Against the Gods

Chapter 2066 - Confrontation

Boundless Kingdom of God.

“Your Highness, after searching high and low throughout the Six Kingdoms of God, we finally found a flawless Jade Rainbow Heart Confessing Pearl, but the pearl is in the hands of the Owl Butterfly Divine Son, Pan Buzuo. When he learns that it is you who desires the pearl, he dared to… dared to… demand three Seven Purity Divine Jades in exchange.”

The man was gritting his teeth when he reached the end of his report.

Dian Jiuzhi was neither surprised nor enraged, however. He simply smiled and pushed three dark blue light orbs toward the man, saying, “Apologies for troubling you again, but please, complete the trade.”

The man numbly accepted the three light orbs when he realized what had just happened and exclaimed in shock, “But Your Highness! The Jade Rainbow Heart Confessing Pearl is just a toy! It does not deserve even the dust on the Seven Purity Divine Jade, much less three of them!”

The man was the son of the Boundless Divine Regent. In fact, he was one of the people who bullied Dian Jiuzhi.

Unsurprisingly, Dian Jiuzhi never forgot the kindness he had received from Hua Caili and displayed benevolence instead of spite after becoming the Divine Son. Never once had he abused his position and power to take revenge against his bullies. Astounded by his magnanimity and ashamed at their own actions, his kinsmen eventually became exceedingly loyal to him.

It was at this moment a boorish, soul-shaking voice erupted, “Just do what he tells you to. The pearl is Caili’s birthday gift. Forget three, the boy wouldn’t frown even if it was thirty!”

“Father.” Both men saluted the divine regent when they saw him.

“Just go already!” Dian Rahu, the Boundless Divine Regent, tossed the man into the sky with the wave of his hand before coming to a stop beside Dian Jiuzhi. “You brat. You really would do anything to make that girl happy, wouldn’t you? Hahahaha!”

It sounded like he wanted to rebuke his son, but Dian Rahu let out a hearty laugh afterward.

Dian Jiuzhi smiled. “You seem to be in a very good mood today, Father. Is there some good news?”

“For me? Kinda. But for you? It is the best news.” Dian Rahu explained with a wide grin on his face. “Caili has returned from her trial… as a Divine Extinction Realm profound practitioner.”

“What?!” Dian Jiuzhi looked so stunned and overjoyed that his voice rose a little higher. “Is… is this true?”

“Why would I lie to you?” Dian Jiuzhi stroked his long, sword-like beard. “Hua Fuchen’s girl is seriously something. You’re a lucky man, boy.”

Dian Jiuzhi threw his arms into the air. Such was his excitement that he had just had to express it in some form. “This is wonderful! As expected of sister Caili. To think that she became a Half-God before reaching twenty! No one has ever accomplished such a feat since the dawn of the Abyss. This alone puts her above all the Divine Sons and Daughters!”

It sounded like a jealous statement, but he looked happier and more excited than when he made his own breakthrough back then.

“But of course!” Dian Rahu looked immensely proud. “She is the one I approved of after all.”

The Boundless Kingdom of God and the Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God would soon be united via marriage. Therefore, the pride of the Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God was also the Boundless Kingdom of God’s, and vice versa.

“There is one question that I need to ask you again though.” Dian Rahu suddenly turned serious. “Are you sure she is the only one for you for as long as you live?”

“Yes!” Dian Jiuzhi responded without any hesitation whatsoever.

He met his Father’s eyes head on so that the latter would see his determination. “I don’t need to tell you about Caili’s background. She is the greatest beauty of the Abyss, her heart is pure and flawless, and her talent is unrivaled since the dawn of time. If not for her saving me during my time of despair, I would still be wallowing in the mud of self-pity and inferiority. I might have never awakened the Divine Vein of Great Rage.”

“Once, I gave my all just to earn the right to see her from a great distance. Today, I am blessed enough to be her fiance. In my opinion, this is a heaven-given blessing one can only receive if they had toiled for goodness for ten thousand lifetimes. With that in mind, how can I ever bear to do anything that would sully her honor or hurt her?”

“She and I will be a pair and only a pair until the day we die. There will be no third person.”

Dian Rahu did not fly into a rage. He said indifferently, “From the moment you become a Divine Regent, nothing matters more than inheritance. To be honest, your mentality is most heretical and wicked.”

“That said, Caili is a special case. With your talents, I wouldn’t be surprised if every single one of your children are extraordinary geniuses. Godbearers will surely enter your lineage easier than most.”

He gave Dian Jiuzhi a pat on the shoulder. “One of the reasons I bestowed you the name ‘Jiuzhi (Nine Knows)’ is for you to ‘know gratefulness.’ You are, in fact, a little too grateful, but it’s not a bad thing. How about this? I’ll give you three thousand years. If the two of you aren’t able to conceive a Godbearer in three thousand years, only then shall we re-discuss this matter.”

