"Have I not made myself clear enough? The fate between us ends here! Your child fell, which was already an omen, indicating that there is no predestined connection between us." Zhang Gaoqiu’s voice was filled with righteous indignation:
"Sister-in-law, fate arises and fades, flowers fall and bloom, none of this can be forced, it can only follow the natural course." Zhang Gaoqiu’s voice was full of emotion: "If you can accept reality, then we can part amicably. If you cannot accept... if we tear things apart, even our cousin relationship cannot hold."
"Brother Zhang, the Shen Family is gone, parents are dead, the old lady has passed too, now I am left with only you." Shen Ling’s tears like beans slid down from her eyes.
"But I am destined only to pass through your life; surely, you won’t stop me from pursuing something better? If you truly wish well for me, then you should let go. Know that a forced melon is not sweet, and when that time comes, neither of us will be happy. It’s better to say it now, to break cleanly." Zhang Gaoqiu sighed deeply, his voice filled with helplessness: "Moreover, Zhang Chen is a very good person, worthy of entrusting your lifelong commitment, why can’t you see Zhang Chen? You two were arranged by your parents and matchmaker; it’s a match made in heaven, why must you cling to me?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Ling seemed struck by thunder, her eyes blankly stared at Zhang Gaoqiu, then she quietly lowered her head to look at the chicken soup in her hands, after a long silence, she forced a smile on her face: "Brother Zhang, I know you’ve been stressed with cultivation lately, so you vent your anger on me; please don’t, can you? I’ll pretend I didn’t hear what was said earlier, let’s drink the chicken soup quickly, the soup is cooling."
Shen Ling hurriedly put down the box, then tremblingly brought the chicken soup forward, placing it in front of Zhang Gaoqiu with a pale smile: "Brother Zhang, drink the chicken soup!"
"Bang~"
Zhang Gaoqiu suddenly flipped the chicken soup, pushing Shen Ling to the ground, the soup spilled everywhere: "Shen Ling, I’m talking serious with you, do you understand?"
At this moment, Zhang Gaoqiu looked at Shen Ling sitting in the chicken soup, his voice filled with seriousness, enunciating: "We-are-over, you-stop-clinging, or-face-my-ungraciousness!"
After speaking, Zhang Gaoqiu flicked his robe, his figure disappearing into the wind and rain, leaving Shen Ling helplessly sitting in the chicken soup, looking at Zhang Gaoqiu’s back and lamenting: "Brother Zhang~"
The piercing sound like a bleeding peony echoed in the empty rain along with the mountain wind.
Zhang Chen and Tushan Qing walked halfway, passing the old place, they saw Shen Ling dressed in red, sitting blankly on the ground, with spilled chicken soup beside her from the box, sitting in the soup looking very wretched, tears quietly falling with reddened eyes.
Seeing the devastated and crying Shen Ling, Zhang Chen couldn’t help but sigh: "Zhang Gaoqiu is truly cruel-hearted."
"Such a person is destined to achieve great things." Tushan Qing also praised with a sentence.
Shen Ling and Zhang Gaoqiu’s conversation was seen clearly by the two from afar, Zhang Gaoqiu’s ruthless decision broadened Zhang Chen’s perspective.
Now Zhang Gaoqiu had disappeared into the wind and rain, his figure vanished, only Shen Ling’s wail echoed between heaven and earth, Zhang Chen looked at the sobbing Shen Ling without speaking, instead walking past the pavilion to the place where the family gathered, finding Fox Fairy Nannan had indeed prepared three dishes and one soup.
The three little ones were now eating in the back courtyard, not dining with Zhang Chen and Tushan Qing.
Fox Fairy Nannan dressed in white, stood at the pavilion looking at the distant wind and rain, her whole person in low spirits, looking uninterested.
"What’s the situation down the mountain?" Zhang Chen asked.
"Under the threat of Innate Water God, Yellow Heaven Dao is mediating, wanting to gather Jinling City’s belief to decree a Natural Water God to vie against Innate Water God." Fox Fairy Nannan replied.
While eating the braised meatballs, Tushan Qing was stunned: "Innate Water God can force Yellow Heaven Dao to such an extent?"
"Innate Water God is nearing crossing to the Twelfth Tier, should it cross over, the troublesome one will be Yellow Heaven Dao. Yellow Heaven Dao, to suppress Innate Water God, wants to decree a Natural Water God to divide Innate Water God’s authority, so its authority cannot achieve Perfection, unable to ever reach the Twelfth Tier." Fox Fairy Nannan said.
"How would Innate Water God allow anyone to share its authority? Yellow Heaven Dao is forcing Innate Water God to a standoff." Zhang Chen swallowed a meatball, responding.
"You don’t understand." Fox Fairy Nannan rebuked Zhang Chen: "Among the five major families of Jinling City, who doesn’t possess the Shen Family’s bloodline? Innate Water God wants to drown Jinling City, drowning hundreds of thousands of people from the five families to reach the Twelfth Tier. Naturally, the five families and Yellow Heaven Dao won’t sit waiting for demise, they can only find ways to fight back. Currently decreeing a Natural God to suppress Innate Water God’s authority perfection is Yellow Heaven Dao’s only possible action."
Zhang Chen heard, made no comment, Yellow Heaven Dao’s matters did not concern him, he now only wanted to hide away for growth.
In the afternoon, Zhang Chen returned to the Exquisite Tower, not yet entering its interior, he saw a divine light streak across the sky, then a silhouette appeared before the Exquisite Tower.
The newcomer was a youth around seventeen or eighteen years old, his entire body radiating a mighty divine power, seemingly resonating with the stars in the sky, with the power of the constellations protecting his head.
