Against the Gods

“Answer my question.”

Yun Che’s tone changed suddenly, his eyes narrowing slightly into a compressed galaxy as he stared into Cang Shuhe’s eyes.

Cang Shuhe said softly, “You want to know what kind of feelings I hold for you, Your Majesty?”

She had figured out his question before he even said it. He nodded. “I wish to hear the truth.”

Instead of answering immediately, Cang Shuhe slowly walked up to Yun Che—a waft of fragrance entered his nostrils as she did so—and knelt in front of him. She then placed her flawless hands on his knees.

She was looking up when her eyes met Yun Che’s once more.

“Your Majesty thought that I have lost so much that I no longer even understand what basic emotions are, much less the romantic love for another person. You thought you wouldn’t be reciprocated even if you gave me your sincere love, so you chose to shower me with indifference. In fact, you believed that that would be the most ideal relationship for the both of us because we won’t have to pretend when around each other. Am I right?”

“...” Her deduction was spot on.

Until today, He had believed that Cang Shuhe was emotionally dead after everything she went through. Although she possessed excellent beauty and an indescribable charm that was unique to her alone, trying to nurture a love with her would be like unto preaching to deaf ears.

He was the sovereign of the four divine regions and the man who conquered the Dragon Queen and the Lady Goddess. It wasn’t like he was lacking in choice, so why would he force himself to love someone who had no interest in him?

“For ten thousand years, I was denied the sky because of a terrible illness and the threat of the Southern Sea. I admit that I may not realize how warped my emotions have become, and that my object of affection may be different compared to that of a normal person. I certainly hold a deep loathing toward men.” 

“However…”

Her eyes grew slightly unfocused, and the sweet voice spilling out of her pink, cherry-like lips slowed down as if she was murmuring to herself. “Whether you believe it or not… I knew you were my eternity from the moment I laid eyes on you, Your Majesty.”

Yun Che wasn’t expecting this answer.

Cang Shuhe’s eyes grew even more unfocused, and her voice more dreamlike. “Do you know what the greatest, most terrifying weapon you possess is, Your Majesty?”

“...” Yun Che’s nose twitched unconsciously. He feared nothing and no one, and his skin was as thick as a fortress, but even he found it embarrassing to answer truthfully. [1]

“In my opinion, it is not your invincible strength or peerless inheritances. It is… your eyes.”

Yun Che’s eyes narrowed a bit more. “Huh?”

“Rui Yi’s earlier actions may have been most disrespectful, but she was right about one thing.” Cang Shuhe smiled a little. “You are only thirty some years old. To call you a young emperor does not even begin to describe how young you truly are.”

There were only two people in the entire history of the God Realm who became a god emperor in their thirties.

Xia Qingyue was the first, and Yun Che the second.

“On the other hand, Your Majesty has led a peaceful life, fallen into the abyss, reigned at the top, saved the world from calamity, and even become the calamity that drowned it in blood…”

“What most people experienced in tens of thousands of lifetimes doesn’t even come close to what you experienced in mere decades. That is why the world reflected in your eyes also possesses the deepest, most terrifying, yet unique color I’ve ever seen.”

“My cold, silent soul and my deep loathing and fear toward men should’ve made it incredibly difficult for me to fall in love with any man, but… the moment I saw the color in your eyes, I could not help but be curious even though I know the danger, and I know that it may very well be a one-way trip. I want to look closer… touch it... explore it… fall into it… drown in it…”

Cang Shuhe had lived ten thousand years with only the walls, the ceiling, the cold and the solitude to keep her company. She would’ve broken down a long time ago if it wasn’t for her brother and Rui Yi. On the other hand, Yun Che’s life was an unimaginable roller coaster of trials and tribulations even though he had only lived for thirty some years.

That was why Cang Shuhe was attracted to Yun Che more so than any other woman he had met in his life.

In fact, Yun Che vaguely remembered Chi Wuyao saying something similar back in the Northern Divine Region. It wasn’t nearly as direct and honest as Cang Shuhe’s confession though.

Right now, he wanted nothing more than to grab a mirror and check whether his eyes really were as bewitching as his women claimed.

Still staring into his eyes, Cang Shuhe’s voice grew even more dreamlike, “If one day you meet a powerful woman whom you are unable to conquer, do not forget that your eyes are a greater weapon than your strength, Your Majesty.” 

Yun Che lightened his gaze before replying in a most serious tone, “Come now. I’m sure my handsome face is even better than my eyes.”

Cang Shuhe’s eyebrows curled into crescents as she let out a cute giggle. “If Your Majesty says so, then it must be true.”

Yun Che looked down and gently held the flawless hands on his knees. The smooth, soft sensation of her skin immediately sent tingles into his heart.

“Tea, cooking, study and music… a person only needs to pour themselves over one of these arts to be famous and proud for a lifetime, but these perfect hands have reached great heights in all of them… it couldn’t have been easy, could it?”

