Ch. 21Don't Make Me Slap You at My Happiest Moment
Chapter Summary
Key Plot Points and Events
- Liu Mang realizes Nu Wa has taken back the treasures he received, comparing the situation humorously to parents confiscating children’s New Year money.
- Nu Wa thanks the gathered cultivators for not interfering and announces that she will attempt to prove Dao. She hopes her success or failure will provide guidance for their own cultivation.
- Liu Mang internally worries that Nu Wa is following the path Hong Jun has designed for her. He believes proving Dao through Merit will make her a Saint but leave her vulnerable to Hong Jun’s control.
- Nu Wa recognizes Liu Mang’s hidden concern and realizes that his refusal to absorb Merit was deliberate. She understands that he distrusts Hong Jun and wants to prevent Hong Huang from falling under his control.
- Liu Mang considers whether Nu Wa could instead follow the stronger path of Proving Dao by Force through Slaying Three Corpses, but ultimately decides that becoming a Merit Saint is safer for her.
- When Nu Wa asks him to speak, Liu Mang unexpectedly asks only for the return of his treasures. Amused and exasperated, Nu Wa tells him not to ruin her happiest moment by making her slap him.
- Nu Wa begins creating humanity from Three Lights Divine Water and Breathing Soil. She forms 2,998 clay figures, bringing the total to 3,000 when Liu Mang and Xuan Du are included.
- Her Primordial Spirit becomes exhausted before she can create more, so she formally announces her intention to create a new race and invokes the Law of Creation.
- Through the divine technique “Creation: Genesis,” the clay figures become living humans. They worship Nu Wa as the Holy Mother.
- The birth of humanity generates an enormous amount of Merit, signaling that Nu Wa is about to become a Saint.
- In Purple Sky Palace, Hong Jun is pleased that events have returned to what he considers the correct path. He intends to use the Hongmeng Purple Qi and the Heavenly Dao to control Nu Wa and the other Saints, eventually replacing the Heavenly Dao, destroying Hong Huang, and attaining the Great Dao.
Character Developments
- Liu Mang: Remains comedic and materialistic on the surface, but his inner thoughts reveal considerable strategic awareness. He understands Hong Jun’s hidden ambitions and sincerely worries about Nu Wa’s safety, even though he cannot openly express it.
- Nu Wa: Moves closer to sainthood and gains deeper insight into both the Law of Creation and Hong Jun’s possible schemes. She also becomes increasingly accustomed to Liu Mang’s eccentric behavior and recognizes the genuine concern beneath his antics.
- Hong Jun: His benevolent, transcendent appearance is exposed as a façade. He is revealed to be manipulating the Heavenly Dao and planning to control the Saints, consume Hong Huang’s living beings, and seize ultimate power.
Significant Themes
- Fate versus deviation: Nu Wa’s actions largely follow the expected course, but Liu Mang’s existence introduces unpredictable changes into the established story.
- Hidden control and manipulation: Hong Jun’s plan suggests that apparent paths to enlightenment may actually be methods of enslavement by the Heavenly Dao.
- Creation and sacrifice: Nu Wa exhausts her Primordial Spirit to create humanity, emphasizing the cost and responsibility of bringing life into existence.
- Humor amid cosmic conflict: Liu Mang’s complaints about confiscated treasures and his fear of being slapped contrast with the immense stakes surrounding sainthood, creation, and the fate of Hong Huang.
- Family-like relationships: Nu Wa and Liu Mang interact as an exasperated mother and troublesome son, blending genuine trust and concern with constant teasing.
Important Character Interactions
- Liu Mang and Nu Wa: Their exchange reveals Liu Mang’s hidden concern for Nu Wa, though he ultimately asks for his treasures instead of warning her about Merit. Nu Wa responds with affectionate irritation.
- Nu Wa and the cultivators: She thanks them for their restraint and presents her proving Dao as an example for their own future cultivation.
- Nu Wa and humanity: The newly created humans immediately recognize and worship her as their creator and Holy Mother.
- Hong Jun and the Heavenly Dao: Hong Jun views the Heavenly Dao as an opponent he plans to replace, while secretly using the Hongmeng Purple Qi to control future Saints.