Chapter 1912: Flaw (Part 1)

Yun Che slowly descended. Just as his feet touched the land of the Glass Light Realm, a familiar aura swiftly approached him.

"Big Brother Yun Che!"

With a joyful cry, Shui Meiyin descended from the air like a lightly dancing black butterfly. "It really is you! Why did you suddenly come back? Did you miss me that much?"

Just as she was about to embrace Yun Che, she noticed his unusually disturbed aura and expression. Her smile faded, and she asked worriedly, "Big Brother Yun Che, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

Her divine sense scanned the surroundings. "Where did Wuxin go?"

"Meiyin," he said, looking directly into Shui Meiyin's dark eyes. "Was your Cosmic Spire given to you by Xia Qingyue?"

This sudden, direct question instantly stunned Shui Meiyin.

However, under Yun Che's intense gaze, what he saw in Shui Meiyin's eyes was not sudden panic, but a natural surge of surprise and confusion.

"Huh?" She tilted her head slightly, looking at Yun Che's face with considerable suspicion. "Cosmic Spire... Xia Qingyue? The Cosmic Spire was, of course, given to me by the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor. How could it be Xia Qingyue? Why would Big Brother Yun Che ask such a strange question?"

Her unprompted query, both in her eyes and expression, showed not a single hint of doubt or flaw.

If it had been anyone else, Yun Che's suspicions might have largely vanished.

Without continuing to look into Shui Meiyin's eyes, he gazed ahead and said calmly, "Back then, before the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor left, she told me that Shen Xi had met with an accident and warned me not to enter the Dragon God Realm without permission... After the upheaval, before she tried to kill me, she told me she had personally gone to the Samsara Forbidden Land and confirmed Shen Xi's death."

Shui Meiyin: "..."

"After killing Long Bai, I went to the Samsara Forbidden Land in the Dragon God Realm and found that the barrier there was bound to Long Bai's dragon soul... And the 'desolate emptiness' and 'only a pool of blood' in the Samsara Forbidden Land were exactly as she had described."

"So, how did Xia Qingyue manage to enter the Samsara Forbidden Land without triggering the dragon soul's perception?"

Shui Meiyin was about to speak, but Yun Che continued, "If she had the Cosmic Spire with her at that time, she could have done it with ease."

"And precisely because she had the Cosmic Spire, she wouldn't have needed to concentrate on probing or forcefully breaking the barrier, thus avoiding complications. So, it's highly possible she didn't even know then that Long Bai's soul was attached to that barrier... thereby leaving this loophole."

Even if this was a loophole, it wasn't one that would draw much attention... Yun Che had only been briefly puzzled then, and Qianye Ying'er hadn't paid it any mind.

Shui Meiyin's eyebrows furrowed, her face a mix of confusion and concern. "Long Bai's soul-bound barrier is certainly powerful. But the Cosmic Spire isn't the only thing in the world that can pass through without a trace. For example... the Heaven Suppressing Cauldron of the Brahma Monarch God Realm might be able to do it. Or... any star realm with a certain heritage will have its hidden secrets. Especially powerful spatial profound artifacts, which can be life-saving in times of crisis, are always deeply concealed."

"For a King Realm like the Moon God Realm, it's not surprising for it to hide incredibly strange and powerful things. And Xia Qingyue, as the Moon God Emperor, not only knew everything but could also use them at will."

"This is hardly something worth being concerned about. Why would Big Brother Yun Che say such strange things because of this?"

What Shui Meiyin said was no different from what Qianye Ying'er had said back then.

"There's something else." Without responding to Shui Meiyin's rhetorical question, he continued, "When you told me the truth back then, you said that only your Immaculate Divine Soul could forcibly activate the Cosmic Spire's spatial divine power, thus achieving the transfer of stars and moon. You also said this was why the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor gave you the Cosmic Spire."

"Mhm." Shui Meiyin nodded softly.

"However, an ancient text in the Dragon God Realm, in its record of the Cosmic Spire, clearly states that if the wielder of the Cosmic Spire possesses power derived from the Grandmist, they can forcibly activate its spatial divine power, not just those with an Immaculate Divine Soul."

That ancient text was a relic left by the ancient Dragon God race; every word was beyond doubt.

"Aside from the deceased Yue Wugou, the only other person at that time who possessed 'power derived from the Grandmist' was you, with your Immaculate Divine Soul, and Xia Qingyue, with her Glazed Heart."

"..." Shui Meiyin gently shook her head, a deeper confusion appearing on her face. "I'm willing to believe that ancient record is true and accurate. But so what? The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor, seeing that I possessed an Immaculate Divine Soul, simply told me that an Immaculate Divine Soul could forcibly activate the Cosmic Spire's spatial divine power when necessary, without bothering to mention other possibilities. This is hardly strange either."

