Against the Gods

[1]

Divine Attendant Dong Huang received his order and raised his hand. A pair of profound lights that looked as compact as rainbows immediately descended on top of Yun Che and Hua Caili. Hua Qingying subconsciously raised a hand to stop this, but Hua Fuchen immediately pushed it back down. The duo could only watch as the profound lights bound Hua Caili like shackles and dragged her toward the Chief Priest together with Yun Che.

There was no way they could challenge the authority of the Abyssal Monarch and the Chief Priest, and to do so would only anger the Chief Priest and trigger a worse consequence. The binding profound lights not only sealed off their movements but also suppressed their profound energies completely. They could not put up even the slightest bit of resistance, much less attempt an escape.

The four words “punishment by devouring rage” caused half-limp Dian Jiuzhi to bounce back to his feet instantly. His expression was one of abject horror as he stared at the bound girl kneeling in front of the Chief Priest. It was almost as if he were the one who was about to be punished, not Hua Caili and Yun Che.

“Punishment by devouring rage... punishment by devouring rage! Good... good... this is karma... haha... Hahahaha!”

Dian Sansi let out an exhilarated laugh, but that laughter died almost immediately after it appeared. It was because he saw the look in Dian Jiuzhi’s eyes. It was filled with heart-consuming pain... and a kind of emptiness that could only be described as terrifying.

Dian Jiuzhi’s instructions and pleading words abruptly surfaced in his soul sea... and Dian Sansi completely lost the ability to laugh. He simply stood there blankly as if he had lost his soul.

Emotions of shock, horror, and panic were swiftly spreading throughout Eden’s Crown... they were not the ones who were about to be punished, and yet the four words still awakened the brand of fear deeply rooted in everyone’s heart. Even the older, weathered, profound practitioners could not help but shudder uncontrollably for a few breaths.

Yun Che and Hua Caili’s limbs were touching. They were both bound by the profound light, looking at each other. Countless words swam inside their eyes, but they were unable to voice any of them at the moment.

Staring at the duo, the Chief Priest declared in a voice that shook the highest clouds, “Hua Caili of Heaven Breaker, Yun Che of Dreamweaver. The Abyssal Monarch Himself bestowed this engagement, and it was an unparalleled honor and favor from Him. However, the two of you dare to treat His order like nothing and engage in adultery. Your action deeply wounded the Boundless and belittled the Abyssal Monarch and the Pure Land even more. Your crime is unforgivable. Hence, you shall be punished by devouring rage!”

“Dong Huang, you may begin the punishment!”

“Wait! Please allow me a moment to speak, Chief Priest.”

Meng Kongchan was beside himself at this point. He was a Divine Regent, and yet he nearly tripped over his own feet as he rushed up to the Chief Priest. “Jianyuan and Caili absolutely did not mean to break the engagement bestowed by the Abyssal Monarch Himself. This unfortunate outcome is the culmination of many stories I can’t say here, and helpless circumstances. Back when Jianyuan first met Caili, he did not even know that she was the Heaven Breaker Divine Daughter. Later—”

“Dreamless Divine Regent.”

The Chief Priest’s voice wasn’t loud, but it contained such pressure that Meng Kongchan’s words were cut off in an instant. “You are a Divine Regent, so I will afford you three questions.”

Meng Kongchan could not disobey him, so he could only say, “Understood.”

The Chief Priest asked his first question, “Do Hua Caili and Yun Che have an affair with each other?”

Meng Kongchan’s lips trembled as he tried his best to sort out his thoughts, “The starting point of their relationship is the Endless Fog—”

“Answer the question!”

The Chief Priest’s voice turned harsh.

“...”

Meng Kongchan hid a sigh and answered in a powerless voice, “Yes.”

The Chief Priest moved on to his second question. “Have they consummated their love?”

Meng Kongchan slowly closed his eyes, and his voice weakened further. “Yes.”

