The morning sun rose high, illuminating the high platform below with a golden hue.
As the huge flag with the word "Sui" fluttered in the wind, the Taizhu held the prayer and read it to the sky in a loud and clear voice.
“… I pray to the benevolent heaven, our Great Sui was founded to drive out wars and eliminate evils that bring disasters, with the people’s peace in mind. I invite the benevolent people of Mount Qixia, the immortals with profound magical powers, to strengthen the fortune of the Sui!”
In the distance, a huge sea of people held their breath, listening to the prayers floating in the wind, looking at each other, and whispering to their relatives and friends beside them.
“… This is to confer the title of Imperial Master.”
"So, the high platform and temple that were built that night were not created by the Imperial Master?"
"… Hard to say, but I can probably guess it's pretty close."
"Tsk tsk... Maybe the sudden darkening of the sky the other day was also due to the power of the Imperial Master."
Min Yuerou listened to the whispers of the people around her and frowned slightly. She had heard from her father in the past that Master Lu was on good terms with His Majesty and that he also had a high level of cultivation. Could it be that this Imperial Master was... him
When he thought of this possibility, he let go of his reserve and squeezed forward. He couldn't help but stand on tiptoe and look in that direction. On the high altar, Taizhu's words fell. He slowly turned around, faced the mountain gate, and bowed down with a prayer.
"Please, Imperial Master, come on stage!"
"Please! Imperial Master..."
"please… "
The loud voices below were getting louder and louder. Standing behind the emperor, a sea of civil and military officials followed Yang Jian's gaze and looked towards the mountain gate.
The wind blew, and the woods on both sides of the stone steps rustled.
Amid the intertwined gazes of the crowd, a figure dressed in a black robe with gilded water patterns, with a sword hanging from his waist, walked down the stone steps step by step. When he saw the emperor and the civil and military officials, he raised his hands and bowed politely. Lu Liangsheng's face was stern, he lowered his hands and walked straight to the high altar. When he reached the first step, he suddenly stopped his auspicious cloud shoes and stood there without a sound.
Lu Liangsheng turned his head and looked at the emperor who was leading all the officials. Behind him, the people of the city gathered in Quchifang. The atmosphere was high and countless eyes were looking at him.
'The old mother of Mount Li once warned me not to interfere with the human dynasty as a cultivator. I am reporting to the heavens that I am the national master of this area, but I wonder if I will be recognized...'
His eyes slowly shifted to the side. On the altar, a large banner with the word Sui written on it was fluttering. He raised his standing foot and took the first stone step.
'... But at least, I can fulfill my dream when I was young, fulfill the great wish of my mentor Uncle Hua Gong, and let the people of Kyushu live and work without suffering from disasters and demons, that is...'
The steps fell and the stone steps were firmly stepped on.
“…My Tao!”
The thought was squeezed out heavily from his lips. Amidst countless gazes from far and near, he stepped onto the stone steps one by one and slowly walked up.
The wind blew, his robe fluttered, and he walked step by step to the top of the platform. Lu Liangsheng looked back, overlooking the rows of houses and buildings stretching farther and farther in his field of vision, and the huge sea of people below became tiny.
"Teacher... you see, your students have not let you down."
Overhead, the sky was covered with clouds. Min Yuerou, who was squeezed in the crowd, looked at the familiar figure on the platform in the distance. She covered her mouth and sparkling water stains from the corners of her eyes slid down her cheeks.
In the crowd, four dark-skinned scholars opened their mouths slightly, pointing at the tall figure. Their arms were trembling slightly, and they found it difficult to speak for a while.
The crowd was surging. A one-armed man wearing a bamboo hat and carrying two long swords squeezed through. Under the slightly raised bamboo hat, his bearded face looked over the platform and to the other side. Yan Chixia, with a big beard, had a smile on his face.
They both came here to receive the scholar's spiritual crane.
…
"National Master!"
On the high platform, the wind blew past my ears whimperingly. Taizhu bowed slightly and came over, handing the altar to Lu Liangsheng.
"You go down."
