Mad Words

The doors of the Sun Palace closed behind him with a dull thud.

Taiyi leaned against the cold door panel and let out a long breath. He had held it in for too long; when it finally escaped, even his chest trembled. Slowly, he slid down to the floor, his dark imperial robes spreading across the jade floor like a heavy expanse of night.

The tension he had held in the Lingxiao Palace had finally drained away.

His legs were weak, and his hands were shaking. His palms were slick with sweat. He raised a hand and looked at it. His fingertips still trembled slightly—not from fear, but from the aftermath of that new power rampaging through his meridians. The embryonic Chaos True Sun Fire was like a savage beast newly awakened, crashing wildly around his dantian and scorching his organs from within.

[Recommendation: Meditate immediately to stabilize the newly born power.]

The system prompt rang in his mind, calm to the point of coldness.

"I know," Taiyi replied softly, his voice hoarse beyond recognition.

He pushed himself to his feet. His legs were still weak, and he staggered before finding his balance. Looking around, he found the inside of the Sun Palace more... plain than he had imagined. It lacked the overwhelming extravagance of the Lingxiao Palace. It was simply a fairly large bedchamber, sparsely furnished: a white jade couch, a writing desk, and several shelves for storing scrolls. A Star Chart hung on the wall, its stars marked with real stardust that glimmered faintly in the dim light.

The only bright color came from the Fire Coral by the window—crimson from root to tip, its branches twisting like frozen flames. It was something that grew in the depths of the Sun Star, increasing by only an inch every thousand years. This one stood at least three zhang tall; who knew how many years it had been cultivated?

Taiyi walked to the couch, sat down, closed his eyes, and began to meditate.

The Chaos True Sun Fire coursed through his meridians, leaving searing agony in its wake. It felt as though someone were driving red-hot iron rods through his body, pain enough to make cold sweat pour from his forehead. But painful as it was, the power was equally real. He could feel that every strand of true fire contained two utterly different wills: the grand, righteous force of the True Sun Fire, and the violent, chaotic savagery of baleful blood.

Putting those two things together without exploding on the spot was already a miracle.

[Refinement Progress: 74%]

[Recommendation: Guide the true fire through a full circulation cycle to accelerate fusion.]

Taiyi gritted his teeth and began circulating his power according to Eastern Emperor Taiyi's cultivation method from memory. Spiritual energy surged in from every direction, drawn into his body and flowing through his meridians. But halfway through, the Chaos True Sun Fire began acting up—it refused to follow the established route, insisting on charging recklessly about like a wild horse without a bridle.

"Behave... yourself!"

Taiyi forced the words out through clenched teeth as the power of his Primordial Spirit came crashing down.

The two forces began struggling within his meridians. On one side was Eastern Emperor Taiyi's orthodox cultivation art, honed over countless epochs, upright and balanced. On the other was the newly born Chaos True Sun Fire, savage, violent, and utterly unreasonable. Their collision churned his blood and qi. Sweetness rose in his throat, and he nearly spat out blood.

But he did not ease up.

Instead, he pressed down even harder.

Because a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind—if he was going to play Eastern Emperor Taiyi, play the Eastern Emperor arrogant enough to overturn the heavens, then what was this little pain? Back then, the original had nearly had his Primordial Spirit shattered by the tolling of the Chaos Bell while refining it, yet he had endured.

He clenched his jaw, veins bulging on his forehead, his nails digging deeply into his palms.

Bit by bit, he forcibly dragged the wildly rampaging true fire back onto its proper course.

When the true fire completed its first circulation through his meridians, the burning pain suddenly eased. It had not disappeared; he had simply grown accustomed to it. Or rather... his body had begun adapting to this pain. By the third circulation, a strange comfort even emerged from the agony—like a riverbed clogged for years being forcibly blasted open. Brutal, but open.

[Refinement Progress: 89%]

[Chaos True Sun Fire Initially Stabilized]

Taiyi opened his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath of foul air.

The breath was dark red. Three feet from his body, it ignited with a hiss and dispersed into a wisp of green smoke. He lowered his head and looked at his hands—faint golden-red light flowed beneath his skin, like magma surging beneath rock.

