Xuan Ming rubbed his forehead, looking somewhat troubled, and said, "I'm not interested in having children."
"Why?" the Ice Dragon King asked curiously.
"For no reason, I'm just not interested," Xuan Ming said somewhat vaguely. "I'm practically immortal; Life has no end for me. Children mean little to me."
Seeing his insincere expression, the Ice Dragon King suddenly burst out laughing.
"Alright, stop pretending." She reached out and pinched Xuan Ming's cheek, her eyes full of understanding. "You think you can hide your little scheme from me?"
Xuan Ming was somewhat helpless as she pinched him, and could only let her "torture" him.
The Ice Dragon King looked at him with amusement and said slowly, "You're not uninterested in children, you're just worried about them, aren't you?"
Xuan Ming's eyes flickered slightly, but he remained silent.
The Ice Dragon King withdrew his hand, his voice softening slightly. "You know very well that not all the girls around you are suitable to bear your offspring. Or rather, not all of them can bear the consequences of bearing your offspring."
"Your feelings for many of them stem more from a sense of responsibility, a sense of indebtedness, and a desire to protect them; you treat them as family, not lovers."
"Right now, although the relationships are complicated, we can at least maintain a delicate balance. But once you have a child, things will be different."
"Children are the continuation of bloodlines and the most direct crystallization of emotions. Whoever bears your child, their place in your heart naturally becomes extraordinary in the eyes of everyone else."
"At that point, relationships that were previously fairly even will immediately become very close or distant. For girls without children, this is an invisible but extremely cruel form of harm."
The Ice Dragon King's words were like a key, precisely unlocking the heaviest lock in Xuan Ming's heart.
He fell silent.
The Ice Dragon King was right; that was his truest thought. He already owed them too much, and he didn't want to create an irreparable rift between them because of his own actions.
Seeing his silence, the Ice Dragon King reached out and ruffled his hair, as if comforting a child who had done something wrong.
"However," she changed the subject, returning to her casual demeanor, "I wasn't planning on trying to persuade you. These things are ultimately a matter of mutual consent. If you like it and want to do it, then do it; no one can stop you. If you don't like it and don't want to do it, then don't do it; no one can force you."
"Besides," she yawned lazily, "There's no rush for these things. We have plenty of time, endless time."
After saying that, she lay back down, patted the spot next to her, and gestured for Xuan Ming to lie down as well.
Xuan Ming looked at her, and the turmoil and heaviness in his heart quietly dissipated in her words. He smiled with relief and lay down beside her again.
Yes, they have plenty of time.
This time, he truly fell into a deep sleep, completely unprepared and without any dreams.
I don't know how much time passed.
When Xuan Ming woke up again, he found that the Ice Dragon King was no longer beside him. He sat up, stretched, and felt refreshed.
This was the most restful and peaceful sleep he had ever had.
He stood up, preparing to go find the Ice Dragon King, but then noticed a golden figure standing quietly behind the waterfall not far away.
It is Qian Renxue.
Xuan Ming stopped moving, and the ease on his face gradually faded.
What was bound to happen has finally happened.
He didn't go over; he just stood there quietly, waiting.
A moment later, Qian Renxue slowly emerged from behind the water curtain. She had changed out of her God King armor and put on a simple white dress, her long golden hair casually draped over her shoulders.
Stripped of her divine majesty, she looked like an ordinary, beautiful, and somewhat haggard girl next door.
She walked up to Xuan Ming and stopped.
The two looked at each other in silence.
The atmosphere became somewhat heavy for a moment.
Finally, Qian Renxue broke the silence first. Her voice was somewhat hoarse and trembling, but it was exceptionally clear.
"I... I understand now."
She raised her head, and those golden eyes, once filled with pride and stubbornness, now resembled a calm lake, reflecting Xuan Ming's figure.
" The Ice Dragon King came to see me," she said. "She told me a lot."
Xuan Ming didn't speak, but listened quietly.
"I admit, she's right." A bitter smile appeared on Qian Renxue's lips. "I can't let go of my obsession with you, and I can't... just stand by and watch you be all lovey-dovey with those women, especially... with her, and with my mother."
With each word she spoke, her heart felt as if it were being pricked by a needle.
"That feeling was worse than being killed."
She took a deep breath, as if using all her strength, and looked directly into Xuan Ming's eyes.
"So, I don't want to deceive myself anymore. I don't want to argue with you anymore, and I don't want to be your enemy anymore."
"I came here to ask you an answer."
Her eyes became incredibly serious at that moment, even carrying a hint of humble pleading.
" Xuan Ming, come and tell me."
What kind of relationship do you hope there is between us?
"Friends? Siblings? Or... strangers?"
"You said that as long as you give me an answer, whatever it is, I will listen to you."
"From now on, I will never bother you again, and I will never make things difficult for you again."
Chapter 477 Never Give Up
Xuan Ming gazed silently at Qian Renxue, at her golden eyes filled with both determination and humility. He remained silent for a long time, until Qian Renxue's eyes began to dim, before he finally spoke.
" Qian Renxue ".
"What kind of person do you think I am?"
Qian Renxue was slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting him to ask such a question.
Before she could answer, Xuan Ming continued, "Let me tell you. I'm a very greedy person."