A commotion immediately broke out in the surroundings. Even more people were sneaking glances at the numb-looking Dian Jiuzhi, filled with ridicule, pity, sympathy, indignation, and more.

The Chief Priest asked his third question, “When did you and the Heart Painter Divine Regent learn about this?”

Meng Kongchan knew that attempting to hide this before the Chief Priest would only make matters worse, so he could only answer honestly, “Three years ago.”

“Hmph!” Dian Rahu let out a cold snort. At this point, his complexion was so ugly that the adjective was no longer good enough to describe it.

The Chief Priest said heavily, “In that case, you, a Divine Regent, should understand just how laughable your attempts to excuse their behavior are!”

Meng Kongchan knew that the Chief Priest was right. No matter the circumstances that had led to this situation, there was no changing what had already happened, much less redressing the “crime” and “wrong” that had already been set in stone.

Meng Kongchan turned to face the Abyssal Monarch and said pleadingly, “Your Majesty, Kongchan knows full well the scale of the crime Jianyuan has committed, but... as a father, I once lost him for an entire century because of a moment’s mistake. During that time, every time I recalled my mistake, regret and hatred would fill my bones, and pain would torment me so that I wished I were dead.”

“Thankfully, the heavens took pity on me and saw fit to return him to me... but it has only been three years since we reunited. I haven’t yet made up for a speck of my ten thousand mountains of mistakes and failures yet, so how can I possibly bear to lose him again?”

“No matter how extraordinary Jianyuan’s talent is, his body is ultimately just that of a Divine Master. There is no way he could possibly endure the punishment of devouring rage! To subject him to this punishment is the same as executing him!”

Thump!

His knees hit the floor with a resounding thud, and his face wore a meek and pleading expression that should never appear on a Divine Regent’s face. “It is the father’s fault if his son is not well-behaved. Therefore, I humbly beg you to allow Kongchan to withstand double the amount of punishment on behalf of Yuan’er! Please, Your Majesty! Kongchan swears that he will devote his whole life to repay this favor if you show mercy this once! Please!!”

Bang!!

His skull slammed against the floor so hard that pale white cracks split across the ground of Eden’s Crown. Not a moment too soon, bright red blood immediately filled them up.

At that moment, Meng Kongchan had discarded his pride and dignity as a Divine Regent completely. Curling into the meekest possible posture a person could assume, he buried his blood-stained head into the ground and did not lift it even after a long, long time later.

“...” Yun Che slowly drew his breath and closed his eyes, his lightly clenched fingers subtly exuding a deathly pale color that should not be.

“Fa... ther...” Meng Jianxi let out a low, trembling cry while tears blurred his vision... He never once saw or even envisioned that his tall and mighty Father would one day look this meek.

Meng Jianxi stepped forward and dropped to his knees behind his Father. Then, he smashed his head against the floor and shouted sorrowfully, “I beg your mercy, Your Majesty!”

Thump! Thump! Thump...

For a time, it felt like the sounds of knees and heads hitting the floor would never end. Amidst everyone’s somewhat blurry vision, every man and woman in the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God’s formation had prostrated themselves before the Abyssal Monarch.

“We beg your mercy, Your Majesty!!”

Sorrowful cries deafened the ears and touched the soul heavily. Everyone’s odd expressions turned a little complicated as well.

“...” The anger in Dian Rahu’s eyes froze for a moment, but in the end, he turned his head away and let out a heavy grunt, refusing to look at them.

“Ai.”

Hua Fuchen let out a quiet sigh. He did not try to beg for Hua Caili like Meng Kongchan was begging for Yun Che, even though the Abyssal Monarch was very fond of Hua Caili and Hua Qingying, in the Chief Priest’s eyes, carried more weight than all seven Divine Regents.

It was because he knew that the Abyssal Monarch’s command could never be disobeyed. Even if He were to make an unprecedented exception, He would never do so in front of everyone.

Meng Kongchan must know this. As the Dreamless Divine Regent, as the one possessing the strongest soul out of every Divine Regent present, no one was clearer-headed and mentally tougher than him. However, he did it anyway. That was how far his soul had collapsed.

