Chapter 68 My life, take it or leave it...
Even Ping Yu, who had rushed over, was dazzled by the cold glint of the sword.
After her pleading, Taiyi Zhenren finally relented.
The premise is that she cannot get close to Nezha; she can only stay at a distance and watch the whole thing unfold.
Arriving on clouds, the first thing one sees is Nezha resolutely drawing his sword.
She opened her mouth, instinctively about to shout, "Wait!"
She tasted the foul-smelling rainwater, but not a sound escaped her lips. Taiyi Zhenren gave her a warning look, then his whisk gently enveloped the girl.
"This is his fate."
The immortal emphasized it again.
He no longer showed the same tenderness he once had for Nezha, and coldly watched this farce unfold.
Pingyu was restricted and had no choice but to suppress his desires.
The blade was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the boy's face symmetrically.
He first addressed Lady Yin.
The woman's makeup had been completely washed away by the torrential rain, leaving her face a patchwork of red and white. She knelt on the ground, clutching her chest, and looked up at her youngest son, whom she had carried for three years.
"Nezha..."
Lady Yin called to him softly.
Under her gaze, the boy's lips moved, and he slowly uttered a single word: "Mother."
Her heart trembled at the sound, and when Yin looked into his eyes through the rain, she felt somewhat helpless.
For example, right now.
Amidst that calm syllable, the sword was taken by Nezha and held against his abdomen.
He said, "Mother, I know you are good to me."
Compared to his father, who commanded thousands of troops on the training ground and was invincible on the battlefield.
Nezha thought his mother, who could cook delicious meals and brew fragrant tea, was more capable.
His mother would sew him a bib, prepare mung bean soup to cool him down after his martial arts practice, and tell him interesting stories before bed...
"It is your unfilial son who has caused all this trouble, and you have been implicated and wronged as a result."
But later, Nezha realized he was wrong.
If Li Jing was loyal to the emperor of Chaoge, then his mother was also a loyal subject of Li Jing.
Her husband's words were like military orders to her; every action had to be carried out under his instructions.
Li Jing wanted Lady Yin to be a good wife and mother so that Nezha could receive clothes and sweet soup sewn by his mother's own hands.
Li Jing forbade Lady Yin from spoiling the children, so Nezha could not even get a moment of comfort after being punished by the family. He could only drag his sick body covered in wounds and endure it alone in the cold room.
He was born of a precious pearl, but he was also a mortal, capable of bleeding and experiencing pain.
When a person endures pain for too long, he seems to become numb to it.
For example, right now.
As he spoke, the longsword pressed against his abdomen was slowly pushed in. The sword, sharp enough to cut through iron like mud, pierced his flesh as easily as if it were submerged in water. He remained expressionless, his breathing not even faltering.
“I was not good when I was in your womb. While others are pregnant for ten months, I enjoyed your flesh and blood for three years in my mother’s womb, causing you to suffer for two more years for no reason. I was not good when I grew up either, always being naughty and playful, causing my mother worry. But thankfully, today all these grudges can be settled.”
The crimson expanse stung Lady Yin's eyes.
She was stunned by the child's actions, and opened her mouth for a long time, inhaling and exhaling the hot, fishy smell emanating from Nezha's blood.
"Nezha, you...!!"
The woman tried to stop the boy, but before she could act, she instinctively glanced at her husband's expression. Li Jing's expression was grim, and Yin Shi ultimately did not reach out, watching her beloved child commit suicide in anguish.
Nezha took in everything she did. The thought that even in his life-or-death situation, he couldn't even muster a grudge; he could only laugh. He twisted his wrist, letting the sword churn inside his stomach like killing a fish for its eggs, scooping out the blood and intestines, crushed into a paste.
*Splat*
A lump of bright red flesh was slammed down in front of Madam Yin. She heard Nezha's voice again: "Mother, this body you carried for three years and nurtured is now being cut off and returned to you to repay your kindness in giving me life. From now on, Nezha will never cause you any more trouble. Just pretend you never had a child like me!"
The torrential rain gushed blood downwards, soaking the flesh until it swelled and oozed long, winding intestines. Yin Shi, her head bowed, was splattered with blood.
Hot and foul, it hung down with the rain. A few drops flowed into her eyes, a few trickled down her lips. But the blood in her eyes made it impossible for her to see Nezha's expression; she only remembered his intestines like an umbilical cord, and in a daze, she was transported back to when Nezha was first born. The child born from the ball of flesh also had a fleshy rope around his belly, which she, as his mother, had to cut off herself.
