Chapter 252: His Game

Chapter 252: His Game

Seeing the awe and admiration in Zhao Changhe’s eyes, Xia Longyuan’s faint madness had yet to subside, a hint of ferocity creeping into his brow: “Though our desires differ, you wanting to go home is just as fine. I ask you, when you return, will you kneel and beg them to send you back, or will you step on their faces and tell them, ‘I can walk on my own!’ Then ask them, why should I be cast here like a prison, and for what reason?”

Zhao Changhe gazed at his snow-white hair, a tremor stirring in his heart.

He might be a man of the same era as himself, only thrown into this world decades earlier, stirring up his own unparalleled storms. No matter how he commanded the winds and rains, in essence, he too was a man who had left home for decades, unable to return…

Of course, he didn’t seem to want to go back, nor was he a rebel. This man, a hero of the age, thought only of trampling the heavens and earth, to take their place.

Yet though their goals differed, what they faced was remarkably the same.

Zhao Changhe took a deep breath and answered earnestly: “The latter.”

Xia Longyuan burst into laughter: “Good, you’ve got guts. I thought you wouldn’t dare say it!”

Zhao Changhe sighed: “It’s indeed a bit difficult. I’m not as strong as you, Senior. What if that lightning bolt strikes my head?”

“They won’t! Someone like you is one in ten thousand—how could they waste you? Besides, they aren’t as strong as you imagine.”

“They’re not strong?”

“The fall of the Heavenly Dao, the collapse of the epoch, the twilight of the gods—these are no lies. Where are the true gods and buddhas who manipulate the world? A bunch of feeble old things, playing tricks and putting on airs—what’s so great about them?” Xia Longyuan sneered. “Take Blind Woman for example. Either she’s just a spirit, or her power is still sealed. I say she’s nothing but a useless waste putting on a show now. What can she do to me?”

The surroundings fell silent, a slanting wind and fine rain drifting. The gold foil in his arms showed no movement, and Blind Woman, wherever she was, remained still.

Zhao Changhe suddenly recalled that careless grab he’d made before, when he’d actually caught Blind Woman’s hand.

It was different from grabbing Huangfu Qing’s hand earlier. Huangfu Qing had goodwill and little wariness. But Blind Woman? They had only met twice then.

And then there was that thing he’d wiped…

It only proved that Xia Longyuan was right—Blind Woman was extremely weak.

And from Xia Longyuan’s words, Blind Woman was just one example. There were many, many more, like… the Sword Emperor? Yes, the gods and buddhas waiting to awaken—wasn’t the Sword Emperor a typical case?

Xia Longyuan called them a bunch of rotting bones in their graves.

Of course, “weak” didn’t mean he could fight them. Even Xia Longyuan himself fought with a swaying body, as if his empire were tottering.

In fact, everyone guessed he had hidden injuries, and maybe he really did…

“My declaration of war began long ago, when I annihilated the buddhas. I didn’t destroy temples; I destroyed the true buddhas. And what could they do? There were many other similar acts.” Xia Longyuan finally regained his calm, unruffled demeanor, continuing his stroll. “When I renounced the empire, renounced heirs, renounced women… I had no weaknesses. The Wang family, Maitreya Sect, Four Symbols Sect—all their actions are nothing but entertainment in my eyes.”

“I understand your thinking, Senior. But…” Zhao Changhe hesitated, then still asked: “Since you don’t want the empire, why not abandon it and pass it to someone suitable… After all…”

“You can’t bear to see the chaos across a thousand miles, the people displaced? Just like at the start of our conversation, when you pointed at that beggar.”

“Yes. I admire your ambition, Senior. Only on this point… if you don’t want to rule, then give it to someone who does. This play isn’t pretty.”

“It’s strange that you would have such a thought.” Xia Longyuan said: “When you came to this world, didn’t you feel detached? Like reading a book or watching a movie—what do the joys and sorrows of this world have to do with you? You’re not from this world, so why bother with so much?”

