"Isn't that Steward Zhong? Have you come seeking me on this journey?" Ye Wen looked at Zhong Dajun, feeling quite strange about what this person might want with him. It couldn't be that there was an issue with his registration for the Shu Mountain Sect, could it?

Zhong Dajun wore his Celestial Court official robes, a smile on his face, and spoke with utmost politeness: "It has been more than ten years, yet Sect Leader Ye's bearing is even better than in those days."

"Not at all, not at all!"

After exchanging pleasantries, Zhong Dajun finally got to the main point: "I came today because I hope Sect Leader Ye can do me a small favor!"

"Oh?" Ye Wen did not reply, quietly awaiting Zhong Dajun's follow-up. He understood that since this person had sought him out, it was likely due to some guidance from someone else, most probably Shen Gongbao, who also served in the Celestial Court. Having traveled west with Shen Gongbao for many years, Shen Gongbao was quite familiar with Ye Wen's background. It was highly likely that Shen Gongbao had mentioned him during a casual encounter, leading this man to seek his help when trouble arose.

Seeing Ye Wen remain silent, Zhong Dajun knew he was waiting for him to elaborate on the favor requested, so he began, "Sect Leader Ye might not be aware, but I have recently been assigned a task. I initially thought it would be straightforward, but it turns out this task is not as easy as I first imagined!"

"A task?"

Ye Wen naturally knew nothing of the Celestial Court's affairs. At most, he knew the Heavenly Army was being dispatched southwest, led by Yang Jian and supported by many divine generals such as the Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch. They were mounting a major campaign against the Buddhist Realm. Speaking of which, why wasn't the Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch at the front lines, but here instead?

Curious, he couldn't help but glance at the Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch a few times. The Monarch gave him an expression conveying, "We'll discuss this later," before averting his gaze and continuing to speak with Zhong Dajun: "Steward Zhong, what task have you been assigned?"

Zhong Dajun managed a bitter smile, looking quite dejected: "Sect Leader Ye must know that our Heavenly Army is arrayed in the southwest, engaged in a great war with the Buddhist Realm!"

"This matter is of the utmost importance in the Immortal Realm, and since it is near the vicinity of my mountain gate, of course I am aware!"

Zhong Dajun nodded: "And while our Heavenly forces are numerous, and we have many divine generals, we are severely lacking in mid-to-lower-ranking officers. Sect Leader Ye 'should' have already noticed this, right?" He figured that since Ye Wen was near the battlefield, he must have encountered quite a few Heavenly troops, and the shortage of Heavenly officers was already obvious. He assumed that Ye Wen only needed to pay a little attention to see it. He had not, however, considered that Ye Wen had previously met Guan Yu and heard the detailed account of the situation from the Martial Saint.

As soon as Zhong Dajun finished speaking, Ye Wen knew what task Steward Zhong had been given: it must be related to the selection of Heavenly Generals. Could it be that another figure like Lu Bu had appeared, refusing to serve the Celestial Court?

Indeed, Zhong Dajun continued: "His Majesty the Jade Emperor entrusted me with the responsibility of selecting Heavenly Generals. Everything was progressing smoothly, until recently when I encountered a certain individual. As soon as this person was conferred the title, his martial might rivaled those top-tier divine generals in the Celestial Court, and he was also exceptionally skilled at commanding troops. I originally thought that by finding such a fine general for the Heavenly Court, I would surely receive commendation. However, this person's temper and disposition are rather terrible, and he made one demand. If it cannot be met, he absolutely refuses to serve the Celestial Court!"

Ye Wen nodded; these things were within his expectations, so he wasn't particularly surprised.

But Zhong Dajun’s next words did surprise Ye Wen: "I originally thought that finding an old acquaintance of this person might persuade him? To my surprise, it was completely useless. This man is exceedingly stubborn, only stating: 'If my demand cannot be met, even if the Jade Emperor personally came, I would never agree. I would rather have my divine general status revoked and continue to suffer the torment of reincarnation.'"

"Wait a moment." Ye Wen suddenly raised a hand; he had noticed the crucial point: "This person has already become a divine general?"

Zhong Dajun managed a wry smile: "Yes!"

"Before you selected divine generals, didn't you inquire whether this person was willing or not? Did he have any demands?" Ye Wen had assumed that this so-called selection of divine generals, although it could only involve the souls of famous generals who happened to be in a state of spirit, would at least involve an initial inquiry about their willingness. But from Zhong Dajun's words, it sounded as if they had simply conferred the divine general status without even asking!

