Chapter Fourteen: Attachment to Appearances

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The ministers revered the gods, but the Emperor of Douling cared little for them. He had once personally presided over grand rituals seeking the elixir of immortality, yet the gods, worshipped for millennia, never cast their gaze upon him. This revealed to him their true nature. Since then, he never participated in another ritual, not even attending the annual divine birthday celebrations. In his eyes, if the gods were unwilling to answer the prayers of their followers, it was better not to worship them at all.

Silence fell over the court; the Emperor’s cold words chilled the ministers like a descent into an icy hell. They recalled the grim fates of those who had dared to defy His Majesty in the past. The Golden Cavalry Douluo, having received the command, hesitated no longer, and the sword suspended mid-air continued its downward arc!

At that moment, Lu Chong, who had been silently observing, finally spoke.
“Your Majesty, please wait.”
“Hm?”
The Emperor of Douling furrowed his brow and ordered the Golden Cavalry to halt once more, narrowing his eyes as he looked toward Lu Chong. “What is it?”
Glancing around at the ministers, Lu Chong smiled gently. “Heaven cherishes life, and in truth, all of you ministers merely resist because I am an unknown origin. Your intentions are truly for the empire’s good. To slay you now would only bring loss—to the empire, and to Your Majesty.”
“Bah! I don’t need a demon like you pleading for me!” snarled the minister who had dared to remonstrate, teeth clenched in anger.

Yet neither Lu Chong nor the Emperor paid him any heed. Their eyes met, and the Emperor understood the meaning behind Lu Chong’s words, nodding slightly. “Since the Imperial Tutor intercedes for you, let it be. Though you shall be spared death, you cannot escape punishment. Confiscate all your family estates. Upon returning home, dismiss all retainers and servants immediately! From this day forth, you are exiled beyond the borders!”
“This… this…”
Several ministers’ eyes widened in shock, words caught in their throats. This punishment was worse than death. Exile seemed to offer a lifeline, but in truth, it was a living hell.
Realizing this, they cried out, “Your Majesty, please reconsider! Your Majesty!”
But the Emperor of Douling no longer wished to entertain their pleas and ordered the guards to drag them from the palace.

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Beside him, Lu Chong smiled warmly. “Your Majesty’s kindness surely moves those ministers deeply.”
The Emperor rubbed his weary brow. After two encounters, he saw through the facade of this renowned healer, famed among the common folk for alleviating suffering. Beneath the mask of compassion lay a ruthlessness. The so-called mercy was but a false front.
Lu Chong stepped forward, spreading his arms with a smile. “May I ask, my esteemed colleagues, do any of you still dissent?”
The ministers exchanged glances, lowering their heads into silence.
Unable to contain his excitement, Heral stepped forward and respectfully exclaimed, “Congratulations to the Imperial Tutor!”
Seeing the Duke’s endorsement, nobles and officials aligned with Heral followed suit, shouting, “Congratulations to the Imperial Tutor!”
“Congratulations to the Imperial Tutor!”
From that moment, regardless of their true thoughts, all had but one choice—to agree.

The Emperor of Douling’s figure was obscured behind Lu Chong, as if Lu Chong were the true master of the palace, the one whom the ministers worshipped.
The newly appointed Imperial Tutor issued his first decree: “From this day forth, remove all statues of the Sea God throughout the empire. Replace them with the Life Goddess as the principal deity of worship.”
A collective pall fell over the court. Tales of the Sea God had spread across the Douluo Continent for millennia. Not only was the Sea God the chief deity for several empires’ rituals, but even the Douling and Tianhun royal houses venerated him as an ancestor. His faith was deeply rooted in countless households. Among the ministers present, at least half were followers of the Sea God.
To abruptly replace such a revered figure was an act of great audacity.
Someone cautioned, “Imperial Tutor, might this decision be too rash? Though the Life Goddess is one of the Five Divine Kings, she has never displayed any divine miracles.”
“Miracles? Has the Sea God shown miracles in these past ten thousand years?” Lu Chong retorted. “And who says the Life Goddess has never manifested miracles?”
A faint smile graced Lu Chong’s lips, warm as spring sunlight, carrying the vitality of the season’s breeze.
He spoke softly, “The miracle has already appeared. The Goddess is one body with ten thousand faces, one of which is Abundance—the nurturer of all living things, the deity of the fertile lands. She never turns away, nor does she bear to witness decline and suffering.”
At his words, the ministers murmured in astonishment. Heral whispered, “The God of Abundance? The nurturer of all living things? Could this be the healer rumored in the outer city recently?”

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“Unable to bear to see decline and suffering—that fits perfectly. No wonder! I wondered how someone saintly suddenly appeared; it turns out they are an incarnation of a deity!”
“Oh heavens! A great deity stands among us—what an honor! How merciful this god must be!”
People tend to follow the crowd blindly. Witnessing Duke Heral’s fervent devotion, even those harboring doubts found their convictions shaken.
Moreover, while the healer’s tales mainly circulated in the outer city, some within the inner city had heard whispers. They sneered, dismissing these as foolish superstitions of the common folk.
As those in power, they prided themselves on understanding human nature. They believed such saintly figures were impossible—but a god?
Stories of gods belonged to legend. None had seen them; none could say if gods were like ordinary people. Yet, deep down, they preferred to believe gods were magnificent and flawless, equating divinity with sainthood.
No one remembered the removal of the Sea God’s statues anymore. Instead, they pondered whether they had recently done anything to displease the deity, or how best to pray for their wishes to be granted.
Like sleepwalkers, they barely recalled leaving the palace. When the cold wind brushed their faces, they suddenly sobered and swiftly departed without a word, eager to carry out Lu Chong’s orders.

Inside the main hall of the palace, the Emperor of Douling gazed at the few spent incense sticks in Lu Chong’s hand and slowly said, “Did you poison them?”
Having played this political game for decades, the Emperor saw the ministers’ abrupt change in demeanor as unnatural—like a person addicted to sweets suddenly drinking bitter bean juice.
So, when Lu Chong revealed the incense, the Emperor suspected a poison or sedative.
“Poison? No, no, Your Majesty,” Lu Chong smiled and shook his head. “This was merely a nudge. The true force was their own greed for ‘answers to all prayers.’”
“The nurturer of all living things? The God of Abundance? Is this the deity you believe in? Is all your power bestowed by her? Does she truly answer all prayers?” The Emperor’s eyes flickered as he questioned Lu Chong.
Though not a Soul Master himself, the Emperor knew Lu Chong possessed strength that ordinary Soul Masters could scarcely match. He had wondered about this, but if it were a blessing from a god, it explained everything.
Lu Chong did not answer directly, but smiled mysteriously and said, “Your Majesty, you are attached to appearances.”