What does it mean that Nezha is throwing his intestines out now?
Lady Yin paid no heed to Li Jing, and regarded the Dragon King in the sky as nothing.
The ringing in her ears made her dizzy and almost caused her to fall to the ground.
What does it mean to return all the flesh and blood that has been carried for three years?
Is he blaming me?
But he clearly caused this mess himself, so why is he taking his anger out on me?
My husband is right, children really shouldn't be spoiled too much.
Indulging them to the end will only breed trouble.
My mind is a jumble of thoughts.
Doubt, confusion, and surprise all coalesced into a single, ferocious rage on the woman's face. Her facade of maternal love had finally crumbled, as if a beast had taken over Yin's body. She was filled with a thousand grievances and ten thousand hatreds, yet she still weakly tried to justify herself. Even with her youngest son disemboweled before her, she remained oblivious, weeping as she questioned him:
"Nezha, don't you want your mother anymore?"
Ping Yu heard this and felt a tightness in his chest.
If Taiyi hadn't held her captive, Pingyu would have rushed forward to seize the sword and exchanged blows with the Dragon King long ago.
She couldn't make a sound, as if she were watching a show through a screen.
They could only watch helplessly as the plot unfolded, and Nezha drew his blood-stained sword.
This time, he turned to Li Jing.
Is there anything you want to tell me?
The man grew impatient and sternly rebuked him: "If you want to die, then hurry up and do it. It would be a good thing to comfort the people of Chentang Pass who died because of you with your soul. I won't stop you."
"father."
Unexpectedly, Nezha did not call his name as usual. Li Jing was stunned and cast a wary glance at him.
He could never figure out what was going on in this child's mind, not since he was born.
The man privately thought that Nezha was his most disobedient child.
Unlike Jinzha and Muzha, he never obediently follows orders.
When Li Jing went hunting, he only asked for a rabbit, but Nezha was able to bring back the corpses of jackals and tigers.
Nezha was born with superhuman strength, and on the very first day he was taken to the training ground, he defeated his most elite soldiers with brute force.
When Li Jing said something wrong, Nezha didn't care about his dignity as a father and directly pointed out his mistake.
Nezha is not like a human; he is too primitive and too pure.
He will never learn the rules if he is not disciplined and is beaten many times.
After being contradicted so many times, Li Jing began to fear him.
Knowing he was no match for his son's strength, he could only rely on seniority to overpower him, using coldness and brutal family discipline to break Nezha's rough edges.
He didn't know when it happened, but the children who used to bring him the finest furs when he went hunting were gone.
Li Jing knew that Nezha hated him, but he wasn't afraid.
If he could go back in time, Li Jing thought he would not hesitate to have his wife abort the child.
Because he also hates Nezha.
He hated Nezha for being disobedient and for possessing power greater than his own.
He also resented that Nezha was born with the mission of assisting the king, while he himself could only rely on his own fists to get to where he is today.
The affection between them, father and son, should be diluted and dissolved by hatred and jealousy.
As a military general, Li Jing had limited compassion, which he distributed to his two eldest sons and wife, leaving Nezha with only weapons.
He looked at Nezha, a hint of expectation lingering in his heart.
The boy just confessed to his mother; will he receive similar words in return?
If Li Jing could get Nezha to submit, he would be willing to give Nezha a grand funeral after his death.
Unfortunately, Nezha never did what he wanted.
The boy asked, "Dad, do you remember when I was learning to write, which hand did you hold while I wrote?"
Li Jing frowned: "I don't only have one son, you."
The implication is that this is nothing to commemorate.
"It's okay, I remember."
The altar shone brightly under the boy's smile, but in front of Li Jing, he raised his sword and severed his left arm at the root.
"It's this one."
The arm, which resembled a lotus root, bounced twice on the ground before being kicked by Nezha into Li Jing.
His smile abruptly changed, and he coldly replied, "Here you go."
The crimson light, exploding like fireworks, splashed in all directions, soaking Li Jing and Lady Yin completely.
The blood they received from their parents returned to their bodies.
Startled, Li Jing pointed at his nose and cursed, "You unfilial son!"
Blood splattered on Li Jing's face, and Nezha laughed heartily at the insults. Ignoring the other's anger, he asked again, "Then do you still remember the first lesson you taught me?"
Li Jing remembered this time; he had said this to every child: "A real man stands tall and upright."
"Do you know that I extracted Ao Bing's dragon tendons to make a belt for you?"
