Oldridge Village, Great Ruins.
At dawn, Quinn Shepherd and the Underworld Courier old man brought Heaven‑Guide Venerable to this small village—once Quinn’s home, but now overrun by Brood‑Hen Dragons.
In the village, Quinn stewed a chicken, whipped up a few dishes, and dug out a jar of wine buried under the butcher’s bed.
—Back at Saint‑King Tianqi’s Manor, they’d eaten a ghost feast with no taste at all, so Quinn was craving something real. Plus, Heaven‑Guide Venerable had just come back from the dead and was hungry too.
After eating and drinking their fill, Quinn and the Underworld Courier old man went to the banks of the Yong River, watching its waters rush by.
The Underworld Courier old man started weaving a divine art, about to toss it into the surging river. Quinn quickly grabbed his hand and shook his head: “There are countless living beings in the Yong River, not to mention the Yong River Dragon King and Dragon‑Keeper Lord. With your powers now, you could blow up every creature in the river—are you really trying to do that?”
The Underworld Courier old man thought it over, let the divine art dissipate, and said, “Is he acting like this because he’s missing part of his soul, or is it real amnesia?”
Quinn glanced back at the village—total chaos. Chickens and dogs flying everywhere, Brood‑Hen Dragons chasing Heaven‑Guide Venerable all over, pecking him bloody and knocking him down in the end.
A few rooster Brood‑Hen Dragons perched on the youth’s chest, crowing at the sun.
The Underworld Courier old man sighed, started weaving another divine art, but thought better of it and let it go. He said, “Look at him—does he resemble who he used to be at all? The old Heaven‑Guide Venerable was dazzling and free‑spirited. Now even barnyard dragons dare to bully him.”
Quinn got up and chased away the Brood‑Hen Dragons. Heaven‑Guide Venerable scrambled to his feet, dusting off his clothes as chicken feathers flew everywhere.
“I can’t see what’s causing his amnesia, either. His soul is missing a bit—less than a tenth, actually—but his Three Souls and Seven Spirits are all present.”
Quinn mused, “I think we should head back to Youdu and ask Tu Bo to track down his missing soul fragment. If he’s still amnesiac after we recover it, then something’s wrong with his brain.”
The Underworld Courier old man nodded and glanced back—Heaven‑Guide Venerable was cornered by a flock of Brood‑Hen Dragons, crouching there and shielding his head.
“If he never gets his memories back, how is he supposed to survive in this cruel world?” The Underworld Courier old man shook his head.
Quinn walked over, waved his hand, and a flame turned into a fire dragon, scattering the Brood‑Hen Dragons in all directions.
Heaven‑Guide Venerable’s eyes lit up. Delighted, he said, “That’s a great trick!” and waved his own hand.
The Brood‑Hen Dragons were still closing in, but when they saw him wave, they hurriedly dodged—only to realize nothing happened. Furious, they lunged at him again.
Heaven‑Guide Venerable quickly waved his hand again—a burst of fire shot out like a dragon, twisting and charging forward.
The Brood‑Hen Dragons scattered in panic. One was too slow and got burned to a crisp, releasing a mouthwatering aroma of roast meat.
Heaven‑Guide Venerable stared at his own hand in disbelief, then ran over to the charred Brood‑Hen Dragon and burst into tears, mourning its death.
He tried to bury the Brood‑Hen Dragon’s body, digging a grave while sobbing. After a while, the smell got to him—he sneaked a taste, and soon was eating the whole thing between tears, tossing the bones into the half‑dug pit.
Quinn and the Underworld Courier old man exchanged astonished looks.
“That divine art you just used—was it the Fire Star Lord’s flame rune?” the Underworld Courier old man asked.
Quinn nodded, saying, “The Fire Star Lord’s flame rune isn’t terribly complex, but my mastery is deep—I’ve compressed the rune to its limit, so its inner logic is very hard to spot.”
The Underworld Courier old man said, “But he saw through it—and learned it.”
“And he could actually cast it.”
Quinn whispered, “His cultivation hasn’t completely disappeared—some of it remains. But more importantly, his talent and comprehension are absolutely monstrous. I suspect…”
He paused, face turning odd. “Heaven‑Guide Venerable might be an Overlord Body too.”
The Underworld Courier old man mulled it over, then said, “Memory loss isn’t so bad—as long as he’s not stupid. But… his brain doesn’t seem to be working right. Have you ever seen anyone cry over roasting a chicken, and eat it while sobbing?”
Quinn tugged at his chin whiskers. “He really does seem a little slow… Let’s just go see Tu Bo first!”
The Underworld Courier old man nodded, called for Heaven‑Guide Venerable. He’d eaten half a chicken, looked embarrassed, and carried the other half over with his head hung low.
Quinn and the Underworld Courier old man exchanged helpless glances. The three boarded a little boat; the old man waved, conjuring a whirl of darkness. The boat sailed into the vortex, which shrank and vanished.
“Heaven‑Guide Venerable, why aren’t you eating?”
The Underworld Courier old man looked at him. “Are you sad because you roasted a playmate and ate your own friend?”
“I’m stuffed.”
