Everlasting Immortal Firmament
chapter-106

Gu Residence:

Three days had passed since Gu Hai’s group returned.

Artisans worked day and night in Hulao Pass. The din of activity rang out, and dust and smoke rose.

A group of guards stood outside a large hall in the Gu Residence.

Gu Hai sat in the host’s seat inside the hall. As he held a cup of tea in his hand, he narrowed his eyes at Meng Tai, who sat in a guest’s seat, barely propped up by the chair.

“Don’t you hate me?” Meng Tai asked while holding a teacup and glaring at Gu Hai.

“That’s not it. I said before. I still find you very detestable, cold-blooded, emotionless, sinister, and ruthless. You can resort to all means to achieve your goals. Ha! Unfortunately, your efforts fell through due to the lack of a final push. No one pities you!” Gu Hai said while shaking his head.

“Then, why do you still want to take me in? You want to establish a nation and want me to be your official?” Meng Tai looked at Gu Hai with incredulity in his eyes.

“I’m establishing a nation, not a clan. What I am facing is going to be an overwhelming situation. All the officials united at heart? Ha! Such a nation will not accomplish great things. It is just like a horse. A strong horse might not run fast. However, if there were a hornet on its rump, that horse would charge forward with all its might. My nation will take in the most talented people. However, talent is not sufficient. I still need to direct them—and a hornet to sting them!” Gu Hai said after taking a sip of tea.

“A hornet?” Meng Tai revealed an expression of disbelief.

Meng Tai already guessed that Gu Hai wanted to establish a nation. It was obvious that Gu Hai would want to search for countless talents to be officials. However, seeking out a destructive person like him confused Meng Tai. A hornet? Using me as a whip to spur on the officials?

“Perhaps that was not a good analogy, so let’s try another analogy, the catfish effect. Have you seen a fisherman fishing at sea?” Gu Hai looked at Meng Tai.

[TL Note: The catfish effect is the effect that a strong competitor has in causing the weak to better themselves. It is named after a story where a shipmaster in Norway could bring back live sardines, which were more valuable than frozen ones. While he was alive, he kept the method a secret. After he died, people checked his ship and found one catfish in the tank. The sardines in the tank tried to avoid this predator, resulting in increased activity level, which kept the sardines alive.]

Meng Tai shook his head. He was a cultivator. Why would he pay attention to those coarse fishermen?

“There are many principles to be understood in the mundane world. For example, when a fisherman goes out to sea and catches large amounts of tuna, they would die of suffocation by the time he reached the shore, so the fisherman cannot sell them for much. It turns out that tuna enjoy remaining still. Thus, they slowly drain the tank of oxygen and suffocate. However, adding a catfish to the tank changes the situation. Catfish like to move; that catfish would stir up the tank. The turbulence created in the water would replenish oxygen. The tuna would still be alive by the time the fisherman reaches the shore!” Gu Hai said.

Meng Tai did not understand what oxygen was. However, he understood the rough meaning of the story.

“You are worried that as your nation grows, it will become like a pool of stagnant water, slowly losing its vitality? You want me to be a villain, stirring up the water? You…you…aren’t you thinking too far? You are already thinking of the balance between the officials? You are still quite far from that step!” Meng Tai stared at Gu Hai in shock.

“It’s not far away. I am about to establish a nation!” Gu Hai said after taking a sip of tea.

Meng Tai’s eyelids twitch. Now, Meng Tai no longer felt conflicted over Gu Hai’s cultivation. Indeed, Gu Hai was a Golden Core Realm cultivator. While Gu Hai’s cultivation could not compare to his, he believed that Gu Hai had many means to kill him if they truly fought.

Meng Tai even feared fighting Gu Hai. He had never felt this way before.

“I understand now! I understand now! Establishing a nation? After you established your nation, you want me to deal with internal affairs. I will do the things that are not convenient for you to do? I will shoulder the officials’ and citizen’s resentment and fear while you enjoy the support of everyone?” Meng Tai glared at Gu Hai.