“To be completely honest with you though, I think the possibility that the two of you cannot conceive a Godbearer is quite slim. In fact, I’m more worried who your first Godbearer will go to. I can already imagine the argument Hua Fuchen and I are going to have, hahahaha!”

Dian Rahu’s boisterous laughter resounded throughout the palace. He still had no idea that a man they knew nothing about had severed the threads of fate between Dian Jiuzhi and Hua Caili in secret.

……

Hua Qingying gave Hua Fuchen a full twenty four hours to cool down.

When an entire day had passed, Hua Qingying finally escorted Yun Che to the Yixin Sword Pavilion in person.

Even before he got close, Yun Che could already sense a divine perception sweeping through him again and again. As soon as he stepped through the entrance, Hua Fuchen’s eyes immediately pierced him like a sword.

The divine regent’s face was blank, and there were no ripples of emotion in the man’s eyes. However, Yun Che could tell that the water-like calmness Hua Fuchen displayed earlier was completely absent. Not only that, he could almost feel a million invisible swords pressed up against his eyeballs and his soul.

As soon as they entered the sword pavilion, Hua Caili dropped all pretense and moved over to Yun Che. She wrapped her arms protectively around his and stared at Hua Fuchen with clear nervousness, worry, and even wariness.

That wariness pierced Hua Fuchen’s heart like actual swords.

He hid a sigh before ordering, “Leave with your aunt, Caili. I would like to speak with him alone.”

“Absolutely not!” Hua Caili rejected him immediately and hugged Yun Che’s arms tighter. “Big brother Yun and I haven’t separated from each other for the past few months. Whatever you want to say to him, you can say to me as well!”

“Don’t worry,” Hua Fuchen’s voice clearly lost a bit of strength, “I won’t trouble him.”

Hua Caili still refused to move.

Then, Yun Che patted her hand gently and said in an easy voice, “Caili, there really are some things that are best discussed without your presence. Don’t worry… and believe in me.”

Hua Caili slowly let go while staring into his comforting eyes. “Fine. I get it.”

“Father, aunt and I will be taking our leave. You… you can’t fight each other, okay?”

Hua Caili grabbed Hua Qingying’s hand, and they both left the sword pavilion.

Hua Fuchen exhaled slowly after they were gone.

To think that the daughter he cherished since young would… If he was the one who said those words, he had no doubt that Hua Caili would refuse him to his face. But when the words came from Yun Che’s mouth…

“Junior Yun Che greets the Heart Painter Divine Regent.”

“Take a seat.” Hua Fuchen waved his hand casually.

Yun Che did as he said, and the sword pavilion fell into a long silence.

Since Hua Fuchen wasn’t saying anything, Yun Che saw no reason to speak up. He was the junior here, so it would be out of turn for him to do so.

Hua Fuchen was the Heart Painter Divine Regent and the True God who ruled over a Kingdom of God. Just being close to him was to withstand an unbearable pressure; the pressure of a divine being.

Dozens of breaths passed, and Yun Che’s expression and bearing never faltered. He hadn’t fumbled his etiquette, nor did he look meek nor rushed in the slightest. Even his breathing was almost perfectly controlled.

Yun Che was a level three Divine Master, and this was the first time he entered a Kingdom of God. To think he could maintain such composure before a Divine Regent… Hua Fuchen was starting to understand some of Hua Qingying’s astounding evaluation of him.

“Where are you from?” 

Hua Fuchen finally spoke up, his words calm but infused with the soul pressure of the divine.

Who would dare to lie before a god?

Yun Che answered “honestly”, “This junior comes from nothing. He does not know who his parents are or where they come from either.”

“For a nobody, you sure are a bold one.”

Hua Fuchen’s words remained as calm as water, but a Half-God would’ve been quaking in Yun Che’s boots right now.

“You ultimately saved Hua Caili’s life, so I don’t wish to trouble you,” he said while staring at Yun Che, and his astonishment grew when he realized that the boy was still perfectly calm. “I will give you… what is probably the biggest chance of your life.”

“What will it take… to have you leave my daughter forever?”

Yun Che shot up to his face and pleaded urgently but sincerely, “Senior Divine Regent, Caili and I are—”

“Don’t shower me with those useless words.” Hua Fuchen raised his hand and wiped Yun Che’s voice out of existence. “Do you think you deserve to be with my daughter?”

Before Yun Che could answer, he continued, “Caili’s background, appearance, reputation, and talent… they all stand at the pinnacle of the world. You would not find a single woman who is a match for her even if you were to turn the entire Abyss upside down.”

“As for you… Caili’s aunt told me about you yesterday. She said that your future is infinite, that your upper limit is at least on par with a Divine Son, and that your ‘master’ may very well be an ancient soul who is above even a True God.”

“But so what? No matter how many secrets you are hiding, no matter how special you are, you are ultimately without roots. You don’t even have an identity, much less a reputation or a faction you can attach yourself to.”

