Return of the Immortal Emperor Daddy

Fusang, known as the Land of the Rising Sun, has a storied history with the Dragon Country. During the Tang Dynasty, the Emperor of Fusang wrote a letter to the Emperor of the Dragon Country, addressing the latter as the "Son of Heaven of the Land of the Setting Sun" while referring to himself as the "Son of Heaven of the Land of the Rising Sun." The reigning empress at the time, whose authority was as absolute as the sun and moon, had no time to deal with a minor island nation. She was preoccupied with confronting the Li Clan. Meanwhile, seeing that the Great Tang sent no punitive force, the island nation rejoiced, proclaiming, "Our national power must be no less than that of the Great Tang! Otherwise, why would they not attack us?"

Speaking of Fusang, one must also mention Xu Fu. In those days, while searching for the elixir of life, Xu Fu discovered Fusang Island. At the time, Fusang was still in the Stone Age, whereas the Dragon Country, under the Qin Dynasty, had advanced to the Bronze Age. Upon his return, he told Qin Shi Huang that he had found the legendary Fairy Island but claimed that great whales in the sea posed a significant danger. He requested archers, soldiers, and an offering of five hundred boys and girls for the immortals in order to obtain the elixir. Qin Shi Huang agreed. Thus, Xu Fu led soldiers armed with bronze equipment, conquered Japan, and became the first Emperor of Fusang.

Xu Fu introduced the culture of the Qin Dynasty, advancing Fusang’s civilization by leaps and bounds. He brought it directly from an era of slash-and-burn agriculture to the contemporary level of the Qin. The natives of Fusang deeply respected Xu Fu and his followers, worshiping him as a deity.

The very place where Xu Fu first landed in Fusang is today’s Wakayama. Here, nestled in the mountain forests, are rows of shops that retain their ancient, dazzling appearance. A careful observer would notice that every mountain resident here possesses a formidable aura. They were all Martial Practitioners. Furthermore, many people could be seen in the forests deep in their martial training, practicing not Fusang’s Karate or the arts of Yin and Yang, but the Martial Arts of the Dragon Country.

This place is intimately connected to the Devotion National Shrine; it was these mountain residents who suggested its construction. As the direct descendants of Xu Fu and his followers, they held a unique position. For generations, any potential ruler of Fusang had to ascend the mountain and prove their might at the Xu Fu Shrine. Only after gaining the recognition of the mountain people could they be crowned the contemporary Emperor or serve as the Chief Minister of Fusang.

"When can we finally return to our homeland?" a burly man sighed, standing before the monument commemorating Xu Fu’s landing.

"Don’t worry," replied another. "An Pei Saburo is already preparing to move against the Dragon Country. We will be going back soon."

"That’s right! We will return, and as rulers!"

The others, all speaking the language of the Dragon Country fluently, echoed the sentiment. Their ancestors hailed from the Six Kingdoms and were killed by the soldiers of Qin. For that reason, they had willingly followed Xu Fu to this island. They had never returned because, in their eyes, the current inhabitants of the Dragon Country were all mongrels. The ancestors of the Dragon Country’s people had also been oppressed by the Qin, yet their descendants still revered Qin Shi Huang, claiming his unification of the states was a merit that outweighed his faults. The people of Wakayama were enraged by this. Thus, they wished for the Fusang their ancestors created to strike back.

CLANG!

However, just as the people of Wakayama were excitedly discussing how they would enslave the people of the Dragon Country upon their return, a strange bird cry echoed from high above. It was a sound they had never heard before, a cry that sounded like the king of all birds. At this sound, all the birds in the forest burst into flight. As evening fell, the sky was suddenly filled with flocks of birds. The startled mountain people of Wakayama looked up, their jaws dropping in astonishment.

They saw a bird soaring through the sky that looked just like the legendary Phoenix. The hundreds of birds now airborne circled the Phoenix as if awaiting its command. Among living creatures, birds are led by the Phoenix, beasts by the Qilin, and scaly creatures by the Divine Dragon.

