Danzhu was beside himself with delight, while maintaining an outwardly perfect composure.
He smiled faintly without betraying a thing. “Mm, I’ve been wanting to soak in a hot spring lately. Very well, then. I’m free as always. Qingxi, choose a day whenever you have time.”
Bihua Lingjun said, “As it happens, this humble immortal is free today. If Your Imperial Majesty doesn’t find that too hasty…”
“Not at all!” Danzhu said instantly. “How could it possibly be too hasty?”
“Good. Then I’ll go make the preparations now,” Bihua Lingjun replied.
The immortal isle Bihua had mentioned lay not far from the boundary between Heaven and the mortal world, surrounded by waters under the jurisdiction of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea. It was not a large island, but it was lush and green. Alongside celestial trees and grasses grew ordinary mortal flowers and plants, springing up and withering in the blink of an eye amid immortal vegetation that remained green for ten thousand years.
A ridge crossed the island, a series of rolling hills. None was particularly high, but together they rose and fell with a pleasing variety. Nestled among the hills was an immortal pool that looked from a distance like a great piece of clear, greenish-blue jade. The only difference was the white, warm mist forever curling above its surface.
For the water of this immortal pool was hot.
It was the rarest sort of hot spring, and an immortal pool besides.
But the island lay at the edge of Heaven and looked much like countless other immortal isles. The immortals had never paid it much attention and had not discovered that it contained a hot spring.
Then one day an elderly mortal bear accidentally found its way there. The bear had once ruled a clan of bears on a mortal mountainside, but age had dimmed its eyes and thinned its teeth, leaving it constantly troubled by an aching back and joints and rheumatic pain. A younger bear usurped its throne, seized its power, took all the young and beautiful female bears from its harem, beat it severely, and cast it into the sea.
Clinging to a piece of driftwood, alternately sinking and floating, the old bear somehow drifted to this immortal island. It crawled to the pool, intending to drink some water, but unfortunately fell in headfirst. Thus it was forced to take a hot-spring bath.
Once submerged, the bear discovered that its vision was clear, its teeth had grown back, its aches had vanished, and its rheumatism had been cured. It had become an immortal bear, moreover one that looked like a cub less than a year old.
Heaven soon learned that an ordinary bear had become immortal. Bihua Lingjun always volunteered for the task of welcoming new immortal beasts to Heaven. When Bihua gathered the bear into his arms and stroked it, it was terribly embarrassed. It could speak now and honestly declared, “Great Immortal, I’m not a bear cub. I’m an old bear.”
Gazing at the pool with its drifting warm mist, Bihua Lingjun said, “And that was how this humble immortal learned about the hot spring.”
He turned to look at Danzhu. “Come, Your Imperial Majesty. Let us go in and have a soak together.”
Danzhu stood with his hands behind his back and studied the water. Slowly he said, “Qingxi, do you want to find out whether I’ll turn into a phoenix chick after soaking in it?”
Bihua Lingjun laughed. “How could I? Your Imperial Majesty is already a high immortal. How could you be rejuvenated like some ordinary creature?”
Danzhu said nothing. Slowly, he removed his outer robe.
Bihua Lingjun began undressing too.
Danzhu undressed very quickly. He tossed his outer robe into the grass, followed by his inner robe and then the last layer beneath.
Then His Imperial Majesty stepped into the pool. The water was not especially deep. Settling into it, Danzhu narrowed his eyes. “Mm. It really is comfortable. I haven’t had a soak like this in ages.”
Bihua Lingjun entered as well and settled into the water beside him.
Leaning against the edge with his eyes still half closed, Danzhu said, “I was just about to say, if this water truly could turn back the years, I’ve only recently hatched again. I might turn back into an egg before I ever became a phoenix chick.”
Bihua Lingjun asked, “Then why does Your Imperial Majesty believe this humble immortal so easily?”
Danzhu said lazily, “Mm. Whether I become an egg or a chick, I’d still belong to you. At worst, Qingxi, you’d have to hatch me again or raise me for a while. As far as I’m concerned, it makes no difference.”