He had succeeded.

He clenched his fist, and his knuckles cracked sharply. Power—real, tangible power. At least thirty percent stronger than before. And he could feel a bizarre trait within it: a natural urge to destroy things bound by strict order, such as the laws of Heaven or formation restrictions.

Like a starving wolf spotting a slab of fat meat.

"So this is... a cheat?" Taiyi murmured, tugging at the corner of his mouth.

[This understanding is acceptable. However, a reminder to the host: Anomaly Value has reached 23. Frequent use of forbidden power will accelerate the attention of the Heavenly Dao.]

"I know. Stop nagging."

He rose from the couch and walked to the window. Outside lay a boundless sea of clouds. At its far end, he could see the outline of the Sun Star—the celestial body that had given birth to him, now slowly traveling along its heavenly course and radiating endless light and heat.

He had to check in there in three days.

The system had rated it four and a half stars in danger, which more or less meant nine chances of death for every one chance of survival. Yet for some reason, Taiyi did not feel much fear. Instead, he felt a trace of... anticipation? As if he knew there was a mountain of blades and a sea of flames ahead, yet wanted to see just how sharp the blades were and how hot the flames burned.

He had gone mad.

Eastern Emperor Taiyi's memories had really influenced him.

He shook his head and walked over to the writing desk. Several jade slips were piled there. He casually picked one up and unfolded it—it was the Northern Border Military Report Bai Ze had submitted, its handwriting so neat it looked measured with a ruler. He picked up another. It was the Treasury Inventory, densely listing the Heavenly Court's assets. The third was...

Taiyi's hand froze.

It was a private journal, untitled and loosely tied with a cord. He untied it and spread the jade slip open in his hands, revealing messy handwriting. It was not written with the meticulous care of an official document, but jotted down casually, with some sections crossed out and rewritten.

"Di Jiang destroyed three of my auxiliary stars again today. Damn him."

"My brother wishes to form a marriage alliance with West Kunlun. Foolish. Why should the Demon Race rely on others?"

"Bai Ze advised a hundred-year truce. Hah. The view of a scholar."

"Cultivation has hit a bottleneck. The thirty-seventh restriction of the Chaos Bell is difficult to break. Annoying."

"Lu Ya took human form today. His cry was clear and bright, just like mine."

As he read each line, Taiyi's breathing gradually slowed.

This was what Eastern Emperor Taiyi was like in private—not so wild, not so proud. He could be annoyed, angry, curse people, and feel happy because his nephew had taken form. He was a living person, not merely that lofty symbol seated in the Lingxiao Palace.

The jade slip in his hand suddenly felt a little too hot to hold.

It was like reading someone else's diary.

But on second thought, he was Eastern Emperor Taiyi now. Reading his own diary—how could that count as snooping?

Just as he was thinking this, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door.

They were soft but steady, approaching the bedchamber step by step. Taiyi's heart tightened. Instinctively, he wanted to put the jade slip away, but his hand stopped halfway—why hide it? This was his bedchamber, his possession. What did he have to conceal?

He set down the jade slip, straightened his robes, and turned to face the door.

The door was gently pushed open.

Fei Lian entered.

The Demon Sage with a human face and bird's body had restrained every trace of his aura. Even the wings on his back were folded tightly away, as though he feared disturbing something. He carried a jade tray, upon which rested a fist-sized jade bottle. Its body was crystal-clear, and the liquid inside could be seen sloshing about—golden-red, like molten gold.

"Your Majesty." Fei Lian bowed, his voice low. "Lord Bai Ze asked me to bring this. Solar Essence, to assist your meditation."

Taiyi nodded but said nothing.

Fei Lian placed the jade tray on the writing desk, moving so lightly that he made no sound. Once it was set down, he retreated two steps. Yet he did not leave immediately. Instead, he lifted his head and gave Taiyi a swift glance.

That look was complicated.

There was concern, confusion, and something else... something Taiyi could not understand.

"Is there anything else?" Taiyi asked, his tone measured perfectly—three parts authority, two parts casualness, with the rest carrying pure impatience that said, Speak if you have something to say.

Fei Lian hesitated.

