Chapter 1 Heaven Official’s Blessing

Among all the gods and buddhas in the heavens, there is one who is a famous laughingstock of the three realms.

Legend has it that eight hundred years ago, in the Central Plains, there was an ancient kingdom called the Kingdom of Xianle.

The ancient Kingdom of Xianle was vast and rich, its people harmonious and happy. The nation had four treasures: beauties as numerous as clouds, splendid music and literature, gold and jewels, and a renowned crown prince.

As for this crown prince—how to put it—he was quite an extraordinary man.

The king and queen cherished him like a precious jewel, doting on him and often boasting, “My son will surely be a wise ruler, his name remembered for generations.”

However, the crown prince had no interest at all in worldly power and riches.

What he was interested in, as he often told himself, was—

“I want to save all living beings!”

·

From a young age, the crown prince devoted himself to cultivation, and along the way, two widely told stories emerged.

The first story happened when he was seventeen.

That year, the Kingdom of Xianle held a grand Shangyuan Heavenly Festival parade.

Although this traditional religious event had been neglected for centuries, one could still imagine, from surviving ancient texts and oral accounts, what a magnificent celebration it must have been.

On the night of the Shangyuan Festival, on Shenwu Avenue.

Crowds thronged both sides of the street. Nobles chatted and laughed atop tall buildings; royal warriors, clad in armor, opened the way with imposing might; maidens danced gracefully, their snow-white hands scattering showers of flowers—no one could tell whether the girls or the blossoms were more beautiful; melodious music drifted from golden carriages, floating above the entire imperial city. At the end of the procession, sixteen white horses with golden bridles pulled a grand platform.

Atop this high platform stood the focus of all attention: the Joyous Martial Performer.

During the Heavenly Festival parade, the Joyous Martial Performer would wear a golden mask, don splendid robes, wield a treasured sword, and play the role of the greatest demon-subduing martial god of a thousand years—the Martial Emperor Jun Wu.

To be chosen as the Joyous Martial Performer was the highest honor, so the selection was extremely strict. That year, the one chosen was the crown prince. The whole nation believed he would deliver the most spectacular performance in history.

But that day, something unexpected happened.

On the third lap of the procession around the city, they passed a city wall over ten zhang high.

At that moment, the martial god atop the platform was about to slay the demon with a single sword.

This was the most thrilling moment—the crowds on both sides of the street erupted, and the people atop the wall surged forward, craning their necks, struggling and jostling.

Just then, a small child fell from the city tower.

Screams filled the air. Just as everyone thought the child was about to crash to the ground in a bloody mess, the crown prince lifted his head slightly, leapt up, and caught him.

All anyone saw was a white figure soaring like a bird, and the crown prince landed safely with the child in his arms. The golden mask fell, revealing the young and handsome face beneath.

The next moment, the crowd erupted in cheers.

The commoners were overjoyed, but the royal temple’s state preceptors were in agony.

No one could have expected such a huge mishap.

Ominous! Far too ominous!

Each lap of the platform around the imperial city symbolized a year of peace and prosperity for the nation, and now that it had been interrupted, wouldn’t that invite disaster?

The preceptors were so worried their hair was falling like rain. After much deliberation, they summoned the crown prince and tactfully suggested, “Your Highness, could you perhaps face the wall in reflection for a month as a sign of repentance? You don’t really have to do it, just make a show of it.”

The crown prince smiled and said, “No.”

He said, “Saving someone isn’t a bad thing. Why would Heaven punish me for doing the right thing?”

Uh… but what if Heaven does punish you?