Chapter 2062: One Person, Thousand Faces
"The Wandao Divine Official is knowledgeable about both the past and present. It can be said that there is nothing he doesn't know. He also oversees all kinds of rare treasures in the Pure Land, such as profound tools, Abyss Crystals, array hubs, pills... many, many things. My Liyun Sword was a gift from the Wandao Divine Official."
"The Lingxian Divine Official is an exceptionally gentle old grandmother. If you see her, you would definitely not believe she is a Divine Official. But for some reason, as I grew up, I always felt that Granny Lingxian carried a sorrowful aura about her. I even secretly asked the other Divine Officials about it, but they wouldn't answer me, and their expressions were all very strange."
"The Liuxiao Divine Official is even less like a Divine Official than Granny Lingxian."
"*Cough!*" Hua Caili cleared her throat, then tilted her head, trying her best to imitate that lazy and unrestrained manner: "'Laugh at others, laugh at myself, laugh at past and present. Laugh at heaven, laugh at earth, laugh at the pagoda.' He chants this phrase every day, and never gets tired of it himself. Oh, right..." She thought of something, her eyes flickering, and she looked at Yun Che earnestly: "If one day we go to the Pure Land together, I must bring you before Uncle Liuxiao. He will definitely like you very, very much."
"Why?" Yun Che straightened his expression seriously: "I'm not exactly the type to be bouncing around joyfully all day, am I?"
"Hehe, you'll know when the time comes." Hua Caili smiled mysteriously, and her mood suddenly became much more cheerful. Because if she could gain the favor of a Divine Official, the obstacles between her and Yun Che would undoubtedly diminish significantly.
"..." Yun Che seemed thoughtful, then asked: "What about the Great Divine Official? I've rarely heard any rumors about him."
"The Great Divine Official is the most mysterious and also the most solemn."
From the tone Hua Caili used to describe the Great Divine Official, it was clear that her relationship with him was the most distant: "When I was in the Pure Land, I rarely ran into him. Occasionally when I did, he would never take the initiative to acknowledge me... so later, I stopped acknowledging him either."
Clearly, Hua Caili was quite favored in the Pure Land.
Because the Four Divine Officials were existences second only to the Abyss Emperor in the Abyss World, transcendent above the Six Kingdoms and Seven Gods.
"Then... does the Great Divine Official not have his own title?" Yun Che asked.
"It seems not." Hua Caili replied: "Even Granny Lingxian and the others address him as the Great Divine Official. But... once, when I was bidding farewell to Uncle Abyss Emperor, I happened to encounter the Great Divine Official having an audience. I heard Uncle Abyss Emperor seem to call him 'Dahuang'."
"..." Yun Che's brow twitched slightly.
"'Great Dahuang Divine Official' sounds strange. It has none of the imposing aura of 'Great Divine Official'."
"Indeed." Yun Che nodded in agreement, looking deeply convinced: "Speaking of which, you mentioned before that the Abyss Emperor only created seven Divine Cores in total. Then how was the power of the Four Divine Officials passed down?"
"Ah? Passed down?" Hua Caili showed a face full of surprise: "The Four Divine Officials, like Uncle Abyss Emperor, have existed since the beginning of the Abyss. They created the Abyss World together with the Abyss Emperor and have continued to this day. Brother Yun doesn't know this?"
"This rumor... is actually true?" Yun Che showed a timely look of shock: "With the Abyss's history of millions of years, I thought that aside from the Abyss Emperor, no one could possibly have such a long lifespan. That day when you mentioned the matter of 'Divine Source Inheritance,' I assumed from that that the power of the Divine Officials was also preserved through generations of inheritance."
If all this was true, then the essence of the Four Divine Officials was clearly...
Four Ancient True Gods!
"The records say that when the Abyss Emperor first arrived in this world, the Abyss Dust was especially terrifying, and even True Gods fell one after another. The Four Divine Officials have been able to accompany the Abyss Emperor to this day—they must be incredibly powerful, right?" Yun Che's eyes overflowed with longing.