Zhong Dajun’s face grew even more bitter: "Who would have thought someone would be unwilling?"

"Uh..." Hearing this, Ye Wen snapped back to reality. After all, for ordinary people, becoming an immortal seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that was hard to seek out; many who pursued the immortal path couldn't succeed. Now, such a massive fortune was dropped into someone's lap—how many could resist such temptation and refuse?

Thus, encountering such a stubborn individual was indeed quite unexpected. Connecting what Zhong Dajun and he already knew, Ye Wen suddenly realized something: "What is this person's name?"

"This individual is a famous general from the late Eastern Han Dynasty, surnamed Lü, given name Bu, courtesy name Fengxian. In life, he was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Wen, a contemporary of General Guan Yu. They are old acquaintances!"

Ye Wen thought, It really is that fellow. At the same time, he mused that the statement, "This person's martial might, upon gaining his divine general status, immediately rivaled many top-tier divine generals," didn't seem strange at all.

However, he was puzzled. He and Lü Bu had never met, let alone seen each other; perhaps the Marquis of Wen didn't even know who he was. If Zhong Dajun couldn't persuade Lu Bu, why would he think Ye Wen could? Why ask him for help? He figured Lu Bu must have made some demand that Zhong Dajun couldn't fulfill, and then Zhong Dajun must have heard something from Shen Gongbao, leading him to seek Ye Wen's assistance.

"I wonder what Lü Fengxian's demand is?"

Zhong Dajun’s face was full of misery: "He wants to find Diaochan!"

"..."

The Celestial Court official before him looked utterly despondent: "He explicitly stated that if Diaochan cannot be found, he would rather re-enter the cycle of reincarnation than contribute even half a bit of strength to the Heavenly Court! Even if I tried to reason with him, suggesting he join the battlefield first and the Heavenly Court would help him find Diaochan afterward, he refused. He insisted, 'I will not step onto the battlefield until I see Diaochan!'"

Ye Wen rubbed his forehead. Lu Bu truly was an extreme case, to be so deeply infatuated. However, he also felt the Heavenly Court was being unreasonable. If they sought someone to fight for them, what difficulty would there be in summoning his wife to reunite them?

"He wants Diaochan? Then just summon her for him! What's so difficult about that?"

Zhong Dajun was nearly in tears: "The problem is, we can't find her!"

"What did you say?" Ye Wen blinked, utterly unable to fathom this outcome: "You mean you can't find her? How is that possible? You managed to capture Lü Bu, but you can't find Diaochan?"

Zhong Dajun remained silent, tears welling in his eyes. After a long pause, he managed to say: "King Yama has nearly worn out the Register of Life and Death, yet we still cannot find where that so-called Diaochan has reincarnated. Where else are we supposed to look?"

"How could this be?" No name on the Register of Life and Death? Ye Wen didn't know if the Celestial Realm's Register of Life and Death was as omniscient as the one he knew, but he understood that if a name was missing, there were only a few possibilities.

The first possibility was that the person had already transcended life and death, not entering reincarnation, so their name would naturally not be on the Register. This usually happened when someone achieved immortality through cultivation; their name would vanish from the Register. Ye Wen's own situation fell into this category. Cultivated immortals, even after death, would retain clear markers; for instance, Tieguai Li, even after achieving immortality and passing away, was no longer under the jurisdiction of the Register of Life and Death.

The second possibility was that their soul was scattered upon death, not entering reincarnation. The Register naturally wouldn't record their name because that person had completely vanished, with no chance of rebirth, leaving not a single trace behind. Many immortals died fighting others, resulting in this outcome, so recording them on the Register was meaningless.

The third possibility... this one was rather awkward: the person never truly existed!

This might sound like nonsense, but things are not always simple. Ordinary people's lifespans cannot compare to those of Immortals or Buddhas. Therefore, within the long river of history, it was possible for figures who never actually existed to be celebrated in legends—for example, the tales of the Eight Immortals circulated on Earth; many had historical prototypes, even with detailed accounts of where and when they were born, yet in reality, those individuals never existed but were gradually fabricated through successive rumors.

Of these three scenarios, the best outcome would be the first: if Diaochan had already cultivated to become an immortal, then the search would be over. But the latter two scenarios—or perhaps the Diaochan who had cultivated to become an immortal had already died and her soul scattered—that would be troublesome.