You should have known this a long time ago.
"I want everything, I can't bear to part with anything, I want to hold onto everything firmly in my own hands."
"I want power, I want stability, I want everyone around me to be safe and happy. I want Gu Yuena to no longer bear the fate of the Dragon Clan, I want Bibi Dong to break free from the shadows of the past, I want Bo Saixi to forget the pain of waiting, I want Xiao Wu and the others to be carefree forever..."
I also want... for you to be truly happy.
"But I always kept it to myself and never said anything."
"Because I know it's useless to speak out. Until I have enough power, no one will listen to me. My wishes are worthless in the face of reality."
His gaze returned to Qian Renxue's face.
"Just like... you used to be unwilling to listen to me."
Qian Renxue's body trembled violently, and her face instantly turned even paler.
Xuan Ming didn't stop; it was as if he wanted to pour out all the words that had been building up in his heart for so long.
"Do you remember? I used to be an idealist. I believed in justice, in right and wrong, and that with hard work, everything could be changed. But later, I went from an idealist to the indifferent, cruel person I am now, who treats Life like dirt."
"Why?"
"You know, Qian Renxue. You know better than anyone what I used to be like."
But what about now?
"Completely unrecognizable."
He looked at his hands, as if they were covered in indelible bloodstains.
"The morals I once upheld, the bottom line I once adhered to, have gradually vanished under repeated betrayals, exploitation, and coercion. I've learned to scheme, to threaten, to solve problems in the most direct and brutal way. Because I've discovered that only in this way can I protect those I want to protect."
"Now," Xuan Ming raised his head and looked directly at her again, "What kind of answer do you want to get when you ask me this kind of question?"
Do you want an answer that reflects my true feelings? Or do you want... the answer you want yourself?
"You know what I want, don't you?" Xuan Ming's voice became somewhat ethereal. "You also know that you can't accept it. That's why I've always been unwilling to say it."
"If it were the old me, the naive, idealistic me, I would have told you without hesitation and decisively that there was no way we could be together, so you could give up completely. But it was you, you and the world, who taught me time and time again that one shouldn't be too naive, and one shouldn't speak too directly."
"And now?"
"Now, let's not talk about those things that are best left unsaid. Let's just let things be, tacitly agree, and live on in a muddle."
"Isn't it good?"
Why do I have to say it to you, causing you pain? And yet you're unwilling to accept it, or rather... you're sacrificing yourself and pretending to accept it for my sake?
" Qian Renxue, you know her."
"I don't want to hurt you, I never have. But we're like two sharp-edged stones; if we get too close, we'll inevitably collide and torment each other until we're both bleeding."
Qian Renxue finally couldn't hold back her tears, which slid down her cheeks. She had always thought that she was the one suffering, but she never imagined that Xuan Ming was also enduring the same torment.
Xuan Ming felt a pang of pain in his heart as he looked at her tears. He reached out to wipe them away, but stopped mid-air.
"If... you absolutely need an answer."
I hope... you can be happy.
"You are now Angel God, a God King, a great being who surpasses all your ancestors. The so-called shackles of the Angel Clan, the so-called family responsibilities, can no longer bind you. You can do anything you want, live the life you truly desire."
"This is my sole purpose in forcibly promoting you."
He looked at her, his eyes filled with exhaustion.
"I've done so much, killed so many people, changed the whole world... I'm really tired now."
"I don't want to talk about those heavy topics anymore, I don't want to dissect those bloody wounds anymore."
I don't want... you to leave either.
"I can't bear to part with it."
Hearing Xuan Ming's words, which were almost a heartfelt confession, and feeling the deep weariness and undisguised reluctance in his voice, Qian Renxue's tears could no longer be held back and rolled down like pearls from a broken string.
She didn't say another word.
She slowly stepped forward, opened her arms, and gently, yet with unwavering determination, embraced Xuan Ming.
Burying her head against his chest, feeling his familiar heartbeat and breath, Qian Renxue's voice, thick with nasal tone, came through in a muffled tone. "I won't leave."
At least... not now.
She raised her head, her golden eyes, washed by tears, were astonishingly bright, reflecting Xuan Ming's somewhat bewildered face.
"I will stay with you."
As for our relationship...
She paused, then a cunning yet stubborn smile suddenly appeared on her lips, as if she had returned to many years ago, to the time when she disguised herself as Xue Qinghe and outwitted him.
"... Just like before, that would be fine."
"Before?" Xuan Ming was slightly taken aback, not quite understanding.
What was their relationship before? Enemies? Friends? Or... a symbiotic relationship of mutual testing and torment?
Looking at his bewildered expression, Qian Renxue felt her sorrow replaced by a new, indomitable spirit. She tiptoed, leaned close to Xuan Ming's ear, and spoke, word by word, in a voice only they could hear:
"I won't give up."
"No matter what, we will never give up."
Before Xuan Ming could respond, she suddenly opened her mouth and bit him hard on the shoulder!
That force was enough to make even God King feel a stinging pain.
After doing all this, Qian Renxue released him and gave him a deep look, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, she turned and transformed into a golden streak of light, instantly disappearing into the horizon.
Xuan Ming was left standing there, stunned, touching the clear tooth mark on his shoulder that still carried a Sisi of sacred aura, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.