He stared at Yun Che’s face to capture his every change in expression, “Tell me, do you think that a rootless nobody deserves to be together with the greatest Divine Daughter of all time?”

Yun Che met his eyes head on, however. After bowing a little to show deference and respect, he asked, “If this junior may ask you a question, senior Divine Regent… who do you think gets to decide if I’m a good fit for Caili? You, me… or Caili herself?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“...” Hua Fuchen was speechless for an instant.

Yun Che continued, “All living things fight now so they can have better options in the future. You yourself said that Caili is the best woman in the current era, so how is it that she loses the right to choose her own partner?”

“Heh. Hehe. Hahahaha.” As if a nerve was touched, Hua Fuchen broke into laughter all of a sudden. It was worrying, terror-inducing laughter, however.

“Calm and eloquent; nerves of steel and a silver tongue. No wonder you were able to win Caili over to this extent.” Hua Fuchen looked up as if he didn’t want Yun Che to see his expression right now. “Your words might have worked on a youngster who hasn’t suffered the passage of time, but me?... You might as well be blowing wind into the sea.”

“...” Yun Che did not say anything.

“I’ll ask you again. What will it take to make you leave my daughter forever?”

Yun Che slowly shook his head. “It will take Caili choosing to abandon me of her own accord. Otherwise, I will never leave her.”

Hua Fuchen did not get angry or annoyed because of his answer. Instead, he said indifferently, “I heard that you chose to leave when Caili first tried to approach you. You even swore to never meet her again. Unlike most others, I can tell you have the wits and rationality to match your nerve, so why are you being so irrational right now?”

Yun Che replied calmly, “I am well aware that we belong in different worlds. I am also aware that Caili is bound by an engagement known throughout the Abyss. Had I lost myself to passion, I would only be burdening her like she had never been burdened before. I may even have brought tragedy to her doorsteps. That is why I chose to leave.”

“But then, we faced death together. Caili said she had already died once, so she isn’t afraid of anything anymore. She even entrusted me with her longevity beads.”

Hua Fuchen: “...”

“If Caili herself is willing to go this far, how can I, a man, choose fear and escape before her resolve?”

“...” Hua Fuchen stared at Yun Che for a long moment before whispering, “How can you, huh?”

Yun Che: “?”

Hua Fuche slowly got up to his feet and sauntered to the center of the sword pavilion. He brushed his fingers against a sword that was made of perfectly average material, but infused with countless wisps of True God aura.

“Allow me to tell you a story, Yun Che. A story that even Caili has never heard before.”

Yun Che walked up to him and said, “Please.”

Hua Fuchen looked up and closed his eyes. After exhaling deeply, he began.

“A long, long time ago, when I was still a youngster, I was just as fearless as you are. In fact, I was much more reckless and insolent.”

“Back then, the Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God had two Godbearers. One of them was me, and the other Caili’s aunt, Qingying.”

“In terms of talent and cultivation, Qingying was above me. Even the divine essence she inherited was a tad stronger than mine. Traditionally, Qingying should’ve become the Heaven Breaker Divine Daughter.”

“However, Qingying has been obsessed with, and devoted to, the sword since birth. She is completely uninterested in anything besides the sword, and she loathes the words ‘ruling a Kingdom of God’ to the bone. Besides that, the previous divine regent was a traditionalist who esteemed males and belittled females, believing that the Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God’s bloodline would lose its orthodoxy should a female inherit the throne.”

Yun Che noticed that Hua Fuchen addressed the former Divine Regent as the “previous divine regent”, not “Father”.

“That is why the previous divine regent wished for me to inherit the throne from the beginning. However, Qingying’s divine essence, talent and cultivation all surpass mine, so he could not make me alone the Divine Son without incurring criticism. So, he made both of us Divine Children.”

“The previous divine regent told me to my face many times that he wished for me to become the next Divine Regent, and Qingying herself repeated many times that she would never inherit the throne. Seeing no reason to decline, I accepted my fate… until I met Caili’s mother.”

Hua Fuchen stopped then.

Yun Che could clearly feel the man with the power of a True God quietly adjusting his breathing.

“Her name was Qu Wanxin, and her background was very similar to… no. Her background was even worse than yours. Her parents were dead, and her clan was wiped out. Not only that, she was marked with an irremovable brand of sin, all because her clan unintentionally offended a big faction and committed a so-called unforgivable crime.”

“She and I found each other at an ordinary place. Before I knew it, I had fallen deeply in love with her. Her unruliness, her unyieldingness… everything.”

He did not speak more about their bond. Perhaps it was because he could not recall their time together without losing control.

“At the time, I was reckless and insolent. I foolishly believed that it was the happiest moment of my life and only that, and I never thought that I was wrong in any way. It wasn’t long before the previous divine regent heard about this…”

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