With Hua Qingying present, Yun Che never actively asked Hua Caili for any information about the Abyss. Instead, under his seemingly casual, roundabout guidance, Hua Caili would voluntarily tell him things, and he would then follow up with questions.
"Of course!" Hua Caili lifted herself slightly on her toes, her lips drawing close to Yun Che's: "I even secretly asked Father God if he could beat Granny Lingxian. Father said that not to mention himself, even the most powerful of the Six Kingdoms and Seven Gods, the Jueluo God Venerable, could not possibly defeat Granny Lingxian... That answer really startled me at the time, because Granny Lingxian is such a gentle and soft person."
Yun Che was not at all surprised by Hua Caili's words.
Becoming a god through one's own body versus forcibly becoming a god by bearing the power of a Divine Source—how could they be the same concept? Moreover, the latter had to bear the price of life-shortening.
They journeyed slowly, gradually approaching the Zhe Tian Divine Kingdom.
The vast Abyss stretched endlessly in grayish white. But it felt as if only the two of them existed between heaven and earth. Especially Hua Caili, whose infatuation with Yun Che grew with each passing day, to the point where she often forgot about Hua Qingying's presence.
"The area further ahead is basically all vassals of the Zhe Tian Divine Kingdom."
"These vassal states or vassal sects offer a sufficient quantity of various Abyss Crystals to the Zhe Tian Divine Kingdom every year. In return, the Zhe Tian Divine Kingdom grants them protection and sends people every ten years to recast the barriers that isolate the Abyss Dust. Occasionally, they also select some young profound practitioners with sufficient aptitude to be accepted into the Divine Kingdom... Huh?"
Hua Caili's voice came to a sudden halt. She looked ahead, her face full of surprise and uncertainty.
"What's wrong?" Yun Che turned his head.
"This aura..." As she released her divine sense, her earlier doubt turned into certainty: "It's Qingxiao's aura."
"Qingxiao?"
"He's my youngest younger brother." Hua Caili grabbed Yun Che's wrist: "Even though he's the youngest, he's already eighty Jiazi in age. What is he doing running all the way out here?"
Eighty Jiazi... the youngest...
And Hua Caili had awakened her divine rank at around ten years old.
Calculating it that way, it seemed Hua Fuchen, the Heart-Painting Divine Venerable, was truly a devoted lover.
"Brother Yun, let's go see him."
Just as Hua Caili was about to move, Yun Che pulled her back: "Wait a moment."
Meeting Hua Caili's backward glance, Yun Che quickly explained: "It's best if others don't know about our relationship yet."
"I understand." Before Yun Che could explain further, Hua Caili said earnestly: "If we announce it directly, it would be equivalent to openly tearing apart the face of the Senluo Divine Kingdom, and it would also damage Father God's reputation and that of the Zhe Tian Divine Kingdom. The first person who should know is Father God, at least giving him enough time to react and accept it, so he can think of a way to handle it."
She spoke these words rationally and clearly.
From beginning to end, she knew what being together with Yun Che meant... but she did it without hesitation.
"Alright." Yun Che smiled and said no more, flying with Hua Caili toward the city domain ahead.
"Qingxiao has a very gentle and obedient nature. When I returned to the Divine Kingdom from the Pure Land at the age of ten, he was a little child of four or five, very cute. So I've always had a good relationship with this little brother. It's just that, for some reason, Father God doesn't seem to like him very much."
Hua Caili's words made Yun Che smile meaningfully: "That suggests that your little brother's true appearance is different from what you see."
"Ah?" Hua Caili was somewhat puzzled.
As they rapidly approached, the person whose aura Hua Caili was seeking came into view.
His aura was too strong and domineering; it was impossible not to notice.
Yun Che stopped: "If you go over now, you might just see his other 'face.'"
Hua Caili thought for a moment, then concealed her aura and silently drew near.
Boom!!
With a loud crash, a figure was sent flying several zhang away by a vicious slap, accompanied by a gnashing, furious curse:
"You dog! You sure have some nerve!"
