Against the Gods

It was extremely busy inside the Divine Son Palace right now.

Piles and piles of implements, decorations, and crystals were flown in from multiple directions, and many profound practitioners were busy with work. Despite this, they were being extraordinarily careful and light-footed.

Whenever they saw Yun Che, they would fall to their knees and salute him even from a great distance. If Yun Che did not speak up, forget standing, they wouldn't even dare to lift their heads.

A Kingdom of God was the highest plane of existence in the Abyss beneath the Pure Land after all.

“Hahahaha,” Meng Kongchan’s laughter came from afar, “I hope I didn’t scare you, Yuan’er?”

He stood beside Yun Che and nodded approvingly at the bustling scene happening all over the Divine Son Palace. “Since you’ve returned safely, it’s only natural for the Divine Son Palace to be lively as well.”

Yun Che gave him a bow before asking evenly, “Senior divine regent, why don’t you try… calling me Yun Che?”

“Sure!” Meng Kongchan waved his hand. “I’ll address you as Yun Che—if you call me Father! That’s fair, right?”

Meng Kongchan had given Yun Che a catch twenty two. “Fine. The status quo is fine as it is.”

Right now, around two to three hundred people were flying over from the east in a neat formation. As soon as they got close to the Divine Son Palace, they immediately descended to the ground and walked as if they were on thin ice. When they were about a hundred meters away from Meng Kongchan and Yun Che, they dropped to their knees in unison. Then, the leader of the group declared in a loud, powerful voice, “This humble worker is Lu Laisheng. We greet the supreme one and young master Yuan!”

“Mm.” Meng Kongchan nodded slightly and said to Yun Che, “This man is the vice commander of the Security Bureau, eastern region. But from now on, he and his subordinates will defend this Divine Son Palace and obey you and you alone.”

Lu Laisheng responded immediately, “From now on, this Lu Laisheng is your subordinate, young master Yun. I shall die a million times to fulfill your commands!”

Yun Che felt a small headache. To be honest, he would rather have this entire Divine Son Palace to himself… but that was an unrealistic wish.

“You may rise,” Yun Che ordered indifferently. “No need to come to me for arrangements. I trust Commander Lu to perform his duties admirably.”

“As you command!” Lu Laisheng answered and took his leave without hesitation, all the while ordering the men to spread out here and there.

A short while later, another group of people showed up, but they were very different from Lu Laisheng’s group. They were young men and women who looked to be below twenty years old, and most of them were wearing fearful or timid expressions on their faces. It was clear from their auras that some of them did not hail from a Kingdom of God.

Meng Kongchan explained smilingly, “These are your servants. From now on, they will take care of your daily life and fulfill all your orders. Although they are servants, every single one of them possesses outstanding background and qualifications. Moreover, they are newcomers who have never served another master before.”

It was an abyssal profound practitioner’s dream to join a Kingdom of God… even if it meant being placed at the lowest strata.

Meng Kongchan snuck a glance at Yun Che’s face before commanding the women standing at the forefront—the ones whose appearance clearly stood out compared to everyone else, “You lot. What are you waiting for? Come greet your future master already.”

Naturally, these people never imagined that they would one day come face to face with a Divine Regent. Still, everyone here was carefully handpicked, so the girls were able to step forward without losing composure and while maintaining the most perfect posture.

“This servant girl, Liu Zhanyi, greets young master Yuan. From now on, Zhanyi lives for you and you alone, young master.”

The girl’s posture was respectful, and her countenance gorgeous. Despite being a servant girl, she carried herself with the bearing of a noble.

“Zhanyi? The drizzle moistens my gown with wet apricot[1]. A good name.” Yun Che paid her a compliment. “Where are you from?”

“Young Master Yun” wasn’t just extraordinarily handsome, he carried himself without any arrogance or superiority whatsoever. Not only that, his voice was shockingly amiable, and he did not hesitate to offer compliments even to a servant girl like her. Most of Liu Zhanyi’s nervousness melted just like that as she answered, “This servant girl hails from the Flowing Bright Realm to the north of the Kingdom of God, young master Yuan. I am the thirty-ninth princess of the Flowing Bright imperial household. It is my honor to be able to dedicate the rest of my life to you, young master Yuan.”

An imperial princess who willingly chose to become the servant girl of a Kingdom of God… this was the state of things under the absolute oppression known as abyssal dust.

