Evil Emperor Zun

Chapter 2038 The Answer from Within

“I’m saying, now almost all five of us are settled down. Xiao Chengzi and I are a couple, Yu Yatou and Chi are a couple, and Zhijing and Yongye—” Jiang Xiaoli drawled, giving Feng Zhijing a look, “are also a couple. Feifei, you’re the only one left. Stop worrying about those things all day long, hurry up and find a good husband and enjoy your happiness!”

Holding the belief that "a family should be complete," Jiang Xiaoli was also particularly curious about what kind of man could win the heart of an outstanding girl like Felicia. She couldn't wait to see this lucky man!
Shigure Kamui was also a little curious. She took Felica's hand and whispered, "When will you make a decision, sister? Every time Kuroba-senpai comes to you, you don't refuse or respond. Why? Is it because you think Kuroba-senpai is good and are still considering it?"

Uesugi Filica took a sip of tea but did not answer directly: "For me, Tian Tan is not suitable for romance. This matter is not in a hurry. Ling Yi is just someone who can help me relax and not overthink things."

Feng Zhijing also spoke up: "Xiao Li, Mu Yongye and I are not in that kind of relationship. Not only him, but I will not consider anyone else in Tian Tan."

“Xiaoyu and Chiye’s situation is special. In reality, they are childhood sweethearts and know each other inside and out. Other people from different dimensions may never see each other again after returning to their original world. If they don’t consider whether there is a future and only seek short-term pleasure, it is irresponsible to each other.” Her tone was unhurried and calm, as if she were stating a fact.

“Felica probably thinks the same way I do. In reality, she is the crown prince, so there are only more factors to consider when choosing a consort. Besides, she has so many things to deal with right now, and it’s already quite difficult for her to manage everything she has on her hands every day. Let’s not add to her troubles.”

Jiang Xiaoli was stunned, but she was not convinced by this statement: "I think you two are overthinking things. Who said that love and these things can't coexist? I haven't neglected my cultivation! Especially you, Zhijing, your idea that once you're in a relationship, you have to keep going until marriage is too outdated! When it comes to relationships, if you like someone, try it out. If it's not right, break up! It's not like you're signing some kind of contract of servitude."

"Didn't you say it yourself? That guy treated you really well in the Sun Realm and the Factionless Realm. Why don't you try dating him first? Even if it doesn't work out when you go back, it won't stop you from being happy now! Isn't that enough?"

“Look at Yu, she’s usually even more timid than you, but when it comes to pursuing love, she’s braver than you.” Jiang Xiaoli said, pushing Shen Nei Shiyu forward again and patting her shoulder: “Come on, tell us how you and Chi Ye got together? Give Zhijing some advice.”

Shigure Kamui blushed. She wasn't the type to "show off her love" everywhere. As long as she and Ikeya were settled, that was enough. Only Ikeya loved to declare his ownership everywhere, wishing the whole world knew she was his.

"Sister Li, it's nothing... It's just that Chi also likes me, and has always protected and taken care of me. Later, I realized that I liked him too. After going through so much, I accepted it. He said he wanted to give me the title of wife, to give me a home... and so we..."

Although the wedding vows were exchanged in a dream, the overwhelmingly real dream gave Shigure Kamui the confidence to believe that it was Ikeya's true feeling. When they finally reunite, he will still give her the same vows.

The thought that she had given her life to him made Shigure Shinnai so shy that he lowered his head and his face turned bright red. He couldn't bring himself to say anything more, so he took out the marriage certificate that Felicia had written earlier and showed it to Zhijing.

"It's that simple!" Jiang Xiaoli was seeing the marriage certificate for the first time and became even more excited. "Your younger siblings are already flying high like rockets, so you two older brothers and sisters shouldn't be stuck in this limbo of ambiguity. The worst that can happen is breaking up! If you can't get along, you break up and find someone better. But how will you know what's ahead if you don't take that step? What if it's really good? If you're afraid of something bad that might not happen, you might miss out on something truly good. That would be such a loss!"

"Xiao Li," Uesugi Felicia called softly. Jiang Xiaoli turned to look at her. Felicia didn't say anything profound, just glanced at her. That look was gentle, telling her, "Let me do it."

Jiang Xiaoli remained silent. At this moment, both Felicia and Mo Qianlong, those two stubborn girls, were exactly the same.

Uesugi Felicia turned to Feng Zhijing, her tone soft: "Zhijing, you and I are different. Right now, I haven't met anyone I feel is right for me, so there's no need for me to be in a relationship just for the sake of it. But you, I can see that you and Yongye have feelings for each other; the only thing missing is taking that final step. Can you tell me what your concerns are? What's the reason that makes you worry 'you two might not make it to the end'?"

