there would often be revolts following major disasters as the people saw these calamities as signs that the Mandate of Heaven had been withdrawn.