He and It Chapter 60: A God’s Marriage (31)

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Chapter 60: A God’s Marriage (31)

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: GaeaTiamat

 

“We run.” He lowered his head and addressed the round-eyed little sea otter in his arms. “Can’t stay here.”

At the same time, he grabbed the dagger at his waist, took a wary stance and stalked as he trudged slowly through the shadows of the pine forest.

Yun Chi had been trained to know what to do if he encountered a large, deadly wild animal such as a boar, a tiger or a bear in the wild. Don’t look them in the eye, don’t crouch, don’t expose your back, turn face to face, slightly avert your gaze, back away in a zig-zag…Without a weapon in your hand, and without provoking those jungle predators, there was a good chance you could slowly exit their field of vision and have a chance at survival.

However, Yun Chi had no idea how he would cope with those supernatural, probably smarter-than-a-human, monsters.

I can go guerrilla, he thought. I can survive for a week unarmed, using the resources of the forest to wait for help. Plus I’m wearing a God’s robe and carrying a God’s weapon.

The only problem is, I can’t stay awake. I’m not a dolphin, I can’t work with half my brain and rest with the other half, I won’t make it.

Roche…You’re such a mean little man.

Yun Chi attempted to take a shortcut, based on his assumption that the sleep harassment of the previous few days had been minor in order to observe whether Sa’gya was still on the island or whether he had actually left. Once Roche was able to ascertain Sa’gya’s whereabouts, he would be able to come and capture him with no fear at all.

It seemed that not only was the center of the island unsafe, but Sa’gya’s temple was also in danger, and there was no telling how long the Strange House would last…He had to get down to the sea. He couldn’t be the turtle in the jar!

Yun Chi flopped down into the thick snow again to dodge a wind eagle that was cruising low.

The little sea otter extended its fluffy head, squawked weakly, and tugged at Yun Chi’s collar.

Yun Chi looked down in disbelief. In the direction the little sea otter pointed, he looked and saw a snow elf flitting through the forest, as it waved desperately at him.

“What do you mean…? Let me go that way?”

The snow elf nodded, and out of the dead branches and leaves, a few more darting points of light sprang up. They peeled back the bare shrubbery to reveal an entrance near Yun Chi.

“Thanks!” Yun Chi said gratefully. He hurriedly crept over and burrowed into the overgrown branches.

In this way, the snow elves guided him, he followed along, and they perfectly avoided the wind eagles in the sky, as they gradually approached the location of the coastline.

Good, that’s it. As long as I reach the shore and sink into the sea water, I can temporarily avoid the trouble on land, and then find a way to evoke that group of negligent sea monsters, and my personal safety will be guaranteed one more time…

At that moment, it was already the middle of the day, and Yun Chi had to stop and rest his feet. He took a sip of water, and fed a little to the little sea otter in his arms. Since early morning, he had been hiding for hours without stopping, and also rushed for hours. Even if his stamina had been strengthened, he was reaching the limit.

The little sea otter licked the back of his hand and looked at him worriedly.

“I…I’m okay,” Yun Chi gasped. “I can hold on. this is nothing…”

In fact, from the moment the nightmares began to attack him, Yun Chi hadn’t rested much. The last two days of sleep only added up to less than five hours, but even coupled with the physical and mental exertion of the long-distance trek, Yun Chi was still able to hold on, something he himself hadn’t thought he would be able to do.

Another wind eagle swept by in the air. Yun Chi hurriedly got down, and heard it let out a furious shrill whistle, as it communicated with its companions – there were a dozen pairs of sharp eyes, that had stared for nearly half of the daylight, but they hadn’t even seen Yun Chi’s shadow. It was obvious that they were all getting impatient.

At that moment, the snow elf lifted the last bush. Through the gap, the icy sea was close at hand. Snow-white waves wandered silently over the edge of the island, and it was only a matter of steps across the narrow shallows before Yun Chi could touch the water and dive down unnoticed.

“Can you guys help me make some noise to distract them?” Yun Chi had a whispered discussion with the island’s elves. “That way I can take the opportunity to run over.”

The elves chattered for a moment, and then, a moment later, he heard the sound of a great deal of falling snow swooshing from deep within the heart of the island. The wind spirits that were bustling and roaring in the firmament suddenly fell silent, and the giant eagles turned their heads keenly, and swooped towards it with a furious hoot.

It was now!

