Chapter Thirty-Two: Dispelling Doubts—The Authority of the Three Sovereigns and the Source of the Divine Path

Wang Cheng couldn’t help but think, “To have the Seal of Authority in one’s Eight Characters—doesn’t that mean an official’s seal?” It was just like the joke from his previous life: “If your fate’s written in the registry, the final destination of the universe is bureaucracy.” In his former world, it might have been a jest, but in this current society, which revered divine offices above all—a society utterly dominated by official rank—it was an unyielding truth.

But here, they were not serving as mere officials to the Lord of the Land and the True Dragon Emperor. Instead, they served the Great Way itself, thus the term “divine office.” Shen Yuting didn’t expect him to answer, and continued speaking at her own pace:

“Fourth, everyone knows the system of divine offices was established during the Han dynasty, with its power drawn from the Dao’s currents above the Nine Heavens and the authority of the Three Sovereigns. But what most people don’t realize is that, as early as the pre-Qin era, secular and sacred offices were one and the same. Without the accumulation of the pre-Qin era, there would have been no flourishing of divine offices later on.”

Wang Cheng had heard his father speak of the origins of the three ranks of offices, but the Wang family of Waters was always somewhat unorthodox and lacked the orderly transmission of the Shanhai Society. Eager to learn, he listened intently. Even though Zheng Qian had heard this story upon entering apprenticeship, he too held his breath, listening with rapt attention.

“The Rites of Zhou record that the Great Zhou’s offices were divided into the Offices of Heaven, Earth, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Each of the six branches had sixty officials, matching the sixty-year cycle, and in total, there were 360 officials, mirroring the days of the year. Each department held both administrative and religious functions; at that time, ‘official’ also meant ‘divine office.’ Titles like Fire Master, Wind Keeper, Lord of Light, and Rain Master—names that sound like deities—have been passed down since the age of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Not only in Zhou—founding a dynasty was always, at its heart, a grand divine ritual. Through talismans and the appointment of officials in accordance with celestial omens, the state, as a replica of the cosmos, was infused with the Dao’s energy, becoming real and legitimate—a divine dynasty with legal and spiritual authority.”

Here, Shen Yuting paused, waiting for her two disciples to digest this piece of history before continuing:

“There is a resonance between Heaven and humanity. Each time a nation is founded, omens and auspicious signs appear, representing the mandate of Heaven. The River Diagram, the Luo Book, five-colored rice, the mysterious bird of destiny, the phoenix singing at Mount Qi—these are all classic examples of such omens. The Son of Heaven represents the nation in receiving the mandate; the lords, invested by the emperor, share in that mandate. So, in pre-Qin times, supernatural powers flowed in the bloodlines of emperors and nobles, inaccessible to commoners. It was always a system based on rank and birth. The regional lords, linked by blood, were the gods of their own fiefs!”

Wang Cheng was completely engrossed—these were secrets unknown to his family but common knowledge in the Shanhai Society, with its orthodox lineage. He now realized how different the pre-Qin era was from the present. One could inherit titles and kingdoms simply by being the legitimate firstborn of a lord. The downside was that birth was everything; if you weren’t born noble, there was no way up. Reincarnating in that era would be hellishly difficult.

At this moment, Shen Yuting’s voice suddenly rose:

“Until the First Emperor unified the realm, and the Han inherited Qin’s system...”

After the first unification, the Three Officials—Heaven, Earth, and Water—manifestations of the Dao’s energy, forged their first covenant atop Crane Cry Mountain, a ceremony that has been repeated ever since. At last, the elusive ‘Way’ was given substance through the faith embodied in the covenant, transcending the boundaries of the state and becoming a law that would endure among men.

The Twenty-Four Solar Laws is not the Rites of Zhou nor the Qin Code—it stands independent, unaffected by dynastic changes. Modeled after the talismanic system of the pre-Qin emperors granting fiefs to feudal lords, the Three Officials grant divine mandates as talismans to divine officials. Each of the seventy-two seasonal intervals corresponds to a divine office, just as the Mysterious Bird of Destiny did for the Shang, the phoenix at Mount Qi for the Zhou, and the slaying of the serpent by the Han’s high ancestor. This is the true unity of man and earth, earth and heaven, heaven and the Way, and the Way and nature.

Finally, through the investiture ceremony and the conferral of talismans, every official becomes a minister of the Great Way.

