Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Way of the Sage

Hearing this, Dou Xu was stunned, murmuring, “Cui Xian? Yun Cuixian?” At that moment, his eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Chu Youcai. He simply could not accept what was occurring before him. Wasn't Yun Cuixian's husband an infamous rake? And just yesterday, a storyteller at the inn said that Chu Youcai had sold Yun Cuixian! Back then, he had thought Chu Youcai despicable beyond measure. Yet now, meeting Chu Youcai in person, finding him upright and imposing, his breadth of knowledge and learning so profound, and witnessing the deep love between him and Yun Cuixian—what on earth was going on?

At that instant, the king’s countenance shifted like a sudden storm, his fury sparked. “So, sir, your meaning is that you look down on my daughter?”

His face changed in a flash, and the kindness he had displayed moments ago seemed like a dream. At once, the atmosphere in the hall turned tense as a drawn bowstring. The armored guards stepped forward as one, fixing their eyes on Chu Youcai, while the gathered ministers glared at him with indignation.

Shangguan Wanru swept her gaze around the hall. Although she could not sense the true strength of these people, she knew that if the king’s wrath reached its peak, the forest of blades and spears would pose little threat to herself, but Hongyu would be in grave danger. At once, she moved to shield Hongyu with her own body.

Yet, faced with the axes and swords, Chu Youcai only smiled faintly, utterly unfazed by the peril. Rising to his feet, he replied with composure, “Your Majesty, you are mistaken. Does the Princess Lotus, a celestial beauty, strike you as a mere commodity, to be given away at your whim without the slightest regard for her own wishes?”

“You…” The king’s anger mounted, his voice sharp as a blade: “How dare you speak so boldly!”

All the armored guards drew their weapons, the cold light of blades and swords leveled at Chu Youcai, murderous intent thick in the air.

Chu Youcai advanced a step, his expression turning cold. “The wise have said: all things under heaven are equal. So it is for man and woman. To you, your daughter may be but a tool, but in my eyes, every person—even a beggar—deserves respect for their innermost wishes. This is the Way. Where principles differ, there can be no accord.”

Hearing these words, the Princess Lotus could not help but be moved. Never before had a phrase so stirred her heart and soul—are all things truly equal, men and women alike? She looked upon Chu Youcai with admiration, but worry creased her brow as well. Such words, she knew, would likely touch upon the king’s greatest taboo. If he flew into a rage, a bloodbath might follow.

Just as the atmosphere in the hall turned to ice, Chu Youcai continued, “Besides, Your Majesty wishes to marry your daughter to me only so I might help you find a place of refuge, to aid you in facing the calamity threatening your kingdom. To you, a serpent over a thousand fathoms long is a mortal disaster. To me, it is a trifle.”

At these words, the king and all those present in the palace were struck dumb, incredulity in every eye as they stared at Chu Youcai.

How did Chu Youcai know of this? Had he seen the serpent? And he claimed he could easily resolve the crisis of the thousand-fathom serpent? That creature had already devoured countless of their subjects!

The king’s expression grew grave, and just as he was about to speak, an official entered the hall in haste, holding a memorial. He announced, “Grand Scholar Hei Yi of the Hall of Fragrant Harmony pays his respects to Your Majesty.”

“Are you in charge of monitoring the serpent’s movements? Has there been any change?” the king inquired.

“Your Majesty, the serpent has devoured over thirteen thousand eight hundred subjects both inside and outside the city. Wherever it passes, palaces are reduced to ruins. I secretly investigated its whereabouts and found its head as large as a mountain, its eyes like lakes. Just now, it raised its head and stretched, toppling towers and city walls with ease. Now, it seems to be slithering towards the palace. The kingdom is on the brink of destruction—I beg Your Majesty to gather your family and court and flee at once!”

At this, all in the hall turned ashen with terror. Dou Xu trembled uncontrollably.

The king’s face flickered with indecision, but at last he shouted, “Evacuate the capital! At once!”

Panic erupted throughout the great hall.

Yet at this moment, Chu Youcai calmly approached the king and said, “Why flee? If Your Majesty will but employ the arts of Yin and Yang to return us from this phantasmal realm to the mortal world, I will resolve this calamity for you myself.”

At these words, Hongyu’s eyes widened, Shangguan Wanru’s brow furrowed deeply, and Dou Xu could scarcely believe his ears. Who was this Chu Youcai?

“Can you truly resolve this disaster?” The king, seeing Chu Youcai’s composure, seized upon him as a drowning man does a reed.

“As easily as lifting a hand,” said Chu Youcai.

“What do you require? Even if the princess must wed you, even as a concubine, so be it!” the king blurted.

“All things under heaven are equal. Princess Lotus should be cherished like a star among stars, not cast aside like some object,” Chu Youcai replied coolly. “I require nothing. Your Majesty, proceed.”

Now the king’s eyes showed hesitation and astonishment, but in the end he sighed and said, “Sir, your integrity is truly admirable—it is no wonder you can grasp the Way. But let me warn you: we fled the mortal realm for this spirit domain to escape the serpent, but the beast has pursued us here. Once I return you to the human world, you will face its attack at once. Please, be careful.”

“It is nothing,” Chu Youcai replied with a nod. He reached out to grasp the hands of Shangguan Wanru and Hongyu. “Your Majesty, begin at once.”

At this moment, there was no trace of hesitation in the eyes of Shangguan Wanru or Hongyu. Since Chu Youcai said as much, they trusted him implicitly. Yet they could not help but wonder—how would he deal with a thousand-fathom serpent?

Just then, as the king prepared to perform the rites of Yin and Yang, Dou Xu suddenly stepped forth, bowed to Chu Youcai, and declared, “Sir, your talent is boundless. I am humbled. Allow me to join you in facing the serpent.”

Chu Youcai’s poetic talent, his adherence to the sage’s teachings, his belief in the equality of all things had thoroughly won Dou Xu’s admiration. Now, witnessing Chu Youcai’s fearlessness, he was even more deeply shaken, suddenly realizing how insignificant he himself had been.

He felt, in that instant, a longing to change his character, to become resolute and decisive.

If all things are equal, how could he cower behind the others?

It was as though Dou Xu had undergone a transformation.

Meanwhile, from afar, Princess Lotus’s gaze lingered on Chu Youcai, her eyes filled with a strange emotion. Were all things, men and women, truly equal? Chu Youcai treated her with such reverence—how did he treat his own wife? When he spoke of her, the gentle affection in his eyes was unmistakable. If only someone could treat her as he did his wife—how fortunate she would be!

Her eyes shone with a new light. In that instant, she hesitated no more. With a single movement, a pure light shimmered from her heart, enveloping her entire form, and she slowly transformed into a rainbow butterfly. Unseen by the others, she fluttered lightly onto Chu Youcai’s lapel.

At that precise instant, the king’s spell of Yin and Yang was unleashed, and Chu Youcai and the others felt the world spin around them, as if they were passing through a misty void, until suddenly their feet touched solid ground.

A breath of fresh, earthy fragrance greeted them—the sweet scent of earthly soil.

But almost at once, a wave of murderous intent swept over them, closing in from every side.