Against the Gods

Chapter 929 – The Best Conclusion

Given Yun Che’s current mental strength, even if it were sixty thousand words, he would only need to look at it once or hear it read once for him to remember it in near perfect clarity, much less a mere six hundred words.

But after listening to the words that Xiao Lingxi had recited, his mind was completely blank and he was stunned to find that he could not even remember a single one of those words that sounded like some sort of scripture or profound formula. Furthermore, he also had a faint feeling that his consciousness had been drifting away. After that, he closed his eyes and focused and he immediately felt those strange words slowly appearing inside his mind. These words started to grow clearer with each passing moment… but after he opened his eyes again, he realized that he had completely forgotten them again.

“Lingxi, can you understand the meaning behind these strange words?” Yun Che asked as he attempted to probe further.

Xiao Lingxi shook her head. “I can read these words but I don’t know what they mean at all. Little Che, even you do not understand the meaning behind these words?”

Right at this moment, the silver motes of light in the air suddenly flickered and all the bizarre text distorted within the silver motes. Then, they once more converged to become a ball of silver light before flying back into the mysterious black jade, completely disappearing henceforth.

The mysterious black jade also returned to its formerly silent state. Even if Xiao Lingxi was right by its side, it no longer radiated light.

Yun Che reached out and sucked the mysterious black jade into his palm, then he directly placed it in the Sky Poison Pearl—no longer allowing it to have any contact with Xiao Lingxi.

“Little Che, what exactly is that piece of rock?” Xiao Lingxi was unable to suppress the curiosity in her heart.

“I’m not sure. I picked it up in a strange place.” Yun Che replied with an extremely casual tone of voice before directly changing the subject. “It’s probably a soul stone that had been used to write down ancient text. Forget it, let’s not bother with it. Let’s go see Grandfather.”

After he finished speaking, he immediately pulled at Xiao Lingxi’s hand and the two headed toward Xiao Lie’s courtyard.

Xiao Yongan had already fallen asleep and Xiao Yun and his wife had gone to offer sacrifices to his late parents. Xiao Hong had not come back yet and only Xiao Lie remained in the courtyard. Once they had arrived at Xiao Lie’s courtyard Xiao Lingxi unconsciously tried to wriggle her hand out of Yun Che’s grasp. But to her surprise, Yun Che gripped her hand even tighter and as she was panicking, he grasped her hand and arrived in front of Xiao Lie.

“Grandfather, I… have something to discuss with you.” Even though he had long ago gathered up enough courage and determination, when Yun Che came face to face with Xiao Lie’s calm demeanour, his heart tightened with anxiety.

“Ah…” Xiao Lingxi seemed to faintly realize something as she gave a soft gasp, her heart starting to beat wildly in her chest.

“Hehe, Che’er, you’ve come at just the right time. I was just about to find you to discuss an important matter with you,” Xiao Lie looked at the both of them and smiled merrily as he said those words.

Yun Che was taken aback by those words but he immediately asked, “Important matter? What important matter?”

“It is something concerning Ling’er,” Xiao Lie said as he gave Yun Che a deep look. It seemed as if he had not noticed that the two of them were holding hands as he gave a gentle sigh, “Ling’er is already twenty three years of age this year, so she has long ago reached the age where her family should be considering her marriage. Che’er, you’ve already been married for eight years but Ling’er has always been burdened by my presence. She has constantly been by my side taking care of me. As a result, we have never been able to settle the question of her marriage. But right now, both my body and my mind are completely fine. Yun’er and his wife are in a loving relationship and Yongan is an obedient and healthy child. So the only thing that worries me the most right now is Ling’er’s marriage.”

“…Grandfather, what do you mean by that?”

“Che’er.” Xiao Lie looked straight into Yun Che’s eyes as he spoke in a warm voice, “You’re very well-travelled and experienced, so you definitely know many outstanding young men. If any of them are suitable for Ling’er, see if you can play the matchmaker for them. I will definitely have no worries about the person that you choose.”