“Official ranks are generally divided into upper, middle, and lower grades. The imperial court further splits these into nine ranks, with the ninth being the lowest and the first the highest. To begin cultivating and communicating with Qi is equivalent to the ninth rank; lighting the heart’s lamp makes one an eighth-rank talisman-bearer, and when one’s life-fire becomes pure yang and receives the talisman, one attains the seventh rank, a full official. This broke the monopoly of power by bloodline and family. From then on, every divine official became a minister of the Way, able to wield talismans—like a general’s tiger tally—to command the Dao’s energy and work wonders.”

Piecing it all together with his own learning, Wang Cheng felt as if a fog had lifted, granting him a systematic understanding of the divine cultivation system. In essence, the Three Officials, through omens and seasonal responses, granted the divine officials the authority of the Twenty-Four Solar Laws, enabling them to influence the natural world through their offices.

This was true unity of Heaven and man.

While Shen Yuting was stirred by the achievements of the ancients, regret colored her words:

“Sadly, the Three Officials—Heaven, Earth, and Water—are not personified deities, but symbols of the Dao’s energy. Their names are powerful in ritual, but to seek their audience or pray for them to intervene in the affairs of kings is mere wishful thinking...”

She did not finish her thought, but both Wang Cheng and Zheng Qian understood. If the thirty-six Water Offices had someone above them, would they be in such dire straits? Why did the Shanhai Society maintain neutrality? It was simply because they lacked the strength. As descendants of the great treasure fleet, allied with all sides, only by staying neutral could they preserve a delicate balance. If they had true power, they would have overturned the table long ago. Wouldn’t independence on the seas be far more appealing?

The fall of the Sea-Calming King, strongest among the waterfolk, was a calamity not just for the Five Peaks Banner, but also a thunderbolt for the neutral Shanhai Society. With Wang Zeng gone, who knew how many years it would take for another such opportunity?

Let alone growing their power—if the waterfolk splintered and fought among themselves, the Shanhai Society would inevitably be swept up in the chaos.

Yet Shen Yuting, resilient as ever, quickly regained her composure.

“Luckily, I’ve taken some good disciples.”

The Shanhai Society’s broad recruitment of disciples had another purpose behind it. In this world, individuals could betray their class, but classes could not betray themselves. That’s why they spared no effort in cultivating new waterfolk: to strengthen the entire class of Water Offices. Once the class became powerful enough, its members would naturally strive to advance its collective interests. So, regardless of faction, anyone with talent was worth nurturing. Even if a personal disciple later joined the naval offices or a merchant fleet, connections were maintained.

For what little Wang Cheng had paid—a mere “weight of gold”—he had certainly gotten the better deal in such a master.

Talking as they walked, the three arrived at the pavilion’s entrance.

“It’s said that crossing trades is like crossing mountains. I won’t comment on the Heaven and Earth offices, but our Water office has two main branches—Water and Wealth. These correspond to the seventy-two seasonal offices, some overlapping, others unique: the White Water Youth, the Star-Guide, the Corpse Fisher, the Turbid River Ferryman, the Pearl Diver, the Water-Splitting General, the Sea Salvager... as well as the Purveyor, the Treasure Seeker, the Peddler, the Traveling Merchant, the Silversmith, the Saltman... Thirty-six halls in total. For women, it’s said the fear is marrying the wrong man; for men, it’s entering the wrong career. The choice of office and divine position is as crucial as birth itself. The environment, the lineage, the pace of growth, the ultimate potential—all these can utterly reshape a life. One must not take it lightly.”

Wang Cheng nodded inwardly: “Our Wang family’s orthodox ‘Auspicious Winds Navigation Method’ specializes in water veins, and we have always prioritized the mainstream, most numerous White Water Youth office. For generations, our family never had to consider any alternatives—the family fate is bound to this divine office. Yet, the Shanhai Society’s flexible approach, teaching according to each person, surpasses us in this respect.”

Wang Cheng thought that, no matter what the test said, he was probably destined to be a White Water Youth, but now was not the time to say so. He simply replied, “I leave everything to Master’s guidance.”

The three entered the pavilion. Wang Cheng saw that though it had three floors, they were open and connected by wooden galleries. On each floor stood twelve ancient wooden boxes. Yellow drapes inscribed with red incantations fluttered through the air. In the center of the first floor was an altar with a bronze incense burner.

Shen Yuting guided Wang Cheng to the center. “Just as a child’s first birthday is marked by the ‘grasping ceremony,’ so too do all great lineages test their disciples’ fate with the ‘grasping of destiny.’ Fourth, go—seize your own future with your own hand!”