Chapter 57 Are you sick?
The old ancestor was determined to die.
“Didn’t you ever have any doubts?” Duan Jiuyou analyzed. “Bai Yanxing is not an overconfident person. Before the dragon-slaying incident, he even sent the dragon clan elder Bai Tingyu to the Desolate Clan’s Grand Banquet Palace to deliver a peace treaty. The treaty stated: the area east of the Heavenly Realm belongs to the Desolate Clan, and the area south belongs to Tiansheng. Bai Yanxing is willing to voluntarily withdraw his troops and cede twelve immortal mountains in the Donghuang Mountain area, and will not compete with the Desolate Clan.”
Duan Jiuyou paused slightly at this point, as if he wanted to criticize Dijiang. After the peace treaty was delivered, he used it to prop up the corner of the table. Although he did not immediately refuse it, he really did not give the Dragon Clan any face.
Duan Jiuyou continued, "Since Bai Yanxing is willing to negotiate peace, why did he send the Imperial Guards to Da'ai Mountain to provoke you?"
Di Jiangliang said, "How do you know this isn't a play that Bai Yanxing wrote and directed himself?"
He had his doubts, but what benefit could someone who insisted on provoking a conflict between the two races gain? Was he trying to be the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind? At that time, the Thirty-Six Continents of the Heavenly Realm were left with only some insignificant remnants. Even if the two races went to war, no one was capable of being the oriole behind them.
On the contrary, Bai Yanxing, with a single peace treaty, garnered the support of a group of remnants of his army. Everyone praised him as a benevolent ruler, willing to withdraw his troops rather than reignite the war, thus earning him a great reputation. The Great Wilderness, disregarding the suffering of its people, was determined to rule the Heavenly Realm. In comparison, he managed to distinguish between good and evil, leading all the races of the Heavenly Realm to unite with him and launch a campaign against the Great Wilderness.
He has lost the hearts of the people and ruined his reputation, so how could he possibly like Bai Yanxing!
Duan Jiuyou muttered under his breath, "If you hadn't used the peace treaty to prop up the corner of the table, people wouldn't have mistakenly thought you were determined to fight this war. You must have hesitated back then, right? The Heavenly Realm has been ravaged by years of war, and it's covered in wounds. Even a powerful clan like the Desolate Clan has suffered considerable losses. You probably didn't want to fight anymore, did you?"
Di Jiang's expression was complicated. He had never explained this matter to anyone else. After a long while, he said, "I was discussing political affairs with the generals of the Wilderness Clan in the Great Palace. Because they handled a few things improperly, they knocked a table askew. The vassal saw that the peace treaty was the right thickness, so he used it to prop up the table corner. He's always been a bit dim-witted than others. Did you expect me to pick it up from under the table and worship it in front of the Dragon Clan?"
Moreover, he had no intention of negotiating peace. He said to Duan Jiuyou, "I have always preferred to devour the dragon clan in one fell swoop."
If the enemy is stronger than us, why should we give them a chance to regroup? He always knew how many civilians this war would affect and how many troops would be lost, and he admitted that he had indeed considered sacrificing them.
Duan Jiuyou said, "But you still hesitated. If it weren't for the Dragon Clan's Imperial Guard massacring Da'ai Mountain, you might have agreed to a truce."
"You really know how to find a conscience for me!" Di Jiang sneered. "Even if I hesitated, I didn't intend to let them go. Didn't you know what kind of person I am? Otherwise, why were you so nervous when I was eating porridge in that old woman's courtyard? Were you afraid that I would go on a killing spree, afraid that I would chew up those children's heads?"
The claim that the Hou tribe likes to eat dragon brains is a complete fabrication and slander. Duan Jiuyou believed it and became nervous. He saw her fear and worry, and it pierced his heart.
Emperor Jiang said, "If you want a benevolent ruler, there is already one sitting in the Hall of Diligent Governance. You have misjudged me if you expect me to bring peace to the world."
He never stopped reminding Duan Jiuyou that he would never be the kind of person she wanted.
Duan Jiuyou was rendered speechless by the Emperor's words.
Yes, she said she trusted him, yet she was so wary of him. Such a two-faced, two-faced act, trying to please both sides, would disgust not only Emperor Jiang, but even Duan Jiuyou himself.
She wasn't as open as Di Jiang, and dared not admit that at certain moments, her feelings for him were more fear than trust. He was too strong, so strong that even now, with his primordial spirit incomplete, she could foresee a bloodbath.
She wanted to explain, but felt powerless. Rather than saying she trusted him, it was more accurate to say she was trying to trust him. These words were bound to cause unpleasantness, so she ultimately fell silent.
The two were facing a fire-eating beast. They were talking in low voices, and the fire-eating beast couldn't hear what they were saying. It only knew that they were having an unpleasant conversation. It didn't want to ask them why they were arguing. It just wanted someone to clear up its confusion.
