Against the Gods

After entering Demon Imperial Palace, Yun Che followed Yun Qinghong and sprinted straight for Demon Imperial Hall.

Decorated with glass tiles and golden domes, the atmosphere was extremely grand and majestic… This was the first time Yun Che entered the Demon Imperial Hall, and he was deeply astonished. He did not feel like he entered a massive palace, but instead felt like he had stepped into another world. Even Phoenix City of Divine Phoenix Empire paled in comparison to this.

“The Yun Clan has arrived!”

The seats in Demon Imperial Hall, were nearly filled and those prideful rulers of their respective territories all acted cautiously within Demon Imperial City, not daring to even talk too loudly. They had arrived many days ago, and they had even come here many hours before the start of the ceremony when the sun had not even risen. Only the top powers within Demon Imperial City would come just before the ceremony started.

Following the shout from the guard in front of the hall, the noise within the Demon Imperial Hall quickly quieted as numerous gazes shot towards the main entrance of the hall.

The Yun Family has always been the leading family among the Twelve Guardian Families, and even though they had fallen to last place, they were still an existence admired by the masses.

The arrival of the Yun Clan caused all focus to shift onto them, as all kinds of expressions and gazes appeared on people’s faces. Numerous people revealed an expectant expression, as though they hoped a good show would happen… Because the seats and positions arranged for the Yun Family was vastly different from the past.

A grand ceremony of this magnitude only happened once every hundred years. The Twelve Guardian Families who possessed esteemed status were naturally given golden seats. In the past, Yun Family, being the head of the Twelve Guardian Families while also possessing the greatest strength the same time, were the most highly regarded family by the different every Demon Emperor. Therefore, they were always given the leading seat closest to the Demon Emperor. It had always been his case, no matter if it was the Little Demon Emperor’s Succession Ceremony a hundred years ago, or the Little Demon Empress Succession Ceremony which soon followed.

That seat had belonged to the Yun Family for the past ten thousand of years, and had always been the pride of the Yun Family!

Today however, that seat was not labelled “Yun”, but instead the word “Helian”!

Although the seats of the Yun Family were still at the center of the hall, its seats were now the last of the twelve families and were placed at the very end! Even the word “Yun” was smaller than that of the other families.

For ten thousand years, the seating area of the Yun Family had never been changed before. Now, it was not only changed, it was shifted from first to the last place.

As though declaring and mocking Yun Family's great downfall to everyone present, as well as the entire Illusory Demon Realm.

Even an idiot could tell with one look that this was intentionally done by someone to mock the Yun Family. It was also obvious who it was that did this… Because the arrangement of the entire ceremony was planned by those the royal families.

When the Yun Family saw their seats, the looks on all their faces changed.

“Simply outrageous!” Great Elder Yun Waitian clenched his fists, as he thought about his son who had been administered with venom by people from Duke Huai Palace and then eventually died under the hands of Duke Hui Ye. The anger within him caused his body to tremble and glare with hatred.

“This is too much! Are they really treating our Yun Family as a nobody!” Second Elder Yun Duanshui said with a face full of anger.

“Let’s enter our seats.” Yun Qinghong replied plainly, then, he kept quiet. His face was as calm as always. He did not show any signs of anger or displeasure, not even a slight frown. With uniform gait, he looked straight at the sign of “Yun” and walked towards the seats.

In an instant, everyone who were hoping to watch a good show were sorely disappointed. Some could not even help but come to admire Yun Qinghong, or even respect him. As calm as the clouds, indifferent, even when humiliated or favored. The “underhanded blow” that the members of the royal family whom possessed ulterior motives had set were not only unable to insult the Yun Family one bit, it instead showed the world the superb demeanor of the Yun Family Patriarch in such a short amount of time.

With such a Patriarch, even if the Yun Family had fallen temporarily, no one would dare to belittle them.

“Three Grand Elders, please.” Arriving at the seats, Yun Qinghong did not sit down immediately, and instead, paid respects as a junior to invite the three Grand Elders, Yun Jiang, Yun He, Yun Xi into their seats first. The three Grand Elders acknowledged him with a slight smile, and entered their seats at the same time. Only after that did Yun Qinghong enter his seat.

