Chapter 2090: Senluo Jiuzhi

In the spacious hall, Yun Che and Dian Jiuzhi sat facing each other.

As rumored, Senluo God Son Dian Jiuzhi was elegantly handsome, completely lacking the oppressive presence expected of a First God Son, let alone the fiery, overbearing aura of his own father. Yet, looking closely into his eyes, Yun Che still caught a glimpse of a deeply hidden sharpness. Yun Che absolutely did not believe that a First God Son who had risen from being trampled upon would be, at his core, a gentle and forgiving gentleman, free of past resentments, as his appearance suggested.

"Brother Jianyuan, my visit this time is quite presumptuous. I hope you don't take offense." Despite being the First God Son, Dian Jiuzhi's demeanor was remarkably humble and polite. At this moment, any other Weaving Dream Imperial Son would likely be filled with a thousand surprises and ten thousand fears.

Yun Che smiled and said, "God Son Jiuzhi, there's no need for such words. Your great name was already like thunder to my ears in my youth, but I never dared to dream of befriending you. Now that you, God Son Jiuzhi, have condescended to visit, I feel nothing but endless honor. How could I take offense? Besides, I haven't fully embraced the identity of Meng Jianyuan yet; you can simply call me Yun Che, God Son Jiuzhi."

Dian Jiuzhi nodded directly. "Very well, Brother Yun. The title 'God Son' is merely an empty name for the world to see. I am fifty Jiazi cycles older than you. If you don't mind, Brother Yun, you can simply call me Brother Dian in private."

Yun Che also smiled and nodded. "Then, Brother Dian, what brings you here? Do you have something to teach me?"

Dian Jiuzhi paused slightly, then burst out laughing. "Hahahaha! Whenever I've said something like that in the past, the other person either took it as a formality or became even more anxious, and would still address me as God Son. Brother Yun is truly a wonderful person. It seems that this special visit to befriend you was the most correct choice."

Yun Che's expression remained unchanged, his faint smile as before. "Three parts for friendship, seven parts for probing. I imagine Brother Dian finds it truly hard to come to terms with the fact that Sword Immortal senior is willing to be my aunt..."

Dian Jiuzhi's smile suddenly froze. He stared directly into Yun Che's calm, unwavering, and utterly sincere eyes, then chuckled again, sighing softly. "We've only just met today, yet you can see through my thoughts so completely and express them so directly... Only now do I realize that there is such a remarkable person as you in this world."

"You flatter me, Brother Dian." Yun Che slightly lowered his gaze, looking at the teacup beside him, completely unmoved by Dian Jiuzhi's words, which seemed a mix of surprise and praise. "Brother Dian, the name of the First God Son resonates throughout the world. But even more renowned than that title is your unwavering devotion to the Heaven-Folding Goddess Hua Caili for thousands of years. Sword Immortal senior is the Heaven-Folding Goddess's aunt, as well as her sword master and protector. Besides that, she never shows any special favor to anyone, yet she allowed me to call her aunt and publicly declared her protection over me."

He raised his gaze again, looking at Dian Jiuzhi. "Therefore, it's not that my mind is keen; rather, it's because it concerns someone you are deeply fond of, Brother Dian, that you inevitably react this way."

Dian Jiuzhi shook his head, not in denial of Yun Che's words, but seemingly in self-mockery. "Brother Yun, your straightforward honesty makes me, who is fifty Jiazi cycles older, quite ashamed. Very well, then I shall speak frankly. I am indeed troubled by the Sword Immortal senior's special regard for you, and I hope Brother Yun can clarify this for me."

He had always known that Hua Qingying, whether openly or secretly, protected Hua Caili. Whenever Hua Caili left the Pure Land, he would inevitably drop everything to visit her, naturally leading to more interactions with Hua Qingying. However, even though he was Hua Caili's betrothed, Hua Qingying never gave him more than a cursory glance. Their only interactions were typically him courteously performing junior salutes, to which Hua Qingying would respond with a faint nod... nothing more. He had long grown accustomed to this, as even his own father—the strongest Divine Master of the Six God Nations, Dian Luohou—was never truly acknowledged by Hua Qingying. Yet today, she was so remarkably special to Yun Che... so special that he found it hard to believe for a long time. The only reason he could think of for Hua Qingying, whose temperament was so indifferent as to be almost devoid of desire, to act this way was Hua Caili.

