Chapter 2119: Six Laughs
Above the Pure Land, the Xingyue Divine Kingdom had also arrived.
Within the ranks of the Xingyue Divine Kingdom, Pan Buwang's presence stood out as distinctly incongruous.
His situation was undoubtedly awkward, especially as the younger Xingyue disciples cast extremely hostile looks in his direction.
As soon as they reached the Pure Land, Sha Xing very promptly pulled Pan Buwang aside.
"Brother Buwang, this time returning to the Pure Land, how do you feel in your heart?"
Pan Buwang gazed ahead and said, "Everything in the Pure Land seems eternal and unchanging. Yet now, as I look around, I am startled to realize that the most unfamiliar thing in this world is actually myself."
"Oh?" Sha Xing was somewhat surprised by this reflection.
Pan Buwang smiled. "Just a meaningless moan. Star Divine Son need not pay it any mind. For you to help me come here today must have involved considerable resistance. This kindness, I, Pan Buwang..."
"Stop!" Sha Xing cut off his following words. "I am also repaying a debt of gratitude. There's no need for superfluous words. If you are truly grateful to me, then perhaps you might reveal a bit... about your relationship with 'him'."
Pan Buwang's expression did not change. "To outsiders, there is no relationship at all. In private, it is like yours—a relationship between a benefactor and one who receives grace."
Sha Xing twitched the corner of his mouth. "Forget it, pretend I didn't ask."
He turned his head and stared deeply at Pan Buwang. "Brother Buwang, you have changed a great deal. So much so that you seem almost unfamiliar to me, yet it also makes me even more curious. Why have you gone through all this trouble to come to the Pure Land? What exactly are you trying to do?"
He did not press further, but said meaningfully, "I will wait and see."
The air suddenly turned chilly and gloomy, and even the light seemed to dim somewhat.
This was the approach of dark aura.
Sha Xing and Pan Buwang both stopped in their tracks.
Ahead, Qiheng Divine Venerable Pan Yusheng led the way, with Xiaodie Divine Son Pan Buzhuo at his side. The people of the Xiaodie Divine Kingdom, guided by three Pure Land guards, were slowly walking toward them.
Qiheng Divine Venerable's spiritual perception was keen; he had long sensed Pan Buwang's presence, but he looked straight ahead, his gaze never lingering on him for even an instant, as if he hadn't seen him at all.
Sha Xing quickly offered a greeting: "Sha Xing of the Xingyue Divine Kingdom pays respects to Qiheng Divine Venerable and the various seniors."
Pan Buwang also bowed slightly, lowering his head and softly calling out, "Father God."
"Mm." Pan Yusheng nodded slightly to Sha Xing, but completely ignored Pan Buwang. Yet when Pan Buwang bowed to him with respect, a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes, though it vanished in an instant.
Because in recent years, when Pan Buwang faced him, there had only been anger, disappointment, frantic screaming, and even deranged mockery—not a shred of respect remained. But now, he was bowing with such obedience, and the words "Father God" carried a reverence that had been absent for far too long, almost unfamiliar.
But this twinge of emotion lasted only a moment. He had long been utterly disappointed in Pan Buwang, so much so that he had given up on him entirely. He had personally declared him abandoned, no longer caring whether he lived or died.
Just as they were about to pass each other, Pan Buzhuo stopped, looking Pan Buwang up and down with great interest.
"Oh! Isn't this the mangy dog that howled and scurried out of my Xiaodie? I heard you once tried to enter Dreamweaving's Chenmeng Valley but got thrown out. Hah! You were once a Xiaodie Divine Son, yet you willingly became a drunken, dreaming waste! It would be one thing if you just disgraced yourself, but if Dreamweaving hadn't tossed you out, you might have dragged the entire Xiaodie Divine Kingdom into becoming a joke!"
Pan Buwang did not utter a single word.
"Oh? Your cultivation has actually improved?" Pan Buzhuo seemed somewhat surprised, then sneered dismissively. "Could it be that after wandering the Mist Sea these past few years, you've turned over a new leaf? You've schemed to come to the Pure Land—surely you aren't trying to prove yourself before Yuan Huang so that Father God will take you back?"
Pan Buzhuo revealed a rather malicious smile, lowering his voice: "You pathetic disgrace, don't daydream. You only deserve to rot outside like a wild dog. I can already smell the pitiful stench of decay on you."
