Chapter 1658 — That Zun's Marriage
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
The Heavenly Court drifted quietly above the Ancestral Court. The news that Huotian Zun had turned traitor and slain the newly ascended Yintian Zun and Qinglong Zun had indeed caused an uproar in the Heavenly Court, but word soon followed that Huotian Zun, his crimes heinous beyond measure, had already been beheaded and executed, which set every heart at ease once more. Even if there were murmurs and rumors within the Heavenly Court, none could stir up any great wave, for Yan Yazi had personally ascended to the Heavenly Court to offer himself for punishment before Emperor Haotian, declaring that he was willing to bear the sins committed by his master Huotian Zun. Emperor Haotian, moved by his filial devotion and loyalty, extended great mercy, pardoned his transgressions, and permitted him to give Huotian Zun a lavish burial.
Further, out of regard for Huotian Zun's contributions to the world and the Heavenly Court, though he stripped him of the title Supreme of Equaling Heaven, he nonetheless retained the title of Zun and buried him with the rites of a Zun. —Yet Huotian Zun had died with no whole corpse remaining, so Yan Yazi simply sought out a man who resembled Huotian Zun in appearance, killed him, placed him in a coffin, and filled it with treasures. Yan Yazi then launched great construction, building a mausoleum, and buried this counterfeit Huotian Zun within.
Time and again he wept before the mausoleum until he swooned, and even sought to take his own life to accompany Huotian Zun in the tomb, so that his master might not be lonely. The civil and military officials of the Heavenly Court who attended the rites all sighed without end, saying that Huotian Zun had taken a good disciple, whose loyalty and righteousness were no less than Huotian Zun's own in his day. The crowd hurried forward to hold him back, and only thus did he refrain from doing a foolish thing. The whole Heavenly Court was steeped in grief as they buried Huotian Zun, Yintian Zun, and Qinglong Zun.
—Yintian Zun had died with no whole corpse, and so received a cenotaph; while of Qinglong Zun only a single head remained. Emperor Haotian, pitying his loyalty and righteousness, ordered that a body be forged for Qinglong Zun from divine gold and sewn together with his head.
On the day of burial, Emperor Haotian attended in person, and he too shed silent tears, clutching the coffin and weeping bitterly, while the civil and military officials followed with unceasing tears. It was only when the seven oldest ministers of the Heavenly Court, the most senior in years, came forward to urge the Emperor to take care of his health for the sake of all living beings that Emperor Haotian finally restrained his grief. After the funeral, Emperor Haotian issued further rewards: he promoted the Crimson Emperor Qi Xiayu to be the Zun of the Southern Heaven, with Yan Yazi as his assistant; the Western Emperor became the Zun of the Western Heaven; the Eastern Heaven's Azure Emperor became the Zun of the Eastern Heaven; and the Eastern Pole Heaven was made a place of retirement for the Retired Emperor Taichu.
Emperor Haotian also enfeoffed a new Northern Emperor, promoting the Taiyin Zun among the Primordial Gods of the Great Ultimate to be the Zun of the Northern Heaven, and the Taiyang Zun to be the Zun of the Primal Realm. For a time, the whole Heavenly Court was in an uproar, some rejoicing and some grieving.
After the rewards were issued, Emperor Haotian returned to his palace, where someone presented a jade box.
Emperor Haotian waved his hand, dismissing the Golden Guards around him, and opened the jade box, and there within lay the head of Yu Cangqi, the reincarnation of the Divine Emperor Langxuan.
Emperor Haotian laughed and said, "Brother Langxuan, how have you been? " Within the jade box, the head of Langxuan's reincarnation opened its eyes and said, "The victor is king and the loser a bandit. Why waste words, Your Majesty?