"Brother Dian, have you ever heard of the 'Mist Emperor'?" Yun Che suddenly asked.

"I've heard of him." Dian Jiuzhi's eyebrows twitched slightly. "Given the Pure Land's authority, for someone to dare to use 'Emperor' in their name, no matter who they are or what their hidden agenda, once exposed, it would only lead to death."

Yun Che held his teacup, smiling but saying nothing.

"Brother Yun mentioning this person, could it be..."

To his satisfaction, Yun Che slowly took a sniff of the tea's aroma, then unhurriedly said, "Since Brother Dian knows of the Mist Emperor, you should also be aware of the Ancestral Kylin God who appeared with him, as well as... the purple sword mark above the Mist Sea."

Dian Jiuzhi pondered for a moment, then a realization dawned on him. "That purple mark, was it indeed left by Sword Immortal senior?"

"Precisely." Yun Che nodded slightly. "Regarding that day's events, Brother Dian probably only heard rumors, which would contain many inaccuracies and biases. I, however, happened to be in the vicinity."

He recounted slowly, "At that time, the place where the Mist Emperor and the Ancestral Kylin God appeared happened to be near the Heaven-Folding Goddess's training ground. The sudden appearance of the Ancestral Kylin God caused the Heaven-Folding Goddess to suffer severe injuries, bringing her to the brink of death."

"What!!" Dian Jiuzhi suddenly stood up, his face drastically changing. The abruptly turbulent air currents shattered both of their teacups.

Yun Che raised a finger, and the shards and water stains instantly glided away from his touch, not clinging to him in the slightest. He continued calmly, "Auntie... oh, Sword Immortal senior had to quickly draw the Ancestral Kylin God away, unable to attend to both ends. At that time, pity arose in my heart, and gritting my teeth, I rushed into the perilous situation where Auntie and the Ancestral Kylin God were entangled, rescued the Heaven-Folding Goddess, and thankfully escaped."

Yun Che slightly raised his gaze, looking at the Senluo God Son, whose face still showed lingering fear. "It was because of this that Sword Immortal senior allowed me to call her aunt and promised me her protection."

Upon hearing that Hua Caili had been severely injured to the point of near death, his reaction was truly astonishing.

It was a long while before Dian Jiuzhi finally murmured, "So it was... like that..."

"Exactly so," Yun Che stated.

Dian Jiuzhi let out a long breath. Although it was already a past event, he seemed as if he had still received a massive fright. His breathing gradually returned to normal. When he looked at Yun Che again, he faced a pair of utterly open and sincere eyes, as if all falsehoods, cunning, filth, and slander... had no place to hide before those overly clear eyes. His gaze changed, losing some of its scrutiny and examination, but gaining a great deal of gratitude. He suddenly took a step back, then bowed deeply and solemnly to Yun Che.

Yun Che seemed startled. Only after Dian Jiuzhi completed his bow did he rise, somewhat flustered, and say, "Brother Dian, you... you are truly too polite to me."

Dian Jiuzhi said earnestly, "With Sword Immortal senior secretly accompanying Caili on this training journey, I originally thought she would be completely safe. I never imagined Caili would encounter such a deadly tribulation."

"The power frontier between Sword Immortal senior and the Ancestral Kylin God is unimaginably terrifying; every step there is a path to death. If not for Brother Yun risking his life to rescue her, I... I can't even imagine..." As he spoke, his voice clearly trembled slightly with lingering fear.

At this moment, he fully understood why Hua Qingying was so special to Yun Che. To Hua Qingying, Hua Caili was more important than her own life. Since Yun Che had saved Hua Caili's life, no matter how Hua Qingying repaid him, it would not be an exaggeration.

"Brother Yun saved Caili's life, which is tantamount to saving my own life, Dian Jiuzhi's." He stepped forward, reaching out to heavily pat Yun Che's shoulder. "Brother Yun, I will never forget this life-saving kindness. I will certainly repay you a hundredfold in the future!"

Yun Che quickly said, "Brother Dian, there's no need for that. I was also fleeing for my life that day, and rescuing the Heaven-Folding Goddess was merely a fortunate coincidence. Moreover, I gained Auntie's protection because of it, and returned to Weaving Dream thanks to the Heaven-Folding God Nation's recommendation. I have already received an immense reward."

Dian Jiuzhi shook his head, stating with extreme sincerity, "Brother Yun, you truly cannot understand how important Caili is to me. You saved not only Caili's life... but also my own life."

