Love & Redemption
Chapter 255: Final Volume: I Am Liuli - 14: Descent of the Gods (Part 1)

Chapter 255: Final Volume: I Am Liuli Chapter 14: Descent of the Gods (Part 1)

It was a long, long time before he opened his eyes, the color of sorrow washed away in an instant.

The fire gradually died down, and he carefully collected Zi Hu’s ashes, tore off a piece of his sleeve, wrapped them up finely, and tucked them into his chest, saying, "Let’s go, it’s time to find the old Heavenly Emperor. Everything that needs to be said and done, let’s get it over with!"

Xuanji’s face still bore traces of tears as she silently nodded. Seeing her distressed expression, Liu Yihuan hurriedly spoke up, "Hold on, there’s something I need to make clear beforehand."

Seeing him serious for once, everyone turned their attention to him, curious about the important opinion he might express.

Liu Yihuan said solemnly, "We are all saddened by Zi Hu’s plight. But I hope you all understand that every wrong has its perpetrator and every debt its debtor. The one who harmed Zi Hu has already suffered. Meeting the Heavenly Emperor is not for fun. No matter how outraged you are, keep it to yourselves. Xuanji, Si Feng is still missing. For his sake, you need to stay calm too."

Xuanji was stunned for a while, but finally, she nodded. Liu Yihuan breathed a sigh of relief, when unexpectedly, Wuzhiqi chuckled, "If no one offends me, I won’t offend them. The affair of the Divine Witch has nothing to do with the old Heavenly Emperor, but if those immortals dare to step on my head, they shouldn’t blame me for being discourteous! Heh heh, nothing is a big deal unless you’re dead!"

The phrase "nothing is a big deal unless you’re dead" echoed loudly in Xuanji’s heart, and suddenly, she felt a sense of relief.

That’s right, endurance is not the same as weakness. She couldn’t always tolerate others’ bullying, and when necessary, she would not shy away from using force to solve problems. The greatest punishment was nothing but death, and who among them feared death?

Liu Yihuan sighed, "You stubborn monkey, always have to be so contrary. But what you said is also true, nothing is a big deal unless you’re dead. If we all have to die here for the sake of justice, so be it. At least in hell, we’ll have each other’s company for a commotion."

Wuzhiqi didn’t speak; he looked up towards the distant Kunlun Mountain, where the palaces of gods were hidden behind clouds and mist, their fates enshrouded just the same, with no hint of what was to come. Life or death would be decided this day.

Everyone turned to leave when Wuzhiqi saw Liu Yihuan still standing there unmoving and couldn’t help wondering, "What’s wrong with you? Are you hurt?"

Liu Yihuan’s face reddened as he stammered, "I... I’m not going. I’m waiting for someone."

"Waiting for someone? Who else is coming?" Wuzhiqi was puzzled.

Tengshe sneered, "Never mind him! This guy is hopelessly lust-stricken. He’s waiting for his sweetheart!"

"His sweetheart?" Now Wuzhiqi was even more confused.

Liu Yihuan hastily interjected, "Aiyayaya, never mind the details. Just go on without me. I’ll stay here. Whether I live or die, that’s up to fate."

Wuzhiqi still didn’t quite understand when Tengshe snorted, "Just wait! When the Azure Dragon comes and guts you, you’ll be wishing for death!"

Liu Yihuan stiffened his neck, not taking in a word, dusted off a spot on the ground with his sleeve, and sat down with solemn dignity. This time, Wuzhiqi finally caught on and whispered to Tengshe, "He couldn’t have fallen for that dirty woman, the Azure Dragon, could he?" Tengshe hummed affirmatively and scoffed, "That’s what they call ’birds of a feather flock together’!"

Wuzhiqi looked at Liu Yihuan in shock and sympathy, before shaking his head and sighing, "The world’s gone downhill, people’s hearts aren’t what they used to be. To think that even that kind of woman could be attractive to someone." Recalling the "awakening medicine" he carried—scales from the Azure Dragon—the mere thought of its smell made him shiver. Indeed, the world is full of wonders; someone actually liked the Azure Dragon.

"Let’s move on!" Tengshe, not wanting to waste more words, brushed them off and walked away. Still worried, Xuanji looked back and said, "Brother Liu, be careful staying here all by yourself. If anything unusual happens, send up a signal, and I’ll rush over to save you immediately."

Liu Yihuan was straightening his clothing, nodding incessantly, obviously paying no attention.

Xuanji sighed and was about to join the others when suddenly, from the distant Kunlun Mountain peak, came the resonant sound of bronze bells, reverberating, leaving a numb sensation in everyone’s chests. For a moment, the whole sky lit up, a soft glow descending from above, making everything look blurred.

All heads turned up in unison to see numerous colorful auspicious lights falling from the heavens, the sound of celestial music in the air. The towering Kunlun Mountain seemed to grow an additional segment—a ladder of auspicious light leading straight to Heaven. Without anyone needing to explain, everyone knew this was the heavenly light shining upon them, the Heavenly Ladder appearing.

The Heavenly Emperor had descended to Kunlun Mountain.

At that moment, everyone’s feelings were extremely complicated. With the Heavenly Emperor’s descent to the mortal world, all nine gates of Kunlun Mountain were shut tight, no longer allowing the little tricks to gain entry as before. The chance to see the Heavenly Emperor grew even dimmer, unless they could forge a bloody path through the gods themselves—a prospect they dearly wished to avoid.

Wuzhiqi stared, somewhat dazed, murmuring, "What a grand spectacle... with the Heavenly Emperor’s descent, who knows how many immortals are at his side..."

