Against the Gods

Chapter 2088 - Boundless Jiuzhi

Inside a wide, empty hall, Yun Che and Dianjiuzhi sat opposite each other.

Appearance wise, Dian Jiuzhi, the Boundless Divine Son, looked just as handsome and cultured as the rumors said he was. He utterly lacked the pressure of the strongest Divine Son of all Kingdoms of God, much less the fiery presence of a conqueror like his Father.

Still, Yun Che could capture a sharp but well-hidden edge inside his eyes.

Dian Jiuzhi was a man who grew up being trampled on after all. Yun Che did not believe for a second that he, on the inside, was a humble gentleman who could let bygones be bygones and treat those around him with magnanimity and kindness.

“Well met, Brother Yuan. I understand that this visit is quite abrupt. I hope you won’t fault me for it.”

Everyone knows that Dian Jiuzhi was the strongest Divine Son, but he carried himself with incredible politeness and modesty. If he was any other Dreamweaver prince, he would be astonished beyond words and even panicking right now.

Yun Che responded smilingly, “Of course not, Divine Son Jiuzhi. Your reputation is such that even I have heard of you from a young age, but of course I never dared to dream that I would one day make your acquaintance. Forget faulting you, the fact that you would pay this humble one a visit in person fills me with boundless honor. Besides, I haven’t yet felt any belonging toward my identity as Meng Jianyuan, so just address me as Yun Che, Divine Son Jiuzhi.”

Dian Jiuzhi nodded without hesitation. “Very well, Brother Yun. The title of Divine Son is but a false reputation lauded by the masses anyway. Since I am over three thousand years older than you, if you don’t mind, just address me as Older Brother Dian when we are in private.”

Yun Che nodded smilingly. “So, what is the purpose of your visit, Older Brother Dian?”

Dian Jiuzhi looked surprised for an instant before he burst out laughing. “Hahahaha! In the past, everyone I spoke to would think that I am being courteous or act even meeker than before. In the end, they all still address me as Divine Son. You really are an incredible person, Brother Yun. I am glad to learn that my choice to make your acquaintance was beyond correct.”

Yun Che’s expression remained unchanged. “It's true that you wish to make my acquaintance, but even more than that, you want to know why senior Sword Fairy allowed me to call her aunt, don’t you?”

Dian Jiuzhi’s smile stiffened, and he met Yun Che’s calm, sincere, and pure eyes for a moment. Then, he let out a chuckle and a small sigh. “This is our first proper meeting, and yet you are able to see through me so utterly already. More than that, you did not hesitate to speak the truth without any fanfare... I did not think that someone like you actually existed until today. What a wonder.”

“You flatter me, Brother Dian.” Yun Che withdrew his gaze and looked down at his teacup. He did not seem moved by Dian Jiuzhi’s half-praise and half-exclamation of surprise at all. “You are famous for your status as the greatest Divine Son of all the Kingdoms of God, yes but you are even more famous for your devotion to the Heaven Breaker Divine Daughter, Hua Caili; a love that has not changed even a little despite thousands of years.”

“Senior Sword Fairy is the Heaven Breaker Divine Daughter’s aunt, her master in the way of the sword, and her protector. Besides her and her alone, she never gave anyone special treatment... until recently. Not only did she allow me to call her aunt, she even announced that I am under her protection.”

He looked up and met Dian Jiuzhi’s eyes once more. “Therefore, it is not I who is insightful here. It is only natural that you would be curious about the unusual reaction of your partner’s aunt.”

Dian Jiuzhi shook his head not because he was refuting Yun Che’s words, but because he was deriding himself. “You are so honest and frank that I, your elder, feel rather ashamed, Brother Yun. Very well. I shall be frank with you as well. Yes, I am quite concerned by senior Sword Fairy’s special treatment toward you. Can you please enlighten me as to why?”

He knew that Hua Qingying was always acting as Hua Caili’s open or shadow protector. Why? Because he always dropped everything to visit Hua Caili every time she left the Pure Land. Naturally, his number of interactions with Hua Qingying exceeded most others.

Hua Qingying still never afforded him a second glance even though he was Hua Caili’s engaged partner. Their interactions all amounted to him performing a junior’s salute, and Hua Qingying responding in kind. That was all.

He had long since gotten used to this. After all, not even his Father, the strongest Divine Regent of the six Kingdoms of God, the Abyss-renowned Dian Rahu, had ever earned more than a side-glance from Hua Qingying.

For some reason, today, Hua Qingying gave Yun Che such special treatment that... he could scarcely believe his eyes or ears even now.

