Chapter 64: Thunder Punishment “Pianpian is still waiting for me to come home.”
The thin sunlight spread into the cabin like a veil, and the fine hairs on Zhu Hao's face were faintly visible in the halo, making her fair and rosy skin look even more delicate and lovely. Song Xieqing supported his chin with one hand, and a smile gathered in his tender eyes. His other hand had quietly risen and gently stroked Zhu Hao's cheek, which was half hidden in the quilt.
Zhu Hao was still sleeping soundly. She frowned, forcefully brushed away Song Xieqing's hand, turned her back to face inward, and fell asleep again.
Song Xieqing laughed.
His robe was half open, revealing his muscular body in the front. He leaned on the couch with an air of laziness and elegance. Song Xieqing's eyes turned and fell on Zhu Hao's black hair scattered on the couch.
Song Xieqing lifted her hair and twisted it around his fingertips again and again. The faint fragrance of her hair and the lingering stickiness on the couch filled his nostrils. He looked at the hair, still wet with their sweat, entwined between his fingers, and couldn't help but recall the scene of the two of them lying in bed with their necks intertwined, their skin touching.
Only then did he know what the word "bone erosion" meant.
At that time, he was stuck in it, and hesitated between life and death for several times, but no matter life or death, it was all caused by extreme bliss.
This kind of taste is better than anything else in the world, and it makes him more intoxicated than the nectar of immortality. The aftertaste is long and lingers in his heart for a long time.
It was also when they were at their most passionate that the curse that had been gnawing at him for a long time was completely gone in an instant.
Song Xieqing leaned over and gently kissed Zhu Hao's scattered black hair.
The love affair at midnight was over, but he didn't know if she had heard carefully what he said to Zhu Hao... Later that night, no matter what he whispered in Zhu Hao's ear, she just kept agreeing or answering with some irrelevant nonsense. It was the first time that Song Xieqing saw Zhu Hao so naive. He held her in his arms gently and softly and looked at her all night long without feeling sleepy.
To prepare for any eventuality, Song Xieqing still took out pen, ink, paper and inkstone, and wrote densely on a page of flowery paper. He folded the wedding dress he had prepared and placed it in front of the couch, and then prepared a lilac-colored skirt for her.
Finally, he went to the West Market to buy some wontons and pressed them on the flowery paper. When Song Xieqing stepped out of the cruise ship, he set up a barrier outside. Before Zhu Hao woke up, no one could enter this area, and the wontons pressed on the flowery paper did not get cold.
…
Nine Heavens.
The pilgrimage to the Heavenly Emperor, which had been neglected for over a hundred years, was held again.
But it was not like the usual argument, nor was it the gathering of the gods and fairies from the Nine Heavens to chat and have fun.
Unlike in the past, today's audience was solemn. The Emperor of Heaven, who had not been seen in his true form for a long time, sat high on the throne and looked down upon the human god who was kneeling down with the other gods.
"You knew that privately reading the life book and damaging the red thread were crimes that could not be foreseen, but it was too late to regret. So you thought that Cang Hai Jiao's merits would overturn your mistakes? With a mere human god like you—" The Emperor of Heaven's face turned pale, stroking his silver beard, "You, single-handedly, actually eliminated the remaining spirit and the foul air of Cang Hai Jiao..."
Song Xie was dressed neatly in green clothes and had his black hair tied up tightly. Although he bent his knees and lowered his head, his back was as straight as a green pine tree, and he did not look servile at all. He calmly accepted the gazes from all directions, some of which were contemptuous, some were suspicious.
He recalls the situation when he was at the corner of the ocean—
Song Xieqing was indeed planning to make up for his mistake, but he was not 100% sure. Even if he could succeed, it would be a life-or-death struggle.
When he first set foot in a corner of the vast ocean, the ancient spirits and evil air in this area were like a mountain, crushing his body and bones. As the miasma corroded Song Xiqing's blood, it was almost frozen. They penetrated his flesh and blood, tearing his three souls and seven spirits, and suppressing him so much that he could not even fully display his magic formation.