The seats for the various major Duke Palaces were similarly golden and the various Duke Palaces surrounded the Duke Huai Palace like stars crowding around the moon. From the moment Yun Qinghong walked in, Duke Huai’s gaze never shifted away from him . Only until Yun Qinghong had sat down did he look down slightly. Even his chest seemed to rise and fall obviously as he said quietly: “Yun Qinghong… is undoubted still Yun Qinghong.”

“Are you worried that this Yun Qinghong will thwart our plans?” Beside him, a luxuriously dressed middle-aged man with a clean white face asked with a grin. However, from how he dressed, he was obviously not a part of Duke Huai Palace.

“After hearing news of Yun Qinghong’s sudden recovery, this duke’s heart became unsettled, and it was inevitable that this duke would be worried.” Duke Huai said: “Doesn’t Duke Zhong agree?”

“Hehe, Duke Huai is being over sensitive.”The person called “Duke Zhong” smiled as though he did not care: “He only returned to being Yun Qinghong from a crippled person and it’s at most only another person that is an obstacle. Yun Qinghong is only a hundred and seventy years old, and even if he were a thousand seven hundred years old and reached late stage Monarch, what can he do? He would at most be an obstacle that is a little troublesome. He wouldn’t even be capable to cause any changes to our plans… With strength that we have gathered for so long, in this world, is there really anyone that exist who can thwart our plans?”

“I hope it really is this duke just being too oversensitive.” Duke Huai said faintly after closing his eyes.

The tolerance Yun Qinghong displayed caused everyone to be impressed. The members of the Yun Family could also clearly feel the changes in everyone’s looks around them, and only then, did the sense of shame they felt get greatly reduced.

Although everyone from the Yun Family entered their seats, their faces were extremely unpleasant, especially the younger disciples whom all revealed faces of anguish, as they lowered their heads, unwilling to interact with any other members of the Guardian Families, especially the members of the Helian Family who were now sitting at the leading center seat, looking at them with gazes of contempt and ridicule. Dropping from the center seat to the seat at the end, such a feeling was hard to bear.

Yun Qinghong swept his gaze toward his back. When he stopped, he said plainly: “What? Is sitting here such an embarrassing thing?”

The disciples of the Yun Family looked up in shock, uncertain how to answer.

“If just a seat could make you guys feel so discouraged and embarrassed, or if your pride needs to be satisfied by the position of the seat, then continue lowering your heads and let everyone present see your good-for-nothing look of grievance and humiliation!”

“A truly strong person, a real man, would not kneel even if his feet were being crippled, nor would he lower his head even if his neck was being snapped apart! If it were our Family Ancestors that shook the world, forget about seats being placed towards the end, even if they were being pressured into the mud, they would stick their chest out proudly and act with pride! Because this is strength and pride that was etched in one’s bones! No matter what kind of seats we’re sitting on, it is not embarrassing… How you are all acting right now, is the true embarrassment!”

Yun Qinghong’s words were like a timely wakeup call that violently rang within the heart and soul of every Yun Family disciples. In an instant, they felt as though a fire had started to burn within their chest, and all the blood in their body, along with the pride and strength hidden deep within it, had been ignited. Every one of them raised their heads and looked up, the weak gaze they had previously was replaced by a determination as they looked at everyone else proudly.

“Patriarch, we are not good-for-nothings! As disciples of the Yun Family, we will not lose to anyone!” A young Yun Family disciple said out loud and the other disciples quicked echoed, as a sense of excitement and pride that was suddenly ignited filled the entire Yun Family seats, completely swallowing the previous lifelessness in an instant.

“Good!” Yun Qinghong nodded slowly: “Now these are my Yun Family men! If you yourselves feel that you aren’t equal to others, then our Yun Family will never prosper again! If you think that you are strong, our Yun Family… will be strong!”

“Yes, Patriarch!!!” The entire Yun Family echoed in unison. Each of the short two words was deafening, nearly shattering the roof of the hall, as it directly broke into the skies.

Seeing Yun Qinghong’s back, Great Elder Yun Waitian was stunned a while, before he muttered to himself: “All the experience I’ve obtained all these years, I thought that if I had became the Patriarch, I would not pale in comparison to the current Patriarch… It is only now that I know my thinking was simply a joke.”

