I Got Together with the Goddess [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 67

Born Transcendent, Refused Immortality at Three, Attained Bodhisattva Flesh at Six

“Yiqing, don’t go back to the Princess’s Manor for now. Stay at my residence so I can look after you,” Jiang Yuxiu said as she shared a meal with Jiang Yiqing.

“Alright,” Jiang Yiqing replied. “It won’t be a bother to you, Imperial Sister, will it?”

“What bother? We are the closest of kin. Don’t say such things ever again.”

“Mhm.” Jiang Yiqing hadn’t expected things to go so much more smoothly than she had imagined. Her Imperial Sister was truly wonderful, warming her heart which had been longing for family; in this world, she was finally starting to feel a sense of belonging.

However, what had happened remained like a scar across her heart, often leaving her in a daze. Was Wanqi Yanjing merely a trial at the beginning of her transmigration? Why was it that even after leaving the Kingdom of Qin, that woman’s face still surfaced in her mind? Her touch and her words were like the whispers of a demon, lingering in her heart and refusing to dissipate.

Seeing that her complexion was poor, Jiang Yuxiu suggested: “Yiqing, to welcome you home and cleanse the dust of your journey, I have decided to invite the Daoist masters from the Three Saints Temple to perform a ritual to dispel misfortune and ward off evil for you. What do you think?”

At a time like this, she could only rely on metaphysics. Hoping it was just the lingering psychological impact of Wanqi Yanjing’s techniques, Jiang Yiqing said, “Alright. Whatever Imperial Sister says, Yiqing will do.”

Jiang Yuxiu’s heart softened. This was indeed her Yiqing. Even if she couldn’t show a kind face to others, when it came to her sister, she always treated her as her closest confidante. In this world, the one person Jiang Yuxiu could never part with was this younger sister. She, Jiang Yuxiu, would risk everything to make those who hurt her sister pay the price. To do that, she had to ascend the throne.

“By the way, Imperial Sister, could you please hire a teacher to instruct me in some studies? I have nothing to do, and I wish to broaden my horizons,” Jiang Yiqing said.

“Yiqing, you used to be the one most unwilling to have those scholars droning in your ear. But since you’ve had a change of heart, I will find a proper teacher for you.”

On one hand, Jiang Yiqing was unfamiliar with this world and wanted to learn more from a teacher; on the other hand, she needed to meet new people to help erase the influence Wanqi Yanjing had over her.

The news of Princess Anxu’s returns to court immediately stirred the government. The Empress had originally intended to summon Jiang Yiqing for an audience, but Jiang Yuxiu reported that the Princess had been frightened during her time abroad and was recuperating at home. The Empress let the matter drop, and to show her concern, bestowed many gifts upon her. In the recent conflict with the Kingdom of Qin, the Kingdom of Zhai had suffered a great defeat, and the returning generals had all been criticized. Ironically, Princess Anxu became the only one to receive the Sovereign’s consolation in the wake of the event.

The Empress ordered the Master of Ceremonies to declare to the public that Princess Anxu had been abducted as a hostage by Wanqi Yanjing through improper means. Furthermore, they claimed that Wanqi Yanjing had unilaterally provoked the war, showing a gross disregard for the dignity of the Kingdom of Zhai. Zhai had only lost because it was unprepared. This was an attempt to cast the Kingdom of Qin as the villain to mitigate the negative domestic impact of the defeat.

The Daoist master from the Three Saints Temple was the famous Master Qiyun of the Zhai Kingdom. She was also a direct disciple of the Langhuan Immortal Mansion, the guardian sect of Zhai. On the day she arrived at the Third Princess’s Manor, the curious citizens of the capital scrambled to watch, crowding the entrance of the manor until it was impassable.

The disciples of the Three Saints Temple set up a sacrificial altar in the manor. Incense burners, Triple Pure Bells, court tablets, and command flags were arranged on the table. A red carpet embroidered with the Eight Trigrams and cloud patterns was laid on the ground. Disciples stood by holding incense and lamps. Five-direction banners were hung all around, and Jiang Yiqing’s Life Lamp and Twelve Zodiac Lamps were also set in place.

Master Qiyun, dressed in ceremonial robes, presided over the ritual herself. Holding her ritual implements and chanting the God-Invoking Mantra, she burned the petition for Jiang Yiqing’s blessings. Her divine appearance left everyone present in awe.

