The congratulatory mission sent by the Great Wei imperial court did not arrive by flying; they chose to travel by foot and horseback, specifically to demonstrate their sincerity and the gravity of the occasion. After all, if they were to pay homage to the newborn Peach Blossom Goddess, they needed the people of Great Wei—especially those in the south—to be aware of her existence. This was also an opportunity to propagate her divine title.
Liu Hechu, the Peach Blossom Goddess, had originally been nothing more than a simple mountain spirit. She had known nothing of divine rules or human etiquette, but after receiving the Heaven and Earth Conferment, she had gained enlightenment on many things. Furthermore, the Divine Lord Lady of Donghua Mountain had personally descended to the temple and spoken with her at length for over an hour, guiding her out of her ignorance and helping her grow into a qualified deity of heaven and earth. When the imperial mission reached the foot of the mountain and sent word of their arrival and intent, she dispatched a small peach blossom sprite to welcome them up.
When the mission reached the summit of Xiufeng Mountain and laid eyes on the Peach Blossom Temple—a structure at once towering, ancient, and majestic, seemingly carved by the hand of nature itself—Zhao Buyi, Minister of Rites, and Daoist Longquan, Deputy Supervisor of the Imperial Observatory, were both moved. This was the first temple in the Northern Zhige Continent to be formed by the He…
Chapter 29