Chapter 2175 – To Toss A Stone
[1]
It was the same hall, the same seats, even the same tea aroma. However, the gazes and the hearts of the two men sitting opposite each other could never be the same as before.
Shangguan Helu, the personal attendant to the duo, was unconsciously twisting the hem of her robes, betraying the tension welling inside her. Hidden in the shadows, Meng Shouyuan’s aura was several times more cautious than usual as well. It was as if he were afraid that the Boundless Divine Son might suddenly lose control and strike down Yun Che right here at the heart of the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God.
However, Yun Che’s composure was almost the same as during their first meeting: seven parts smiles and three parts modesty. Dian Jiuzhi’s face was completely devoid of any negative emotion as well, at least none that anyone could see. His gaze was warm and gentle, and his demeanor was refined and measured. Not a trace of animosity lingered between the duo. In fact, they looked like old friends who were mildly acquainted with each other.
“I was in secluded cultivation when you were visiting and so could not welcome you in person. It was most impolite of me. I hereby offer you my apology and ask for your forgiveness.”
Yun Che offered the man a surprisingly appropriate and courteous apology.
Dian Jiuzhi responded with a small smile of his own, “You exaggerate, Divine Son Yuan. My visit was unannounced and unexpected. I only learned of the gift you received from High Priest Ling Xian recently. Of course, you should focus on cultivating the Vermillion Bird divine blood. It is I who should apologize for disturbing you at such a critical time.”
His modest and courteous response was as sincere as it could be, but the way he addressed Yun Che had changed. He was addressing him as ‘Divine Son Yuan’, not ‘Brother Yun’ any longer.
Seemingly not noticing the change in appellation, Yun Che asked naturally, “I heard that you have lingered in Dreamweaver for ten days straight. May I know what business you have with me?”
Dian Jiuzhi shook his head and cracked a bitter smile. “Father’s anger still hasn’t subsided to this day, and it turns out that we share many ideological and cognitive differences. At first, we argued endlessly with each other. Later, he would be overcome by rage every time he saw me. That is why I am avoiding him for the moment. Perhaps my absence would help him quell his rage gradually.”
Yun Che looked at him and said calmly, “There are two main reasons the Boundless Divine Regent cannot master his rage to this day. One, he could not accept or forget the heavy blow he received from his two best friends, and two… he could not not be angry at your absence of anger and resistance.”
“So,” Yun Che leaned forward slightly, “why aren’t you angry?”
Yun Che’s question was as sudden as it was unkind, but Dian Jiuzhi’s expression did not reveal any turmoil. He replied calmly, “For most people, it may be difficult for them to accept the fact that they are inferior to others. However, I have no such problems, even if I was a so-called ‘number one Divine Son’ in the past.”
He looked Yun Che straight in the eye, unflinching and unswerving. “Divine essence, talent, willpower, shrewdness, appearance… I am inferior to you in every respect. High Priest Liu Xiao had pleaded on your behalf, High Priest Ling Xian had bestowed you a gift, and I even heard that the Abyssal Monarch summoned you for a private audience. To say that I am inferior to you would be an understatement. I may never reach your level in countless ways, even if I give my all to improve myself for as long as I live.”
“Therefore, you are undoubtedly the better partner for Caili between the two of us. In fact… ignoring the fact that she was my fiancée, I am certain you are the only one in this world who deserves her.”
“In that case, why should I get mad or resist? It would only exemplify my unworthiness and increase her regret and worry.”
His words were so frank and calm that Shangguan Helu unconsciously turned around and looked at him with wide eyes.
Yun Che nodded slowly. “Thank you for your honesty, Brother Dian.”
It was at this moment that Dian Jiuzhi narrowed his eyes slightly. “On the other hand, you are acting much differently from how I expect you to act. I thought you would at least give me a few undisguised sneers, or look down on me with the scorn and contempt of a victor.”
Yun Che said seriously, “A member of the Boundless Kingdom of God definitely has the right to be angry at your absence of anger and resistance. A man of the secular world would definitely ridicule you behind your back as well. After all, how could a weakling at heart possibly let go of the opportunity to ridicule the number one Divine Son?”
“Regardless of the circumstances, though, one should never laugh at one’s true feelings. After all, it might just be the rarest and most precious thing in the entire world.”
Dian Jiuzhi was clearly stunned for a moment. Then, he broke into a light smile that was more genuine than any smile he had mustered up until this point. “You really are a wonderful person. I truly think it would be an honor to have a friend like you. Alas… I cannot truly remove this thorn in my heart.”
Yun Che responded with his own smile, “I wouldn’t accept you as a friend even if you are unwilling to let bygones be bygones. After all, I no longer believe that a saint could exist in this world. Even if such a person does exist, I would think that they are simply wearing the mask of a saint.”
