They Are Archenemies, But They Have A Child - Chapter 99

Chapter 99: The Contract

The two kissed for a while longer. After they separated, Yun Qingwu continued, “Previously, I discussed with Father God, Auntie, and Grandmother, planning to bring the matter into the open on the day of the Hundred Gods’ Report. I should have come back to discuss this with you on the day I lost my memory.”

“Grandmother suggested using my background as the fuse, but after careful consideration, I decided against it. Firstly, I don’t want you to become the subject of gossip among those people again. Secondly, I don’t want the tragedy of the Nánzé Kingdom to be secondary to that.”

Leng Licí: “I don’t care about those things. Even if you wanted to do that, I wouldn’t object.”

“But I do care.” Yun Qingwu tightened his embrace. “I don’t want to hear those words.”

Leng Licí’s eyes shifted. “Then I will abide by your wishes.”

With that, Leng Licí extended his right hand outward. His Cosmos Pouch flew into his hand. He signaled Yun Qingwu to release his left hand, pulled out a recording mirror from the pouch, and tossed it to Yun Qingwu.

Yun Qingwu suspiciously took the mirror, channeled energy into it, and held it up to the air.

The scenes of the Nánzé Kingdom’s citizens living a hellish existence in the illusion realm reappeared.

Yun Qingwu looked at the images, remaining silent for a long time. Each of these vibrant lives died without knowing why.

It was he who gave others the opportunity, failing to protect his own people, his own parents.

“How did you think to record this?”

After his emotions settled, Yun Qingwu asked.

Leng Licí put the image away. “I don’t know. I just felt like recording it.”

Yun Qingwu put the mirror into his own Cosmos Pouch. “Your ‘just felt like recording it’ is surprisingly far-sighted.”

“Now that the timing of the Hundred Gods’ Report has passed, when do you plan to act?”

Yun Qingwu’s expression became serious. He looked at Leng Licí. “In six days, on the day of the marriage contract.”

Leng Licí’s expression turned cold. He suddenly rolled over, pinning Yun Qingwu beneath him. His phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. “You are still going through with the contract with someone else?”

Yun Qingwu’s expression remained unchanged. “This is the best opportunity in the near future, and it’s even more advantageous for us than the Hundred Gods’ Report. Of course, I won’t actually enter into a contract with the Spring God. This matter is currently the Heavenly Emperor’s most urgent priority, and it is key to the smooth succession of the next Heavenly Emperor. In front of a large audience, he will have no choice but to agree to our terms.”

Leng Licí’s expression darkened upon hearing this. “How do you know that Jù Qīng will cooperate with you?”

Yun Qingwu: “I can sense that she is also unwilling to enter into a contract with me. I think she will be willing to cooperate.”

Leng Licí sneered. “You certainly know her well.”

With that, he moved to roll off the bed, but Yun Qingwu grabbed his hand and pulled him back.

Yun Qingwu’s eyes were smiling, and he gripped Leng Licí’s hand tightly, but his tone was unprecedentedly serious. “A-Cí, are you willing to enter into a contract with me? That way, I will forever only be yours.”

Leng Licí stared at Yun Qingwu, then asked, “Why was there a wisp of your divine consciousness in that horn? You lied to me.”

Yun Qingwu wrinkled his nose, sounding quite helpless. “Is this the time to be focused on that?”

Leng Licí, however, looked at Yun Qingwu stubbornly, insisting on getting his answer.

Yun Qingwu sighed softly. “It wasn’t entirely a lie. It can indeed control me, but not because the horn itself is special, but because it holds a wisp of my divine consciousness.”

He leaned closer and touched the Bái Zé Horn hanging below Leng Licí’s collarbone. “It was my promise. I thought that if one day you were willing to enter a contract with me, it could be put to use.”

With that, he looked up at Leng Licí, feeling a little anxious. “How about it? Are you willing?”

A formal contract is different from a temporary one. A temporary contract only allows one to sense the other’s mood and location, whereas a formal contract imposes much stricter constraints on both parties. The contracting parties can never betray each other, or their spiritual seas will shatter, leading to eternal damnation.

However, when two people bound by a contract work together, their combined effect can be greater than the sum of their parts.

Yun Qingwu knew that Leng Licí strongly disliked constraints, so he couldn’t be sure that Leng Licí would agree. “If you don’t—”

He was mid-sentence when Leng Licí closed his eyes. A small red fox immediately appeared in mid-air. It licked its tail, but the moment it touched it, the tail was swiftly cut off by Leng Licí. The red tail transformed into a red mist, flying directly into the Bái Zé Horn on his neck.

Leng Licí opened his eyes and looked at Yun Qingwu, dissatisfied. “What are you waiting for?”

Yun Qingwu: “Have you thought it through?”

Leng Licí frowned. “Are you going back on your word?”

Yun Qingwu immediately sat up and crossed his legs, his eyes feeling slightly sore. He smiled. “Of course not.”

The two sat facing each other, closing their eyes. Under their focused energy, a wisp of white light and a wisp of red light merged within the Bái Zé Horn, becoming one. It then split into two wisp, flying into Yun Qingwu’s and Leng Licí’s foreheads.

Leng Licí’s left ear and Yun Qingwu’s collarbone, where the Twin Lotus had recently reappeared, glowed with golden light. The original silver border receded, replaced by a layer of gold.

The two opened their eyes simultaneously, looking at each other, their expressions infused with warmth.

It was unclear who moved first, but the next moment, red and white were entangled once more. They kissed each other forcefully, with an emotion that spoke of wanting to stay together until the end of time.

Leng Licí licked the Twin Lotus on Yun Qingwu’s collarbone, then lightly bit it. “Yun Qingwu, you are mine.”

