Chapter 59: Suspicion
Although life in the great canyon was peaceful, Linley's heart was not. He kept his attention on Elder Bulu and the others. These elders would rather sacrifice their strongest divine clone just to fight for pride. Learning of their achievements, Linley couldn't help but feel his blood stir, yet also a sense of sorrow.
"Strength, it's still a matter of lacking strength!" Linley stood in front of the house, looking up at the sky above, sighing inwardly.
From the Yulan Continent to the Infernal Realm, having experienced so much along the way, Linley understood. Respect and glory weren't given by others; they had to be fought for by oneself, relying on strength! The Four Divine Beasts clan was now weak, yet still wanted to maintain the honor of the past—that was nothing but a dream!
With strength, others would naturally respect you.
Take Beirut alone; he was enough to make the eight great families tremble in fear. With a single command from Beirut, the eight families dared not cross the Tianshan Mountain range!
The Four Divine Beasts clan faced difficulties, and Linley wanted to help the clan in his heart, but his strength was even inferior to that of Patriarch Galesreisen. How could he help the clan? In the end, the root cause was that Linley's strength was still insufficient.
"When will I be able to train to the level of Lord Beirut?" Linley's heart was filled with longing. Then he shook his head with a wry smile.
Beirut and Dannington could both be said to have reached the pinnacle of high-god level. To reach Beirut's level was far too difficult!
"Once I train to the high-god realm, my strength should be close to the Patriarch's." Linley felt some anticipation. Once he reached the high-god realm, although his physical toughness might be weaker than the Patriarch's, Linley had the 'Blackstone Prison.'
As a high-god, Linley's use of the 'Blackstone Prison' would have power close to that of 'Hell's Commander' Resheng. The true might of the Blackstone Prison would only then be fully displayed!
Linley turned his head to look not far away. Bebe was lying on the grass.
"Bebe, what are you doing?" Linley asked with a smile.
"Looking at the sky." Bebe lay motionless, staring upward. Through the mist, he could also see the curved dragon path.
Bebe often lay there staring blankly at one spot, or gazing at his straw hat in a daze. Occasionally, he would play around with others. But from Linley's familiarity with Bebe, he knew Bebe's thoughts well. As time passed…
Bebe missed Nisse more and more.
"Bebe." Linley walked over and sat down on the grass, looking at Bebe with a smile. "Are you thinking about Nini?"
Bebe was slightly startled, but still nodded gently: "Yeah, I just can't help but think about her. Once I'm not focused on something and my mind starts wandering, I often end up thinking of her. But what's the use of thinking? Nini thinks I'm dead."
"Bebe, after a while, when you reach high-god, or I do… let's go to the Bifrost Continent." Linley spoke up.
"Whoa!" Bebe immediately sat up, turning to look at Linley in shock.
"What, you don't want to go?" Linley asked with a smile.
Bebe's expression was somewhat awkward: "Boss, it's a bit complicated to explain. I do kind of want to go see her, but her big brother 'Salomon' treated you like that back then, treated us like that. If it weren't for Pussero showing mercy, you and Delia would probably be dead."
Linley and Delia had indeed nearly died back then.
If they had truly died, Salomon would indeed be the culprit.
"Just thinking about that Salomon makes my blood boil." Bebe's eyes even flashed with a fierce light. Then he said helplessly, "So tell me, if I go find Nini and run into that Salomon, what do I do?"
Linley couldn't help but laugh. So this was the knot in Bebe's heart.
"Regardless, Bebe, Delia and I didn't die after all. Besides, you love Nisse, not her big brother. Just ignore her big brother." Linley advised.
"Ignore? You say ignore, but it's not that easy." Bebe pouted helplessly.
Linley suddenly turned his head to look into the air. A patrolling soldier was flying over. The soldier spotted Linley below and descended directly to his side, bowing: "Elder Linley, there is a woman at the foot of the mountain range. She says she is your friend, named Nisse, and wishes to see you!"
Linley was stunned.
"Nisse?" Bebe immediately stood up, his eyes wide open. He quickly asked, "You said the woman's name is Nisse, no mistake?" "Yes." The patrolling soldier was a bit puzzled.
"Tell me, what does she look like? Any special features?" Bebe asked.
The soldier hesitated slightly. Describing a woman was a bit difficult. Then he caught sight of the straw hat in Bebe's hand and his eyes lit up. He quickly added, "Oh, right, that woman was also wearing a hat just like the one in your hand."
Bebe was so excited his face flushed red.
Linley also felt a surge of pleasant surprise. How had Nisse come all the way here?
"Boss!" Bebe quickly turned to look at Linley. "Hit me a couple of times, see if I'm dreaming!" Bebe's mind was indeed in a daze at that moment, his whole body feeling floaty, as if he couldn't distinguish dream from reality.
Linley very directly gave a "thump," slapping Bebe on the shoulder, sending him tumbling.
"Haha, I'm not dreaming, I'm not dreaming." Bebe scrambled back up in one go.
Seeing Bebe so excited he was starting to go crazy, Linley sighed inwardly. After so many years, Bebe had never been this wildly excited before. The commotion outside also brought Delia out of the house: "What's happening?"
"Nisse is here. Bebe and I are going out to welcome her." Linley said with a smile, grabbing Bebe and flying straight up.
"Nisse is here?"
Delia was momentarily stunned, then reacted. "Nini actually came all the way from the Bifrost Continent?"
At the foot of the Tianshan Mountain range, Nisse kept gazing deep into the mountains, her heart full of worry: "Will Bebe refuse to see me? Will he and Linley still be angry about what happened in the volcanic cluster back then?"