The man who had been sent flying was richly dressed and had an imposing manner, clearly of very high status and cultivation. But he didn't dare show the slightest bit of hatred or anger. He scrambled to his feet but didn't stand up; instead, he half-knelt on the ground, humbly pleading to the young man in front: "Calm your anger, Divine Son Xiao. Even if I had the boldness of heaven, I would never dare to show disrespect to Divine Son Xiao."
The elders and disciples of his sect all around him wore ugly expressions, but not one dared to step forward.
"Heh!" Hua Qingxiao walked forward slowly, looking down at the middle-aged man who half-knelt without daring to rise: "No guts? Then why, when you obtained that Crimson Mysterious Abyss Crystal, did you not present it directly to this Divine Son, but instead offer it to Father God? And Father God ended up rewarding it to that bitch Hua Lianzhi!"
"No, no!" Sect Master Yin hastily explained: "When I presented it, I specifically stated that it was offered to Divine Son Xiao. But who knew..."
Bang!
Hua Qingxiao kicked out fiercely, sending Sect Master Yin tumbling heavily to the ground.
"You fool!" His gaze was sinister, each word like a knife: "Once an offering enters the treasury, only Father God and the Sword Venerable have the final say. It's not this Divine Son's place to decide! One Crimson Mysterious Abyss Crystal is worth a hundred jin of ordinary Abyss Crystals. Do you think this Divine Son doesn't understand your intentions!?"
"Sect Master Yin, it seems you've forgotten who it was that gave your broken-down sect the right to become a vassal of my Zhe Tian Divine Kingdom in the first place."
"No, Divine Son Xiao, I would never dare to forget." Sect Master Yin's body cowered, not daring to show the slightest disrespect: "The matter of the Crimson Mysterious Abyss Crystal was entirely my negligence. I deserve to die ten thousand deaths. I beg Divine Son Xiao to be merciful and please do not cut off our barrier. Otherwise, the entire sect, from top to bottom, will lose many to the calamity of the Abyss Dust."
The old man behind Hua Qingxiao had been frowning slightly, but remained silent all along.
The ancient sword slung across his back marked him as a sword attendant.
Hua Qingxiao's eyes slanted, and he said coldly: "We have some history, so I wouldn't go so far as to utterly destroy you. Sect Master Yin, I'll give you a chance."
"Within a hundred years, I don't care what method you use—find it, buy it, steal it, rob it—you must deliver a Crimson Mysterious Abyss Crystal to this Divine Son's hands. Understand?"
Sect Master Yin's face was deeply embittered, but he dared not argue. He bowed his head and replied: "Yes, I will... do my utmost."
"Very good. Also..." Hua Qingxiao suddenly turned his gaze to a delicate-looking woman at the back of the crowd, whose face was full of heartache and fear: "Your youngest daughter is quite nice. She'll do for tonight."
Sect Master Yin jerked his head up. The boundless pain and terror twisted his face in an instant: "Divine Son Xiao, all this is my fault. It has nothing to do with my daughter. I beg Divine Son Xiao..."
Slap!!
With another loud crack, Sect Master Yin was sent flying sideways once more.
Hua Qingxiao shook his hand, sneering contemptuously: "You dog! This Divine Son taking a liking to your daughter is a grace. And you still don't know what's good for you. I think you've lived long eno—"
Before he could finish, his expression suddenly became dazed.
In his line of sight, a woman was approaching slowly. Her figure was delicate and lithe. She wore the simplest white long dress, without any embellishment of glass or jade, yet it outlined a peerless grace that could make one fall into a dream in an instant.
Though her face was half-hidden behind a veil of snow gauze, her skin was like jade, her eyes like stars, as if they condensed the most enchanting divine light in the world.
He was dazed for a few breaths, then his throat gulped violently, and his eyes burst with undisguised, strange gleams: "This small city domain actually has a wo—man like..."
His voice gradually weakened, and the intense lechery in his eyes quickly turned to uncertainty, then rapidly magnified into terror.
The old man behind him also changed color, frozen in shock, not daring to move.