In the mist Danzhu did indeed look unconcerned, or rather, as though he were thoroughly enjoying being unconcerned.
Soaking in the water, Danzhu said, “Qingxi, I like this hot spring very much.”
“I’m glad Your Imperial Majesty likes it.”
Danzhu continued, “It’s secluded and peaceful here, with no one to disturb us. The two of us bathing together in this pool, in surroundings like these, makes for a charming moment. Why not take advantage of it and practice dual cultivation here?”
Danzhu knew Bihua Lingjun would certainly invent another excuse and reject him by some roundabout route. But failing even to propose it would seem a terrible waste of such perfect surroundings.
His eyes half closed, he heard Bihua say beside him, “Your Imperial Majesty wishes to cultivate together with this humble immortal? Very well.”
Danzhu paused to make absolutely certain that the word he had heard really was “very well.”
Bihua Lingjun had already moved slowly closer, placing one hand at Danzhu’s waist.
“Qingxi, you… agree? You aren’t merely humoring me, are you?”
Bihua Lingjun did not appear to be joking. He laid his other hand on Danzhu’s shoulder, drew close to the side of his neck, and lightly touched the skin between neck and shoulder with his tongue. “Of course not. This humble immortal was worried that Your Imperial Majesty had only said it to tease me.”
Qingxi, this sudden change of attitude was altogether too passionate.
Danzhu wondered whether the spring had some other effect on immortals. Had it somehow soaked Qingxi’s wits out of him? Yet Danzhu himself felt no different. Of course, he was rather older and possessed greater magical power. Perhaps that made him immune.
In any case, Qingxi’s passionate attitude was wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.
Danzhu promptly took Bihua Lingjun into his arms without the slightest hesitation. “I’ve always wanted to cultivate together with you, Qingxi. How could I possibly joke about that?”
Bihua Lingjun brushed his lips gently beside Danzhu’s ear and whispered, “Then may this humble immortal do as he pleases?”
Danzhu was so delighted that he was eager for this, that, and everything after that, and more besides. “Mm,” he replied.
The hand at Danzhu’s waist slowly loosened the final strip of cloth he had wrapped around himself. “If this humble immortal should presume above his station…”
“Dual cultivation is a matter of mutual affection,” Danzhu said. “I’ve told you before that I’m not particular about who is above and who is below.”
His Imperial Majesty had always been given to profound and far-reaching calculations. For instance, if he said now that he would actually prefer to hold Qingxi in his own arms, and whatever had gone wrong with Qingxi in the spring abruptly righted itself, he would regret it bitterly. Better to yield a step today, leaving endless possibilities for the future.
Thinking this, Danzhu also reached out and unfastened Qingxi’s remaining wrap without the slightest restraint.
Bihua Lingjun moved fully against him and gently caught Danzhu’s lip between his teeth before letting it go. He asked softly, “Does Your Imperial Majesty not find my attitude rather sudden? Don’t you wish to ask whether there is some reason for it?”
Danzhu thought that he sincerely hoped Qingxi would remain this delightfully soaked-in-the-head forever. Smiling, he said, “If we insist on discovering the reason behind everything, it only spoils the pleasure. I like suddenness too.”
Bihua Lingjun smiled as well, something misty seeming to move in his eyes. Their two discarded strips of cloth tangled and drifted beneath the water. Danzhu heard Bihua whisper beside his ear, “The truth is, I’ve always liked Your Imperial Majesty.”
With his eyes closed, Danzhu replied, “Mm… I… mm… have always liked Qingxi too.”
In his haze he thought Bihua Lingjun gave the faintest little laugh. “Is that so?”
Danzhu thought that “is that so?” was a rather unnecessary question.
Of course he had always liked Bihua Lingjun. There was no doubt about it.
From the moment he resolved to find someone who would keep him from feeling lonely, and decided that Bihua Lingjun was especially suitable, he had been entirely sincere.