“Hahahaha!”
Dian Jiuzhi laughed. “Well said. Well said. For the past month, every one of my elders has been furious with my lack of resistance and has accused me of pedantry. Some people even made fun of me, calling me a spineless, grudgeless saint. However, not a single person in the entire Boundless Kingdom of God truly understands me, much less realizes that my absence of anger and resistance is my selfish way of pleasing myself and satisfying my own wish.”
“Unfortunately, the one person who understands me is…”
He shook his head smilingly and let out a long sigh. Suddenly, he turned around and looked Yun Che straight in his eyes. “So, what happened at the Pure Land in front of High Priest Ling Xian’s abode was intentional? Were you the one behind Dian Sansi’s acts of madness as well?”
“That’s right.”
Yun Che admitted his crime with exceptional frankness, without a shred of guilt or hesitation. “You are fifty sexagenary years older than me. You would understand more than I just how deep a bond the three Divine Regents shared. Therefore, my affair with Caili was always going to hurt their bond no matter what.”
“For the longest time, the Heart Painter Divine Regent and the Dreamless Divine Regent were searching for a way to settle this peacefully; to find a perfect solution where all parties would be appeased. However, my life experiences taught me that one of the most dangerous things in this world is greed. Those who covet two things at once would often lose both of them, and I personally believe in breaking through by force to establish anew, cutting through tangled threads with a swift blade.”
“Moreover, I am willing to resort to any means necessary for Caili!”
His final sentence was the same answer he gave the Abyssal Monarch. It was the answer that could touch the Abyssal Monarch the most, and it was no different for Dian Jiuzhi.
Dian Jiuzhi fell silent for a long time. Finally, he said, “Sansi once told me that you have two faces. When your other face surfaces, it’s like he’s facing a man-eating devil.”
“My intentions were to test you when I came to Dreamweaver. I don’t care how many faces you have or what your true face looks like. However, I cannot not care how you treat Caili or whether your love for her is genuine.”
“Thanks to your answer, I’m willing to believe that your love is genuine. After all, you did waste two High Priests’ favors just to endure twice the punishment of devouring rage for Caili. Besides that, Caili is such a wonderful woman. She is deserving of any man resorting to any means to protect her.”
He rose to his feet. “So, I can rest easy now.”
Yun Che rose to his feet as well. “How long are you planning to stay in Dreamweaver?”
“I’m leaving right now.”
Dian Jiuzhi looked forward and said, “The Dreamless Divine Regent is exceptionally busy as of late. I was unable to meet him even though it’s been almost two weeks since I arrived. So, I ask that you pass on my message to him. Please tell him not to approach my Father for at least a month. Father is like two different people when he is angry and not.”
“I was hoping to travel to the Heaven Breaker Divine Regent and pay the Heart Painter Divine Regent a visit as well, but I do not want to put pressure or cause trouble for Caili, so…”
He let out a small sigh and curled his lips into a bitter smile. “I guess I’ll just wander about until Father’s rage is almost spent.”
Yun Che did not attempt to dissuade him, but remarked with a touch of emotion, “Brother Dian, you were gentle and courteous, humble and polite during our first meeting. You utterly lack the haughtiness the number one Divine Son should possess. However, I believed that you were simply concealing your edge beneath a calm exterior. At the very least, I refused to believe that someone of your stature could be a true gentleman.”
“But now, I realize that I was too narrow-minded. You truly deserve the title of gentleman, Brother Dian.”
Dian Jiuzhi’s smile didn’t quite reach the eye. “For a Divine Son of a Kingdom of God, the title is hardly a compliment.”
“No,” Yun Che countered, “it is precisely because you are a Divine Son that it makes it all the more precious.”
Dian Jiuzhi said nothing after that. Instead, he reached out and placed a silver jadestone on the tea table.
“This is the Sound Transmission Jade my Father created specially for me. It contains my Father’s Boundless divine power. You may use it to contact me from anywhere in the world, so long as it is not the Endless Fog. It probably has six or seven uses left.
Yun Che picked it up, the stone’s silver light reflecting into his eyes. He knew what Dian Jiuzhi meant by this gesture, of course. He accepted it candidly and said, “Alright, I accept. I will not hesitate to ask for your help if it’s a necessary matter relating to Caili.”
Dian Jiuzhi smiled faintly and said something unbelievable to his face, “Do not hesitate even if it’s a matter that will cost me my life.”
Yun Che: “……”
Dian Jiuzhi took his leave after that. Yun Che saw him off with his eyes and gave him what he considered the highest amount of courtesy he could possibly afford the man.