Feng Zhijing remained silent for a long time, seemingly deep in thought about the question. After a while, she carefully chose her words and replied, "I feel that neither my feelings for him nor his are strong enough to support us entering into a completely new relationship."

"For me, love isn't that important. I won't let love disrupt my life plans, so the time and energy I can dedicate to someone is inevitably limited. Mu Yongye also has his concerns. He's always worried that his background and past will cause me trouble, but it's clear that he doesn't have the determination to overcome all obstacles for me. I know I feel the same way about him."

"Perhaps it's a good match in another sense?" Mo Liangcheng, always with his unconventional thinking, thought of a unique angle after hearing Feng Zhijing's explanation. "You don't want to spend too much time on relationships, and Yongye isn't a love-struck person, so he won't mind your coldness. Your impression of him isn't bad either. Compared to having to readjust to someone else in the future, you're more comfortable with the current situation, right?"

"There's no standard answer to love. It's not like you have to do the same things as other people in relationships. As long as you both accept it, how you live together is up to you."

A moment of surprise flashed in Feng Zhijing's eyes. So, it really was because her thinking was too traditional, and she had overcomplicated interpersonal relationships?

She always believed that love, like family and friendship, is a type of emotion, and none is inherently superior to the other. Therefore, she looked down on those who viewed love as something supreme and were blinded by romantic idealism. However, when faced with the possibility of parting ways after returning to reality, she could openly make friends, including forming sworn brother-sister relationships with a few people, yet she avoided love altogether. Didn't this tantamount to acknowledging that "love is something different"?

These friends have truly given me so much warmth and strength. If accepting a lover could be as simple as making a friend… it wouldn't be an added burden, but rather another kind of bond for mutual support…

Uesugi Felicia could see that her mindset had softened, so she didn't rush her to find an answer. She simply held her hand gently, her eyes full of encouragement and respect: "We each have our own paths. Zhijing, what you and Xiaoli said makes sense, and I respect your pace. If you want an answer and a result, go and talk to him openly and clearly. You don't need to wait until both of you are ready. The answer won't come to you on its own. You find the answer yourself."

"Whatever choice you ultimately make, I believe it's not impulsive, but courageous. You're so calm and thoughtful; you can handle anything. You can handle matters of the heart too."

Looking at her friends who genuinely cared about her, Feng Zhijing's lips slowly curved into a small smile, and her expression relaxed.

"I'll think about it." This time, she didn't refuse outright. "Thinking about it" meant figuring out what to do. Once she had decided, she would take action.

Actually, whether or not they date is secondary. Even if Mu Yongye is "not quite a lover" in her heart, he is still a friend worth cherishing. On some issues, he needs a push more than she does.

Ever since he recalled Garuda's story in the illusion, he had been in constant pain. He felt guilty, afraid, and heartbroken towards his former partner and younger brother. So he preferred to isolate himself from people and leave himself all alone.

If left to handle it alone, he might never be able to resolve the conflict between them. Because he feels he can't do it, he simply doesn't try; that's just the kind of person he is. Feng Zhijing wants to help him so he can have a normal life in the future. This is the first step she's willing to take. As clear-headed and rational as she is, her vision of a relationship isn't about romantic love, but about fulfilling the other person's most fundamental needs. This is her inner answer.

"That's more like it." Jiang Xiaoli was very satisfied to see that Feng Zhijing had finally changed. "If that kid dares to bully you in the future, just come to me. I'm your boss, and I'll protect you! I'll teach him a lesson for you!"

Then, seizing the opportunity, she moved closer to Uesugi Felicia, pressed her shoulder, and stood very close to her, teasingly grinning, "Felicia, since you're not interested in finding someone, why don't you consider me? How about I be your ideal husband?" Uesugi Felicia didn't flinch. She put down her teacup, looked up, and caught the glint in Jiang Xiaoli's eyes. She gracefully took the other's hand and smiled meaningfully, "Okay!"

"However, Xiao Li, does Brother Liangcheng agree?" Her beautiful eyes shifted, and she turned her gaze to Mo Liangcheng, the meaningful smile on her face still lingering.

Mo Liangcheng, who was planning to ask Mu Yongye for a cup of wine to thank him for being a matchmaker, was momentarily stunned upon hearing this.