“I will set up a department called the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The Embroidered Uniform Guard will have the right to judge, imprison, torture, investigate, and capture people. You will take charge of maintaining order, investigating, inquiring, and arresting, helping me monitor the officials and the nation. You will also pry into the secrets of other nations. The Embroidered Uniform Guard will function as my personal guard; you will answer to no one else but me!” Gu Hai said.

[TL Note: The Embroidered Uniform Guard was the imperial secret police that served the Ming Dynasty emperors. You can read more in this Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embroidered_Uniform_Guard.]

“The Embroidered Uniform Guard?” Meng Tai’s eyelids twitched.

From Gu Hai’s simple description, Meng Tai naturally could understand the authority behind such an identity. There would be none above him but the emperor. Furthermore, he would hold ridiculously vast authority.

However, Gu Hai remained seated, quietly drinking his tea.

“Ha! Are you not afraid that I will revolt? I might betray you or perhaps find an opportunity to kill you and replace you.” Meng Tai stared at Gu Hai with slightly narrowed eyes.

“That is part of your character. Naturally, I have thought of it. You definitely can no longer return to Elite Hall, and your reputation is already in the gutter. You could try striking out on your own. Unfortunately, while you are very bright and intelligent, you are not familiar with the general situation. Without me, you will not accomplish much. As for whether you dare to revolt… Ha! Since I dare to use you, I naturally do not fear you revolting. However, before you start a revolt, you had best consider the price of doing so first!” Gu Hai said indifferently.

Meng Tai’s eyelids twitched wildly.

“Without me, you would have died long ago. However, I know that you will not keep this grace in mind. I do not need you to remember it. My patience is limited. You have three days to adjust yourself to your new identity and position. I hope to see changes three days later!” Gu Hai put down his teacup and stood up. Then, he walked towards the doors.

“I…I haven’t agreed to be your official yet!” Meng Tai yelled while glowering.

Gu Hai stopped and turned to look at Meng Tai. Then, he revealed a faint smile without saying anything. After that, he turned back and walked out of the hall, leaving only Meng Tai, whose face twitched continuously. Are you that sure that you have me in the bag?

After leaving the hall, Gu Hai went to another hall. Long Wanqing, Venerable Liu Nian, and the Unborn Man were there, apparently discussing something.

Seeing Gu Hai arrive, the three stopped.

“Senior Unborn Man, did you discover anything at Ding Rui’s corpse?” Gu Hai asked out of curiosity.

Shaking his head, the Unborn Man replied, “Li Haoran destroyed Ding Rui’s three spiritual souls. Therefore, I could not get anything.”

Gu Hai frowned slightly, as that was what Shangguan Hen said back then. How did Shangguan Hen know?

“That is truly unfortunate,” Gu Hai said while shaking his head.

“Gu Hai, we are going to return. I need to report to Grandfather. Are you coming with us? When we go back, I can register your name in Elite Hall’s headquarters. That way, you can be bestowed with providence,” Long Wanqing said, looking at Gu Hai with anticipation.

Gu Hai shook his head again and said, “I am going to establish my nation in another month. There are too many things to do, so I can’t leave.”

“Alright!” Long Wanqing sighed softly.

“In one month? Perhaps we won’t be able to make it back in time!” Venerable Liu Nian said with some regret.

Gu Hai nodded. Eventually, he said, “Hall Master, I have never asked, but your maternal grandfather is…?”

“You don’t know my maternal grandfather?” Long Wanqing felt slightly startled.

Even Venerable Liu Nian goggled at Gu Hai, finding this incredible.

“I have never paid attention to that!” Gu Hai said while shaking his head.

“Division Master Gu is truly a broad-minded person. Indeed, paying attention to that too early is pointless anyway.” Venerable Liu Nian nodded as he looked at Gu Hai with a complicated expression.

