Volume 1 Chapter 2 - The third appearance of the trash deity in the capital of the Immortals. Part One.

"Please accept my congratulations, Your Highness."

Xie Lian, upon hearing such words, first smiled, then said: "Much obliged. But let me be curious, what is it that you wish to congratulate me on?"

Linwen1, who held the title of Perfect Lord, answered him with her hands behind her back2: "I want to congratulate you on winning first place in this year's nomination for the category of 'The Celestial whose overthrow is a universal mutual aspiration'."

1 In this case, the title is used as an address.2 The posture with hands behind the back signified respect for the interlocutor, giving solidity and seriousness to the speaker.

Xie Liang replied, "No matter what category, I have finally been awarded first place. And since you're congratulating me, surely I'm entitled to an award?"

Linwen confirmed, "That's right. The first place winner gets a hundred prayers for his virtues."

Xie Lian immediately retorted, "If there is another nomination like this next time, kindly include me in the list of nominees."

Linwen asked: "Would you like to know who was honored to be the runner-up?"

Xie Lian, after pondering for a moment, replied, "It's impossible for me to guess. Judging by actual deeds, I can single-handedly take three first places at once."

Linwen - "Almost guessed. There is no such thing as a second place. You have proven to be so invincible that you have left all of your opponents far behind."

Xie Lian - "What are you, this is too great an honor for me. Who did the first place in the last nomination go to?"

Linwen replied, "The past nomination also doesn't exist. Since they created it starting from this year, and more specifically, from this very day."

"Wow! - Xie Lian was stunned for a moment. -But that can't mean that the nomination was thought up specifically in my honor, right?"

Linwen replied, "Let's just say that you showed up just in time, and that's why the first place went to you."

Xie Lian blurted out a smile. "Well, here goes. Looking at it from this angle, it's one more joyous event in my life."

Linwen continued: "Doesn't it occur to you what reason you have for being in the first place?"

Xie Lian: "Did I fulfill everyone's expectations?"

Linwen objected, "In that case, please listen to the reason. Would you be so kind as to take a look at that bell over there?"

Xie Lian turned around, following the direction she pointed, and saw among the floating clouds an indescribably beautiful white jasper temple surrounded by pavilions and pavilions, fountains and beautiful birds.

Having failed to discover anything resembling a bell, he asked: "You must be mistaken. No bell is there!"

Linwen objected, "I couldn't have made a mistake. Look more carefully, can't you see it?"

Xie Lian took another close look and answered extremely honestly, "I don't see it."

Linwen nodded. "You shouldn't be able to see it either. Not long ago, the bell was still hanging in place, but barely when you ascended, it fell down, unable to withstand the shock."

Xie Lian: "..."

"That bell was older than you, and yet, having a noisy and cheerful nature, every time a mortal ascended to Heaven, it greeted him with a joyful ringing. But as soon as you ascended, it began to ring like a madman, never stopping for a moment, and finally toppled off the belfry and fell silent. In doing so, it crushed the celestial passing by below."

Xie Lian uttered: "So... is he alright now?"

Linwen - "No, the bell still hasn't been repaired."

Xie Lian - "I asked about the celestial who was crushed by the bell."

Linwen replied, "The crushed person turned out to be one of the War Gods, he immediately broke the bell in half with a blow of his hand. But that's not all. Please take a look at that golden palace. Do you see it?"

She pointed in the direction once again. This time, Xie Lian saw amongst the boundless clouds, the golden glazed roofs sparkling and said: "Aha, I see it this time."

Linwen objected again, "Saw it, but you shouldn't have seen it. It was originally empty in its place."

Xie Lian: "..."

"At the moment of your ascension, the golden palaces of the celestials shook with such force that the golden columns collapsed and the golden tiles sprinkled, some of the palaces will not be able to be rebuilt in a short period of time, so a few new ones had to be temporarily put up."

"Am I responsible for what happened?"

"Exactly."

"Oh..." - Xie Lian decided to clarify once more - "So, it was worth it for me to ascend, I immediately incurred the wrath of so many celestials?"

Linwen remarked, "If you were able to earn forgiveness, perhaps they would change their anger into mercy."

-How do I earn forgiveness?

