Chapter 1873: The Azure Dragon's Prayer
After finishing the Dragon God Ancient Records, Yun Che's heart was filled with peace. Although he had long known the general outline, this record from the ancient era undoubtedly made everything clearer.
"Our lives, and this world, are far more fragile than we believe," Yun Che murmured. "Even clans as powerful as the Divine and Demon clans were completely annihilated, let alone our era."
Qianye Ying'er gave a cold snort. "This should have been a long-held realization in the Dragon God Realm. You haven't even officially become an emperor yet, and already you're worrying about the sky and the earth?"
Yun Che shot her a look and said crossly, "You're getting more and more insolent. Whatever I say, you can't wait to throw it back in my face."
"Of course," Qianye Ying'er said, arms crossed beneath her soft, full chest, unhurriedly. "Before, I was your female slave and plaything. Now I'm about to become your imperial consort. With such a massive change in status, how can things remain the same?"
Yun Che suddenly reached out, his fingertip hooking the black sash at her waist. His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Aren't you afraid that one word from me will keep you as nothing but a female slave and plaything for the rest of your life?"
"Fine," Qianye Ying'er suddenly laughed. The smile of a divine maiden, instantly dimming all light, soul-stealing and heart-ensnaring, made even Yun Che, the one most familiar with her in this world, momentarily lose focus.
She leaned forward, her cherry-colored jade lips lightly brushing against Yun Che's ear, her breath soft and warm, every word stirring the soul: "Among all men in the world, a divine maiden that even the God Emperors of the realms cannot obtain in their dreams, yet willingly serving as your female slave and plaything to be ravished and toyed with—that, in my eyes, is a true emperor."
"Is that so..." The blood in his entire body ignited in an instant. Yun Che's gaze grew even more dangerous. "In just a few years, you've gone from the unparalleled divine maiden of the world to the unparalleled plaything of the world. This transformation of yours could be called unparalleled too!"
"No, I have never changed." Qianye Ying'er's arms looped around Yun Che's neck, her golden-glowing eyes staring straight into his dark pupils. "Whether it was Qianye Ying'er or Yun Qianying, both will stop at nothing to pursue what they desire. What changed is only the target of that desire."
"For instance..." Her voice suddenly turned soft and charming, her gaze so seductive that any man would sink into eternal depravity. "After all my efforts, you, who once hated me to the bone, can now no longer do without me, right?"
"..." Yun Che said nothing. With a sudden forceful tug, the sash between his fingers was violently snapped. Then, her black dress shattered, skin glowing like jade, and Qianye Ying'er's jade body was roughly pressed beneath him.
At that moment, the barrier suddenly parted. A soft voice, even more soul-stirring than Qianye Ying'er's by three parts, drifted in leisurely: "This is the Dragon God Region, still full of disasters and chaos, with remnants of the Dragon God clan yet to be cleansed. Even if you two are unbearably parched, at least consider the setting."
"...!" Yun Che's body froze, and he hurriedly tried to get up, but Qianye Ying'er's jade arms held him tighter.
"Demon Empress, choosing precisely this moment to enter, wouldn't you like to join us?" Qianye Ying'er said with a smile. "It's only fitting. In the future, we'll inevitably have to serve the emperor together. Starting now isn't bad... oh? I almost forgot. It seems the Demon Empress has yet to receive the Demon Lord's favor. You must be completely ignorant of the art of service. To be so eager to serve together might be a bit premature."
Yun Che exerted himself, finally breaking free from Qianye Ying'er's grip and standing up.
Chi Wuyue narrowed her seductive eyes and said softly, "Yun Qianying, you haven't even been officially enfeoffed as an imperial consort, yet you're already provoking me. That's quite dangerous."
Qianye Ying'er rose, ignoring her torn top, letting her proud, snow-white skin bare before Chi Wuyue. "How dangerous? I'm very curious to know right now."
"You don't want to know," Chi Wuyue said with a faint smile.
"~!@#$%^..." Yun Che's gaze darted left and right, his hair standing on end.
Wh... what's going on?
Weren't they getting along fine before? Why did things suddenly turn sour?
"Ahem, Demon Empress, is there something important?" Yun Che quickly interjected.
Chi Wuyue said, "Cang Shitian's actions were very clean and decisive. He has already broadly announced that he is passing the position of Canglan God Emperor to Cang Shuhe. The formal ceremony will take place three months from now. Before that, the Demon Lord needs to return to the Canglan Realm at least a month in advance to heal Cang Shuhe's ailing body and align her Canglan bloodline with the Canglan divine power."
