Against the Gods

Author’s Note: A very long, but also very short chapter.

Xia Qingyue’s second request killed Yue Wuya’s laughter.

“Don’t… don’t tell her!”

Yue Wugou blurted out in panic before Yue Wuya could even say anything.

Yue Wuya shot the love of his life a consoling look before turning back to Xia Qingyue. “I can answer your question… but not now.”

“Why?” Xia Qingyue asked.

Yue Wuya countered with his own question, “I love Wugou more than I love myself. What do you think I would have done the instant I figured out the mastermind’s identity?”

Xia Qingyue: “...”

“I would have sought out that bitch and torn her to pieces with my own bare hands!” Yue Wuya’s voice remained calm, but the latter half of the sentence was said with a slight gnashing of teeth. “Or at least, I wish… in reality, I have NOT claimed vengeance for Wugou even though it has been so many years. Why do you think that is?”

A long, stifling silence later, Xia Qingyue finally answered, “Is it because… the mastermind was someone even you cannot defeat, senior?”

“That is correct.” Gravity entered both Yue Wuya’s eyes and voice. “The villain possesses an incredibly powerful background and backing. Her strength and status are among the best of the best, but she also possesses a cunning and ruthless mind. The words good, evil, right and wrong don’t exist in her dictionary, only interest does.”

“Not only did she hurt your mother, she misled me into thinking that the Star God Realm was the primary suspect. I was overcome by fury and didn’t investigate the matter as well as I should have, so I committed a grave mistake that worsened the deteriorating relationships between the Moon God Realm and Star God Realm even more… exactly as the mastermind wanted.”

Yue Wuya clenched his fists soundlessly as he said this.

The observer, Yun Che, knew exactly what he was talking about.

Yue Wuya had thought that Xing Juekong was behind the attack on Yue Wugou, so he retaliated by doing the same thing to the Star God Emperor.

He had kidnapped what he thought was Xing Juekong’s most cherished concubine, the mother of the Heavenly Wolf Star God Xisu and Jasmine…

And caused her to commit suicide.

Yue Wuya died at Jasmine’s hands later on, so one might say that Jasmine had gotten the vengeance she deserved.

However, Qianye Ying’er was really to be blamed for the tragedies behind both Xia Qingyue’s family and Jasmine’s family.

“She is someone even I cannot harm. What can you do even if you learn about her now?” Yue Wuya said solemnly. “Plus, your cultivation, your cunning, your experience and your methods… there are several layers of heaven and earth between you and her.”

“If I tell you her identity, you will have a clear but untouchable target. You will become full of hatred, but you will never be able to vent it. It will only destroy your focus, disrupt your cultivation, and set you back on your path of vengeance even more.”

“Don’t worry. I will naturally tell you the truth when you have inherited and adapted to my power.”

He looked at Xia Qingyue with deep expectation in his eyes. “You are the bearer of the Heart of Snow Glazed Glass and the Nine Profound Exquisite Body, so it is only a matter of time before you surpass her. Keep your head low, gather your strength, and one day… you will be able to claim vengeance for all of us.”

Xia Qingyue didn’t get the answer she wanted, but she nodded deeply and didn’t ask further questions.

At this point, Yun Che was gradually realizing that Yue Wuya hadn’t just passed down the Purple Pylon Divine Power to Xia Qingyue.

There was also one thing that troubled him greatly.

Why did Xia Qingyue and Yue Wuya’s blood mingle perfectly?

The timeline didn’t match at all, and Yue Wugou herself had stated clearly that she and Yue Wuya hadn’t slept together.

Was it… really just a mistake?

…………

Back then, in another space.

“Wh… what!? You plan to pass down the throne to Xia Qingyue? God Emperor, h-have you gone insane!?”

Golden Moon God Yue Wuji was so anxious that he blurted out the offensive words before he could stop himself.

“I have thought long and hard about this,” Yue Wuya said. “Although the title of ‘Moon God Empress’ will give her some of the prestige she needs, she will still face considerable resistance. I will need your aid, Wuji.”