The outcome... did not surprise anyone. Forget saying a word, the Abyssal Monarch had not even cast His gaze in Meng Kongchan’s or his people’s direction.

Glaring down on Meng Kongchan coldly, the Chief Priest declared, “You have three breaths to command all of your people to withdraw, Meng Kongchan. Otherwise, the crime will escalate in severity!”

Meng Kongchan remained curled up on the floor. His whole body was shaking in abject torment.

This time, Hua Fuchen stepped forward and forcefully dragged him to his feet. He said with a sigh, “The Abyssal Monarch has given His order. It can not be rescinded. There is no other way at this point. We can... only leave it to our children, now. There have been enough unpleasant surprises already. They cannot endure anymore, right?”

It was Hua Fuchen’s final sentence that snapped Meng Kongchan out of his stupor. He had no choice but to climb to his feet and breathe out helplessly, “With... Withdraw, all of you.”

“Senior.”

It was at this moment that Yun Che’s voice entered Meng Kongchan’s ears once more. Meng Kongchan, Meng Jianxi... everyone in Dreamweaver turned around to look at Yun Che with shaky eyes.

His voice was very calm, as calm as he usually sounded. There was no fear or tremor in his voice whatsoever.

“No matter what kind of ‘circumstances’ were involved, we ultimately ruined the engagement that was bestowed by the Abyssal Monarch by our own hands. This is an undeniable, irrefutable crime. Since we have committed a crime, it is only right that we are punished for it. Neither Caili nor I feel any regret or resentment.”

He turned his head slightly and wore his usual heartwarming smile. “Senior, I recently figured out a rather frivolous method of making soup. It could give the soup a dreamlike appearance. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make it before...”

“Anyway, I’ll cook it for you when we get back to Dreamweaver. I’m sure you’ll love it.”

“...”

Meng Kongchan’s lips quivered for a moment. Then, he broke into a smile; a tearful smile. “Of course... a man of Dreamweaver mustn’t break his promise.”

Yun Che returned a heavy nod before reaching out to grab Hua Caili’s ice-cold wrist. In response, Hua Caili grabbed his hand tightly and moved even closer to him... At this point, she no longer cared where they were or who was watching.

“Are you afraid, Caili?” Yun Che asked softly.

Hua Caili nodded at first, but then shook her head right after. “I was, but with you by my side? I’m not even a little afraid... In fact, the thought that we could be together openly and not worry about anything after today fills me with greater courage.”

In her pure, beautiful world, and when it came to her feelings for Yun Che, another person’s look, words, and criticism truly did not matter one bit. For a moment, the duo just kept whispering to each other and leaning against one another as if no one else existed... in fact, no one could sense even a hint of fear from them.

Far away, Dian Jiuzhi’s empty eyes twitched once. Then, he actually cracked a small smile and whispered unconsciously, “So this... is what she looks like... when she’s in love...’

“This... is how she should always be...”

“Dong Huang, begin the punishment!”

The Chief Priest repeated his order... but he was interrupted by another voice. This one... came from the Abyssal Monarch Himself.

“Rage, I want you to carry out the punishment yourself.”

Divine Attendant Dong Huang immediately withdrew his palm and stepped down without hesitation. The Chief Priest was puzzled, but as usual, he did not question his monarch even a little. Instead, he stepped forward and raised his hand, enveloping Yun Che and Hua Caili in divine pressure that was countless times greater than Divine Attendant Dong Huang’s.

Suddenly, a clear breeze blew, and a feminine, refined voice spoke up. “May I request a moment, Chief Priest?”

The Chief Priest was a man so strict that it bordered on heartlessness. However, the feminine voice actually caused him to stop. The woman wore a long, plain white dress adorned with dots of autumn plum. Her eyes looked like autumn pools, her skin was fair and soft, and her presence was subtle and ethereal, as if she did not belong in this world. Her age was difficult to discern. She was none other than High Priest Ling Xian’s Divine Attendant, Su Shang.