This Demon Sage, renowned for being sparing with words, actually seemed somewhat uncertain now. His lips moved as though he wanted to say something, but he swallowed it back. He did this twice before finally speaking, his voice even lower.

"Were Your Majesty's words in the Lingxiao Palace today... true?"

Taiyi narrowed his eyes.

He did not answer immediately. Instead, he walked to the desk and picked up the jade bottle. It was warm to the touch, and the Solar Essence within radiated an exceptionally pure True Sun Fire aura. Merely holding it made his entire body feel comfortable.

"What do you think?" He tossed the question back, pulled out the stopper, and tilted his head back for a drink.

The liquid went down his throat like a mouthful of magma. A scalding current burned from his throat to his stomach, then exploded with a roar, transforming into pure energy that spread through his limbs and bones. Like a cat catching the scent of fish, the Chaos True Sun Fire lunged at it, greedily devouring this power of the same origin.

Fei Lian watched Taiyi for a long time.

Then, suddenly, he dropped to one knee in a clean, decisive motion.

"Whether they were true or not, Fei Lian swears to follow Your Majesty unto death." His words were resolute, without the slightest hesitation. "If Your Majesty wishes for war, the Wind Division shall be the sharpest blade in Your Majesty's hand. If Your Majesty wishes for peace, the Wind Division shall be the strongest shield behind Your Majesty."

The hand holding Taiyi's jade bottle paused.

He looked down at Fei Lian kneeling on the ground, and a complicated emotion surged within him—not gratitude, not comfort, but a heavy sense of responsibility. These people, these demons, had placed their lives in his hands and wagered their futures on him, not because he was so formidable, but because they trusted him.

They trusted that arrogant, domineering Eastern Emperor Taiyi who looked down on all under heaven.

But he was an impostor.

"Get up." Taiyi's voice softened somewhat. "It is not time to talk about dying yet."

Fei Lian rose, his eyes still lowered.

"What else did Bai Ze say?"

"Lord Bai Ze said..." Fei Lian paused. "He said that although Your Majesty's words today were wild and defiant, they were not entirely without reason. The Witch Race has indeed been making frequent moves lately, and precautions should be taken early. It is only..."

"Only what?"

"Only that Your Majesty should not speak so absolutely." Fei Lian spoke with great care. "The Heavenly Court now faces troubles both within and without. It cannot withstand the drain of an all-out war. Lord Bai Ze suggests first stationing troops at the border as a show of deterrence, while also sending people to West Kunlun to explain matters and stabilize Queen Mother of the West's side."

Taiyi said nothing after hearing him out.

He walked to the window and gazed at the sea of clouds outside. Under the setting sun, they were stained golden-red, as though they had caught fire. In the distance, immortal birds returned to their nests, their wings cutting through the clouds and leaving long trails behind.

Bai Ze's suggestion was prudent and rational—the kind of advice a qualified wise man should give.

But Eastern Emperor Taiyi had never been a rational man.

"Tell Bai Ze," Taiyi said calmly, "I have heard his suggestion. But I know what I am doing."

"Yes."

Fei Lian bowed and withdrew.

The door closed again.

The bedchamber returned to silence, so quiet that Taiyi could hear his own heartbeat. He stood by the window and watched the sky gradually darken, the cloud sea changing from golden-red to dark purple before finally sinking into blackness.

He suddenly remembered something.

Reaching into his robes, he pulled out a small object—a jade pendant, warm and translucent, carved with a Golden Crow spreading its wings. He had casually taken it from a jewelry box before leaving that morning. His memories told him it was a birthday gift Di Jun had given him many years ago.

Back then, the two brothers had not yet founded the Heavenly Court. They had merely been two little Golden Crows on the Sun Star who had just taken human form. Di Jun had transformed three hundred years before him, always acting as the elder brother and taking care of him in every way. Di Jun had carved this pendant from Warm Jade found deep within the Sun Star, spending three whole years on it.

"If we ever get separated, we'll use this to recognize each other," Di Jun had said then, grinning foolishly.

Taiyi clenched the jade pendant in his palm, feeling its warmth.

In three days, he had to check in at the core of the Sun Star.

