# 276
Chapter 276 – Two Gods Face Off
Asylum of the Gods.
A Zhu hugged his broom, sitting on the clinic steps and staring at Lin Qiye—who stood in the yard like a stone statue—then let out a long sigh.
“A Zhu, slacking off again?”
Li Yifei walked out of the kitchen, wiped his hands on the apron tied round his waist, and sat beside A Zhu.
“Brother Fei… when will the director wake up?” A Zhu propped his chin, asking absent-mindedly.
“Granny said he’ll wake when it’s time,” Li Yifei answered, eyes on the motionless figure.
“But… won’t he get hungry after so long?”
“…” The corner of Li Yifei’s mouth twitched. “Then why don’t you donate a spider leg? When he wakes up we’ll stew it for a tonic.”
A Zhu’s little face went white; he hugged his arms and blustered, “The director… the director doesn’t like eating my spider legs!”
“He’s never tried—how do you know?” Li Yifei gave him a wicked look and licked his lips. “Let me taste-test for him?”
A Zhu jumped up in fright. “Hmph! I’m ignoring you!”
He spun round and found red-haired Hongyan standing right there.
“Sister Hongyan, he’s bullying me again!” A Zhu ducked behind her, pointing at Li Yifei.
Hongyan shielded the boy with one arm, her amber vertical pupils fixed on Li Yifei. Enunciating clumsily, she said:
“He… can… not… be… eaten.”
“I was joking. Who’d want those skinny arms? Pork trotters smell better.” Li Yifei shrugged, patted the step. “Sit back down.”
A Zhu hesitated, then returned. Hongyan sat beside him.
The three orderlies sat in silence, staring at the man in the yard.
“When… he… wake?” Hongyan pointed at Lin Qiye.
“No idea,” Li Yifei sighed, gaze shifting to Nyx beside Lin Qiye. “Wonder who’ll win today—Uncle Merlin or Granny…”
In the yard.
Nyx rocked gently in a chair, knitting a sweater beside the sleeping Lin Qiye while basking in the sun, murmuring as though chatting with him.
Not far away, Merlin, clad in a blue robe, approached slowly.
The instant he set foot in the yard, a wisp of black thread drifted past his eyes. He frowned and stopped.
“It’s been a year,” Merlin said quietly to the knitting Nyx. “He should wake.”
“Let him sleep a little longer.” Nyx’s tone was flat.
“What must happen has happened; no one can change it. Escaping solves nothing.” Merlin’s brows knitted. “You and I know what he carries. He can’t hide in that comfortable little world forever…”
“He’s just too tired.” Nyx looked up. “If my child wants more rest, he gets it. If the sky falls, his mother will hold it up.”
Merlin studied her a long moment, then shook his head. “No—you can’t. Today, I will wake him.”
“You can’t.” Nyx answered calmly.
Merlin stepped forward; magic elements surged violently, the divine might of the God of Magic descending upon the clinic.
Countless black threads stretched from the void!
Nyx remained in her rocking chair. Her star-speckled black dress spread into a sheet of night, blocking Merlin’s path; her aura turned deep and unfathomable.
Merlin hovered above the ground, blue robe billowing, eyes blazing with sapphire light. Several huge magic circles unfolded behind him!
The auras of the Goddess of Night and the God of Magic clashed in the tiny courtyard.
Blue and black raged; wind howled.
On the steps the three orderlies watched, yawning.
“What’s the verdict today?” Li Yifei asked his colleagues.
“I think Granny wins again,” A Zhu said after thought.
“Same,” Hongyan clipped.
Li Yifei raised an eyebrow, gaze returning to the yard. “I dunno… Uncle Merlin looks serious. Could be different this time…”
…
Endless magic streamed from Merlin; blue light pressed steadily forward.
Nyx frowned, setting down her knitting.
“Since you’re serious… so am I.”
Black flashed in her eyes; the sweater dissolved into countless dark threads merging with the night. Like an elegant lady she rose from the chair, fingertip pointing ahead.
Stars glimmered in the darkness.
Both gods now earnest, their divine pressure multiplied. Wild winds tore clothes from the line; clatters came from the kitchen as bowls toppled.
A Zhu squealed, nearly blown away; Hongyan caught him.
Li Yifei squinted through spread fingers, his green orderly uniform flapping.
“Uh-oh, they’re really at it! The clinic’s gonna be rubble!” he muttered.
Boom—!!
A dull roar echoed; in an instant both divine pressures vanished, blue and black snuffed by an invisible hand.
Merlin’s lips curved slightly.
Nyx whipped round. There, the statue-like figure’s eyelids twitched—on the verge of waking.
In this asylum, only Lin Qiye could suppress two gods in a heartbeat.
Still asleep, he had instinctively quelled the energy storm around him. He had not yet opened his eyes, but stood at the threshold—his first response to the outside world in a year.
Nyx glared at Merlin. “You planned this?”
Merlin bowed, apologetic. “Forgive me, Lady Nyx. I saw no other way to rouse him…”
Nyx abandoned the quarrel, hurried to Lin Qiye, and gazed into his almost-opening eyes.
“Are you all right… my child?”