Ch. 92 – A Compelling Reason

After leaving his dormitory, Feng Ye walked straight forward for some time before looking back.

He had walked so far, but that persistent shadow had not followed him like he usually did.

Hao Chen has probably realized my identity to some extent, thought Feng Ye.

After all, the excuse he gave for his sudden bout of unconsciousness the day before had absolutely no credibility.

It was just unclear exactly how much Hao Chen had discovered.

Feng Ye recalled his recent dream. Hao Chen must have realized he was trapped in a nightmare and used some means to connect with his dream realm.

However, Hao Chen hadn’t seen him in that dream. Feng Ye had seen the peng bird high above, but he himself was out of sight in the depths of the dark abyss.

Therefore, Feng Ye wasn’t entirely sure how much Hao Chen had guessed about his identity.

He would set the question aside for now, and see how Hao Chen reacted when he returned later.

His attention then turned to another issue. Come to think of it, he seemed to owe Hao Chen quite a few favors.

Although the dream was ultimately shattered by Feng Ye himself, and the peng bird that stirred up the hurricane was only able to offer minimal help.

But aside from his assistance in the dream, the expensive robes he was wearing had been a gift from Hao Chen. Feng Ye had said that he would pay him back, but hadn’t done so yet, and the debt of gratitude he owed the other party was growing.

As someone in debt, he probably shouldn’t have kicked Hao Chen off the bed like that.

Feng Ye ran the scene just now through his head again and immediately contradicted himself.

No, no, it really couldn’t be helped.

Despite the many favors he owed, if Feng Ye was given the chance again, he would still kick that fat, slanderous fish back into the water.

When he first caught sight of Hao Chen’s grim, resentful expression, Feng Ye really thought he had done something to him while unconscious.

But as it turned out, it was only a harmless kiss on the cheek. Hao Chen probably hadn’t even felt it through his thick skin.

Yet he still had the nerve to ask Feng Ye to take responsibility?

In addition, he only had Hao Chen’s word to go on regarding the kiss, and it might not even have happened.

Feng Ye came to a decision – he would definitely repay his debts, but he wouldn’t change his attitude toward Hao Chen.

One thing at a time.

With his mind made up, Feng Ye quickened his pace and made his way to Fang Yang’s dorm.

Before he could knock, the door opened.

Fang Yang was rather surprised to see Feng Ye upon opening the door, and exclaimed: “Shixiong?”

“En,” Feng Ye responded. Seeing that Fang Yang was preparing to leave, he asked, “Where are you going?”

“Oh, I’m going to have a look at the Jianmu fragment.” Fang Yang exited the room and closed the door behind him, suggesting to Feng Ye, “Shixiong, do you want to come with me?”

Have a look at the Jianmu fragment?

What was going on? Completely nonplussed, Feng Ye followed Fang Yang.

Fang Yang explained as they walked: “Just yesterday, didn’t Yinglong return the Jianmu fragment to Sect Leader Ji?”

Having said this, he suddenly remembered: “Right, you fainted yesterday, so you probably don’t know what happened.”

Thus, Fang Yang decided to explain from the beginning.

Feng Ye immediately stopped him. Fang Yang could do whatever he wanted – aside from being a storyteller. His stories lacked focus and never overlooked trivial details, which inevitably turned a short tale into a lengthy, tedious slog.

He would normally be fine with wasting time listening to information he already knew, but Feng Ye was eager to know what was going on with Jianmu, so he came up with an excuse: “Hao Chen already told me.”

“Oh, I see,” Fang Yang said knowingly.

He then continued: “After Yinglong handed the Jianmu fragment to Sect Leader Ji, the dead wood sprouted again.”

Feng Ye nodded. He knew this already. That withered fragment had absorbed his divine power, which allowed it to regain its vitality.

“Before, everyone thought Yinglong cut down Jianmu to prevent mortals from ascending to the heavens, but now, it seems that wasn’t the case. But nobody can guess why he actually did it.” Fang Yang shrugged. He had tried to think it through, but couldn’t make sense of Yinglong’s unpredictable behavior.

Feng Ye remained silent.

