Legend of the Perfect Emperor

The face on the double door-sized painting was extremely handsome, so handsome calling it extremely handsome would be an understatement.

His eyes were golden, like that of a gold dragon's scale. And despite being a painting, the gaze that seemed as if it contained a whole Universe looked surreal, almost as if it could see through everything, even one's soul.

His facial features were flawless, even heaven-defying. How such a perfect being could exist in the world is a miracle itself.

The figure in the painting sat on top of a white cloud, gentling smiling at the world as if he was its creator.

The painting was too surreal, almost as if it was alive, even breathing.

Tian Yi stopped looking at the picture of himself and turned to look at Caiyi who looked as if her soul had been sucked into the painting.

"Umm… Are you okay?" his voice woke her up.

"Ahem." Caiyi awkwardly cleared her throat while blushing and she wiped the saliva that was near her lips. "I apologize for that. It happens all the time to those who stare at it for more than a second."

"Now, back to the topic." Caiyi suddenly turned serious. "You do not know who His Highness, Tian Yi, is, right?" she asked him again.

Tian Yi nodded to her question.

"Very well, then I shall give you enlightenment," she said, clearing her throat again. "His Highness, Tian Yi, is the only son of the Celestial Emperor, who is the ruler of this Universe."

"The Celestial Emperor is a god above all and below none, an unsurpassed existence. If His Majesty wishes for dragons to dance, they will dance elegantly. If His Majesty wishes for the stars to sing, they will sing until His Majesty says otherwise."

"Do you now understand the importance of His Majesty, the Celestial Emperor?" Caiyi asked him.

Tian Yi nodded, but inside his head, he was wondering— 'Father is that important of a figure? I never realized.'

"Now, onto His Highness, Tian Yi, His Majesty's only son." Excitement could be seen in Caiyi's gaze as she continued. "When His Highness was born, the Universe experienced a phenomenon where all the Spirit Qi in the Universe would dance in harmony without stop for 7 days and night, allowing every cultivator in the Universe to experience a leap in their cultivation."

Surprised, Tian Yi's eyes widened. Did something like that really happen?

"The world never really paid much attention to His Highness at first because His Majesty never allowed him out in the public. But a few years ago, when His Majesty was celebrating His Highness's 15th birthday, His Majesty announced that he would finally allow his son to appear in front of the public for the first time in his life."

Tian Yi emotionally nodded at her words; it was the first time he was allowed to go outside of the Celestial Palace since birth— a memory he engraved inside his heart.

Caiyi closed her eyes, recalling a scene deeply engraved in her soul. "On that day, when His Highness appeared in front of the world for the first time, His Highness dumbfounded the world with his shockingly flawless appearance, piercing the hearts of every young maiden there with a fearsome arrow, casting an everlasting curse in both their heart and soul."

Tian Yi's jaw dropped with bafflement. How come he could not recall shooting any arrows at anybody?! He had even cast curses on people?! When and how?!

He wanted to ask Caiyi those questions, but she was not finished just yet.

"A single glance from His Highness had caused nearly everybody there to fall on their weakened legs, and with a single smile, he had nearly killed many young maidens there with heart attacks. His Highness had also ruined many marriages on that day, even bringing destruction to a not-low number of families out there. Ah, thinking about the chaos His Highness caused on that day truly makes my heart beat with excitement." Caiyi giggled in a graceful manner, her sweet voice echoing in the quiet cathedral.

Hearing that he had almost taken lives, even going as for as destroying families, Tian Yi was on the verge of crying with sweat beginning to form on his forehead. He never knew of the trouble he had caused on that day. Was that the reason why his father dragged him back to the Celestial Palace only after showing his face for a few minutes, never allowing him to go back outside again?

Wasn't he supposed to be the people's Lord and Savior? Listening to Caiyi's words made him feel like he was the opposite of that!

Misunderstanding the true meaning behind her words, Tian Yi asked in a near-crying voice. "W-Why did I— he cause so much trouble? Doesn't that just make him a bad guy?"

"Hm?" Caiyi looked at him with a puzzled expression. "It was not His Highness's fault so much chaos broke out. It was not like he could control it or anything like that. It's the work of nature, I tell you."

"R-Really?" Tian Yi doubted her words. How could he, a human, being the cause of a few families' demises be called a work of nature?!

"Of course! There is nobody under all Nine Heavens that can say they dislike His Highness! At least not the females! Every one of them loves him!" Caiyi said to him in a reassuring voice and with a face full of smiles.

A shy smile unknowingly appeared on Tian Yi's blushing face. 'Everybody loves me, huh,' he giggled inwardly.

"Thank you," he said accidentally. "I appreciate it."

"Hah? What are you talking and smiling about? I am talking about His Highness here, not you, you silly thing!" Caiyi looked at him weirdly as if he was an oddball.

"Huh? Oh, right…" Nearly exposing himself, Tian Yi said in an awkward tone.

'Although I did nothing to deserve so much love from these people; it makes my heart feel warm to the core!' he thought, smiling left and right inside his heart.

'Before I eventually return home, I need to think of something to give them in return for loving me as Tian Yi!' he decided in his heart.