Chapter 49 Background [First Update] "This truth is utterly absurd."...
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The New Year Ceremony is the most important banquet for the children of the Celestial Clan in their childhood. After this ceremony, they will possess the spiritual power bestowed by the Holy Ancestor and formally begin learning both literary and martial arts.
In fact, aside from the difference in age, it is somewhat similar to the human custom of "grasping an item at birth" to determine one's life trajectory.
Mu Meng arrived early, and before the banquet even began, she went to pay her respects to her father.
Over the years, the Heavenly Emperor gradually entrusted the affairs of the Heavenly Clan to Mu Luo, making his life much easier than before. But for some reason, his spirits were not as good as before.
He had visibly aged, with many white hairs at his temples, and even his back looked slightly hunched.
The Heavenly Emperor sat in the palace, examining a jade tablet. It was a gift from the Heavenly Blessed Ones to every Heavenly Child at birth, a tablet kept by their parents.
He slowly touched the character "衡" on it, a hint of melancholy showing in his eyes and brows. He heard announcements outside that Mu Meng had arrived.
The Heavenly Emperor was taken aback, then put the jade token into his robes. Looking up, a kind smile appeared at the corner of his eyes.
"Mengmeng has emerged from seclusion? Let your father take a good look at her." He stood up, took his youngest daughter's hand, and examined her carefully for a while. "She has indeed made great progress. Looking at the Celestial Clan, there should be no one who can match the charm of my Mengmeng."
Mu Meng smiled and said, "Father, please stop teasing me. How can I compare to you?" She glanced at the Heavenly Emperor and noticed that he had more white hair than before. Her smile faded a little. "Father, you should take better care of yourself. You've become less and less health-conscious these past few years."
"Okay, Father understands. Please sit down."
The Heavenly Emperor lovingly stroked Mu Meng's hair, "Father can see that your Red Heart Pill has not been fully refined; it should still be missing the last layer."
Mu Meng nodded: "Yes, I originally wanted to finish it in one go, but after calculating the time, I didn't want to miss Ze'er's New Year's gift, so I came out of seclusion early."
"Well, that's alright. Your abilities are top-notch even in the Six Realms," the Heavenly Emperor said, a hint of pride in his eyes, but then a touch of worry appeared in his eyes. "Everything is fine for you now, but your father has only one unresolved matter, which is your marriage."
He had barely finished speaking when he let out a long sigh. "I only hope that you can find a partner like Zhongliwei is to your sister, someone who is devoted to you wholeheartedly. Then your father will be at peace."
Mu Meng blinked. To be honest, she was an exception. Daughters of the Celestial Clan usually got engaged after their coming-of-age ceremony. Although they were still a long way from getting married, engagement was the rule. It was rare for someone like her to not be engaged yet.
It's true that her father and sister were too indulgent; even though she didn't want to talk about it, they just let her have her way.
Thinking of this, Mu Meng simply smiled and said, "I understand, Father. If fate allows, I will definitely be the first to report to you."
The Heavenly Emperor smiled faintly, "Very well. So be it. My daughter need not be the same as others. What's the point of hastily deciding her fate? It should be based on your own preference. It's just a pity... that your father was too arbitrary and headstrong in the past, not understanding this principle. Otherwise, Luo Luo wouldn't have suffered so much back then, and... many things wouldn't have happened..."
Although he didn't say it explicitly, Mu Meng immediately understood what he meant by "many things".
Mu Meng pondered for a moment and then said, "Father, why do you keep dwelling on the past? As long as my sister is happy now, that's the most important thing. My sister herself hasn't looked back, so you don't need to blame yourself for this repeatedly."
"Good, my Mengmeng has indeed grown up." The Heavenly Emperor's brows relaxed and his smile deepened. "Father is very confident in you. You will definitely find a good man worthy of your trust. I will wait and see."
As he spoke, he slowly touched his chest—at that time, he could die in peace, having fulfilled his promise.
So many years have passed, and that child is still alone; his bones in the endless darkness must be growing cold.
