Against the Gods

It would not be exaggerated in the least to state that below the Divine Profound Realm, Yun Che’s recovery rate had no equal. When Yun Che awoke, the sky had already turned dark, and he had roughly recovered all the mental and profound strength he had exhausted. After he woke up, he realized that he was lying on a small, fluffy bed. The surroundings were quiet and the room’s furnishing was simple yet elegant. He directed his gaze outside the window. Yun Che could tell with a glance that he was no longer in Yun Qinghong’s small courtyard, but he should be in one of the guestrooms that were to the side of the main hall.

Yun Che perked up his ears and he could faintly make out the conversation that Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou were having on the other side of the wall. In order not to disturb his rest, the voices of the two were very quiet. Yun Che jumped off the bed and quickly organised his thoughts. After that, he picked up his Sound Transmission Jade and located the Sound Transmission Imprint left behind by Number One Under Heaven.

“Brother Under Heaven, there is one matter in which I require your help for.” Yun Che sent out his message via sound transmission.

In a few moments, the Sound Transmission Jade shone with a flash of profound light, the revolving profound formation emitting Number One Under Heaven’s good-humored voice, “Brother Yun, you just need to say what you want and it will be done.”

Yun Che said in a very frank and matter-of-fact tone, “In two months time, the Yun Family, in order to prepare for the Demon Empress Grand Ceremony that is coming in three months, will be holding a Family Competition, and at that time, I hope that Brother Under Heaven can also be present… As for the reason why, please forgive me for not being able to say it right now, but all will be revealed to Brother Under Heaven at that time.”

Without letting Yun Che wait for too long, Number One Under Heaven’s voice transmitted over once again, “You do not need to explain the reasons to me, because in comparison to the fact that Brother Yun saved my little sister’s life, this small matter is not even worth mentioning. When the time comes, I will be there. I definitely won’t go back on my words.”

Number One Under Heaven was an extremely straightforward person, so the entire process was much smoother than Yun Che had predicted. After all, he did save Number Seven Under Heaven’s life. And because Number One Under Heaven had a naturally proud personality, he was not willing to owe anyone favors. To top it all off, this arrangement had already been made previously, so even if Yun Che did not explain himself, he would absolutely not reject Yun Che.

The door was pushed open as Yun Xiao, who had heard the sound of voices, hurriedly rushed into the room. Looking at Yun Che, he joyfully cried, “Brother Yun, you’re awake!”

“Mn!” Yun Che nodded his head, “Yun Xiao, it’s good that you have come. Because now we can begin the ceremony.”

“Eh? Ceremony?”

Yun Che grabbed Yun Xiao and hauled him down into a kneeling position. After which, he pointed his fingers towards the sky and he began speaking methodically, “I, Yun Che, from this day forward will become sworn brothers with Yun Xiao. I will be the elder, Yun Xiao the younger. And from this day forward we will share both our joys and sorrows. Yun Xiao’s relatives will be my own, and my relatives will be Yun Xiao’s own as well. These words have been witnessed under the blue sky, if any of us violate them, may he be damned by both heaven and earth!”

Yun Xiao knelt there, dazed, and he had not regained his sense yet. After Yun Che had said his vows, he patted him on the shoulder, “Alright, now it is your turn.”

Yun Xiao turned his head, and his face was filled with bewilderment. He moved his lips and hurriedly said, “Brother Yun, I… I...”

“Why? You don’t want to be sworn brothers with me?” Yun Che asked with a laugh.

