Chapter 229: The Fifth Era
Translator: Ninetales Editor: DarkGem
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor and his wife had come to Little Jade Capital in the sky a dozen or so days ago. This city in the sky was like a paradise, with sceneries that were rarely seen in the mortal world.
"Has Imperial Preceptor gotten accustomed to here?" a white-robed elder asked with a smile after coming over.
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor said solemnly, "Litte Jade Capital lives up to its name. The sceneries here are extraordinary, which made me enjoy myself so much that I forgot to go home. Even though this place is good, it's far from the human world. My ambition isn't here, and I will still have to leave. May Hermit Qing You please forgive me."
That old Hermit Qing You smiled. "There's no need for Imperial Preceptor to be in a hurry. This hermit has invited Imperial Preceptor as a guest yet I haven't told you about the origins of Little Jade Capital."
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor said with curiosity, "I'd like to hear the details."
Hermit Qing You led the way as he brought Imperial Preceptor and his wife up a rainbow bridge. This structure was sculpted out from seven-colored jade which stretched across the sky, so standing on the bridge was like standing on a rainbow. When at the center of the bridge, the scenery they could see from up there was different from what they could see from below. They could see that the mountains of Little Jade Capital were arranged into a natural formation in the sky, while the palaces on the mountains were where the immortals lived.
"Little Jade Capital City's origins are even more ancient than Imperial Preceptor must have imagined." Hermit Qing You smiled. "The history here can be traced all the way back to the Founding Emperor Period."
"Founding Emperor?" Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor had indeed not heard of Founding Emperor before and asked curiously, "Which country had the Founding Emperor period? Eternal Peace Empire never had an emperor that was called Founding Emperor."
"Founding Emperor isn't from Eternal Peace, he was from a land which was called Founding Emperor Empire," Hermit Qing You said. "Imperial Preceptor should know that the Founding Emperor Empire is the current Great Ruins."
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor's body trembled slightly as he let out a shaky breath. "Great Ruins."
Hermit Qing You led them across the bridge and towards a mountain of immortals floating in the sky. "Founding Emperor Era is what the Daoism calls it, while Buddhism refers to it as Emptiness Era. Formation, existence, destruction, and emptiness, so Emptiness Era is the fourth one. Now that Eternal Peace is rising, we Little Jade Capital refer to the current time as Eternal Peace Era. During Founding Emperor Era, Great Ruins were prosperous. We Little Jade Capital refer to the huge calamity that wiped out that place as Founding Emperor Calamity. Before Founding Emperor Calamity, there was also three calamities."
The gaze of Imperial Preceptor's wife flickered. "Elder said that the current time is referred to as Eternal Peace Era, so if Eternal Peace Empire is wiped out, are you going to refer to it as Eternal Peace Calamity?"
"Madam is wise." Hermit Qing You smiled and pointed far away. There was a jade mountain floating in the sky, and a few Daoists were currently building a palace there. "That palace over there is to store the history of Eternal Peace Era. When Eternal Peace Empire is wiped out, we can tidy up the coming and goings of Eternal Peace Calamity, leaving them as references for our future generations."
Imperial Preceptor's wife couldn't resist asking, "Elder, what kind of place is Little Jade Capital? Is it good or evil? What intentions do you have for us husband and wife? We have been here for quite a few days, and the elder had let us tour around as much as we wished. Shouldn't it be time for you to say the true intention of Little Jade Capital?"
"We Little Jade Capital have no intentions. We just want to observe Imperial Preceptor, to observe the reform, and record the things that we think will be useful for our future generations." Hermit Qing You smiled. "We call ourselves immortals and not gods because we don't want to interfere with how the world works."
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor said, "Immortals and gods, how are they different?"
"Immortals are human, gods aren't."
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor pondered it for a moment, then said, "What you mean is that humans can't become gods, only immortals?"
Hermit Qing You smiled. "Imperial Preceptor, having cultivated to Divine Bridge Realm, what do you see when you stand on the divine bridge?"
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor didn't say a word. Divine Bridge Realm was the seventh realm after breaking the wall of Divine Bridge Divine Treasure, which was also the highest realm.
"Divine Bridge Divine Treasure is a bridge which leads to the god realm. However, it is broken within everyone, so no one is able to reach the other shore. It isn't different for Imperial Preceptor, am I right?"
Hermit Qing You continued, "It's no different for the immortals of Little Jade Capital. We had seen countless divine treasures, and all the divine bridges were broken. Being unable to reach the other shore means that we can't become gods. Actually, based on our cultivation, we could be on par with the gods yet the realm is broken."
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor nodded. "I had discovered this many years ago and was distressed over this once. I had searched many ancient books yet I couldn't find a way to solve it. Does Little Jade Capital have records of the broken bridge being reconnected?"
"We have." Hermit Qing You led them to the palace up the jade mountain and said, "However, even Little Jade Capital isn't capable of doing it. Because we couldn't become gods, we decided to become immortals. This is why we, the old and useless, have chosen to stay in Little Jade Capital. Even though we call ourselves immortals, once our allocated lifespans are up, our souls will return to the yellow springs. We aren't able to escape death. We are just seeking peace. Imperial Preceptor, madam, over here."
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor and his wife followed him and walked into the palace. It was a place, but even though it had the faint air of the home of immortals, it was very cold and cheerless, with not a figure to be seen.
Little Jade Capital was a cold and cheerless place like this.
Hermit Qing You brought them through the long hallway and walked to the circular door, leading them into the depths of the palace. "During Founding Emperor Period, there was indeed a bunch of people who had connected their broken bridges. They had built a glorious divine dynasty which by now has turned into dust and no longer exists. The location of this divine dynasty is the Great Ruins of today."
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor was slightly excited. "There have been people who connected the bridge? In that case, did they become gods?"