-It's very simple. Eight hundred and eighty-eight tens of thousands of virtues.

Xie Lian couldn't contain his laughter.

Linwen clarified, ''Of course, I realize that you can't even accumulate a tenth of that.''

Xie Lian sincerely admitted, "How should I put it, I am extremely embarrassed to tell you this, but if you were to demand even one ten-thousandth part, it would still be beyond me."

The prayers of mere mortals were transformed into the magical power of the celestial, and every stick of incense lit in his honor and every offering was called a "virtue".

After laughing, Xie Lian asked in a serious tone: "Could it be that you want to immediately shove me down with a single kick, and only after that issue me eight hundred and eighty-eight tens of thousands of virtues?"

Linwen shook her head, "I am the God of Literature. If you wish to receive a good kick, you'd better turn to the God of War. The harder he kicks you, the more virtues you will receive."

Sighing heavily, Xie Lian replied, "Give me some time, I must ponder my next move."

Linwen sympathetically patted his shoulder with the words, "No need to give in to despondency, there is a way out of any situation."

Xie Lian replied, "In my case, the place of the way out will be the abyss."

Eight hundred years ago, at a time when Crown Prince Xianle's cult was at the peak of prosperity, it would not have been difficult for him to gather eight hundred and eighty-eight tens of thousands of virtues, Xie Lian would have gathered them instantly without blinking an eye. But those times were irrevocably gone, and today, not a single one of his monasteries or temples remained in the mortal world, all burned to the ground. No followers, no prayers, no offerings.

What can I say? The answer to all questions was the same - this is not there, that is not there, he has nothing at all!

Alone pondering his new headache, Xie Lian squatted on the main street of the Immortal Capital for ages. Suddenly, the prince realized that it had been a full three days since he had ascended to Heaven, but he still hadn't joined the magical spiritual network for mental communication in the Heavenly Abyss. And had completely forgotten to ask what the password to enter it sounded like.

Heavenly beings of the Upper Heavens have created a single magical network through which they can instantly exchange mental messages by means of spiritual communication, after ascension to Heaven, it is necessary to join this network. But to do this is possible only if you know a special password. It had been eight hundred years since the Crown Prince had last joined the network, of course, he no longer remembered the password, so Xie Lian released his consciousness and searched for the network, and when he found something similar, he joined it indiscriminately. But as soon as he entered, he was immediately nearly deafened by the loud exclamations coming from all directions:

"Let the bidding begin, place your bids! Repeat bids are not accepted! The first item is how long can His Highness the Crown Prince last this time before he falls from Heaven?"

"I bet he'll last a year!"

"Too long, last time he only lasted half an hour, I think he'll make do with three days this time. Three days, take the bet for three days!"

"Why, don't be silly! Think about it yourself, after all, three days is almost up!"

Xie Lian, without attracting attention, silently walked away.

My bad. Obviously, I mixed up the nets.

In the Upper Heavens, there were only a few great celestials, each of whom was the patron of one side of the world, all of whom were busy with important matters on a daily basis, it was no secret to anyone. In addition, as a true celestial who had ascended to the Heavens by his own efforts, each of them tried to maintain their status, always keeping a low-key demeanor, emphasizing their own importance with their appearance, behavior, and speech. During his first ascension, Xie Lian alone, who was extremely excited when he entered the spiritual network, greeted everyone he met and then introduced himself, describing himself from top to toe in great detail.

After leaving one network, he began to search further and once again accidentally stumbled upon another. This time, once inside, Xie Lian heaved a sigh of relief to himself: "How quiet it is here, surely this must be the right place."

Suddenly, he heard a quiet question, "Your Highness Crown Prince, so you've come back again?"

This voice was pleasing to the ear, sounding soft and courteous. However, if one listened to it, it was easy to see that it was actually cold, and the speaker's mood was not the warmest, making his softness sound more like perfidy.

Xie Lian had originally intended to just enter the net the old fashioned way and silently lurk inside, but contrary to his expectations, someone immediately asked him a question, which meant that pretending to be deaf and dumb would no longer work.

The prince didn't realize that after this phrase, all of the celestials within the spiritual communication network were listening.

The celestial said, slowly stretching out each word, "Your Highness Crown Prince, I must say that your current ascension has been a true test."

