Honkai Impact 3rd: The Girl Who Chases the Flame

"Yes, I also know a little bit of martial arts to protect myself."

That's an understatement.

The Emperor was not only skilled in martial arts, but could even be considered a top-tier master of his time.

"Go on."

"Okay, actually the scariest thing is that after that person went mad, it was like a contagious disease... Most of the remaining men in the village also became like that."

My father had gone to the city at the time, which is how we narrowly escaped this calamity.

"And then? The immortals made their move?"

Knowing that the next step was crucial, the emperor not only leaned forward, but also wanted to deduce the identity of this immortal through these events.

Is she real or fake?

In truth, the Emperor did not quite believe that the True Man Chiyuan was truly alive. Although he believed in gods and Buddhas, he did not believe in living gods and Buddhas.

This is actually the case with most imperial families. Gods and Buddhas are, after all, heavenly beings who do not interfere with mortals, so they tacitly approve of and take advantage of this.

The term "Son of Heaven" originated from this.

But the Crimson Phoenix Immortal is different; she is alive. For an emperor with a strong desire for control, the existence of a living deity would only make him uneasy.

"Yes, the immortal happened to be staying in the village that night. We all thought she was just an ordinary female Taoist priest, and the Book of Cangxuan did not appear at that time."

I was about to strike up a conversation with her then, and I said, "It's a pity it's not spring, otherwise the guests could see the pear blossoms blooming everywhere in the village."

Tang Cai Ren nodded.

"Oh? What did she say?"

"I didn't remember what was said at the time. But my mother, who was with me, did. She was a poor but wealthy young lady who could read."

Later, she helped me write it down, and I often recited it. Over the years, I've memorized it thoroughly.

"What did the immortal say?"

The emperor was naturally curious, as one's words and actions can sometimes reveal a person's inner character.

"Flowers bloom and fade, all returning to dust; yin and yang give birth to life, purity and turbidity are naturally separated; serenely I ascend to the highest heavens, watching life's fleeting dreams unfold..."

Tang Cai Ren recited it word by word.

"...What a beautiful artistic conception."

The emperor raised an eyebrow, which sounded quite dignified and otherworldly.

Moreover, at that time, this "Red Kite Immortal" did not reveal his real name, so there was no need for him to put on an act.

"I didn't quite understand at the time, but my mother did. She thought this guest must be a rich young lady, otherwise she wouldn't be so knowledgeable."

Tang Cairen explained,

"Seeing that she didn't intend to continue speaking, I didn't say anything more... until the incident happened later."

When the villagers saw the few people who had gone mad, they scattered and ran away, afraid that if they were caught, they would become like this, neither human nor ghost... But I was young at the time, and my legs were not as nimble as the adults'. I was scared and fell to the ground.

My mother tried to save me, but she was too far away. I almost thought I was going to die. Unexpectedly, a flash of light appeared, and those people vanished.

When I came to my senses, the immortal was standing beside me, and the Book of Azure Mystery was also there. Everyone in the village knelt on the ground, shouting, "True Immortal Crimson Kite!"

"Hmm...did that immortal ask you for any benefits?"

"No, the immortal left early the next morning, before everyone was even awake. Since then, I have never heard of the immortal ever going to the village again."

Tang Cairen shook her head.

"Yes. It really is a serendipitous encounter."

The Emperor nodded again, seemingly lost in thought.

This immortal sounds very real; she doesn't seek personal gain, she only kills demons.

but……

If you look at it from a darker perspective, she might want to use this to build up her reputation as an immortal, which is far more valuable than money.

Regardless of whether it's true or not, there's no doubt that this immortal is capable.

We have to go to Mount Taixu, whether we like it or not.

"You have done well this time. When I return, I will promote you two ranks."

After considering this, the Emperor nodded, stood up, and waved his hand.

"emperor."

The young eunuch immediately followed.

"Summon the Duke of Zhao and the Duke of E to see me."

The Emperor gave an order.

"promise."

…………

At this moment, Mount Taixu

"You blockhead! Think about it, isn't the emperor of this dynasty coming to see you soon?"

Cangxuan looked at Fu Hua, who was meditating, and asked.

"...Whether I see him or not is not important."

Fu Hua sat upright in front of Fuyun Temple, unconcerned.

"It's been several hundred years since the last member of the Sima family came here, hasn't it?"

He took the Book of Cangxuan very seriously.

"Those who didn't come either split up or perished... Doesn't this confirm the legend?"