“Aunt Su Shang...” Hua Caili subconsciously called out.

“What is the matter?” The Chief Priest asked solemnly.

Divine Attendant Su Shang gave him a bow before replying smilingly, “Su Shang appeared now to convey my master’s order. She would like to request a blessing from His Majesty. Specifically, she would like His Majesty to pardon Yun Che—and if not that, at least reduce the degree of his sentence.”

The moment she finished her sentence, the Chief Priest frowned deeply as a matter of course. Everyone was exchanging stunned, confused looks with each other as well. Did they hear her right? High Priest Ling Xian... was pleading on Yun Che’s behalf!?

No one was more astonished than Meng Kongchan. It was immediately followed by wild, uncontrollable joy. The man bowed deeply in Su Shang’s direction and said agitatedly, “On behalf of my clumsy son, this one thanks High Priest Ling Xian deeply for her favor.”

“No need.”

Su Shang replied indifferently, “My master owes Yun Che a favor. It is only natural that she would repay it.”

It took Meng Kongchan a great deal of effort to keep his emotions in check. At this point, he already figured out that this was thanks to the Primal Flame Crystal. He did not think that Yun Che would follow his advice so quickly, or that it would pay dividends here and now.

The Chief Priest asked, ‘What favor?”

The four High Priests knew each other well. Out of all of them, High Priest Ling Xian was the one who desired a favor from the Abyssal Monarch the least. Therefore, whatever favor Yun Che had done for her could not be insignificant.

Su Shang fell silent for a moment before breaking into a small smile. “Su Shang will answer your question, Chief Priest. The Primal Flame Crystal.”

Four simple words were all it took to melt the doubt in the Chief Priest’s eyes into understanding completely.

At a corner of Eden’s Crown, the ancient, wizened figure that was the Dragon Lord shook a little, and shock no one could comprehend rose from behind his eyes. Behind him, Long Chixin and Long Qianxin blanched at the same time as well.

“The Primal Flame Crystal... to think it would actually reappear once more.” The Dragon Lord murmured while hiding a tidal wave of shock and panic in his heart.

Long Chixin took half a step forward and lowered his voice as best he could. “Today’s incident will be known to the public. If Long Xi were to hear about this... the consequences could be unpredictable.”

Long Qianxin frowned deeply for a moment before speaking up. “There is nothing to worry about, Dragon Lord. This Primal Flame Crystal is meant for High Priest Ling Xian. Long Xi could hardly come to the Pure Land and take it by force, could she? If anything, this news would prove that the Primal Flame Crystal isn’t extinct yet and keep her from falling into despair too quickly... meaning that the date she leaves the dragon race permanently will be postponed. This is a good thing.”

The Dragon Lord sucked in a deep breath and replied, “What I’m worried about is the fact that the Primal Fame Crystal isn’t extinct yet. What if she actually finds one? If she gathers all five spirit treasures... Her departure is of little consequence. It is her wrath upon discovering that she had been fooled that worries me. Knowing her temperament... she will surely become a terrible threat to our race.”

Long Chixin replied solemnly, “Do not worry, Dragon Lord. I will watch her closely from the shadows... I promise that she will never obtain the Primal Flame Crystal even if it does resurface.”

It was at this moment that another gust of clear wind carrying a leisurely and lethargic voice blew over. “Aiya aiya, what a coincidence.”

The next moment, a young man, stepping on a thin cloud, made his leisurely appearance. His posture was languid, and his voice was soft. It was very out of place with Eden’s Crown’s heavy atmosphere right now. The young man continued to smile as if he could not sense the incongruity. In fact, he did not straighten himself even though he was in the presence of the Abyssal Monarch and the Chief Priest. Besides the four High Priests, the only one in the entire Pure Land who dared to act like this was High Priest Liu Xiao’s Divine Attendant, Yuan Ying.

“Why have you come?”