Zhong Dajun explained the key intricacies at length, and Ye Wen finally understood how complicated the matter was.

"Perhaps we can eliminate the last possibility. If this person, Diaochan, never existed, why would Lü Bu be so fixated on her?"

Although historical debate rages over whether Diaochan truly existed—with some scholars suggesting Zhaochán was merely the title of a female official during the Han Dynasty, not a personal name—since Lü Bu mentioned her, Diaochan must exist.

However, Zhong Dajun's distressed expression did not improve. He told Ye Wen: "Sect Leader Ye is unaware of the marvelous nature of the Investiture of the Gods List!" He then explained some of the List's unique characteristics to Ye Wen, who then realized there was an underlying reason.

It turned out that when the Investiture of the Gods List confers godhood, it not only absorbs the original soul of the person but also molds their physical form and related attributes based on rumors, myths, stories, and unofficial histories.

For example, historical Guan Yu favored the long spear, but after being deified, he wielded the familiar Green Dragon Crescent Blade, which was manifested by the Investiture List itself—no ordinary weapon, serving as Guan Yu's personal dharma treasure! Furthermore, Guan Yu should not have known how to wield a blade, but after his deification, he mastered the great blade to an exquisite degree, as if he were a master swordsman from birth. This was the mystery of the Investiture List.

Fortunately, Guan Yu's image in official history, unofficial history, or legends did not differ greatly, and the historical events he experienced were largely the same, thus causing no trouble. Likewise, for Chunqiong and Yuchi Gong, who were enfeoffed as Heavenly Gate Guardians, their images and experiences matched their actual selves closely, so there were no issues. It was only Lü Bu who ran into trouble—unofficial histories and legends were mixed together, resulting in a Lü Bu whose identity was ambiguous: whether he was the one from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms or emerged from some rumor. In any case, the divine body granted by the Investiture List matched the public's impression of Lü Bu, and the weapon he held was the well-known Square Heaven Halberd. Although halberds existed in the late Han Dynasty, the Square Heaven Halberd, as it is known, could not have been forged then—this difference revealed the issue.

Under these circumstances, it was natural that they couldn't know whether the Diaochan mentioned by Lü Bu was influenced by those legends and only existed within stories.

"This deification process is truly ruthless!" Ye Wen finally understood the core of the problem. He was perplexed but even more astonished: "If even your Heavenly Court cannot solve this, what use is there in seeking me out?"

Zhong Dajun replied: "On the advice of General Shuifen, I learned that Sect Leader Ye possesses a pair of Buddhist Divine Eyes, so I came seeking assistance. I implore Sect Leader Ye to lend a hand to Steward Zhong. The Buddhist path possesses the Heavenly Eye Clairvoyance, which is counted among the Six Supernormal Powers of Buddhism. It is said to be capable of seeing past and future, the cycles of birth, aging, sickness, and death, all aspects of the mortal world. It can even look up to the heavens and down to the netherworld, and crucially, it can see through reincarnation to know past and future lives. Since Ye Zhangmen has those Buddhist Divine Eyes, even if they are not as miraculous as the Heavenly Eye Clairvoyance, they should still be able to help somewhat, right?"

Ye Wen now understood Zhong Dajun's true intention; it was all because of his pair of eyes. "The Heavenly Court has countless masters and extraordinary individuals; surely there isn't anyone knowledgeable in Heavenly Eye Clairvoyance?"

This time, the Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch spoke up: "Sect Leader Ye is unaware, but although the Six Supernormal Powers of Buddhism are relatively common abilities—it seems almost every Buddha or Bodhisattva possesses some degree of them—those who can master them to a high level are truly among the top existences in the Buddhist Realm! Given that the Heavenly Court is currently at war with the Buddhist Realm, it is hardly appropriate to request aid from a great Buddhist master, is it?"

Ye Wen fell silent. This matter was indeed vexing. The entire purpose of the Heavenly Court recruiting generals was to fight the Buddhist Realm; naturally, they couldn't ask Buddhas or Bodhisattvas to help them recruit generals to fight against themselves.