Inside his heart, though, a sigh was echoing in silence: Indeed, how can a Boundless Divine Son afford to be a gentleman… when a gentleman has so, so too many weaknesses and openings.
Not long after Dian Jiuzhi was gone, Meng Jianxi strode up to him. He asked, “How did it go, Brother Yuan?”
Yun Che raised a hand, and the Vermillion Bird Flame ignited between his fingers. The divine flame should be hot and scorching, and yet the heat wave it released was warm and soothing.
Meng Jianxi immediately praised him, “As expected of Brother Yuan. To think you would ignite High Priest Ling Xian’s divine flames in just a couple weeks’ time.”
He added half-jokingly, “With this flame, you may go wherever you please, even if you are not the Dreamweaver Divine Son.”
Yun Che extinguished the flame and asked, “How is senior Divine Regent doing these days?”
Meng Jianxi shook his head smilingly. “The Dream Halls cannot stop arguing about who to send to the Eternal Pure Land. Even those elders who were retired had resurfaced to fight for their juniors. This is just one matter, and Father already looks like he wants to retire himself.”
Suddenly, he changed the subject. “The Boundless Divine Son… he didn’t say anything too unpleasant, did he?”
Yun Che responded with a mirthful smile. “What you really want to ask is Long Jiang’s matter, isn’t it?”
“Haha, I knew I couldn’t fool you, Brother Yuan.”
Meng Jianxi replied smilingly, “Judging from your expression, though, it probably isn’t bad news. Her tone was cold, and her demeanor was forceful when I mentioned you at the border entrance earlier. That’s why I thought she had something on you while you were wandering the world.”
“After all, she’s the Scarfaced Dragon Girl of the dragon race, and yet she acted unbelievably surly despite your current fame. I thought for sure she had something backing up her behavior, and so I did my best to steady her at the first sign. Now, though, it looks like I was just overworrying about things.”
Obviously, Long Jiang’s identity was no secret to Meng Jianxi.
“No, your decision and judgment are impeccable.”
Yun Che complimented him but did not explain why. Next, he produced a large, oddly shaped abyssal crystal, its form strange and its light and aura even stranger. He asked, “Do you recognize this abyssal crystal, Divine Son Xi?”
It was none other than the “Coiling Dragon Seven Profound Crystal” Yun Che had created with the Divine Jade of Revelation as the base, various draconic abyssal crystals as the supporting materials, and the power of nothingness that allowed him to control abyssal dust.
The large and strange-looking abyssal crystal instantly captured Meng Jianxi’s attention. He quickly came closer and carefully circulated his divine perception over the object. A short while later, he exclaimed in astonishment, “What an aura. There is no doubt that it’s the highest level abyssal crystal. Strangely, the draconic aura it contains is nothing like the abyssal dragons that I know of, and even this shape… I have never seen something like this before.”
He said with sparkling eyes, “Brother Yuan, I have memorized every mutated abyssal crystal that is recorded in the Xuanji Hall, but I have never seen this abyssal crystal before. There is an extremely high chance that it is a never-before-seen mutated abyssal crystal.”
The uncannily bizarre shape gave Meng Jianxi a sense of déjà vu, but the feeling was so vague it passed the next instant. “Where did this abyssal crystal come from, Brother Yuan? Was it a gift from your master as well?”
“No.”
Yun Che lied without batting an eye, “Long Jiang and I came to be indebted to each other during my years of wandering. That is why she sought me out. It is to give me this abyssal crystal and repay an old debt. She has a personality that is stiffer and colder than an abyssal stone, and there’s nothing she hates more than owing a debt.”
After that, Yun Che pushed the “Coiling Dragon Seven Profound Crystal” in Meng Jianxi’s direction. The Dreamless Divine Son hurriedly caught it with both hands while wearing a serious expression.
“If even you haven’t heard of this abyssal crystal… why not engrave its image into Profound Imagery Stones and pass it to the other Kingdoms of God? Maybe even the Pure Land? Perhaps one of them would know about it. We can study it ourselves, but it is inevitable that the process will damage the crystal.”
“You are right.”
Meng Jianxi completely agreed with the statement. “I will send someone to look into this abyssal crystal right away. Just look at its size! Assuming we can utilize it in full, the power it unleashes might very well be miraculous.”
Meng Jianxi’s footsteps were filled with barely concealed excitement and urgency when he left. After all, he was carrying what was most likely the first ever mutated abyssal crystal of its kind. It could very well be a mutated abyssal crystal that stunned the world with its potency.
Yun Che slowly narrowed his eyes as the tiny “stone” he cast fell into the seemingly calm lake. He looked forward to seeing the kind of waves Shenwu Yi would create with this “stone”.
1. To Find out what’s ahead. Or in Western terms, to test the waters. ☜