“Do you know the Qian Heavenly Dynasty?” Long Wanqing asked.

“One of the three heavenly dynasties of the Divine Continent? I’ve heard a little about it.” Gu Hai nodded.

“My maternal grandfather is the master of the Qian Heavenly Dynasty. The Qian Heavenly Dynasty lies in the north of the Divine Continent. The position is that of Qian, representing heaven!” Long Wanqing said confidently.

[TL Note: The Qian here refers to the first of the sixty-four hexagrams and represents heaven. Qian is also the first of the eight trigrams. The north cardinal direction on a hexagram or trigram chart would be Qian as well.]

“The Qian Heavenly Dynasty?” Gu Hai raised his eyebrows.

“Our Elite Hall, the Divine Strategy Battalion, and some other organizations are foreign affairs departments of the Qian Heavenly Dynasty, responsible for some of the Qian Heavenly Dynasty’s minor affairs. Starting from my mother, the Elite Hall Master holds the noble title of marquis. Elite Hall is one of the ten major foreign affairs departments. But, unfortunately, it entered a decline in my hands,” Long Wanqing said with a faint sigh.

Gu Hai nodded.

“The Unborn Man intends to return with me to meet with my maternal grandfather. We are going to leave immediately. After we meet my maternal grandfather and investigate the materials of those two letters, we will come and let you know,” Long Wanqing said, showing some reluctance as she looked at Gu Hai.

“That’s fine.” Gu Hai nodded.

After saying goodbye, Long Wanqing’s group boarded the flying ship and rushed off into the distance.

After sending off the group, Gu Hai left some instructions for his men before entering closed-door cultivation in the Soaring Pagoda. Many experts guarded the Soaring Pagoda while he sat inside.

Gu Hai placed the Heavenly Dynasty Outline before him.

“The imperial seal as the head, the nation as the divine container. Anchor the nation’s blessings and establish one’s rule! Using the Dragon Luring Jade to store the dragon vein, blood as the guide, the consciousness as a soul, and an enchanted treasure as a foundation, merge them into one. A good treasure makes a powerful imperial seal. A poor treasure makes a weak imperial seal. After the merger and forming its shape, make offerings to it. After you establish the nation, use providence to temper it, making both the imperial seal and the treasure stronger.”

Gu Hai repeated this section several times.

He looked at the Dragon Luring Jade in his hand. According to the Heavenly Dynasty Outline, he still needed an enchanted treasure to merge with it. Then, he needed his blood as a guide to pour his consciousness into it. All these will merge into the imperial seal?

What treasure should I use?

Li Haoran’s and Ding Rui’s storage spaces contained many treasures. However, none of them caught Gu Hai’s eye.

After thinking for a while, Gu Hai reached for his forehead.

Buzz!

The black Go stone in Gu Hai’s forehead space, which had brought him from Earth to this place, floated out.

Gu Hai held the black Go stone silently.

“The stronger the enchanted treasure, the stronger the imperial seal? I wonder, what would the effect of merging this black Go stone into the imperial seal be?” Gu Hai muttered in a heavy voice.

Then, Gu Hai extended his hand and cut a fingertip. Blood enveloped the black Go stone as he slowly delivered it to the Dragon Luring Jade.

Buzz!

The moment the Dragon Luring Jade came in contact with the blood, it seemed to come alive, greedily absorbing Gu Hai’s blood. At the same time, nine tiny jade dragon heads sprouted atop the Dragon Luring Jade, baring their fangs and claws in their rush to consume the black Go stone.

Buzz!

The black Go stone suddenly released a black light, instantly filling the interior of the Dragon Luring Jade.

“Roar!”

The dragon vein in the Dragon Luring Jade seemed to fear this black light, as it let out a fearful roar.

Gu Hai quickly sank his consciousness into the Dragon Luring Jade by following the blood.