Hermit Qing You nodded and smiled slightly. "However, there are very few of these people now, and they are known as the people abandoned by gods."
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor was stunned. "Those abandoned people in Great Ruins?"
"No. Almost no one has a complete Divine Bridge Divine Treasure among the abandoned people of Great Ruins. The immortals of our Little Jade Capital had gone to check before."
Hermit Qing You pushed open a door and brought them inside. "Eternal Peace Empire had received a prophecy before, am I right? They were told to restrict the abandoned people of Great Ruins from walking out of Great Ruins. Actually, what the oracle wanted you to guard against was not those abandoned people of Great Ruins, but the abandoned people from Carefree Village that are staying in Great Ruins. Their divine bridges are complete, and what the gods are guarding against are them."
Rows of bookshelves were in front of them, and they were with thick ancient books that contained the history of Founding Emperor Era which the immortals of Little Jade Capital had recorded down.
"Imperial Preceptor just needs to read all these ancient books once, and you will know what had happened during Founding Emperor Era and Founding Emperor Calamity." Hermit Qing You bowed, paying his respects since he planned to retreat from this library. "If Imperial Preceptor wants to continue walking down this path he has set, I'm afraid Founding Emperor Era's history will become Eternal Peace Empire's history as well. Whatever Founding Emperor Era faced, Eternal Peace Era will face as well."
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor returned the bow and asked, "Wanderer Zhen from your Little Jade Capital died under my hands, so why is Dao brother still letting me come here?"
"Our Little Jade Capital does not interfere with worldly affairs and only records them. Once Wanderer Zhen left the mountain, he was no longer an immortal of Little Jade Capital. His life and death were no longer related to us."
Hermit Qing You said while walking out, "Both of you husband and wife are immortals of our Little Jade Capital while you are here, but when you leave, you will no longer be related to us. A saint appears every five hundred years, and we Little Jade Capital are interested in observing the saint of this current dynasty, to see if he can do what the saints of the past could not."
"Weird rules." The eyes of Imperial Preceptor's wife shifted and landed on the ancient scrolls. "Husband, there are some problems with Little Jade Capital's origin, I think they're the descendants of Founding Emperor Empire."
"That is possible." Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor sat down and picked up a book. "They have no ill intentions, so there's no need to guess their goals. I want to see the history of Founding Emperor since the current times is a reflection of the past."
In the Great Ruins, a certain devil was speaking.
"I just wanted to find a lowly world for my people to settle in, to find a place for them to live and reproduce. I don't want to wage a war on your world." Dutian Devil King had a blank gaze as he muttered, "Our Dutian is at its death door, so if we fight with you guys, we are really going to go extinct. I have to take responsibility for my race. Let me return, I have to find another lowly world, let me return…"
Hu Ling'er looked at Qin Mu and asked in a low voice, "Young master, should we let him return? He looks pretty pitiful."
"How do I know if he really plans to return or if it's a lie?" Qin Mu shook his head. "He is just a consciousness, while his true body is still in Dutian. He can continue to search for another world with that, so there's no need for this consciousness to return to Dutian. If he doesn't return and instead hides somewhere to summon his true body, won't I be guilty? You can't believe a word this fellow says. If you believe him, you'll lose instantly. Border Dragon City is right in front of us, and it's only a thousand miles away from Disabled Elderly Village."
Border Dragon City was already in their sight, so Qin Mu was finally at ease. He had finally reached his own territory."
"Young master!"
"Young master has returned?"
"Young master, how is Eternal Peace Empire compared to our Great Ruins?"
…
Qin Mu brought the dragon qilin into Border Dragon City, and many store owners on the way waved towards him. He smiled and returned their greetings. "Eternal Peace Empire is much more chaotic than our Great Ruins. Rebellions happen every day, and wars are waged constantly; it's not a good place."
"That's right, there were many immigrants who had escaped to Great Ruins. They all said they were running from war and disasters. It's good young master is back; home is the safest after all."
Qin Mu came to the city lord's manor and asked, "Has the city lord returned?"
"City lord had come back a few days ago before leaving once more. Does young master want to stay? Little one will go and prepare a banquet to hold a welcoming reception."
"There's no need," Qin Mu said. "New Year is coming, I have to return to the village first."
Border Dragon City was his and Granny Si's property since some time ago due to most of the people here being people of Heavenly Devil Cult. The only difference from outside was that the followers of Heavenly Devil Cult outside referred to Qin Mu as cult master sacred teacher while followers in Border Dragon City referred to him as young master.
The owner of this city was Granny Si, after all, and Qin Mu was the child she had raised, so it was natural he was called young master.
Qin Mu continued on the journey home. The distance of a thousand miles was very short, and with the foot power of the dragon qilin, they could reach Disabled Elderly Village in half a day.
The dragon qilin stepped on the river surface and moved upstream. The sunlight of the winter sun provided warmth as it shone down, and it was not chilly like in Eternal Peace Empire. Qin Mu remembered how he had broken the ice tide with Xian Qing'er last year. Right then, he saw Xian Qing'er smoking fish with the villagers. By rubbing salt on the huge fish hanging under the tree by the river and using moist firewood to smoke them, the smoky flavor would seep into the meat.
The people of this village had caught many huge fish that were taller than a human, and they hung on the tree. The flesh of these fish was bright and shiny. The villagers rarely went out to hunt during New Years, so they could only rely on these catches to survive through this winter.
Qin Mu stopped the dragon qilin, and the little girl with three braids blinked her bright and beautiful eyes at him. "The one that herds cows, you're returning home in glory? Is outside fun?"
Qin Mu smiled. "It's okay, I'm getting chased by people everywhere I go. Didn't the monks of Little Thunderclap Monastery come to find you?"