"..." Pan Buwang still kept his head lowered, not saying a word, his expression difficult to read.
"Brother Buzhuo." Sha Xing spoke coldly: "Don't lose the grace of a Divine Son."
Pan Buzhuo retracted the mockery from his lips and said to Sha Xing, "When Pan Buwang was Divine Son, he accomplished nothing. In recent years, he has repeatedly damaged Xiaodie's reputation. Seeing him today, I simply couldn't suppress my harsh words. Forgive my rudeness, Star Divine Son."
He gave a faint smile, then lifted his foot and walked away, but his undisguised jeering voice continued: "Star Divine Son, your status is noble. It's better to stay far away from such filthy trash, lest you be tainted by misfortune."
Pan Yusheng, at the very front, did not look back, nor did he stop or rebuke Pan Buzhuo's words.
The glances cast by the people of the Xiaodie Divine Kingdom toward Pan Buwang were mostly indifferent or pitying... yet during his last visit to the Pure Land, Pan Buwang had been the moon around which all the stars revolved.
After they had gone far, Sha Xing frowned, somewhat angrily, "This Pan Buzhuo is really going too far!"
Pan Buwang's expression was impassive. "After his mother rose to power, she secretly harmed my mother... So he and I are destined to never coexist. In the years he has been Divine Son, his overt and covert oppression and humiliation of me... the cruelty of his methods is beyond your imagination, given your temperament."
"If not for the agreement with the passionless one, I would not have been able to endure those years."
These words fell into Sha Xing's ears, but he did not perceive a clear enough hatred from them, which secretly shocked him.
He patted Pan Buwang's shoulder and said seriously, "Just wait. Before Yuan Huang, I will surely crush his edge! Not just to vent for you, but that Pan Buzhuo is disgusting to look at."
"Good." Pan Buwang smiled faintly, but deep in his eyes was an abyss Sha Xing could not reach: "I await the chance to witness the Celestial Wolf divine might of the Star Divine Son once again."
A rumbling sound came from afar.
The light curtain of the Pure Land opened once more.
"It seems the Eternal Night Divine Kingdom has also arrived."
As he spoke, Sha Xing glanced sideways at Pan Buwang... The hatred and killing intent that had surged in him for those few moments were far too intense for him to ignore.
Facing Pan Buzhuo's blatant mockery and provocation, he had shown no reaction. Yet now, just hearing the word "Eternal Night" had caused his killing intent to spiral out of control.
Sha Xing looked into the distance, not without anticipation, "The new Divine Maiden of the Eternal Night Divine Kingdom, Shen Wuyi, I can finally get a look at her true appearance. The Eternal Night Divine Kingdom has hidden her so tightly; I hope she doesn't disappoint."
...
*Pfft—boom!*
Yun Che and Hua Caili had just approached when they heard a rumbling noise from the stone house ahead. Thick black smoke poured out from the doors and windows, standing out starkly against the pure white of the Pure Land.
"No! The heat's wrong! Get out of the way, out, out, out!"
A young man emerged from the stone house, accompanied by black smoke. When he saw Hua Caili, he smiled, "Little Caili, you're here."
As he spoke, he elegantly brushed the soot from his sleeves.
"Uncle Yuanying." Hua Caili politely greeted him, then quickly introduced, "He is Brother Yun, the former Divine Son of the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom. His former name was..."
"Oh! Meng Jian Yuan? I've heard of him long ago." Divine Attendant Yuan Ying was all smiles, looking like a harmless, benevolent old man. "He has the same perfect Divine Rank as little Caili. In terms of talent... oh, even in appearance, you two seem quite well-matched. It's a pity that Jiuzhi got there first."
Yun Che: (He sees people accurately... but his words are quite crooked.)
"Yun Che pays respects to Senior Yuanying. Although I have only just arrived at the Pure Land, I have long heard of Senior Yuanying's name, like thunder piercing the ears. I have yearned for this meeting."
"Spare me the common courtesies and rituals," Yuan Ying waved his hand, only then noticing that his pale palm had been stained black as a pot bottom. He slowly clasped his hands behind his back again. "Old Master is in high spirits right now. It's best you don't disturb him, or else..."
*Boom...*
Another dull explosion sounded, accompanied by even thicker black smoke.
