Against the Gods

Back when Yun Che listened to Yun Qinghong talk about the stories of the past, he remembered that he clearly mentioned that the Little Demon Emperor disappeared the night he married the Little Demon Empress… He thought that it was strange back then even if the Little Demon Emperor was desperate to save his father and his heart was bitter, would it kill him to leave two or three days later? He just had to run away to Profound Sky Continent at this crucial time for a suicide mission.

Now he suddenly understood; not having the desire to get married when he didn’t know if his father was dead or alive was just an excuse, his real intention was to run away!

If I were married to this woman who was that scary even just hearing about her, I would run away too!

Mn? That’s not right! The Little Demon Emperor was the Demon Emperor’s heir, the master of the Illusory Demon Realm. With his identity, all of Illusory Demon Realm’s women should be free pickings, what kind of woman couldn’t he find? Why did he choose some scary woman who sounded like a reanimated ghoul as his Demon Empress… could it be that the Little Demon Empress was from a prominent family? But that still doesn’t make sense. In Illusory Demon Realm, what family background could be greater than the Illusory Demon Royal Family… and the Little Demon Emperor was the Illusory Demon Royal Family’s first chair! No matter what, he shouldn’t have to tolerate this.

“Xiao Yun, what is the family background of the Little Demon Empress? Why did the Little Demon Emperor marry her back then?” Yun Che asked out of curiosity from his heart.

“Uh, it's because the Little Demon Emperor can only marry her.”

Xiao Yun’s answer stunned Yun Che: “Can only marry her? What does that mean?”

“Big Brother, I can’t believe you didn’t know that… oh!” Xiao Yun suddenly realized, “Right, right! I subconsciously forgot it again. Big Brother, you are from the Profound Sky Continent. Hehe, here in Illusory Demon Realm, no one would ever ask a question like that.”

Xiao Yun started explaining, “The Demon Emperor can have multiple wives, but the Demon Empress was set ahead of time for him. Because the Demon Emperor’s bloodline must be preserved as complete and perfect, the Demon Empress who marries the Demon Emperor must also have the purest Demon Emperor’s bloodline, so their offspring would continue to have the most complete Demon Emperor’s bloodline and inherit the Demon Emperor position. This is a basic principle that the Demon Emperor’s bloodline had which could never be broken.”

“As for the children that were borne by other wives, they would be bestowed the title of duke, and can intermarry with other families, but can never inherit the position of the Emperor. But, I heard Father said, that the Demon Emperor’s bloodline would consciously not let the bloodline outflow. So in the recent thousands of years, the previous Demon Emperors rarely married other wives besides the Demon Empress, and even if they married, they would purposely not have any children with them. So now, the Illusory Demon Royal Family does not have a Grand Prince anymore. The Duke Hui Ye that we saw today, and his father Duke Huai, are dukes who have the closest relationship with the Demon Emperor’s bloodline. However, even though that is so, the Demon Emperor’s bloodline in their veins are just too light.”

Xiao Yun’s explained very clearly, but Yun Che, who was listening, was stunned. He asked while trying to sound out, “If what I know is correct, the Demon Emperor’s bloodline seems to only have one bloodline. If this bloodline were to be kept pure, then the Demon Empress must also have the purest Demon Emperor’s Bloodline, so does that mean… the Little Demon Emperor and the Little Demon Empress are… are…”

“Oh, the Little Demon Empress is the Little Demon Emperor’s older sister,” Xiao Yun said casually.

Yun Che, “[email protected]#$%...”

“Um? Big Brother, what’s wrong? Your face… suddenly became so strange?” Xiao Yun seemed to not really understand why Yun Che’s face was twitching like that.

“...The Demon Emperor’s bloodline… has been like this for generations?” When Yun Che spoke, even wind was coming out from the gaps in his teeth.

“Yeah.” Xiao Yun nodded, like it was something normal. His facial expression was as normal as ever, “Each generation of Demon Emperor and Demon Empress would give birth to a son and a daughter, and those son and daughter would become the next generation’s Demon Emperor and Demon Empress. There are a lot of other families like this, especially those that can pass down their bloodline power. To prevent the bloodline power from passing on to outsiders, it is forbidden to intermarry with another family. The inheritance of the Patriarch must not mix, that is the clan’s greatest taboo... We, the Yun family, are not as strict, because the men can pass down the Profound Handle to the next generation, but not the women. So women in the Yun family can intermarry another family, but men cannot leave the Yun family and marry into another family.”