With that, the second servant girl stepped forward and introduced herself as well, “This servant girl is Shangguan Helu, hailing from the Nine Chiefs Region. This servant girl greets young master Yuan…”

The third servant girl was less reserved and far more confident compared to her peers, her eyes examining Yun Che curiously this entire time. A flirtatious glint dancing in her eyes, she walked up to Yun Che and bowed elegantly. “This servant girl is Meng Zhiyuan, descendant of the eastern city[2]. This servant girls pays homage to Divine Son Yuan.”

The fact that she had the surname Meng proved that she hailed from the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God. Her appellation for him caught Yun Che by surprise, however.

“Hahahaha!” Meng Kongchan burst out laughing. “This is a smart one.”

“Divine Son Yuan?” Yun Che frowned.

Meng Kongchan explained, “Before I came here, I gave the order to make you a Divine Son of the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God once more. The conferral ceremony will be taking place seven days from now. You have nothing to worry about though. Just wait for the ceremony to happen. You don’t need to lift a finger.”

“But—”

Meng Kongchan interrupted Yun Che before he could start. He said in a meaningful tone, “You need a fitting status to be together with that girl, don’t you? Besides, it’s hardly uncommon for a Kingdom of God to have two Divine Children. I am not planning to remove Jianxi, so don’t worry.”

“...” Yun Che did not say whatever he was going to say. He simply nodded. “Very well. All is as you will it, senior.”

Dreamweaver Divine Son…

This should be the hardest part of my plan, but… it’s already complete before I could even begin?

Seven days from now… he’s definitely more anxious to see this through than I am!

Suddenly, Meng Kongchan’s smile disappeared. He looked up.

An old man appeared, and Yun Che’s soulstrings twitched.

What a powerful aura!

The old man hadn’t released a sliver of profound energy, but Yun Che still felt like a mountain was sitting on his shoulders… he had to be a late-stage half God at the very least.

However, the old man whose soul pressure alarmed even Yun Che dropped to his knees not to Meng Kongchan… but to him.

“This sinful slave… kowtows to you, Divine Son Yuan. To think that you are safe and sound… this slave may die without any regrets.”

His voice was heavy and sorrowful. As he spoke, he actually slammed his head against the floor and created an unbelievably dull impact.

Yun Che looked at Meng Kongchan. The Divine Regent’s eyebrows were locked tightly, and his expression was darker than normal. “Yuan’er, he is the protector I chose for you after you were born. Even his name was changed to Shouyuan (Protect Yuan).”

“It should’ve been a badge of the highest honor and a symbol of my deepest trust, but… he failed in his duty. If it wasn’t for a heaven given miracle, we may never have met again in this life.”

Still smashing his head against the ground, Meng Shouyuan said raspily, “This slave… knows he deserves a million deaths.”

“You do deserve a million deaths,” Meng Kongchan said coldly. “But I kept you alive so you may continue bearing this sin for the rest of your life. And now… I am bestowing you a second chance and trust!”

Forehead bleeding profusely, Meng Shouyuan slowly lifted his head, opened his dry lips, and swore from the bottom of his soul, “This slave cannot repay your favor in a million lifetimes. This slave swears to defend Divine Son Yuan for the rest of his life… may death claim me if I fail again.”

“Please rise, senior.” Yun Che spoke up. “One cannot guard against a thief forever. The assassination back then was clearly premeditated, and I don’t believe it is your fault that you failed to protect me. Besides, I am safe and sound, aren’t I? You don’t need to wallow in guilt and regret any longer.”

Meng Shouyuan’s eyes grew teary as he kowtowed once more. “Your heart is as vast as the Abyss, Divine Son Yuan. This slave cannot help but feel even greater shame because of this.”

Meng Kongchan commanded, “From now on, you will guard Yuan’er from the shadows. His safety takes precedence over everything else. But unless his life is in danger, you are not to disturb Yuan’er in any way. Now, leave us.”

Meng Shouyuan rose to his feet and slowly backed away from the duo. Then, he disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Meng Kongchan said to Yun Che, “Although Meng Shouyuan failed in his duty… you were in your mother’s bedroom; a place he couldn't follow you. That was the only reason your kidnappers were able to catch him unawares. In terms of cultivation, besides me, the nine Lords of Dream Hall, and the Chief Lord himself, he and the Valley Master of Sinking Dream Valley are the greatest profound practitioners.”

