Conflict Was About to Erupt

"You're going to kill my brother?"

A voice suddenly rang out in Gu Yue's mind. Her previously calm gaze turned bewildered, then she quickly reacted and demanded coldly,

"Na'er?!"

"Hmph! As my other half, you dare betray me? Spending every day with a human child."

Na'er seemed somewhat guilty. She didn't answer that accusation, instead softening her voice and pleading,

"Gu Yue, I'll go with you. Can you please leave my brother alone?"

Outside the villa in Aolai City, the Ferocious Beast powerhouses of the Star Dou Forest had already arrived.

The pinpoint of black light gathered at Di Tian's fingertip churned with enough terrifying energy to tear space apart, yet just as it was about to erupt, it froze in midair.

For the first time, his face, cold and unchanging for ten thousand years, showed unmistakable bewilderment.

In his spiritual perception, an aura of the same origin as his own, even purer, had abruptly intruded upon his will. It was a command from the deepest reaches of his soul.

Di Tian furrowed his brow. The black light at his fingertip hadn't dispersed, but neither did it advance. He raised his head, his gaze seeming to pierce the villa's roof and reach toward the distant Star Dou Forest. In a low voice, he asked,

"My lord, what do you mean by this?"

Within the spiritual network, Gu Yue's will made no further reply, because at that moment, Gu Yue was locked in a silent standoff with another "self."

Deep within their sea of consciousness, the stars hung upside down as two identical figures stood facing each other, their temperaments the only difference. One was as cold as age-old ice, her entire being wreathed in the aloof pride and domineering power of the Dragon God's other half.

The other had the same face, but her eyes were filled with the warmth of the mortal world, along with a hazy sheen of tears.

Gu Yue stared coldly at the other half who shared her origin but had betrayed the Soul Beast Clan's original purpose. Her voice suppressed a simmering anger.

"Betrayal? Do you know that without the Dragon God's complete power, our people will be trapped in this Star Dou Forest forever, for all eternity reduced to stepping-stones for human Soul Masters? And you're here begging me for a human child who doesn't even have Soul Power?"

Na'er's figure looked somewhat indistinct, a sign that she was about to be reclaimed and fused with Gu Yue. She bit her lower lip, her violet eyes brimming with tears, but stubbornly refused to let them fall.

She could feel Gu Yue's fury, the icy killing intent of being "betrayed" by her own self, scraping at her soul like a blade.

But she didn't back down. She only repeated those words, almost pleading,

"I'll go with you. I'll fuse with you and help you become whole again. But, Gu Yue... no, I'm you, and you're me. You should be able to feel it too—that human emotion you consider weakness. Do you know what it feels like?"

Na'er's small hand clenched the hem of her dress—the little dress Lin Qingzhou had bought for her, still carrying the faint, fresh scent of laundry detergent.

"He's my brother. He's the first person in this world, and the only one, who's ever fed me until I was full, tucked me into a warm bed, and held my hand to take me out into the sun, expecting nothing in return."

"He's in pain every night and can't sleep. He knows he's an ordinary person who could be crushed to death by a Soul Master at any moment, yet he still gives me all his tenderness."

"Gu Yue, you say humans are hypocritical, greedy, and selfish. But in my brother, all I've seen is restraint, patience, and a light warmer than any divine power."

Gu Yue fell silent.

She could clearly feel Na'er's memories and emotions surging toward her like a tide. Their first meeting on that rainy night, when the calculations hidden in the boy's eyes had been easily undone by her ravenous eating, ending in a helpless sigh.

That clumsy morning when he'd tried to braid her hair, his fingers red from the heat, and his promise: "At your brother's place, you'll always have plenty to eat." The nights when nightmares woke her and he fought off his own drowsiness to pat her back, humming in a low voice...

Each scene, each image, carried a warmth she had never experienced in her long life. It was unfamiliar to her, even frightening.

Human emotions could be so resilient that they made her, the other half bearing the Dragon God's will, willing to give up resisting—even to defy herself.

"Human feelings are poison."