“‘Considerable resistance’ doesn’t even begin to describe how hard it will be!” Yue Wuji stepped in front of Yue Wuya with a look of utter puzzlement. “Xia Qingyue is the bearer of the Heart of Snow Glazed Glass and the Nine Profound Exquisite Body. I have no objections to you choosing her as the successor of the Purple Pylon Divine Power whatsoever.”

“But the throne of God Emperor? This, I can neither understand nor accept!”

“What’s so difficult to understand?” Yue Wuya countered. “The previous bearer of the Heart of Snow Glazed Glass founded the Eternal Heaven Realm itself! Moreover, it is said that the bearer will be protected by the heavens itself, the Moon God Realm’s future may shine brighter than ever before.” [1]

“Even if I were to believe that the future you described will come true, and that the bearer of the Heart of Snow Glazed Glass will enjoy the protection of the heavens, Xia Qingyue… is still an outsider! An outsider!” Yue Wuji said harshly, “It is true that the king realm always comes first for a god emperor, but not even the most selfless God Emperor would just surrender eons of history and the king realm they’ve worked their whole life to improve to an outsider, would they!?”

That startled Yue Wuya into silence.

“Moreover, Xia Qingyue is… the daughter of Yue Wugou and another man!” Yue Wuji couldn’t stop shaking his head and frowning deeply. “It would’ve been perfectly normal for you to loathe her, much less consider passing the throne to her!”

“...” For a long time, Yue Wuya couldn’t say anything. Occasionally, bewilderment would flash across his eyes.

It was because Yue Wuji’s reasoning… did make a lot of sense.

No matter how talented Xia Qingyue was, to pass the throne to her was to put the future of the Moon God Realm in the hands of an outsider.

Moreover, she was the daughter of Yue Wugou and another man. It would be perfectly natural for him to loathe her.

So why… did he still not feel like changing his mind?

“Wuji,” Yue Wuya let out a quiet sigh, “The Heavenly Mystery Realm has prophesied that I will die in five years. Whether it will come true or not, I should be prepared for the worst, and in the short term she is the absolute best successor I could find.”

“Anyway, I shall be preparing as much as possible for the announcement.” He clapped Yue Wuji on the shoulder before continuing, “You will help me, right?”

Yue Wuji was going to speak some more, but he saw the look in Yue Wuya’s eyes and knew that it was futile. A long sigh and a helpless nod later, he said, “Officially, you are my god emperor. Unofficially, you are my brother. Of course I would support your decisions no matter what they are. But…”

“That is all I need to hear.” Yue Wuya smiled. “You may begin preparing for, well, everything.”

“For the next period of time, I shall be guiding Qingyue’s cultivation personally. I will need you to take care of the major and minor matters of the Moon God Realm during this time.”

“I’m also going to invest all of the Moon Sea Jades that are meant for Xuange, and the Glazed Moon Pity Heart Plum that we had prepared to nurture the next Moon God Emperor, on Qingyue.”

Yue Wuji blanched.

“Knowing Xuange, he will not sit by and do nothing. He will also be an unstable element to look out for when Qingyue inherits the throne in the future. You must prepare for that as well.”

Shockingly, Yue Wuya’s determination to make Xia Qingyue the next Moon God Emperor had become even firmer after his argument with Yue Wuji.

It was almost as if someone had infected him with a mind-controlling parasite.

“... I understand.” Yue Wuji could only agree.

The world changed again, but this time Yun Che recognized the scene.

It was the capital city of the Moon God Realm, the day of the “divine moon in the sky”!

Xia Qingyue was meant to be made the Moon God Empress during this ceremony. It was also the place he and Xia Qingyue encountered each other once more.

She had just stepped out of her “prison” so that all of the attendees could memorize her name when suddenly… she learned that the late husband she thought to be dead for years was alive, and that he was in the Divine Moon City right now.

“Foster father, can Qingyue make one request?” She asked Yue Wuya while barely keeping her wild confusion and struggle under control.

“Could foster father please bestow the Vanishing Moon Celestial Palace upon Qingyue?”

“Hahahaha,” the Moon God Emperor let out a hearty laugh. “Qingyue, in all the years you’ve been here, this is the first time you’ve requested something from me. Great, this is simply great.”