“Grandfather, I… I…” This was not the first time that Xiao Lie had mentioned such a thing to her. But this time, he had said it in front of Yun Che. His words threw Xiao Lingxi’s heart into great disarray and she was left at her wit’s end.

“…” Yun Che’s gaze shifted before finally hardening up and becoming firm. After that, he spoke in an extremely sincere manner, “Grandfather, actually I have found one such person long ago.”

“Oh?” Xiao Lie’s gaze rippled.

Yun Che abruptly knelt down in front of Xiao Lie as he looked deep into his eyes. After that, he spoke in a loud and clear voice, each word that proceeded from his mouth sounded like the clang of small metal gongs, “Grandfather, that person is none other than I! I beg for Grandfather… to betroth Lingxi to me!”

“Little Che…” The voice that sounded in Xiao Lingxi’s ears was undoubtedly the one that made her tremble the most in her life. He had actually said it in front of her and in front of Xiao Lie. He had said the words that she had desired to hear the most but they were also the words that were so taboo to her that she did not even dare touch them.

Xiao Lingxi also started to slowly sink to her knees. Her eyes misted over as she spoke in a soft voice, “Grandfather, I… If it isn’t Little Che, I would rather… never get married at all in this lifetime.”

She also said similar words in front of Xiao Lie. She declared them loud and clear and the moment the words left her mouth, all of the fear and worry that clouded her heart had soundlessly disappeared and they were instead replaced with a warmth and tranquility she had never felt before in her life. The moment she had said those words, it seemed like the result of their request was no longer so important anymore. Because she had finally said the words that had been lying at the bottom of heart and soul, so her entire spirit felt as if it had suddenly reached a whole new level and become completely different from before.

“…” Xiao Lie’s expression was not colored by the shock, daze, disappointment or fury that they had expected. In fact, Xiao Lie did not even react intensely in any way. Instead, he seemed completely calm. After that, he simply turned his back towards them and let out a soft and sad sigh.

“Grandfather?” Yun Che raised his head.

“Hoho,” Xiao Lie laughed and this laugh was extremely gentle. “You two have finally expressed your true feelings after enduring for so many years.”

Shock appeared in Yun Che’s eyes. “Grandfather, does this mean you have always…”

“I am the one who saw you two grow up. You have always been especially close since childhood and were positively inseparable. Since you left Floating Cloud City at sixteen, Xi’er has always been by my side. I’ve seen her worry about you everyday and miss you from morning to night… This kind of emotion far exceeds the boundaries of familial love. From then on, even though I didn’t know how you felt for Xi’er, I knew that what Xi’er felt for you was definitely not familial love but love at its root. And this love had been completely released once she knew that you were not blood related.”

“This was why I was deeply worried. I was not worried about your previous aunt and nephew relationship but that Xi’er’s love was one-sided, which would cause her to be miserable for her entire life.” Xiao Lie slightly raised his head and closed his eyes. If Yun Che and Xiao Lingxi were able to see his expression right now, they would see that he had revealed a faint smile.

The two was startled in place. Xiao Lingxi asked in disbelief, “Father, you really… really do not mind it at all?”

Xiao Lie lightly shook his head and smiled. “You two are around the same age and are not even blood related at all. Moreover, both of you are my dearly beloved children. Hearing what you two have said today leaves me delighted beyond belief, how could I possibly have a problem with it? Even though I am old-fashioned, I was never inflexible.”

“Then… when you’ve been constantly talking to me about marriage lately, that… that was because…”

“That was because I cannot help but worry, ah.” Xiao Lie sighed lightly. “I was well aware of your feelings for Che’er but Che’er… the height which he has reached is much too high. Out of the women by his side, they are either the empress of a nation, the empress of a realm or a phoenix goddess… Compared to them, you are as common as sand. Even though Che’er still treasured you like he did in the past, I was deeply worried that he would not feel the sort of love a man would have for a woman for you with those wondrous women by his side, causing your love to be an empty one-sided infatuation. As a result, I was just probing… Hoho, the determination, along with the nervous expression Che’er had when he knelt down earlier made me realize that the worry I had all these years were irrelevant and what I was the most concerned about has finally become perfect.”

