Chapter 569: A Story from Long Ago
The second matter.
At the end of the month, Young Master Sang quietly arrived at the Holy Kingdom’s Tianlang City.
The moonlight was bright, and the candlelight in the National Master’s study was still flickering.
Huo Longyuan sat at his desk, reviewing various documents. From time to time, he would speak without lifting his head, advising the small, frowning prince Huo Ming next to him.
“… If you’re stuck on this question, change your thinking and try a different approach.”
Huo Ming scratched his little head and sank back into deep thought.
Just then, Sang Zhe pushed the door open and entered.
The moment Huo Ming saw Sang Zhe, his eyes lit up as if he saw a savior.
“Teacher Sang!”
Seeing the adorable little prince excitedly leap into his arms, Sang Zhe smiled and ruffled his little head, “Little Prince, still studying hard this late?”
“… I don’t want to, though.”
Huo Ming looked pitiful, whispering into Sang Zhe’s ear, “But this national master’s teacher is so strict! Stricter than Teacher Sang and National Master Li!”
“Although the teaching is really good… these past few days, just solving problems has made me feel like my hair is going to fall out.”
Huo Longyuan glanced up slightly but quickly returned his gaze, ignoring the little prince’s report.
Sang Zhe couldn’t help but chuckle, “Strict teachers produce outstanding students. If you’re really struggling, you could discuss it with your teacher.”
“Who am I to dare…?” Huo Ming pouted, “Every time I want to say something, just looking at the National Master’s serious face makes me lose my words.”
“Little Prince.” Huo Longyuan’s voice came from behind, startling Huo Ming into quickly bowing.
“… You’ve worked hard today. You’re allowed to play with the Communication Device for half an hour.”
“But don’t stay up past midnight.” Huo Longyuan’s voice was calm.
Huo Ming’s eyes sparkled again, and he happily exclaimed, “Thank you, National Master!”
Watching the little prince dash back to his room, Sang Zhe revealed a pleased expression, unable to resist saying, “It seems the king cares quite a bit about their offspring.”
Huo Longyuan’s gaze lowered slightly, remaining silent.
“Why have you come to seek me?”
“Is the king too engrossed in games to remember important matters?”
Sang Zhe smiled, “I’m here to deliver a reward to the king.”
Only then did Huo Longyuan stop writing, silently looking up.
“This is a piece of the Earthly Treasure Wings; as the first on the monthly leaderboard, this shall be your reward.”
Huo Longyuan took the feather, staring at it for a long moment before suddenly sighing, “So, a month has already passed.”
“It seems you’ve been playing quite intensely too.” Sang Zhe chuckled lightly.
But Huo Longyuan simply shook his head, “Time is the least valuable thing for the Primordial Deities.”
“What seems like countless years to mortals is just yesterday for me.”
“A month is but a blink. It ends before it even starts.”
Sang Zhe casually plopped down beside Huo Longyuan, starting to chat, “It is rare to see someone like the king forget to collect their rewards while playing.”
“Isn’t that the very reason you Primordial Deities traveled all the way to the Abyss Realm? I was worried I’d be slow, and you’d think I was trying to cheat you.”
Huo Longyuan shot him a sideways glance, speaking bluntly, “I’m not particularly interested in these rewards.”
“Oh? Then why did the king come to the Abyss Realm?”
“… This Long Huan Holy Kingdom is for her.”
Huo Longyuan turned and slowly gazed out at the lonely night: “I don’t want it to be ruined because they are playing around.”
Sang Zhe remained silent for a long while before lightly saying, “The king is quite kind.”
“You’re mistaken.”
Huo Longyuan shook his head, “For the Primordial Deities, concepts of kindness and malice do not exist.”
“I’m not kind. I just don’t want what I cherish to be ruined by others. In this aspect of arrogance, I’m no different from other Deities and Demons.”
“Besides… if I say I have no thoughts about the Earthly Treasure, it would seem hypocritical.”
“If possible, I would also like to try devouring all the rules.”
Sang Zhe tilted his head in confusion, “Devouring all the rules?”
“There has been a saying among the Primordial Deities.”
Huo Longyuan stood by the window, musing aloud, “Whichever Deity or Demon can devour all the Primordial Spirits and gather all the powers of rules may reach the realm of the Primordial God, witnessing the true face of the Primordial Universe.”
“Of course, it’s merely a saying.”
“Previously, only the First Deity ever attempted this idea.”
“And he failed.”
Becoming a Primordial God? The First Deity tried and failed?
Sang Zhe blinked, seemingly digesting the information.
“With the power of the First Deity, he shouldn’t have been unable to devour all the Deities, right?”
“… No.” Huo Longyuan’s gaze fell, “The former First Deity could indeed do so before he differentiated into an omniscient being.”
“However, after trying just once, he released the devoured Deities with an apologetic expression as if he was just playing.”
“This is the root of the deep resentment from Ancestral Cang and others to this day. For the Primordial Deities, there’s no greater humiliation.”
Sang Zhe’s eye twitched slightly.
It felt like the First Deity was quite an eccentric heavyweight.
“Then why does the king want to become a Primordial God?”
Huo Longyuan was silent for a long time before finally speaking:
“Even for Primordial Deities… there are rules beyond their control.”
“But perhaps… becoming a Primordial God would change that.”
“The Primordial God is the creator of all things in the primordial chaos; there should be nothing in the universe they cannot accomplish.”
Hearing this, Sang Zhe seemed to understand, softly saying, “Is it that the king has things he cannot achieve, which is why he wants to become a Primordial God?”
“I’d venture to guess, is it because of your queen? I remember… her name is Luo Qingqing, right?”
Huo Longyuan cast a sidelong glance at Sang Zhe.
Sang Zhe immediately raised his hands defensively, “Ahem, absolutely no disrespect intended.”
“Great. I also want to take this opportunity to ask you.”
Huo Longyuan said softly, “What did my avatar left in this realm say to you?”
“He said he doesn’t believe the king.”
Sang Zhe was straightforward, revealing without concealment, “He fears that after the king returns to his Deity and Demon identity, he will no longer love Queen Luo.”
Huo Longyuan chuckled softly.
“… Indeed.”
“Don’t say my avatar doesn’t believe it.”
“Even I don’t believe it.”
“For the Primordial Deities, human emotions and thoughts are distant and trivial. Deities and Demons have not experienced them and have no need to.”
“But I never expected.”
“Some emotions… once experienced.”
Could be so profoundly engraved.
Sang Zhe looked into Huo Longyuan’s eyes.
His gaze always held something more delicate compared to that of Ancestral Cang and others.
“Since that’s the case, the time is still early.”
Sang Zhe pulled out a jug of wine from who knows where and placed it on the table.
“This night, I want to drink with the king and hear you personally tell the story of Queen Luo.”
Huo Longyuan shot him a sideways glance.
But in the end, he merely smiled faintly.
“Well… perhaps one night won’t be enough.”