Seeing the Heavenly Emperor's weary expression and heavy heart, Mu Meng was about to speak to him again to persuade him, but the Heavenly Emperor waved his hand: "Mengmeng, go see your sister. Ze'er has been missing you a lot and keeps asking to see you. Father is a little tired and wants to rest for a while."
Seeing his tired expression, Mu Meng could only nod and say gently, "Alright, take good care of yourself. I'll go out now."
After leaving the Heavenly Emperor's palace, Mu Meng, still worried about his sister, immediately went to her palace.
Since taking over the affairs of the Celestial Clan, Mu Luo has become increasingly efficient and capable. Apart from showing some softness in front of her husband and son after marriage, she is only exceptionally gentle and approachable in front of him.
"Sister, where is Ze'er?" Mu Meng hadn't seen her little nephew for a long time and missed him terribly. She had searched all over the place but couldn't find him.
Mu Luo smiled and said, "His father is helping him practice calligraphy. Mengmeng, come here, I have something to tell you."
Mu Meng walked over with a smile and obediently sat down next to her sister.
Looking at her now, she still seems like a little girl who hasn't grown up yet. Mu Luo couldn't help but smile and patted her hair like she used to when they were children: "You should have mastered the Crimson Heart Pill by now, right?"
Mu Meng smiled and said, "There's only one last layer left."
"That will be soon," Mu Luo smiled with relief and took Mu Meng's hand. "I want to tell you that the other day, Immortal Lord Chao Yu came to see me again, still acting as an intermediary for his beloved disciple. I know you have been focusing on refining the Crimson Heart Pill, and I didn't want to bother you, but after thinking it over, I decided to ask for your opinion first, so that I can give the other party an answer."
So that's what happened. A look of guilt appeared on Mu Meng's face: "It's my fault. I made Brother Sheng wait for so long and delayed him for nothing."
Judging from her sister's tone, Mu Luo knew that she intended to politely decline.
It wasn't that she was in a hurry to find a husband for her sister; it was just that she had once explored Mengmeng's memories and knew that Mengmeng had suffered a lot of pain all by herself, and she simply couldn't let go of her feelings.
Of the people the Heavenly Emperor had originally chosen, Yun Jiuyan was someone she didn't want to consider. Even though she admitted that Yun Jiuyan treated Mengmeng very well, he had also hurt her in their past life due to a misunderstanding. He had hit her and even stabbed her. She could never let go of that image, but fortunately, Mengmeng didn't have any romantic feelings for him.
The demon race was also unsuitable, always chaotic and not a good fit for Mengmeng. After much deliberation, among all the talented young men, only Sheng Yuanting could be considered the most outstanding.
But my younger sister doesn't like it either.
Mu Luo had always spoiled her younger sister, and she couldn't bear to force her to do things she didn't want to do. She smiled slightly and said, "Alright, then I'll decline Immortal Lord Chao Yu's offer. Whatever you want to do, as long as you're happy, I'll grant your wish. It's just..."
Mu Meng asked curiously, "What is it?" Her sister, who always spoiled her without any limits, would actually say "it is"?
"It's that Feng Xixue, without roots or clan, and with a strange personality. Do you have feelings for him...?"
“No, absolutely not,” Mu Meng understood and waved her hands repeatedly, her voice firm. “There’s absolutely no way the two of us could be together. I don’t like him, and he treats me like a stone. He has a girl he loves in his heart, sister, so don’t worry.”
Mu Luo was somewhat confused: "So he has someone he loves, but I've never seen her. If that's the case, why is he always staying with you?"
This is a long story.
Before Mu Qingheng jumped off the cliff that day, he entrusted Feng Xixue with something, and it seems that only Feng Xixue knew about it by some unknown means. The many celestial beings who were watching the execution did not hear it and did not know the real reason why Feng Xixue came to protect her.
After all, she hadn't gone to Endless Cliff that day and didn't know anything about the matter. Everything was relayed to her by Feng Xixue, but he only explained his purpose and reasons, without mentioning how Mu Qingheng made the request or the various details involved.
The matter was complicated, so Mu Meng and Feng Xixue kept it to themselves and didn't say much to the Celestial Clan.
So when her sister asked her questions, Mu Meng reassured her with a firm "Don't worry, sister. We're just getting what we need. He'll leave soon, really. I don't like him, and he doesn't like me either."