Yun Che: "Erm..."

"Such great kindness, I'm at a loss for how to repay it right now." He thought for a moment, then solemnly said, "In the future, if there's ever anything you need from Dian Jiuzhi, Brother Yun, please don't hesitate to ask."

Yun Che seemed to hesitate for a moment, then smiled freely. "Brother Dian is indeed a person of deep feeling and genuine character. Very well, with such generosity from Brother Dian, it would be rude of me to refuse. In the future, if I encounter any difficulties, I certainly won't hesitate to trouble you."

"Hahahaha!" Dian Jiuzhi laughed heartily. "Excellent! My name is Jiuzhi, and one of its meanings is 'to know gratitude.' If I cannot repay such great kindness, I fear I would lose sleep and appetite."

The two men sat down again, and the atmosphere was no longer distant.

"May I ask, Brother Dian, what does 'Jiuzhi' signify?" Yun Che casually inquired.

Dian Jiuzhi smiled. "This is the name my father-god bestowed upon me when I was appointed the Senluo God Son. The 'Jiuzhi' in my name means 'to know oneself, to know others, to know all living beings; to know gratitude, to know shame, to know good and evil; to know when to advance, to know when to retreat, and to know one's destiny.'"

Yun Che chuckled, offering no comment, merely saying, "I see."

Dian Jiuzhi's eyes showed curiosity. "Whenever I've explained the meaning of 'Jiuzhi' in the past, the other person invariably praised the profound meaning of the name bestowed by my father-god, saying it should be upheld for a lifetime. Brother Yun is the first to react this way."

Yun Che thought for a moment, then said, "Brother Dian is a refined yet straightforward person, so I will speak plainly about what I feel."

Dian Jiuzhi smiled. "I'm all ears."

Yun Che lightly tapped his finger on the tea table, then asked in return, "Brother Dian, do you feel you truly understand yourself?"

Dian Jiuzhi pondered for a moment but did not answer immediately.

Yun Che looked ahead, speaking in the calmest tone. "How many people spend their entire lives, pouring everything they have, only to finally obtain what they desired, yet feel no joy or satisfaction, but rather a sense of loss and emptiness? Suddenly looking back, they see their life's path covered in scars, with no one left to walk through those scars with them... They obtained what they thought they wanted, but what they lost and missed along the way became an eternal void in their soul."

"So, does a person truly know what they genuinely want? Brother Dian," Yun Che slightly turned his head, "are you sure you understand what you truly desire in this life? Are you sure that the efforts you've made for it are correct and without regret?"

Without waiting for his answer, Yun Che continued to speak to himself. "If knowing oneself is already so difficult, knowing others is even harder... One could even say that in this world, perhaps no one has ever been able to truly and completely understand another person."

"A similar question... Brother Dian, are you sure that what you painstakingly devised and wholeheartedly gave to someone is truly what she desired? Are you sure her thoughts are exactly as you perceive them?"

"..." Dian Jiuzhi seemed slightly moved.

Without looking at Dian Jiuzhi's reaction, Yun Che directly summarized, "Knowing oneself is merely self-deception; knowing others is simply being presumptuous. Knowing gratitude can easily lead to being exploited; knowing shame can easily lead to being trapped by it. Knowing when to advance often leads to regretting not having retreated safely; knowing when to retreat often leads to regretting not having fought harder."

"As for knowing all living beings, knowing good and evil, and knowing one's destiny..."

"If knowing oneself is already difficult, how can one speak of knowing all living beings?"

"What is good? What is evil? For a profound practitioner entering the Mist Sea, the Abyssal Beasts are life-threatening evils that must be killed. But to the Abyssal Beasts, the profound practitioners are the evil invaders of their territory. Given this, how can one speak of knowing good and evil?"

"Knowing one's destiny?" Yun Che shook his head and chuckled. "What is destiny? Should a man know 'destiny cannot be defied,' or should he say, 'my fate is mine to control, not heaven's'? If destiny can be known, why strive in this life? If destiny cannot be known, then isn't 'knowing one's destiny' merely a fallacy?"

In just a few words, the name bestowed by Divine Master Jue Luo became worthless in Yun Che's mouth. "Therefore, Brother Dian's name sounds profoundly meaningful, but in my view... it is merely vague."