Every celestial of the Upper Heavens was, if not an emperor, then a prince or general in his lifetime, the heroes among them were countless.

To get the opportunity to join the pantheon of immortal deities, you must first become an outstanding person in the world. Those who performed great feats, or were immeasurably talented people, originally had a better chance of ascension. Therefore, speaking without exaggeration, it was not at all surprising to meet princes, princes or princesses, as well as generals of all kinds and colors. Who among them wasn't a Heaven's favor or something like that? They were extremely polite and ceremonial amongst themselves, so they were always saying "Majesties," "Highnesses," "Commanders-in-Chief," "Excellencies," "Heads," and other such high-minded references to please their interlocutors. However, the phrase that the celestial addressed Xie Lian with sounded completely different.

Of course, the address included 'Your Highness Crown Prince', but no one could hear the slightest bit of reverence in it, on the contrary, the phrase sounded with the intention of jabbing the interlocutor. The nobles within the spiritual network who also bore the true title of 'His Highness Crown Prince', hearing the tone that Xie Lian was addressed with, involuntarily felt extremely uncomfortable and covered in goosebumps. Xie Lian immediately heard the unkind notes in his interlocutor's words, but he did not intend to get into an argument, instead, he wanted to leave the conversation as soon as possible and smilingly replied, "It was not difficult. But his interlocutor did not give him a chance to slip away, and continued in a completely nonchalant tone, "It was not difficult for His Highness the Crown Prince? I, on the other hand, was unfortunately much less fortunate."

Suddenly, Xie Lian heard a message from Linwen, sent just for him.

She only uttered, "Bell."

It immediately came to Xie Lian's attention.

So this was the same God of War who was crushed by the bell!

If that was the case, then the reason for his anger was quite clear. Xie Lian, being the most skillful master at apologizing, immediately uttered: "I am aware of the incident of the bell falling, truly it is my fault, I apologize a thousand times."

The interlocutor unhappily snorted in response, only the meaning of his reaction remained unclear.

There were many Gods of War with great fame among the Heavenly Abysses, including those who had ascended after Xie Lian's exile, so the prince could not accurately tell from his voice who he was honored to speak to. But after all, it would be impolite to apologize without even asking the name of the person he was talking to, so the prince hurriedly asked, "Dear Sir, may I ask who I am honored to speak with?"

After his question, the interlocutor fell silent.

And not only the interlocutor, but the entire spiritual communication network seemed to freeze as if there was a death threat looming over everyone.

Xie Liang heard Linwen's message again: "Your Highness, of course, I would be foolish to think that after such a long conversation, you might not recognize your interlocutor, but let me remind you. This is Xuanzhen speaking to you."

Xie Lian interjected: "Xuanzhen?"

After briefly thinking for a moment, he still realized who he was referring to, and slightly shocked, he sent a message back to her, "So this is Mu Qing?"

General Xuanzhen, the God of War, the patron of the southwestern lands, who has seven thousand temples and monasteries at his disposal, earning a resounding fame among the mortal world.

In the world, General Xuanzhen bore the name Mu Qing, and eight hundred years ago, it was he who was chosen by His Highness the Crown Prince as his assistant in the Xianle Palace3 in Heaven.

3 The title Xie Liang took after his ascension, identical with the name of the state of Xianle.

Linwen's voice sounded equally shocked: "There's no way that you really don't recognize him."

Xie Lian replied honestly, "I really didn't recognize him. After all, he had never spoken to me like this before. On top of that, now I can't even remember the last time I saw him, maybe it's been five hundred years or even six hundred years, I can't even remember what he looked like, let alone his voice."

The spirit net was still immersed in silence. Mu Qing was like a mouthful of water. The other celestials tried to pretend that they hadn't heard anything, but they were waiting with bated breath to see which one of them, Mu Qing or Xie Lian, would drop the next sentence.