"Hua Qingxiao," Hua Caili said coldly: "I didn't know you had become 'Divine Son Xiao'?"
Although Hua Caili's voice was icy, it was still as clear and beautiful as an immortal's. But to Hua Qingxiao's ears, it was like a nightmare from beyond the heavens, and his soul nearly scattered in terror.
"Big... Big... Big..." His lips trembled. That familiar address now seemed caught in his throat. It was a long time before he could force out the words: "Big Sister..."
Hua Caili raised her snow-white hand, and a wisp of invisible profound energy shot through the air.
Slap!!
This crack was louder than all the previous ones combined. Hua Qingxiao let out a miserable shriek, and with a spray of broken teeth and blood, flew far away, slamming into the ground several li away. There he lay twitching, unable to get up for a long time.
Sect Master Yin and the entire sect stood as if petrified, their mouths agape, as if in a dream, not daring to breathe.
Hua Caili turned around, her voice growing even colder: "From now on, address me as 'Your Highness.' You no longer have the right to call me 'Big Sister.'"
"Elder Cen." She spoke coldly with her back to the old man.
The sword-bearing old man slowly knelt: "Your old servant... is well aware of his shared guilt. I beg Your Highness to punish me."
"Before I tell Father God about this, you had better take him and go to the Discipline Hall to confess your crimes on your own."
"Yes." The old man dared not say a single extra word.
"Also, exempt this place from its tribute for a thousand years. Do not trouble a single person. After recasting the barrier, get out of here immediately!"
Even as she spoke, Hua Caili's figure was already receding into the distance.
Until her figure disappeared over the horizon, the old man still did not dare to rise. His heart was churning like stormy waves.
Such an aura and pressure... Could it be... the Demigod Realm?
...
"It makes me so angry! So angry! So angry!!"
Hua Caili grabbed Yun Che's arm and swung it more than ten times in frustration. Still not satisfied, she simply bit down on his wrist—not too hard—until she left a clearly visible tooth mark, and only then did she feel a little better.
"Ah, ouch, ouch, ouch..." Yun Che exaggeratedly winced: "It's not me who made you angry, so why are you biting me?"
"Hmph!" Hua Caili's anger had not yet subsided: "If you were the one who made me this angry, I'd bite it clean off."
"..." Yun Che felt a chill run down his spine.
"He was always so obedient, so gentle. How could he be... like this?" Compared to anger, what she felt more was a kind of unbearable sadness.
Yun Che gently comforted her: "You're surprised because you're too young and have seen too little. In truth, the vast majority of people wear different faces in different situations—sometimes as different as heaven and earth."
Hua Caili lifted her beautiful eyes to look at his face: "Then does Brother Yun also have other 'faces'?"
"Of course." Yun Che raised an eyebrow: "My other face is super terrifying."
"Ehh?" Hua Caili suddenly became excited. Her snow-white hands directly cupped Yun Che's cheeks and gently rubbed them: "How terrifying? Hurry up and let me see it."
"Ahem!" Yun Che put on a stern expression, his gaze fierce: "I once, without changing my expression, slaughtered every living being in a vast realm, causing rivers of blood to flow across thousands of realms, and tens of thousands of realms to tremble in fear."
"Wow, so impressive!" Hua Caili cooperated, her eyes sparkling like little stars: "Then Brother Yun must be... that 'World-Destroying Demon God' described in the storybooks?"
Yun Che nodded and said with extreme seriousness: "Very accurate. But compared to Demon God, I prefer being called 'Demon Lord.'"
"Pfft!" Yun Che's earnest, "solemn" demeanor finally made Hua Caili break into a smile. She laughed for a good while before realizing she had forgotten to be angry.
"Is it that funny?" Yun Che said helplessly: "My other face is a world-destroying demon god. Aren't you afraid?"
"Scared, scared, scared to death." Hua Caili stepped forward, her arms wrapping around Yun Che's waist, and looked into his eyes with a smile: "Then, Demon Lord, when do we start destroying the world?"