Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Art of Commanding the Moon

Hua Sheng gazed at the shattered subway tunnel and the overturned train, the distant wail of police sirens reaching his ears. He hurriedly climbed into the train, running in the direction of the Earth Dragon as best as he could recall. "I need to find the Earth Dragon quickly; once the police swarm in, it’ll be too late."

After the fierce battle underground, the Earth Dragon was now fully awake. It lay there, eyes open, breathing heavily through its two nostrils as it watched the two of them.

“Disciple of the Institute of Daoist Arts, Taishang Xiaojun, pays his respects!”

“Disciple of the Institute of Daoist Arts, Hua Sheng, pays his respects!”

The Earth Dragon's voice thundered like a great bell: “The vicious beast Chaos has wrought havoc everywhere. I failed to guard it just now. Did it escape?”

“It was a minor problem; Chaos has already been sealed away,” Taishang Xiaojun replied, not wanting to waste time retelling the chaotic events of moments before.

The Earth Dragon nodded. “You two are truly formidable for your age. My old bones were pinned beneath this pillar, I couldn’t lend a hand.”

Only now did Hua Sheng look closely and see that the Earth Dragon's spine was indeed pinned by a massive pillar, which shimmered with golden Sanskrit script—presumably a support column from the viaduct above.

Taishang Xiaojun walked to the dragon’s tail, observed carefully, and said, “Sealing Chaos earlier caused quite a commotion. Before long, this place will be swarming with people. Why don’t we try to move the pillar and free the Earth Dragon?”

“Can we really move it?” Hua Sheng eyed the thick pillar with concern.

“Let’s try.”

“But if we move it, won’t the viaduct above collapse without any support?”

“That’s possible, which is why I’ll need your help,” Taishang Xiaojun said, supporting his chin with a bent finger. “I’ll attach two handles to the pillar; together, we’ll lift it. Once the dragon breaks free, it can conjure a new column in the gap to support the bridge.”

“Lift a bridge column? Do you know how congested Shanghai’s viaducts are? The road above is basically a parking lot! It’s not just the bridge—we’d be supporting hundreds of cars too.”

“You’re not lifting it alone; I’m here to help,” Taishang Xiaojun said.

Remembering that Taishang Xiaojun would be helping, Hua Sheng felt a little reassured. “Where should I grip?”

Taishang Xiaojun pointed at the pillar. Out of nowhere, the twin swords Ganjiang and Moye flew in and embedded themselves deep into the concrete, their hilts at waist height—perfect iron handles on the column.

“We only need to lift it half a meter,” said Taishang Xiaojun, gripping a hilt.

“Even half a centimeter would be a miracle!” Hua Sheng replied.

“Hold on tight. If we stall any longer, the fire brigade and police will be here,” Taishang Xiaojun urged.

The two braced themselves, gripping the sword hilts. “One! Two! Three! By the decree of the law—lift!”

As Hua Sheng silently recited the mystical incantation, strength surged through him a hundredfold. He realized that, in the earlier chaos while pushing the car, he’d forgotten to invoke this spell.

With growing force, Hua Sheng’s feet began to sink into the stone beneath him as he shouted and heaved upward. A light rain of lime dust fell from above. Suddenly, the Earth Dragon let out a long roar, and its massive tail broke free from under the pillar.

“We did it!” Taishang Xiaojun shouted. “Petrification spell!”

Hua Sheng joined in: “Petrification spell!”

Immediately, a hard block of stone grew where the tail had been, merging seamlessly with the thick column.

“It actually worked!” Hua Sheng wiped his brow, smearing sweat and dust across his face, making a right mess of it. Looking down, he saw his legs had sunk into the ground up to his knees.

“Descendants of the Dao are truly remarkable!” the Earth Dragon exclaimed, coiling itself. “I never thought that after being trapped here for so many years, I’d be rescued by two such young disciples.”

“Not at all. Over the past millennium, the arts of the various immortals have simply advanced,” Taishang Xiaojun replied, bowing with hands clasped.

Time was tight, and Hua Sheng, unable to contain himself, asked, “Sir Earth Dragon…”

He hesitated, unsure what honorific to use when seeking a favor from the Earth Dragon. To call him Great Deity seemed excessive, as he didn’t know the dragon’s rank in the celestial hierarchy. But using the dragon’s name directly would be disrespectful, given he was a millennia-old divine beast. He settled on “Sir Earth Dragon” as a safe compromise.

