Volume One, Chapter Seventeen: You Are Within a Flower

Chapter Seventeen: You Are Within a Flower

“You, are you different from others?”

“Am I? I don’t think I’m any different. I’m just a butcher, and somehow, by accident, I ended up as the Son of Heaven. Purely by chance, honestly…”

“You have a bit of a rogue’s air, but you’re not the sort one dislikes, because your roguishness is born of a lazy disregard for propriety. There’s a trace of sincerity in that…”

“A rogue? Perhaps, perhaps… but you can’t expect a butcher to be highly cultivated, can you?”

“Let’s talk about something serious…”

“Alright. Lamo, was it you who moved me here?”

“Lamo? You’re amusing…”

“Your Highness, forgive my jest, it’s just poor man’s joy, nothing more…”

“Yes, it was I who transported you to this space in an instant. I did not wish to see you die.”

“Then I must thank Your Highness for saving my life. I’d like to know, what is this place?”

“You are inside a flower. I love flowers, especially lotuses. Lotuses of every color bloom in splendid array—the most beautiful among the heavens. The space you’re in is a treasure I refined from the golden Jumu lotus. The rain of light here is formed from golden fragrance.”

“A flower? A spatial treasure? My lady, you must know how poor I am… oh, woe is me…”

“Butcher, you really are… ha ha…”

“Tell you what, Your Highness, why don’t I work for you? All I want is a flower in return—is that a deal?”

“You wish for a spatial artifact?”

“Just one. I’d work for years if I had to. But let’s be clear, if I’m working, you’ll have to feed me, otherwise I’ll have no strength for the job…”

“What color space do you want?”

“White, I think. Yes, white would do.”

“Then this bentoli flower is yours. The space inside is white, spanning a yojana in length and breadth.”

“A flower the size of a fist, but with a space a yojana across? And you’re giving it to me?”

“It’s yours—because you care so much for your dog, willing to risk your life for her…”

“Your Highness… your eyes are red, there’s really no need. My dog is my sister; if I don’t fight for her, who will? But ah, thank you for your kindness. Please, let me go for now—I don’t know how she’s doing, and I’m worried sick…”

“Don’t worry. Your dog will be fine. The backlash of true energy injured her organs, but I’ll give you medicine to heal her.”

“That’s wonderful! Great Bodhisattva of Compassion, let me bow to you…”

“This is a pill made from bull’s-head sandalwood. Give it to your dog when you return; within thirty breaths, she’ll be well.”

“Ahem… Your Highness, may I call you Sister? ‘Your Highness’ just doesn’t come naturally to me.”

“You’re willing to be my brother?”

“Well, I may not be a jade tree in the wind, but at least I’m not without charm, am I? Though I still fall short of being your brother, there must be some benefit, right?”

“Benefit? For whom, me or you? How do you calculate that?”

“Listen, Sister, here’s the thing. The benefit is, at least if I take your gift, I won’t have to work for it, right? See, I don’t even know what shame is anymore…”

“So I’m the one being taken advantage of?”

“Taken advantage of? Who’d dare take advantage of you, Sister? I’d kill them…”

“If Indra wrongs me, would you kill him too? Such talk…”

“How should I put it? The Lord of Heaven is mighty, but if I could kill him, who would dare say no to me? Not only would he never bully my sister again, even if he just gave her a look, I’d have words with him. And if it really doesn’t work out, we can always get divorced. These days, what’s a divorce anyway…”

“You’re getting ahead of yourself. The chance of you killing him is almost zero; the chance of him killing you is nearly a hundred percent. Still, it’s the thought that counts. As for divorce… do you really think it’s possible?”

“For now, Sister, just for now. I’m still far from being someone of great power, but when I am, I’ll make decisions for you. If he doesn’t cherish you, why should you stay with him? What’s so great about the Lord of Heaven—let him bite me if he dares! I won’t believe it otherwise…”

“Brother… your words are rough, but the sense is not. I’ll wait for the day you have such power…”

“Don’t cry, Sister. If you cry, I can’t handle it. I’ll feel like killing someone. If you don’t want your brother to be killed right now, then don’t cry…”

Outside the Celestial Artisan’s Treasure Pavilion, Jinmu and his brothers, along with Qin Lei and Shudoluo, gathered anxiously around the dog, not knowing what to do.

Qin Lei spoke urgently, “Father, where’s my big brother? Did someone take him? Could he be in danger?”

Jinmu pondered, “That light took Tuo Zhe. Given the circumstances, it was probably to save him. But the one who controls that light is no ordinary figure. Who can say if it’s fortune or misfortune?”

Jinsi looked at the silent dog and said, “Let’s not worry about Tuo Zhe for now—no use fretting. How do we save the dog? We’re so-called celestial kings, yet we don’t even have a bull’s-head sandalwood pill. If we did, the dog would recover at once…”

Far in the sky, Huluzhina and his entourage glared down at Jinmu’s family, seething with frustration. Damn it, as an eighth celestial son, he’d wanted to teach those wretches a lesson—maybe even kill the whole Tuo Zhe family—but to no avail! Not only did the Golden-winged Roc King block the Great Dragon Elephant King, but the owner of the light that carried Tuo Zhe away was all too familiar. Even though the Lord of Heaven and she were somewhat estranged, she was still his stepmother—the most beautiful woman in the Three Realms! How could he dare offend her?

Should he just slink away in disgrace? Huluzhina’s eyes darted sinisterly as he pondered his next move. Suddenly, clouds billowed above the Hall of Virtue, home of the Lord of Heaven, and in a flash, an envoy arrived, surrounded by a host of celestial yakshas.

The envoy, high above, proclaimed the imperial decree:

“By order of Shakra Devaindra, Lord of Heaven: Celestial Son Huluzhina, all celestial sons and yakshas present today; Minor Celestial Kings Jinmu and Jinsi, Celestial Sons Tuo Zhe and Qin Lei; Manager of the Celestial Artisan’s Treasure Pavilion, Molesabi—three days hence, you are all to appear at the Hall of Virtue, where the Court of Discipline will adjudicate today’s affair. Do not be late. Thus is the command!”

With the proclamation delivered, the envoy’s party sped away as swiftly as the wind.

Huluzhina shot the Jinmu family a venomous glare, then waved his hand, summoning the idle celestial sons and yaksha troops to depart on the clouds.

The celestial onlookers broke into lively discussion, each vowing to persuade their own celestial lords or elders to go and watch the proceedings in three days.

Jinmu scooped up the dog. “Let’s go. Tuo Zhe’s fate is not yet sealed. When the time comes, he’ll return. Let’s go home.”

So they too departed on the clouds, leaving Molesabi standing there, dazed.

At that moment, a gust of wind swept in and stopped before Molesabi, revealing a tall, imposing elder.

Molesabi instantly knelt, his voice trembling, “Molesabi, steward of the Celestial Artisan’s Pavilion, pays respects to the Grandmaster…”

The Celestial Artisan Grandmaster cast him a cold glance. “I’ve sealed the Pavilion with a barrier. You won’t be able to enter for now. Once the matter has been judged, the seal will lift.”

With that, Molesabi’s face turned deathly pale.

The Grandmaster continued, “Three days from now, I will be at the Hall of Virtue. As for you, see to your own fate.”

With those words, a ripple of wind vanished, and the Grandmaster was gone.

Molesabi collapsed to the ground, limp with despair. Damn it, this is going to be the end of me…