Cang Shuhe shook her head slightly. “The past was bitter and dull. Immersing myself in the arts was the only way to make time go a little faster.”

“Now, I am actually thankful that I have learned them all.” Cang Shuhe paused for a second before breaking into a smile. “I have an idea. Would you like to learn how to cook, Your Majesty?”

“Me? Cook?”

It was one of the few words Yun Che believed to have no connections to him whatsoever. He replied without hesitation, “What a humorless joke.”

However, Cang Shuhe continued, “Since ancient times, there is no art more desired than the art of profound cultivation. That being said, there are lesser, mortal desires that are pursued almost as fervently. For example, there is the desire for influence, the desire for pleasurable sights, sound, touch and more… all except the desire for food. To be more specific, most people believe that it sits at the bottom of worthy pursuits, and some even disdain it as a lowly art.”

“However, the desire for food actually corresponds to two of the six sense organs of Man, the nose and the mouth. No matter how much Man may disdain it, it remains a fundamental part of their nature. If it is awakened by a powerful desire and honed by a strong and crafty will, it can stand as the equal of any mortal desire.”

What she said made a lot of sense, but Yun Che remained completely uninterested. “I’m just not interested in this art form. Plus, you are my imperial consort and a wonderful cook. Why would I need to learn the cooking arts when I already have you?”

“Your praise delights me, Your Majesty,” replied Cang Shuhe softly. “However, I can only stay by your side for a very short time.”

Yun Che: “...”

“Moreover, I believe that Your Majesty possesses the world’s greatest talent in the art of cooking. It is why I find it… difficult to see you waste your talent away.”

“Me? Most talented in the art of cooking?” Yun Che’s mouth twitched imperceptibly. “If that’s true, how have I not noticed it all this time?”

Cang Shuhe explained slowly, “A tea leaf can produce a hundred types of fragrance with the right type of cooking. In general, the culinary arts can be broken down into steaming, boiling, smoking, cooking, quick-frying, stir-frying, stewing, pasting, baking, deep-frying, dressing, casseroling, braising, roasting, marinating and many, many more. If you know what you’re doing, you can easily produce a thousand unique and delicious flavors for a thousand people.”

“Recipes can be taught directly, and techniques can be trained eventually. However, the two most difficult and most important skills when it comes to cooking are one, the selection and processing of the ingredients, and two, heat control.”

“According to my knowledge, Your Majesty is extremely proficient in the medical arts and blessed by the Wood Spirits themselves. You probably know every plant there is in the universe and are able to identify their quality and age based on their aura alone. Moreover, you are the master of the Sky Poison Pearl, and the ancient records claim that the Sky Poison Pearl possesses the greatest power of purification and refinement in the universe.”

“Thanks to these advantages, Your Majesty can easily attain great heights most people including me can never hope to achieve.”

Yun Che: “Emmm…”

She was right, but the idea of using the Sky Poison Pearl for cooking was a little...

He Ling would do anything that he asked, so that wasn’t a problem.

The previous Sky Poison Pearl Spirit though, they might just pierce the veil of life and death to kill him if they ever learned about this.

Cang Shuhe continued, “As for heat control, well, if you claim to be the second greatest master of fire, who would dare claim to be the first?”

Yun Che was going to tell her Cang Shuhe that the very idea of cooking was incompatible with him and that she should just forget about it completely. Then, she said something that pierced right through his mental defenses.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if your daughter and your family could enjoy the greatest food the world has to offer? Food that you’ve prepared with your own hands?”

The rejection that was a second away from escaping his lips crawled back down his throat. Instead, it was replaced by deep desire.

Yun Wuxin’s earlier look of shock, joy, pleasure and praise flashed across his mind. He couldn’t deny feeling a pang of jealousy at the time.

He looked down at his hands. It had been a while since he returned to the Blue Pole Star, but he still felt deep regret and self-blame toward his daughter.

A day hadn’t gone by where he wasn’t finding a way to make things up to his daughter and become a better father.

Cang Shuhe was right. Learning the culinary arts could be the best thing to happen to his Wuxin, his wives, his family and even himself.

Moreover, Cang Shuhe had said that he could easily achieve what most people wouldn’t be able to achieve in a lifetime, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to learn, right?

The change in Yun Che’s eyes put a beautiful smile on Cang Shuhe’s face. “So? Would you like to give it a try, Your Majesty? You may yet find yourself in a whole new world that is more wonderful than you initially believed.”

………...

Somehow, Yun Wuxin was able to draw out what should’ve been a quick change of clothes for a couple hours before finally returning to the bedroom. Following behind her was a deeply worried Rui Yi.

Obviously, she was regretting her actions after enough time had passed for her to cool her head.

“I’m back, father.” Yun Wuxin was practically sparkling with happiness when she said this. She had clearly had a great time.

When she finally set her eyes on her father and Cang Shuhe, a surprised “eh” escaped her lips.

Yun Che and Cang Shuhe were sitting side by side in front of a table with less than half a person’s gap between them. That wasn’t the most surprising thing, however. It was the change in her father’s aura.

