Chapter 589: 送归

Before the military council began in the War Hall, the mages guarding the door held up long-handled mirrors to perform security checks on everyone attending.

Embedded in the mirror was a large eyeball that could glance around, detect anomalies, and even sound an alarm. He Lingchuan personally witnessed it identifying a person who had a listening spell attached to them, proving its remarkable effectiveness.

Later, while fighting alongside General Hong, he heard her explain the origin of the eyeball: it had been gouged out from a great demon named Mulian.

This great demon was covered in dozens of eyes, each possessing a unique power. Its most basic ability was the "Eye of Truth," which could not only see through spells but also discern people's true intentions. However, it later betrayed humanity and sided with the Celestial Gods, causing immense losses for the immortals.

It was known that the great demon Mulian was later slain by the Great Restoration Sect, and its iconic eyeballs were used to create numerous magical artifacts, some of which still exist today.

At the time, He Lingchuan wondered, "If Mulian could see through spells and human hearts, how was it defeated?"

"The so-called 'Eye of Truth' is merely a spell itself. Is there any spell in this world that is eternally unyielding?" General Hong told him, "I don't know the details, but I'm certain that the Great Restoration Sect eventually found a way to deceive it."

It seemed that the Celestial God Miaozhan also possessed one of Mulian's eyeballs, embedded in their own magical artifact.

Considering that Mulian had once defected to the enemy, it didn't seem strange that the Celestial God would possess its eyeball.

The statue was remarkably lifelike.

Old Ge had just lit several incense sticks and remarked, "Does its appearance matter? A Celestial God is a Celestial God; perhaps they have countless forms." He Lingchuan smiled knowingly.

He had seen divine remains in Xiji Imperial City, and the Celestial Gods' true forms were nothing like this. One could loosely call them humanoid, but some were not human-shaped at all.

So, Old Ge was mistaken; the materialized form of a Celestial God on earth, or the divine statue, was indeed very important.

Adopting a human form made them more easily accepted by ordinary people.

Gao Jilin noticed his smile and immediately asked, "Brother He, what are you smiling about?"

"Nothing," He Lingchuan replied vaguely. This person seemed unusually interested in his words and actions. At that moment, Old Ge added, "Haven't you noticed how exceptionally strong the incense offerings are for Celestial God Miaozhan?"

Prompted by Old Ge, He Lingchuan then noticed that the incense burner in front of the Celestial God Miaozhan's statue was the largest and held the most incense. Devout men and women passing by might not worship other deities, but they would invariably offer a stick of incense to Miaozhan.

They truly dared not miss the opportunity to pay respects.

Gao Jilin played the role of a good straight man, asking, "What's the reason for that?"

"Celestial God Miaozhan has the ability to discern truth from falsehood and judge right from wrong. Furthermore, the god occasionally performs miracles and never makes a mistake," Old Ge said, offering an incense stick to the statue. "Whenever such deeds occur, they are widely spread and become popular topics of conversation."

"Performs miracles?" He Lingchuan asked, curious. "Here?"

"Yes, right here," Old Ge said, not daring to point directly but simply pursing his lips and jutting them out. "With this very artifact!"

An artifact?

Was he referring to the scales in the Celestial God Miaozhan's hand? It looked like nothing more than a golden sculpted lump; could it really be a magical artifact? He Lingchuan detected no magical fluctuations from it.

Would a truly valuable treasure really be left openly in the Hall of Adoration, without fear of some petty thief snatching it?

Never mind, it wasn't his concern.

He Lingchuan shook his head, dismissing further thoughts, and focused on examining the murals on the walls.

Every wall in the grand hall featured either brick carvings or murals depicting the deeds of Celestial Gods. These showed them battling various opponents, some appearing humanoid, others ghostly, or performing miracles to nourish the lands and bless all living beings.

The artistry and craftsmanship of the paintings and carvings were of a masterful standard, truly artistic treasures. He Lingchuan examined the murals one by one, looking for any depiction of Mitian.

As expected, he didn't find any.

However, he unexpectedly saw a statue of Celestial Lord Tongming.

The statue was life-sized, neither too big nor too small, positioned in the left wing of the hall.

The statue's face was elegant and refined, adorned with a flowing robe and a tall crown, presenting the appearance of an ancient immortal.

Upon seeing it, He Lingchuan felt a complex mix of emotions.

Setting aside its entanglement with the He family, Celestial Lord Tongming's true form was likely not like this. Why would its manifested human form resemble an immortal?

The entire Hall of Adoration was dazzlingly magnificent, but after the initial awe, He Lingchuan found the smoky atmosphere irritating to his eyes after a while.

He heard Gao Jilin cough twice and ask Old Ge, "When can we leave?" However, the other visitors lingered, some even clutching large bundles of incense sticks, distributing them generously to every statue.

"Aren't you going to worship a bit longer?" Old Ge gestured toward the crowd with his lips. "Look at them; they've come all this way just to seek divination and burn incense, haven't they?"

Gao Jilin chuckled, "Where we're from, people don't make offerings to gods."

"Oh, you wouldn't know, would you? People from places like yours are the most zealous in worship," Old Ge scoffed with a laugh. "The more strictly it's forbidden at home, the more enthusiastically they worship here. Look at this hall, full of people—six or seven out of ten are from places where god-worship is not practiced."

Thinking about it, Gao Jilin realized it was true and sighed, speechless.

"They'll be worshipping for quite a while," Old Ge said, then asked He Lingchuan, "Weren't you looking for the Assimilation Pagoda? I have time now; I can take you there!"

He Lingchuan immediately agreed.

