Chapter 134: Chapter 131: Constellations Reincarnated Following the Mandate of Heaven Chapter 134: Chapter 131: Constellations Reincarnated Following the Mandate of Heaven “Speaking of the Tathagata, he sent the Esoteric Sect protector to eliminate Liu Bei’s Left and Right Aids. Although Liu Bei possessed the aura of an emperor, he lacked the presence of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.”

“You see, after Guan Yu fled and was captured at Mai City, losing his head, and Zhang Fei was beheaded by his subordinates, Liu Bei sent troops only to be forcefully struck by Lu Xun. Not long after returning to Baidi City, he ascended to the dragon throne in heaven. Tathagata truly is ruthless, having identified numerous individuals in the north with strong destinies to eliminate potential threats. He aims to bolster the destiny of these individuals, empowering the Buddhist sect and suppressing the Daoist.”

But the Daoist were not ordinary folks; the Western Ultimate Hooked Chen of the Heavenly Court acted most mysteriously and incinerated the Esoteric Sect’s protector without hesitation.

After Emperor Hook Chen had dispatched the Esoteric Sect’s protector, Lu Chunyang remarked, “Please wait, Great Emperor, let us have a talk!”

Only then did Emperor Hook Chen notice there were others concealed amongst the clouds, and he said, “It turns out to be Donghua the Great Emperor; it has been a long time since we last met!”

Emperor Hook Chen’s visage appeared as if chiseled by blade and axe, sharp and well-defined, with an intimidating and naturally commanding aura. His prowess among the Four Great Emperors could be considered almost on par with that of Great Emperor Zhenwu. It is said that Emperor Hook Chen is a descendant of the Dragon and Phoenix from ancient times, having obtained the vital blood of the Ancestral Dragon and the feathers of the Colorful Undying Phoenix. With these, he cultivated the Dao and achieved terrifying mana, commanding the myriad Heavenly Thunders, and presiding over human warfare and slaughter.

This human world’s warfare was by no means unrelated to Emperor Hook Chen, who, governing the battles of the human world, manipulated the star’s power to act in accordance with Heaven, allowing those born under special destinies to create chaos in the world. This action falls within Hook Chen’s scope of duty. Moreover, he also controls the various demons of the world; most demons heed his command. The blood oaths issued, and ensuing cause and effect also link back to Hooked Chen Palace. Should anyone break their word, he would surely summon the Heavenly Thunder to strike.

Within the quadrant of Four Great Emperors, the power of Emperor Hook Chen is significant, and his mana formidable. He lived a recluse, deeply respected by many.

Lu Dongbin then said with a laugh, “What Donghua the Great Emperor? Those days are long gone, like oceans turning into mulberry fields. Now, I am one of the Eight Immortals of the Upper Caverns.”

Emperor Hook Chen and Lu Dongbin shared some past acquaintance as well. After all, Donghua the Great Emperor governed the Yingzhou immortal island, abundant with countless treasures. Emperor Hook Chen, who often performed alchemy, would also need to acquire some materials from the island. Thus, they met occasionally and addressed each other as fellow Daoists.

Emperor Hook Chen glanced towards the other three and inquired, “Could it be that Zhang Fei’s martial arts were imparted by True Lord Erlang?”

Yang Jian responded with a bow, “It is indeed I. The individual the Great Emperor just dispatched, was he a person of the Buddhist sect?”

Emperor Hook Chen replied, “He was merely a protector from the Esoteric Sect of Vajrayana Buddhism in Vedha Continent – not truly a person, but a manifestation of the mixed thoughts of Vedha Continent’s people. The Tathagata is deeply calculating, intending to use this protector to cut down Liu Bei’s Left and Right Aids, to ensure the flawless rise of the forces he secretly aids.”

The Daoist Equal to Heaven had not expected Buddhism and Daoism to be so fiercely contested in the shadows: here they were sending people to assassinate Zhang Fei, meanwhile, Emperor Hook Chen spared no mercy, instantly disintegrating the enemy with a bolt of Heavenly Thunder.

“The contention of the Human Path is particularly violent this time. You all may take advantage of the situation, but do not involve yourselves too deeply, lest you bring about your own demise,” said Emperor Hook Chen, with a meaningful tone.

“Ha! You worry too much, Great Emperor Hook Chen. We have our own plans and need not trouble you. How did you know that Tathagata sent someone to kill Zhang Fei?” asked Lu Chunyang.