“Father…” Xiao Lingxi covered her lips with her hand as tears slowly dripped from the corners of her eyes.

“Don’t worry Grandfather. Yun Che took a deep breath and suppressed his excitement. “I will take care of Lingxi for life.”

“Hoho, if it’s you, I can completely be at ease about Xi’er’s future. Only…” Xiao Lie sighed lightly. “Even though you two are not blood related at all, the world is full of stupidity and gossip can be quite malicious. If you two wish to get married one day, it’s best to do so in Illusory Demon Realm.”

“Alright.” Yun Che immediately agreed without hesitation. He looked at Xiao Lingxi as Xiao Lingxi also secretly looked at him. When their gazes made contact, they both smiled at the same time. They had always thought that Xiao Lie was what made them suppress their own feelings but it was only today that they realized that the biggest hinderance had always been themselves.

Yun Che was originally prepared for the worst but he never thought that such a perfect, almost somewhat too good to be true conclusion had come out of today. The obstruction that he and Xiao Lingxi had never dared to touch had suddenly vanished just like that.

————————————

Illusory Demon Realm, Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.

The aura of the flames were yet again distinctively weaker than before.

Once Yun Che arrived at the end of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, the Golden Crow Soul’s image also appeared within a splattering of golden light. “Yun Che, why have you come again this time?”

Yun Che raised his head and directly asked, “Golden Crow Soul, have you ever heard of the name ‘World-Defying Heaven Manual?’”

“World-Defying Heaven Manual?” The Golden Crow’s Soul snorted heavily, “This noble one has never heard of that. It seems to be some kind of a profound art just from hearing its name. Hmph, to dare use “world-defying” in its name, what audacity.”

“Even you have not heard of this before?” Yun Che was stunned. After being disappointed, he mumbled, “Then that’s too weird… what exactly do these words record?”

“You seem to have a lot on your mind. Where exactly have you heard of the name ‘World-Defying Heaven Manual’ anyways?” The Golden Crow Soul asked.

“No, I didn’t exactly hear about it.” Yun Che took out the mysterious black jade. “It came from this.”

Then, he recounted what had happened to the Golden Crow Soul; from the strange reaction the mysterious black jade had with Xiao Lingxi to the bizarre scripture that had appeared afterwards.

“Something like that happened!?” After hearing Yun Che’s account, the Golden Crow Soul revealed shock that exceeded his expectations.

“Write out the text for this noble one.”

“Alright!”

Yun Che closed his eyes and concentrated. After quite a while, those strange, distorted characters appeared in his mind. He extended a finger to draw the first four of the strange characters in the sky using Golden Crow flames… which represented the words “World-Defying Heaven Manual.”

After several tens of breaths, Yun Che finally depicted the four odd characters into flames that floated in the air. The Golden Crow Soul’s golden eyes shined on it before it quickly retracted its light.

“Golden Crow Soul, could… could it be that you also do not recognize these words?” Yun Che asked with knitted brows.

“Never seen and never heard,” replied the Golden Crow Soul.

“Then… why would Lingxi recognize it? I can vouch that she had never seen this kind of text before. She also doesn’t know why she would recognize these words and was even greatly shocked by it.” Yun Che tightened his grip on the black jade. “Could it be that what I said to comfort her was true? That this black jade just happens to like her aura, which happened to incite a reaction from it? That it was actively trying to establish some kind of soul connection with her without any warning, which suddenly caused her to recognize these words?”

“The Xiao Lingxi you speak of, what cultivation realm is she at and what kind of profound art does she cultivate?” The Golden Crown Soul asked solemnly.

“This…” Yun Che was somewhat embarrassed. “Lingxi doesn’t understand the profound way much, she is only at the seventh level of the True Profound Realm. As for profound art, she cultivates the Eagle Arts which comes from the Xiao Clan born in. It is a low level profound art.

“…” The Golden Crow Soul grew silent, then said faintly, “Leave this place and bring her before this noble one.”