Yun Chi darted out of the bushes and ran as hard as he could in the direction of the sea. He had completely exposed his back to the enemy. He was desperate. If he couldn’t reach his destination, he would be reduced to a hunter’s shot in the back.

The wind spirits came up empty-handed, and the eagles tore the giant trees to shreds, which  caused the forest to wail, but none of them ever caught sight of their target, and they were fooled!

Yun Chi leaped into the waist-high surf like a whitefish leaping into the water. He plunged down with a swoop, and his divine clothes dipped into the water. They suddenly emitted a splendor that was brighter than moonlight and softer than daylight. The seabed shook with a tremor, as if some being that had been sleeping until now had been awakened.

In the firmament, Berthia’s face changed and she snapped, “The sea monsters have suddenly broken free from their dreams. Go and take your human away! They are not to be dealt with!”

Roche frowned, a displeased look showing on his face. “I know.”

The little sea otter struggled to squeeze out from Yun Chi’s chest. It screamed in delight to see the sea monster’s tentacle limbs like long swift snakes, as they probed towards Yun Chi then darted to wrap around his waist, instantly taking him to deeper waters.

It’s safe…

Yun Chi let out a shuddering breath, as he felt the cool seawater properly surround his skin, which was overheated due to nervousness. Being able to join up with the sea monsters, at least it is safe at that moment. What I need to do now is…!

Yun Chi’s vision suddenly blurred. The little sea otter let out a panicked yell, and in the blue and twisting sea water, the tentacles wrapped around Yun Chi were suddenly cut off by an invisible wind blade. The blood was spraying ink, which immediately stained Yun Chi’s body.

His pupils tightened for a moment as the storm churned up the entire ocean, and Yun Chi, like a fragile insect that had survived a trampoline, was lifted high in the air by the irresistible force, exposed to the light of day and to the joyful, unheated gaze of the gods.

“Found you,” smiled Roche, “my bride.”

Out of great inertia, the little sea otter flew and flung itself out of Yun Chi’s arms at once.

Its eyes were wide open, and no matter how much it wailed in fear, it could only watch as Yun Chi moved further and further away from it, until it fell to the surface with a tiny splash, cut off from view by the light and turbulence of the water.Yun Chi was held in place by a pair of iron-like arms. His heart pounded frantically against his chest, almost coming out of his throat, yet his mind was as calm as death and uncharacteristically silent.

Yun Chi didn’t hesitate for a second, nor did he have a single moment of worry apportioned to the rest of his affairs. The dagger was unsheathed in a flash, and his stab at Roche was natural, smooth and calm as the cream he applied to Sa’gya’s dinner knife every morning.

The God of Storms yelped in surprise and pain. He lowered His head to see the love object of the prior Goddess of Malice thrust squarely into a gaping hole in His armor, stabbing into the midst of the golden body of the god He was.

“Let go of me.” Yun Chi said.

Roche laughed.

The God of Storms was tall and lanky. His skin was as creamy as butter, a well-proportioned, glistening honey color. His gorgeous feathered crown trimmed His deep, handsome brow, and His pupils were dense with chaotic silver light like a gathering of plagues.

The deity gently squeezed Yun Chi’s hand, and just that single movement made Yun Chi’s bones creak and stutter in pain.

“If you weren’t a human, then at this moment, I would be severely injured if I didn’t fall.” Roche said slowly, his tone very elegant. “Unfortunately, you are still human, my bride.”

Yun Chi’s eyes went suddenly black and he lost consciousness in a flash, as he collapsed limply and fainted in the hands of the god.

Berthia, the Goddess of Sleep, had watched the whole thing from the sidelines. She looked down at the sea monsters that were roaring angrily underneath them, and almost crawling to the shore to attack. For some reason, a feeling had come over Her that something had gone wrong, and her goddess’ perceptions about the future were protesting at Her incessantly, reminding Her to beware of the dangers that would come after today.

“You had better go, Roche!” said Berthia uneasily. “Never forget that it was to return your favor that I promised to meddle in this affair for you.”

“I will not break my oath, and between you and me, it is henceforth written off,” Roche slowly pulled out the dagger that dripped with golden blood. His flawless smiling demeanor was slightly distorted. “What a thorny flower…”

“You should likewise not forget that the West Wind also serves the master of this island.” Before leaving, Berthia warned him, “Waiting for the return of the island’s owner is when you’ll really be in trouble, Roche. This isn’t something you’re going to be able to get through unscathed by designing a trap to keep the West Wind at the end of the world. It is out of brotherly love that I’m reminding you of that.”

