ENG
In crimson-embroidered crown, pure and refined,
Ascending to meet the immortal, unconfined.
Revered in the vast skies, far and wide,
What foolish man would dare not abide?
The newly appointed Dawnstar originally served in the Hall of Incense. Now promoted, he had his first opportunity to tour the Celestial Palace.
As he exited the Celestial Palace, he was met by the Crane Immortal, who first took him to the Celestial Gate to be introduced to the Captains of the Court on duty and the Four Heavenly Kings. They then visited the Thirty-Three Halls and the Seventy-Two Palaces, paying respects to everyone along the way.
The celestial beings treated them with utmost courtesy, which greatly pleased the newly appointed Constellation Officer. After the tour, the Crane Immortal was about to personally escort the Dawnstar back to the Palace of Illumination.
On the way back, the Dawnstar suddenly asked, "I wonder if my predecessor was promoted or demoted. Could you enlighten me, so I may know how to conduct myself in the future?"
The Crane Immortal smiled and said, "He mingled too closely with the mortal realm, perhaps making some friends among the mountains and wilds. Now, having shed his celestial bonds, who can say where he revels in his newfound freedom?"
The Constellation Officer frowned and asked, "I heard that the Dome of Stars conducts roll calls daily. How could it be that the Constellation Officer left without anyone knowing?"
The Crane Immortal gently smoothed the wrinkles on the Dawnstar's robe and said somberly, "If he hadn't left quietly, how would you be here now?"
Hearing this, the Dawnstar seemed to understand and did not pursue the matter further.
A newly appointed Dawnstar, who used to serve in the Hall of Incense, gets his first official tour of the Celestial Palace. The Crane Immortal acts as his guide, bringing him to the Celestial Gate to meet the Captains of the Court and the Four Heavenly Kings, and then through the Thirty-Three Halls and the Seventy-Two Palaces. Everyone treats them with great courtesy, and the Dawnstar is pleased with the reception before they head back to the Palace of Illumination.
On the walk back the Dawnstar asks a pointed question about his predecessor: was that officer promoted or demoted? He wants to know how to conduct himself, using the predecessor’s fate as an example. The Crane Immortal answers that the predecessor had "mingled too closely with the mortal realm" and has "shed his celestial bonds," now living freely among the mountains and wilds.
The Dawnstar finds that explanation odd, because he knows the Dome of Stars does daily roll calls and wonders how a Constellation Officer could leave unnoticed. The Crane Immortal reacts gently, smoothing the Dawnstar’s robe, and says that the predecessor left quietly — and if he hadn’t, the Dawnstar wouldn’t be standing where he is now.
From that exchange it becomes clear that the predecessor abandoned his celestial post and became part of the mortal world, and that he did so without public announcement. His quiet departure is what opened the position for the new Dawnstar. The Crane Immortal’s somber, protective tone suggests an understanding or acceptance of that choice rather than a public scandal.
The story’s main events are the Dawnstar’s promotion and palace tour, the revelation that his predecessor left immortality to live among mortals, and the implication that such departures can be concealed even under a system of roll calls. The Crane Immortal’s behavior implies compassion or complicity in letting the matter be handled quietly.
By the end the Dawnstar understands and drops the subject. The practical takeaways are that forming close ties with mortals can cost a celestial being their office, that such changes sometimes happen out of sight, and that the Dawnstar’s own promotion is a direct result of that quiet departure.