Zhao Changhe’s heart stirred. He had felt this way himself… but not to such an extreme, not so coldly detached.

—The beggar was an eyesore, so kill him. That wasn’t a play at Zen; it was true intent. Xia Longyuan had no interest in playing Zen games with ants.

In fact, from the very beginning, Xia Longyuan had also been watching others’ reality shows. Others were like NPCs to him, whether they were epoch gods or the White Tiger Saintess. His thinking was consistent: “Let me try,” “Is it useful?”—as if the person opposite him wasn’t a woman, but just a clue for testing, a paper cutout.

His martial path, his sweeping unification—it was like playing a game. A leveling game, a war game, a management game. When he grew bored, he stopped playing and switched to the gods-and-buddhas game.

They say gods and buddhas look down from above—those people did, and so did Xia Longyuan. They were the same kind.

Except… perhaps the daughter he’d accidentally created—he seemed to care about her a little, as if she proved his mark of existence in this world.

Seeing Zhao Changhe silent, Xia Longyuan continued: “I don’t want the empire, but I still need this position. I can openly destroy buddhas, watch Ying Wu and the others fight over an alien space, watch the sea clans behind the Wang family, watch the Night Emperor behind the Four Symbols Sect. Wherever I want to see clues, they show their backsides… If I gave up this position, wouldn’t I have to organize a force to do my bidding? That would be like taking off my pants to fart.”

Zhao Changhe remained silent.

Xia Longyuan laughed: “So the throne is useful to me. I won’t give it to you, nor to Chichi. You carry your blade and keep watching the show—watching the various factions’ dramas is quite entertaining.”

Zhao Changhe finally said: “I never wanted it anyway.”

Xia Longyuan said: “Then why the long face? Don’t you agree with my thinking?”

“Well… rationally I understand it, but… emotionally I can’t accept it.”

“Because the common people are innocent?” Xia Longyuan smiled. “Or because someone is coughing?”

“They aren’t NPCs… The rivers of Jiangnan flow with red blood, the desert winds blow white bones. Tang Wanzhuang’s coughing leaves bloodstains, the young men of the Huangfu family lie dead—are these really just scenes in a movie?”

Xia Longyuan looked at him without speaking. Zhao Changhe met his gaze calmly: “I admire you greatly, Senior, but I’m sorry—our paths differ.”

A smile curled at the corner of Xia Longyuan’s mouth: “I never wanted our paths to align. What do you think I told you all this for?”

Zhao Changhe said: “Because my enemies are also them. You’re pointing the way for me, and maybe you think I’m too slow.”

“Isn’t that enough? What you think of me—what do I care?”

“…”

Xia Longyuan didn’t care about his attitude at all. He casually tossed over a blood-colored fruit: “I know you’re slow… In the old days, you’d have been fast enough, but now with the situation as it is, your speed is still lacking. I was going to teach you a few tricks, but thinking it over, it seems unnecessary… Our paths look similar on the surface but are different underneath. The Six Harmonies Divine Art is barely compatible; other techniques aren’t suitable for you.”

Zhao Changhe caught the fruit, somewhat startled: “This is…?”

“I think you’re too slow, so of course I’ll give you a hand. This fruit nourishes blood and fosters killing intent, fitting your Blood Fiend Art. What you were originally looking for when you went to Jiangnan was something like this, not that trashy pearl. But your meridian problem is truly a headache—I don’t have the leisure to find that thing for you. Trash talent wasting my divine art, and you dare to debate with me? Nonsense.”

“…” Zhao Changhe held the fruit, at a complete loss for words.

“You have your path—go and walk it. I’d like to see what you can make of yourself.” Xia Longyuan finally turned and strolled away: “Even if you find me disagreeable, be so kind as to come and kill me yourself.”

Ahead lay the border of the capital, not a step more, not a step less.