A gentle voice spoke, and Lu Liangsheng took the offering from him. He watched the Taizhu walk down the stone steps tremblingly as if he was afraid of heights, then turned and walked to the offering table, which was equipped with incense burners, large candles, and yellow paper.
Huh~~
Exhaling, Lu Liangsheng raised his arms, and brushed the tribute table with his wide sleeves embroidered with fire patterns. A pair of large candles suddenly burst into flames. Looking at the candlelight swaying in the wind and becoming brighter, he tilted his head to glance at the bottom of the platform.
Thousands of people gathered and looked over here, as if expecting something. The emperor, guarded by soldiers, stood not far from the altar with a solemn expression. A little behind him, civil and military officials bowed their heads and prayed for blessings...
"I wonder if the heavenly offerings that Old Sun taught me will work... Well, I'll have to give it a try. I'll ask the heavens to grant me the position of our national teacher, and I'll make sure that the people of the Great Sui Dynasty live a more stable life without suffering from war."
Lu Liangsheng turned around, picked up a stick of incense with two fingers, lit it, and inserted it into the incense burner.
"He knew the spirits of the four directions, governed the world from the Sui Dynasty to the Zhou Dynasty, drove out the Hu people, and made the people live in peace and avoid the disasters of war. This stick of incense is for peace, and I pray for the safety of the people of the world!"
Whoosh whoosh—
The wind was blowing hard, and the yellow paper on the table was flying around randomly. The lake below was rolling with waves. The people and officials nearby were also blown by the sudden strong wind and raised their sleeves to cover their faces and squint their eyes.
"What's going on? It's so windy."
"Is it that the Imperial Master has begun to perform a ritual?"
On the high platform, the sleeves of the robe with fire patterns continued to take three sticks of sandalwood. In the curling green smoke, Lu Liangsheng raised his head high and worshiped towards the gradually gloomy sky.
"This incense is for the immortality of Haotian, who protects the Chinese nation's continuous inheritance. It is also for the heroic spirits of those who died bravely on this land, and may they live forever!"
A long incense stick was inserted into the burner, and a stack of yellow paper was casually thrown into the air.
boom-
The sky was covered with long clouds and thunder was rumbling from the horizon. Inside the Zishan Temple, the Toad Taoist priest was sitting on the stone steps, waving his webbed feet to drive the little yellow duck back into the lake.
Suddenly, there was a roar of thunder. Instinctively, he spread his flippers and ran to the attic, climbed up the stairs, rushed into the room, went into the bookshelf compartment, and slammed the small door shut.
Only the old donkey that was chewing grass raised its head from the bushes in the woods, looked at the flashing lightning between the clouds with joy, and began to run excitedly.
In Quchifang in the distance, the huge crowd raised their heads. The suddenly bright daylight suddenly darkened. There was a loud thunder and bluish-white lightning flashed across the clouds, illuminating every astonished face.
The lake water rolled and splashed, and under the green water, the thick and long scaly body circled and swam, feeling a little uneasy.
…
On the high platform, Lu Liangsheng faced the wind between heaven and earth. The stars, sun and moon behind his black gilded robe seemed to be moving. He could hear the restlessness of countless people below and reached out to pick up five more incense sticks.
He lit the incense with his fingertips and held it in front of his chest, but it seemed as if some force was preventing him from raising it above his head.
"These five incense sticks are for the five elements of heaven and earth and the four directions! I pray that the Sui Dynasty will have good weather, good harvests, and peace..."
The robe swelled, and Lu Liangsheng raised the long incense stick he was holding to the top of his head little by little: "... Min'an!!"
A strong wind blew, and the five incense sticks in his hand swayed back and forth, as if they were about to be blown off. Lu Liangsheng spread out his robe sleeves to cover the front, and his other hand quickly reached into the incense burner. The wind became stronger, and electric snakes intertwined, causing the people in the city below to finally panic and want to leave.
boom!
A bluish-white light exploded in everyone's eyes. Lu Liangsheng on the high platform had a pale face and his eyes were faintly bloodshot. As his robe fluttered, he held seven more sandalwood sticks in his hand.
