Chapter 18: Lord Xíng Zhǐ Makes an Appearance |
[July 25, 2018] . . .
Fú Róng hurriedly stood up and wiped the tears and snot off his face before brushing his robe down and making himself more presentable. He bowed properly to his grandfather then to Immortal High God Xíng Zhǐ. “What an unexpectedly joyous occasion to have Lord Xíng Zhǐ here with us.”
Xíng Zhǐ lightly smiled and said, “Young people are so energetic.”
The Immortal emperor heaved a sigh out of helplessness. “This person behaved disgracefully.” He stopped talking and looked at Fú Róng with a solemn expression. “Well, what happened to make you come all the way here?”
“Grandfather. . . ” Fú Róng was so aggrieved he couldn’t keep his eyes from tearing up again. He tried to speak but felt deeply embarrassed with a stranger in the room. He thought twice before continuing, but upon reflection, he realized it would lower the likelihood of him being scolded. He glanced up then plowed ahead in a more formal tone.
“Imperial Grandfather, this grandson simply can not take the Demon realm’s Azure Sky king as a wife!” He cried bitterly before continuing. “Ah! This grandson is sick. It will adversely affect the relationship between the two realms.”
At this, the Immortal emperor slammed his hand down and stood up. He was livid with anger at his grandson. “You must take me for a joke. What kind of flimsy excuse is that!?” He pointed to Fú Róng. “Sickness indeed! Considering the way you behaved before. You. . . you . . .”
The Immortal emperor gritted his teeth and stopped himself from saying anything more in front of Xíng Zhǐ. Unable to vent, his anger only grew and his heart became stifled; so much so that he had to grip the edge of the table to remain still. Finally, unable to endure, he grabbed a book on the desk and threw it at Fú Róng.
“Disgraceful! The wedding date is already set. You dare try to interrupt it? You listen to my words. Even if you have to break a leg, you are going to get married, make a proper house with your wife and give me a great-grandchild. That’s final!”
“You – !” The Immortal emperor felt like exploding! He hated that this grandson never seemed to live up to expectations!
“Immortal emperor.” Lord Xíng Zhǐ broke into their conversation. “This . . .”
The Immortal emperor laughed a bit nervously before saying, “Lord Xíng Zhǐ you were amusing yourself in the Mortal realm these last few days, so you’re probably not aware, but your proposal for the Demon realm and Immortal realm be joined by marriage . . . ah. . . the two youngsters who are to wed . . . they have some resistance to the marriage. The younger generation, they’re frivolous. When difficulty arises, they tend to run away and create a disturbance for others. Both sides have already discussed and settled the matter. It’s definitely not a problem! Since it’s Lord Xíng Zhǐ's suggestion neither parties will dare renege. Both will live together and start a family. Naturally over time they will develop affection for one another.”
At these words, Fú Róng swore to himself that he would absolutely not have children with that tigress, the Azure Sky king; nor would he ever develop any affections for her. But wait! The marriage was Lord Xíng Zhǐ’s idea? He was the one who came up with it?
Fú Róng was stunned but it didn't stop his mind from whirling. Lord Xíng Zhǐ lived in solitude for so long, did he know who was who in the Immortal realm anymore? Never mind the Immortal realm. What did he even know about the residents of the Demon realm? Ah! What criteria did he use to choose the candidates?! This lord. . . ah . . . His random proposal just ruined my life . . . But since it’s him, I can see why grandfather was angrier than usual. Probably just doesn’t want to offend Lord Xíng Zhǐ and go against his intentions. But since I know who’s behind it now . . . I can just beg him directly, right!?
Fú Róng gathered up his courage and bowed deeply to Xíng Zhǐ before saying, “Lord Xíng Zhǐ, I am incredibly honored that you personally chose to bestow a marriage to me, however, the Azure Sky king and I do not have fate together. I heard the silver spear the Azure Sky king carries is so powerful it’s aura will oppress your heroic spirit! I. . . I’m afraid I’m not ready to marry this type of ferocious wife. ”
“Impudent!” The Immortal emperor scolded. Fú Róng’s entire body trembled from head to toe when faced with his grandfather’s ire. He immediately stopped talking and knelt down.
Just then another voice lightly spoke up. “Would it be convenient to delay it then?”
Fú Róng glanced up at those words. He saw Xíng Zhǐ standing there with his lips slightly hooked up in a gentle smile. Fú Róng was stumped at this image and could only stare like an idiot. Xíng Zhǐ turned and spoke to the emperor.
“Immortal emperor, since the two are so resistant to the idea, why don’t we delay the marriage for a time and let them adjust. I’m afraid if we force this situation. . . ” his gaze dropped to Ru Fongjun and his smile grew wider, “ . . . there may be bloodshed and murder.”
Fú Róng’s body turned cold and his face paled dramatically at these words.