Observing the aura around him, Zhang Chen couldn’t help but shrink his pupils: "A Tenth Tier strong adversary!"
A Tenth Tier strong adversary appearing within Jinling City, and moreover, one with connections to the stars; Zhang Chen already had some speculation in his mind.
At this moment, the youth cupped his fists toward the Exquisite Tower in respect: "Zhao Lie, Star Lord of Po Jun from the Yellow Heaven Dao, seeks an audience with Mr. Zhou."
"Humph! Your Yellow Heaven Dao has caused such a mess in Jinling City, and yet you have the face to seek an audience with me?" A cold snort rang out as Zhou Qiucheng stepped out of the Exquisite Tower.
Hearing Zhou Qiucheng’s words, Zhao Lie let out a bitter smile, lowering his posture significantly: "It was indeed our Yellow Heaven Dao’s fault that Jinling City was thrown into chaos, but now the Innate Water God intends to flood Jinling City, and sir, you mustn’t stand by and watch. That Innate Water God is an Eleventh Tier entity, and throughout Jinling City, only you can contend with it. Please, lend a hand for the survival of Jinling City’s people. Even if you disregard our Yellow Heaven Dao, consider it for the sake of the people of Jinling City and lend your aid."
Zhao Lie’s voice was heavy and sincere, as he himself was merely a Tenth Tier adversary. Although he had the blessing of the Po Jun Star, enabling him to contend with an Eleventh Tier adversary, it was only just for contending.
Yellow Heaven Dao sought to decree a Natural Water God to share in the Innate Water God’s authority, but by then the Innate Water God would certainly intervene to prevent it. Without Zhou Qiucheng’s assistance, success in the divine enthronement would be impossible.
"Doesn’t your Yellow Heaven Dao have many helpers? Isn’t there the Eleventh Tier Hu Li the Immortal aiding you? Why come to me?" Zhou Qiucheng laughed coldly.
Although the laughter was cold and mocking, he stood in front of the Exquisite Tower, not leaving.
Zhao Lie responded with helplessness: "That Hu Li the Immortal is from the demon race; not being of our kind, their heart is inevitably different. Why would they assist our Yellow Heaven Dao in resolving this trouble?"
"If Hu Li the Immortal refuses to intervene, doesn’t your Yellow Heaven Dao still have the Great Virtuous Master? Instead of summoning the Great Virtuous Master, you ask me to be your enforcer; you really have quite the nerve to say that." Zhou Qiucheng sneered.
"You know well, the Great Virtuous Master is currently in a peculiar state due to a mishap in his cultivation; he can only be awake for one hour a day. Without resolving his own situation, he wouldn’t dare show himself, especially with the court keeping an eye on him." Zhao Lie, as he spoke, lifted his robe and, disregarding the dignity of a strong adversary, knelt to the ground: "Moreover, the Innate Water God has already mobilized Luofu Weak Water and sealed off the entire Jinling City. Now, Jinling City cannot receive anyone or communicate with the outside, becoming a truly isolated city. Our only way to break the opponent’s technique is to decree a deity, hoping to dissolve the Luofu Weak Water and then find a way to deal with the Innate Water God."
"The life and death of Jinling City now lie entirely upon your decision, sir. Please consider the millions of people in Jinling City." Zhao Lie’s voice was filled with seriousness.
Upon hearing Zhao Lie’s plea, Zhou Qiucheng gazed at him for a long while before letting out a sigh: "When is your Yellow Heaven Dao planning the Divine Enthronement?"
"In three days!" Zhao Lie’s eyes lit up: "The situation is critical; the rift I tore open can only hold for three days before being submerged by the flood."
"If the Innate Water God appears in three days, I will naturally act." After speaking, Zhou Qiucheng turned and retreated into the Exquisite Tower behind him.
Watching Zhou Qiucheng’s retreating figure, Zhao Lie finally stood up with a look of relief gleaming across his face before his figure flashed and vanished from the spot.
"Zhou Qiucheng shouldn’t wade into these murky waters," remarked Tushan Qing beside Zhang Chen: "If the court misinterprets his actions as collusion with the Yellow Heaven Dao, he might face serious trouble."
"Zhou Qiucheng is a Confucian; he can refuse the Yellow Heaven Dao but cannot refuse the people of the world!" Zhang Chen sighed with a sense of lament: "If he watches coldly as millions in Jinling City perish, he will form a Heart Demon in the future."
Zhang Chen turned and walked into the pavilion to continue contemplating the mysteries of the Exquisite Tower.
He spotted Zhang Gaoqiu and the Little Princess Chai Wenji standing by the wall from afar. The atmosphere was somewhat tense, with the Little Princess Chai Wenji looking quite upset and angered.
Zhang Gaoqiu followed beside the Little Princess Chai Wenji, speaking softly in appeasement, his face full of humility.
Just at this moment, a figure burst into the scene outside the Exquisite Tower with incredible momentum, and Jiang Nan approached Zhang Gaoqiu and shouted angrily: "Zhang Gaoqiu, are you even human! You’re worse than a beast!" Jiang Nan jabbed his finger at Zhang Gaoqiu’s nose and cursed, his voice full of fury. The loud rebuke attracted all the scholars within the Exquisite Tower to look on curiously.
"Jiang Nan, what madness is this?" Zhang Gaoqiu, under the gossiping eyes of onlookers and the furious Jiang Nan whose face was estranged, his expression suddenly darkened.
"You treated Shen Ling that way, and now you say you’re not fated to be with her? How do you expect Shen Ling to face the world from now on?" Jiang Nan berated.