Chapter 169 Night Candle Rules 47 "He lied to you."
After the age of fifteen, Nanmen Jue always addressed Nanmen Yu by his full name.
The sisters did have their sweet moments. When Nanmen Yu finished her night shift, too tired to speak, and Nanmen Jue didn't hear anything she didn't want to hear, nor did she stubbornly try to shut her up, Nanmen Yu would pour a glass of hot water and silently lean back on the sofa to rest. Nanmen Jue would sit cross-legged beside her, eating her favorite cookies while idly scrolling through her phone.
At times like these, Nanmen Jue would feel a little dazed. She felt as if she had returned to the time before she was six years old, when her parents had not yet come home from get off work, and her older sister, who had just been admitted to university, was on the longest summer vacation of her life. They had a lot of time to talk, and they didn't have to rush to say anything. If one sentence was not clear, they would say two sentences, and if two sentences were not clear, they would say ten sentences... They always had time to understand what the other was saying.
Then Nanmen Jue would speak, calling her "sister" in an unnatural tone, assuming that Nanmen Yu was communicable and understandable at this time.
However, Nanmen Yu simply said, "Out of money again? I'll transfer it to you later."
All the words Nanmen Jue wanted to say would get stuck in his throat.
She felt angry, and perhaps a little wronged, but that didn't matter. She would instinctively stand up from the sofa, maybe have a big argument, or maybe turn around and rush back to her room, cursing herself in her mind as an idiot.
Nanmen Jue said to Nanmen Yu, "In your heart, am I just an idiot who can't understand human language?"
Nanmen Yu said, "Don't cause me any trouble, I'm very busy."
It's said that they've been arguing all the time, but it's more like Nanmen Jue is arguing on his own. Nanmen Yu is a seasoned artist of passive-aggressive behavior. When she's busy, she might not come home for ten days or half a month. There are very few opportunities for Nanmen Jue to grab her by the collar and force her to listen to him.
When Nanmen Yu finally returned, the words Nanmen Jue wanted to say had long since sunk to the bottom of her heart along with her emotions. If each word had a tombstone, she would be crushed to death by stones.
Later, Nanmen Jue got too lazy to say anything more.
She reacted to emotional abuse, but was forced to treat her only relative in the same way.
She thought this was the best state for the two sisters: no arguing, no interference, no seeing each other, until Nanmen Yu suddenly objected to her university application.
Their parents are doctors, and Nanmen Yu herself is a doctor. When Nanmen Jue was a child, her parents said she was a medical genius, but Nanmen Yu actually tried to stop her from studying medicine.
All the resentment, all the unease, all the confusion erupted, and Nanmen Jue never returned home until that accident happened.
Neither of them expected that when they met again, it would be Nanmen Jue looking at Nanmen Yu's empty, lifeless face, her eyes devoid of sadness, and without the cold mockery she displayed when facing others. She simply looked at her.
“In your heart, I will always be an ignorant fool.” Nanmen Jue ignored everyone else and only looked at her sister. “Even after entering a place like this, you never thought to tell me how many opportunities you had to ask for help in five whole days?”
But Nanmen Yu wouldn't answer her.
Nanmen Yu's features were different from Nanmen Jue's three-dimensional and vivid features. She had a hard and cold edge. When she looked at people, she was full of imposing presence even without getting angry. Nanmen Jue had been facing this face since she was a child and had long since lost her fear. She smiled silently.
“I keep thinking that you never respond to me, and it seems like there’s no difference now compared to before,” Nanmen Jue said in a seemingly gentle tone.
The voices of those behind her were blocked by an invisible wall. In this narrow space, only the crow, the main god, and Zhang Jin were watching her intently.
Nanmen Jue calmly looked up. "What are you looking at?"
"This is not quite the scene I imagined for the siblings to reunite," the chief god said.
"What do you imagine?" Nanmen Jue repeated, "In your imagination, I should be shouting in disbelief, frantically repeating questions that anyone with eyes could see, such as 'Are you really dead? Say something to me, I don't believe you're really dead!' or kneeling down and begging you gods to have mercy and see if you can bring her back to life, is that right?"