“It won’t be too long before the entire Moon God Realm belongs to you, much less something as trifling as the Vanishing Moon Celestial Palace! But since you want it, then I’ll give it to you right now.”

“I thank foster father for granting my request.” Behind Xia Qingyue’s gratitude was even greater struggle and guilt.

“Foster father,” She spoke so quietly that her voice was almost indiscernible, “Qingyue has something to say. I beg that you remember this always.”

“In the future, no matter what happens, Qingyue… will never ever let down the Moon God Realm.”

“Qingyue, you…” Her sudden statement had puzzled Yue Wuya.

“Qingyue only wants foster father to forever remember those words…. No matter what happens in the future, I beg that foster father remembers these words,” she continued very, very softly.

Yue Wuya remained puzzled, but he didn’t press her since he had guests to attend to. He simply let out a happy chuckle and said, “Qingyue, with these words of yours, even if ‘that prophecy’ made by the  Heavenly Mystery Realm happens tomorrow, I no longer have any regrets.” [2]

When Yue Wuya left, and there was no one left in the Vanishing Moon Celestial Palace, Xia Qingyue’s pain finally broke through her self control and leaked onto her features. She closed her eyes and couldn’t come to a decision for a very long time.

“Should I send him a sound transmission and tell him everything now, or…”

Hesitation colored her gaze and her features as she whispered to herself. She felt as if she was standing on a crossroads of no return.

She recalled the choice her mother had to make back then. This one wasn’t even close to being as difficult as her mother’s choice or circumstances, but the pain was as raw as it was soul wrenching.

Her mind drifted back to the day she and Yun Che were wed…

…………

“... you’ve made it clear that you will leave for Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace, and that the only reason you married me is to fulfill that promise. Therefore, you don’t have problems with me taking a concubine, right?”

“As you wish.”

“You promised! But oh, you’re not allowed to find another man though! I, Yun Che may be a cripple, but I am still a uh… ahem! A man! You must promise me this as well!”

“Unreasonable man!”

“How is that unreasonable? A man’s pride is bigger than the heavens especially when a woman is involved! Also, you are my wife, but you won’t allow me to touch you, and you’re plotting to leave me! Can you really look me in the eye and tell me you’ve fulfilled even one of your wifely responsibilities? Also, what I’m asking of you is but the most basic tenet between husband and wife. Are you seriously not going to oblige even that? Yes, you’re only doing this for a promise. Yes, you’re only repaying a debt that is owed. But what are they worth if there isn’t even a sliver of sincerity in your gestures?”

“... fine. I promise I won’t have an affair with another man, and that I won’t do anything that will diminish your manly pride in any way. Are you satisfied now?”

“Hmph! Now we’re talking!… Seriously though, you are just waaaaaaay too pretty for your own good. What am I to do if you see a reputable young master one day and fall to temptation … hey hey hey I haven’t finished talking yet!”

…………

“The wedding is fake, and the title is empty. However, what will it matter if the entire world believes it to be true? It is too unfair to him,” Xia Qingyue whispered to herself as tears streaked down her cheeks. “He is just starting to grow his fame in the God Realm. How can I be the one to cast him into the shadows and destroy his future?”

“Mother, foster father… Qingyue is unfilial… I can only atone for the rest of my life!”

Every word Xia Qingyue whispered pierced Yun Che’s heart.

Back on the Vanishing Moon Celestial Palace, Xia Qingyue had explained everything to him in a cool and collected tone.

He already knew then that Xia Qingyue had had to make a painful decision before pulling the stunt she did, but it was only now that he truly understood just how hard and painful it really was. On one hand, it was her mother’s final wish to be properly wed with Yue Wuya. She also owed Yue Wuya a huge favor, not to mention that there seemed to be some sort of strange blood relation between them. On the other hand, she promised him that she would remain faithful, and the wedding ceremony—even though it was fake—was going to hurt him deeply and throw his future into disarray.

In the end, she had chosen him and buried that heavy, heavy guilt and regret deep inside her heart.

She never let him carry even a shred of these burdens.