Gu Yue's voice was a little hoarse, as if she were trying to convince herself as much as remind Na'er.

"They'll make you weak and cloud your judgment. If one day he learns our true identities, learns of the endless enmity between Soul Beasts and humans, do you think he'll still treat you the same?"

"I don't know."

Na'er lifted her head. Tears finally slid down her cheeks, but the faint smile tugging at her lips held the same stubbornness Lin Qingzhou had instilled in her.

"But I'm willing to take that chance. Even if he really does hate me one day because I'm a Soul Beast, I'll accept it."

"But right now, Gu Yue, before you take my mind away, I want to protect him. This is my own choice. It's the only thing 'Na'er' wants to do."

Gu Yue was stunned. Na'er had stopped calling herself her "other half" and had defined herself as an independent being named "Na'er." Just a few years of human life had given her an independent sense of self.

Silence, a long silence.

At last, Gu Yue slowly and coldly closed her eyes. The lake of her heart, frozen over like ice, had been struck hard by Na'er's scorching emotions, leaving a tiny, almost imperceptible crack.

In the study of the villa, the real world.

Di Tian let out a deep sigh and slowly lowered his hand, sparing the boy who was bent over his desk writing something.

His gaze held unwillingness and confusion, but in the end, both gave way to absolute obedience.

Myriad Demon King and the others had no idea what had happened. They stared at Di Tian in a daze, wondering why he had suddenly stopped.

"My lord has given another order."

Di Tian spoke coolly, breaking the deathly silence. He lowered his hand and stood with his arms behind his back as his immense pressure receded.

Lin Qingzhou seemed to sense something. The pen in his hand fell to the floor with a clatter. He didn't know what had happened, but the deathly chill that had been lodged in his throat had truly vanished.

Di Tian's figure flashed, and he appeared in Na'er's room.

He didn't slight Na'er in the least. After all, he knew she was also his lord. Following his heart, he bowed to her.

"Na'er, you may stay by his side for now."

Then Di Tian changed his tone and looked at Na'er, his voice carrying an unquestionable authority.

"But my lord has said that you must remember the mission you bear. When the time is right, you must return of your own accord and complete the fusion. Until then..."

"The time is three months from now. Otherwise, under my lord's orders, we will still kill him."

Di Tian paused. His gaze passed through the wall and fell on Lin Qingzhou, still bent over his desk writing. This time there was no killing intent in it, only scrutiny and warning.

"Human, you'd better pray that day comes later rather than sooner. Be careful."

Having said that, Di Tian didn't linger. His figure gradually faded into a distortion of darkness, then vanished completely, as though he had never appeared.

The villa fell quiet once more. The pages scattered by the pressure lay strewn across the floor. The plants outside the window, corroded by dark power, withered rapidly. Only the cicadas continued their tireless racket.

Na'er drew a deep breath, tears still glimmering in her eyes. Hearing a sound from the living room, she slowly stepped outside.

She saw Lin Qingzhou adjusting his apron. She froze for a moment, then rushed forward and threw her arms around him.

"Na'er... you..." Lin Qingzhou's throat bobbed. A thousand words clogged his chest, but in the end, all he could manage was a trembling call.

He knew something he couldn't understand had happened just now. It had to do with Na'er, but she didn't want to talk about it, and he wouldn't press her.

Na'er lifted her head. The tears on her little face hadn't dried, but her violet eyes shone brighter than the stars in the night sky. She sniffed hard and forced a smile more painful to look at than tears.

"Brother, it's okay now. Na'er wants your egg fried rice. I'm so hungry."

Seeing how hard she was trying to be brave, Lin Qingzhou's heart gave a painful tug, and his eyes reddened too. He didn't ask anything more. He simply reached out and gently ruffled her soft silver-white hair, just as he had done countless times before.

"Okay, I'll make it. I'll add two eggs."

He stood up, took Na'er's cool little hand, and led her toward the kitchen, one step at a time.

"All right, Na'er. Your brother has to go to work."

Na'er nodded and obediently watched Lin Qingzhou leave, saying nothing.