“No, of course not.” Yun Xiao shook his head, then he stared straight at Yun Che and said with sincerity, “Brother Yun’s talents reach the heavens and your medical expertise has reached a point where it startles everyone. Moreover, you have done so many things for me and my parents, but I… Even though I am the Yun Family’s Young Patriarch in name, you saw my true status today. I have only known you for a day, yet your light is so dazzling that I do not even dare to gaze upon it directly. In front of Brother Yun, I am practically a firefly to your bright moon, I don’t understand… why Brother Yun would be willing to become sworn brothers with me? And not only that, you even took the initiative…”

Yun Xiao’s temperament was warm and he always did things in a manner that was tolerant and circumspect, but he definitely was no fool. So Yun Che would definitely not blame Yun Xiao for having suspicions about him. He looked at Yun Xiao, and said in an even more sincere tone, “Yun Xiao, for you to have such suspicions is absolutely normal. And the misgivings your parents have towards me are definitely even greater than your own. Indeed, there is no such thing as free lunch in this world, and no benefits are given for no reason at all. It is the same with me as well. But Yun Xiao, please believe me. I do not have any schemes hatched against you or your family, nor do I have any ill intentions towards all of you. I will never bear any malice towards any of you, not now or ever. I sincerely want to become a real brother to you, and I am even more sincere in my desire to have your family become my own as well… As for the reason for all of this, I cannot divulge that at the present moment, but give me at most… At most six months, and I will clearly explain all my motivations to you. If any of the words I have said to you are false, then may I die a dog’s death!”

“Ah!” Yun Xiao heard the curse Yun Che directed at himself and it frightened him tremendously. If he still had some suspicions before, the resolute and decisive words uttered by Yun Che and his resolute sincere eyes had completely wiped it away, causing Yun Xiao to not be able to manifest even a shred of ill-feeling or guard against Yun Che. He nodded his head and faced forward; raising his fingers to the sky, he uttered the exact same words that Yun Che did, “I, Yun Xiao, from this day forward will become sworn brothers with Brother Yun Che. Brother Yun will be the elder, I the younger. And from this day forward we will share both our joys and sorrows. Brother Yun’s relatives will be my own, and my relatives will be Brother Yun’s own as well. These words have been witnessed under the blue sky, if any of us violate them, may he be damned by both heaven and earth!”

Yun Xiao’s feelings were way more agitated than Yun Che. Yun Che had told him there was really a reason for all of this, but what had given him much more clarity was Yun Che’s heartfelt sincerity. Moreover, there was also the urgency and concern with which he treated Mu Yurou’s condition when he helped her clear her veins, to the point where he finally fainted because he had exhausted his mental strength beyond his limits…

Even though he did not understand the reasons behind it, at the moment, he was extremely convinced that Yun Che would not hurt him or his family… Or maybe he was really a divine being sent by the heavens to save his family.

“Younger Brother Yun Xiao greets Elder Brother.” Yun Xiao knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Yun Che in a sincere and moved manner.

Yun Che accepted his kowtow, then lifted him up. After Yun Xiao got up, both of them laughed and nodded their heads. Yun Che said, “From now onwards we will be just like blood brothers. No matter what happens from now on, we will mutually rely on one another and no one is allowed to hold back.”

“Good! Hehe… I have a big brother now and what a powerful big brother he is. It’s as if I’m dreaming.” Yun Xiao’s face was red. It was still suffused with excitement, “It’s only that I am really not up to the mark to be your younger brother. I don’t know how much more I will owe Big Brother from now on.”

“Haha, since we are already brothers, don’t say such cold things.” Yun Che gave off a hearty laugh as he looked at Yun Xiao’s emotional appearance. He sighed in his heart and thought, Yun Xiao, you may think that you are the one who owes me. But the people I saved are my very own birth parents, whereas your birth parents, along with your grandmother, died because of me. Your grandfather had to endure intense pain akin to his flesh being torn apart as he raised me under the most bitter of circumstances. Your little aunt became my most gentle spiritual support in my youth. And even you, you had to bear such humiliation and indifference for twenty two years. All because of me...

If you want to talk about owing someone, it is I who owe you. What I owe your family… Can never ever be repaid… The only thing I can do is to make sure that you are no longer bullied or humiliated and to allow you, Grandfather and Little Aunt to reunite, while also finding the true culprit behind my foster father’s death… And that is all I can really do…

“Let’s go, your parent’s meridians have already been unobstructed, so we can begin to process of ridding their bodies of the cold poison.” Yun Che said as he strode towards the door.