Yun Che stared straight at Xiao Yun for a long while, and said slowly, “In the Profound Sky Continent, blood relatives cannot marry each other.”

“Why?” Xiao Yun’s eyes widened, “Marrying the person closest to you can make sure that the offspring also has the purest bloodline. The Profound Sky Continent… is so strange!”

From the view of the people of Profound Sky Continent, you are the strange ones… Yun Che gnashed his teeth and thought. This is called cultural differences, that’s right, a real life example of cultural differences!

No wonder the Little Demon Emperor would marry the terrifying Little Demon Empress, it’s because he didn’t have a choice!

Seems like it's also not easy being the Illusory Demon Emperor.

“Now that the Little Demon Emperor is dead, the one who has the purest bloodline in the whole Illusory Demon Realm would be the Little Demon Empress. It is impossible for the Little Demon Empress to give birth to the next generation alone… that means, starting from the next generation after the Little Demon Empress, the pure Demon Emperor’s bloodline would not exist anymore,” Yun Che mumbled and said, “On top of that, with the Little Demon Empress being a woman, no wonder those dukes would spawn disloyalty, with even some of the guardian families’ loyalty are starting to collapse.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Xiao Yun nodded, “Father said this is the biggest crisis the Demon Emperor’s clan has faced since a million years ago.”

“The Little Demon Emperor was too rash. His eagerness to save his father and take back the Demon Emperor’s Seal was understandable, but he should know that the safety of his life determines the whole Demon Emperor’s clan’s heir and future! If he died, the Illusory Demon Realm would no longer have a pure Demon Emperor’s bloodline. The Demon Emperor died in Profound Sky Continent. My grandfather and Yun family’s top ten fighters also died there. He should’ve known that he would surely die if he went to Profound Sky Continent alone... If he really wanted to suicide, at least wait until the Little Demon Empress bore a son and a daughter… Rather than being rash, it was more like being stupid!”

Yun Che’s eyebrow suddenly raised.

Wait!

When he first arrived at the Illusory Demon Realm, it didn’t take effort for him to think about the serious and irreparable consequence, so how could the Little Demon Emperor not think of it? Being the heir to the Demon Emperor’s bloodline, the Little Demon Emperor should naturally value passing down the bloodline more than anyone else… that was something more important that himself, and a thousand million times more important than his Father’s life…

Then why did he go and suicide so stupidly?

A possibility flashed across Yun Che’s mind… is it possible that the Little Demon Emperor went to Profound Sky Continent for some other hidden reason?

Or… he didn’t actually die in Profound Sky Continent!? Is the knowledge that everyone has in Illusory Demon Realm all fake because someone made it up to cover something up?

After all, the Little Demon Emperor “disappeared” on their newly wedded night, and left a note informing people that he departed for the Profound Sky Continent, but no one actually saw him leave the Profound Sky Continent. No one even saw with their own eyes if he actually left… if the Little Demon Emperor was not a complete moron, then, there was a huge possibility that there was something hidden… or some conspiracy.

Yun Chen eyebrows tightened, and thought back to when he was first at Heavenly Sword Villa. Back then, when Ling Kun used his words to provoke Grandfather Yun Canghai, he seemed to have mentioned the Little Demon Emperor…

Yun Che closed his eyes, and concentrated on remembering what Ling Kun said back then…

“...It’s no harm for me to tell you again that your Demon Emperor had already died a long time ago. Died under hands of our Mighty Heavenly Sword Region’s Sword Master and Sun Moon Divine Hall’s Heavenly Monarch… Your pitiful Demon Emperor who had just ascended to the throne, overestimated his own abilities and wanted to take revenge for his father. Tsk, tsk… his cries were so pitiful when dying. Right now, the entire Illusory Demon Realm is supported by a little demon empress...”

Yun Che, “...”