"Heavens, how can there be a Phoenix?"

The people of Wakayama and the residents of nearby cities all began snapping photos and uploading them to Fusang’s major online communities. In an instant, the evening in Fusang exploded with excitement. The news soon reached the Chief Minister in the eastern capital. He immediately went to the Devotion National Shrine.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, wanting An Pei Qingyang to perform a divination.

"A being of such inconceivable power is beyond my ability to divine," An Pei Qingyang said, his brow slightly furrowed. After a moment of thought, he added, "Perhaps it is a good omen."

"A good omen?" The Chief Minister’s eyes lit up, but he was not so easily fooled. He pressed, "What do you mean by that?"

"You must have heard the story from the Dragon Country, ’Phoenix Cries on Mount Qi,’" An Pei Qingyang speculated. "When the phoenix cries on Mount Qi, West Qi shall rise! A phoenix nested and sang on Mount Qi, and people believed it appeared because of King Wen’s virtuous rule, a blessed omen of the Zhou’s prosperity. And as expected, King Wu later overthrew the tyrant, and the Zhou rose as the Shang fell."

Although An Pei Qingyang was an Onmyoji, he knew that in this era, for Onmyoji to prosper, they needed the support of those in power.

"Chief Minister, under your virtuous governance, Fusang has thrived step by step, and its people lead peaceful, happy lives," An Pei Qingyang continued. "The Phoenix has come because of this. It suggests that your grand ambitions of conquest are very likely to be realized!"

"Nonsense, don’t speak such nonsense. Treat it as a mere story. How can you take it seriously?" Although the Chief Minister said this, the unconcealable smugness in his eyes betrayed his true feelings.

A voice in his heart told him that his era was about to begin. An Pei Qingyang had already predicted a new era would soon dawn for Fusang, and now, an auspicious omen like the Phoenix had appeared. What more proof do I need? The Chief Minister’s heart pounded with exhilaration.

Unbeknownst to him, the people of Wakayama soon noticed something else. On the back of the Phoenix, they saw a person.

"Look! There’s someone on the Phoenix!"

"Could it be an Immortal?"

Some of the Wakayama people had previously entered the Underworld in search of the secret to eternal life. Those who remained in the mountains, upon seeing the figure on the Phoenix, immediately wondered if this person possessed the elixir of immortality.

"Fools!" The leader of the mountain dwellers was not called a chief, but a Mountain King, signifying he was the king of the mountains. At that moment, the Mountain King recognized something and bellowed, "That person is the Martial Emperor of the Dragon Country! We’ve all seen his photograph! Quickly, gather the people! A man from the Dragon Country is recklessly invading the sacred land of Great Fusang!"

In an instant, all the Martial Practitioners in Wakayama grabbed their weapons. Their armaments were not modern firearms but Bronze Swords and bows and arrows. The true method of forging Bronze Swords had long been lost in the Dragon Country, but the descendants of Xu Fu had preserved it. A faint, cold aura emanated from the edge of every blade.

The mountain’s inhabitants included men, women, and children. The Mountain King knew that the times had changed most of them. They yearned for peace and no longer wished to fight. But he would not allow such complacency. To stir their fighting spirit, he roared, "Have you forgotten the hatred of our ancestors? They were the people of the Six Kingdoms, mercilessly slaughtered by Qin Shi Huang! Yet the people of the Dragon Country glorify him, claiming his unification was an achievement, not a crime! Does that mean our ancestors deserved to die?"

"We have long kept to ourselves, staying out of the Dragon Country’s affairs. We yearned for this peace to continue, but the Dragon Country is unwilling! They sent the Martial Emperor to hunt us down! We Fusangs have no grievance with him, so why is he so cruel? He refuses to let us lay down our swords. In that case, everyone, raise your weapons and fight the invader to the death!"