Yun Qingwu leaned over, rubbing his lips against the other Twin Lotus behind Leng Licí’s ear. “You are mine too.”

The scorching sun hung high outside. Occasionally, a gust of wind blew through, bringing wave after wave of heat.

This heat, seeping through the gaps, embraced the relentless heat inside the room.

…

The Heavenly Realm

Under the peach blossom trees, the Heavenly Emperor sat alone by the Go board, placing a black piece on the board.

Footsteps broke the silence. The Heavenly Emperor did not look up, only saying, “You’ve arrived?”

Yún Chuān stood beside him, bowing. “Father God, why did you summon your son?”

The Heavenly Emperor stared at the board, crisscrossed with black and white. He said calmly, “Go to Mount You Su and bring Qingwu back.”

Yún Chuān’s gaze hardened. He looked up at the Heavenly Emperor.

The Heavenly Emperor turned his head, looking at him with an inscrutable expression. “Did you think you could hide it from me? As long as you bring Qingwu back, I will not hold this against you.”

Yún Chuān pursed his lips tightly, his right hand clenched into a fist.

Heavenly Emperor: “Even if you don’t go, how long can the current Qingwu be trapped on Mount You Su? You should know what you should and should not do.”

Yún Chuān lowered his gaze, his back straight. After a long pause, he said hoarsely, “Yes, Father God.”

With that, he turned and left the peach blossom forest.

The Heavenly Emperor placed a white piece between two black pieces, no longer looking at Yún Chuān.

Yún Chuān leaped down from the South Heavenly Gate. Before he could land, he keenly sensed a presence lingering around him. He frowned slightly, immediately changing direction, heading away from Mount You Su.

He landed on a barren plain, summoning his Scarlet Moon Fan and directing it toward the location of the presence. Red flames, carried by the airflow, spread outward.

“Who are you?”

A deep voice sounded. “The one here to see you off.”

The words had barely fallen when a bolt of lightning descended from the sky toward Yún Chuān.

Yún Chuān flipped to dodge. The handle of the fan rotated in his hand, and a blade of fire struck toward the sound. From within the red flames, a person dressed in black and wearing a black mask emerged with a sword. The sword intent headed straight for Yún Chuān.

A huge wave of air pressure suddenly rushed toward him. Yún Chuān’s expression hardened. The Scarlet Moon Fan instantly magnified several times, its ribs trembling as it erected a barrier around them. Red energy surged, attempting to resist the pressure of the air wave.

However, the air wave was fierce, gaining a slight advantage. Yún Chuān sensed the difference in their cultivation levels. There were only a handful of people in the Heavenly Realm capable of this.

“The person behind You Su Qiān is also you.”

The masked figure chuckled, his tone self-assured. “It is me.”

“What enmity do you have with me?” Yún Chuān stared intently at the masked figure, trying to find a clue in his features.

The masked figure waved his right hand. A massive sword flew into the air, several bolts of lightning surrounding its blade. With a single command, they could all strike down.

“I have no enmity with you, but you made a mistake. Allowing you to live until now is already a display of sentiment on my part.”

The weight on his body grew heavier. A trace of blood overflowed from Yún Chuān’s mouth. If he continued to resist like this, he wouldn’t last much longer. His mind raced.

This person was not Father God, yet his cultivation was higher than his peers.

Capable of summoning Heavenly Thunder.

Such a person could only be one of the other Four Emperors. But the events of the past were highly secretive; they shouldn’t know the truth.

I might as well take a shot in the dark.

Yún Chuān tentatively asked, “Are you Huá Yáng?”

The masked figure was not surprised to have his identity guessed. “Cousin’s perceptiveness is as outstanding as ever. Unfortunately…”

With that, the Black Emperor Huá Yáng exerted more pressure. Several bolts of Heavenly Thunder struck down, carrying a deadly intent. “It is no longer useful.”

Yún Chuān’s eyes narrowed. He managed to dodge one bolt, but the Heavenly Thunder was too dense. He was ultimately struck, forced to maximize his effort to deploy a barrier to cushion the impact.

He supported himself on one hand on the ground, looking at his cousin in confusion. “Do you consider yourself the embodiment of the laws of heaven? My Father God didn’t even wish to kill me, so why are you so determined?”

Huá Yáng’s expression was indifferent. He rotated his right wrist, pointing the sword downward. The sword suspended in mid-air dropped lower. “The Five Emperors share fortune and woe, led by the Heavenly Emperor. As the Lord Prime, you foolishly tried to shake the foundation for your selfish reasons. Uncle God couldn’t bear to kill you, but I absolutely must!”

Yún Chuān: “How did you know about the events of the past?”

Huá Yáng chuckled, pressing the sword down a little further. “Because you were too ostentatious, Cousin. It was so obvious, yet no one noticed back then. I thought it would be too boring if only I knew, so I provided a little guidance. Uncle God found out, just as I thought.”

Then, his casual demeanor grew colder. “But why did he only seal your memory? And even now, he still wants to hide this matter for you. But how can paper ever wrap fire? I will not allow you to drag me down.”

Huá Yáng’s robes fluttered. He formed hand seals. The massive sword suddenly dropped, and Heavenly Thunder struck down again simultaneously.

Yún Chuān looked at the cracks appearing on his rapidly disintegrating barrier. He knew that once the sword and the Heavenly Thunder struck simultaneously, he might truly lose his life here. Realizing this, he felt no panic. Instead, his heart grew suddenly calm.

At this point, he only had a few regrets: regretting not having more time to spend with his two sons, and regretting not seeing them personally throw this damned order into chaos.

With a sound of kā chā, the barrier could no longer withstand the pressure and shattered.

Yún Chuān closed his eyes.