Nezha uttered a seemingly random sentence, then used the tip of his sword to sever several ribs from his abdomen and threw them out. The white bones clanged loudly. Li Jing, fearing that Nezha's words would further provoke the Dragon King's wrath, angrily retorted, "You scoundrel! I don't want anything that takes lives!"
“So I won’t give it to you.” Nezha raised his chin, his smile revealing sharp teeth. “Li Jing, we both face the heavens. But you kneel while I stand. You don’t stand tall and upright; you are a coward who submits to the heavens and is afraid of the dragon’s might.”
These words struck a nerve with Li Jing, who said, "You brought this trouble upon yourself."
"After I die, take my spine out. I don't want the backbone you're giving me."
Li Jing still wanted to refute, trying to get rid of the label the boy had given him, and attempting to prove that he was not the despicable person the boy described.
"Li Jing!" He said lightly, without any effort. It was as if he were reciting a feather, a speck of dust, insignificant.
The boy scoffed, "No wonder you're King Zhou's subject."
These words were like a slap in the face to Li Jing.
His face instantly turned red, and he began to pant heavily.
At this point, Nezha only had one arm left.
He was covered in blood, seeping from every inch of his skin and every pore, pooling into a sizable bloodstain on the altar. His flesh and intestines were all shattered, tossed aside along with the bones that could be pulled out. He was like a fish skin propped up on a wooden pole, his body completely empty; if it weren't for the spiritual energy sustaining him, he would have died long ago.
The world was bathed in rain, and the people of Chentang Pass gathered around the bronze-cast sacrificial tower, gazing up into the indistinct sky.
Without sun, moon, or light, Nezha's already fiery red robes fluttered in the wind and rain. He was the only raging fire in Chen Tang Pass that neither torrential rain nor thunder could extinguish. Even as the boy lay dying, Ao Guang dared not approach. His courage was limited to looking down from the clouds, fearing that if he got too close, Nezha would grab him and perish together.
After speaking his heartfelt words, Nezha staggered up the small steps in front of him and arrived at the highest point where the human sacrifices were placed.
He looked up at the sky and asked, "Old Dragon King, are you ready?"
Ao Guang asked in surprise and doubt, "What are you going to do now?!"
“I will return my flesh to my mother and my bones to my father. I, Li Nezha, hereby sever all ties with the Li family, and all gratitude and righteousness shall be severed.”
He already understood what Nezha meant.
The boy's actions were not merely a statement, but more of a threat.
He has only one life left, and he uses that as a bargaining chip.
If Ao Guang agrees to Nezha's proposal, he can take the boy's life if he wants.
But if he is unwilling, Nezha has already severed ties with his family, and the hostages in his hands are no longer of any use.
Ao Guang had no choice but to comply, so he said, "If you die, I will let Chen Tang Pass go."
"good!"
The boy answered quickly.
He made a deal with the gods, and only agreed to give up his life at the very last moment.
"I'll take responsibility for my own actions," he said, pressing the sword against his neck with his one arm. Thunder and rain raged, making his empty skin flutter. Hot tears welled up in his eyes, streaming down his face.
Ping struggled, and the bones in his body emitted a sickening groan.
don't want.
The boy's arm tightened, and the knife pierced his throat.
don't want.
"Take this life if you want it!"
The blood spurting from his throat was actually less than when his arm was severed; this was Nezha's last drop of blood.
No, Nezha!!!
Ping became increasingly frenzied, biting at the whisk wrapped around his body as if he had gone mad. The long hairs in his mouth were swallowed into the girl's throat, causing her to gag.
I've heard that when a person is on the verge of death, they instinctively call for their mother.
But Nezha didn't make a sound; he even felt a warmth in his body. After the blood belonging to Yin Shi and Li Jing flowed out, Nezha felt refreshed and happy; his body had never felt so invigorated. Everything that belonged to them had been returned; only his soul remained.
No one could discipline or suppress him using traditional etiquette.
No one can use the debt of gratitude for giving birth to him as a shackle to force him to accept everything he was unwilling to bear in the first place.
He thought:
I am finally free.
Scenes from his life flashed before his eyes, and Nezha wondered what regrets he still had.
He hadn't said goodbye to Jinzha and Muzha yet, and it was unknown whether they would still acknowledge him as their younger brother after severing ties.
His master ordered him to cut off his own flesh and bones, saying there would be a chance to be resurrected afterward. But what if he failed? He had caused his master a lot of trouble; he wasn't a good disciple. Failing to raise a good disciple seemed even more heartbreaking than failing to be a good son.
besides......
The many experiences one has in life are ultimately etched onto one's face.