“Then I also remind you,” Roche said coldly. “It was the False God who first robbed me of my human sacrifice, then instigated the demons to kill my priest, and when you put two and two together, it’s the False God who’s in the wrong, not me!”

If he didn’t have that special mark, would you have made such a big deal out of it and risked offending the previous Lord God by coming to His island and making a scene?

Berthia took one last glance at the human who had collapsed in Roche’s arms, and ultimately didn’t use this question to affect the relationship between Her and Roche any further. She turned Her head and scattering into a myriad of displaced misty dreams, she left the place.

By the shore, the water broke apart, and a wet, shivering, white figure slowly climbed up the shore, frozen in a daze.

The little sea otter looked at the empty sky, remembered Yun Chi, who was forced to separate from it, and turned to look at the devastated island. It rubbed its eyes with its furry paws, and then rubbed them again, and then rubbed them again…Eventually, it couldn’t restrain itself and cried out sadly.

“…Awake…”

“Finally…Give him some water…”

“…Wipe his face…Don’t rub his body…”

Who was talking…?

Yun Chi frowned hazily as he vaguely heard someone talking. He tried to open his eyes, but only slightly managed to open them a slit before he felt a strong light pierce his eyes, which caused him to have a splitting headache.

Where was this…?

Someone brought water to feed him. The water was as sweet as agar, and Yun Chi’s spirit was lifted just by taking a sip.

“Where is this…”

He covered his forehead and reluctantly opened his eyelids. First he saw a gorgeous, gold and jade dome. Then he looked down and saw a hall that was wide and richly furnished, with scarlet carpets covering every inch of the ground within sight, and flowers embroidered with jewels on top of gold thread while the mattress underneath him was as smooth as clouds in the sky. In comparison, the divine clothes he wore were so plain that it was no different from white paper.

“This is the Storm God Palace,” someone in front of him answered.

Yun Chi closed his eyes, wanting nothing more than to lie back down again.

“And you…And who are you?”

“We are…we are the God Lords…”

“We are the Divine Favorites of the Divine Lord!” Another strong voice snatched at the answer. “Even if you’re the Divine Lord’s bride, there’s still first-come-first-served…”

“I’m a bride of no one!” Yun Chi sat up violently, and glared at the few…in front of him. A dozen young boys and girls. “You were the ones who released Roche’s Wind Eagles and attacked my boat in the first place.”

They hadn’t expected him to remember that. The Divine Familiars were silenced and their eyes wandered, as none of them dared to look at him.

“…You don’t know what the God Lord will do to us,” One of them muttered.

“If a new Human Sacrifice comes and pleases the Divine Lord, the Divine Lord will randomly point out one of us old ones, strip him of all his identity and power, and let the Wind Eagles carry him away…”

“We don’t want to die!”

Yun Chi laughed at them. “You don’t want to die, then look at my face. Do I look like I want to die? Just like you. What kind of God’s Favorites are you? Does he favor you? Doesn’t he just treat you as playthings? When he’s happy he’ll take a look at you, when he’s not happy he’ll feed you to the eagles?”

One of the Chinese-robed teenagers hurriedly sat up. “But you are different! Even if the Divine Lord treats us like that, he will definitely not treat you like that, you are His Bride!”

“‘If you say that again about a bride, I’ll grab you by your collar and throw you out, believe it or not.” Yun Chi’s heart was on fire. When he was dealing with Sa’gya was when he was happiest and gentlest. Now with these people in Storm God Palace he didn’t want to give them a single good look. “So what are you here for? To be lobbyists for Roche?”

The God’s Favorites looked at each other, and a jittery expression appeared on their faces. One of them plucked up their courage and said aloud, “We’ve all heard that you live on a deserted island in very harsh living conditions, and that the False God you serve has a reputation for being brutal and unkind…He must not have treated you well. How plainly you are dressed!”

She reached out her hand and showed Yun Chi a gorgeous garment that had been made by the most skillful craftsmen. “Look, isn’t this many times better than the plain clothes you’re wearing?”