The green smoke dissipated and flew away. Lu Liangsheng's tightly pursed lips slowly opened and he squeezed out words one by one.
"This incense is a sacrifice!"
“… The stars in the sky look at the vast land of Han, guiding the direction of our Great Sui, Wenchang and Wulong!”
…
In a mountain in the northwest, rocks collapsed and a burly figure emerged from a dusty cave, revealing fangs and steel bristles in the sunlight. He raised his thick arms, and a spiked rake with a beast face and bared teeth was placed on the ground with a bang. He looked at a flash of light blue flying in the distance and reached out to take it.
In the palm of my hand, there is a still paper crane.
Farther north, the cold wind was howling, and two figures were crossing the white snowfield one after the other. Soon, one of them caught a flying paper crane.
Looking to the south: "Master called me..."
Immediately, he called the other young man in front of him who had been arguing with him about whether the earth was round, and set off on his way home.
Wind and rain were blowing, and on the land of the former Northern Qi Dynasty, a fat monk was holding a paper crane and rushing to Chang'an with an anxious look on his face, because his master had disappeared.
The old monk Zhenkong placed his daughter's favorite flower on the lonely grave, picked up his Zen stick, swung the iron ring on it, and walked out of the mountain. Occasionally, he raised his head and bowed towards the southeast.
…
At the Hibiscus Pond in Chang'an, seven long incense sticks were inserted into the incense burner again. Lu Liangsheng began to shake all over. He looked at the lightning and thunder in the sky and clenched his teeth.
Hold on...
…can’t stop.
And... the last step...
At a certain moment, he picked up the only nine remaining sandalwood sticks on the table, suppressed his trembling body, lit the incense heads and raised them above his head.
“… Lu Liangsheng of Qixia Mountain, the thirty-three heavens above and the thirty-three lands below, our Shenzhou has suffered a lot from wars, the Five Barbarians invaded the Central Plains and migrated south, causing the people to suffer and their lives to be devastated. People were like animals, buried as food for others. In the majestic nine provinces of China, there were also heroes who stood up and turned the tide, preventing the Great Xia from collapsing. Now that the world is unified, the people can have a moment of respite. I hope that the spirits above will agree and allow Lu Liangsheng to write thousands of beautiful articles, slay demons and monsters, and eliminate all the injustices in the world!”
The wind blew onto the platform, and a strand of hair broke away from the crown and fluttered in the wind to the side of the face.
Lu Liangsheng looked at the thunder and lightning in the sky and earth, raised the incense and bowed down: "... Lu Liangsheng will die with me without regrets, I only hope to maintain the eternal peace of the land of China, and do my best until the end of my life!"
Above the sky, behind the thick dark clouds, there was a faint flash of red light.
At the altar, Lu Liangsheng's voice also uttered the last words.
"… Live for the people! Bless this land and don't repeat the same mistakes! Great Sui Imperial Master, Lu Liangsheng respectfully presents—"
boom!
The thunder roared, and the electric snake slithered down.
Countless figures below heard these words. Whether it was Yang Jian, the civil and military officials, or even the densely packed people in the distance, they all clenched their fists excitedly, and someone shouted, "Long live the Sui Dynasty!!!"
Min Yuerou, who was mixed in the crowd, had red cheeks. She raised her arms excitedly and shouted towards the platform. Tu Ling beside her couldn't stop her.
But then, many different voices exploded in the sky like a torrent, drowning out the thunder.
"Long live the Sui Dynasty—"
"Long live the Sui Dynasty!!!"
…
Countless mixed voices were heard.
Lu Liangsheng, dressed in a solemn robe of an imperial teacher, stood under the flag of the Sui Dynasty. He withdrew his gaze from the cheering crowd below, as if he felt something. He turned his eyes away and looked at the cloudy sky in the distance. The wind blew on his face, and the excitement in his heart subsided.
Behind the clouds that ordinary people cannot see, a red light with a tail was flying towards this world.