“But in any case, he personally handed the Jianmu fragment to Sect Leader Ji, which should mean that mortals are allowed to plant it. It has already sprouted, and while such a divine tree won’t immediately die without soil, Sect Leader Ji planted it as a precaution in the main square. There’s an array protecting the Jianmu sprout, but everyone wants to see it up close. I plan to take a look too,” Fang Yang concluded.

So that’s how it is. No wonder Fang Yang was leading him toward the main square.

Feng Ye had no more questions, but Fang Yang did.

“Shixiong?”

“En?” Feng Ye sent Fang Yang an inquiring look. Why did this silly boy look so preoccupied?

“Yesterday, I…..” Fang Yang hesitated, but quickly made up his mind and said: “Yesterday, I used the God-Summoning Token I got in North Sea City….and summoned Yinglong.”

Feng Ye could vaguely guess what Fang Yang wanted to ask, but he still feigned ignorance. He donned a wistful expression: “You really are lucky. You were able to find Ice Grass by the river before, and now you even summoned Yinglong with an unnamed God-Summoning Token.”

Fang Yang shook his head vigorously when he heard this: “That’s not true.”

He fixed his gaze on Feng Ye, observing the changes in his shixiong’s expression: “The token didn’t originally have a name on it, but when I used it yesterday, a name suddenly appeared at the end of the incantation.”

He was certain that Yinglong’s name had not been on the token when he received it, and he had been keeping it in his storage bag. Only one other person had ever touched it.

Feng Ye.

Fang Yang didn’t want to suspect his Useless Shixiong, but he couldn’t help it. Useless Shixiong was the most likely perpetrator.

But he didn’t want his suspicion to hurt the other’s feelings, so rather than bringing it up directly, he decided to sound Feng Ye out in this not-so-clever way.

Feng Ye adopted a meditative expression: “How can this be?”

He looked even more puzzled than Fang Yang.

Fang Yang stared for a moment, then breathed out a sigh of relief.

Useless Shixiong was still the same as ever. He had nothing to do with that strange and unpredictable Yinglong, nor with the Mysterious Big Brother who spoke to him through the bamboo slip.

The Mysterious Big Brother…..who was also Yinglong.

Despite how unbelievable it was that the two were the same person, Fang Yang had no choice but to believe it.

Because the truth had been made very clear. The Mysterious Big Brother’s last words to him were “Call my divine name,” and that name was Yinglong.

Fang Yang had no idea why Yinglong would talk to him through the bamboo slip and even instruct him in swordsmanship.

If he were to tell anybody, they would probably think he was crazy.

And….although the Mysterious Big Brother was quite strict at times, when Fang Yang’s life was hanging by a thread, the other party always saved him.

Saved him, an ordinary human being.

This was entirely unlike that ruthless, savage God of War in the legends.

What secrets lay beyond the Jianmu incident, and what was the purpose behind Yinglong’s actions? Fang Yang couldn’t even begin to guess.

But yesterday, when Ji Chengyue asked him how he managed to summon Yinglong, Fang Yang didn’t tell him the full truth. He only let him know that he had used the unnamed God-Summoning Token, and concealed the fact that a name had appeared on it.

He had promised that he wouldn’t reveal the existence of the Mysterious Big Brother, and if he did tell the truth, Sect Leader Ji would suspect Useless Shixiong just like Fang Yang had.

So out of worry that Sect Leader Ji would make things difficult for Feng Ye, he said nothing.

But despite saying nothing, the thought lingered in his mind and kept him from sleeping well all night.

After much deliberation, he decided to just go ahead and ask him, lest his suspicions continue to grow stronger. If his Useless Shixiong was innocent, wouldn’t he be unjustly accusing him?

But things were fine now. Judging from the expression on Useless Shixiong’s face, he probably didn’t know anything about it.

It wasn’t like no one else could have made a change on the God-Summoning Token.

Adding his name to the token wouldn’t even make the Mysterious Big Brother break a sweat.

Fang Yang’s heart settled. He had gone to Feng Ye’s dorm early this morning specifically to get to the bottom of this, but it was inconvenient to ask when he found Feng Ye and Hao Chen lying together like that.

But now he had asked, and with the question resolved, he regained his usual high spirits.

“I don’t get it either. Maybe I remembered wrong,” Fang Yang said, putting an end to the topic.