"Weren't you supposed to be treating my illness? Why did you wash me? What are you trying to do by dressing me up like this?"
Duan Jiuyou sighed and said, "I'm going to take you on a blind date. Tomorrow we're going to meet a very beautiful water-swallowing beast. Only if you get noticed by it can you cure your illness."
The fire-eating beast suddenly realized, and shook its fur, saying, "That's no problem."
Duan Jiuyou hadn't expected the Fire-Eating Beast to think that way. He wanted to refute it, but he didn't feel like speaking. He just said, "It's good that you have that confidence."
She ignored the fire-eating beast, turned to look at Di Jiang on the other side, sighed inwardly, and said softly to him, "It's getting late, let's go back and rest."
The night at Flame Mountain was truly cold. As soon as the door opened, a blast of cold air rushed in. The two entered the room one after the other. Duan Jiuyou was a step ahead and touched the hot water bottle in the quilt. It was still warm, so the disciples must have changed it after they returned. Only then did he feel relieved.
The two lay down side by side, Duan Jiuyou inside and Di Jiang outside. When Duan Jiuyou got into bed, she deliberately kept some distance from Di Jiang. After being outside for a long time, she was bound to catch a chill. She didn't feel cold herself, but she was afraid of dispelling the warmth from his blankets.
She moved quietly under the covers, gently pushing the hot water bottle closest to her toward him, her movements careful, both afraid he would get cold and not wanting to disturb him.
There were no lights in the room. After an unknown amount of time, in the silence, Duan Jiuyou heard a sigh.
Why are you so far away from me?
The blanket behind her moved as Di Jiang turned and hugged her.
Duan Jiuyou stiffened slightly and turned halfway around, saying, "I feel cold."
He was most afraid of the cold, and she was worried that he would get cold. Di Jiang held her without saying a word, and the warmth from his body seeped into their thin clothes, seemingly relaxing even the tension between them.
It turns out that there's more than just language between people; a simple gesture can also express emotions.
He may be considered utterly wicked by others, but I hope she can trust him.
Duan Jiuyou said softly, "Taixiao, I shouldn't have misunderstood you."
His voice remained low and somber: "It's not exactly a misunderstanding."
Unifying the Heavenly Realm was something he was determined to accomplish. He had moments of weakness and hesitation, but that didn't mean he couldn't bring himself to do it.
He said to Duan Jiuyou, "Even if Da'ai Mountain hadn't been attacked, I would never have let the Dragon Clan go. Bai Yanxing's peace treaty reveals his ambition. He is willing to honor me as emperor, but he himself will not submit. I cannot tolerate any dissent, so how could I spare his life? If I won't even spare him, why would I care whether his Dragon Clan people live or die?"
The Emperor's voice is unique, possessing both youthful arrogance and the aloofness of a ruler.
Such an imperial realm was feared by all the gods of the Heavenly Realm; for every person who feared him, there was another who wanted his life.
Duan Jiuyou stared blankly at the darkness before him.
Their paths diverged from the start. She came to fulfill the mission of the chosen one, and her views and direction were completely contrary to his. She was born with the duty to protect, destined to meddle in the affairs of all races.
The Nine Dynasties Gods, to put it simply, are responsible for maintaining order in the Heavenly Realm. Their general principle is to reconcile as much as possible, and if reconciliation is not possible, to choose the most disobedient one to kill or maim, leaving the peace-loving people to continue ruling and living.
Duan Jiuyou did exactly that in the conflict between the Wilderness Clan and the Dragon Clan, but fate had other plans. The one she chose didn't count, and she had to go through all sorts of trouble to bring this "disobedient" one back.
Duan Jiuyou turned around in Di Jiang's arms and faced him, saying, "If Bai Yanxing is willing to submit to you and acknowledge you as his master, would you be willing to spare the lives of the Dragon Clan?"
Di Jiang said, "If I were you, I wouldn't choose to plead for him at this time."
He released his arm from her and turned from lying on his side to lying flat on his back.
Duan Jiuyou observed Di Jiang's expression through the pale moonlight streaming through the window. It was indifferent, disdainful, and he seemed too lazy to pay attention to her, but in the end, he still said, "Are you sick? Lying in my arms, you're still thinking about other men?"
Duan Jiuyou said, "I am not only doing this for Bai Yanxing, but also for the people of the Dragon Clan. If you were to ask me to exchange his life for the life of my clan, I would be willing to do it."
These words sounded heartless, but Duan Jiuyou truly believed them. As a guardian deity, she had learned from her master since childhood the principle of equality for all beings. She understood this deeply: every life is valuable, and everyone's life is precious, especially when faced with difficult choices—
Sacrifice a few to save the many.
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