The atmosphere in the grand meeting hall grew tense.
Li Shimin's question about the existence of gods and Buddhas hadn't just startled his guests—it had caught them completely off guard.
Around the long sandalwood table, officials and scholars exchanged uncertain glances. No one dared answer. Their eyes instinctively turned toward Shi Feixuan, the veiled envoy of Cihang Temple.
After all, if anyone here could speak for the divine, it would be her.
Feixuan remained composed, her white robe still and pure, like a lotus in winter frost. Yet inside, her heart stirred uneasily.
Why is he asking this?
Everything she'd heard about Li Shimin—graceful in bearing, strategic in thought, respectful of faith—had painted him as a future ruler with virtue.
But this line of questioning… was almost sacrilegious.
Does he not support Buddhism at all? Or worse—does he intend to challenge it?
Feixuan hesitated only for a moment before offering a graceful smile.
"I cannot say with certainty whether gods or Buddhas walk this earth," she said gently.
"But our ancestor, the Enlightened Dini, has remained incorruptible for over three centuries. Her body—untouched by decay—stands as proof of something greater."
Li Shimin didn't miss a beat. He set his teacup down softly, his gaze steady.
"That only proves she was strong," he said flatly. "It doesn't make her a deity."
The words struck like a slap in the face of orthodoxy.
To him, bodily preservation was mere biology—nothing divine. He'd already seen things far beyond that.
The Ninja Scientist in the chat group had described reviving the dead, even extending life beyond natural limits.
Jack Sparrow, that mad pirate, walked the seas as a man cursed to never rot—his flesh immune to time.
And then there was Orochimaru, a man who had transcended mortality and called upon a god so real and terrifying that even entire nations fell before him.
Feixuan felt the weight of his words.
Her lips tightened under the veil.
"May I ask, Prince Shimin… why do you pursue the matter of gods and Buddhas so intently?" she said carefully.
"Is it immortality you seek?"
Her voice was respectful but cautious.
If that was the case, she would have to report it back to Cihang Temple. A young ruler obsessed with living forever often led to suffering for their people.
Li Shimin chuckled.
Immortality?
That was already within reach. Orochimaru had achieved it. Others were racing toward it.
No—his curiosity had nothing to do with personal desire.
"I ask," he said, "because I wish to know if you—Cihang Temple—believe in a true divine being, or merely in control."
His tone sharpened subtly.
"It's said your sect holds He's Jade, and the right to name an emperor."
"If a temple can anoint emperors like priests choosing kings, then the emperor is not ruler… but puppet."
Feixuan's face remained hidden, but her posture stiffened.
Li Shimin had made himself clear.
He would not be ruled.
"If I take the throne," he thought coldly, "Cihang Temple will be the first I cleanse."
Their politics disguised as piety—he saw right through it.
They want a 'chosen one'? Fine. I'll offer them one. Right on the altar.
Shi Feixuan, let's see if your loyalty lies with mortals or something far greater…
If she refused the Eternal God, she would become the sacrifice herself.
And if she accepted?
She would preach faith for him throughout the empire.
Either way, she was already part of his plan.
Li Shimin leaned back, his fingers drumming lightly on the table.
"You think I'm obsessed with immortality?" he asked, a wry smile on his lips. "Not quite. I'm no child chasing fairy tales."
His voice dropped, mellow and thoughtful.
"I met a Taoist sage recently. We debated for hours—searching ancient scrolls, piecing together folk legends. Do you know what we found?"
His gaze swept the room.
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The gods and Buddhas of our world exist only in myth. There's no proof, no miracles, no teachings… just stories."
A tense silence settled again.
Shi Feixuan didn't speak immediately. Her fingers tightened around her teacup. After a long pause, she finally said in a quiet voice:
"There are gods three feet above our heads. It is not the place of mortals to question the heavens."
Her tone had cooled. The conversation had crossed a line.
"Let's... speak of the border conflict with Tubo, shall we?"
Li Shimin smiled politely and nodded.
They changed the subject—but the atmosphere never warmed again.
When the guests had finally gone, and the last white-robed envoy had vanished into the courtyard shadows, Li Shimin's smile vanished.
"So much for the 'holy daughters of light,'" he muttered, voice thick with contempt. "Just another political cult dressing up ambition as enlightenment."
The silk curtain behind him rustled softly.
A young woman stepped into view—tall, regal, and radiant with a sharp grace. Her gaze carried steel behind the softness.
It was Li Xiuning, the princess of the Tang clan and one of the sharpest minds in the empire.
"Second Brother," she said with a scoff. "You were right. Those Cihang women are nothing but manipulators. Every word wrapped in incense and lies. Immortals and Buddhas? False gods—every last one of them."
Li Shimin chuckled.
"To control the emperor by pretending to choose one... using He's Jade as a divine seal of legitimacy. It's clever. But not clever enough."
His eyes narrowed as he turned to her.
"What about the meditation?"
Li Xiuning's confident posture shifted.
She glanced down, then up again—more hesitant now.
"It's real."
Her voice was quiet.
"The Eternal God… I—" she swallowed, "I felt it."
That glint in her eye—a flicker of fear. Li Shimin noticed immediately.
"You mean… you meditated and actually connected?"
She nodded, slowly.
"I broke through to the Xiantian realm overnight. I—I defeated one of our top guardians with a single move. He said I radiated like a land immortal."
She shivered, remembering.
"Second Brother… when I reached out through meditation… I saw Him. Or rather, I saw a shadow so vast and blinding, I couldn't even perceive His face. Just being in His presence made my legs shake."
Li Shimin stared at her, the gears turning behind his eyes.
She wasn't one to exaggerate. If she was saying this…
Then it was real.
And far, far more powerful than anything the Daoists or Buddhists could conjure.
He broke into a wide grin.
"Excellent. Then the altar is ready. Tomorrow, we give Him a proper welcome."
He turned to the window, looking out over the palace city lights.
"They call themselves goddesses?"
He laughed under his breath.
"Good. We'll see how much their gods protect them when I put their priestess on the altar."
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