Tengshe frowned and said, "So what? You’re not seriously thinking of fighting your way through, are you? It doesn’t matter how many immortals he has with him!"

"Well..." Wuzhiqi smacked his lips, "At least be mentally prepared... Some of them were once defeated by me, and if they’re sore about a sudden encounter, a fight is inevitable."

Tengshe bellowed, "You might as well fight me! Hey, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time!"

Wuzhiqi laughed, "You’re not some delicate beauty, why should I wait for you? Am I supposed to treat you with tenderness?"

"Fart!" Tengshe was instantly annoyed and wanted to argue properly with him, but Wuzhiqi had already walked far ahead, saying, "Let’s go! Is it a blessing or a curse, won’t we know once we go up there? Standing here and watching only makes us more anxious! And you, if you want to fight, you’ve never been able to pick a good time. It seems you and I are not fated to clash."

Tengshe hurriedly chased after him, saying urgently, "If we don’t fight now, there’ll never be another chance! I think the likelihood of you all going up there to meet your deaths is one hundred percent. Considering I’ve been waiting a thousand years for this fight, let’s settle it quick!"

Wuzhiqi, raising his eyebrows with a smile, said, "Pity that you’ve waited for me for a thousand years, I appreciate your infatuation. But, between men, nothing can ever come of it."

"Fart!" Tengshe was hot-headed and nearly jumped with frustration at his teasing. The two of them, one walking the other chasing, soon vanished into the distance.

****

This was a long and gloomy corridor, the walls lined with countless torches. Yet the brightness of the torches couldn’t pierce the oppressive, murky darkness.

It was quiet, so very quiet, as if one could hear their own heartbeat.

Yu Sifeng opened his eyes to such a scene. He had no idea how he ended up here. When the beam of light shone down from above, he vaguely remembered someone saying something. However, it was indistinct. In the blink of an eye, he was standing in this place.

To be honest, this place did not look like anywhere good; it resembled a dungeon. He wasn’t sure if he was imprisoned since there were no chains on him, nor any iron doors locking him in.

Yu Sifeng took a step forward, his footsteps echoing through the corridor, sounding unnerving to the ear.

On the other side of the wall were countless iron doors, behind which was pitch darkness, impossible to discern if anyone was there. If it were the loudly complaining types like Zi Hu or Tengshe, they might have already started yelling, but it was Yu Sifeng who had arrived.

He didn’t shout but instead carefully observed behind every iron door, ensuring there was no one behind them.

After a few more steps, the torches on the wall suddenly "sizzled" and flickered twice, and a soft, sinister voice came from ahead, "Come here, come here. Let me have a look at you."

Yu Sifeng was slightly taken aback, the voice sounded very familiar but he couldn’t recall who it was right away. He walked up to an iron door, and while it was still pitch-black inside and he could see nothing, a pallid face suddenly emerged from the darkness. He was startled and stepped back involuntarily, but that face made him remember someone in a flash of inspiration.

"Vice Palace Master?!" He exclaimed.

The face behind the iron door was filled with resentment and hate, eyes blazing, it was none other than the Vice Palace Master, Yuan Lang. Seeing Yu Sifeng, he showed no surprise, only a cold, sneering laugh, "Great! Great! All those from Lize Palace have been locked up here!"

Yu Sifeng replied lightly, "No... it’s just me. Where is this place?"

Yuan Lang looked at him with venom, still smiling, "Here? Of course, it’s the Netherworld’s prison! So it’s only you! ...Excellent! It was you who personally went to the Netherworld to release Wuzhiqi! And that Liu Yihuan! Hahaha! Heaven sure holds grudges over the smallest issues, never overlooking anything!"

Yu Sifeng said nothing, while Yuan Lang laughed for a while, finally sensing something was amiss. He suddenly lunged forward, the chains clattering behind him, and thumped against the iron door with a bang, as if trying to squeeze through the tiny gaps.

"You! Why aren’t you locked up?! Everyone committed crimes, why is it that only you... you all... are fine, why am I the only one locked up?! You and Wuzhiqi are the real criminals!" he bellowed until his voice was hoarse.

Yu Sifeng watched his distorted face silently, letting him vent, before speaking indifferently, "Yes, indeed, everyone under the sky is guilty, everyone but you, Yuan Lang. You’re transparent and honorable, even more upright than the Heavenly Emperor, everyone is out to get you—if I say it like this, are you satisfied?"

He didn’t want to talk anymore and turned to leave. Yuan Lang had been locked up for so long, with neither food nor conversation, nearly driven mad. It was not easy for an acquaintance to come, and he was not willing to let him go so easily, so he started shouting, "Don’t go! Don’t leave! Stay! Tell me, what happened to Wuzhiqi! Was he captured and dismembered by the people of Heaven?"

Yu Sifeng showed a faint smile and said softly, "No, he’s fine, living freely and unconstrained."

Another loud "bang" resounded; it was Yuan Lang furiously pounding the iron door, the chains on his hands clanging against it, emitting a resonant buzz.

A bestial roar that chilled to the core came from his throat.

Seeing him look so inhuman, Yu Sifeng suddenly felt a tinge of compassion and softened his voice, "You always fixate on the faults of others and never see your own. Living like that is naturally very hard."

Yuan Lang hissed, "I did nothing wrong! The ones at fault are everyone else! I’m innocent! You’re the ones who wronged me!"

Yu Sifeng sighed and said, "Meeting you like this, such a rare opportunity, do you really want to waste it on such nonsense?"

Yuan Lang’s voice abruptly stopped; he stood stunned for a long while, his head gradually drooping, remaining silent for a long time. (To be continued, if you wish to find out what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com. More Chapters are available, support the author, support genuine reading!)