It was the sentence Pingyu said to him when they were in Jinguang Cave:
Nezha, you must come back.
"Nezha!"
Nezha's death was inevitable, and the whisk was removed from the girl's body.
strangeness.
He was dazed. How could he hear Pingyu's voice?
"Nezha, don't die!!"
Taiyi Zhenren placed Pingyu on the altar, and the girl rushed to him as soon as she landed. She dared not move Nezha, and could only lie on top of him, desperately trying to stop the blood gushing from the boy's throat with her hands.
But it didn't work.
Nezha was bleeding from his stomach, arms, and mouth.
He was like a broken clay pot, which could never be pieced back together, and the blood that had flowed out could never be put back in.
When the girl's delicate, warm hands actually covered his body, Nezha realized that Pingyu had really arrived.
He suddenly felt a sharp pain; the pent-up agony caused by Li Jing and Lady Yin came alive in that instant, erupting all at once. How could someone really disembowel themselves without feeling pain? He was still a child, still a mortal. Excruciating pain and the fear of death overwhelmed Nezha's mutilated body. Pingyu felt a few warm drops hit the back of his hand. The girl froze, her gaze fixed on Nezha's face. The boy's clear, black and white eyes were as docile as a dying dog.
Nezha cried, cried sadly, cried with grievance.
Unable to stop the bleeding, Pingyu simply wiped Nezha's face with her hand. She lowered her head to his forehead, sobbing as if Nezha had comforted her countless times, and said, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I'm here, Nezha."
"It hurts, doesn't it? I'm sorry I'm not here for you."
"sorry......"
Gradually, the girl broke down in tears.
Her tears washed away the blood from Nezha's face, making him clean.
You're so late," he thought, wanting to speak to the other person: "I actually have something to tell you, but luckily you're too late, Pingyu."
If you had arrived earlier, I might not have been able to listen to my master and might not have wanted to die.
A person has a sense of their own death; they know that they will die in the next instant.
After his death, the spiritual power he sealed in Pingyu's brain will also dissipate.
Those memories that he altered will also return to their original course.
Nezha wasn't afraid when he committed suicide.
But the thought of it still filled him with fear.
If Pingyu finds out that he has altered her memories, will she be angry?
If you were angry, would you not be holding me like this now?
Then... I will... be very cold.
Yes. It hurts a lot.
meeting......
The strands of hair that fell onto the boy's body were suddenly brushed aside.
Nezha used his last bit of strength to attract the opponent's attention.
Pingyu raised his head and took in the boy's entire face.
His lips, stuck together from blood loss, trembled laboriously as he silently vomited blood and bubbles.
Pingyu heard it.
Nezha is saying:
sorry.
The next second, fingers left red marks on her cheeks, staining Pingyu's clothes like the crimson robes of a vengeful ghost.
The boy's arms fell limply to his sides, and even his last heartbeat ceased.
Upon seeing Nezha's death, Ao Guang, under the intimidation of Taiyi Zhenren, also left as promised.
"My feud with Chentang Pass is over, and I will not cause you any more trouble in the future."
As the tide receded, it expelled the fishermen who had been swallowed up.
After the four dragon kings left, the dark clouds in the sky dispersed, and the sunlight shone brightly.
The sky over Chentang Pass finally brightened.
Pingyu also understood the meaning behind Nezha's apology.
With the holder's death, the boy's power in her mind to construct fabricated memories vanished.
No wonder she always felt something was off about her memories; they were too perfect and smooth, which made them all the more terrifying. Nezha erased the part about her discovering the Gate of Hell being in the modern era, changing it to the fact that she never entered it while she had a fever.
But Nezha did not take away her memories of the modern world, like a child who had not received a promise throwing water in frustration.
The meaning of that apology is:
I'm sorry, I shouldn't have altered your memories because of my own selfish desires.
Pingyu felt that he should actually be angry.
You should have a big fight with Nezha, tell him he shouldn't have done that, and then give him the silent treatment for a whole week.
She looked at Nezha's corpse lying on the ground; his eyes were not closed.
Its eyes were dimmed by death, but its gaze upon Pingyu remained focused and gentle.
"Get up, Nezha."
Pingyu reached out and picked up Nezha.
She looked into the eyes of the deceased and, in the long silence, whispered, "Get up, and I will tell you all the secrets."
It seems that by keeping him warm with his body heat, Nezha wouldn't look like a corpse.
Author's Note: Sigh, I really think Nezha is a good kid!!
It's not that I'm biased, but even in the original novel of Investiture of the Gods, he was truly impeccable as a son and daughter.
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