“I govern human warfare and slaughter,” Emperor Hook Chen declared. “Both Zhang Fei and Guan Yu bear the destiny of Break Army, fated for unpropitious ends. However, Tathagata wished to move against them prematurely. His actions caught my attention while observing the star constellations. As soon as the Esoteric Sect’s protector made his move, I came.”

Those who understand divination often speak of the “General Star.” Naturally, Zhang Fei has his own General Star. When Emperor Hook Chen noticed the star faltering, he knew something significant was about to occur. Once the Esoteric Sect’s protector intervened, he instantly made his move. A figure like him, to whom traversing the Three Realms is as simple as turning his hand, appeared in Zhuo County in the blink of an eye and struck down the opponent with thunder. Zhang Fei, inheriting the Break Army destiny, was doomed for an unfortunate end, but it was not to be at that moment. His premature death would have defied fate, bringing cause and effect upon Emperor Hook Chen himself, who would then face the wrath of the Heavenly Dao, for this was his duty to uphold.

The Daoist Equal to Heaven inquired, “May I ask, Great Emperor Hook Chen, what is your view on the Tathagata supporting those of Great Qi in the north?”

Considering Lu Dongbin’s presence, Emperor Hook Chen felt compelled to speak more, saying, “Those two have peculiar destinies and imperial luck, but what matters most is who strives harder. Take Liu Bei, whom you have chosen. He carries the final thread of the Han Dynasty’s dragon vein’s destiny, feeble though it may be. He embodies the four-hundred-year legacy of the Liu Dynasty! Nonetheless, Liu Bei’s destiny is fraught with challenges. Yet, there is no need for concern; he has his Left and Right Aids and is also protected by the Star of Wisdom, and is likely to claim the throne in his midlife.”

The Daoist Equal to Heaven thought to himself, “The Star of Wisdom must be Zhuge Kongming. Liu Bei indeed has a grim fate, initially reliant on others, yet he deeply understands the art of ruling and the way of utmost pragmatism. All officials, all emperors, are not in this manner ruthlessly pragmatic? Only then, can one accomplish great deeds and truly become fit for greatness!”

Politics is all about ruthlessness and pragmatism. Haven’t you seen how Xiang Yu, despite his tender heart, lineage of Emperor Ku’s blood, double-pupil gaze, and vast destiny, ultimately lost to Liu Bang? By contrast, consider Emperor Gaozu of Han, who, despite certain shameless and vulgar behaviors, had an extremely pragmatic heart. When his wife and father were captured, he still disregarded them, solely focused on his own empire, and, in turn, defeated Xiang Yu at Gaixia.

The so-called “Saints are heartless, treating all people as straw dogs,” reflects that saints, given their high vantage and far-sighted vision, can emulate Heaven and Earth, treating beings as insignificant ants or straw dogs. An outstanding politician must also possess such foresight, seeing into the distance, unconstrained by worldly attachments!

Obsessed with taking the empire, Liu Bang ignored worldly attachments and seized what was once easily within Xiang Yu’s grasp, thus establishing the four-hundred-year reign of the Han.

In this chaotic world, great heroes should rise; within such turmoil, who can say who is right or wrong? Ultimately, it all revolves around the vast empire!

The Buddhist sect is moving too quickly; Tathagata has already begun supporting those like Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, individuals of great destiny. They seem to have realized that the likes of Dong Zhuo are not long for this world, merely another like Zhang Jiao, sent to utterly disrupt the Great Han Dynasty’s destiny. When Heaven decrees his death, he cannot escape it!

Laojun was the Hierarch of the Human Teachings, and these matters should have been under his control; however, Laojun had always revered his own doctrine of non-action, believing that the fortune or misfortune of the Human Teachings should be determined by humanity itself, so he seldom interfered with the Human Teachings. Only in the event of a significant incident would he intervene. Yet this time, he seemed unwilling to remain a mere onlooker; he had already dispatched several experts from the Heavenly Court to the mortal world to observe and was prepared to engage in a grand decisive battle with the Buddhist sect amid this chaotic era.

“Who exactly are those two from the North, and is it possible to manipulate their fates? Let them die without a burial site,” Lu Dongbin asked.