Maybe it was because he was cautious toward all foreign objects, or maybe it was because of his dignity as the great emperor, but her father always covered himself in an invisible, all-isolating forcefield that prevented anyone’s aura from mingling with his. They could spend a whole day exploring a bustling city, and he would smell like he was fresh out of a bath.

The forcefield only disappeared when he was with her, her mom and her aunties.

Although she was far below a cultivation level where she could even begin to understand the level her father was standing right now, she had noticed that her father hadn’t put up the forcefield on purpose. It was just an instinct that came to him naturally after all his years of traveling. 

The forcefield had existed before she left the room.

Now though, it was completely gone.

As a result, his and Cang Shuhe’s auras were mingling seamlessly with each other.

Her father wasn’t the only one who had changed. Cang Shuhe’s smile remained as graceful and beautiful as ever, but now there was an attractive radiance to it as well.

“What kept you so long?” Yun Che asked, but it really was a pointless question because his spiritual perception hadn’t left Yun Wuxin this whole time. He really was too overprotective of his daughter.

“The clothes of the Deep Sea Realm are sooooooo pretty that I couldn’t help but try them all at least once. It would’ve been even better if Auntie Shuhe could have joined me.”

She would’ve shown off the Illusory Water Sea Dress she was wearing, but the change between Yun Che and Cang Shuhe’s relationship caught her attention again. A few seconds later, she asked weakly, “S-should I come back a bit later?”

Yun Che saw through his daughter immediately. “Get over here already. You’ve had enough running around for the day.”

He could see that Yun Wuxin really liked Cang Shuhe even though today was their first meeting.

“Rui Yi, you can come in as well,” Cang Shuhe called to her attendant softly.

Further behind Yun Wuxin, Rui Yi neither sensed Yun Che’s gaze nor his killing intent. Combined with Cang Shuhe’s summon, she finally mustered the courage to move her feet and step into the room very slowly. She still couldn’t raise her head to look at the duo though.

Suddenly, Yun Che looked up and stabbed Rui Yi with his gaze. “You have one chance to apologize. Kneel.”

Rui Yi bit her lips, but sensed Cang Shuhe’s gentle gaze and Yun Wuxin’s kind intentions. Not wanting to disappoint either of them, she ultimately bent her knees and bowed her head deeper. “I have acted rudely and discourteously. I ask for a drop of Emperor Yun’s vast forgiveness.”

“Hmm. This is supposed to be an apology, and yet I don’t hear a single word of apology in your sentence. You don’t believe you were wrong at all, do you?” Yun Che’s gaze dropped a couple of degrees cooler.

“...” Rui Yi continued biting her lips in silence. She neither denied the accusation nor begged for mercy.

“If you were going to apologize like this, you may as well not have said anything from the start.”Yun Che side-eyed her. “You think you’re completely in the right, and that your backbone is wholly in the right place, don’t you? Let’s look at one of your earlier claims then.”

“You claimed that I have severely shortened Consort Grace’s lifespan when I adjusted her compatibility with the Deep Sea divine power. That is true.”

“But how do you know that I cannot increase her lifespan!?”

That one line made Rui Yi, a woman who refused to submit even when Yun Che’s killing intent was pressing down on her, look up in utter shock.

“What… what did you say?” Excitement, joy and disbelief fleeted across her features in rapid succession. “Can… can you really increase the young miss’ lifespan?”

“Hmph! What would the world think of me if a consort of mine passed away long before her expected time?” Yun Che humphed coldly. “You are a middle-stage Divine Master, and you dare judge my power with your shallow knowledge? Foolish! Ridiculous!”

His abuse was harsh, Rui Yi couldn’t muster even a shred of anger or humiliation toward Yun Che right now. Tears flooded her eyes, and whatever defiance in her posture and words were completely gone. “I have realized my mistakes… if Your Majesty truly can heal the young miss, I will submit to any punishment you desire!”

“Did you just imply that I cannot punish you either way? Ridiculous!” Yun Che snapped.

Rui Yi stared dazedly at Yun Che for a moment. She would never be able to forgive herself if her mistake caused Cang Shuhe to miss out on her only chance to regain her lifespan. Determination returning to her features once more, she declared, “I was foolish, rude and arrogant. I have committed an unforgivable mistake… I will accept any punishment without complaint if Your Majesty will quell your anger.”

“Is that so!”

Yun Che responded in a frigid voice, “You have kept Consort Grace company for ten thousand years, and your transgression was done for her sake. Consort Grace will lose heart in me if I were to kill you, and you certainly aren’t worth that.”

“I have changed my mind regarding my plans in the Ten Directions Deep Sea Realm. I will be extending my stay here, and I will be staying in this Deep Sea Palace temporarily.”

“If you so wish to atone for your crimes,” he slowly pointed a finger at her, “then you may begin by serving me in bed tonight.”

1. (T/N: I guarantee you he’s thinking about his sexual performance)