For Hua Qingying, a woman so cold that one would almost think that she was made from stone, to act like this... the one and only reason he could think of was Hua Caili.

“Have you heard of the ‘Fog Monarch’ before, Older Brother Dian?” Yun Che asked suddenly.

“The rumors have passed through my ears, yes.” Dian Jiuzhi’s eyebrows lifted a little. “To think that someone dared to call themselves a Monarch when the Pure Land is right above us... whoever this person is, their death is certain the moment they expose themselves.”

Yun Che smiled and said nothing for a moment.

“Since you’re mentioning this person, could it be...?”

He wasn’t disappointed. Yun Che took a moment to enjoy the fragrance of his tea before answering. “Since you know of the Fog Monarch, then you must know of the Ancestral Qilin God that accompanies the Fog Monarch, and... the purple sword light that scarred the sky of the Endless Fog.”

Dian Jiuzhi thought for a moment before exclaiming in realization, “Was that purple scar left behind by senior Sword Fairy?”

“That’s right.” Yun Che nodded a little. “You’ve probably heard only bits and pieces of rumors, and most of them are either biased or wrong beyond question. Now, you will hear the true story from someone who happened to be nearby during the... incident.”

He began his story. “When the Fog Monarch and the Ancestral Qilin God first made their appearance, the Heaven Breaker Divine Daughter happened to be training nearby. So sudden was his appearance that she suffered serious injuries and nearly died that day.”

“WHAT!!?”

Dian Jiuzhi abruptly shot to his feet and turned as white as a sheet. His aura swept through the area chaotically and destroyed their teacups.

Yun Che lifted a finger and kept both the debris and the tea from touching him. He continued in a calm voice, “The only course of action aunt... excuse me, I mean senior sword Fairy, could take was to draw the Ancestral Qilin God away from the Heaven Breaker Divine Daughter as far as possible, but she was alone. I happened to be in the area, and when I saw this, I found myself unable to ignore a life in need and jumped in to rescue the Heaven Breaker Divine Daughter. Luckily, we were ultimately able to escape.”

Yun Che looked up and examined the lingering fear and trepidation on the Boundless Divine Son’s face. “Since then, senior sword Fairy allowed me to address her as aunt and promised to shield me from harm.”

Dian Jiuzhi’s reaction toward Hua Caili’s grievous injuries and near death was quite excessive even considering his reputation. It took him a long, long time before he finally murmured, “To think... that something like that happened...”

“Yes, that is what happened,” Yun Che confirmed.

Dian Jiuzhi let out a long, deep breath. Although the incident was relatively long in the past, he still looked like he was in deep shock.

His aura gradually returned to calm, and when he looked at Yun Che again, he found himself staring into a pair of pure, honest eyes. It was almost as if all hypocrisy, cunning, dirt and slander... would naturally be exposed before the pair of impossibly pure eyes.

Dian Jiuzhi’s gaze changed. It was less probing and evaluating than before, and far, far more grateful.

He abruptly took a step backward and gave Yun Che a deep, solemn bow.

As if caught completely off guard, Yun Che did not react until he had fully performed the salute. He jumped to his feet a bit panickedly and said, “Older Brother Dian, you... this is too much!”

Dian Jiuzhi replied sincerely, “I had thought for sure that Caili’s trial would not meet any real danger with senior Sword Fairy protecting her in secret. To think that she came so close to perishing, I just...”

“I did not even need to think to know just how terrifying the clash between senior Sword Fairy and the Ancestral Qilin God must have been. It would not be an exaggeration to say that death was the constant companion of anyone who dared to stray close to the battlefield, much less step onto it. If not for your suicidal rescue, I... just cannot imagine...”

He could not finish. His voice had grown a clear tremor as well.

At this point, he completely understood why Hua Qingying had given Yun Che such special treatment.

To Hua Qingying, Hua Caili was more important than her own life. No recompense was too great considering that Yun Che had saved Hua Caili’s life.

“You saved Caili’s life, Brother Yun. It is as if you have saved my own life.” Dian Jiuzhi took a step forward and gave Yun Che a heavy clap on the shoulder. “I shan’t ever forget this favor, Brother Yun. In the future, I will surely repay you a hundred times over!”

Yun Che hurriedly said, “You’re welcome, but there is no need, Older Brother Dian. That day, I was busy running for my life just like everyone else. The reason I saved the Heaven Breaker Divine Daughter was simply because she just happened to appear in my area. Besides, I’ve already obtained aunt’s protection, and I was able to return to the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God thanks to the Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God’s recommendation. I’ve more than received my recompense.”

