Yinshan Record

Chapter 112 Conferring Titles on Deities
It comes like thunder, its fury subsiding; it goes like the calm waves of a still river or sea.

When Yu Lizi fought the Lion and Qinglian, he possessed the full magnificence of the Tathagata. After attaining immortality, he lived a life of arrogance and left without a sound.

As Su Che watched his teacher ride the escape light high into the sky, he suddenly realized that Huang Tiandao's sect was not in the mortal world, but above the Nine Heavens.

This is the true demeanor of an immortal.

By placing his sect high above the Nine Heavens, Huang Tiandao essentially put his sect on the front lines of the battle against the extraterrestrial demons. Now, he is going all out to compete with the Lord of the End of Dharma, all he wants is to create a place for cultivators to rise in the world.

Imagine Yu Lizi meditating for a moment, then going outside for a walk. When he looks up, he sees the boundless, cold void beneath the rays of the sun and the reflection of the stars.

Meanwhile, the Lords of the End Times led their retinues across the void, their light shining down from their various forms. The Heavenly Demons formed a illusory realm, within which heaven and earth, the sun and moon, cities and people appeared. The radiance of the Heavenly Demons merged with the light of the stars, and the cold demonic intent intertwined in the equally frigid void.

At this moment, Huang Tiandao brandished his long sword, and a chime resounded in the void, commanding his disciples to subdue the demon. Rays of light rose from the immortal palace, directly approaching the Heavenly Demon Realm, which was reflecting a dazzling radiance.

The final Lord of the Dharma, who ultimately failed to escape, is spreading this message through the void.

“I have witnessed things that none of you Lords of the End of Dharma have ever seen. I saw the Heavenly Demon Realm breached by the true fire at the edge of the great sun. The flames emitted by the many Heavenly Demons as they collapsed under the lightning tribulation were as brilliant as the great sun. I saw the Nine Netherworld Burning God Yin Fire pierce through the cold Heavenly Demon Palace. Lightning burst forth and disappeared in the eternal darkness. Now all these moments have vanished into the void, like tears merging into rain. The moment of destruction has arrived.”

Su Che imagined and longed for it.

"Teacher Wei is gone?"

Madam Xue had been paying close attention to the changes in the energy flow. As soon as Yu Lizi left, she sensed it. She endured for a moment, but still walked in despite Yu Ze and Shi Chibao's attempts to stop her.

"Yes, Master has already returned to his sect."

Upon hearing this, Madam Xue looked up at the sky with great resentment.

If I miss out on such a wise and accomplished master of the mystical arts, who will answer the questions in my heart?
Alas, fortunately, one can leave the monk but not the temple; the master may be in heaven, but the disciple is still on earth.

“Young Master Su, I hold a divine position and cannot leave the Canglang River for too long, so I will take my leave now.”

Madam Xue bowed and smiled slightly as she spoke to Yu Ze.

"As for the imperial court, we respectfully request that Lord Yu and Commander Shi accept our request. I am willing to stand with you all through thick and thin."

Yu Ze nodded, understanding the implied meaning in the song. Since Madam Xue had expressed her opinion, he naturally agreed.

"Of course, we will need to trouble Young Master Su to get this done."

The stunningly beautiful old female ghost smiled, which truly made the empty room glow.

Su Che was indeed a little confused, but after listening to the three of them talk about something, he finally understood what they were talking about.

Lady Xue is about to be deified.

It is common knowledge that Lady Oogami Yuki has always aspired to the Shinto path.

However, firstly, the imperial court was cautious about using prestigious items, and secondly, the two sides had never had any opportunity to collude.

The reason is simple: although the imperial court had the power to bestow titles upon gods, it was unwilling to do so casually.

The power of this deification is not about relying on some vague so-called human fortune or imperial edict to make powerful people spring up like mushrooms after rain.

That is impossible.

Even if it were possible, the Xuanmen would need to mass-produce "Innate Divine Registers," also known as Conferred Divine Registers, to solve the problem.

In Su Che's words from later generations, what the imperial court could provide to those aspiring to cultivate the divine path was a channel, as well as a prestigious reputation endorsed by the emperor and recognized by officials at all levels.