“Ah? Now?” Yun Xiao said worriedly, “But Big Brother, you just fainted from over-exhaustion and you have only just awakened. What if you get hurt due to exhaustion? Why don’t you rest first and then begin again tomorrow? There’s no hurry really.”

“Do I look exhausted to you?” Yun Che stretched and twisted his neck, then sternly declared, “I already said this, but your parents are now my parents as well. And seeing that your mother’s condition is already precarious, even if you are willing to wait until tomorrow, I am not. Let’s go.”

“Ah… Ok.”

Both of them pushed open the door of the main hall together and strode in side by side. They saw Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou sitting there, smiling at the both of them. Yun Xiao wore a slightly embarrassed expression and said with a small laugh, “Father, Mother, did you hear everything Big Brother and I said a while ago?”

The only thing that separated the two rooms was a wall that was not thick at all. Moreover, the volume they used just now was not soft, so even if it was a normal person, he or she could have heard everything clearly.

“Hoho, we did not miss a single word.” Yun Qinghong said as he laughed gently, “Xiao’er, congratulations on gaining such a fine older brother. Even I can feel that Yun Che has not even a single iota of ill-intent towards our family. And as for the so-called reason, it actually isn’t even important anymore.”

Mu Yurou’s eyes were watery as she said softly, “Husband, since they have already become sworn brothers, what say we accept this child as our foster son?”

Yun Qinghong laughed heartily, “If we could have such an illustrious and exceptional son, it would of course be perfect. But as to this, why don’t we see what Yun Che has to say first.”

Yun Che’s chest swelled up violently. He took a step forward and immediately kneeled on the ground, “Your child Yun Che greets Foster Father and Foster Mother.”

Mu Yurou and Yun Qinghong shared a glance as a joyous and delighted smile appeared on both their faces. Yun Qinghong clasped both his hands lightly and he sighed in a clearly emotional manner, “Good… Good… I, Yun Qinghong, have resented the heavens for these past few decades. But today, today can be counted as some compensation towards our family, to allow us to have yet another son.”

“Child, stand up, the floor is cold. Mu Yurou stood up and gently raised Yun Che up. Looking at her warm gaze which seemed to melt everything, Yun Che nearly lost control of himself and said in an emotional voice, “Can I… not address you as Foster Father and Foster Mother, and call you Father and Mother instead, like Yun Xiao?”

Once he had said those words, Yun Che immediately regretted it… It was merely a day, but he had become sworn brothers with Yun Xiao and recognized them as foster parents. These actions in and of themselves were way too impulsive. And these words he had just uttered were impulsive beyond belief. He hurriedly explained, “Since a young age, my birth parents had left me. And the foster parents who had taken me in soon left the world not long after I had been born. I was too young to even remember their faces and it was always Grandfather who had raised me into adulthood. So I don’t even know the feeling of being able to call someone Father or Mother, so…”

Yun Che’s words inadvertently pierced Mu Yurou’s heart. Her eyes instantly became hazy as she answered, “You are truly such a pitiful child… Che’er, as long as you don’t mind, we will be your father and mother from now on. And we will love and cherish you as though you are our very own. You can call us whatever you like.”

Yun Qinghong also lightly nodded his head.

Yun Che’s heart violently jumped and he knelt down once again. He gazed at them as he shouted softly, “Father… Mother…”

Even though he tried his best to control his voice, when he called out those two words, they still carried a heavy tremble.

This was the first time in both of his lives, the first time he was yelling out these two words which were beyond familiar to most people… Moreover, the ones he were addressing them to were his very own birth parents.

I am finally someone who also has parents now… Yun Che closed his eyes, basking in the feeling of being able to greet his parents. At this moment, he felt like his life had instantly gotten closer to completion, and the hole that had always quietly existed in his heart, the feeling that he was lacked something, vanished as well. It was also in this moment that he truly understood what it was that he lacked all this while…