Dian Jiuzhi shook his head. “Brother Yun, you have no idea how important Caili is to me. I wasn’t exaggerating earlier when I said that saving Caili is equal to saving my life.”

Yun Che: “Emmm...”

“In fact, the favor is so tremendous that I can’t think of a way to properly repay you right now.” He thought for a moment before saying seriously, “If you ever need my help in the future, just say the word, and I will do my best.”

Yun Che seemed to hesitate for a moment before breaking into a candid smile. “You really are a man of passion, Older Brother Dian. Very well. It would be disrespectful of me to turn down such great kindness. As you say, I will ask for your aid if I ever encounter a troublesome matter.”

“Hahahaha!” Dian Jiuzhi laughed happily. “I like it that you are so straightforward, Brother Yun! My name is Jiuzhi (Nine Knows), and one of the ‘Knows’ is ‘gratitude.’ I would not be able to sleep well if I could not repay such a tremendous favor!”

The two men returned to their seats, and the natural distance that existed between them was completely gone.

“If I may dare ask, Older Brother Dian, what is ‘Jiuzhi’?” Yun Che asked without any real thought behind it.

Dian Jiuzhi replied smilingly, “It is the name my Father bestowed me when I was first conferred as the Boundless Divine Son. It means to, ‘know self,’ ‘know others,’ ‘know life,’ ‘know gratitude,’ ‘know shame,’ ‘know good,’ ‘know evil,’ ‘know progress,’ ‘know compromise,’ and finally, ‘know fate.’”

Yun Che smiled but did not comment on the meaning of his name. He simply said, “I see.”

Dian Jiuzhi looked curious. “Usually, everyone I explained my name to would praise it as full of meaning, and that I should strive to live up to it. Your reaction is the first I’ve seen from anyone.”

Yun Che thought for a moment before answering, “You are a cultured yet candid man, Older Brother Dian, so I shall just say it as it is.”

Dian Jiuzhi smiled. “Please. I’m all ears.”

Yun Che lightly tapped his finger against the tea table and asked, “Have you ever truly felt like you understood yourself, Older Brother Dian?”

Dian Jiuzhi mulled over his thoughts but did not give him an immediate answer.

Yun Che looked forward and explained his meaning in the most indifferent voice. “There are countless people who gave their all and devoted their whole lives into achieving a certain goal, but when they finally achieved it, they felt empty instead of satisfaction and joy. When they looked back, they found that their path was riddled with holes and scars, but the people who once accompanied them on their journey were all gone... They thought they had obtained their heart’s desire, not realizing that the things they missed or lost would become eternal gaps in their souls until it was too late.”

“So does a person truly know what they desire?” Yun Che shifted his gaze slightly back to Dian Jiuzhi. “Older Brother Dian, do you truly understand what you desire in this life? Are you sure that your hard work up to this point is correct and without regrets?”

Before Dian Jiuzhi could answer, Yun Che continued as if talking to himself, “Knowing oneself is already this hard, but knowing others is a million times harder... one might even say that there is no such thing as a person who truly, fully, understood another person.”

“To ask a question in a similar vein... Older Brother Dian, are you sure that what you give to a person with all your heart and soul is what she really wants? Are you sure her thoughts are what you think they are?”

“...” Dian Jiuzhi seemed a little moved by this.

Again, Yun Che ignored his reaction and summarized his view, “To ‘know self’, ‘know others’, ‘know gratitude’, ‘know shame’, ‘know progress’, and ‘know compromise’... Those who claim that they know themselves is just deceiving themselves, those who claim they know others are just presuming, those who know shame and gratitude are easily trapped by the very concepts, those who knew progress are quick to regret their decision not to compromise, just those who knew compromise are quick to regret their decision not to progress.”

“As for ‘know life’, ‘know good’ ‘know evil’, and ‘know fate’...”

“It is hard enough to know self, and to claim to ‘know life’? How audacious can one get?”

“What is good, and what is evil? If a profound practitioner ventures into the Endless Fog, then the abyssal beast is a life-threatening evil that must be slain. However, to an abyssal beast, a profound practitioner is the villain who invades their territory. In that case, who is good, and who is evil? How can one determine that without thought?”

“As for ‘know fate’?” Yun Che shook his head wryly. “What is fate? Should a man obey the ancient saying, ‘fate cannot be defied’, or should they say, ‘I am the only one who decides my fate’? If fate is real, then why bother fighting at all? If fate isn’t real, then isn’t the whole concept just a big fat lie?”

In just a few sentences, Yun Che had utterly disparaged the name Boundless Divine Regent had bestowed to Dian Jiuzhi. “Therefore, your name might sound full of meaning, but in my opinion... it is the opposite.”