"Additionally, the Qilin Emperor and the Azure Dragon Emperor sought an audience three days ago. I told the Qilin Emperor that the Demon Lord was occupied and persuaded him to leave, but the Azure Dragon Emperor insisted on meeting you. She has been waiting without moving for over thirty hours. Of course, if the Demon Lord doesn't mind, you can continue here."
"I understand. I'll go see her."
Yun Che nodded slightly, stepped toward the hall, and fled this awkward atmosphere.
Chi Wuyue did not move. The two women's eyes silently clashed.
"Yun Qianying," Chi Wuyue said blandly, "I am not deliberately interrupting you, nor do I intend to monopolize the Demon Lord. On the contrary, in the future, I will be fully focused on expanding his harem. After all, an unparalleled emperor who towers above the God Emperors of the king realms—if his harem has fewer consorts than even a lowly lower realm king, that would be a major dereliction of my duty."
"At the very least, the nine children by my side will all be married into his household along with me. You won't oppose that, will you?"
"I don't oppose it." Qianye Ying'er smiled faintly. "No matter how many women you stuff beside him, I will always be the most irreplaceable one. All these years I've spent by his side weren't for nothing."
"As for you," Qianye Ying'er moved gracefully until she was beside Chi Wuyue, "I don't fear you. I just want to tell you something."
Chi Wuyue: "?"
"You surpass me in almost every aspect, but in one thing, you seem confident and in control, yet in reality, you're still a fledgling."
Her lips approached Chi Wuyue's ear and she said slowly, "For men, no matter how far you plan or how thorough you are, it's never as useful as simply pouncing on him. Because the male creature thinks with the upper half of his body when facing enemies, but with the lower half when facing women."
"The more seductive the woman, the more effective."
"And Yun Che—no matter how cold and dignified he acts outwardly, isn't he still, at his core, just a man?"
Qianye Ying'er pulled up the torn fabric of her chest, concealing a radiance that would dim the bright moon, and smiled faintly... Now that the danger had been resolved and the fierce battle had ceased, with no need for human nature or schemes, she had finally scored a victory over Chi Wuyue.
Just as she herself had said, she had never really changed—only the thing she desired had changed. And it seemed she was no longer quite as cold-blooded.
Of course, that was only how it seemed.
"...Not a bad suggestion." Chi Wuyue slowly closed her eyes, her jade lips slightly tilted. "As repayment, on the day the Demon Lord is crowned emperor, when I, Jie Xin, Chan Yi, and the others serve him together, I might grant you permission... to observe from the sidelines."
Qianye Ying'er: "..."
In the end, she was the Demon Empress. The upper hand Qianye Ying'er had held for no more than a few breaths was crushed by a single word.
"Hmph!" Qianye Ying'er covered her chest with her hands and suddenly said coldly, "Here we are, fighting openly and secretly, while all the benefits go to that man outside. It's truly infuriating."
"This is what he deserves, isn't it?" Chi Wuyue still smiled faintly.
"Tch!" Qianye Ying'er turned her gaze away. "Then go ahead and spoil him rotten! Spoil him until he's useless!"
...
Walking out of the Dragon God Hall, the Azure Dragon Emperor was indeed waiting there. She wore a green robe, her skirt flowing like water to the ground, trailing over three feet behind her. When the wind brushed past, it lightly outlined two exceptionally long legs, their curves as beautiful as if carved by heaven.
Seeing Yun Che, the Azure Dragon Emperor's long-quiet azure eyes finally rippled like water. She stepped forward a few paces, bowed gracefully, and said, "Qingque of the Azure Dragon Realm pays respects to the Demon Lord."
Yun Che faced sideways to her, speaking coldly: "Kneel and speak."
"..." The Azure Dragon Emperor's brows tightened slightly, but she finally knelt on one knee.
Her movement was slow and unfamiliar. After all, as the Azure Dragon Emperor, even when meeting the Dragon God in the past, she only needed to offer a simple bow.
As the Azure Dragon Emperor's posture descended, the oppressive feeling that no man could bear faded away. Yun Che finally turned around and said flatly, "What is it?"
The Azure Dragon Emperor bowed her head and said, "Qingque has come to make a request..."
"Speak directly!"
His cold demeanor and words carried immense pressure. If she weren't the Azure Dragon Emperor, she would likely have been terrified into losing the ability to think.