"legend?"

"The people of Shenzhou say that if they cannot see the immortal's face, the dynasty will surely collapse prematurely. That's why so many people from the Sima family came. As for others, some people did come in the past few hundred years, but you weren't there... I heard that the country of the person who came was soon destroyed."

The Book of Cangxuan also felt that this matter was a bit awkward.

"In addition, the previous dynasty surnamed Yang did not come to pay a visit, and it also disappeared... Now I think this court is quite stable, and it is very likely that they will come to see you."

"...I do not have the power to control the rise and fall of dynasties, so their coming here is pointless."

Fu Hua shook her head.

"But I hope it's not recently. I've been feeling a bit restless these past few days, it looks like I'm going to be busy again."

"It can't be, right? Aren't emperors supposed to be true dragons and sons of heaven? Their luck can't be that bad, can it?"

Cangxuan scratched his head and said uncertainly.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Seeking Immortality

The emperor's trip to Mount Taixu to worship the immortals was a matter that could be considered both significant and insignificant.

It is indeed a difficult matter.

"In my opinion, what's the point of worshipping some kind of immortal? I heard it's a girl? We don't even know if it's true or not. This country was conquered by the Emperor and us together, not by the protection of some immortal."

The Duke of E snorted coldly, speaking very rudely.

However, the Emperor and the Duke of Zhao next to him were used to it. This Duke of E was originally a rough man from the military, but he was loyal and had won many battles. He was a great contributor to the founding of the country.

"Duke of E, that's a rather ungrateful thing to say."

The Duke of Zhao, who was also the current Empress's elder brother and a close friend of the Emperor from their days as commoners, shook his head repeatedly upon hearing this.

"Haven't you heard the legend of the Crimson Kite Immortal? It's perfectly reasonable and justified for the people of China to worship the Crimson Kite Immortal. What we're worried about is whether this immortal is real."

"The Duke of Zhao is right. The Crimson Iris Immortal is the guardian deity of the Divine Land. If he is truly alive, if our Great Tang does not show sincerity, it will only chill the hearts of the people of the world."

These words struck a chord with the Emperor, who immediately nodded in agreement.

Dynasties may change, but immortals remain.

For the common people, immortals are probably more approachable than the newly established imperial court.

"I understand Your Majesty's concerns."

The Duke of E, being a duke after all, wasn't that muddle-headed.

"What I just said wasn't entirely reckless. Anyway, I don't believe in that kind of nonsense about worshipping immortals without seeing them. Since there's no benefit in it, why bother going out of your way to worship? Who knows, there might even be some rebellious remnants among them..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clearly conveyed.

“What the Duke of E said is true. I originally thought so too. But, upon closer examination, there are many drawbacks to not worshipping immortals.”

Duke Zhao nodded, but his brows furrowed with worry.

"I summoned you two here because I trust you. Speak freely, my dear ministers, and let me sort things out."

The Emperor gestured for him to continue.

"Your Majesty, the current court has just been established, and you have only recently ascended the throne, so the political situation is not yet stable. What the Tang Dynasty lacks most right now is legitimacy."

Then where does the legitimacy lie? I have heard that since the Sima clan, no dynasty has been able to see the Emperor's face, and countless states have perished in the process. Until the Yang family's rule…

The Yang family didn't get to pay their respects to the immortal, and that's how things got to our Great Tang Dynasty. If the Great Tang Dynasty could see the immortal's face and receive the immortal's protection, then whether the immortal was real or fake wouldn't really matter.

The key is that our Great Tang has gained the recognition of the immortals, making it the only legitimate dynasty since the Sima clan—this is the will of Heaven! Thus, the people's hearts are at ease, and the court will naturally stabilize.

Duke Zhao paused here, then continued,

"That's one reason. The second reason is that the retired emperor is, after all, the emperor's father. Although he no longer attends to state affairs, he has repeatedly advised you to go and worship the immortals. If you keep refusing, you might be impeached by the Censorate for 'filial impiety' one day. Wei Zheng is known for his stubbornness and is not incapable of doing such a thing."

"You have hit the nail on the head regarding these two points."

The emperor sighed. If it weren't for this, why would he, the supreme ruler, have to worship some immortal?

"After hearing what Duke Zhao said, is it absolutely necessary to worship this immortal?"

The Duke of E realized that the Emperor was actually planning to go.

"We should pay our respects, but I intend to conceal our itinerary and wait until we have met the immortal before sending people to welcome us back in a grand manner."