After he was done with his evaluation, Yun Che added humbly, “But of course, these are just my personal opinions. I am hardly experienced or knowledgeable, so there is no way I could understand the Boundless Divine Regent’s views. You should just treat it as nonsense.”

Dian Jiuzhi’s eyes were unfocused as if mulling over something, however. When he finally came to, he asked, “You have ever insisted on calling yourself Yun Che, Brother Yun. Is there some sort of expectation behind your name as well?”

Yun Che answered, “Yes, and no.”

Dian Jiuzhi: “?”

A look of reminiscence overtook Yun Che’s features. “My master is the one who gave me my name. He called me Yun Che because he hoped that I would be as carefree as the clouds, and as clear as the waters. No matter how high I climbed in the world, no matter how many merits I’ve earned, or what kind of reputation I’ve garnered for myself, his only expectation for me is to live safely, peacefully, and happily.”

It was a stark contrast compared to Dian Jiuzhi’s “Nine Knows” that was full of expectations, advice, and warnings.

Yun Che continued, “Therefore, everything I say and do to others or myself; favor or shame... I simply act as my heart tells me to. After all, if I were to value or obsess myself over a certain thing too much, it would have the opposite effect, you see.”

Suddenly, Li Suo’s voice rang inside Yun Che’s soul sea. “This confession of yours is surprisingly thoughtful and deep. Is this your view of life after everything you’ve been through?”

Yun Che secretly hid a smirk and replied, “Oh my god, it’s just a bunch of crap I came up with to disorient him, and you actually took it to heart? Forget about it now.”

Li Suo: “...”

Dian Jiuzhi fell silent for a while longer before sighing. “Ever since I became the Divine Son, I would always remind myself with ‘Nine Knows’ and never so much as bend the constraints. But now... I truly feel a little lost.”

“Hahahaha!” Yun Che suddenly barked out in laughter. “I told you it’s just a bunch of nonsense. You should be laughing together with me, much less feeling lost over it!”

Dian Jiuzhi did not do as he said, however. He said seriously, “It is my honor to make the acquaintance of a man like you, Brother Yun. It is one of my deepest regrets not being able to make your acquaintance sooner.”

He rose to his feet and said, “I’m sorry to say this, but I cannot linger because I still have some business to attend to. Although our meeting was short, it was a most enlightening and joyous one. You have given me much to think about, and I only regret not having met you earlier.”

Yun Che replied, “I am the same, brother.”

Dian Jiuzhi offered him a heartfelt invitation, “Your name will become renowned throughout the Abyss after today, Brother Yun. When you are free, please pay me a visit at the Boundless Kingdom of God. I promise I will be your host the entire way.”

“Haha, of course.”

“With this, I bid you goodbye!”

Dian Jiuzhi gave Yun Che a strong nod and turned around—or at least he wanted to, when another question suddenly occurred to him. “Brother Yun, There is one more thing I would like to ask your opinion about.”

“Please speak, Older Brother Dian.”

“Do you have... someone you’re interested in, Brother Yun?”

Yun Che answered without hesitation, “Of course.”

“In that case,” Dian Jiuzhi’s gaze grew a little shifty, “how would you earn your beloved’s love and delight?”

Yun Che replied smilingly, “When a tree is tall, phoenixes will come. When a flower smells nice, butterflies will arrive. True love is not begged, but drawn. Even if your begging did manage to attract something, it would not be love, but compromise and sympathy.”

Dian Jiuzhi wobbled a little. Then, he smiled. “Thank you for your guidance, Brother Yun. I shall take my leave now.”

“Zhanyi, please escort Divine Son Dian out.”

After Dian Jiuzhi left the confines of the Divine Son Palace, Yun Che’s expression immediately turned strange.

He muttered under his breath, “Back then, when I first arrived at the Eastern Divine Region, Qianying was the Lady Goddess and greatest ‘Divine Daughter’ of her kind. Her brain was full of schemes and plots, and her methods were only more ruthless and cunning than the last. She was so much scarier than the devils I knew back then. That god damned Brahma Soul Death-Wishing Mark especially makes me want to plough her at least ten times!”

“In comparison, this so-called greatest Divine Son of the six Kingdoms of God... I can scarcely believe that his brain is filled with such nonsense.”

Li Suo: “That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

Yun Che rubbed his chin and thought for a very long time. Finally, he muttered to himself, “Despite his brain, or rather lack of, the profound energy and pressure he gives off is no joke... In this regard at least, he definitely deserves his title.”

“Considering his cultivation, status, and a brain full of Caili... if I use him right, he could prove to be an excellent tool.”

Li Suo: “...”