Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Scene Recreated

Every summer, as the grand Xuanwu Festival approaches—the most significant ritual of the Academy of the Way—the academy grants a ten-day holiday. Apart from the essential personnel assigned to assist in building the altar on Xuanwu Divine Mountain, all other disciples suspend unnecessary activities and observe fasting and self-cultivation.

After returning from the Trial of Tianmu, Hua Sheng was already exhausted and wounded, nearly succumbing to illness from overexertion. Fortunately, the academy supplied him with some celestial herbs, both for internal and external use, and after lying in bed for two full days, he finally regained some strength.

The weather shifted into early summer, with temperatures rising steadily. The academy was alive with the sounds of insects and cicadas. Once his spirit had somewhat recovered, Hua Sheng called on Tai Shang Young Lord to join him that afternoon under the vast tree by Drunken Heart Lake, seeking respite from the heat while recording entries in the “Merits and Faults Ledger” with a brush.

The so-called “Merits and Faults Ledger” records virtuous deeds as “merit entries” and misdeeds as “fault entries.” Disciples of the Academy of the Way, guided by issued ledgers such as “Ledger of Merits and Faults of the Supreme Celestial Lord,” “Ledger of Merits and Faults to Warn the World,” and “Ledger of Ten Commandments,” keep daily records. For example, saving a critically ill patient counts as ten merits; killing an insect counts as one fault. Once signed, each entry is routinely recorded: virtuous words and deeds go into the merit column, wicked words and actions into the fault column, with merits and faults offsetting each other as appropriate.

After writing a few lines, Hua Sheng’s mind grew restless. Especially when he thought of Wei Yu, feeling he should find time to meet her. He had intended to eliminate Tianji Zi, the obstacle between himself and Wei Yu, but through that, he met Mie Ying, which led to misunderstandings that should never have arisen.

Lost in troubling thoughts, Hua Sheng soon found himself unable to write further. He set down the brush and said, “Tai Shang Young Lord, there’s something that weighs on my heart…”

“If it’s about girls, don’t ask me,” Tai Shang Young Lord replied, continuing his own writing. “I only understand gossip.”

Hua Sheng could only chuckle awkwardly at the double meaning.

Tai Shang Young Lord asked, “Is it something else?”

“It’s about what happened during the Box Contest…”

“I imagine the intrusion into the celestial formation will keep the celestial masters busy for a while. We can only watch and do nothing.”

Hua Sheng answered, “Actually, when we were inside that stone box and in the place resembling the academy, I felt uneasy and strange.”

“In that situation, who wouldn’t be unsettled? What’s odd about that?”

“To be honest, I can’t recall why I knew how to open the stone box at that time. Also, inside that fake academy, the unfathomable space…”

Hua Sheng then shared his suspicions about his “perspective.”

Tai Shang Young Lord listened in silence for a while, then said, “When you put it that way, it really is bizarre. Not only that, but the hag-like creature later on somehow recognized both you and me, as well as Tianji Zi. Meaning, this monster may have seen you before, and even been to Shengping Ning?”

Tai Shang Young Lord shook his head. “No, the Primordial Path from Shengping Ning to the mortal world doesn’t allow random passage. Especially not for such creatures.”

“That’s exactly what troubles me. But since I can’t be certain, I haven’t told Master Yu Ran.”

“It seems this matter is far more complicated than we imagined.”

Just as Tai Shang Young Lord was about to say more, a disciple rushed over, breathless, and announced, “Are you Hua Sheng? Master Yu Ran needs to see you.”

“Have some water first. Why the hurry?” Tai Shang Young Lord casually conjured a cup of cool tea, sending it to the disciple.

The disciple drained the tea in one gulp. “Master Yu Ran, Master Fire Thunder, and Master Jue Guang are all waiting. They urgently need Hua Sheng!”

“So that’s it. Probably about the incident where you used the Samadhi True Fire to destroy Si Xian Pavilion—the academy has formed a temporary investigation group,” Tai Shang Young Lord said unhurriedly. “Today they’ll ask you for details.”

As it was his own doing, Hua Sheng dared not delay. He quickly tidied his brush and ledger and hurried after the disciple. Approaching the destination, he found it was inside the Imperial Immortal Pavilion, diagonally opposite Si Xian Pavilion.