"Doesn't the vast Heavenly Court have anyone who deeply studies Buddhist techniques?" Moreover, Ye Wen remembered that profound techniques involving divine eyes were not exclusive to him. Yang Jian had an eye between his brows, and Wen Zhong also had one. Not to mention that Laozi and the Jade Emperor themselves were top-tier existences. If they acted... Ye Wen considered that if the matter required bothering the Jade Emperor, Zhong Dajun, as a steward, would likely have lost his position already and gone home to farm.

This finally clarified why the request had come to him—they couldn't approach the truly powerful, and those who only knew the superficial knowledge would be useless. After much thought, it seemed he was the most suitable person.

Zhong Dajun cupped his hands: "It won't be a great burden on Sect Leader Ye. You only need to accompany me there once, help take a look, and then you can leave. It won't take much effort! If you can see anything, that would be best. If you truly cannot discern anything... then I suppose I am out of luck!"

Ye Wen considered it. This was not a particularly troublesome affair. Since he had to go out anyway, taking a detour wouldn't cause any major issues, so he nodded in agreement. However, he put his terms first: "Although my pair of Glazed Pupils are Buddhist divine abilities, they are not as miraculous as the Heavenly Eye Clairvoyance. I cannot guarantee what I will be able to see, so Steward Zhong should not have overly high expectations!"

"That Sect Leader Ye is willing to offer assistance is already a great kindness I am deeply grateful for; I dare not hope for anything more!" At this point, he was grasping at straws, not truly expecting Ye Wen to solve the problem. If all else failed, he could just offer some vague answers or ask Lü Bu: "Will it not work if I can't find Diaochan, but instead bring you Jieji or Baonu?"

The worst possible outcome would be to shatter Lü Bu's divine body and throw him back into reincarnation, effectively pretending they never found this person at all—though this would waste a slot for a deified general, and he would likely still face a reprimand upon returning.

Once the conversation concluded, Ye Wen turned to the Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch: "Divine Monarch, did you come here for this matter as well?" He assumed Zhong Dajun didn't know the way to Shu Mountain and that the Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch had specially escorted him, but it seemed rather inappropriate for a dignified Divine Monarch to handle such an errand.

As expected, the Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch shook his head: "I was at the front lines when I suddenly felt something. A surge of phoenix energy seemed to emanate from your sect's immortal mountain, so I came specifically to investigate the cause! However, I suspect it is because Miss Dongfang's Phoenix Nirvana Rebirth Art is about to reach great completion, isn't it?"

Ye Wen was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected the Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch to come to Shu Mountain for Dongfang Kui, nor had he expected the Monarch to sense that Dongfang Kui's divine art was nearing completion without even seeing her.

Seeing his reaction, the Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch explained: "Sect Leader Ye need not be surprised. You already know the primary effect of the Phoenix Nirvana Rebirth Art. To prevent any accidents, once someone achieves success, all nearby phoenixes will sense it!" Once the Phoenix Nirvana Rebirth Art is successfully mastered, it is akin to joining the Phoenix Clan, meaning the individual is essentially a newborn of the clan. Naturally, members of the Phoenix Clan must come to check and provide protection against any mishaps.

The Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch, as the patriarch of the Vermilion Bird line and a figure of considerable standing within the Phoenix Clan, naturally had to come and investigate! Besides, Dongfang Kui was somewhat of an acquaintance—and there was another purpose, which the Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch stated frankly: "Furthermore, I have been an adult for a long time, yet I have never married. Now that Miss Dongfang has achieved her divine form by mastering her art, if she is willing, I would like to take her as my wife!"

"Indeed." The Vermilion Bird had mentioned wanting to marry Dongfang Kui last time, and Ye Wen hadn't taken it seriously then, thinking it was just a casual remark. He hadn't expected that now, as Dongfang Kui's divine art approached completion, the Vermilion Bird would truly show up at their door, and it seemed he was genuinely intending to marry Dongfang Kui.

The Vermilion Bird continued: "But judging by the situation, Miss Dongfang probably cannot leave seclusion anytime soon. It seems I will have to impose upon your sect for a while!"

Ye Wen opened his mouth, unsure what to say. The Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch was polite, and his intentions seemed to be to propose marriage formally and take Dongfang Kui home honorably, which was different from the direct seizure attempted by the Eight-Headed Serpent. Ye Wen couldn't very well obstruct him!

In the end, he could only lead the Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch back to Shu Mountain, arrange accommodations for him, instruct Xu Xian to take good care of this honored guest, and then set off again.

"..." "..." "..."