The Azure Dragon Emperor lifted her head, adopting a pleading posture even as a God Emperor: "In accordance with the Demon Lord's orders, most of those carrying the Dragon God bloodline have been controlled, and those who fled are being besieged with full force. However... I beg the Demon Lord to show mercy and spare the young of the Dragon God clan."
"..." Yun Che slowly lowered his gaze, his eyes like cold blades. "Azure Dragon Emperor, do you realize how foolish it is for a God Emperor to say such words?"
"Cutting the grass without removing the roots will bring endless trouble in the future." The Azure Dragon Emperor said softly. "I personally witnessed everything back then. So I understand better than anyone that even if the Demon Lord were to not only eradicate the Dragon God bloodline but slaughter the entire Dragon God Realm, no one would have the right to accuse the Demon Lord of cruelty."
The coldness in Yun Che's eyes lessened by a fraction. "And so?"
The Azure Dragon Emperor raised her azure eyes and said slowly, "My Azure Dragon clan, generation after generation, takes 'protection' as its will. We abhor bullying and slaughter. The Demon Lord once saved the entire world and also spared my entire Azure Dragon Realm. Therefore, though this purge of the Dragon God Realm goes against our ancestral teachings, we have no regrets or complaints... However, I simply cannot bring myself to strike down those innocent young ones of the Dragon God clan. Even if the Qilin Emperor were to do it... I cannot stand by and watch."
"Ha. Heh." Yun Che gave a low, cold laugh. "Azure Dragon Emperor, kindness is a good thing, but being a saint is nauseating. Which category do you think you fall into?"
"They are innocent? Then my family, my homeland—they all deserved to die!?"
Even though Lan Ji Star was safe, the bone-deep pain that had lasted for years still made his face twist with a momentary ferocity.
The Azure Dragon Emperor did not flinch. She looked at Yun Che, her azure eyes shimmering with watery light: "You are a different kind of person from those ungrateful ones who destroyed your homeland... Even if you are shrouded in darkness and have bloodied the realms, I still believe that you are not a truly cruel and evil person."
"A true demon would not face the Calamity Demon Emperor alone while others knelt; would not risk his life to appear when his homeland was in danger; would not suffer heartbreak over the death of his family, willing to fall into the abyss; and would not have so many people willing to die for his sake."
Yun Che frowned.
"The young of the Dragon God bloodline are mostly ignorant. Some have yet to step into the world, and some are still swaddled in infancy... My Azure Dragon clan once received a great favor from the Dragon God Realm. I tried to convince myself for several days, but in the end, I could not..."
Her azure eyes closed, and she breathed lightly. "If the Demon Lord is willing to show mercy and spare them, I will personally sever their dragon veins, so that their cultivation can never surpass the Divine Sovereign realm, ensuring that no master dragon will ever again emerge from this bloodline, nor will any threat like Long Bai arise."
"I will also do my utmost to make them live in reverence and gratitude toward the Demon Lord... The Demon Lord's great grace and broad-mindedness in sparing the young blood of the Dragon God clan, I will proclaim loudly throughout the world. I believe that the myriad spirits of the Western Divine Region will be moved by it, lower their defenses, and be all the more willing to submit at the Demon Lord's feet."
"I beg the Demon Lord... to grant this wish." Her voice trembled as she bowed deeply.
"..." Yun Che stared hard at the Azure Dragon Emperor for a moment, then turned and walked away.
In his ears were the gradually fading footsteps of Yun Che. The Azure Dragon Emperor straightened her upper body and let out a dark sigh.
At that moment, Yun Che's voice suddenly came from afar: "Those under twenty years old, erase their memories and sever their dragon veins. They may live."
The path had taken an unexpected turn. The Azure Dragon Emperor's head snapped up, her azure eyes shimmering.
"On one condition: you must agree to a condition of mine."
"Good," the Azure Dragon Emperor said without hesitation. "The Demon Lord commands—Qingque dares not disobey."
"That condition, I haven't thought of it yet." Yun Che said flatly, his back to her. "I just like having leverage over others. It will be much more convenient the next time I have something to task you with."
The Azure Dragon Emperor: "..."
"Your reasoning was not enough to convince me. Consider this as me accumulating virtue for my future children and grandchildren. Moreover..."
Yun Che stopped and turned his head: "You are not suited to be a God Emperor of a king realm. As a decorative vase, though, you would be fine."
[The daily life you asked for... (*/w＼*)]