The youth's voice was filled with extreme grievance, his fair face flushed with a hint of red. Though he was a head taller than her, his body pressed against hers incessantly. "I've been waiting for you, for a very, very long time."
"Do you, still, remember me?"
The youth shook his head. "I don't remember, but I know I was waiting for you."
He looked at Zhu Ji, his eyes full of trust and longing. "Ever since I woke up, I knew I was waiting for someone. I've been waiting and waiting, and you never came for so long."
"I'm sorry, I'm late."
She should have realized this earlier.
Yao Zhu's hesitant demeanor then clearly indicated he wanted to say something to her. She didn't press, so he didn't speak.
Thinking of Yao Zhu, Zhu Ji's confusion deepened.
Zhu Ji looked down at him. "I'll take you away from here, alright?"
"Where to?"
"To my place."
The youth immediately beamed. "Okay, I want to go with you."
And so, Zhu Ji spirited away the newly born deity from the Peak of All Gods.
Back in the demon realm, the young attendant she had sent back earlier was weeping while eating a plate of pastries. His adorable face was etched with misery, his bright, watery eyes filled with sadness. Several demon realm attendants stood beside him, not knowing how to comfort a child, all of them at a loss.
Upon seeing her return, the demon attendants felt as if they had been granted amnesty.
"Supreme Lord."
Someone looked at Chong Yan. Although he was now a nascent white lotus, radiating holiness, these individuals still recognized their former Supreme Lord.
One hesitated and asked, "Supreme Lord, who is this?"
"Your sovereign."
The demon attendants exchanged glances.
They had a general understanding of Zhu Ji's identity and had heard rumors about her and the former Supreme Lord of the demon realm. However, the previous Supreme Lord had died many years ago. Now, she had found someone who looked similar and directly told them this was their sovereign. Was she seeking a replacement for someone she couldn't have, or had the former Supreme Lord returned?
The young immortal child, upon seeing her, put down his pastries and walked towards her, looking at her with a wronged expression.
Chong Yan also looked at her, then at the young immortal child, and asked, "Who is she?"
His tone seemed to carry a hint of reproach, as if asking, "Why are you still doting on someone else?"
Zhu Ji gently stroked his back and looked at the young immortal child. "Yao Zhu told you not to return to the divine realm, so where do you want to go? Or stay here?" Su Dan Fiction Network
The young immortal child spoke in a soft tone, yet with a righteous air. "My lord said I should travel the human world, observe the common folk, and that I will have great use for myself in the future."
Zhu Ji looked at his soft, cute face and unintentionally thought of that little imp, feeling an urge to pinch him.
The moment she reached out, Chong Yan took her hand back.
"You're not allowed to touch her. My face is also soft. Pinch me."
Zhu Ji smiled and said, "I wouldn't bear to."
Chong Yan's eyes instantly curved into a smile.
"Alright, then I'll have someone send you to the human world."
The young immortal child fumbled in his clothes and produced a spirit stone. "My lord asked me to give this to you. He said everything you want to know is inside."
Zhu Ji took it, her expression complex.
Yao Zhu.
The God of Fate.
What had he left for her?
She had people escort the young immortal child out. Because she was too young and naive, Zhu Ji specifically assigned several demon attendants to accompany her, instructing them to return once she had settled down or grown older.
Now, the divine and demon realms had no contact with each other. A new deity had been born in the divine realm after a deity's demise, only to be taken by her. The demon realm remained unchanged for millennia, without any upheaval. In a state of life and death, the population continued to dwindle.
On the other hand, in the human world, fewer people believed in deities, and humanity grew stronger through their own power. The human world was far better than these two realms.
After sending the child away, Zhu Ji led Chong Yan into the palace. She first pinned him against a palace pillar and kissed him for a long time. The innocent and pure young deity was now looking at her with watery eyes, lost and bewildered from the kiss.
"Be good, go to sleep. I'll be back in a moment."
Chong Yan stood frozen in place.
The moment Zhu Ji let go, his body, leaning against the pillar, involuntarily slid down, nearly falling.
Thinking that she was the one who had put him in this state, Zhu Ji sighed, carried him to the couch, covered him with the blankets, and turned to leave.
She was going to examine what Yao Zhu had left for him.
She used her spiritual power to activate the projection stone. Yao Zhu's figure appeared, dressed in the divine realm's court attire that Zhu Ji hadn't seen in tens of thousands of years. He seemed to be standing right in front of her. First, he performed a bow.
"Your humble minister pays his respects to the Divine Venerable."
"These past years, I called myself an old man before the Divine Venerable. I had almost forgotten that it was the Divine Venerable who brought me down from the Peak of All Gods. I have offended you greatly over the years, and I beg for your forgiveness."
"I believe the Divine Venerable has many questions. Residue is dead, and the Divine Venerable will never remember. As my lifespan is nearing its end, the only thing I can do for the Divine Venerable is to help you recall past events."
"Ten thousand years ago, it was the Divine Venerable who personally appointed me as the God of Fate. I have worked tirelessly, day and night, buried in paperwork, and dared not slacken in the slightest. In Canglan Prefecture, there were the legacies of ancient gods, and the people lived in peace and prosperity. However, I foresaw the disaster that would befall Canglan soon after – an invasion by foreign races, and the people being devoured by golden dragons. I wished to defy fate and save the people of Canglan. Coincidentally, the Crown Prince of the Canglan Human Emperor was born, and his son was destined for greatness. Thus, I used his fate to 'extend the life' of Canglan..."
Yao Zhu, to prevent a possible catastrophe, used Chong Yan's destiny. He used divine pronouncements to subtly hint to the Canglan Human Emperor that his territory would soon face disaster, and the best way to avoid it was for his offspring to bear those misfortunes.
Chong Yan, barely half a year old at the time, was sent into a mausoleum to "pray for Canglan" day and night. Everyone believed this would surely avert disaster, never imagining that the disaster would arise from this very act.
As Chong Yan grew older, he learned of his fate.
He was filled with resentment. In secret, he seized the power of Canglan's High Priest and orchestrated a grand scheme that led to the golden dragon clan's slaughter of the Canglan people. In the end, only he was left of the entire Canglan race.
"...When the disaster occurred, I initially thought it was due to my insufficient cultivation and my desire to defy fate, but it was all in vain. It was only when I saw him that I finally understood. Everything I had done was the very reason for Canglan's destruction. I dared not reveal this to the Divine Venerable, knowing my sins were grave. Then, I discovered that the Divine Venerable had fallen in love with a sinful person. I was filled with immense dread. Later, upon hearing of Rong Jin's heart being taken, I decided to capitalize on the situation and kill him."
When he heard him utter those three words, Zhu Ji was not as angry as she had imagined.
Perhaps it was because the person in the mirror was already dead.
"Unfortunately, I was still a step short. He didn't die and fell into becoming a demon. From then on, I knew nothing could be undone. Regarding the Divine Venerable, I could no longer see his destiny. I watched as Rong Jin orchestrated the battle at the Peak of All Gods, causing heavy casualties in the divine realm, and the Divine Venerable willingly descended into demonhood. This is my second sin."