Mu Luo knew that she was always honest and close to her, so she would never lie to her about this matter, and she felt relieved: "Alright, then I understand. It seems that your time has not come yet, so you shouldn't be too anxious."
Mu Meng smiled and agreed, but then suddenly remembered something and said seriously, "By the way, sister, I've heard several people mention the snake-gu turmoil in the Northern Frontier since I came out of the pass. You don't need to worry too much. Let me go and quell the turmoil this time."
Mu Luo hesitated for a moment. Although her younger sister's spiritual power was now outstanding, she had always been a delicate and gentle little girl in her heart, and she couldn't help but want to protect her: "The Moon Prince of the Demon Clan is handling things over there now, so we don't need to get involved for the time being. Even if there really is a problem, I should go there myself."
"So that's how it is," Mu Meng nodded, then pondered for a moment and said, "The snake gu is originally an offshoot of the demon race, so it's only right for Brother Yue to deal with it. However, it's the clan association that's holding him back, so I think we'll have to solve it in the end. If that's the case, Sister, you can't go in person. As the heir apparent, you should stay and oversee the Heavenly Clan. It would be more appropriate for me to go."
The snake poison incident was no small matter, and Mu Luo looked troubled and worried, but she couldn't resist Mu Meng's coquettish pleading, so she had no choice but to give in: "...Alright. I know our Mengmeng is quite capable now. If something really happens, I'll let you go, but you still have to be careful."
After the matter was settled, the time was almost up, so they went to the banquet together.
Mu Zeyu spotted Mu Meng at a glance, and hurriedly ran over with his short legs, hugging Mu Meng's leg and raising his cute little face: "Auntie Mengmeng, hug me."
He was adorable, with a round little face that was extremely endearing, and big, dark eyes that blinked brightly. Mu Meng loved him dearly and picked him up steadily with one hand: "Did you miss me, Ze'er?"
Mu Zeyu nodded, then nestled shyly against Mu Meng's neck: "I do."
Mu Meng's smile deepened, and she kissed his little face: "What good things did Ze'er just pick? Let me see."
The most important part of the New Year's gathering ceremony is receiving spiritual energy. The items picked are just for good luck and are not an important part of the ceremony, so they were completed earlier by the King of the East Sea.
Mu Meng was curious and still didn't know what her little nephew had picked.
Mu Zeyu chuckled, his chubby little hands reaching into his pockets to fumble around for a while before pulling out a lustrous jade pendant and holding it up: "Aunt Mengmeng, isn't it beautiful?"
The jade pendant in his hand was pure white, flawless, and clearly made of the finest spiritual jade from Qishan. Such jade was generally only worn by the most noble members of the Celestial Clan.
Mu Meng hadn't paid much attention at first, glancing over casually, but her gaze froze when she saw the jade pendant clearly. She examined it carefully for a moment before slowly relaxing her expression and asking with a smile, "Did your father say anything after you took off this jade pendant? Did he just let you hold it like this?"
“Well… Father didn’t react at first, but after he looked at the jade pendant carefully, he seemed a little unhappy—or rather, not really unhappy, I can’t quite put my finger on it,” Mu Zeyu tilted his head and recalled for a while. “He just asked the official why he hadn’t checked it properly. The official was a little nervous and said that it was overlooked because of its age. After that… he didn’t say anything more.”
Mu Meng nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
It is indeed so old that many things are forgotten. Even now, there are probably very few people who can remember or recognize this jade pendant.
Because the original owner of this jade pendant was Mu Qingheng.
He was the Crown Prince of the Celestial Clan, and all his belongings were of the highest quality. If this had happened in the past, many people would have remembered this jade pendant.
Although his actions shocked both the Celestial Clan and the general public, they weren't directly related to those people, and naturally, they were gradually forgotten. However, his brother-in-law had been terribly wronged by Mu Qingheng and considered him an enemy, so naturally, he had a deeper impression of his things.
The grievances and disputes between him and her were even more numerous, a messy account that could not be clearly settled, nor was there any need to go back and settle it again.
