Secular world: My destiny has no taboos

Chapters 589 and 599: Entering the Palace

Lin Beixuan buried the old beggar next to the peach grove on the back mountain of Huangshi Village.

This peach grove is not large, with only a dozen or so sparse, crooked peach trees, which he planted over the years.

Lin Beixuan wanted to guide the old beggar's soul into the underworld, but in the end, he discovered that the old beggar's soul had dissipated along with his consciousness the moment it faded away.

His body had long since died, and the reason he had been able to hold on until now was entirely because the power of his soul had been supporting his consciousness so that it would never perish.

After seeing Lin Beixuan and handing over the burden in her heart, she finally couldn't hold on any longer and her soul dissipated.

In fact, Lin Beixuan had never quite understood the old beggar's obsession.

The villagers of Huangshi Village did not treat him well. The children would throw stones at him and tease him, and the adults just treated him like a fool, asking him for help but not paying him.

Perhaps the only slightly better thing is that when there is a banquet at home, if the old beggar passes by, they will let him sit down and arrange some food for him.

But the old beggar kept thinking about the village until his death.

“If you die, Huangshi Village will truly be deserted!” Lin Beixuan stood before the old beggar’s grave.

Sunlight pierced through the thin mist, falling on the candles and incense sticks in front of the grave, as if they were coated with a faint golden glow.

"I'm sorry, I can't grant your request." Lin Beixuan lowered his face slightly, his voice as soft as mist.

"Because I also have things I need to protect, and the reasons... are similar to yours, both quite inexplicable. These kinds of things should be done by tall people."

Suddenly, Lin Beixuan paused, raised his hand to compare himself to the sky, and chuckled.

"Sorry, I forgot, I'm quite tall now."

The light rain pattered down, falling into the fields and soaking the soil. It landed on the eaves and flowed along the corners of the eaves into the ditch in front of the door. The cold rain covered the earth and completely buried this village in the desolate mountains.

Lin Beixuan never expected that the wooden carving the old beggar gave him at the end would contain clues about the Azure-Bearded Immortal.

The twelve zodiac animal gods are the earthly masters, the Ox - the Bearded Immortal.

It seemed like an accident, yet also as if it had been destined all along.

Following the clues in the wood carving, Lin Beixuan found the Azure-Bearded Immortal, just as he had done when searching for the Great Sage Ling Shu.

Although there were some twists and turns along the way, they were no big deal to Lin Beixuan.

When he found the Azure-Bearded Immortal, the man was fast asleep.

The ancient temple was built deep in the mountains, and there wasn't even a temple keeper to look after it.

No, it's not that there isn't any.

Outside the temple, there was a skeleton leaning against the door, its gaze fixed on the distance beyond the temple. It sat there quietly, dead.

The other party may have once been the temple keeper of the Cangran Immortal Temple, but could not withstand the erosion of time and could only turn into a skeleton guarding the temple.

Without becoming an immortal, a normal person's lifespan is only a few decades, while a mortal's slumber might last for hundreds of years.

The world changes, and a person's true death is not turning into bones and being buried in the earth, but rather when everyone forgets that person's existence.

Judging from the direction this skeleton looked in at the moment of its death, it seems that even in the end, it was afraid of being forgotten.

Lin Beixuan awakened the Azure-Bearded Immortal.

When this mortal sage awoke, there were no earth-shattering phenomena; only the peeling paint on the temple beams and pillars fell in a soft rustling sound, as if accompanying this awakening that spanned a century.

The earth beneath the statue's base trembled slightly, and a wisp of dim yellow light, mixed with the scent of soil and vegetation, emanated from between the statue's eyebrows, swirling three times in the empty temple before finally coalescing into the form of an old man dressed in hemp clothing.

He had two horns on his head, and his feet were covered with dark blue skin that looked like jade polished by time.

When he opened his eyes, there was no majesty like that of an ordinary lord; instead, they were like pebbles soaking in a mountain stream, warm and clear.

Cang Ran Xian's gaze swept over Lin Bei Xuan, and when he saw the killing mark between Lin Bei Xuan's eyebrows, his eyelids twitched almost imperceptibly.

Then he sensed the complex aura emanating from Lin Beixuan, a mixture of various sources of authority.

Finally, his gaze settled, his eyes filled with both nostalgia and melancholy.

"They've reappeared!?" This question seems to be both a question and an answer.

Lin Beixuan didn't reply, but simply said, "Now that you're awake, fulfill your duties."

Cang Ran Xian stared at Lin Bei Xuan. No one had ever dared to speak to him in such an attitude, let alone Lin Bei Xuan, who was merely a human immortal.