Heaven‑Guide Venerable answered honestly, “I really can’t eat any more. I’ll save it for when I’m hungry.”
Quinn couldn’t help laughing and crying inside: “The old Heaven‑Guide Venerable was so sharp, and now he’s just simple‑minded. If I have to drag this silly brother around, Venerable Skysoar’s in for a rough time.” He felt a bit of schadenfreude.
“Venerable Skysoar, back in the Dragon‑Han Heavenly Court—who won in the end?” Quinn asked.
The Underworld Courier old man hesitated, took off the mask from the back of his head and put it away, then shook his head. “I really don’t know. At the end of the Dragon‑Han Era there were three Heavenly Courts, all claiming to be the true one. Who actually won—I couldn’t say. I’ve always stayed in Youdu, rarely venturing out. The three Heavenly Courts fighting for supremacy and all those souls to harvest gave me endless headaches. But…”
He paused, then said, “Moon‑Venerable once came to me and said the Heaven Alliance had lost, Cloud‑Venerable was dead, and she was preparing to retire.”
“Cloud‑Venerable?”
Quinn asked, “You mean Cloud‑Venerable?”
The Underworld Courier old man nodded.
Quinn’s expression dimmed. After a moment, he said hoarsely, “If he hadn’t joined the Heaven Alliance, maybe he wouldn’t have died. Because of something I said, his life was lost. I…”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
The Underworld Courier old man said, “Cloud‑Venerable was always like that. Though honored as a Venerable, he didn’t speak much, but his heart was pure. Moon‑Venerable said before that even before Venerable Skysoar suggested founding the Heaven Alliance, Cloud‑Venerable was gathering heroes for the sake of the future of postnatal races. Cloud‑Venerable…”
He fell silent for a while, then lowered his head. “He once impersonated Heaven‑Guide Venerable, and also pretended to be you and Quinn Heavenly Venerable, acting in your names so that, in the darkest times, humans and other races would still have a sliver of hope. During the Dragon‑Han Era, so many died—humans and all the races could hardly survive. He did what he had to…”
Quinn was lost in thought.
“Tu Bo should know which Heavenly Court won, right?” He pushed aside his feelings and asked.
“Tu Bo won’t say.”
The Underworld Courier old man shook his head. “I’ve asked him before, but he never answered. After those dark years passed, Tu Bo grew withdrawn—he only did his duty, rarely cared about the outside world. I once wanted to know who the final victor was—was it Venerable Vast‑Sky or the ancient god Heavenly Emperor? But I’ve never seen the true face of the one who sat the throne.”
Quinn was taken aback. “You’ve never seen his true face?”
The Underworld Courier old man nodded. The little boat drew near Tu Bo; at the prow, Heaven‑Guide Venerable’s mouth hung open in shock as he stared at the colossal Tu Bo, unable to speak a word.
“Never seen him.”
The Underworld Courier old man’s face was calm, unruffled. He said slowly, “People say the Dragon‑Han Era ended 450,000 years ago, then came the Chiming Era. But the truth is, the Dragon‑Han Era never ended. It’s always been here!”
Quinn’s heart trembled.
The Dragon‑Han Era has always been here!
Even Tu Bo shies away from mentioning the Dragon‑Han Heavenly Court. It’s always been here, like a vast shadow looming over every era—Chiming, Shanghuang, Kaihuang, even today’s Yankang!
“That Heavenly Court holds many mysteries no one can unravel.”
The Underworld Courier old man said, “The ancient gods of the ancient god Heavenly Court are in that court, and so are the gods among postnatal beings and half‑gods. I can’t make sense of it—who was the real winner? ...Let’s go see Tu Bo.”
The paper boat sailed into the third eye on Tu Bo’s brow. The Underworld Courier old man moored the boat and entered the sacred hall within the eye.
Inside the sacred hall, Tu Bo—now much smaller—lowered his head to study Heaven‑Guide Venerable, who still clutched half a chicken. Tu Bo’s gaze made him nervous; after a moment, he mustered his courage and lifted the chicken. “Want some? You look hungry too…”
Tu Bo’s eyes flickered. He shook his head and sighed, “What a pity. The Heaven‑Guide Venerable of old has become like this. Did you bring him to find his missing soul fragment?”
Quinn nodded and bowed. “We ask Tu Bo to use his magic and find the whereabouts of his soul fragment!”
“I blessed him back then. Even if you hadn’t asked, I would help him search.”
Tu Bo opened the eye on his brow—the third eye—and a curtain of light shot out. He said solemnly, “When I saw his body, I’d already seen his broken soul pass through countless worlds. The great thousand worlds flashed by in an instant.”
Heaven‑Guide Venerable stood, uneasy, within the curtain of light. Outside the light, Quinn and the Underworld Courier old man saw world after world flash past—towering green mountains, vast deserts, countless stars, all vanishing in a blink.
After a while, a magnificent, resplendent celestial palace appeared in the light, filled with towering gods—then came the Heavenly Court of Eternal Day.
Palaces swept through Heaven‑Guide Venerable’s body, faster and faster, until the scene slowed, then stopped at the threshold of one palace.