The deity stared at her for a long time, then raised his hand to stroke the feathers of the raven in his arms, and said with a smile, "My dear brother, it seems that human relationships are not as touching as you admire, are they? They seem to be more peaceful than us, at most they don't shout and kill each other when they meet."
Nanmen Jue's eyes flickered. "Younger brother?"
"Unexpected?" the Supreme God said gently, a deep malice churning in his dark eyes. "We are brothers and sisters born of the same mother, or how else would you humans define this relationship? We were born at the moment when the same great being fell, wielding different powers and having different personalities. For thousands of years, we have disliked each other and neither of us has been able to do anything to the other."
“Nanmen Jue, perhaps I should thank you. If I hadn’t made a contract with you and imprisoned a part of my dear brother’s soul in this weak body, I really wouldn’t have been able to do anything to him.”
Nanmen Jue looked at Zhang Jin. He didn't know how many years he had lived. To humans, he should be an immortal monster, but to these gods, he was still just a drop in the ocean, a mayfly that lives and dies in an instant. Although he was also a contractor of the gods, the main god obviously had not told him these things. He looked extremely shocked now.
“You don’t seem surprised,” the Supreme God said. “He actually told you all this?”
Nanmen Jue withdrew his gaze. "He didn't tell me anything."
"I'm not telling you for your own good." The Supreme God looked down at the crow, his voice cold. "When humans hear knowledge that doesn't belong to this dimension, they'll either become idiots or explode and die. My brother, it seems you really cherish your contractor."
The crow opened its mouth, its voice weak: "I just felt it was unnecessary. She's just a human, like your contractor. What role can humans play in our struggle? We just use them to do our jobs."
A hint of amusement flashed in the dark eyes of the Supreme God as he looked at Him and spoke.
The crow paused for a moment, then continued, "Release these humans. This is our battle. Since you've captured me, I'll accept the consequences. Even if you kill them, it won't do you any good, and it would just be a waste of all the time you've spent training them, wouldn't it?"
Nanmen Jue looked at him, a sigh flashing in his eyes.
Crows are indeed not very good at lying.
Sure enough, the Supreme God chuckled twice with a forced smile, "Noctunas, do you think I'm stupid? Your words implied that you wanted me to release these humans, but in the end, you just wanted me to stop killing your contractor. You've gone to such lengths; he'll hate you for that."
Disappointment welled up in the crow's moist black eyes, and it closed them again.
The supreme god seemed to sense something, and paused, staring at the raven in disbelief. "Noctunas, you actually developed feelings for a human? What kind of feelings? Like a vampire looking at a blood bag? A seagull looking at fries? A human looking at fried chicken? Let me see... Don't be so stingy, let me see?"
It was as if He had encountered some profound and incomprehensible subject, and He was pestering the raven relentlessly to make Him reveal His thoughts.
Both human contractors had indifferent expressions.
The two stared at each other in silence. Nanmen Jue saw a strange look in Zhang Jin's eyes, unable to tell whether it was amazement or pity.
Is it a blessing or a sin to be able to give emotions to a being beyond one's own level?
Soon, the Supreme God himself answered the question.
He received no answer from the crow. The crow closed its eyes and shut its heart, like a complete clam shell, leaving even He with no way to proceed. So He raised his head and looked at Nanmen Jue with a strange gaze.
“Nanmenjue, Nanmenjue,” He murmured, gazing at this human being whom He found beautiful even in His vast experience. “I do not know what you have used to tempt my fellow human beings. To us, human beauty is no different from the glitter of a jewel… Congratulations, you have gained the favor of a god.”
He clapped his hands to himself, then maintained that seemingly compassionate yet malicious smile, and said, "But unfortunately—you will die here because of this."
Zhang Jin lowered his head, staring at his slightly trembling fingers, his eyes full of mockery.
Nanmen Jue, who was sentenced to death, showed little reaction. It was unclear whether the multiple stimuli at once had numbed her or whether she regarded everything before her as a farce and a joke.
She simply curved the corners of her mouth slightly.