Second Elder Yun Duanshui smiled slightly, speaking with deep lament: “Every generation of our Patriarch inherits not only their bloodline, but also the spirit that allows us to prosper generation after generation!”

“The Mu Clan has arrived!”

Following a shout that came from outside the hall, the Mu Family of the Twelve Guardian Families also entered the hall. Leading them was a authoritative looking elder. Even though he was old, his face did not have one bit of wrinkle, and his hair and beard were all black. Only from his slightly bent eyebrows, long beard, and plain clothes did he actually look like he was an “elder”.

On his right, was the young master of the Mu Family, Mu Yubai!

The identity of this elder was obvious.

“It’s Grandpa!” Xiao Yun exclaimed in excitement. He was very familiar with this elder, but this was the first time Yun Che had ever seen this person… His biological grandfather! Mu Family’s current Patriarch —— Mu Feiyan.

The Mu Family seat was just on the right of the Yun Family, just adjacent to one another. Mu Feiyan gaze swept in front of him as he walked with big strides, and when he arrived at the Yun Family seats, he brows quivered ferociously. Unconcerned with the presence of everyone that gathered, he scolded in rage: “Bastard things! They actually put your Yun Family at the end!”

Yun Qinghong stood up and replied with a smile: “Calm down Father-in-law, even though our family has been married for generations, we had never been next to each other before during a ceremony. Today, this will no longer be a regret, and can be considered something to rejoice about.”

Hearing this, Old Master Mu who was exhaling heavily and staring widely instantly slapped Yun Qinghong’s shoulder and laughed loudly: “Good Son-in-law, I knew that such a small matter is so insignificant that you will not put it to heart. Oh? Is this kid that godson of yours?”

Mu Yurou pulled Yun Che and Xiao Yun out together, then said with a smile: “Che’er, this is my father. You can call him Grandfather, just like Xiao’er.”

“Grandfather.” Yun Che respectfully called out without hesitation, because the elder standing in front him now was his grandfather, and he had a quarter of his blood.

“Mn, good kid. I can tell that you’re different with just a glance. Especially your eyes, they look like Qinghong’s when he was young.” Mu Feiyan examined Yun Che for a while and praised: “Yubai usually does not praise anyone, but he speaks about you nearly everyday during these past few days. I’ve heard so much that calluses are about to grow out of my ears.”

In his admiring glance were signs of deep gratitude. He knew that Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou’s full recovery was all thanks to Yun Che. With his vast experience, he obviously knew that such matters could not be revealed in public, or else troubles would be invited.

“I thank Grandfather for the praise.” Yun Che replied with a full smile.

“These three are all my elder brothers. In the future, you can call them uncle like Xiao’er.” Mu Yurou pointed at the three brothers who looked alike, and were standing behind Mu Feiyan: “That’s your Third Uncle Mu Yuqing and that’s your Second Uncle Mu Yukong.”

“Yun Che greets Second and Third Uncle.” Yun Che greeted with respect.

Only Yun Qinghong, Mu Yurou, Xiao Yun and Yun Che knew of Yun Che’s true identity because he said that he did not want to reveal it yet, and Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou agreed to his request. However, Mu Yurou obviously could not control her urge to let her precious son reunite with his uncles.

Mu Yuqing looked exceptionally young. He received Yun Che’s greeting with a smile, not forgetting to praise him: “No wonder even Brother-in-law is willing to accept you as his godson. Let’s not talk about anything else, but just his looks alone are already not below me in my prime.”

Mu Yukong slapped his forehead and replied helplessly: “Old Three suddenly gaining a nephew has indeed caused him to get carried away. Mn, Yun Che, your address of “Second Uncle” won’t be for nothing. Next time when you visit our Mu Family, I’ll definitely supplement you with a gift.”

“This is your Great Uncle, Che’er you’ve seen him before already.” Mu Yurou pointed to Mu Yubai and said.

Yun Che went forward and greeted in all seriousness: “Great Uncle…”

“Uncle your sister!” Mu Yubai waved his hand and yelled in dissatisfaction: “Didn’t we agree to be sworn brothers earlier. Are you going back on your word? Or do you think I, Mu Yubai, am not fit to be your sworn brother?!”