Old Ge also called a mountain spirit to act as a guard, and the man and two monkeys headed out of the hall. A small path on the side of Tianzhu Peak led directly to the Assimilation Pagoda.

However, after He Lingchuan stepped out of the Hall of Adoration, he discovered Gao Jilin was following behind him. "Brother Gao, why are you out here? Where's Brother Jiang?"

"He's still worshipping endlessly inside," Gao Jilin said, pressing his forehead. "Staying there too long made my head ache from the smoke. Can I come with you?"

To the Assimilation Pagoda? He Lingchuan had no objection; it was a public attraction anyway, and Mount Xu did not prohibit visitors.

The small path was slippery, neglected for years, and even had a thin layer of ice, making it very difficult to walk.

Fortunately, the monkeys didn't mind, He Lingchuan wasn't bothered, and Gao Jilin appeared to possess cultivation, so he didn't walk any slower than them.

Gao Jilin was full of questions: "What is this Assimilation Pagoda? It sounds ancient." Instead of sticking to the main path, Old Ge preferred to hop onto a stone ledge along the dangerous cliff edge as he climbed. "It's a good thing you asked me; not everyone knows about this Assimilation Pagoda. It's a memorial tower of the Great Restoration Sect. When disciples who traveled far died in foreign lands and their bodies and souls couldn't return, their relatives and old friends might entrust tokens and personal belongings to this pagoda to comfort their departed souls."

Gao Jilin's next question made He Lingchuan look sideways: "Why is it still here?"

Although Lingxu City had opened Mount Xu to the public, most of the Great Restoration Sect's buildings were destroyed by warfare six hundred years ago. Subsequent renovations only selectively restored some landscapes, leaving most ruins dilapidated or as mere broken tiles and crumbling walls, surrounded by desolate weeds.

Yet, the Assimilation Pagoda had not been rebuilt. Why wasn't it leveled by the Northern Demon Kingdom back then? Old Ge shrugged. "I don't know. It's not particularly noticeable; perhaps there was no need to flatten it?"

The Assimilation Pagoda was built on a small hill about two hundred zhang away, obscured by several peaks. If Old Ge hadn't led the way, He Lingchuan would never have found it.

On this small hill were also remnants of other buildings; their foundations suggested they were once quite large, but now only a few crumbling walls remained, and the bricks and stones scattered in the grass were heavily corroded.

In contrast, the Assimilation Pagoda, situated on a stone platform, appeared perfectly intact.

It was a nine-story stone pagoda, short and stout, with carving so simple it was almost crude. It couldn't compare to celestial palace architecture, and even pagodas on the ground far surpassed it. Some parts clearly showed marks of chiseling and axe-work, without later polishing. At only nine chi tall, He Lingchuan could probably reach the top by standing on tiptoes and stretching his arm.

Looking at its base, it was clear it was seamlessly integrated with the stone platform—it had been carved directly from the naturally protruding rock here. The pagoda's body had no adornments, no figures, and no images, but it was covered in tiny holes. The wind blew through them, creating strange, wailing sounds.

With such an unpolished appearance, it was no wonder the Northern Demon Kingdom back then had no incentive to level it.

At first glance, it resembled a sacrificial tower haphazardly erected outside a deserted village.

It had only one opening at the very front, large enough for a hand to reach into, likely the entrance to the pagoda's second level.

While observing the Assimilation Pagoda, Gao Jilin asked He Lingchuan, "Brother He, why have you come here?"

"I was entrusted to place a memento inside the pagoda," He Lingchuan replied. He took out a turtle talisman from his storage ring and, through the opening, placed it inside the Assimilation Pagoda.

"Entrusted?" Gao Jilin was moved. "Could it be by an immortal?"

Given the pagoda's age, who would be returning a memento without a particular reason?

"Perhaps," He Lingchuan said. "I entered a cave dwelling where the owner left behind a will and a token, instructing me to return it here." There was nothing to hide about this; immortal relics were often discovered in the human world.

"Brother He, you are truly a trustworthy person, delivering it all this way."

"It was just on the way; I also wanted to see Lingxu City," He Lingchuan said, and as he spoke, his gaze sharpened.

He had been about to turn and leave when something suddenly slid out of the Assimilation Pagoda:

The turtle talisman.

Why did it fall out?

He pushed the turtle talisman back into the pagoda.

Under the gaze of four pairs of eyes, the turtle talisman slid out again.

He glanced sideways. Was the pagoda tilted? Old Ge chuckled, "Did you not put it in correctly?"

He Lingchuan scratched the back of his neck, perplexed. "The will only told me to return it, not how. Are there specific rules for this?"

The last question was directed at Old Ge.

Old Ge also looked bewildered; this question was clearly beyond him. "I don't know. I'll ask around when I go down the mountain and see how others return things."

The mountain spirit behind them rumbled, "Perhaps the pagoda refuses to accept it."

Gao Jilin couldn't help but suggest, "Perhaps the owner of this turtle talisman wasn't well-regarded by the Great Restoration Sect, and they don't want it assimilated into the pagoda?"

It did seem possible that True Master Dongli had some rift with the Great Restoration Sect; otherwise, why would he have quietly passed away alone in the wilderness?

He Lingchuan patted the Assimilation Pagoda.

If it wouldn't accept it, it wouldn't. The weeds around it were taller than its peak, yet it was still so arrogant?

"Never mind," he said, tucking the turtle talisman into his pocket. "If it doesn't want it, then so be it."

He had brought the item; if the Assimilation Pagoda wouldn't accept it, True Master Dongli couldn't blame him, could he? Alas, poor True Master Dongli. They say falling leaves return to their roots, yet his own sect rejected him.