Chapter 1059: An Existence That Cannot Be Understood
Qinglong withdrew his gaze from Chu Tianqiu and turned to look in Qi Xia's direction.
But he hadn't expected Qi Xia to be staring right back at him.
"Interesting," Qinglong said. "Even a foreign language came out... What exactly did that snake say?"
"Aren't you a 'god'?" Dilong covered her mouth and laughed. "A 'god' who doesn't know a foreign language? A local 'god,' huh?"
Qinglong said nothing, and Dilong laughed again. "But Korean isn't really a foreign language, since we're all compatriots. How come you, as a 'god,' don't even understand that?"
"All you need to know is that you've gained a companion on the road to death—that snake will go with you," Qinglong said. "Daring to pull tricks right under my nose... Are you really not afraid of death?"
"Who in this world isn't afraid of death?" Dilong said. "If there's any reason to keep living, who would willingly die?"
"Oh?"
"'Survival,' like 'eating' and 'reproduction,' is a human instinct," Dilong said. "'Fear' is one too, but fear is usually overcome."
"And why is that?" Qinglong murmured, his emerald eyes narrowing. "For ordinary people, does a 'reason to live' take priority over 'fear'?"
"Qinglong..." Dilong didn't answer at first. She turned, her bright yellow eyes flashing, and her canine teeth showing. "I'm actually curious—what are you living for?"
Qinglong was momentarily taken aback. "You're asking me...?"
"Yeah, can I not ask?" Dilong smiled. "Just chatting. This isn't purely you interrogating a prisoner."
"I..." Qinglong seemed never to have considered this question. He paused and said, "How could a 'god' die? I don't need to think about why I'm living—I only need to know that I can't die."
Dilong let out a snort of laughter, covering her mouth with her hand. "Qinglong, have you been calling yourself a 'god' for so long that even you've forgotten who you really are?"
"You..."
"Have you ever seen a 'god' like yourself in mythology?" Dilong continued. "A handful of abilities, never caring about the masses in this 'Peach Blossom Land,' with countless people wanting to kill you—is that a new kind of 'god'?"
"Ordinary people fear things they cannot understand—like the dark night, the deep sea, the universe," Qinglong replied in a low voice. "So it's reasonable that they want to kill me. I am an existence they cannot comprehend."
"So that makes you a 'god'?"
"What else?" Qinglong lightly flicked his sleeve, brushing off the dust. "I can now hear a thousand li away, move with a mere thought, steal others' sanity, and summon thunder from the sky with a gesture... Can this still be called 'human'?"
"That's true." Dilong pondered for a moment. "Even I'm no longer 'human.' It would be too strange to consider you one."
"So you ask why I live?" Qinglong said. "I live because I don't want to die."
Dilong pointed down at the people bustling below. "Do they want to die?"
"They have no choice," Qinglong said. "Because I chose first."
"Isn't that unreasonable?" Dilong said. "You're obviously stronger than them, yet you still choose first. When is there ever such unfairness?"
"Reason... fairness...?" Qinglong chuckled softly. "Dilong, that's the rule of this world. All resources are first chosen by the strong, then left for the weak. The reason and fairness you talk about have never applied."
"So maybe there's a kind of person..." Dilong said, looking at Qinglong seriously. "Someone who climbs as high as you and then comes to help us weaklings make our choices. To us, that person would be the true 'god.'"
"Is it that simple for 'ordinary people'...?" Qinglong paused. "That person wouldn't even need to ascend to heaven or dive into the earth, nor possess immense power. Just by thinking of you, he could be called a 'god'?"
"You always talk about 'ordinary people,' but don't you understand this simple truth?" Dilong replied. "To ordinary people, we don't need a 'god' to show us the power to move mountains or drain seas, nor do we need them to fly through the sky and burrow into the earth. If something that was impossible for me—I prayed for it, and it came true—then that person is the 'god' in my heart. I'll ensure their incense burns day and night."
"So what then?" Qinglong asked. "For that 'incense,' you're not afraid of death? You've even overcome your 'instinct'?"
"Ha." Dilong was amused by Qinglong. "Too bad the content of my prayer wasn't for myself to live, but for everyone to end this suffering. So under that condition, the 'god' is doing things for me. If my death can fulfill that prayer, then I'll die."
After saying this, she thought of something and added, staring at Qinglong, "Oh, by the way, the 'god' I'm talking about isn't you."
"I didn't think it was me either," Qinglong replied. "You don't need to mention 'prayer.' I've heard plenty of 'pleas for mercy,' but I've never granted a single one."
"So why do you call yourself a 'god'?" Dilong asked.
"That's an interesting question," Qinglong said. "Who decided that a 'god' in this world must serve 'ordinary people'? Did I gain my transcendent abilities because I wanted to serve these people? That's a huge joke. Since I'm stronger than all of them, why can't I do as I please instead of catering to their feelings?"
Dilong stared into Qinglong's dark green eyes for a moment, then slowly said, "That just shows you're still viewing 'god' from an 'ordinary person's' perspective."
"What...?"
"That speech just now exposed your mortal nature..." Dilong answered with a smile. "You can't understand why a 'god,' with immense power, would still help fragile mortals. But you just said—'god' is something ordinary people can't comprehend. You can't comprehend 'god,' so you're not a 'god.'"
Qinglong's expression turned extremely ugly, veins bulging on his forehead.
"Having absolute power and authority, and then choosing to torment others to seek a sense of existence..." Dilong continued. "That really sounds like something only an ordinary person would do—especially one whose early life didn't go smoothly. What's that called again..."
Dilong scratched her head, then suddenly opened her eyes. "...Oh, like revenge spending, right? When you grow up, you buy all the things you were too poor to buy as a child. But once you have them, the happiness is gone."
"You really are tired of living," Qinglong said with a furious smile. "Even if you're destined to die, I can decide whether you die painlessly or not."
"What difference does that make?" Dilong asked. "If I'm going to be executed, do I care what caliber the bullet is?"
Qinglong's face turned cold, and he reached out and grabbed Dilong by the neck.