Shortly after the blood and black Go stone merged with the Dragon Luring Jade, his consciousness connected to it. Gu Hai gradually gained the ability to control the Dragon Luring Jade.

The ball-shaped Dragon Luring Jade slowly turned cuboid. Nine dragons wrapped around the black Go stone above the cube, appearing ferocious.

When the black Go stone merged with the Dragon Luring Jade, it instantly dyed the entire Dragon Luring Jade black. A rudimentary black imperial seal was born.

Gurgle…!

As blood poured into the nine-dragon imperial seal, crimson words appeared at the bottom.

“Mandated by Heaven, Long Live the Emperor!”

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

Controlled by Gu Hai’s consciousness, the imperial seal continued to form as it gave off a jadelike glow.

Perhaps because the black Go stone was overly precious, it seemed to weigh tens of tons the moment it formed.

Boom!

The imperial seal fell and landed on the floor in front of Gu Hai.

Rumble…!

A loud sound suddenly rang out.

The huge Soaring Pagoda suddenly started crumbling from the impact of the imperial seal.

“What?” Gu Hai’s expression changed as he reached out to grab the imperial seal.

Perhaps because Gu Hai was the one who forged the imperial seal, he managed to arrest its fall, albeit with a lot of effort.

However, the Soaring Pagoda was not that fortunate. When it suddenly collapsed, the expressions of everyone in the Gu Residence changed.

“Adoptive Father!” Gu Qin, who was in the distance, shouted.

“Everyone, do not come over!” A loud shout came from the rubble.

Gu Qin, Shangguan Hen, Chen Tianshan, and the others stopped, showing shocked expressions.

Gu Hai got trapped in a confined space in the depths of the rubble.

However, Gu Hai did not mind. Instead, he tested the imperial seal again, pressing it to the ground.

Boom!

A strong downward pressure sent dust clouds surging out in all directions. The strong force shook the land around the Gu Residence like an intense earthquake.

The people outside revealed horrified expressions. They did not know what Gu Hai was doing there.

The black jade imperial seal had the words “Mandated by Heaven, Long Live the Emperor” in crimson at the bottom. Satisfaction flashed in Gu Hai’s eyes as he said in a deep voice, “From today on, you shall be known as the Heaven Suppressing Divine Imperial Seal. You will suppress the world for me!”

Buzz! The pitch-black Heaven Suppressing Divine Imperial Seal quivered as though replying to Gu Hai.

Gu Hai gently raised the Heaven Suppressing Divine Imperial Seal to his forehead.

Buzz!

Like the black Go stone that made up part of it, the Heaven Suppressing Divine Imperial Seal strangely entered Gu Hai’s forehead space.

When the black Go stone had gone out, the white crystal shards seemed to turn restless, wanting to escape.

Boom!

The sudden appearance of the Heaven Suppressing Divine Imperial Seal suppressed the white crystal shards; they instantly calmed down.

The Heaven Suppressing Divine Imperial Seal hovered above, looking down on the world. The thirty thousand-odd Go puzzles continued merging below like before.

After the Heaven Suppressing Divine Imperial Seal entered Gu Hai’s forehead space, he sent his consciousness inside.

“Roar!”

The dragon vein roared in the Heaven Suppressing Divine Imperial Seal. However, the black Go stone was horrendously mighty, directly suppressing the dragon vein to the point where it could not resist. Now, the dragon vein roared in pain. However, when Gu Hai’s consciousness poured in, the dragon vein seemed to calm down instantly.

“The black Go stone is indeed an incredible enchanted treasure. To think that by merging it into the Heaven Suppressing Divine Imperial Seal, it could make refining the dragon vein so easy. In less than a year, I can thoroughly refine the dragon vein and let it out to be nourished in the ground?” Satisfaction flashed in Gu Hai’s eyes.

Boom!

A loud sound rang out as Gu Hai knocked away the shattered rocks around him. Then, he slowly made his way out of the rubble.