Mu Meng lowered her eyes and looked at Mu Zeyu, who was fiddling with the jade pendant. "Did Mother see the jade pendant too?"
He nodded: "My mother looked at it for a while and then threw it to me without saying anything."
"Okay, go play." Mu Meng smiled and pinched his chubby little face.
There's no precedent for taking things off the New Year's gift and getting them back, and since my sister and brother-in-law are both easygoing and didn't say anything, let him keep them.
"By the way, Aunt Mengmeng, I heard from the adults that there is a snake-gu chaos in the northern border. I've thought about it. After my New Year's ceremony, I will go to quell this chaos for my clan."
Mu Zeyu tucked the jade pendant into his pocket, then suddenly looked up with a righteous air and spoke at length in a stern and earnest manner.
Mu Meng was both amused and exasperated, then pretended to be fierce: "This job is mine, you're not allowed to take it from me. If I find out you're disobedient, I'll take care of you along with the snake worm."
"Aunt Mengmeng is naughty." Mu Zeyu frowned a little unhappily.
Mu Meng reached out and ruffled his hair. "Alright, I'll let you go when you grow up."
She played with him for a while, then went to greet some elders she hadn't seen in a long time. Mu Zeyu, held in his father's arms, listened to the adults talking, and became drowsy.
He quietly reached into his pocket and took out the jade pendant, blinked his big eyes at it for a while, and then, as if he had thought of something, revealed a silly smile.
...
Bamboo grove and thatched cottage.
The room had been silent for a long time. After Gui Chengzi asked the previous question, Mu Qingheng had not answered, nor had he pressed for an answer.
The two stood facing each other in silence, the air so still you could hear a pin drop.
Finally, Gui Chengzi broke the silence first: "I understand, I understand. My act of saving people has made you misunderstand me as a kind person, alright."
He spread his hands: "I know you're not afraid of death or torture, but don't forget, you still have a Shattered Soul Dream inside you. What are broken legs and fingers? Compared to the Shattered Soul Dream, they're just minor trouble. If I activate it now, are you afraid?"
Mu Qingheng remained noncommittal. He had experienced the horrors of the Shattered Soul Dream many times, but even the most excruciating pain would not deter him from showing fear in front of outsiders.
He remained expressionless and said in a deep voice, "May I ask why you want to know these things that have nothing to do with you?"
Gui Chengzi said, "All the reasons, when you get to the bottom of it, are simply that you want to know. That's all."
Mu Qingheng glanced at him, then looked away, finally giving him the courtesy of surveying the area. "What place is this? Endless Cliff has no bottom, so why is there a bamboo forest here?"
Instead of answering, he asked a question himself.
Gui Chengzi immediately became displeased, his old face darkening: "Show some respect. I'm the one asking you this question, is it your turn to ask?"
"I can answer your question, but you must answer mine first." Mu Qingheng's gaze was indifferent. "You should know that you are the one who is curious, and you are the one who is obsessed with the answer, while I don't care about anything. I am not afraid of death, nor am I afraid of shattered dreams. You can use any means to deal with me and torture me, I don't care. But you—if you want to know the answer, you must follow my pace."
Gui Chengzi stared at Mu Qingheng in disbelief. Just moments ago, this man was a lifeless mass, a walking corpse with his eyes open. But now, although the despair emanating from him was still intense, he was able to muster the willpower to negotiate with him—this man's determination and sharpness of will were truly unfathomable.
Like wild grass, as long as there is breath, it can continue to grow.
If someone isn't afraid of death, then they must still have some unfulfilled wish.
After a moment of surprise, Gui Chengzi cleared his throat: "Don't make yourself sound so perfect. You just answered one of my questions. Aren't you afraid I'll invite your beloved here for tea?"
After saying that, he leaned back, tilted his head slightly, and looked quite smug.
Mu Qingheng remained calm and even smiled, though the smile was chilling: "That's because I want to answer that question. You keep saying you're not a good person, but you should know that the one you saved is nothing but a heartless wolf. I haven't taken your threats seriously at all."
Gui Chengzi was dumbfounded, unable to understand why this person, who hadn't spoken, had managed to leave him speechless once he opened his mouth.