The scene sped up. He saw himself and Xia Qingyue escaping the Moon God Realm on the Vanishing Moon Celestial Palace, Qianye Ying’er intercepting them midway, him being implanted with the Brahma Soul Death-Wishing Mark, him begging for sweet release while she knelt in front of the Forbidden Land of Samsara…

After passing him to Shen Xi and returning to the Moon God Realm, Xia Qingyue knelt in front of Yue Wuya and awaited her punishment.

However, instead of the explosive rage and punishment she expected, Yue Wuya simply let out a helpless chuckle and said, “Can’t you at least try to ask for forgiveness or give me a shoulder rub or something, Qingyue? This stubbornness of yours is really nothing like your mother at all.”

At this point, it was clear that his affection, tolerance and doting on Xia Qingyue went far beyond what anyone would expect from a foster father.

Time passed. A year later, Yue Wuya’s death prophecy came true.

He had died in Jasmine’s hands.

He watched as the dying Yue Wuya fought to his last breath to transfer the Purple Pylon Divine Power to Xia Qingyue…

Unfortunately, his death came so quickly that he wasn’t able to pave the path he had prepared for Xia Qingyue to completion.

When he died, he spoke to Xia Qinygue not about his hopes for her and his expectations about the future, but… hate for Xia Hongyi.

Yes. He had never walked out of it. In his final moments, he shed tears he never shed in front of Yue Wugou… and passed away in hatred.

No one who hadn’t witnessed this with their own eyes could imagine that a Moon God Emperor’s life would end in such a tragic manner.

On the same day, Yue Wugou committed suicide in the name of love.

Yun Che watched as Xia Qingyue held Yue Wugou’s body and cried uncontrollably.

The bronze mirror Yue Wugou had held to her chest became her memento of her mother.

Bearing guilt and regret toward both her mother and her foster father, and facing massive resistance from the Moon God Realm itself, Xia Qingyue became completely alone in the God Realm.

…………

Despite knowing that her decision would be rebuffed by everyone in the Moon God Realm, Xia Qingyue still buried her mother’s body next to Yue Wuya’s in the imperial tomb.

She then knelt in front of the tomb for three days and nights.

Yun Che watched every second of it without making a single noise or moving his gaze away even once…

If only he could have stood by her side back then. He could’ve shouldered some of the pain in her heart at least.

A long time later, Xia Qingyue finally rose to her feet. Suddenly, her body began spasming uncontrollably until she fell back to her knees.

A tremor was shaking up her previously dead eyes into utter chaos as well.

“... !?” Although it was just a memory, Yun Che almost felt like the unnatural spasm of Xia Qingyue’s soul was occurring in his as well.

What… what on earth is happening to Qingyue?

She clutched her head tightly with both hands. The shaking kept growing more and more violent, and she seemed to be enduring a massive amount of pain.

What’s going on… what’s happening to her!?

Yun Che shouted inside his own soul sea.

It was at this moment the transient woman’s voice spoke up:

“She has inherited the Purple Pylon Divine Power perfectly and in an unbelievably short amount of time thanks to her Nine Profound Exquisite Body. Her mind has also been greatly shaken by all the tragedies that have struck her. As a result, her Heart of Snow Glazed Glass began awakening rapidly as well.”

“To have a heart like glazed glass is to be untainted by the filth of the world… she perceived the truth beneath ‘nothingness’ much sooner than you did, and even sooner than I had predicted.”

“The truth beneath the… nothingness?” Yun Che looked around in confusion. “What… does that mean?”

“Since you began cultivating the World-Defying Heaven Manual, you too have gradually perceived the truth… haven’t you?” The woman’s voice answered.

“Me?” Yun Che exclaimed in surprise.

However, before he could ruminate on her words, the Xia Qingyue in the memory finally stopped shaking.

She slowly raised her head. She should’ve expended every tear that existed in her body, but they flooded her cheeks again in no time at all.

“You really are my father… you really are… my father…”

She could barely finish her sentence without sobbing in between.

Her outburst also caused Yun Che to fall into long, deep shock.

What on earth did she see?

“You really are my father,” she said. It could only mean one thing. Was Yue Wuya… actually her birth father?