“Sir Earth Dragon, Disciple Hua Sheng and Taishang Xiaojun have come from the Sacred Peaceful Nirvana to the mortal realm, tracking news of the Black Tortoise Serpent.”

“The Black Tortoise Serpent?” The Earth Dragon brought his long face close to Hua Sheng. “It’s been a long time since I heard that name. Are you speaking of the Northern God, Black Tortoise?”

“Exactly.”

“And what is this Sacred Peaceful Nirvana?”

“It’s a mystical land conjured by the Bodhisattva Guanyin,” Hua Sheng replied.

The Earth Dragon lifted its head and rumbled, “I see I have been out of touch with the world for too long. But I heard that long ago, the Black Tortoise Serpent and the Spirit Turtle both fell into slumber within the rivers and mountains of the world. Why do you say you are tracking the serpent?”

“I’ll be brief. The Black Tortoise Serpent was hibernating in the Lingyan Pagoda of the Institute of Daoist Arts at Sacred Peaceful Nirvana, but was reverted through the Time Bodhi to its original form—a giant divine serpent—by a thief who then kidnapped a female disciple and fled to the human realm,” Hua Sheng explained in one breath.

“If the serpent came to the human world, wouldn’t this place already be in chaos?”

“That’s precisely the strange part. Although the Black Tortoise Serpent has entered the mortal world, it’s made no trouble and has vanished completely without a trace.”

“Why would that be?” mused the Earth Dragon.

“We know you and the Black Tortoise Serpent are old acquaintances, so we hoped you might offer us some clue,” Hua Sheng said.

The Earth Dragon sighed. “The Black Tortoise Serpent is a transformation of the Black Tortoise, one of the Four Divine Beasts of Heaven. Its cultivation far surpasses mine. I encountered it a few times in the past; it is by no means wicked. If it has truly taken your friend, it may be under some demonic influence. But as you said, if it came to the world of mortals yet caused no disturbance, it must be deliberately hiding—waiting for the right moment. The serpent’s power is far greater than you imagine.”

“Even greater?” Hua Sheng and Taishang Xiaojun exclaimed.

“The Black Tortoise Serpent is not only highly skilled in the mystical arts, but also possesses the ability to transform into various monstrous beasts, and can summon an immense army of such creatures.”

“Immense? How many?” asked Taishang Xiaojun.

“Several million.”

“S-several million?” Hua Sheng could hardly believe his ears.

“And on nights of the full moon, the serpent’s power grows even stronger.” Suddenly, the Earth Dragon recalled something. “Speaking of which, there’s another matter that may be of use to you.”

“Please, don’t hesitate to tell us!” Taishang Xiaojun urged.

“The Black Tortoise Serpent has a unique divine power. Every year, on the day when the moon is fullest, it can manipulate the trajectory of the moon itself—a technique called the Command of the Moon.”

“When exactly is this day?”

“In the human world, it’s called the Moon Worship Festival,” the Earth Dragon explained.

“The Moon Worship Festival?” Hua Sheng thought he had heard of it before.

Taishang Xiaojun added, “The Moon Worship Festival is simply another name for the Mid-Autumn Festival.”

Hua Sheng did a quick calculation. “That means there’s only one week left until Mid-Autumn. But what use is controlling the moon?”

“If the serpent pushes the moon from its orbit, will it disappear forever?” pressed Taishang Xiaojun.

“The universe follows its own laws. Even if the Command of the Moon pushes the moon out of position, once the day has passed, the spell loses effect and the moon returns to its original place.”

So, apart from missing out on moon-gazing that night, there didn’t seem to be any grave consequence. Yet Hua Sheng couldn’t shake a sense of unease.

“We shouldn’t linger here,” said the two, bowing to the Earth Dragon. “Thank you for your guidance! We take our leave.”

The Earth Dragon circled the ground and replied, “Thank you for helping me subdue Chaos. I will return at once to the Celestial Court to report. Farewell, young ones—may fate bring us together again!”

With that, the Earth Dragon vanished into the earth. Hua Sheng and Taishang Xiaojun quickly used the Wall-Passing spell to make their escape.