He continued forward at a faster pace than before. He wanted to see the Jianmu sprout right away, but talking as he walked had slowed him down, and he hadn’t even covered half the distance yet.

Feng Ye followed close behind him, striding forward on his long legs. Looking at Fang Yang’s back, he couldn’t help but smile.

Although this silly boy had gotten a little smarter, he was still just as easily fooled.

Such obvious probing was far too easy for Feng Ye, whose ability to fabricate lies had increased drastically ever since meeting Hao Chen.

Since they were no longer talking, they moved at a faster pace and soon arrived at the main square.

A crowd three layers deep had already gathered there, all of them craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the sprout at the very center.

Ji Chengyue had the foresight to set up a barrier array five meters in diameter around the tender Jianmu sprout, otherwise it would have been trampled to death by this crowd.

The tree that reached the heavens would die under the feet of mortals.

If that happened, it would serve as a lesson for future generations to cherish the environment, Feng Ye mused, his thoughts running wild.

Fang Yang didn’t have such a wild imagination. Seeing how dense the crowd already was, he immediately joined in, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jianmu through the gaps.

Feng Ye didn’t follow him. Instead, he headed toward a secluded corner of the square.

Because that was where he spotted Hao Chen.

For some reason, Hao Chen had ended up here too. Although he had left later than him, Feng Ye had gone to find Fang Yang first and was delayed by their conversation on the way, so Hao Chen actually beat him here.

Hao Chen was leaning against a weathered tree to cool off in the shade. He didn’t join the crowd to view the Jianmu sprout, but stared in its direction without moving, as if lost in thought.

Even as Feng Ye approached him, his focus didn’t shift.

“What are you thinking about?” asked Feng Ye. The trunk of the tree was rather thick, and Feng Ye leaned against it next to Hao Chen.

“My lost innocence,” Hao Chen replied without turning his head.

Feng Ye: “…..”

He shouldn’t have asked.

Just as Feng Ye was covering his forehead in regret, Hao Chen suddenly said: “Tell me, why did Yinglong cut down Jianmu?”

As he spoke, he continued to stare in the direction of the Jianmu sprout. He sounded as if he was simply asking Feng Ye to help him brainstorm an answer to a problem.

Feng Ye froze for a moment, then smiled with a hint of self-deprication and gave the answer that was widely accepted as the truth: “Because he hated mortals disturbing the peace of the heavens.”

Upon hearing this, Hao Chen suddenly looked toward him and said: “I don’t think that’s the case.”

He had once held the same opinion, because the infamous God of War did seem like someone who was capable of doing such a thing.

But if Feng Ye was Yinglong, then it was absolutely impossible.

Feng Ye stared at Hao Chen in surprise, asking with a hint of intrigue: “Then why do you think he did it?”

“Everyone says that Yinglong is a cruel and savage demon, who kills without hesitation or mercy. But…..” 

Hao Chen observed Feng Ye’s expression as he spoke. When he saw Feng Ye’s straight, sword-like eyebrows twitch at this description, he became even more certain of his guess.

“If he really cut down Jianmu because he didn’t want mortals to ascend to the heavens, then why did he return the Jianmu sprout to Ji Chengyue yesterday? Destroying it completely would have been the ideal option for him. Plus, I don’t believe that the dead Jianmu fragment could have sprouted again without Yinglong’s help.”

Feng Ye’s expression was mild, as if this matter had nothing to do with him at all. He waited quietly for Hao Chen to continue.

Hao Chen went on: “Such behavior is contradictory. Ruling out the unlikely answer that Yinglong has lost his mind, this can only mean…..that there is another story behind what happened one hundred years ago, and that Yinglong’s destruction of Jianmu was not as it appeared. Perhaps he had a different, compelling reason to do so?”

He kept a close eye on Feng Ye’s expression as he made his guess.

Feng Ye didn’t notice the other’s focused gaze, nor did he respond. As Hao Chen spoke, he unconsciously lowered his eyes as he was embroiled in memories.

Why had Yinglong cut down Jianmu?

It was because…..

Something was wrong with it.

Jianmu was indeed a divine tree that connected two realms, but…..this connection was not solely between earth and the heavens.

