AST 2409 - Unable to Mediate, Mission, Removing Obstacles

Qing Shui knew that he had to know his limits; thus, he let go of her.

Tantai Lingyan didn't continue to attack him but just stared at him. She wasn't that angry. Her feelings seemed to be different from what they were in the past, and she had no idea why. It could really be that she had some instinctive emotions toward him.

This matter brought the two of them closer together. Qing Shui knew that Tantai Lingyan was still a little angry at the moment. However, he just smiled and said, "Lingyan, why are you still angry? I didn't do anything to you."

"I'm leaving." Tantai Lingyan turned to leave.

"Mmmm, it’s still early. Why are you in such a hurry? I have yet to say the things I intended to tell you. You have been too anxious just now and made me forget about the important things," Qing Shui said grudgingly.

His words almost caused Tantai Lingyan to fight it out with him again.

"What is it?" Tantai Lingyan asked.

"I propose that the Divine Palace and the Demon Gate set aside all prejudice for now. If we really wish to fight it out, wait until we're at the Upper Three Regions and you've become the Demon Gate's sect leader there. What do you think?" Qing Shui gave it some thought.

Right now, Qing Shui didn't wish to follow after Tantai Lingyan and help her clean up the mess she created, with her beating up people and he providing treatment.

"The Demon Gate and the Divine Palace are enemies."

"I know, but the hatred has been accumulating from a very long time ago. The Divine Palace hasn't done anything bad to you."

"When you inherit the legacy, you have to accept everything about it. This is the most basic thing about legacies. It's impossible to mediate between the Demon Gate and the Divine Palace. It'll never be done. This is our mission," said Tantai Lingyan.

Qing Shui nodded seriously. "I know. That's why I said it’s just for now. We'll put down our prejudices temporarily. Or.... you can just join the Divine Palace."

"Then you can just join the Demon Gate!" Tantai Lingyan smiled and said, looking at Qing Shui.

"That's impossible. You Demon Kings are all bad people who commit all sorts of evil. Benefactress [1], repent and the shores are at hand." There was no way that Qing Shui would join the Demon Gate.

"You guys are the ones who proclaimed yourselves to be righteous. There are many people who claim to be so but commit a lot of evil deeds in the background. They are worse than the people in the Demon Gate." Tantai Lingyan looked at Qing Shui.

"This is true. There are people like that amongst those on the righteous path. There are also good people amongst those who are said to be on the evil path. In the past, you were very kind and you were by my side as well. At a later time, you said that you felt a calling and had to leave. It should be to obtain the legacy you had inherited. If I knew that this would happen, I would have never let you go."

"Things are meant to happen. It's just a matter of time before they do. I'll let the Demon Gate provoke fewer massacres. We'll leave the other things for the future," said Tantai Lingyan after giving it some thought.

"Is being the Demon Gate's sect leader so important to you?" asked Qing Shui.

"It's my mission. There's nothing else to it."

"What do you have to do to complete your mission before you come to a stop?" 

Hesitating for a moment, she replied, "To have the Nine Continents Demon Gate stand atop the Nine Continents." 

"Stand atop? It means that the Demon Gate will have to become strong and establish a firm standing. Do you have to wipe out the Divine Palace and all the other forces?" 

"No. Putting aside whether Demon Gate could do that, even if it could be done, there isn't a need to do so. It doesn't mean that we have to kill someone just because we can. The people in Demon Gate don't wish to be involved in too many massacres either and won't kill people for no reason." Tantai Lingyan frowned slightly.

"You have the Demon Saint Blood, but it seems that you're unaware of some things concerning it. The Demon King's Blood will cause one to become bloodthirsty and easily become impulsive. It'll make one crave for power and walk the path of massacres. It is in killings where one would become stronger. There would even be Demon Kings who would wipe out an entire city, and it hasn't just happened once or twice," Qing Shui said seriously.

Qing Shui felt a little happy to discover that the Demon Saint Blood didn't let Tantai Lingyan lose her rationality. It made sense. How could the Demon Lord who dominated over the rest of the Demon Kings lose all rationality? It's a pity that she had lost her memories. In the past, he was able to change her life. It could be because of this that she had lost her memories of him. It was because only by doing so would she be able to accomplish her mission.

Qing Shui understood it now but felt even more upset. What must he do to bring her back? Qing Shui knew that even the Heartmatched Fruits might not be effective. He might even end up joining the Demon Gate...

"Then are we considered friends now?" Qing Shui asked in anticipation.

Friends... This term caused Tantai Lingyan to be stunned for a moment. She didn't have friends, or rather, she didn't have many friends. She only remembered that the Demon Lord Palace's Palace Mistress was her friend. However, she felt that the person was also very distant from her now. She might even forget that person in the future...

"Friends? I think we really can't become friends." Tantai Lingyan shook her head.

"Just because we're on opposing sides?" Qing Shui asked.

"Isn't this enough reason?" 

"Let me tell you a story. A man and a woman like each other. However, she was a demon and had killed many people. She also killed this man’s master, even wiping out his sect. In the beginning, he didn't know of her identity. At one point in time, both of them fell down a cliff due to other people setting them up. The two of them ended up having a physical relationship. In the end, this man married another woman. Alas, this lady was an unfortunate one and had been humiliated by two men from the Demon Gate."

"You aren't making this up, right?" Tantai Lingyan looked at Qing Shui.

"I didn't. I swear it's definitely not made up."

"How did the story end?"

"The woman in the story killed the man's wife—that pitiful lady—by mistake. It was the woman's Master—a great evildoer in the past—who had forced her to turn against the man. The woman's Master ended up being killed by someone whom she had harmed in the past. The man found the woman and asked her why she had killed his wife."

"How did the woman reply?" Tantai Lingyan seemed to want to know the story's ending as well.

"The woman said, 'Since you already believe it, then there's no need for me to say anymore. If you wish to exact vengeance, then just go ahead!'"

This time around, before Tantai Lingyan asked, Qing Shui continued, "In the past, this man was no match for this woman. The woman went easy on him multiple times, but this time around, she lost. The man had become stronger than her, and his sword pierced through the woman's body. The woman asked if he would marry her if they weren't tied down by each other's background."

"How did he reply?" Tantai Lingyan asked softly.

"He said he would; then thrust the sword into himself and said that he would die together with her."

Tantai Lingyan didn't say anything and looked at Qing Shui.

"The obstacles between them are greater than the one between us. It was a feud of having killed the other party's Master. He who taught me for one day is my father for life. The feud between them was impossible to mediate. Despite so, they were also considered to have become a couple and have promised to spend their next life together. The obstacles between us are nothing. Is it so difficult to just be friends?" Qing Shui said.

"They loved each other. But I don't like you, let alone love you. Why do I have to try to remove all the obstacles?"

"You... You... You don't like me? How's that possible? You have taken such a great advantage of me and now you'll throw me aside?" Qing Shui's eyes were agape, appearing as if he had seen something totally unbelievable.

"You only know how to spout rubbish! I'm leaving!" After saying that, Tantai Lingyan left.

[1] Monks/nuns refer to a layperson as benefactor/benefactress.

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