"Although you destroyed several of my reincarnation worlds and caused me to lose a lot of energy, I value your personality and potential. If you could also become my contractor, it wouldn't be long before you could collect the energy back for me. What a pity." The Supreme God shook his head regretfully. "Since you are so highly regarded by my brother, then you have no choice but to die."
"Are you finished?" Nanmen Jue asked. "Can I ask you a question?"
Zhang Jin looked up at her, seemingly puzzled as to why Nanmen Jue was still acting as if nothing had happened, as if the killing intent of a god had no effect on her whatsoever.
The chief god seemed unusually patient. "What do you want to ask? Is it about the relationships and secrets between gods? I can tell you everything today."
Nanmen Jue pointed to the judge beside him, "What does she belong to now?"
The Supreme God was taken aback. "Don't you want to know the secrets of God? The secrets that believers could not obtain even through blood sacrifices and humble prayers are now laid out before you. Knowing them won't drive you mad."
“I’m about to die, what use is knowing your secrets to me? I can’t sell her for a good price,” Nanmen Jue said. “I just want to know, what state is she in now? Dead? A ghost? A phantom? Or a puppet? I’ve seen ghosts before, and they all have their own consciousness and memories, not like this. But if she’s not a ghost, then where does this ghostly realm come from?”
"Is this all you want to know?" The Supreme God became interested. "Do you still hold onto a sliver of hope that she might not be dead?"
“I just want to know what method to use for containment,” Nanmenjue said.
The Supreme God glanced at her, then at her again, and indeed saw no suppressed sorrow or hidden hope on Nanmen Jue's face. Disappointed, He turned his head away and said to Zhang Jin, who was still kneeling behind him, "You explain to him."
He didn't tell Zhang Jin to get up, so Zhang Jin continued to kneel there. He didn't look at Nanmen Jue. If he spoke to her in this posture, he would be looking up at Nanmen Jue. So he lowered his eyes and said in a calm tone, "She is indeed strange, possessing her own strange domain. It's just that I manipulated her, removed her memories, thoughts, and emotions, and turned her into a pure tool."
Nanmen Jue's calm gaze suddenly wavered, and she abruptly turned her head. "You mean, her soul is still in this body?"
"She's a monster, where did she get a body?" Zhang Jin said sarcastically. "A monster is a form of soul transformation, a being from another dimension, so humans can't kill them by physical means. But they are not immortal, don't you already know that?"
His gaze swept over the box that Nanmen Jue was still holding in his hand.
The judge has no treacherous attendants. As long as Nanmen Jue destroys this box, the anchor inside will disappear along with the judge, facing utter death.
Nanmen Jue's pupils contracted as she stored the box into her system space.
Deep within her seemingly calm, yet actually lifeless pupils, a blazing flame ignited.
My sister's soul is still here.
Her memories, thoughts, and emotions are gone, but her soul remains!
Since that's the case, she's going to take her sister home.
She can't die here, she has to take her sister home!
Nanmen Jue glanced at the raven buried in the arms of the main god, as if it no longer wanted to open its eyes to see its own and Nanmen Jue's tragic fate, and a smile suddenly appeared on its face.
Dazzling and flamboyant, breathtaking.
Just as humans are mesmerized by the brilliance of a gemstone, even the supreme god was momentarily captivated by her beauty.
Nanmen Jue's lips were thin, with a faint watery red hue, the kind of lips that made people want to kiss them. However, her aura was fierce and her moods were unpredictable, making people hesitant to take action.
The moment she opens her mouth, people can't help but want to stop and listen.
With those beautiful lips, Nanmen Jue said, "Do you know what your dumbest thing is?"
The chief god was taken aback. "What did you say?"
Did His perception fail Him? Is this human saying He's "stupid"? What does that word mean?
This is the first time that a god, who has never allowed human perception to go awry, has ever doubted so much.
Nanmen Jue smiled broadly, "I apologize for my previous rudeness. Now I want to know what kind of beings you are and what this space is all about. Can you tell me about it?"
The main god narrowed his eyes and stared at Nanmen Jue with scrutiny. Nanmen Jue showed no unusual reaction... if her sudden smile wasn't unusual.