Climbing the wooden stairs of the Imperial Immortal Pavilion, Hua Sheng saw repairs underway at Si Xian Pavilion. Dozens of disciples and celestial masters were using magic: on the rooftop, midair, and on the ground, many were busy, some directing the effort, all combining their powers to restore the building. Witnessing this, Hua Sheng felt even more ashamed.

But since he’d come to uncover the cause, he had no choice but to steel himself and ascend.

Taking three steps at a time to the top floor, Hua Sheng found three celestial masters seated at the desk. On the left was Master Yu Ran, familiar to Hua Sheng with his gold-rimmed glasses. Having trained under him for most of the past year, Hua Sheng regarded himself as his disciple and greeted Yu Ran with a bow.

On the right sat a burly, bearded celestial master—Master Fire Thunder. In the center was a refined man in his thirties whom Hua Sheng had never met before.

Aside from these three, Hua Sheng was surprised to see Wei Yu and Tianji Zi also standing nearby. Unlike before, Tianji Zi now carried a whisk.

Hua Sheng wanted to greet Wei Yu but hesitated, fearing it was an inopportune moment. Wei Yu noticed his intention but did not respond, instead looking away. Hua Sheng sighed inwardly.

After the guide left, Master Yu Ran spoke first. “Hua Sheng, these two are members of the investigation group appointed after the recent incident.” He gestured to the bearded celestial master. “You must have seen him in the Candle Fire Battle—Master Fire Thunder.”

Hua Sheng bowed deeply. “Disciple greets Master Fire Thunder!”

“The other is the leader of this investigation group, Master Jue Guang,” Yu Ran said, pointing to the refined man.

“Greetings, Master Jue Guang! I apologize for the trouble I’ve caused.”

Hua Sheng bowed once more to Master Jue Guang.

Yu Ran explained, “Today we are casting a spell here, so we called upon two disciples from the academy’s Student Committee to serve as guardians. This is Wei Yu, who assisted us last time—she is the deputy registrar of the committee.”

At such a moment, Hua Sheng kept his distance and paid his respects to Wei Yu.

He said, “It was my fault before, troubling Wei Yu. Please accept my apology!”

Though unable to speak plainly, Hua Sheng’s words carried a double meaning, hoping to express his regret.

Wei Yu still did not meet Hua Sheng’s gaze, returning his bow with a blank expression.

“The other is Tianji Zi, the registrar of the Student Committee,” Yu Ran pointed out, and in the bright light of the Imperial Immortal Pavilion, Hua Sheng saw Tianji Zi was indeed handsome and dignified.

Though Hua Sheng had ended Tianji Zi’s ten-year winning streak in the Tianmu Trial, at this moment, Tianji Zi’s presence made Hua Sheng feel inferior.

Wei Yu’s position as Tianji Zi’s deputy meant they often worked together. By contrast, Hua Sheng felt like a novice. Comparing himself to others only deepened his mixed feelings. Tianji Zi, so charismatic, would surely accompany Wei Yu as a guardian often. If Wei Yu were still angry over recent events and banished him, Hua Sheng’s heart sank.

“Hua Sheng, we’ve called you here to reconstruct the scene of the incident and investigate,” Yu Ran’s words brought Hua Sheng back to reality.

“I understand,” Hua Sheng replied.

Master Jue Guang, seated in the center, spoke. “Because the academy is protected by an array, as long as those involved are present, we can reconstruct the scene. Fire Thunder is our academy’s leading expert in fire magic, so he will examine the Samadhi True Fire you used that day and seek its origin.”

Yu Ran added, “As you know, Samadhi True Fire is a Lingxiao-level celestial technique in Shengping Ning. It surpasses illusion and Xuanming levels—a high-level spell mastered by only a handful in the academy, almost exclusively among the immortals. Even across the vast realm of Shengping Ning, mortals capable of casting Samadhi True Fire are exceedingly rare. That’s why the academy takes this so seriously and has involved Director Jue Guang.”

Hua Sheng realized that Master Jue Guang was the head of the academy’s teaching department, and so he must be extra cautious. Any misstep would leave a lasting bad impression.

“Hua Sheng, you grew up in the mortal world and entered here through the hidden amendment, correct?”

A booming voice rang out, making Hua Sheng’s ears buzz. It was the bearded Fire Thunder.

“Yes, disciple was raised in a welfare home in the mortal world. Only before coming to Shengping Ning did I learn my parents had passed, and I was a minor orphan. Since arriving, I have lived at the academy.”