Song Xieqing originally thought that he was going to die here, but the surroundings were silent, the wind did not stir the grass, and a ray of light suddenly opened up the corner of the sea shrouded in haze. Wherever the light shone, the remaining souls of any evil demons and monsters disappeared like dust, and the foul air was annihilated along with it. In an instant, only the clear breeze remained in this area.
He knew that the elimination of the remaining souls and miasma in Canghai Cape was not entirely due to his own merit, but Song Xieqing had not yet seen through the truth.
As for Jiu Chongtian, if he wants to escape as soon as possible and return to Pian Pian, then... let their misunderstanding be the case for now.
It's not like he had never set foot on Canghaijiao, and he had explained the whole cause and effect clearly. However, the Emperor of Heaven, who was high above the six realms and had hair and beard like flowers, insisted that he was the only one who did it. Song Xieqing had not seen through the true face of Canghaijiao, and was too lazy to argue.
The Emperor of Heaven swept over the crowd and asked, "What do you think should be done?"
The human god broke into the forbidden area to pick flowers because of that person, and the six realms dared not mention it again. However, the evil deeds that the human god committed in the underworld and the Qinse Palace should be severely punished.
The Emperor of Heaven only asked a simple question, but the gods present had already made plans in their hearts. Although they had lived in peace for a long time, they suddenly realized the Emperor of Heaven's true meaning.
What if there was some connection between the human gods and the Lord God? While this possibility was minimal, the Lord God's wrath must simply be due to his displeasure at the gods' outbursts outside the realm. However, having witnessed the Lord God's fury, it was naturally difficult for them to ignore any possibility.
Severe punishment may offend the Lord God, while light punishment may damage the reputation of the Nine Heavens.
The Emperor of Heaven was worried that he would get into trouble, so he planned to ask the gods for an explanation.
"Well... he has both merits and faults... We still need to weigh the merits and faults before deciding whether to punish him..."
"Of course the underworld is asking for apology and compensation, but as for the rest..."
"Every one of the six realms wants to seize Canghaijiao for themselves. After all, it was a treasured land of abundant spiritual energy in ancient times. Unfortunately, the six realms are helpless and can only let this area languish and purify itself. Therefore, the humans and gods... can also be considered to have made contributions? However, the matter of the Underworld and the Qinse Palace..."
The gods talked one after another, looked left and right but did not come up with any real punishment. Seeing that the Emperor of Heaven was making excuses, how could they dare to take the risk and make a decision arbitrarily?
The Emperor of Heaven held his forehead with his hand, his gray beard rising and falling with sighs.
As everyone fell silent, Hua Xi stepped forward and said, "Emperor, Hua Xi believes that merits and demerits should not be offset."
Upon hearing this, all the gods turned to Hua Xi, and they all thought the same thing - he didn't even plead for his own child.
The Emperor's eyes flashed, "What do you mean?"
"Let's first discuss the human god's fault. He knowingly committed it. Then, regarding Cang Hai Jiao, to put it simply, it was because the human god feared the heavy punishment from the Nine Heavens that he used the strategy of Cang Hai Jiao to negate his merits." Hua Xi remained expressionless and bowed, saying, "Even so, clearing Cang Hai Jiao was indeed a remarkable achievement. As Xie Qing's father, I naturally cannot bear to see my son suffer such heavy punishment."
The gods sneered inwardly. It was his plan to suppress first and then praise him. And indeed, how could a father god not protect his child? Moreover, this child had been brought back from the lower realms by Hua Xi, demonstrating his deep love for mother and child. Everyone in the palace shared this sentiment. However, Hua Xi's next words resonated like thunder in the crowd's ears.
"Hua Xi thought that his son should be punished with fifty thunderbolts."
You must know that the thunder punishment is not much different from the heavenly thunder of the tribulation of lower-level immortals and gods, let alone a full fifty thunder punishments?!
The Emperor of Heaven couldn't help but frown. If a mere human god were to be punished by his fifty thunderbolts, he would probably be dead.