Nanmen Jue said, "How about we grant this humble wish of a mortal?"
“Very well then.” The Supreme God said, seemingly reluctant but actually overjoyed, “Since you have asked so sincerely, the great Vepernicus will keep his promise.”
Nocturnus, Little Nocturnus.
Vipernicus, Howe.
The names chosen by the gods really lack creativity.
Nanmen Jue was distracted, wondering if it was because he stood too high and disdained to communicate with humans, or because he felt there was no need to hide anything from such lowly beings as humans. Whether it was the crow or the main god, their personalities were as obvious as transparent cans.
It allows people to tell at a glance whether it contains fragrant fruit or rotten offal.
The main god may seem arrogant, but he's actually going crazy wanting to show off to Nanmen Jue.
He disliked his own people and also disliked Nanmenjue, but Nanmenjue's actions showed that she had chosen Noctunas between the two gods. He could not allow it and could not forgive it. He wanted to make Nanmenjue realize how wrong her choice was, and that as a god, He was far superior and more powerful than his own people!
"When the being who gave birth to us was born, the entire world, including the planet you live on, did not yet exist. So you don't need to know Her name. Just know that She is our Mother Goddess. When She slumbered in the depths of eternal void, I and my fellow beings were born in Her consciousness."
The chief god spoke with great patience, and when he mentioned his fellow countrymen, he plucked a feather from a crow and handed it to Nanmen Jue with a smile.
"The power I wield is different from that of this guy. It's like yin and yang, round and incomplete, life and death. From the moment we are born, we are destined to fight to the death."
"What kind of authority?" Nanmen Jue held the feather in his palm.
“My authority is despair and fear, while Nocturnus’ authority is death and rebirth,” said the chief god. “I control emotions, while He guides life and death. Although I may not sound like a good person, in the end, He is the one who causes death.”
He sighed and stared straight at Nanmen Jue. "Do you really know what kind of being made a contract with you? Nanmen Jue, you killed those people under His deception. Did you really think they would be resurrected in another dimension? Think back carefully... those were people you killed with your own hands. The despair in their eyes before they died, the blood flowing from their bodies—did you really think it was all fake?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Jin could no longer hold back and looked up at Nanmen Jue in shock.
The noisy crowd behind them had quieted down at some point.
This was the first time anyone other than the two gods and Nanmen Jue had heard of this.
Nanmen Jue ignored all gazes. "You mean He's lying to me, that the people I killed are really dead?"
"God is very good at deceiving people, because no matter what we say, mankind will believe it." The chief god's eyes were full of pity. "Poor child, you have been deceived for so long, your worldview has collapsed, hasn't it? Death is the power of Nocturnus. Only when a large number of living beings die can He gain power. He is what you call the god of death."
The black crow closed its eyes and remained motionless.
Nanmen Jue slowly shifted his gaze away. "Since they are all dead, why did you give me so many judgments in the judge's second question?"
Before the deity could speak, her gaze met His pitch-black eyes.
"Death is His authority, and so is rebirth. Why is death real, but rebirth is not?"
"What a foolish child." The smile on the God's face gradually widened. He seemed to already see Nanmen Jue's faith collapsing and kneeling at His feet begging for mercy. "How the judge decides is up to Zhang Jin, isn't it? That doesn't count. He just wanted to bring out the punishment."
"As for the power of rebirth," the Supreme God paused, "you have a very narrow understanding of it. Even a god cannot bring the dead back to life. Do you know what entropy is? The universe will eventually descend into chaos, and only complete destruction can bring about rebirth. At that time, Nocturnus will reduce the entropy of the universe, and a new cycle will begin... Only then will He gain true power."
"Ignorant humans, what you have been helping Him do all along is to increase the entropy of the universe, leading it toward ultimate chaos and disorder."
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Author's note: Noctunas means "Praise of the Night".
Vipernicus means evil nothingness.
This isn't something I made up! I saw a blogger combine characters based on their radicals, so I can't guarantee it's accurate. [rainbow fart emoji]
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