With the court's approval, the people knew that you were not a heretic, and that's when you gained the support of powerful families and ordinary people.

Otherwise, if your temple is swept six times a day, you won't be able to do business, let alone attract believers.

More importantly, you can act more freely and without any more reservations.

In short, without the court's approval, if Lady Xue wanted to become the Water Goddess, the first thing she would have to deal with was the Imperial Guards, and then Yu Ze.

These people are now her allies. The reason the imperial court is unwilling to do this is because it has too many drawbacks.

The simplest principle is whether believers should follow divine pronouncements or imperial decrees. If there is a conflict between the two, which one should believers follow?
Throughout history, there have been numerous examples of powerful families and fierce generals rebelling with the help of local deities, not to mention the influence that ordinary people could have with the backing of gods.

Therefore, the imperial court's bestowal of titles upon gods was at most limited to the level of City God; other titles were rarely granted. Such grand-scale bestowals upon the Five Sacred Mountains were only undertaken during periods of imperial prosperity.

Ultimately, it was because the matter of bestowing titles upon the gods could, if handled carelessly, shake the very foundation of the nation. The problems might not be apparent at the time, but they would inevitably spread like wildfire years later.

Lady Xue's shift towards the divine path is actually a matter of the last hundred years. Her resolve had never been very firm before, after all, she had the successful ghost cultivator King, Yin Yang Fa Wang, as a role model. Moreover, she felt that the Great Liang Dynasty did not seem like a dynasty with a long lifespan, so she had no intention of cooperating.

Now, taking advantage of the Xuanshan Incident, Madam Xue has intervened in the situation in Shanyin, firmly standing on the side of the Liang Dynasty. She also has an excellent relationship with Yu Ze and others, and the two sides have made specific arrangements for the next step of cooperation.

It is now a done deal that the imperial court will bestow upon Lady Xue the title of Goddess of the Canglang River.

Before long, the imperial guards will fabricate stories praising her fierce battle against demons and saving the people in Shanyin and distribute them among the common people.

Then a few more literary gatherings will be arranged, where a few scholars will praise Lady Xue's saintly virtues and the abundance of the Canglang River.

Of course, all of this is just the groundwork.

Then the imperial court bestowed upon Lady Xue the title of goddess, rebuilt her temple, and adorned her statue with gold.

Lady Xue, of course, had to pay the price.

This price... made Su Che feel that the Liang Dynasty was both realistic and seemed doomed.

First, Madam Xue had to pay a large sum of money as a prerequisite for being granted official status by the Great Liang Dynasty.

Secondly, it is necessary to ensure that the Canglang River does not cause harm, and at the same time, to ensure that the surrounding areas have favorable weather conditions.

Finally, you have to pay taxes every year.

It is very true, but is the imperial court really that short of money?
"Congratulations, Madam Xue."

The female ghost smiled slightly.

"There are quite a few troublesome water demons in Canglang. A few days ago, they brought in a troublesome water monkey. We will have to ask you for help in the future."

"Mutual support and assistance is our duty."

Yu Ze smiled and said, "Madam, rest assured, this matter was orchestrated by the Yu family of Yingchuan. We expect to hear good news next spring."

Looking at the beaming face of the Grand Chancellor, Su Che thought that this man had probably received so many gifts that they were practically possessed by ghosts.

After a few more pleasantries, Lady Xue vanished in the mist.

Su Che finally had some free time.

He wasn't in the city before because Yu Lizi had something to do, and neither Yu Ze nor Shi Chibao dared to ask about the affairs of the Huangtiandao Sect.

Now, with everything in disarray and needing to be rebuilt, Su Che could still pretend to be a spoiled young master, and Yu Ze and Shi Chibao had no time to entertain him, so they went to handle their own affairs.

Su Che had some free time, so he thought it over and over, made some inquiries, and then headed towards the prison where the Imperial Guards were located.

That place was converted from a dungeon in the house of Magistrate Jiang. As for why the Jiang family had a dungeon, that's a very common thing.

Before Su Che even reached that place, he heard a thunderous roar from the other side.

"I, Old Ox, refuse to accept this!"

"I, too, can be loyal to the emperor and serve my country!"

"I can do it too!"

(End of this chapter)