"The Canghai Cape has been a place contested by the six realms since ancient times. For eons, no realm has ever reclaimed it. Humans and gods have made their share of faults, but their contributions are not insignificant. However, you are his father, and since your father has spoken, let's end it with thunder punishment." He considered the situation, his mind drifting to the Divine Lord stepping out of the forbidden area and the Divine Lord whose head rolled to the ground in an instant. The Emperor of Heaven said calmly, "Well, twenty thunder punishments will do."
Hua Xi lowered his brows and eyes, "Thank you, Emperor Tian."
The Emperor of Heaven turned to look at Song Yue. "The Moon Goddess has traveled and hasn't returned yet. Since you are her only disciple, you are the next Moon Goddess. In your opinion, what compensation should the gods and men give for the destruction of the red thread?"
Song Yue quickly glanced at Song Xieqing, whose back was straight, and continued, "Everyone present, even the Emperor, should know that the red thread is the most resilient thing in the upper realm. It can be easily destroyed by a human god, and then entangled with the red thread of a mortal woman. Song Yue believes that this must be destined by heaven."
"Oh? So you mean no punishment?"
"Although Song Yue is a disciple of the Moon Goddess, it's not appropriate for her to make decisions on her own. Perhaps the Emperor can wait for Master to return from her travels and then ask her?"
"You kid, do you really think this emperor doesn't understand? You're usually so arrogant, yet now you're constantly referring to your master?" The Heavenly Emperor shook his head and looked back at Song Xieqing. "Since that's the case, I'll first punish you with twenty thunderbolts. Will you obey, human or god?"
Song Xieqing's straight spine finally bent, "Yes."
The Emperor of Heaven flicked his sleeve lightly, and all the gods in the palace instantly teleported to the Nine Heavens Execution Ground. Lei Gong and Lei Po had already prepared everything. Song Xieqing stood in the center of the execution ground, took off all his clothes, and everyone present raised their eyebrows.
Fingerprints and red marks were seen on the back of the human-god's neck, teeth marks on his left shoulder were bleeding, and his swollen lower lip was also broken. The gods looked at each other, knowing what was going on.
Lei Gong and Lei Po were speechless for a moment, then they picked up the thunder hammers and thunder drums in their hands, and with each strike and sound, the thunder pierced through the clouds and mist, like a blue dragon coming straight down from the sky and hitting Song Xieqing's crown.
Song Xieqing said nothing, but after one blow, his face turned as pale as paper. After another blow, blood flowed from the corner of his lips. His high-tied black hair scattered, hiding the forbearance in his eyes, leaving only his dignified character and unshakable standing.
The old couple of Thunder Gods' almost rusty drum hammers unexpectedly met with a human god. They were unsure of the strength for a moment, and they had also heard something about the forbidden area. The drum hammers in their hands sometimes were light and sometimes were heavy. Especially Thunder God, who doted on his wife like his life, when he heard that the reason why the human god broke into the Hades and the Qinse Palace was for his first wife in the lower world, he couldn't bear to do it for a moment. Fortunately, the Emperor of Heaven didn't say anything in the end.
The final blow came down, the thunder from the sky was as powerful as a mountain. Song Xieqing knelt on one knee under the strong pressure, his body trembling slightly. Seeing that the human god still had a breath, Lei Gong and Lei Po both breathed a sigh of relief. The gods in the seat were calm and composed, but their backs were sweating profusely.
The Emperor of Heaven was quite generous and allowed the half-dead human god to bathe in the pool of true water for washing souls. The true water for washing souls could remove scars and also had a nourishing effect.
Song Xieqing turned his gaze to the red pool on the opposite side that was as red as blood.
Chi Xing, who was accompanying him, paid close attention to Song Xieqing's every move. He warned him, "Although Red Water has a restorative effect, it's the exact opposite of the Soul-Cleansing Water. Red Water was created to punish the most sinful. If you touch it, the scars will remain forever. You'll have to live with the scars of punishment. Even if you shed your skin and regenerate your bones, they won't be erased. Song Xieqing, don't make the mistake of dipping into it..."