Had the original ever gone there? There was no memory of it. The core of the Sun Star was terrifyingly hot. Even Grand Unity Golden Immortals did not dare venture there lightly. Only innate sacred beings born from the Sun Star, like them, could withstand it.

But being able to withstand it was one thing. Being comfortable there was another.

He sighed, tucked the pendant back into his robes, and walked toward the white jade couch. Sitting cross-legged, he resumed meditating. The Chaos True Sun Fire had not yet completely stabilized, so he had to make the most of his time.

He remained seated like that for two days and two nights.

On the morning of the third day, Taiyi opened his eyes.

The golden-red light in his pupils flashed and swiftly faded. He rose and stretched his body. Every joint cracked like a string of firecrackers. He checked the power within him—it was stable, completely stable. The Chaos True Sun Fire obediently rested in his dantian. It still looked ready to rebel at any moment, but at least it listened now.

[Refinement Complete]

[Chaos True Sun Fire (Stable State)]

[The host may attempt to use it. Recommendation: Begin with a small amount.]

Taiyi raised his right hand and willed it into motion.

A wisp of flame emerged from his fingertip. It was golden-red, with a nearly invisible thread of dark red at its core. The flame was not large, only about an inch long, but the moment it appeared, the temperature in the bedchamber shot upward. The Fire Coral by the window seemed to sense something; its branches and leaves rustled without wind.

He stared at the flame for a while, then flicked his finger.

The flame shot out and landed on one corner of the writing desk.

There was no sound.

No explosion.

It simply burned quietly.

The jade desk melted like wax, one corner collapsing as liquid jade dripped down from the edges. The burned area was left with a charred black mark, its darkness so unsettling that it seemed to swallow even light.

Taiyi walked over and reached out to touch the blackened edge.

The sensation at his fingertips... was strange. It was not heat, nor burning. It was a hollow feeling—as though everything in that spot had been "erased," as though even existence itself had been burned away.

He withdrew his hand and looked at his fingertips.

Chaos True Sun Fire had extra destructive power against laws of order.

It seemed it did not merely destroy laws. It destroyed the "order" of material existence as well. Burning jade into ash was destruction. "Erasing" jade was destruction on a deeper level.

"This thing..." Taiyi muttered, "is a little wicked."

[All forbidden powers are like this. Reminder: Use with caution to avoid backlash.]

"I know, I know."

He waved a hand, extinguishing the flame at his fingertips. The temperature in the bedchamber slowly dropped, and the Fire Coral by the window quieted as well. The charred hole in the writing desk was especially conspicuous, like a scar.

Taiyi stared at the hole for a while, then suddenly laughed.

There was helplessness in that laugh, and a touch of self-mockery.

"Eastern Emperor Taiyi, Eastern Emperor Taiyi," he said softly, "this body of yours really is a hot potato."

The moment his words fell, footsteps sounded outside again.

This time, they were heavier and steadier, approaching the door step by step before stopping. Then came a knock—not too light, not too heavy, three times.

"Taiyi."

It was Di Jun's voice.

Taiyi's heart tightened. He instinctively glanced at the hole in the desk. There was no time to clean it up now. He took a deep breath, straightened his robes, and went to open the door.

The door opened.

Di Jun stood outside. He was not wearing the elaborate imperial robes from court, but a simple set of dark-gold casual clothes. His hair was not bound beneath a crown either, but draped loosely over his shoulders. He looked younger than usual, and more tired. In one hand, he carried a plain wooden food box.

"Brother?" Taiyi stepped aside.

Di Jun entered, his gaze sweeping naturally across the room before falling on the hole in the writing desk. He paused, but said nothing. He walked to the couch and sat down, placing the food box on the desk—carefully avoiding the hole.

"I brought you something to eat." Di Jun opened the food box. Inside were several delicate pastries, fragrant and beautifully made. "Xihe made them herself. She said you definitely haven't been eating properly these past few days."

Taiyi closed the door and came over to sit down.

He looked at the pastries in the food box, and that complicated emotion rose within him again. In his memories, Di Jun often did this—stealing time from his busy schedule to visit the Sun Palace. Sometimes he brought food; sometimes he simply came to sit. The brothers would not speak, merely stare out at the sea of clouds beyond the window. They could sit there all day.

