Chapter 1124: The Place Where We First Met |
Once upon a time, he had been the youngest disciple to enter the Redemption Academy. But now, he had become a Crown Prince capable of slaying Emperors. Under his leadership, humanity finally had a chance to rise.
All resentment in their hearts faded away. Seeing the lovers united at last, their former companions could only feel overflowing blessings in their hearts.
After a few rounds of drinks, Tang San smiled and said, "Soon, Little Mei and I will head to the Ancestral Court to prepare for our wedding. After the wedding, we'll begin seclusion to break through to the twelfth order. Only by becoming Emperors can we truly gain the strength to protect our race. Prime Minister, Master—be ready. When we marry, it will be time for our people to move out."
By "time to move out," of course, he meant the great teleportation to the Skytree Realm.
Xiao He nodded slightly. "Everything is ready. We're just waiting for the right moment. Should we wait until you've become Emperors before carrying out the teleportation?"
Tang San shook his head. "No need. After the wedding, Little Mei and I will immediately begin our seclusion. Among the Ancestral Court's Emperors, the forces that support us are already quite strong. Before we become Emperors, or if we fail to cross our tribulations, not even the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor will act rashly. Don't forget that we just killed an Emperor. They'll have to think carefully before making any move. And once we succeed… heh. What could they do to stop us then? Everything will fall into place. When that time comes, no matter what happens, you just need to worry about organizing things in our new country."
Zhang Haoxuan said with some concern, "Tang San, don't take unnecessary risks! You two have come incredibly far. Taking things step by step might be the best approach. As long as you become Emperors, you can shelter us. Then, we really won't have to worry about our future."
Tang San had already provided two major cultivation legacies to humanity. The elemental control path was growing steadily, and elemental cultivators appeared every day. As for the Codex of Divine Grace, Tang San had to keep working on it; it was clear this too would become a great cultivation path, but it was not perfect yet.
With enough time, humanity certainly had great potential to flourish.
Step by step? Slowly? He wanted that too. But some things couldn't be achieved just because he wished it so. Once he and Mei Gongzi became Emperors, they would inevitably face overwhelming rejection from the entire plane. At that point, they would have to leave Planet Falan as quickly as possible. Otherwise, even assuming the plane didn't reject them, their presence, along with that of their transcendent divine weapons, could instead cause the plane to collapse.
More importantly, they were never meant to stay here. They did not belong here. On their original plane, many family members and friends were still waiting for their return. Tang San would settle matters here for humanity's sake, but he couldn't stay forever.
Zhang Haoxuan raised his wine cup. "No matter what, everyone has seen what you've done for humanity over these years. You are the true light of redemption for our race. You are the ones who freed us from enslavement and are leading us into the future."
Tang San clinked glasses with him and said earnestly, "Humanity's future growth is up to humanity. We can only be guides. What truly determines the future is our people themselves. Only generation after generation of hard work will allow us to become the masters of this world. We have provided a chance for humanity to rise, and if they take this chance, then that future is inevitable. It's only a matter of time."
Xiao He also raised his glass and said solemnly, "To humanity's future—cheers!"
He had fully embraced his new human identity. Even though he was not far from recovering his former power, and he once more had Peacock Demon blood, he had truly left his former self behind.
Everyone clinked glasses and drank together.
After the banquet, the space was left to the two betrothed.
"You must be tired. Get some rest; you've been on the road for too long," Mei Gongzi said softly, holding Tang San's hand.
But Tang San shook his head. "I'm not tired. As long as I'm with you, nothing else matters."
"Then… you mean… " Mei Gongzi lowered her head, her cheeks flushing red. Now that they were officially engaged, all of her defenses had crumbled.
Tang San smiled and said, "Let's go for a walk."
"Eh?" Mei Gongzi blinked, confused. The next moment, her delicate body was enveloped in the silver glow radiating from Tang San. In the blink of an eye, they appeared outside the city lord's mansion.
A faint, misty light surrounded them. They were not invisible by any means, but if someone happened to pass by, they would simply ignore the couple's presence, as if they weren't there at all. This was one application of the Discerning Eye of Heaven.
Tang San held Mei Gongzi's hand, walking slowly with her through the central square of Kali City.
The moon hung high in the starry sky and the night air was a little chilly, yet the city pulsed with warmth and life.
Tang San walked quietly with her, and before long, they arrived at a familiar place.
Looking at the small building before them, Mei Gongzi couldn't help but laugh.
"This is where we first met," she said softly.
Tang San nodded. "I'll never forget that moment. Do you know? The moment I saw you, my first thought was to bow to the will of the heavens. Back then, I thanked all the gods and spirits above for finally letting me see you again.
"I followed your tracks all the way to this plane. When I first arrived, it was the most dangerous moment of my life. Though I retained a fragment of my divine sense, my physical form was too fragile; I was just a tiny baby, after all. And since I was born into the human race, even finding food was difficult. I really could have died at any moment. I didn't know whether you were alive on this dangerous plane, or whether I would be able to find you."
Though his tone was calm, Mei Gongzi could clearly feel the pain he had endured and the dangers he had been through. This glorious God King had abandoned everything and willingly restarted his life from scratch, all for the sake of finding her again.
She leaned into his embrace and hugged him tightly.
"That's why, back then, I hated this plane. I even secretly swore that if I couldn't find you, or if you had been harmed, then once I regained my strength, I would destroy this plane, even at the risk of being punished by the greater universe. That… until I saw you.
"At that moment, I felt as if the greater universe really cared about me. You were there, and you were doing well; what was there to resent? The moment I saw you was the happiest moment I'd had in millennia. I couldn't think of anything other than how happy I was. I just wanted to protect you, to stay by your side until we could truly be together. And now, that day has finally come. Thank you… Thank you for not abandoning me."
Mei Gongzi raised her head and gently kissed his cheek. "You're such a fool! Do you know? When you first told me about our past lives, I was filled with resistance. For a time, I even thought that what you loved wasn't me, but just the reincarnation mark I carried."
Tang San gave a bitter smile. "I was afraid you'd think that too. I was even afraid I would actually think that way. But the moment I abandoned my old self to find you, I also resolved myself to find the new you. To love you as you were, and to make you fall in love with me as I was, not as I may or may not have been in a past life."
Mei Gongzi nodded. "You never forced our past on me. You only protected me. You told me that, since we were alive and well, you only wanted me to live without regrets. You always tolerated me and shielded me. Whenever you were by my side, all my problems seemed to vanish. Everything felt light and effortless. But when you weren't there, the world felt wrong, as if everything was against me. That's when I knew… I'd truly fallen in love with you. It's me, the version of me in this life, who fell for you. The memories from my past life are nothing but fragments, but even if they never return, it doesn't matter. I'll make new ones with you."