Blood. . . murder? Fú Róng was scared to be caught by a woman like that. He could practically feel her cold spear piercing his flesh and turning him into a sieve! With tears in his eyes, he looked to the emperor.
This look put the emperor in a bind and made him feel rather complicated. With difficulty he said, “The date has already been agreed upon by both sides, to change it now would be inappropriate.”
Xíng Zhǐ laughed and said, “It can be said that it was my fault. I saw the registry and mistook the Azure Sky king for a man. The name Fú Róng was so feminine I mistook it for an immortal woman. The names, one soft and flexible the other hard and unyielding, seemed to make a good match. It seemed I misunderstood. Since the fault was mine please accept my request to give them more time to ease into marriage so as to understand each other better. Would the Immortal emperor be willing to accede to my request?”
How could the emperor not agree after hearing Xíng Zhǐ’s words? He turned to Fú Róng and in an annoyed tone asked, “What are you doing spacing out?! Pay your respects and leave!”
Fú Róng hurriedly said his salutations and withdrew. He intended to go and nap in the palace. Stepping down the stairs he met up with his attendant who immediately asked him, “My Lord, did it go well?”
Fú Róng scratched his head and muttered, “Yeah, it went well. It’s just . . . a little odd. Since he acknowledged fault, why not just nullify the engagement instead of letting it drag on?” He continued walking forward a few more steps. “Ssss. . . back then, was he making fun of my name, suggesting it was effeminate?”
This baffled his attendant as well, as he couldn’t quite make out what Fú Róng said. “What was that My Lord?”
Fú Róng flipped his hair and yawned. “Don’t worry about it. Anyways this lord has a few days free, so it’s time to go and play with the pretty ladies!”
”My Lord wait! Ah! The emperor will get angry!”
. . .Shěn Lí was at the castle holding a meeting with several high-ranking generals about the Ruined Abyss. The troops garrisoned there had noticed a slight fluctuation in the area. The seal had held for over a thousand years without a single fluctuation, so although minor, the anomaly was taken seriously and made all those present extremely concerned.
After deliberation everyone, agreed to send Mò Fāng and Zi Xià to the boundaries of the Ruined Abyss to investigate further. Should they detect an anomaly, one of them would immediately return to report while the other would stay behind to assist the troops stationed there.
An imperial edict from the Immortal realm arrived just as the meeting was winding down. The edict stated that the marriage between Shěn Lí and Fú Róng was to be postponed. Without exception, the faces of all the generals present turned dark.
“Huh? The whole marriage thing was their idea to begin with. Now they want to postpone it? Does the big boss up there know what he’s doing?”
Shěn Lí sat down to the side without saying anything, acting as though it had nothing to do with her. Feeling the mood in the room take a dive for the worst the Demon emperor waved his hand and said, “Never mind it, everyone is dismissed.”
The group heaved a collective sigh, but did as they were told and filed out one by one. Mò Fāng glanced at Shěn Lí, and upon seeing her look of indifference, wanted to go over. However, the Demon emperor beat him to it.
“Li-er, wait a moment.” The Demon emperor used this term of endearment to call out to her to show he wasn't angry and didn't intend to lecture her. Hearing the emperor’s tone, Mò Fāng lowered his eyes and left.
Once alone in the hall the emperor asked Shěn Lí, “What do you think of this Lord Fú Róng person.”
“Lord Fú Róng is the type of person who likes to spread his favor around indiscriminately.” Shěn Lí spoke with disdain in her voice. “Just the sound of the name alone tells me he’s the type to surround himself with female companions.”
The Demon emperor glanced at her surprised at the accuracy of her assessment. “I’m surprised that you have such an accurate insight into this character.”
“It’s not that insightful.” Although she feigned an air of indifference about the whole affair, Shěn Lí actually nursed a giant dissatisfaction in her heart. She rushed to reveal her thoughts on the matter. “Actually, it’s just that Fú Róng’s reputation is well known. The gossip about this type of person is incredibly prevalent and not at all hard to come by.”
“Li-er, do you resent me for forcing you into this marriage?”
Shěn Lí turned her head before saying, “I wouldn’t dare.”
Seeing her behave this way, he knew she had to resent the imperial edict. Although she didn’t show it in her expression or in her words, the emperor knew she had to be suffering the blow to her self-esteem in silence.
“Li-er, do you know who suggested the marriage?”
“You mean aside from the Immortal emperor and his entire family, who are apparently bored senseless from having too much free time on their hands? Who else could it be?”
In a heavy voice the Demon emperor said, “There is Lord Xíng Zhǐ. He is the ancient high deity who has been living in solitude for these past eons beyond the Immortal realm. Your marriage bestowment was his benevolence.”
This revelation surprised Shěn Lí. The stories of Xíng Zhǐ were well known throughout the three realms. At this point, the man was more myth than reality. Legend had it, he was the only ancient immortal high gods to survive the great calamity. A thousand years ago he held the calamity at bay and kept the demons and beasts in check by imprisoning them in the Ruins. In fact, he was the one who created the seal over the Ruins.