“He is a level nine Divine Extinction Realm profound practitioner. He is talented enough that he may yet reach the Divine Limit Realm before he runs out of lifespan.”

Yun Che: “...”

“So rest easy and do whatever you want.” Meng Kongchan gave Yun Che a pat on the shoulder. “I will never allow that tragedy to repeat itself! Never!”

……

Dreamweaver Kingdom of God, the Empress Palace.

Meng Jianxi rushed into the hall and bowed deeply. “This child greets you, Mother. Why have you called for me?”

A woman with an hourglass figure but eyes resembling a cold, heartless fiend was sitting on her bed and looking at Meng Jianxi with a furrowed brow. “Meng Jianyuan has returned. This is the first day since he returned, and your Father already gave the order to make him the second Dreamweaver Divine Son, so I ask you… Where is your anxiety and sense of urgency, Xi’er?”

The woman was none other than the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God Empress, the birth mother of Meng Jianxi and Meng Jianzhou, Meng Xuanjue.

Meng Jianxi’s expression did not change. He replied calmly, “This child is aware, Mother.”

“And what comes after awareness?” Meng Xuanjue pressed with eyes that could crush one’s soul.

It had been many years since Meng Jianxi saw such a look from his mother. It was clear that Meng Jianyuan’s return and the news of the conferral had completely unsettled her.

“Calm down, Mother.” Meng Jianxi stepped forward and sat down beside Meng Xuanjue, grabbing her arm supportively. “I saw with my own eyes how happy Father was when he found Meng Jianyuan again. His love was just as fervent as it was a century ago. Combined with the impulsiveness that grips one’s mind during a moment of pure joy… as surprising as Father’s decision seems to be, it is quite reasonable if you think about it.”

“Reasonable? What a joke!” Meng Xuanjue abruptly turned her head and stared at her son with piercing eyes. “Speak frankly. What do you think of this matter?”

Meng Jianxi began, “Meng Jianyuan is just a level three Divine Master and worlds apart from my current level. He has just returned to the Kingdom of God and possessed no roots in this realm whatsoever. Hells, he doesn’t even have any memory of himself prior to his disappearance… in other words, he has nothing besides Father’s temporary love and guilt.”

“Therefore, I think Father is just making up for all the guilt and regret he felt for the past century. Even if Meng Jianyuan gains the title of Divine Son, it is a title that is all show and no substance. In fact, Meng Jianyuan will most likely become a laughingstock once enough time has passed.”

“In other words,” Meng Jianxi declared with certainty, “neither Meng Jianyuan’s person nor his upcoming conferral deserve my attention.”

Bang!

Meng Xuanjue slapped the table beside her and shot to her feet. She was so angry that her gorgeous face actually looked sinister right now. “When you awakened your divine essence and became the Dreamweaver Divine Son, I warned you repeatedly to never let your guard down and always prepare for the worst. More importantly, I warned you to always eliminate your enemies and obstacles at the roots. Have you forgotten it all already?!”

“I wouldn’t dare!” Meng Jianxi hurriedly bowed his head. “But—”

“No buts!” Meng Xuanjue uttered fiercely. “Back then, I too believed that no one could ever threaten my position as Empress with your grandfather and uncle helming the nine Dream Halls. But what happened? As soon as Meng Jianyuan was born, not only did your Father treat him like the treasure of his life, he started looking at that bitch who gave birth to Meng Jianyuan a million times warmer and gentler than he looked at me!”

“She was just a humble born from outside the Kingdom of God, a lowly bitch bearing an equally lowly surname!”

“When Meng Jianyuan was seven, your Father began mobilizing an extraordinary amount of resources to build the Divine Son Palace for him. When he was ten, your Father made him the Dreamweaver Divine Son. That was the point where people started saying that I will soon be replaced by a new Empress. The rumors grew to the point where not even your grandfather or your uncle could suppress them!”

Meng Xuanjue let out an ugly chuckle. “Even after the Divine Son Palace was finished, your Father would rather leave it there to rot for decades than allow you to set one foot in it! Now that Meng Jianyuan has returned, your Father only wished that he could give him the best things the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God could offer!”

“So, what if you are his direct descendant? So, what if you are the rightful Divine Son? So, what if your grandfather is Meng Cangji, and your uncle is Meng Xuanji? So, what if your talent and divine essence are higher than Meng Jianyuan’s? There are some things in life that are only one time! Whatever your Father gives to Meng Jianyuan will never be yours!”