Worry, anxiety.
Nisse knew that her big brother had wronged Linley back then, even tried to kill him and the others.
"Haha, Nisse!" A cheerful voice rang out.
Nisse turned to look. Two familiar figures were flying side by side. Especially Bebe, who, like her, was also wearing a straw hat. Seeing Nisse, Bebe's eyes lit up, and his speed increased dramatically—
"Swoosh!"
"Bebe!" Nisse also excitedly flew over.
But as they got close, Bebe's body stiffened slightly, and his speed dropped sharply. Nisse, however, threw caution to the wind and rushed straight to Bebe, hugging him directly: "Wuwu… I was afraid you wouldn't come to see me, wuwu…" She even started crying.
Bebe opened his mouth, but finally said, "Where's your brother?"
Hearing this, Linley couldn't help but find it both amusing and exasperating. Bebe had to bring up this awkward topic.
Nisse's body trembled. She let go of Bebe and stared into his eyes, as if trying to read something from them: "My brother is still on the Bifrost Continent." Bebe seemed to think of something and said in a low voice, "This time, did you come alone? From the Bifrost Continent to here?"
"Yeah!" Nisse nodded gently.
"I almost couldn't see you again, Bebe." As she spoke, tears welled up in Nisse's eyes again.
Linley couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath. Nisse was only a mid-god. Traveling from the Jing'an Prefecture on the Bifrost Continent, crossing the Star-Mist Sea, to reach the Youlan Prefecture on the Bloodpeak Continent—the difficulty of such a journey was unimaginable. And Nisse had come all by herself.
"You…" Bebe was completely stunned.
He had thought Salomon had escorted Nisse. The knot that had existed in Bebe's heart vanished completely in an instant.
"You, you really don't value your life." Bebe immediately hugged Nisse tightly.
Nisse's eyes were red from crying, but her face was full of happy smiles. Linley stood by, watching with a smile. Seeing Bebe and Nisse achieve this outcome, he was happy for them.
"Haha, you two have been hugging for quite a while now. Do you want to keep putting on a show for the patrolling soldiers?" After a moment, Linley teased. "Come on, let's head back first."
Nisse and Bebe were jolted back to reality.
A thousand years of separation, and now they were reunited. They were so excited they had completely lost track of time.
Time passed. With Nisse and Bebe reunited, she naturally didn't leave anymore. Bebe became all smiles, swaggering around happily every day, overjoyed. Linley, Bebe, and the others were living comfortably.
But the eight great families had their troubles.
The Polin Family Grand Hall.
Four patriarchs, along with the avatars of the other four patriarchs, gathered together. These eight great patriarchs began their discussion.
"For the past few decades, the Four Divine Beasts clan has been holed up and refusing to come out. No matter how our family members provoke them, they don't react at all. What's going on? Has the Four Divine Beasts clan submitted?" A deep voice sounded.
"Impossible." A hoarse voice replied. "In the thirty years before this, everyone should remember the frenzy of the Four Divine Beasts clan. Making them cower and submit? It's not that simple."
"Patriarch Polin, that's not necessarily true." An eerie voice sounded.
"Mingshe, in all these countless years, has the Four Divine Beasts clan ever submitted? Don't think it's so simple." Patriarch Polin's hoarse voice sounded again.
The Four Divine Beasts clan had always been proud, always tough, and had never submitted. This was the impression the Four Divine Beasts clan had given for countless years. Because their pride was deeply ingrained in people's minds. For a short time, many among the eight great families found it hard to believe the Four Divine Beasts clan would submit.
"I think the Four Divine Beasts clan might be up to some scheme." A forceful voice rang out. "Their recent reaction is too strange. Everyone should be careful."
"A scheme? What scheme could they have?" A shrill voice sounded.
"Alright, everyone." A gentle voice spoke up. "Regardless of whether the Four Divine Beasts clan has submitted or is plotting, let's wait and see. Observe carefully. After another hundred years, we will know… whether they have submitted or are scheming."
"Hmm, I agree." Patriarch Polin also spoke.
"I agree."
The Four Divine Beasts clan's retreat caused some suspicion among the eight great families in the short term. But if the Four Divine Beasts clan remained holed up for longer, the eight families would be able to confirm it. Then they would have other means to deal with them.
Tianshan Mountain range, the great canyon.
Today, the great canyon was filled with continuous laughter and joy. The surviving elders, the four patriarchs, and a group of people—including many elders who had lost their strongest divine clone—had all gathered.
Because today…
was the wedding day of Bebe and Nisse. Even Beirut, Caleirana, and Pussero had come. Today, Bebe was dressed very neatly, and for once, he was humbly and politely greeting each guest.
"Getting married is really tiring." Bebe whispered to Linley beside him.
Linley couldn't help but laugh. He suddenly noticed Beirut walking over: "Your grandfather is here."
"Haha…" Beirut carefully looked Bebe over and nodded in satisfaction. "You look somewhat presentable today. But Linley, you and Bebe are really something. Bebe and Nisse have been together for decades, and you never told me. You only notified me when it was time for the wedding."
Linley could only smile.
Nisse had indeed stayed in the great canyon for decades. Originally, Nisse and Bebe hadn't even thought about holding a wedding. But… a few months ago, Nisse suddenly discovered she was pregnant!
Bebe and Nisse were stunned. Not getting married before having a child? After an urgent discussion, they decided—get married immediately!
The two immediately tried to notify some people. But Beirut was too far away, so they decided on the grand wedding six months later!
Although it was the grand wedding today, Nisse was already several months pregnant, with a noticeably large belly. Every time Linley thought about it, he couldn't help but want to laugh.