“And as we live in the Storm’s Divine Palace, eating and living with the Gods. We can easily possess whatever delicacies, fine wines, rare jewels and exquisite clothing under the heavens,” another one chimed in with a cheer. “And, as you can see, we can use the Divine Lord’s emissaries to let them do things for us…Isn’t that sharing the Lord’s authority? As a mortal, what else can you expect? This is the land of the willing!”

As for me, Sa’gya and I have a home of our own, where his temple hides all the treasures of the world, and everything is available. I wear his divine garments, and he takes me on chases after the moon, and is willing to carry me on his back to any corner of the world for fun and adventure. My laughter is his laughter, and when he’s shy I blush along with him.

You say that you share the authority of the Gods, but in terms of true freedom, of being able to control your own life and death, you are dressed in silk and satin, enjoying delicacies of the sea, but in fact, you are no different from a death row inmate. Because all of this is given to you by Roche, to gain or to lose at his whim.

Yun Chi didn’t want to argue. He even opened his mouth, but was too lazy to say, Confucius said born in the spring and died in the fall, why see the winter also? These people could sit here and argue for three days and nights about a winter they had never seen before, so why should he waste his spirit?

He didn’t answer, but merely asked indifferently, “Roche, wherever you should be standing by now, don’t let your little wives bother, I won’t listen. Come out and talk business with me.”

Seeing him turn a deaf ear to the wonderful visions that came out of their mouths, the Divine Familiars were terrified. “No, no! We were wrong! You are the bride of the Lord God, what you get will definitely be much more than us! The authority we got is only in name, it is in no way comparable to yours!”

“Change into this dress first. You were soaked to the skin when you were brought by the Divine Lord. It must be very uncomfortable to sleep in…”

Yun Chi impatiently grabbed the dress and tore it in half in one go, the gold threads and jewels instantly crumbling to the ground.

“Is it possible that Roche couldn’t get this dress off me and got so desperate that he let you guys coax me into taking it off voluntarily?” he asked. “Don’t bother. These are my divine clothes. The one on Roche can’t even reach the level of this one on me, so don’t take the rags you guys have here and use them on me.”

The Divine Familiars were dumbfounded, no one dared to move. They could only watch as Yun Chi walked towards the door.

“Hello, my bride.”

Just as he was about to walk out of the room, Roche finally arrived late and blocked his way.

He had changed out of his armor, and in its place was a beautiful robe of green and blue. His black hair was loose, which frivolously bared a large portion of his chest, and the wound he had been dealt by Yun Chi earlier had long since completely healed, without even a trace of a scar to be seen.

Yun Chi took a step back and looked up indifferently, as he locked eyes with those chaotic, silver-white pupils.

Roche waved his hand, and those Divine Favorites were like ones granted amnesty, immediately running out of sight.

“Can’t wait to see me?” Roche smiled. “I can understand how you feel, because I am the same.”

“Coward,” Yun Chi said.

Roche raised an eyebrow, “What?”

“I heard how you and that goddess Berthia were discussing Sa’gya.” Yun Chi looked at him and didn’t take a step back. “You called him a coward, so wouldn’t you all be more than cowards if you only dared to capture me while he was away?”

Roche stared at him for a moment, then suddenly laughed. He was shaking with laughter and had to gently wipe the tears from his eyes.

“Bride!” Roche exclaimed merrily. “You’re a funny little thing…How can you mistake neglect for cowardice and confidence for arrogance?”

He gently twisted a strand of Yun Chi’s black hair and said meaninglessly, “He had a reputation for brutality, but in reality, what an incompetent monarch he was. He was even willing to hand over the throne of the Lord God, which led to the eventual outbreak of the war between the Second God Generation and the Third God Generation…Bride, these disgraceful past events, I’m sure He has never told you about them, right?”

Yun Chi had been burning with rage, but when he heard this, he couldn’t help but pause.

What are you saying? How is it different from what Sa’gya told me…?

“Wait, you know how the third generation Sea God died, right?” he asked warily.

Roche shrugged and said indifferently, “He died in the God War. The gods of the Second Generation banded together to kill Him, but even so, they couldn’t reclaim the Sea God’s position.”

Yun Chi stared at him, and suddenly realized something.

Roche didn’t know anything. He only knew that there was a war between the gods, but the causes and consequences, the people involved, who won and who lost…Those key factors were all unknown.

Even if he was a new god of the third generation, his memory shouldn’t have declined so badly, right?

“You…Could it be that you are a Fourth Generation God?” Yun Chi asked incredulously.