The outer court of the Womah Palace echoed with celestial music, while clear streams trickled, ancient trees stood lush and verdant, and a lotus pond rippled with clean water.
Two young girls stood at the door to greet her.
"Colored clouds, green clouds, have met the sister-in-law," said the child, whose position was lower than the disciples. Even though the ages of these two might be much older than those of Grandfather Deng's great-grandfather's great-grandfather, they were still sisters-in-law.
Deng Chanyu, adhering to the rules of etiquette, accepted their bows and only after that returned them: "Met the two junior sisters. Is the teacher here?"
"Madam is waiting for the senior sister, please."
Deng Chanyu entered the main hall, catching a glimpse of Qingluan winking at her with her eyebrows. She also let out a sigh of relief, indicating that she was particularly nervous.
The body of Nuwa was probably that of a young woman in her twenties. She sat calmly on the cloud bed, her expression neither pleased nor sad, surrounded by an aura of Taoism. A single glance from Deng Chanyu seemed to reveal the sun, the moon, the stars, and all things in the world. Here there was the past, the present, and the future.
As an elderly person who was used to the image of the Old Mother of Lishan, Deng Chanyu was a bit unfamiliar with the sudden sight of such a young Nuwa.
Gently raise the qi and prepare to pay homage with grand etiquette.
"Disciple Deng Chanyu pays homage to the master."
The words had not yet been completed when Nuwa grew impatient and waved her hand: "When you saw Master Zǐ and Brother Zhunti, were you not very courteous? We are not strangers, so what is the need to be nervous?"
"Yes, that's true," Deng Chanyu scratched her head, but still performed a grand obeisance: "I wish the teacher long life and eternal prosperity!"
Nuwa stretched out her hand: "Bring me the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag for me to see."
Deng Chanyu was a bit surprised by the liveliness of her own teacher: "I did not know you were like this Nuwa! Why didn't you say so earlier?"
"Not bad at all? This is the Five-Direction Flag, hmpf," Nuwa examined both sides of the flag as if she were a little girl.
"Is she happy or unhappy?" Deng Chanyu asked Qingluan next to her with her eyes.
Qingluan gave her a return glance, which was too complicated for her to fully understand at the moment, so she could only guess randomly.
It seems like her own teacher is not happy?
Is it dissatisfaction with herself, or with others?
It should be dissatisfaction with Hongjun, as he said he was dividing treasure, but who would get what treasure had already been determined.
Hongjun left the Western Plain Cloud Boundary Flag to his attendant, the Queen Mother of the Moon Palace, which Nuwa can accept.
Laozi obtained the Southern Extinguishing Flame Flag, while Yuanshi Tianzun obtained the Central Earthly Yellow Flag, and Nuwa didn't have any objections.
Big Brother and Er Brother both have Five-Direction Flags. Shengtian, as the Third Brother, may have been skipped because he couldn't let the Three Pure Ones occupy all of them, so it's her turn now for Nuwa to take the next one.
But the Eastern Blue Lotus Dharma Flag was given to Jieyin, who was seated on the fifth cushion!
The flags themselves are not important, what's important is face.
Now that the circle is complete, a flag has finally come into her hands. Nuwa's heart must be carrying a bit of joy. Hongjun Old Master, did you expect this? I can also get a flag!
It's not clear if she's thinking exactly like that. Deng Chanyu couldn't tell either, so she could only smile and wait for further inquiries from the senior figure.
Nuwa played with the flag for a while and casually gave her the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag again.
"No way back from the Underworld, since this flag has come into your hands, I believe it's meant to be with you. During the great calamity, carrying this flag will indeed help resist many disasters. It's not a big issue. Just take it."
Deng Chanyu's face was filled with joy. "Thank you, teacher!"
She realized that Nuwa's true form is very spontaneous, or perhaps all the sages are like this.
At this level, there's no need to hide anything, and what's the point of putting on a show for anyone?
Sages do whatever makes them comfortable and happy, with no regard for morality, laws, good and evil, or any of the things encountered on the path to enlightenment. They rely on slaying the three shadows (referring to desires, anger, and ignorance) as manifestations to be cut off. Now what remains is pure.
Laozi advocates for wu wei, and Zhunti enjoys going around to pull people. Do you have any objections? That's just the way it is, and none of you can tell me what to do!
Deng Chanyu asked in a tone that was reminiscent of bandits dividing treasure, "Can't the deep imprints of Menghe Laozhu be erased from the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag, so that the flag cannot be discovered by Menghe Laozhu even though it is in my hands?"
Nuwa had already thought of this problem. She raised two fingers: "Two methods, first, hang it in the Hall of Supreme Harmony of the Shang Dynasty, and rely on the human race's destiny to wear down the imprints within. Second, didn't Bai Ze give you Taíyī's command token? There is a most pure great sun gold flame in the Eastern Palace of Taíyī. Relying on this fire can also eliminate Menghe's imprints. Moreover, with Menghe's ability to calculate, he can only trace it back to Taíyī, but Taíyī is already dead—hahaha—"
Thinking of the expression of Menghe, who had been perplexed for a long time, Nuwa couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Qingluan rolled her eyes inwardly, as one master and apprentice were one hard-to-argue and one helping to hide the crime, and now they were throwing the blame on a dead person. What a lack of virtue!
Deng Chanyu's face was filled with joy. No wonder she's a sage! She really has a way to do it!
Give the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag to King Zhou, wear down the imprint, and she can then regain it through other means. This method is safe, but it takes a long time, and there is likely to be some change along the way. If a shameless saint points at the flag and says, "This treasure is destined for me," what would you do?
She chose the second option.
"Teacher, can I go to the Chaos now?"
Nuwa looked up and down at her: "It's quite difficult, even your Phoenix form can't stay in the Chaos for long. Fortunately, you've obtained the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag, which has such strong defensive power that it ranks among the top ones in the Pre-eternal Sacred Treasures."
She touched the flag, and a layer of misty green light appeared on the surface of the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag.
"In the Chaos, various harmful or invisible harm can be seen everywhere, and it's extremely dangerous for even a quasi-deity. Your Phoenix form cannot resist all the harm, so if you really encounter danger, you must use the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag for defense. However, your cultivation is low, and you cannot maintain the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag for a long time. I left a bit of magic power in the flag for just such an occasion: if you can't hold on anymore, let the flag protect you and bring you back safely. It should be no problem."
Nuwa had Qingluan bring her a crimson cape embroidered with dragon and phoenix patterns. It seemed that she was trying to console her, with the phoenix on top and the dragon on the bottom.
Deng Chanyu put on the cape and immediately felt warm and cozy, enveloped by a faint aura of merit gold light. Most importantly, the cape fitted her height perfectly, as if it were custom-made. Moreover, it seemed quite new, with loose threads still on it.
"Teacher, is this cape...?"
Qingluan glanced away, this cape was just forged last week. I can tell you?
Nuwa pondered silently. Unless there is only one sage in this world, no sage can be certain of all things. Preparing an extra path can never be wrong.
She was particularly composed: "This is the Sacred Spirit Cloak. You've noticed that, when refining it, I added some merit. You should know that in the Chaos, many dangers cannot be described in words. These invisible dangers are the true dangers."
Involving her own life, Deng Chanyu's focus shifted, and she listened to the teacher's account of her experiences walking in the Chaos without missing a word.