"Thank you, Sister-in-law." Taiyi picked up a pastry and took a bite.

It was sweet but not cloying, carrying the fragrance of osmanthus. It was Xihe's specialty, Osmanthus Cake, his... no, the original owner's favorite.

Di Jun watched him eat for quite a while before speaking. "How are your injuries?"

"More or less healed." Taiyi answered vaguely. "My power is still a little unstable. I need a few more days to recover."

"That's good." Di Jun nodded, then paused. "That day in the Lingxiao Palace... did you mean what you said?"

There it was.

Taiyi set down the pastry and wiped his hands. He knew he could not avoid this question. Di Jun was not Fei Lian, nor was he Bai Ze. He was his brother, the person in this world who understood Eastern Emperor Taiyi best. Fooling others was easy. Fooling Di Jun was difficult.

"Half and half." He chose to tell the truth, or rather, a half-truth. "It's true that I want to fight the Witch Race, but it isn't that urgent. I was just... feeling stifled."

Di Jun said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

"Brother, don't you feel stifled?" Taiyi raised his eyes to look at Di Jun. "We brothers took form from the Sun Star and fought our way to where we are today. We established the Heavenly Court and ruled over the All-Encompassing Stars—what step of the way wasn't won through bloodshed? But now? We have to watch the Witch Race's expressions, consider Queen Mother of the West's feelings, calculate this and that, living like some bookkeeper."

He spoke with urgency and force, as though he had truly held it in for a long time.

Di Jun listened quietly, his face expressionless.

Only after Taiyi finished did he slowly speak. "Taiyi, you are the Eastern Emperor, the pillar holding up the Heavenly Court. Every word and action of yours concerns the lives and deaths of countless members of the Demon Race. Some things are not yours to do simply because you wish to do them."

"I know." Taiyi lowered his eyes. "But I just... can't accept it."

"Can't accept what?"

"I can't accept being arranged, and I can't accept resigning myself to fate." Taiyi's voice was low, yet edged with fierce resolve. "The Heavenly Dao says the Witch-Demon Calamity is predetermined, so we have to believe it? The Dao Ancestor says Destiny cannot be defied, so we have to accept it? Why?"

Di Jun fell silent.

He looked at his younger brother, his gaze deep, as though trying to see into his very bones. After a long while, he finally sighed, and that sigh was steeped in profound weariness.

"Taiyi, you've changed."

Taiyi's heart gave a sudden jolt.

"The old you was arrogant and proud too, but not this..." Di Jun carefully chose his words. "Not this... clear-eyed. It's as if you suddenly saw something clearly, then became desperate to smash it to pieces."

"Is that bad?"

"I don't know." Di Jun shook his head. "I only know that the path you're taking now is dangerous. More dangerous than going to war with the Witch Race."

The bedchamber fell silent.

Outside the window, the sky had completely darkened. The sea of clouds sank into the night, and stars began to light up in the distance—one, then two, gradually joining into a vast expanse. Starlight streamed through the window lattice, casting mottled shadows across the floor.

Taiyi said nothing.

Di Jun did not press him further.

The two brothers simply sat there, facing a table full of pastries and that charred black hole. Neither moved. A subtle tension hung in the air, like a bowstring drawn taut, ready to snap if pulled any tighter.

In the end, Di Jun was the first to rise.

"The third lecture at Zixiao Palace," he said. "You're coming with me."

It was not a discussion. It was a notification.

Taiyi nodded. "All right."

"Rest properly these next few days. Don't stir up trouble." Di Jun walked to the door, his hand resting on the door panel. After a pause, he glanced back at Taiyi. "Taiyi, no matter what you see or what you want to do, remember—I am your elder brother."

With that, he pulled open the door and walked out.

The door gently closed behind him.

Taiyi sat on the couch and stared at that door for a long time. Then he slowly raised a hand to cover his face, and a suppressed sigh slipped through his fingers.

"This acting..." he murmured in self-mockery. "I almost convinced myself."

The starlight outside the window flickered.

Like countless pairs of eyes, silently watching from the darkness.