Chi Xing was stunned.
In the blink of an eye, Song Xieqing had entered the red pool.
In addition to the red marks left by the woman's scratches, his back was also covered with several burns from the lightning punishment. The blood at the corner of Song Xieqing's mouth had not yet been wiped clean. He exuded a dead air, but beneath his disheveled hair were a pair of smiling eyes. He scooped up the red water from the pool and sprinkled it on the teeth marks on his shoulder, "Just what I want."
Chi Xing could no longer tolerate this and shouted, "You are truly crazy!"
He chased down Chichi and tugged at Song Xieqing's slightly open collar, "Get up! I have something to ask you too."
"What are you asking? I, your brother, almost died. I can't get up right now, and I can't say much. My mind is not clear, so why would you say I'm crazy?" Song Xieqing's face was pale. He raised his eyes, changing his lazy tone and said solemnly, "Chi Xing... please wake me up in a moment. Pian Pian is still waiting for me to come home."
…
The forbidden area was full of lush flowers and plants, and full of spiritual energy. The young man stood quietly there, rolling up a piece of his sleeve, only to see his forearm torn into pieces, with half of the bones visible, and blood beads hanging from his wrist, about to fall. He touched his neck and pulled up the front of his clothes, and except for the old scar that had been deeply engraved in his heart for a long time, the rest of his skin was as smooth and flawless as jade.
The woman in the honey skirt came here for the umpteenth time, scooping up the water for cleansing the soul from the lotus leaves. She picked up the water with her slender fingers and splashed it on the young man.
Drops of water hit the boy's exposed skin. He narrowed his eyes and frowned. The woman sneered: "Does it hurt?"
"Neither real water nor red water causes pain, but... pain? What does it feel like?" He flicked the suspended water droplets back one by one. "The first time I felt pain was when Ah Zhao stabbed me."
Seeing that he disdained to be moistened by the True Water, the woman sighed inaudibly, "Although the True Water and Red Water were all conjured up by you to please Ah Zhao, your current magical powers are certainly not as good as those in ancient times. Even if you don't feel the pain for the time being, it's always better to suppress it in advance. Using True Water to moisten it is better than doing nothing."
"Haitang." The young man's eyes were as clear as ice beads, staring at her. "Whether it is useful or not, I know it in my heart."
"Don't call me that."
"Aren't you the one transformed from Haitang?"
"Who stipulated that we should call people what we are transformed into? If that's the case, why don't they call them Ah Ni and Ah Rang? If you must call them that, call them Ah Tang. Don't call them Hai Tang, it sounds so unfashionable." Ah Tang spread his hands. "In ancient times, you could kill anyone you wanted, whether inside or outside the six realms. But today, you are no match for the ancient times. You killed a god before, and now you help him break through the corner of the sea. This area can be said to be an ancient battlefield. It's not an ordinary place after all. Ah Wu, take care of yourself."
"You're wrong," the young man sneered. "Even if I do nothing, one day I will be reduced to nothingness, vanishing like smoke. So, how about plunging the six realms into chaos? I created the six realms. If I were to annihilate them, heaven and earth would return to desolation, and all things would return to dust. Wouldn't that be fascinating?"
Hardly had he finished speaking when a nine-tailed snow fox jumped out from the bushes. The young man opened his arms as usual, but the fox bit him on the neck. Immediately, several beads of blood condensed on his skin, like red plum blossoms on the snow, dazzling and enchanting.
He raised his hand and gently wiped the blood from the corner of the snow fox's mouth. Atang hurried forward and took the snow fox from his arms. The young man saw it, his expression remained calm and he didn't say a word.
Atang stroked the struggling snow fox in his arms and asked, "Now that you and I have helped that child obtain the fate book and the method to break it, what should we do next?"
"It hurts." The young man looked into the distance, his fingertips stroking the bleeding bite mark on his neck. He smiled suddenly, "It's been a long time since I saw Pianpian."
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