“What caused your demise in the mortal world?”

Hua Sheng had always sought this answer. His memory only retained the faint glow on the sea, nothing more.

“I cannot recall how I died. Only that I was underwater, likely due to an accident, but I have no memory of the event.” Hua Sheng pondered deeply but found no clues. “As the celestial masters mentioned, there’s a spell to recreate past events—could it show the accident I suffered? Perhaps there might be new clues.”

Yu Ran replied, “The reason scenes can be reconstructed is that the academy is built on the back of the Xuanwu Spirit Turtle, itself a giant array. Even so, it can only trace recent events. Your accident was over half a year ago, and happened in the mortal world; it’s unlikely to be recreated.”

“Back to the main point! Time is of the essence; let us begin,” Jue Guang gestured to the center of the room, where an eight trigrams diagram was carved into the wooden floor. Under Yu Ran’s guidance, Hua Sheng sat cross-legged in the diagram. Jue Guang, Yu Ran, and Fire Thunder sat at the triangle points outside. Wei Yu and Tianji Zi positioned themselves in the southeast and northwest corners.

Wei Yu and Tianji Zi raised their hands in parallel, instantly raising walls of magical barriers from their hands, expanding to enclose all four sides. The protective formation was complete.

“Hua Sheng, the success of the array depends on you. Just focus, clear your mind, and recall the scene as best you can. Leave the rest to us,” Yu Ran instructed.

Hua Sheng took a deep breath, emptied his mind, and focused on recalling the classroom scene. The three celestial masters closed their eyes, forming seals and chanting. Soon, countless points of light rose from the floor, swirling around Hua Sheng. The lights sometimes passed through his body, giving him a warm, ethereal sensation—as if his soul left his body.

Then, the points of light coalesced into a band the thickness of a finger, passing from Hua Sheng’s right temple through to the left. The lights dispersed, flying to their respective coordinates in the air. From Hua Sheng’s left, a three-dimensional scene formed from the light points.

After a few minutes, Jue Guang announced, “The array is complete! Hua Sheng, you may stand.”

Hua Sheng opened his eyes and saw the points of light had joined into three-dimensional figures and classroom objects. Before him was a figure resembling himself, posed as he had been during the spellcasting.

The three celestial masters stood up, and Hua Sheng followed. Wei Yu and Tianji Zi remained seated, eyes closed, maintaining the protective formation with solemn expressions.

Jue Guang waved his hand, and the white light points shifted into color, as if the entire top floor had become a holographic projection of the event.

Jue Guang moved his palm through the air, and the scene shifted along the timeline. The colored figure of Hua Sheng moved like a puppet in sequence.

The figure showed that Master Yu Ran stood on Hua Sheng’s left. Hua Sheng tried the fire spell twice, both unsuccessful. Yu Ran gave guidance, and Hua Sheng tried twice more, again failing. On the last attempt, Hua Sheng shouted, “By urgent command, ignite!” Spitting blood, the bundle of dead leaves in the air flashed brightly, then exploded with Samadhi True Fire.

Jue Guang replayed the scene several times, then paused at the moment the dead leaves exploded. A pillar of fire shot up, occupying a quarter of the platform of the Imperial Immortal Pavilion. Since the Imperial Immortal Pavilion and Si Xian Pavilion were similar in size, the fire’s breadth matched a quarter of Si Xian Pavilion.

The colored points not only recreated the scene but, when the pillar of fire appeared, Hua Sheng could feel the intense heat, even though it was only a simulation. Sweat poured down his face.

Jue Guang adjusted the timeline back a bit before the explosion, shrinking the central fire and said, “It is indeed Lingxiao-level Samadhi True Fire, matching previous assessments. Not only is the fire potent, its strength is among the finest of its kind.”

Jue Guang asked, “Hua Sheng, in your memory, have you ever encountered practitioners of the Way or immortality?”

Hua Sheng shook his head vigorously.

Yu Ran said, “Naturally. Shengping Ning has been hidden for a thousand years; mortals who practice are usually novices. None could master Lingxiao-level arts.”

Jue Guang addressed Fire Thunder, who was squinting at the flames. “Master Fire Thunder, what do you make of these flames?”

“I was about to say,” Fire Thunder stepped forward, circling the fire, examining it from top to bottom. He reached into the flames formed by light points. When he withdrew his hand, he pinched a tiny flame between his fingers, as if extracting a tuft from a bundle of cotton.