Over all those countless ages, Bihua Lingjun was the person on whom His Imperial Majesty had expended the most thought and effort.
He had gone to immense trouble.
Even back when he pursued Baihua, he had never spent so much energy.
Admittedly, in Baihua’s case, Baihua’s temperament had been far too fierce. When he jumped down like that, Danzhu had immediately lost interest and abandoned the whole affair.
When His Imperial Majesty truly set his mind to something and followed it through, he had yet to encounter anything he could not achieve.
Just look at the present.
Eyes half closed, Danzhu thought that dual cultivation was indeed most satisfying. His decision to find himself a companion had clearly not been a mistake. In fact, it was an excellent decision. There was plenty of time ahead to confirm that.
As Bihua Lingjun straightened his robes, Danzhu looked into Bihua’s eyes. Just how long that future might be was something His Imperial Majesty could not be bothered to consider for now.
A hundred years later, Tianshu Xingjun of the Northern Dipper Palace completed his secluded cultivation and emerged for the first time. The other six Star Lords all came to congratulate him, and immortal radiance shone brighter than ever over the Northern Dipper Palace. In Lingxiao Hall the Jade Emperor granted him a new rank, personally conferring upon Tianshu Xingjun the title of Tianshu Tianjun.
After receiving his new title, Tianshu was required by custom to visit and pay his respects to the immortals of higher rank.
After the Jade Emperor, the first he had to visit was Danzhu, Purple-Void Immortal Emperor of Danxiao Palace.
Danzhu had only revealed his true form after Tianshu entered secluded cultivation. Therefore, although Danzhu had seen Tianshu before, this visit would count as Tianshu’s first meeting with him. As soon as he reached Danxiao Palace, an immortal envoy came to welcome him. Inside, he passed splendid halls, terraces, and pavilions. At the highest pavilion of Danxiao Palace, Tianshu knelt to pay his respects. When he rose, an extraordinarily dazzling Immortal Emperor sat upon the throne before him.
Once Tianshu had paid his respects to all the senior immortals, colleagues and friends of his own rank or a little lower began coming to visit him. For days the Northern Dipper Palace bustled with a constant stream of immortal guests.
Emperor Donghua arrived on the first day. After some casual conversation, the subject of Tianshu’s renewed formal visits came up. Donghua asked, “This was your first time meeting the Purple-Void Immortal Emperor, wasn’t it?” Tianshu replied, “Yes. When I emerged from seclusion, I was astonished and delighted to learn that both the Purple-Void and Divine-Firmament Immortal Emperors had returned to Heaven. Unfortunately, the Divine-Firmament Immortal Emperor remains in secluded cultivation, so I could not visit him. The Purple-Void Immortal Emperor is truly extraordinary in his bearing, and very kind besides. He spoke quite a bit with me and was most approachable.”
Holding his teacup, Emperor Donghua said, “Actually, you’ve met that Immortal Emperor before. Do you remember when Bihua hatched a tiger cub from an egg and happened to encounter you while carrying it? That tiger cub was Immortal Emperor Danzhu in disguise. He was deliberately deceiving Bihua into raising him.”
Tianshu frowned in puzzlement, while Emperor Donghua shook his head and sighed. “Bihua…”
Tianshu said, “After coming out of seclusion, I heard about what happened to Bihua Lingjun, and I was quite astonished too. Why did he ever…”
Emperor Donghua said, “One really oughtn’t speak recklessly about it. But at least Bihua was not sent to the Immortal-Execution Platform. He is now in a desolate mortal wilderness, still holding the nominal position of a local earth god. That much is the Jade Emperor’s mercy. And who could presume to judge right and wrong between him and Immortal Emperor Danzhu? He should have understood from the beginning that Danzhu is an Immortal Emperor, nothing like an ordinary lesser immortal. His Majesty has never had anything to do with the mortal realm. Even ordinary immortals have cast aside mortal love. How could an Immortal Emperor possess it? To harbor such mortal feelings is itself a grave violation of heavenly law.”