It was also connected to the Emberless Horizon.

Having spent three hundred years in that place, Feng Ye still carried a vague connection to it even so long after his escape.

He was the first and only person to realize there was a problem with Jianmu.

This lush, colossal tree, though outwardly majestic, had long been eroded and hollowed out by the resentful energy of the Emberless Horizon.

As humans climbed along the exterior of Jianmu, creatures composed of that hatred and resentment advanced through the tree’s interior.

Humanity was ascending to the heavens, and so were demons.

When Feng Ye arrived, this was the scene he was presented with.

Once the passage between the Emberless Horizon and the heavens was opened, the resentment that had been accumulating there for thousands of years would surge into the celestial realm with a vengeance. 

Not only would the heavens be plunged into catastrophe, but the mortal realm, which was being used as a passage by those demons, would also be doomed.

The heavens had already been breached, and the situation left Feng Ye no room for hesitation.

Thus, Yinglong cut down Jianmu in the Eastern Sea.

He had shattered the ambition of reaching the heavens – not for the mortals, but for the demons of the Emberless Horizon.

Yet the consequences…..

The giant tree collapsed, heavenly fire fell to earth, and the mortal world was plunged into a fiery inferno.

Due to Jianmu’s collapse, the passage between the heavens and the mortal realm also closed. 

Standing amongst the clouds, Feng Ye could do nothing but watch this tragic scene unfold.

But he was unwilling to flinch away from what he had done, and continued to stand witness.

To others, it seemed as if he was watching it all indifferently.

They only saw this side of the god, and were unaware that when the passage finally closed, that god in the clouds closed his eyes as if he had finally been freed from torment.

This god was not omnipotent, and sometimes had to make impossible choices.

He had thought that the matter was over once Jianmu was destroyed. Other things kept him occupied, and he didn’t descend to the mortal realm to investigate further.

Unexpectedly, one hundred years later, he began to have recurring dreams.

The demons that sought to reach the heavens had not given up. The raging fire had consumed everything in its path, but it was unable to burn away their undying ambition.

After one hundred years, calamity had once again descended upon the world.

And in order to investigate and stop the other party, Feng Ye had come to the mortal world in person.

It was only at that time that he learned the story of Ling Yun planting Jianmu. Before this, he had only known that humans were responsible for planting it, but was unaware of the hardships and sacrifices involved.

There was nothing wrong with attempting to reach the heavens, and there was nothing wrong with planting Jianmu.

Jianmu was originally a ladder that existed to connect to the heavenly realm, but strangely, it also connected to the Emberless Horizon.

Something had gone wrong.

Feng Ye initially suspected that it was the heart placed amongst Jianmu’s roots. Humans were easily bewitched by such resentful creatures, and the human heart was extremely fickle.

But once he got his hands on the Jianmu fragment, he realized that things were not as they seemed.

There was nothing wrong with Jianmu itself, even if it was connected to a human heart.

Since Jianmu was not responsible for connecting itself to the Emberless Horizon, Feng Ye didn’t annihilate it.

He didn’t know if the deceased Ling Yun could be brought back to life with this fragment, but he was unwilling to crush Ji Chengyue’s hope.

This may indeed leave behind many hidden dangers, because as long as Jianmu existed, the ambition of those demons to reach the heavens would never die.

But something shouldn’t be completely erased from the world just because it could pose a danger.

Even without Jianmu, those demons would eventually find another way to reach the heavens.

Ultimately, Jianmu was just a tool.

Tools could not be good or bad, right or wrong.

Therefore, Feng Ye returned the withered Jianmu fragment to Ji Chengyue and used his divine power to make it sprout again.

Feng Ye was aware that this small compensation couldn’t make up for the past, but he still wanted to do it.

Feng Ye was quiet for a long stretch of time after Hao Chen posed his question, and just as the fish was about to get his attention, Feng Ye finally gave him an answer.

He chuckled softly and said: “Perhaps he did have a compelling reason.”

This time, his smile was no longer self-deprecating, and instead contained a hint of relief at finally being understood.

Even though he had never tried to defend his actions, deep down, he had always hoped that someone would understand him, if only just a little.

---

Consider donating via Kofi here.

Chapter 91 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 93