However, he did not get angry, because what Lin Beixuan said was true—he did indeed need to fulfill his duties.

"Besides the aura of the Pig, you also have the aura of the Monkey, Tiger, Rabbit, and Rat."

"It seems... you've met quite a few mortals lately," the Azure-Bearded Immortal sighed leisurely.

"Moreover, you still carry the death aura left by Wu Chi, which means you have killed a Wu Chi, indicating that a golden gate has already been opened."

"With the opening of the Golden Gate, it won't be long before the Gem Gate opens as well. At that time, it will be the beginning of the large-scale invasion of the mortal world from the world behind the gate."

Cang Ran Xian was able to deduce the general situation from the mixed aura emanating from Lin Bei Xuan.

He had been asleep for a long time, but he never forgot his responsibilities.

He waved his hand and said, "Go find the next one. We were the ones who gathered us together when we fought against the Time Dragon in the world behind the gate. This time, it's up to you."

Upon hearing this, Lin Beixuan said nothing more, turned around and left the Cangran Temple, where the Five Rats were squatting on the stone in front of the temple, waiting.

They pointed at the flower blooming from the skeleton, and when they saw Lin Beixuan come out, they immediately asked in surprise, "Master, that flower is so special!"

Lin Beixuan had noticed the flower long ago and explained calmly, "This is a bone-scale flower, a flower that grows on human bones as soil. Only people with pure souls can have their bodies unpolluted and bloom such a beautiful flower."

The auspicious rat hopped over to the skeleton, intending to pluck the bone-scale flower, but was immediately stopped by the blessing rat.

"This flower is only beautiful when it blooms in purity."

The white bones were bathed in sunlight, and the tiny white flowers were vibrant and fresh.

"Master, where do we go next?" asked the Blessing Rat.

Lin Beixuan paused and thought for a moment: "Go and see Wei Yang, he might be there."

The mountain breeze swept through the ancient temple, carrying the scents of flowers and earth.

Standing in front of the temple gate, Cang Ran Xian watched Lin Beixuan's departing figure and suddenly said to an empty space, "Chen Long, it turns out that not every move you make is within your expectations."

……

Jingzhou.

When Huang Shifu first set foot on this land, it was even more prosperous than she had imagined, perfectly depicting the appearance of the early Tang Dynasty in the present world.

Everything was in ruins and needed to be rebuilt. Everything seemed like a flower about to bloom, giving people a sense of vigorous development and vitality.

The cries of vendors echoed along the streets, striking the bluestone pavement and bouncing into the carved vermilion pillars. A peddler carrying a load walked by, shaking a rattle drum, the sugar figurines in his bamboo basket dappled with sunlight, attracting children in coarse cloth clothes to chase him halfway down the street.

Huang Shifu stood by the tea stall on the street corner, gazing at the bustling scene before him.

However, what puzzled her was that since arriving in Jingzhou, despite the bustling city life and the presence of many common young nobles, she hadn't seen a single one.

"Could it really be as everyone says in the world, that Jingzhou has become a forbidden zone for mortal princes?"

Before heading to the capital, Huang Shifu returned to the present world, hoping to learn about the situation in Jingzhou in advance.

But no matter which secular prince she asked, the answer she received was that he did not recommend that she go to Jingzhou.

“Jingzhou is extremely dangerous now. Any secular princes who are caught will be arrested by the night watchmen and imprisoned in a special dungeon. All the secular princes who received the news have already escaped from Jingzhou.”

"Of course, there are also some clever ones who do not reveal their extraordinary nature in life, thus avoiding the night watchmen's search and being able to continue living in Jingzhou in hiding."

"Even so, it's like putting your head on the line and risking your life."

Huang Shifu was somewhat skeptical when he first heard these words, thinking they were making a mountain out of a molehill, but now it seems the other party wasn't lying.

Thinking of this, Huang Shifu became even more cautious.

"Are you from out of town, young lady?"

At this moment, the tea stall owner handed over a porcelain bowl, with a few tea leaves floating in the hot water.

Huang Shifu looked up at the tea stall owner and nodded: "I come from Longzhou."

"Longzhou!" the tea stall owner exclaimed in surprise. "I heard that the northern barbarians invaded from the north a while ago, and Longzhou suffered a lot of damage. Are you perhaps a young lady fleeing from disaster and seeking refuge with relatives?"

As he spoke, the tea stall owner looked Huang Shifu up and down.

She wore simple, coarse cloth clothes, not made of fine material, and had a patched cloth bag beside her. Although her hair was disheveled, it couldn't hide her natural and exquisite beauty.