That perfect fusion between two bloods wasn’t a coincidence after all!?

But… Xia Hongyi and Yue Wugou only had Xia Qingyue in their third year together… Yue Wugou herself practically swore to Xia Qingyue that she and Yue Wuya had never even slept together…

This was all undeniable “evidence”. It was why Xia Qingyue couldn’t be sure that Yue Wuya was her true father even though her hand had passed through a barrier that was only passable by a direct descendant of Yue Wuya, and their blood had fused together.

Were Yue Wugou and Xia Hongyi both lying, or…

“No wonder… you allowed me to get close to you and depend on you like your own… no wonder… you doted on me and forgave me no matter what I did…”

“I really was your daughter after all… I have received… so, so much love from you…”

“But I… could not call you father while you were still alive…”

“And I… have spoiled even both you and mom’s final wishes…”

The tears were unending, and each word was uttered with blood.

After Yun Che returned to the God Realm and met up with Xia Qingyue once more, the latter had described Yue Wuya and Yue Wugou’s death in a calm and indifferent manner. She didn’t shed a single tear or show a shred of sorrow, nor did she mention that Yue Wuya… was her true father.

The tears, the sins, the pain, the regret… she had buried it all in her bosom.

Suddenly, a terrible chill gripped Yun Che’s heart.

He abruptly realized that the father, the mother and the daughter… not a single one of them had died a good death. 

It was almost as if they had been cursed by cruel fate itself.

The light turned dark, and the winds grew shrill. It was as if the world itself was weeping for her sake.

An indefinite amount of time later, Xia Qingyue’s sobs finally slowed to a stop.

When she raised her head to stare at the space in front of her, her eyes were completely blank. It took yet another indefinite amount of time before they finally regained their focus. 

It didn’t stop there, however. Her eyes kept growing sharper and sharper until they resembled a pair of chilling knives.

“Mother,” she said quietly, “the mortal coil has only afforded you bitterness and sorrow. May that be a sign that your and father’s stay in the afterlife is filled with infinite bliss.”

“As for the hate and vengeance you left behind, I shall claim them in your place!”

“Father, you weren’t able to protect mother in this mortal coil. Be sure… never to lose her again in the afterlife.”

“As for the Moon God Realm you poured your heart and soul into to protect, I shall protect it in your place!”

She slowly raised her hand and pressed a fingertip to where her heart was. Then, she declared in a voice as silent as the wind, “I, Xia Qingyue, hereby swear that I will spend the rest of my life fulfilling two wishes…”

“The first is to kill Qianye, and the second is to protect the Moon God Realm!”

“If I fail to fulfill even one of these oaths, may the world smite me, and samsara be forever denied to me!”

She stabbed the finger into her heart, drew out the blood and engraved the blood oath onto her parents’ tombstones.

Yun Che felt the stab on his own soul, and couldn’t stop shaking even a long time later.

Xia Qingyue had sworn to kill Qianye and protect the Moon God Realm.

However, he had saved Qianye from certain death…

And he had destroyed the Moon God Realm with his own hands…

Xia Qingyue literally had Qianye Ying’er’s life in her clutches back then, but she had chosen to delay her vengeance by a thousand years for his sake.

The outcome of that choice was…

In the real world, Yun Che’s body shook as if he was enduring a terrible snowstorm. Blood was dripping down his clenched teeth.

No one could imagine the kind of mental torture he was enduring right now.

Back in the soul sea, Xia Qingyue rose to her feet once more.

When she turned around, her tears shattered like stars, and the purple needles in her pupils gleamed sharp enough to sever the soul.

Despite his trembling and blurry vision, Yun Che still saw a completely different Xia Qingyue from the one a moment ago. The transformation had been as immediate as it was absolute.

In the next three years, The Moon God Realm welcomed a new Moon God Emperor who wielded the Imperial Moon Glazed Pearl and the former God Emperor’s will, but no one accepted.

It would also bear witness to the new Moon God Emperor’s meteoric rise and the results of her ruthlessness.

1. (T/N: I know it’s a joke in poor taste, but it most definitely shone like never before, before crumbling into cosmic dust…)

2. Chapter 1278