Then, an excited yell came from inside the stone house: "Whoa! It worked, it worked! Little Caili, come in quickly! I've got something good!"
Yuan Ying let out a long sigh, a helpless look on his face.
"Brother Yun, Uncle Six Laughs is calling us. Let's go in quickly."
Hua Caili tapped her foot and flew into the stone house. Yun Che politely nodded to Divine Attendant Yuan Ying and followed behind her.
Divine Attendant Yuan Ying did not stop him, but sighed softly, "Another young one's understanding is about to be shattered~~"
The stone house was not large, but it was filled with a dazzling array of items.
Amidst the rolling black smoke, a skinny old man in coarse gray cloth was bent over, squatting on the ground. His two withered hands were rubbing together over a ball of red flame with a strange aura, his eyes gleaming brightly, and he was muttering to himself.
From Yun Che's perspective, he looked exactly like a toad scratching its front paws.
"Uncle Six Laughs." Hua Caili called out affectionately.
The toad... oh, no, the gray-clad old man suddenly sprang up with a "whoosh," then scurried over to Hua Caili with quick, tiny steps. "Little Caili, you've come at just the right time. Quick, quick, try it! This is a recipe I've just perfected. For this, I've had to shamelessly beg Lingxian the old lady for fire every so often, and now it's finally done!"
"This is absolutely my greatest work in the past thousand years! I guarantee one bite will make you ascend to immortality!"
His face was old and withered, his eyes sunken, but now they blazed with dazzling light. Even his sparse, messy hair stood on end with excitement.
In his dirty, grimy hands, he held a ball that looked equally dirty, yet it exuded a faint, soul-penetrating fragrance.
"..." Yun Che stood still, the corners of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.
He had clearly heard Hua Caili call him "Uncle Six Laughs."
This old man, dressed in rags, with a wild, almost crazy demeanor...
Was actually a... Divine Official!?
And if Lingxian Divine Official was "Grandma," why was this shriveled old man called "Uncle"?
"Wow, really?"
Hua Caili's eyes curved into crescents. She reached out and took the ball from the old man's hands, then put it directly into her mouth without any hesitation.
As she bit down, Hua Caili's eyes sparkled with brilliance. "Mmm! So delicious! It's still the 'Six Laughs Ascension Crisp,' but it's much tastier than before... Mmm! Even the flavor has several more variations."
"Right, right! Hahahahaha!"
This recognition and praise from Hua Caili made the old man's hair stand on end, and his wild laughter seemed so excited it could make his soul fly out. "I knew it! As expected of me! As expected of the Pure Land... oh no, no, no, the number one culinary god of the Abyss!"
"Oh, right! From now on, I'm renaming it 'Six Laughs Flying Immortal Crisp.' No matter whether they're true immortals or false immortals, after eating it, they'll have to fly up, hahahaha!"
Hua Caili was still chewing slowly, savoring the taste, then calmly spoke amidst the old man's unrestrained laughter: "Although it's tastier than before, compared to the crispy cakes Brother Yun makes, it's still a little bit worse."
The old man's laughter was cut off abruptly, like a knife slicing through it.
His normally tiny eyes widened to the size of copper bells in an instant.
"You... you... you... you... you said what? My? My Six Laughs Flying Immortal Crisp? A little bit worse?"
He stared wide-eyed, confirming it in fits and starts, as if these words had touched an absolute taboo he would never allow.
"Right." Hua Caili nodded without the slightest hesitation. Her beautiful eyes were clear as a mirror lake, innocent with a hint of harmlessness. Both her words and expression were so natural and... matter-of-fact.
At that moment, Yun Che seemed to hear the sound of something shattering inside the old man's chest.
Then the old man jumped up and started yelling: "Impossible! This Six Laughs Flying Immortal Crisp condensed a thousand years of my effort, tens of thousands of trials, before this rare immortal delicacy could be born! Even I, after eating it, wish I could kiss myself!"
"What the hell is this 'Yun Gege'? Does a name so unlucky even deserve to produce a delicacy like mine?"
"It's not 'like yours,'" Hua Caili quickly corrected. "It's really much more delicious than what Uncle Six Laughs makes. And it's not just crispy cakes—Brother Yun makes many things that are much tastier than what Uncle Six Laughs makes."
"..."
Yun Che again heard a certain shattering sound... shattered into countless pieces.