After delivering his assessment, he did not forget to humbly add, "These are just my personal immediate impressions; I imagine it's due to my shallow experience, unable to grasp Divine Master Jue Luo's profound meaning. Brother Dian, please consider them nothing more than rambling nonsense."

Dian Jiuzhi's gaze, however, was fixed, as if in thought. When he regained his composure, he suddenly asked, "Brother Yun, you consistently insist on using the name 'Yun Che.' Does this name carry any particular aspiration or meaning?"

Yun Che replied, "Yes, and no."

Dian Jiuzhi: "?"

Yun Che's face showed a nostalgic expression. "My name was given by my master. The two characters 'Yun Che' signify his hope for me to be as carefree as the clouds and as clear as water in my heart. He didn't expect me to journey far, achieve great accomplishments, or leave behind any fame. His only wish was for me to live a life of peace and joy, free from disaster and misfortune."

This undoubtedly formed a stark contrast to Dian Jiuzhi's "Jiuzhi," which was full of expectations, admonitions, and warnings.

Yun Che continued, "Therefore, for me, whether it's regarding others or myself, gratitude or shame... I just follow my heart. If one attaches too much importance and obsession to these things, it only binds the heart and soul."

Suddenly, Lisha's voice echoed in Yun Che's soul sea. "Your insights are remarkably moving. Are these things you've comprehended in your half-life?"

Yun Che secretly twitched the corner of his mouth and said, "Just a bunch of nonsense I used to disturb his mind and soul. You actually took it to heart? Forget it quickly."

Lisha: "..."

Dian Jiuzhi fell silent for a while longer, then suddenly let out a soft sigh. "Ever since I became a God Son, no matter what I encountered, I always carefully remembered and strictly adhered to the 'Jiuzhi' admonitions, never overstepping. Hearing Brother Yun's words today... I've actually felt a bit lost."

"Hahahaha!" Yun Che suddenly burst out laughing. "I told you it was just rambling nonsense; it should only make Brother Dian laugh, not disturb his heart."

Dian Jiuzhi did not follow his words but said earnestly, "It is truly a great fortune in this life to befriend a person like Brother Yun. Not having befriended you sooner is a true pity."

He stood up. "Brother Yun, I have some urgent matters to attend to, so I won't stay long. Although our conversation today was brief, I feel as if we've met too late, yet it has been incredibly insightful and profoundly enjoyable."

Yun Che said, "The feeling is mutual."

Dian Jiuzhi sincerely invited him, "After today, Brother Yun's name is sure to resound throughout the Abyss. If you ever have leisure, you must visit my Senluo God Nation as a guest; I will personally accompany you throughout your stay."

"Haha, I certainly will."

"In that case, farewell!"

Dian Jiuzhi nodded heavily to Yun Che. Just as he was about to turn, he suddenly asked, "Brother Yun, there's something I'd like to hear your opinion on."

"Please speak, Brother Dian."

"Brother Yun, do you... have someone in your heart?"

Yun Che answered without hesitation, "Of course."

"Then," Dian Jiuzhi's gaze shifted slightly, "if it were you, Brother Yun, what method would you use to win more affection and favor from the other person?"

Yun Che smiled and replied, "Where the Wutong tree stands tall, phoenixes will surely come; where flowers are fragrant, butterflies will naturally appear. True affection is not begged for, but attracted. What can truly be begged for is never genuine affection, but compromise and pity."

Dian Jiuzhi's body swayed slightly.

He smiled. "Thank you for your insights, Brother Yun. Farewell."

"Zhanyi, escort God Son Dian out."

Yun Che watched Dian Jiuzhi walk out of the God Son Hall, his expression quite nuanced.

He murmured, "I remember back then, when I first arrived in the Eastern Divine Region, Qianying was the First Divine Daughter, her mind filled with schemes and calculations, and her methods were endless and all sinister, far more terrifying than any devil I knew at the time. Especially that Brahma Soul Death-Wishing Mark—every time I recall it, I wish I could inflict severe punishment upon her ten or even eight times over!"

"And yet, this First God Son of the Six God Nations has his mind full of these kinds of things."

Lisha: "Isn't this exactly what you want?"

Yun Che rested his chin on his hand, pondering for a long time, then murmured to himself, "The oppressive feeling from his profound energy aura is incredibly strong... First God Son, his reputation in this regard is indeed not hollow. With such cultivation and status, plus his mind being entirely focused on Caili... if used properly, he could be an extremely useful tool."

Lisha: "..."