Hua Sheng, intrigued by Fire Thunder’s deftness, turned to Yu Ran.

“Master Yu Ran, what is Fire Thunder doing?”

“He’s reading the information within the flames,” Yu Ran explained. “When Shengping Ning was established, the founders considered the traits of immortals, humans, and spirits, and the destructive power of spells. So the six founding immortals set up a rigorous system. Here, the use of celestial arts is restricted. Even if you are powerful, every spell you cast is recorded, not just in your own ledger. Every resident, plant, animal—everything in Shengping Ning is a ‘record book.’ The managers have the right to read these records. If I produce water here, and you pick up a stone on a distant mountain, with the right access you can see my spellcasting history.”

“So, immortals can’t do whatever they wish,” Hua Sheng mused.

“Restraint is the holy way. Shengping Ning is balanced and peaceful because of this. As long as consciousness exists, every being has desire. Desire is the goal, regardless of what it is. For example, monks renounce all worldly desires, but rejecting desire is itself a desire. Seeking inner peace, which appears empty, is still something real. You have desire and power, but without restraint, Shengping Ning could never remain tranquil.”

“Does Fire Thunder have the authority to access spell information?”

“We celestial masters cannot access all records in Shengping Ning. But in the academy, through scene reconstruction, we can retrieve spell information.”

Fire Thunder now cupped the flames in his palms, stretching them outward so the tiny fire expanded. After a long scrutiny, Fire Thunder suddenly showed surprise. “Strange, could this be...?”

“How so?” Jue Guang and Yu Ran asked simultaneously. “What have you found?”

“This Samadhi True Fire is extraordinary. If I’m not mistaken,” Fire Thunder said, “although Hua Sheng cast the spell, the incantation was not spoken by him.”

Hua Sheng was stunned.

“What do you mean?” Jue Guang frowned. “Are you saying someone else secretly cast Samadhi True Fire?”

“No. The Samadhi True Fire was not cast on site,” Fire Thunder replied. “As is well known, when any practitioner in Shengping Ning casts a spell, their signature remains in the incantation, and it is preserved in every blade of grass and tree, impossible to erase. If Hua Sheng had cast the spell, his mark would be in the fire. But upon analyzing the reconstructed flames, I found someone else’s signature. That is, someone stored the Samadhi True Fire incantation in Hua Sheng’s body, and Hua Sheng merely released it at that moment.”

Jue Guang’s face grew solemn. “You know, incantations cannot be stored in another’s body. Every spell carries the caster’s mark. If spells could be transferred like objects between practitioners, Shengping Ning would lose control over incantations.”

“Indeed. Normally, spells cannot be stored in anyone’s body—be it human, spirit, or immortal,” Fire Thunder said. “But Hua Sheng’s constitution allows him to preserve Samadhi True Fire. In effect, he acted as a vessel to store the true fire.”

Hua Sheng was baffled. “Since arriving in Shengping Ning, I shouldn’t have encountered Samadhi True Fire. What’s going on?”

“When was this Lingxiao-level spell implanted in him? Can we determine the time?” Yu Ran asked.

“The exact time cannot be pinpointed yet, but the fire contains information about the caster. The caster has not returned to Shengping Ning for a long time,” Fire Thunder answered.

Jue Guang said, “Let’s set aside Hua Sheng’s unique constitution for now. Are you saying the caster stored Samadhi True Fire in Hua Sheng’s body before he came to Shengping Ning—that is, while he was still in the mortal world?”

“Precisely. That’s the only explanation,” Fire Thunder replied.

Yu Ran seemed to recall something. “Someone with spell records in Shengping Ning, who hasn’t returned for years? Could it be him?”

The three celestial masters exchanged looks, seemingly all aware of the answer.

Hua Sheng, still in confusion, quickly asked, “Masters, who are you talking about? Who did I meet before I came to Shengping Ning?”

Yu Ran stood before Hua Sheng, face grave.

“Hua Sheng, try your best to recall—before coming to Shengping Ning, did you ever meet an immortal?”

Yu Ran pointed to the registrar Tianji Zi, eyes closed and sitting as guardian, and said solemnly, “This immortal is Tianji Zi’s revered father. He has long wandered the mortal world, hiding his true name and using other aliases. You must have heard his legend in the mortal world. He is none other than Lan Caihe, one of the Eight Immortals!”