The calm facade Meng Jianxi had been maintaining this whole time finally cracked a little, but he quickly smoothed out the cracks and said, “Mother, I understand what you’re trying to say, all of it. I witnessed Father’s pampering love for him when I was a child, and I’ve personally witnessed how he lost control after Meng Jianyuan returned… I know that I will never be able to compare to Meng Jianyuan in this regard—but only in this regard.”

Meng Jianxi actually tried to console his mother instead, “Please understand that Meng Jianyuan has just returned, and Father is at the height of his emotions right now. Right now, he is going to do everything in his power to protect him. To disobey his will at this point will only garner his distaste or worse… his anger. It is just unwise to the extreme.”

“...” Meng Xuanjue stared at Meng Jianxi for a moment before softening her tone all of a sudden. “So, you are not against your Father making Meng Jianyuan the second Divine Son? You’re not going to suggest to your uncle and grandfather that they reject it either?”

Meng Jianxi’s grandfather was the Chief Lord of the nine Dream Halls of the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God, Meng Cangji. He was the number one person beneath the Dreamless Divine Regent himself. Meng Jianxi’s uncle, Meng Xuanji, was the Dream Lord of the seventh Dream Hall.

It was thanks to them that Meng Xuanjue was able to best all competition and become the empress in the first place.

“That's right.” Meng Jianxi nodded.

“Fine.” Meng Xuanjue waved her hand, her seductive eyes hiding a strange glint. “You have your own judgment and plans, so I shouldn’t try to excoriate you. Besides, it’s not your fault, is it? It’s Meng Jingzhe, that useless trash, who allowed Meng Jianyuan to survive.”

“...!!!” It was such a casual remark, and yet it turned Meng Jianxi’s pupils into pins in an instant.

He abruptly jumped off the bed and ran toward the exit… but before he could even seal his hearing, his mother’s evil voice slithered into his ears like a venomous viper. “If I hadn’t guided him and helped him in secret, that old fool would not even deserve the chance to assassinate Meng Jianyuan.”

Meng Jianxi skidded to a stop. Pain colored his expression as he squeezed his eyes shut.

“Now, you know what you shouldn’t have known.” Meng Xuanjue slowly and leisurely got up to her feet. “Tell me, what should you do?”

“...” Meng Jianxi did not turn around. He couldn’t say a word for a very long time.

Meng Xuanjue continued casually, “Your Father is the Dreamless Divine Regent, the man most proficient at soul energy bar none. He will surely find a way to restore Meng Jianyuan’s memories. Once Meng Jianyuan regains his memories, what do you think will happen to your beloved mother considering how much he loves Meng Jianyuan? And what do you think will happen to you, the one who knows the truth?”

“N-nothing will happen.” Meng Jianxi finally found his voice, though it came out as a rasp. “Meng Jingzhe is the one who tried to kill him. Meng Jianyuan would only remember Meng Jingzhe.”

“Oh no, Meng Jingzhe isn’t the only one involved. There was also your stupid brother, Jianzhou.”

Meng Xuanjue felt no incongruity whatsoever to call her son stupid. “More importantly, the reason Meng Jingzhe and Meng Jianzhou were able to avoid all detection and make their way to Meng Jianyuan was thanks to a Void Breaking Divine Jade I intentionally allowed Meng Jingzhe to steal.”

“That's a spatial divine treasure bestowed to the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God by the Abyssal Monarch Himself, and there are only three throughout the realm. It allows for near traceless spatial teleportation. If Meng Jianyuan regains his memory, he will surely recall that Void Breaking Divine Jade, and if Meng Kongchan looks into the origin of the Void Breaking Divine Jade, he will surely trace it back… to me!”

Meng Jianxi’s hands clenched all of a sudden.

“When the time comes, I will become the ultimate sinner, and you, the ultimate sinner’s son who knows the truth. So… who between the two Divine Sons do you think will be removed from his position?”

She slowly walked up to Meng Jianxi and felt his rampaging aura with satisfaction. “Do you still think that Meng Jianyuan poses no threat to you?”

1. The word Zhanyi (Moistens my gown) comes from this poem line. ☜

2. Not sure if this is like eastern side of the capital, or Eastern City of the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God so we’ll see. ☜

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