After thinking for a long time, he realized he couldn't find anything to threaten the other party with, and he felt quite frustrated. Just as he was getting annoyed, he suddenly heard him whisper:
"You asked me my name," Mu Qingheng said suddenly after a long pause, his gaze somewhat empty, his pupils still and unmoving, "It's been a long time since anyone asked me what my name is."
Gui Chengzi glanced at him but said nothing. Then he stared at him for a long time, becoming more and more certain that he really couldn't refute Mu Qingheng's words.
Well, he's the kind of person who can be flexible, so he immediately nodded: "Okay, everything is negotiable."
"The Endless Cliff is indeed bottomless, but you can imagine it as... well... a journey without an end, though there are countless rest stops along the way."
"A thousand years ago, the Demon Clan intended to conquer the Six Realms. Why did the Human Clan attack first?" Gui Chengzi asked, and then immediately answered himself, "That's because the Demon Realm is closest to the Human Realm. The two realms share an endless cliff. Climbing up from the side leads to the territory of the Human Realm."
"Many things in this world are often limited by one's perspective. When humans stand at the top of the Endless Cliff and look down, they only see a vast, empty abyss, unaware that there is a demon realm thousands of miles below. Similarly, demons only know that there is a human realm above them, and when they stand on the edge of the cliff and look down, they think that there is only endless darkness beyond. In fact, it is all due to limited perspective. If you have never fallen down, you will not know that there is a different world below."
Mu Qingheng had been listening attentively, and when he heard this, his eyes flashed, and he slowly glanced at Gui Chengzi: So he had also fallen down.
After finishing speaking, Gui Chengzi slapped his mouth in annoyance, glanced at Mu Qingheng, but judging from his expression, he knew that Mu Qingheng had already realized what was going on, so he simply went all out: "That's right, I also fell from up there, but do you think everyone has this kind of luck? When I fell here, there was no one here. Many years have passed, and I've only seen you once."
"As for what this place is, it's just a ravine at the bottom of the Endless Cliff. I call it the Seventh Realm." Gui Chengzi pointed outside, his direction following the bamboo forest into the depths, to the edge of the Endless Cliff. "Over the years, people have fallen from here, climbed up here, all sorts of things have been here."
In a flash, Mu Qingheng felt something go through his mind, so fast he could barely grasp it: "What did you say?"
Gui Chengzi glanced at him: "Looking up from here, this is a cliff shared by the human and demon realms. Countless and all sorts of things have fallen from here. Looking down from here, who knows what new and exciting places there are? Who knows if something fell down but didn't land here, but landed somewhere even lower down? It's perfectly normal for things to climb up."
Mu Qingheng's expression was cold and stern, as if he had fallen into deep thought.
But Gui Chengzi didn't give him a chance to think. After speaking, he shouted, "I've answered all your questions. Now it's your turn to fulfill your promise. You are clearly the purest of the Celestial Clan, so why do you have a heart of stone?"
Mu Qingheng raised her eyes and calmly reminded him, "This truth is utterly absurd."
“Go ahead and tell me. You’ve made such a mess of things, I won’t believe the truth unless it’s bizarre and absurd.”
“Alright,” Mu Qingheng closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his gaze was somewhat vacant. He parted his lips slightly, and the words he uttered sounded somewhat unfamiliar even to himself:
"This matter has a very deep origin. A thousand years ago, during the great war between the Heavenly Emperor and the Demons, the Heavenly Emperor personally led the expedition, annihilated the Demon race, and returned in triumph. It should have been a joyous occasion for all races to celebrate, but unexpectedly, the one who returned was not the Heavenly Emperor of yesteryear..."
He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly: "They are demons and monsters of the demon race."
Gui Chengzi hissed, pondered for a long time, then raised his eyes and said seriously, "The Heavenly Emperor of the Heavenly Clan outside is actually a Demon Owl who escaped from the Heavenly Demon War? He disguised himself as the Heavenly Emperor... while the real Heavenly Emperor—your father—actually died in battle back then?"
Mu Qingheng's raven-like eyelashes cast a shadow beneath his eyelids as he slowly raised his eyes.
The voice wasn't loud, but it was heavy: "Yes."
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