If we talk about their relationship, the situation was really quite awkward. The details of this story, which had become public knowledge over the years, were known to every celestial up and down the line. Xie Lian, being the Crown Prince of the royal family, spent his youthful years in self-cultivation in the halls of Huangji Monastery4. This was the place where the august family of the Xianle State held their religious rituals, and in order to be trained here, one had to meet strict selection criteria. Mu Qing came from a poor family, his father had been beheaded for a crime against the law, and his own situation would never allow him to join the ranks of the disciples of Huangji Monastery. Therefore, the poor man only had to do dirty work, sweeping the floors in the rooms where His Highness the Crown Prince was practicing meditation - in general, being an errand boy. Xie Lian, seeing how hard he was working, persuaded the monastery's tutors to accept him as a disciple as an exception to the rules. It was only because His Highness the Crown Prince put in a good word for Mu Qing that he was accepted as a disciple of Huangji Monastery, and he was able to begin the path of self-cultivation alongside the prince. After ascending to Heaven, Xie Lian chose Mu Qing as his assistant and took him with him to the capital of the immortals.

4 Huangji is the emperor's highest command.

Except that after the destruction of the Xianle State, when Xie Lian was cast down to the mortal world, Mu Qing didn't follow him at all. Not only that, he didn't say a word in defense of the exile. Anyway, with the Crown Prince gone, Mu Qing could do as he pleased, so he found a secluded abode where he devoted himself to self-cultivation, until a few years later, he broke the Heavenly Punishment boundary and ascended to Heaven on his own.

Once one of the two was flying high in the sky, while the other was humbly crawling on the ground, now the situation had not changed at all, except that both participants had finally switched roles.

This time, Linwen prompted Xie Lian, "He's furious."

Xie Lian replied, "I guessed it."

Linwen: "I'll try to change the subject, and you leave while you have the chance."

But Xie Lian didn't care about anything, "I guess there's no need for that. I'll just pretend that nothing happened, that's all."

Linwen: "Are you sure? I'm already uncomfortable listening to the two of you myself."

Xie Lian: "It could be worse!"

This was the kind of person Xie Lian was, he didn't care about anything except death; he had almost nothing, but he had plenty of shame in his life. He had been in situations more embarrassing than this, so now the prince really thought that things were not that bad. However, one should never challenge fate like this, because as soon as he said "it could be worse", it got worse as the spirit communication network erupted in a loud roar, "Who the hell dares to destroy my palace?!!!! Show yourself immediately!!!"

With such a furious cry, the heads of all the celestials inside the spirit network nearly exploded.

Every celestial's gut was bursting with passion, but only they all held their breath in silent anticipation of Xie Lian's response to such a profanity. The outcome surpassed all expectations, the situation took an even more unexpected turn. Before Xie Lian could even open his mouth, the silence was interrupted by Mu Qing.

He only gave a brief chuckle: "Hehe."

The newcomer to the conversation icily said, "So it's you, fine. Wait at my place."

Mu Qing calmly said: "Did I say I was guilty? Don't cast aspersions on someone who is not guilty."

The interlocutor burst out: "Then why are you smirking? Are you sick?"

Mu Qing replied, "Your words were just funny to me, that's all. And the person responsible for destroying your palace is just in the spiritual communication network, you can ask him about it yourself."

Since things had gotten this far, there was no way Xie Lian could afford to just avoid answering, it would be the height of indecency on his part.

Therefore, he coughed, attracting attention, and uttered: "It's my fault. Please forgive me."

Now the other interlocutor fell silent as well, having heard him.

Linwen's voice once again rang in the prince's ears, "Your Highness, this is Nanyang."

Xie Lian replied, "This one I recognize. Except I'm afraid that he didn't recognize me."

Linwen: "Not at all. The thing is, he often spends time in the mortal world, rarely returning to the Immortal Capital, so he didn't know anything about your next ascension."

Perfect Lord Nanyang, aka the God of War, the patron of the southeastern lands, has eight thousand temples and monasteries under his command, is universally loved and revered among the common people.

His name was Feng Xin, and eight hundred years ago, he was the first divine general at His Majesty Crown Prince Xianle's palace in the Heavenly Bastions.

Feng Xin was appointed as Xie Lian's loyal bodyguard when he was fourteen years old. He grew up with the Crown Prince, traveled to Heaven with him, and was punished and exiled to the mortal world with him. Unfortunately, spending eight hundred uneasy years together with the prince was not something he could do. In the end, it so happened that their relationship was spoiled, their paths diverged, and after that they never met again.