As she spoke, she suddenly turned and stood directly in front of Yun Che, grasping his hands in hers, her dark eyes looking straight into his. She said with utmost seriousness, "Big Brother Yun Che, you're really strange today. What happened? If it's just these things, you wouldn't be saying such odd words."

"What exactly happened? Please tell me?"

Yun Che raised his arm and took out the Eternal Shadow Stone.

He projected the scene he had frozen.

"What is this?"

Shui Meiyin seriously looked at the image before her. The crimson light was undoubtedly the divine glow released when the Cosmic Spire activated its spatial divine power.

And that hint of purple light on the outer edge, seemingly attached to it...

"...!!" Shui Meiyin's pupils constricted as if pricked by a needle, then instantly returned to normal.

"Seven years ago, when the Blue Pole Star was relocated, Wuxin happened to use this Eternal Shadow Stone to record the strange phenomenon that occurred on the Blue Pole Star at that time."

Yun Che spoke slowly: "The red light is the spatial divine radiance of the Cosmic Spire. And the purple... that's her Purple Pylon divine radiance."

His calm voice carried a slight, heavy breath as he finished. "The Blue Pole Star was moved by you activating the Cosmic Spire's spatial divine power. So why did her power appear at that time... Meiyin, I want to hear your explanation."

Shui Meiyin looked at him with slightly parted lips, her face still showing only surprise and confusion, but no panic.

Their gazes met in silence. Suddenly, Shui Meiyin covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled.

Yun Che: "..."

"Big Brother Yun Che, you can't be serious, right?" She chuckled softly, watching Yun Che's expression as if searching for traces of him feigning seriousness or any flaws.

"Hey," Yun Che's expression hadn't changed for a while. Shui Meiyin waved her small hand in front of his eyes, her moon-like eyebrows arching even more, seemingly finding it increasingly amusing.

Yun Che, however, reached out and gripped her wrist, repeating his earlier words: "I want to hear your explanation."

"It's simple," Shui Meiyin's captured hand playfully scratched the back of Yun Che's hand. "Have you forgotten? I was imprisoned in the Moon Prison by the Moon God Emperor for a long time. I only secretly escaped using the Cosmic Spire when you began your invasion of the Eastern Divine Region."

"However, although I escaped the Moon Prison with spatial divine power, the seals the Moon God Emperor placed on me couldn't be shaken off. And the power seals personally applied by the Moon God Emperor are, of course, Purple Pylon divine power."

Yun Che: "..."

"The Moon God Emperor's power was too immense; even after escaping, I couldn't get rid of it despite using all my strength. Then the upheaval occurred, and I urgently went to relocate the Blue Pole Star. As I forcibly activated the Cosmic Spire's spatial divine power with my Immaculate Divine Soul, the surging spatial divine power unexpectedly expelled the Purple Pylon seal on my body."

"This purple light must have been generated when the Purple Pylon seal on my body was expelled."

"At that time, I was concentrating all my spiritual energy on relocating the Blue Pole Star. I vaguely felt the Purple Pylon seal disappear, but I didn't notice the accompanying Purple Pylon profound light. I never thought Wuxin would record it, and that it would lead Big Brother Yun Che to such strange speculations."

Shui Meiyin's explanation unfolded smoothly, her voice still as ethereal and pure.

However, this explanation did not entirely convince Yun Che or put him at ease.

He took out the four Illusionary Heart Glazed Jades.

"These are the four Illusionary Heart Glazed Jades from you." Yun Che looked at her. "They were recorded by you, so your figure isn't present. But why is Xia Qingyue absent from all the scenes?"

"Could there be... such a coincidence?"

"Of course it's not a coincidence." Without a hint of hesitation, Shui Meiyin replied directly, "After Big Brother Yun Che went to the Northern Divine Region, I knew these four Illusionary Heart Glazed Jades weren't recorded in vain. In the future, at the right time, they could be projected to the God Realm to reveal all the truth to the world."

"However, apart from the scene involving the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor, the other three scenes were recorded for a very long time, which would make them inconvenient for wide-ranging projection."

"So, during the time I was imprisoned in the Moon Prison by the Moon God Emperor, I erased many unnecessary scenes, leaving only the most essential visuals and sounds."

"As for the Moon God Emperor," Shui Meiyin's face showed a hint of anger here. "Not only did she almost kill Big Brother Yun Che and personally destroy his homeland, but she also severely injured my father, and I was imprisoned by her in the deepest dungeon of the Moon God Realm... She is the most hateful, most vicious woman I have ever met in my life. At that time, I truly hated her to the extreme."

"Therefore, when I was organizing the profound images stored in the Illusionary Heart Glazed Jades, I would hatefully erase every scene where she appeared, not leaving a single moment of her presence, humph!"

"..." Yun Che still looked directly into her eyes, and after a while, he softly uttered, "Is that so..."