Once the ritual ended, the altar was cleared away.

“The Princess is not under the influence of any curses or spells; the Third Princess may rest easy.” Qiyun flicked her fly-whisk, her bright eyes observing Jiang Yiqing. There was one sentence she did not say aloud. Instead, she said, “She currently appears a bit unsettled, likely due to the fright she received abroad. After taking some sedative medicine and getting plenty of rest, she should regain her peace in due time.”

“I understand.” Jiang Yuxiu nudged Jiang Yiqing’s hand.

Jiang Yiqing performed a Daoist salute to Master Qiyun and said, “Anxu thanks Master Qiyun for her guidance.”

“I would not dare call it guidance. May we have a word in private?”

“Please, this way,” Jiang Yuxiu said.

Jiang Yuxiu invited Master Qiyun into the main hall and dismissed all the servants. Only the three of them remained.

“Does the Princess possess a strange object on her person?” Master Qiyun asked.

“A strange object?” The Third Princess also looked at Jiang Yiqing in surprise.

Jiang Yiqing searched through her spice pouches and purses, but found nothing. Then it occurred to her—could the Master be talking about the Heteroskeletal Langhua Jade she had taken from Wanqi Yanjing? But that item had been pawned to the System; she couldn’t take it out. Yet the Master could detect it?

“Does the Master refer to the Heteroskeletal Langhua Jade?” Jiang Yiqing asked.

“The Heteroskeletal Langhua Jade?!” Qiyun couldn’t help but lose her composure. “The national treasure of the Kingdom of Qin? Has the Princess touched this object?”

Jiang Yiqing didn’t know how to explain, so she gave a vague nod.

“That object was crafted from the immortal bones of the late Emperor of Qin. It possesses the mental power of past lives; to touch it is to touch karma itself. One will inevitably be drawn into a series of difficult and convoluted entanglements. If that is the case, I fear today’s ritual is not enough to cleanse the karmic force from the Princess. The Princess may go to the Heart-Washing Pool in the Imperial Palace to try. The Heart-Washing Pool is a great treasure established by the Langhuan Immortal Mansion, infused with the blessings of the previous Emperors of Zhai for their descendants.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yuxiu realized the gravity of the matter and said, “I will inform Her Majesty immediately and let Yiqing go to the Heart-Washing Pool.”

“Then I shall take my leave.” Master Qiyun frowned slightly, appearing somewhat preoccupied.

“Please, Master, take care.”

The two of them escorted Master Qiyun to the main gate. Jiang Yiqing was left feeling uneasy by her words. Did the Heteroskeletal Langhua Jade really have such strange power? It was no wonder Wanqi Yanjing’s expression had been so terrible when she left. But what should she do now? Although the jade wasn’t on her person, it was as if it were. It seemed she would have to return the item to Wanqi Yanjing; otherwise, wouldn’t the already tense relationship between the two countries completely shatter?

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace of the Kingdom of Qin.

“Your Majesty, on the day you were born, I saw purple energy coming from the east. Today, I see a phoenix flying south,” the Imperial Astronomer said to Wanqi Yanjing.

“A phoenix flying south? What does that signify?”

“The phoenix is the totem of our nation, and the south is where the Kingdom of Zhai lies. This is not an auspicious sign,” the Astronomer said. “Should the worst happen, it is an omen of the nation’s fall.”

“An omen of the nation’s fall? It is that easy for a nation to fall?” Wanqi Yanjing chuckled, exuding an air of natural authority.

“I have sinned.” The Astronomer immediately knelt. “But that is indeed what the omens show.”

Wanqi Yanjing did not tell her about Jiang Yiqing taking the Heteroskeletal Langhua Jade. The so-called ‘phoenix flying south’ was merely because of that.

Rather than believing in celestial omens, Wanqi Yanjing believed in herself. If the heavens sought to trouble her, she would destroy the heavens.

“I have business outside the palace. Publicly, it shall be said I am performing a sacrificial rite at Mount Jun. I have left the affairs of the state to the Grand Tutor and the others,” Wanqi Yanjing said. “If there is any unusual movement, inform me immediately.”