The tea stall owner was surprised to find that the woman in front of him was so beautiful and charming.

"If this girl really is a refugee from Longzhou, perhaps we can get to know her and offer her some help. Who knows, it might benefit my son."

The tea stall owner thought to himself, secretly making plans.

He started a conversation, saying, "Jingzhou has been quite lively lately. The King of Bingzhou brought his heir to the capital, bringing countless rare treasures to submit to His Majesty. His Majesty, remembering the past, agreed to let the King of Bingzhou's heir stay in the capital. At the same time, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests was built in the south of the city, and even many merchant caravans from foreign lands have come."

"What is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests for?" Huang Shifu asked, his fingertips touching the warmth of the teacup as he gently swirled them around.

The tea stall owner then placed a dish of peanuts in front of Huang Shifu and said eloquently, "The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is, of course, used for worshipping Heaven and praying for blessings."

"Now that the end of the year is approaching, I heard that His Majesty is planning some big events to celebrate the New Year."

Upon hearing this, Huang Shifu couldn't help but frown.

“The situation is turbulent right now, and Longzhou has suffered a severe disaster. To this day, many people are still without clothes and have frozen to death in the cold wind. How can he still waste money to repair the palace?” Huang Shifu blurted out.

The tea stall owner was so startled that his wrist trembled, and he quickly put a finger to his lips to make a shushing gesture.

"Girl, be careful with your words!"

At this moment, he had no intention of bringing Huang Shifu home as his daughter-in-law; he only wanted to get rid of this scourge as soon as possible.

These common people dared not discuss the emperor casually; if they were overheard, their whole family would suffer.

Seeing the tea stall owner's frightened appearance, Huang Shifu said no more, lowered his head to blow on the tea leaves, and looked down at the street.

In fact, there was something else she didn't say.

The things behind the door are eyeing us covetously, and we don't know when they will break through the door and pollute the mortal world.

How could an emperor not know these things?
She didn't understand what the emperors of past dynasties were thinking; she only felt a sense of regret at the prosperous scene before her.

If the corpses were to surge into the capital, would all this prosperity still exist?

"Boss, check out!"

Huang Shifu tossed down a few copper coins and walked towards the imperial city without looking back.

Watching Huang Shifu's departing figure, the tea stall owner breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly wiped the spot where Huang Shifu had sat, pretending that he had never met this person.

Soon, Huang Shifu arrived at the gate of the imperial city.

The magnificent and towering imperial city is like another city tightly enclosing the capital city. The towering city walls completely separate the inside from the outside, like two different worlds, distinguishing people from one another.

"Get out of my way! Is this the imperial city, a place for a commoner like you to stand and look?"

Just then, a group of imperial guards in armor, with fierce eyes, appeared in front of Huang Shifu. The blades half-exposed at their waists gleamed coldly, and their tone was icy and serious.

Huang Shifu looked at the imperial guards and remained silent for a long time before saying, "I have something to discuss with the emperor."

Upon hearing this, the leader of the Imperial Guards couldn't help but gasp.

In all his years of guarding the imperial city, this was the first time he had encountered someone as audacious as the person before him.

In front of so many people, instead of addressing him as "Your Majesty," they called him "Emperor," and their tone showed no respect whatsoever, as if they wanted to see him for something. This greatly shocked those of them who were deeply influenced by class culture.

At this moment, Huang Shifu's expression was also somewhat helpless, because it was really too difficult for an ordinary person like her with no status to see the emperor.

She could fly directly over from the capital, but that would probably cause a bigger commotion, so she came up with a compromise: she wanted to see if someone could help her send a message.

However, it seems that the results are not good so far.

"Bold!!"

After a brief moment of shock, the Imperial Guard leader recovered and immediately drew his long sword from his waist, pointing it at Huang Shifu.

"Disrespectful to His Majesty! Guards, take her away!"

clang clang...

One after another, long, gleaming swords were drawn, and the burly, tall imperial guards rushed in front of Huang Shifu, ready to seize her.

However, just as they reached out to grab Huang Shifu, a gust of extremely cold wind blew by, instantly freezing their bodies.

"call--"

Huang Shifu exhaled white breath, and his pupils turned into a crystal-clear, deep blue.

She said coldly, "Forget it, I'll just go in myself!"

A long ice path stretched out from under Huang Shifu's feet, freezing the ground wherever it passed. Those who came to stop her were all frozen into ice sculptures, standing stiffly in place.

Soon, powerful individuals began to appear before Huang Shifu. After all, it had been a long time since anyone had dared to force their way into the palace, so they naturally wanted to see who was so bold.

(End of this chapter)