In a quiet underground passage, Taishang Xiaojun walked as he organized his thoughts aloud.

“If Ming You’s goal was to bring disaster to the human world, there’d be no need for an army; the destructive power of himself and the Black Tortoise Serpent alone could turn the city upside down. With modern information networks, we’d have seen warning signs by now. Since all is still, they must be hiding on purpose.”

“You mean, they’re waiting for Mid-Autumn night?”

“To perform the Command of the Moon, as the Earth Dragon described.”

“But the Earth Dragon said the moon would return to its orbit after that day. Even if it disappears for one night, what real harm could it do?”

Taishang Xiaojun suddenly slowed, his expression grave.

“What is it?” Hua Sheng asked.

“It just occurred to me—what if the serpent doesn’t intend to hide or push the moon away?”

“Then what?”

“Quite the opposite—what if the plan is to bring the moon closer to Earth?”

“Wouldn’t that mean a collision—” Hua Sheng went pale. “No way! That would be the end of the world!”

“I hope I’m wrong.”

“But it seems all too possible! Why else would Ming You bring the Black Tortoise Serpent here? And Ming You wanted to capture Tianjizi and Weiyu, the two guardians, perhaps to power a vast ritual array. We can’t dismiss this possibility.”

“The Command of the Moon is surely a spell of unimaginable scale. If they really plan something on this magnitude, the two of us alone are hopelessly outmatched.”

“We can’t just stand by! We have to do something. Against the Black Tortoise Serpent, humanity is as helpless as infants. If the moon collides with Earth, all of civilization will be wiped out. If we fail to stop it, even if I could hide in Sacred Peaceful Nirvana, I’d regret it forever!”

“A direct confrontation would get us nowhere and only cost us our lives.”

“Should we seek help from Master Yuran and Lord Daoling?”

“If the Black Tortoise Serpent truly summons an army of millions, only the defense of Sacred Peaceful Nirvana could withstand it. But as Lord Daoling said, the immortals there will never involve themselves in mortal affairs.”

“How can that be a trifling matter? This is a question of life and death! If the immortals and spirits refuse to act, we’ll persuade the mortals of Sacred Peaceful Nirvana. Seeing their fellow humans in peril, surely some will help.”

“But Sacred Peaceful Nirvana has its own rules. The Seven Sages who founded the realm decreed long ago never to interfere in worldly affairs.”

“Aren’t rules made to be broken?” Hua Sheng countered.

Taishang Xiaojun didn’t answer, and the two fell silent.

Due to the earlier chaos, all subway lines in the area had halted. In the empty underground passage, only their footsteps echoed. Dust from the collapse drifted in from somewhere, mingling with the cold, damp air below. Hua Sheng felt a touch of suffocation—whether from the unsettling atmosphere or the tension of their grim speculation, he couldn’t say.

They walked quietly, side by side. Hua Sheng was afraid to speak, not wanting to dampen the mood, but anxiety for the world gnawed at him. If things were as Taishang Xiaojun predicted, and Sacred Peaceful Nirvana stood by, only a week remained before humanity’s end. But why would Ming You and the Black Tortoise Serpent do this? What could they possibly gain from destroying all life on Earth?

“Given the situation…” Taishang Xiaojun was the first to break the silence.

His words gave Hua Sheng a glimmer of hope.

Taishang Xiaojun stared ahead. “However slim our chances, I’m wondering whether I should seek out Grandfather Daozu.”

“The Grand Supreme Elder Lord? Yes, yes! Your grandfather is the Dao Patriarch—he’ll surely know what to do!” Hua Sheng’s eyes lit up.

“But this goes against the thousand-year rule of Sacred Peaceful Nirvana—I fear Grandfather will be furious,” Taishang Xiaojun said hesitantly.

“We have to try!” Hua Sheng clasped his hands and bowed. “On behalf of all humanity, I beg you!”

“You’re acting on your own. You’ve just come of age—how can you represent all humanity?” Taishang Xiaojun grumbled, pulling out his phone. “I’ll call my grandfather.”

“A ph-phone?”

“I’m technically an illegal border-crosser right now. If I meet him in person, he might wring my neck.” Taishang Xiaojun lit up his screen and raised the phone high, as if trying to find a signal underground.