Why is this even bringing up whether I agree or not? Are they trying to get serious? How can girls be together? Besides, Xiaoming has been dating me for so long, she should like guys!
Jiang Xiaoli, not wanting to be outdone, arrogantly declared, "Dare he disagree? He has to listen to everything I say. Little Orange, then you'll have to make do with being my concubine. My position as the empress will go to Feifei!"

Seeing Mo Liangcheng's face darken as if he had eaten spoiled food, Uesugi Felicia smiled and stopped acting, also signaling to Jiang Xiaoli, who was still not finished, to stop fooling around.

"Alright, Xiao Li, stop teasing Liangcheng. Look at him, can he take our jokes?" She even went up to Mo Liangcheng to comfort him, "Liangcheng, I'm sorry, the joke went too far! Don't take it to heart. Xiao Li likes you so much, how could she not want you?"

Feng Zhijing also stepped in to smooth things over. Finally, Mo Liangcheng breathed a sigh of relief. It was just a joke, thank goodness; he almost genuinely thought they had a problem with their sexual orientation. It turns out he's quite traditional at heart and really dislikes jokes like that.

Later, Mo Liangcheng would often think back to that day.

He remembered their smiles that day, and how insignificant his worries seemed.

That was a day he cherished deeply. Yet, it was also a day he deeply regretted.

Perhaps many things were truly wrong from the very beginning.

***
Amidst turbulent times, all parties are pushing forward with their respective plans.

In the mysterious space, Chu Tianyao and Hei Shiyu had already exchanged several letters.

Hei Shiyu would change the location of the mail each time, probably because he didn't want to be able to deduce its—or its middleman's—most convenient activity area, and thus its hiding place.

Although it was the other party who proactively approached me to discuss cooperation, it remained extremely wary of me. It wouldn't meet me until sufficient trust was established. Even with a necessary blood transfusion for both parties, it insisted on a phased approach and asked me to go ahead and scout the way for it.

Chu Tianyao still remembered that after he sent out his letter expressing his loyalty, Hei Shiyu's reply was: "You can believe these words yourself." He didn't know how much it actually believed.

In subsequent communications, it also revealed something that made Chu Tianyao somewhat concerned.

It said, "Your concern that repeated blood transfusions will increase the risk of a sudden collapse can be answered by me. The king will be officially born soon, and then we won't have to sneak around anymore. Please make good use of this time to think things through."

Chu Tianyao knew that it must have sensed his desire to sit on the fence and was warning him to think carefully about which side he wanted to take.

But—is a king really about to be born so soon? It's a prophecy of disaster that's been circulating for millions of years, something very distant in Chu Tianyao's perception, something he could confidently believe won't happen in his lifetime. If this news were true, it would be no less unreal than someone suddenly hearing that their world "will be hit by a meteorite tomorrow" or "destroyed by extraterrestrial visitors"—it feels utterly unreal.

Legend has it that the Devourer Clan needs to devour a pure soul to become king, which means that before that, Qin Jia will... Chu Tianyao began to seriously consider how to strike a balance between "informing his companions in advance to prove his worth" and "not provoking the Devourer Clan".

Suddenly, something in front of him gently bumped into his leg.

Chu Tianyao felt a shiver run through him.

This time, Hei Shiyu instructed him to place the reply behind a small pile of miscellaneous items on a table at the far end of the storage room. Chu Tianyao was now standing in front of that table, beneath which lay a dark, gloomy abyss. For a moment, he was genuinely afraid that someone was hiding there, ambushing him, whether it was one of Hei Shiyu's men or another player.

After a while, a furry head poked out from beside his feet; it was a small, black lump of coal he had never seen before.

Chu Tianyao stepped aside, watching the little black ball arch its way forward, pulling out its long, thin body that had been trailing behind. Despite its entire body being as dark as if it had been soaked in the abyss of hell, it was still a very beautiful little ferret, making one want to stroke its fluffy, soft fur.

Not an enemy. Chu Tianyao had just breathed a sigh of relief when he suddenly gasped again.

He picked up the little ferret.

If there isn't another identical ferret here, this should be... Cain's ferret!

He had heard about the ferret's characteristics. He knew it was a pure being of light, extremely sensitive to negative energy, which would be directly reflected in changes to its fur color. To dye it as black as coal—could the concentration of malice in the air be that high?
In that case—Chu Tianyao scanned his surroundings inch by inch. Although the environment was not visually abnormal at all, it was as if a thick layer of gloom was covering it, with countless tiny dark particles surging within it—the saying that the Devouring Clan King would be born was probably not an exaggeration.

The most desperate and deepest darkness is about to descend upon the entire cosmic ocean.