Chapter 177: The Hard-Won Resurrection
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
Night had fallen over the palace, shrouding it in a deep silence.
“Your Majesty, it’s time to go to the Nine-Level Pagoda,” murmured the chief eunuch softly.
The king nodded solemnly. A palace maid swiftly draped a black cloak over his shoulders. The chief eunuch, holding a lantern, led the way, their shadows flickering against the ancient stone walls.
On the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month, it was tradition for the kings to ascend the Nine-Level Pagoda to offer sacrifices—a ritual shrouded in mystery and reverence.
The procession halted several meters from the pagoda as palace maids and eunuchs respectfully stood back. Chief Eunuch Wang, carrying a food box and yellow paper, escorted the king to the pagoda’s base where the crown prince was already waiting.
“Father,” the crown prince greeted, his voice echoing slightly in the chilly air.
“Chief Eunuch Wang, please remain here,” instructed a guard clad in silver armor, the moon casting a cold sheen over his figure. Wang bowed deeply, handed over the ceremonial items to the crown prince, and retreated with deliberate steps.
Surrounded by visible and hidden guards, the sanctity of the pagoda was fiercely protected. Only kings and crown princes were granted the privilege to ascend its sacred floors.
“Your Majesty, please proceed,” whispered a guard as the ancient doors creaked open. Unlike previous years when the king had taken an external staircase, tonight they would enter the heart of the pagoda—a place that opened but once a year, exclusively for royal rites.
With the lantern casting a warm glow, the king began his ascent, lighting a lamp on each floor, with the crown prince following silently behind. The only sounds were their soft breaths and the faint rustle of robes against stone.
“Legend says that North Zhao was once a vast, inhospitable swamp,” the king began, his voice low as they climbed. “Then a divine light—the Heart of North Zhao—shone upon our land, transforming the swamps into fertile ground and sparking life across our kingdom.”
“These secrets are passed from king to king, and now to you, my favored son,” the king disclosed, his eyes reflecting a mix of pride and solemnity. “The Heart was discovered by a previous king during a ritual in Chengtian Hall. It was said to be the source of our vitality, requiring a millennium of worship to sustain its power.”
The king paused, a hint of wonder in his tone as he recounted how a silver-haired man had extracted the Heart, declaring it needed the people’s reverence. “He prophesied that one day, an ancestor of North Zhao might seek the Heart, revered as a small ancestor,” the king chuckled skeptically. “I find that hard to believe…”
Reaching the top, the ninth floor, the king personally lit the candles, dispelling the darkness. The crown prince arranged the offerings with reverence—lighting incense, tearing yellow paper, and pouring wine.
Above them, suspended in the air, was a gray, lifeless stone, its surface etched with lines from immense, ancient forces.
“If you truly possess divine power, bless North Zhao for eternity,” the king whispered, offering incense.
“It will,” the crown prince replied, his voice steady and confident.
After the ceremony, they descended the pagoda under the cloak of night, the crown prince’s eyes lingering on the dimly lit structure, filled with a newfound resolve.
The palace gates were closed, prompting the crown prince to remain overnight. Lying in bed, his hands behind his head, he whispered, “After a thousand years, you are finally reborn… Disciple Chong Yue has awaited your return.”
He sighed, reflecting on their quest through the realms to weave her soul back into existence, sacrificing his own divine essence in the process.
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
Meanwhile, in another part of the palace, Lu Chao Chao, now a spirited child, was playfully negotiating with her mother. “Mama, can Chao Chao have a dwumstick, pwease?” she asked with a hopeful pout.
“Chao Chao is weally, weally good,” she added, her big eyes widening.
“You just had your meal, sweetheart, and you need to watch your diet,” Madam Xu replied, gently pinching Chao Chao’s plump cheeks.
“But it’s a special day,” Chao Chao’s face crumpled. [It’s my death anniversary! Isn’t a drumstick a small ask for such a day?]
Seeing her daughter’s earnest face, Madam Xu relented. “Alright, I’ll ask Deng Zhi to get you one later,” she smiled, touched by her daughter’s reference to her past life.
“Yay… thank you, Mama!” Chao Chao’s face lit up, her earlier sadness forgotten.
[Others celebrate birthdays, but I get to celebrate my death anniversary too! It’s like an extra holiday!] she thought gleefully.
Madam Xu sighed inwardly, [Why does your mind work in such mysterious ways?]
“Mama, Chao Chao didn’t eat any meat today. I’m stawving,” Chao Chao continued, trying to look pitiful. “I haven’t had a single bite…”
“If you don’t believe me, ask Yuhua! My belly is all empty…” Chao Chao boasted, puffing out her chest in an attempt to look dignified.
Yuhua, slightly uncomfortable, nodded in agreement. “It’s true… she didn’t eat any meat.”
“Deng Zhi, can you bring the scale? I must have lost weight…” Chao Chao insisted, her curiosity piqued about her weight after avoiding meat.
Sitting in a bamboo basket, swaying as the maids carried her, she watched Deng Zhi check the scale with a puzzled expression.
“This must be the most satisfying weight loss ever…” Chao Chao remarked, repeating a phrase she had heard.
“Satisfying weight loss?” Deng Zhi echoed, perplexed.
“Yes! I didn’t eat any meat at all,” Chao Chao declared proudly.
Deng Zhi, still doubtful, announced, “You’re three pounds heavier than yesterday!”
“What did you eat today?” she asked cautiously.
“I had eight sugar rolls, two vegetable buns, and two bowls of porridge… No meat, definitely lost weight,” Chao Chao counted her meals on her fingers, convinced of her logic.
Madam Xu gasped, her hand over her chest, amused and bewildered by her daughter’s idea of a diet.