“The signal is weak here,” Hua Sheng said, checking his own phone. Only one bar, sometimes switching to a giant “X” for no service.

“Let’s try the enlarging incantation—maybe the signal will strengthen.” Taishang Xiaojun made a hand gesture and chanted, “By the decree of the law—bigger! Bigger! Bigger!”

Miraculously, the signal went from one bar to two, then three, finally reaching full strength!

Hua Sheng’s eyes widened. “So the ancient growing and shrinking spell keeps up with the times! Not only can it shrink camera pixels, it can boost cell phone signal!”

“We immortals don’t live in the Stone Age! Are mortals allowed electric lights while gods have to use candles?” Taishang Xiaojun keyed in a number.

“Is this an international call?”

“Inter-realm long distance, plus roaming.” Taishang Xiaojun put the phone to his ear.

His expression grew tense, and from his stiff demeanor, Hua Sheng could tell that the usually playful Taishang Xiaojun had a healthy fear of his grandfather. But it was a family matter—Hua Sheng didn’t pry, simply waited in silence.

Although the speaker wasn’t on, the underground was so quiet that Hua Sheng could faintly hear the dial tone from Taishang Xiaojun’s phone.

After a few rings, the call was answered. Taishang Xiaojun quickly said, “Blessings of the Boundless Heavenly Lord! Grandfather Daozu, this is Xiaojun!”

A deep voice thundered from the other end: “You insolent scoundrel! You dare break the Daoist rules and descend to the mortal realm without leave!”

“Grandfather! Please let me explain! I left Sacred Peaceful Nirvana for good reason! My friend was taken by the Black Tortoise Serpent—”

It was the first time Hua Sheng had seen Taishang Xiaojun so hesitant and stammering.

Suddenly the voice on the phone roared, “Always making trouble! Get over here immediately!”

They heard the crack of a whip.

Crack!

At the sound, Taishang Xiaojun’s face changed; he flung his phone far away and turned to run.

Hua Sheng was completely confused. He had just started to ask, “Wh—”

Before he could finish, a glowing whip shot out of the phone’s speaker, lashing straight for Taishang Xiaojun.

“Run! Watch out for the Immortal-Binding Rope!”

Taishang Xiaojun turned to dodge, but it was too late. The whip snared his hands and yanked him back toward the phone.

Falling to the ground, Taishang Xiaojun was a sorry sight—hands bound and dragged toward the phone, like a calf roped by a hunter. He yelled at Hua Sheng, “Grandfather means business this time! I can’t run! You go!”

No sooner had he said this than the Immortal-Binding Rope pulled Taishang Xiaojun entirely into the phone’s speaker, as if the device had swallowed him whole. Then the phone crashed to the floor with a loud “smack.”

Suddenly the world went deathly still.

Hua Sheng stood frozen, uneasy and at a loss.

“Taishang Xiaojun? Are you still there?”

He ventured a question, but there was no response. As he took two steps forward, he remembered Taishang Xiaojun’s warning to run. He turned to bolt, but a rush of wind came from behind.

“Ah!”

His hands were instantly bound tight; the glowing rope had emerged from the phone again, wrapping him so he couldn’t break free.

Normally, not even chains could restrain Hua Sheng, but now it felt as if high-voltage currents clamped down on his arms, making his whole body ache and tingle.

In desperation, Hua Sheng tried to shrink and escape, chanting, “By the decree of the law—smaller! Smaller!” Instantly, he shrank to the size of an insect. But the Immortal-Binding Rope shrank with him, tightening even more.

He had no choice but to return to normal size, pain shooting through his wrists. He slammed himself against the nearest stone wall.

“By the decree of the law—Wall-Passing!”

He vanished into the rock, but the glowing rope yanked him out, collapsing the wall and dragging him back toward the phone.

“Earth-Burrowing! Earth-Burrowing Spell!” Hua Sheng made another attempt to sink into the ground, but the rope simply pulled him up again. After a fruitless struggle, he was dragged into the phone’s speaker!

In an instant, his body seemed to be crushed and wrung into a ball, every cell shattered, unable to tell east from west, up from down.

The Immortal-Binding Rope had traveled through the phone signal to ensnare him, dragging him through signal towers and fiber optic cables, until finally he was pulled into a void.