Yun Che had an extremely strong memory. When he focused and thought back, he could make sure he didn’t miss a single word… Ling Kun talked about the Little Demon Emperor’s pitiful death… but he didn’t mention where he died, or how… At least, he never said he died in the Profound Sky Continent.

Xiao Yun didn’t notice Yun Che’s sudden facial changes. He nodded and said, “The Little Demon Emperor was really too rash. I heard that the day he was married, he drank a lot of alcohol, and he didn’t use his profound strength to resolve his drunkenness, so he lost his mind after he drank, and acted rashly… That could be, hehe, because he didn’t know how to face the Little Demon Empress on their wedding night. I heard my Father said, that the Little Demon Emperor was actually very afraid of the Little Demon Empress.”

“Afraid?”

“To be accurate, it should be respectful and afraid,” Xiao Yun said, “I heard Father say that the Little Demon Emperor had an air of arrogance, but was also really compassionate. As soon as he was born, he had a fearless personality. Even the previous Demon Emperor couldn’t control him, but the only person he was scared of was his sister… oh, who was also the Little Demon Empress. Little Demon Empress’ profound energy cultivation was always stronger than his, and from youth, she was domineering person. Every time the Little Demon Emperor didn’t behave himself, she would beat him up until he obeyed. Even when the Little Demon Emperor saw the previous Demon Emperor, he would be bossy and tyrannical, but when he saw his sister, he would be docile and obedient, and wouldn’t even dare to breathe. Even our Father would also be well-behaved in front of the Little Demon Empress… I heard from Mother once that back then, Father and the Little Demon Emperor went to the Northern Passes on the spur of the moment, and disappeared for a month without a word. When they came back, the Little Demon Emperor was beaten up by the Little Demon Empress… and Father was beaten up along as well, with more than thirty bones broken, and had to lie in bed for half a month...”

“...So…cruel!” Yun Che listened with his heart jumping and his skin crawling.

“But, even though the Little Demon Empress was always dominant, her personality wasn’t extreme, and it was hard not to respect and approve of her. When she was about twenty years old, she took over the Illusory Demon Royal Family’s affairs, and almost everything was taken care of perfectly; even the twelve guardian family’s Patriarchs were respectful to her… until the news of the death of the previous Demon Emperor broke out. And after Little Demon Emperor passed away, her personality changed completely. Her aura, the expressions in her eyes, her actions, all became terrifying. Whenever she appeared, everyone became silent, and it seemed like during these past few hundred years, she had never smiled again.”

Having just lost her father, and her brother… Mn, or husband, it would be strange if she didn’t resent or get mad! Yun Che thought, and said, “Her family is dead. Left alone with the purest Demon Emperor's bloodline, she not only bore the pain of losing her family, but also bore all the responsibility. At the same time, she is a woman. To inherit the position of Emperor, and be pressured by a number rejections, by political pressure, by gossip… that could not be easy. In that situation, if she wasn’t strong and malicious, let alone a hundred years, she wouldn’t even have lasted for ten years.”

“Mn, mn!” Xiao Yun nodded, “Father said the same thing! Father rarely compliments anyone, but these years, Father complimented the Little Demon Empress many times. At the same time, he also worried many times for the Demon Emperor Clan’s future. After all, after the Little Demon Empress, there would never be another one with the Demon Emperor’s pure bloodline...”

“Whatever, that’s the Little Demon Empress’ problem. Not mentioning the future, it’s uncertain that she would still be the Little Demon Empress even a month from now. That Duke Huai was not afraid to run rampant, and he also doesn’t seem to be afraid of the Little Demon Empress knowing about it. Seems like he is not only ambitious, but also very confident.” Yun Che said, curling his lips.

One month later at the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony, I should be able to see the legendary Little Demon Empress… Yun Che lowered his eyebrows and muttered… your attitude, will determine whether or not I return that item to you… or else, even though this is Grandfather’s dying wish, I will disobey! I hope… you will not disappoint me!

The “big secret” that Grandfather wanted me to tell you, I will have to see if you have the ability to make me want to tell you myself!

As for the Mirror of Samsara… sorry, I’m not going to return it to your Demon Emperor Clan, because that already belongs to me!