“This cannot be done. The human world’s conflict and slaughter are under my control, but the matter of the Constellations truly belongs to the Great Emperor Ziwei! If these two were to die at the hands of People of the Immortal Path, both I and the Great Emperor Ziwei would be punished by the Heavenly Dao. Therefore, this must not be done,” the Hooked Chen Great Emperor shook his head and said.

Those who inherited fate could only have their life or death decided by the fortune or misfortune within the Human Path; the Dao of Immortals and the Human Path each had to follow their own principles.

Should the Hooked Chen Great Emperor desire to, he could indeed disrupt their lifespans, causing them to be plagued by bad luck and die unnatural deaths, but such actions would be an abuse of power for personal gain. Given his stature as a Great Emperor of Heavenly Court, he should act in accordance with Heaven’s mandate. To act against Heaven would only invite fatal retribution.

Lu Dongbin asked, “Do the Three Patriarchs have any plans in mind that you can reveal?”

The Hooked Chen Great Emperor replied, “The Three Patriarchs are unfathomably profound, and their ways are beyond what we can speculate. I am just as unaware of their calculations and can only follow orders, fulfilling my responsibilities.”

The Three Pure Ones were the highest decision-makers of the Daoist sect, and in this chaotic struggle, they had already begun to exert effort, utilizing their influence within the Heavenly Court. The various Great Emperors were making their arrangements in secrecy, and even the rarely seen Hooked Chen Great Emperor had personally descended to the mortal world this time to assassinate the protector of the Esoteric Sect.

The Hooked Chen Great Emperor’s face twitched slightly, and he said, “I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t stay any longer to chat with my fellow Daoists. Farewell!”

With those words, he didn’t linger. He transformed into a streak of red light, shot up into the sky, and vanished from sight.

Daoist Equal to Heaven sighed. It seemed this matter was not so simple after all. The Buddhist sect was covertly watching over figures with great destiny like Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, and the Daoist sect could not intervene, only able to make calculations based on Liu Bei and Sun Jian, who also possessed notable destinies. Tathagata was indeed formidable, having taken the first step ahead of the Daoist sect to find those with even stronger destinies, but the Three Pure Ones were not to be underestimated either. What if this was a ruse they were playing? Fortunately, the remaining fortune of the Han Dynasty was now blessing Liu Bei, ensuring his safety. The Buddhist sect would have a difficult time if they wished to harm him.

The power of human sovereigns was immensely strong; to destroy the fortune of a sect, it only took one imperial decree. The era of the Hundred Schools of Thought came to an abrupt end at the hands of Emperor Wu of Han, the underlying reason being Confucianism was suitable for rulers to govern the world, while the teachings of Laozi and Zhuangzi advocated for governance by non-action, suggesting emperors should delegate power to their ministers. How could such teachings gain the favor of emperors?

This might merely be part of a grand scheme of mutual probing between the Three Pure Ones and Tathagata. If one side could not hold out, then there would be no need to mention the future journey to the West; Buddhism and Daoism would directly clash in battle.

As soon as the Hooked Chen Great Emperor left, Lu Dongbin said, “Fellow Daoist Equal to Heaven, where shall we go next?”

Daoist Equal to Heaven laughed and said, “Let’s go see where Left Assistant Guan Yu is and if he has any martial arts.”

They reached Hedong Xie Liang, yet they could not find the red-faced Lord Guan. However, Daoist Equal to Heaven knew that Guan Yu had seemingly killed a local tyrant and was now on the run.

Suddenly, the group saw a red light descend from the sky toward the direction of Xinzhou in Hedong, which in later times came to be known as the region of Shanxi, with Xinzhou being a small county there.

The group was astonished and decided to investigate.

“What is that?” Daoist Equal to Heaven frowned.

“It seems a Heavenly Immortal has descended to the mortal world, let’s go have a look!” Lu Dongbin said.

Chen Tuan commented, “I fear it’s another Immortal responding to the calamity of reincarnation, coming to this chaotic age to comply with the Heavenly Dao and to cultivate once again.”

Daoist Equal to Heaven said, “This aura is rather familiar to me; it seems to belong to one of the members of the Twenty-Eight Constellations.”

Daoist Equal to Heaven had already vanquished most of the Twenty-Eight Constellations, and the remnants were no longer a significant force. However, this particular aura was unmistakably that of a Celestial Constellation.

To find out what happens next, please stay tuned for the following installment.