The Astronomer’s lips trembled as she looked at her in shock. She never expected that Wanqi Yanjing, who had guarded the throne for over twenty years, would one day leave in secret.

“—Yes, I obey.” The Astronomer was full of doubts but had no way to ask. She could only say, “I dare not disobey. I hope Your Majesty takes care of your Phoenix Body and acts with caution.”

Jiang Yuxiu invited the current third-place imperial scholar (Tanhua) to be Jiang Yiqing’s teacher. Jiang Yiqing had never seen such a grand display. One could say that by returning to the Kingdom of Zhai, she had returned to her own territory. With Jiang Yuxiu’s favor, she had become the happiest girl in the world. Now, she felt that transmigration wasn’t so bad after all. If she couldn’t go back, she would take the original Jiang Yiqing’s place and live on, supporting her Imperial Sister.

The scholar, Ning Yinxi, volunteered to accompany Jiang Yiqing to the Heart-Washing Pool in the palace.

On the way, Jiang Yiqing asked her about the current state of the world.

“The world today is divided into four kingdoms: East Huang, West Qin, South Zhai, and North Qi. Our Kingdom of Zhai has been a land of spiritual essence since ancient times. This spiritual power connects us to the Langhuan Celestial Mansion. However, the deities above rarely concern themselves with mortal affairs. But if they so decide, they could easily bring down a natural disaster to wipe out a nation in the blink of an eye. There is one exception, however: the current Empress of Qin, Wanqi Yanjing. On the day she was born, purple energy came from the east. It is said she is the reincarnation of an immortal. When she was three, the Phoenix Map Celestial Mansion sent immortals to invite her to cultivate in the heavens, but Wanqi Yanjing personally refused. This has caused her spiritual progress to be vastly different from ordinary people; to call her a genius of cultivation would be an understatement.”

The topic inevitably turned back to Wanqi Yanjing. Listening to this, Jiang Yiqing couldn’t help but ask: “Since she is so powerful, why… did she encounter something terrible in her youth?”

Jiang Yiqing recalled the scars she had seen on her body. If she was a heaven-sent talent, how could such a situation have occurred?

Ning Yinxi glanced at Jiang Yiqing and said, “By something ‘terrible,’ does the Princess mean the time when she was five and the demonic cults collectively besieged the Kingdom of Qin? Everyone knows of that event.”

“Uh, tell me about it.”

“To save the Kingdom of Qin, her Father-Consort handed her over to the demon’s lair. At age six, Wanqi Yanjing leveled the demonic cult. After she returned to the Kingdom of Qin, her personality became somewhat violent and restless, and she harbored a deep hatred for men.”

“There was such a thing…”

Jiang Yiqing desperately told herself not to pity her, but hearing that she had faced such things at the age of six—how lonely and helpless she must have been. Thinking about it, Jiang Yiqing felt that she herself wasn’t that unlucky after all. However, that was still no excuse for her to be abducted. Perhaps Wanqi Yanjing’s arrogant and “obey me or die” personality was indeed formed by her childhood experiences.

“Although no one knows exactly what Wanqi Yanjing encountered in the demonic cult, after that, the mysterious disappearances of children across the four kingdoms decreased significantly,” Ning Yinxi said. “So, as absurd as it sounds, various nations actually worship Wanqi Yanjing as a protector goddess of children. Among the common folk, she is not worshiped as an Empress, but as a child-like figure given the name ‘Lady Jing’.”

“…Born transcendent, refused immortality at three, attained Bodhisattva flesh at six—are you saying Wanqi Yanjing is actually that powerful?!” Jiang Yiqing tried her best to keep her expression from being too exaggerated, but she still couldn’t help but feel her composure crumble. “Is that the same Wanqi Yanjing I know?”

“…Princess, you are right. She is exactly that powerful. Unless forced, we would not want to go to war with her.” Ning Yinxi asked, “What exactly is the Wanqi Yanjing in your impression like? I heard she took you into the palace. The nobles of our country are quite gossipy about this; could you reveal a little?”

“…” Jiang Yiqing remained silent, her face turning red.

What was going on? Wanqi Yanjing acted out an X-rated script in front of her, yet she held such a holy image in public?

She really couldn’t hold it in anymore.

No, she couldn’t over-idealize her image. No matter how grand the shell she wore, wasn’t she just a [censored] offender?