"Of course." Shui Meiyin nodded, her dark eyes gently trembling at that moment, her soft voice carrying a hint of grievance. "Big Brother Yun Che, don't you believe me?"

"It's not that I don't believe you. It's just..." Yun Che's gaze was somewhat unfocused, and his hand unconsciously rested on his chest. After a long pause, he couldn't articulate his chaotic feelings, only shaking his head: "I don't know... I don't know..."

He wanted to believe that all of this was merely his imagination, and Shui Meiyin had given him sufficient answers... Yet, for some reason, he just couldn't fully convince himself.

He couldn't even tell if he was afraid of all this being true, or afraid of all this being false.

As Yun Che moved, Shui Meiyin's small hand was also brought to his chest, his terrifyingly rapid heartbeat transferring through her palm to her heart.

"Big Brother Yun Che..." Shui Meiyin placed her other hand on his chest and said softly, "You and the Moon God Emperor were once husband and wife. She appeared during your lowest point in life, experienced hardships and life-or-death situations with you, and saved you again and again..."

"I can imagine how deeply you loved and trusted her back then. And precisely because of that, her betrayal and harm would be so painful and unacceptable to you."

"I also know, and in fact, many people know, that you never want anyone to mention her in front of you. This is because, even now, you haven't fully come to terms with her betrayal and the pain she caused you. You'd rather believe that everything was fake."

"Therefore, when such a possibility inadvertently emerges, you involuntarily yearn to believe it and desperately try to amplify it... even if your rationality constantly tells you it's impossible."

Shui Meiyin's gentle words, however, struck Yun Che's heartstrings with every syllable. He bit his lip slightly. "I..."

"It's alright," Shui Meiyin revealed a gentle smile. "The Big Brother Yun Che I like is someone who cherishes emotions deeply. Even after such hurt, you're willing to preserve a beautiful illusion for someone you once loved."

"So, there's no need to force yourself. I'll be with you, slowly releasing this fleeting illusion, and then re-hiding it, okay?"

Yun Che's heartbeat gradually calmed down. Shui Meiyin's voice, soft as a gentle breeze, landed smoothly and clearly with every word in his heart.

"Are you telling me the truth..." he whispered, unsure if he was asking Shui Meiyin or himself.

"Mhm!" Shui Meiyin nodded firmly. "If Big Brother Yun Che is still troubled, how about I make a vow for you to hear?"

She tilted her head up, a smile playing on her lips, her shimmering eyes like the most poignant stars in the night sky. "If I have deceived Big Brother Yun Che, then let me... forever..."

"Alright, alright." Yun Che suddenly spoke, firmly interrupting Shui Meiyin's impending vow. "Making vows is something only childish kids do; you're too old to be playing these games."

"..." The gentle shimmer in her starry eyes froze for a moment, then reflected an even brighter starlight. Shui Meiyin lightly stuck out her tongue, saying discontentedly, "I'm not old at all. Anyway, you'll be my Big Brother Yun Che forever."

"Okay, my Meiyin will always be fifteen." Yun Che finally smiled.

Fifteen was the age Shui Meiyin was when she first met him.

"Hehe!" Shui Meiyin evidently liked Yun Che's words very much, and she smiled even more joyfully. "Then... if not a vow, I'll use another way to make you believe."

"Actually, Big Brother Yun Che, if you just think about one thing, you'll let go of these strange thoughts."

Maintaining eye contact, Shui Meiyin spoke in a very slow voice: "If the Cosmic Spire's owner at that time was the Moon God Emperor, if she was the one who relocated the Blue Pole Star, if the Illusionary Heart Glazed Jades were recorded by her, if her betrayal was fake, her mercilessness fake, her two attempts to kill Big Brother Yun Che were also fake, and if the destruction of the Blue Pole Star was because she knew it wasn't the real Blue Pole Star..."

"Not telling Big Brother Yun Che everything at that time could be explained as a way to let you grow without burdens..."

"Then, when Big Brother Yun Che returned with immense power, why didn't she confess everything to you?"

"As long as she produced the Cosmic Spire, a few simple words would have been enough to make Big Brother Yun Che understand everything... Afterwards, she could have also become Big Brother Yun Che's aid, making it easier for you to conquer the Eastern Divine Region. The Moon God Realm would have been completely preserved, and she herself wouldn't have died in the Abyss of Nothingness."

"If that were truly the case..." Shui Meiyin's voice suddenly and unconsciously became soft and slow. "What a wonderful ending that would have been."

"..." Yun Che remained silent for a long time.

Even if there were ten or a hundred times more loopholes and inconsistencies, what Shui Meiyin had just said was enough to utterly refute them all.

Yes... if everything truly was Xia Qingyue's doing, she only needed to tell him upon his return. There was no reason whatsoever to shift all the blame onto Shui Meiyin, and then die bearing his hatred...

There was no reason!

Not even the most absurd reason one could imagine could explain it.