It was clear from the get-go that the Chief Priest did not like this man. “Could it be...”

“It is exactly what you think, Chief Priest.”

Divine Attendant Yuan Ying bowed toward the Abyssal Monarch from a distance and said, “Yuan Ying has come bearing his master’s orders. He wishes to beg for leniency toward Yun Che. He says that Yun Che is a young, ignorant, young, red-blooded, young, frivolous, young[2]... er, the point is, he’s pleading for a lighter sentence on account that this is his first offense, Your Majesty.”

This time, there wasn’t a single man or woman at the scene who wasn’t flabbergasted. Who on earth was Yun Che that not one, but two High Priests had purposely dispatched their divine attendants to beg for leniency on his behalf!? There was probably no one, not even the Divine Regents, who ever enjoyed such an honor.

Meng Kongchan was beside himself as a matter of course. Once again, he bowed deeply to Divine Attendant Yuan Ying. “This one thanks High Priest Liu Xiao deeply for his favor.”

“There’s no need, no need!”

Divine Attendant Yuan Ying hurriedly waved his hands. “If anything, my master is all too happy to repay at least some of the favor he owed this lad.”

Once again, his words shocked everyone present. Everybody knew that High Priest Liu Xiao was the most independent, stubborn, and unique personality in the entire Pure Land... no, the entire Abyss. They could understand why High Priest Ling Xian had chosen to repay the favor—they all understood what the Primal Flame Crystal meant to her—but how on earth did he make High Priest Liu Xiao of all people owe him a favor?

This was such an abnormal occurrence that even the Chief Priest was curious. He asked, “What on earth is this favor Liu Xiao owed?”

“Er...”

Yuan Ying hesitated for a moment before apologizing with a bow. “Master only said that a priceless treasure of the world is involved, and that he ain’t telling even if the heavens themselves were to question him about it.”

“Hmph!” The Chief Priest withdrew his gaze then. He could not be bothered to ask again.

The six Kingdoms of God could never disobey the Abyssal Monarch’s order, but there were exceptional existences such as the Four High Priests. There was no way the Abyssal Monarch could ignore the combined pleading of two High Priests. So, he finally reacted and set his gaze on Yun Che. All of it.

By now, Meng Kongchan’s fear and panic had diminished considerably, and the gloominess in Hua Fuchen’s eyes had mostly faded. Even the stunning cold that froze Hua Qingying’s blue eyes had receded completely.

The Abyssal Monarch began lightly, “Ling Xian and Liu Xiao are pleading on your behalf, so this lone one cannot overlook this any longer. What do you have to say for yourself, Yun Che?”

Wearing a grateful look on his face, Yun Che said seriously, “Yun Che will not soon forget the favor he owes the two High Priests. Now, Yun Che must ask this: Is it too presumptuous to borrow their favors to make a request?”

“Speak.” The Abyssal Monarch’s eyes resembled pits of abysses. No one could read any genuine emotion in his eyes. Despite this, Meng Kongchan let out a heavy sigh of relief... One High Priest’s favor might only be enough to reduce the severity of the punishment, but two? That was absolutely enough to pardon him.

However, knowing Yun Che’s personality, he would never abandon Hua Caili to her fate. So, he would definitely use the favors to request that both of their sentences be reduced... if not annulled outright.

There was no better outcome than this. Everyone thought that Yun Che would use this opportunity to greatly lessen... or even escape what was no different from a death sentence for both him and Hua Caili.

Holding Hua Caili’s hand, Yun Che gently poked her palm once. Then, he slowly let her go.

Lifting his head and staring the Abyssal Monarch in the eyes, he said slowly and firmly, “Your Majesty, with the favors that have been bestowed upon me, I ask that you transfer Caili’s crime to me and me alone.”

“I am willing to endure twice the amount of punishment by myself!”

1. The actual poem the title is referring to goes something like this (and doesn’t have the word father in it, but you get the meaning): How can a small grass repay the sunshine of spring? ☜

2. This repetition is intentional. ☜