His strength was incredible. Compared to everyone alive in the modern day, his powers would be considered a monstrosity of epic proportions. No one had seen him in so long that his existence had passed into legend, making people wonder if he was truly a real person or just a fictional character from a story. Was there anyone who wanted to torture themselves enough to actually study it and try to find proof of his existence? Now, all of a sudden, the Demon emperor was telling her that he was a real person!
On top of that, he was responsible for her marriage? Shěn Lí sighed. “So, Lord Xíng Zhǐ is just as idle and free as the Immortal emperor. He must have been bored and needed something to kill time with.” Shěn Lí laughed before continuing. “Without knowing anything, he did what he wished and just picked two names at random didn’t he? Then that group of imbeciles in the Immortal realm took what he said seriously and treated it as a decree.” She paused for a second before saying, “So this delay must be his idea as well.”
Those in the Immortal realm wouldn’t have changed the date on their own. Lord Xíng Zhǐ must have told them, maybe even in person, to change it. They venerated him so much, of course they would do it. There's no way they would have instigated a change without his approval first. When Shěn Lí realized that her fate relied on the whims of such a person, and that he could change her life with just a sentence, an intense anger rose in her heart. She slammed the table with her hand and stood up.
“He thinks that just because he sealed some animals away forever in the Ruins he can dictate my marriage? To alter it as he pleases and expect me to just comply! Does he think I’m a pushover?”
Seeing her become agitated, the Demon emperor calmly told her to sit down.
Even though she was unhappy, she did as told with her hands clenched at her sides.
“It is because of Lord Xíng Zhǐ’s kindness that the three realms still exist today. Those in the Immortal realm aren’t the only ones who respect him. I also have a great deal of respect and admiration for him.”
“Why?!” Shěn Lí was dissatisfied with this. “So he waved his hand at the Ruins and sealed it away? So what?! We’re the ones that have kept guard over it for the past thousand years. Now he’s back and he thinks he can just dictate my marriage and take me away from my people?!”
Voicing aloud her grievances made her more aware of just how much the Demon realm operated under the Immortal realm’s thumb. Her heart was full of fury. “Why do we need to defer to them?! Suffer their will and desires? Our people are brave and strong. We’re mighty warriors. Why do we have to bend to those in the Immortal realm as though we’re inferior? We should attack the Immortal realm and not let them know any peace!”
“Shut your mouth!” The Demon emperor severely rebuked her.
There was more that Shěn Lí wanted to say, but she stopped her words in the presence of the anger radiating from the emperor. She didn’t want to quarrel with him, so she tried to restrain herself and get a firm hold on her temper.
“Is it so easy to wage a war? You, who have never fought in a genuine war before, do not speak so lightly of this matter Shěn Lí.”
Although Shěn Lí fought numerous battles, all her experience had been against goblins, demons and other assorted monsters. In reality, her battles were more like large scale hunts. She had never actually gone into combat against another military army. It was true she didn’t have the qualifications to speak about a real war, however, she was unwilling to just sit there and take it. Even though she had overstepped her bounds she refused to change her opinion or acknowledge what the emperor said.
After a moment of silence the emperor sighed and rubbed the top of Shěn Lí’s head with the palm of his hand. “Go back home and vent your anger there. I didn’t expect that you would feel so stifled about the whole matter, that you would feel even more provoked and sullen after learning all this.” The emperor’s voice had considerably softened.
The corner of Shěn Lí’s mouth turned down in a rare pout for having been wronged. “Master, I don’t want to marry.”
The Demon emperor silently continued to rub her head. “Go back home, OK?”
. . .At home Shěn Lí lashed her foot out at the sand dune in front of the foyer as she walked by it. The kick forced a small bare body to flip out of the dune. It landed face up in the middle of the scattered bits of sand, making Shěn Lí raise her eyebrow in surprise. It moved hurriedly to speak.
“Ah! How embarrassing to meet others with no feathers on. Highness! So shameful I could die. Ah Highness! It’s just disgraceful! Highness has such a ruthless heart! HIGHNESS!”
Shěn Lí lifted it up by its ankles then stood back up and asked, “You’re filthy,a ren’t you? Come to think of it ,I’ve never seen you bathe before. Ròu Yā! Prepare the water!”
“Ah! Spare me Highness! Consider, I’ll drown! Ahhhhhhh! Such a bad mood! Don’t vent your anger on Parrot! Ah! How unfortunate to be stripped of life!”
“Oh, but I want to see all the different sides of you.”
Ròu Yā was astonished to hear Shěn Lí’s words as she got the barrel ready. “Your Highness, what did you just say?”
Shěn Lí chuckled. “It was nothing important.”
Ròu Yā seriously began to wonder about Shěn Lí . . .
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