Honey and Nature

Silence. In the brief, awkward silence, Ji Jue felt like a massage therapist who had blundered onto a murder scene, wishing with all his might that he were blind the moment the killer looked his way. What could he possibly say? *Sorry, my mistake, I’m just an actor here to swallow large swords. Now that the show’s over, please carry on. I’ll just see myself out without bothering you?* Especially when he noticed that the Edge of Revolution in his hand had quietly transformed into a wooden stick at some point. One second he had been chopping vegetables, and the next, the Game Master had personally stepped onto the field. The vicissitudes of life were truly impossible to predict. All the more so when the GM had just wiped out one cheating player and turned around looking ready to deal with another. It wasn't as if he had never heard about the Huangliang Relic from that old bastard Qitan. He had assumed that, as a monarch of a bygone era, even a stray fingernail left behind would be magnificent and terrifying. He had never imagined that the old schemer wasn’t dead at all, had been screen-peeking the entire time, and after enjoying the show, had stepped out to critique the acting and plot. Yet what could he do? Would calling upon the Great Sin even be in time now? Introduce himself? "No, no need." He bowed his head with a warm, utterly fawning smile. "May I ask how I should address you?" "Whichever you prefer. A name is merely a distinctive label. Huangliang, Huaxu, Dog, Cat—none of it matters." The cat was placid and completely nonchalant. *Were you truly nonchalant?* Just moments ago, someone had merely said you were making no sense, and you tormented him to death. An agonizing death at that, with his last illusion shattered, unable to even dream a good dream before dying. "Understood." Ji Jue nodded. The Lord of Huangliang was petty-minded, so it was best to humor him. "Mhm, indeed," the cat nodded. "Not very broad-minded at all." "..." Ji Jue fell silent again. Stunned, he touched his face. *Was my expression really that obvious?* "No, you're overthinking it. It's because I can read minds." "..." Ji Jue clamped his mouth shut and took a deep breath. Restraint. He had to restrain his inner thoughts, stop dwelling on random nonsense, and keep calm. Steeling himself, he looked at the cat before him. "Lord Huaxu, could you please stop reading?" "Sure." Lord Huaxu nodded, seemingly amenable to advice, but in truth... whether he looked or not was just a matter of a single thought, wasn't it? "Do you have any commands?" Ji Jue took the initiative to ask, trying to seize a sliver of leverage. Even if he were to receive a life sentence, at least he could bargain a bit. Even if there had been cheating, he was the only one who did it; banning just his account would be fine. "Commands? None. Besides, aren't you a Mohist?" Lord Huaxu lazily scratched his chin, asking casually, "After four hundred years, someone has finally come to call in the promise. Truly not easy. Do you want to conclude our transaction now? The goods are ready; you may take them at any time." "Ah..." Ji Jue’s heart stirred, and he instinctively wanted to nod. But before doing so, he caught sight of those amber eyes and that half-smiling gaze. Immediately, he shook his head resolutely. "I'm sorry, but I'm not a Mohist." "Is that so?" Lord Huaxu made no effort to hide his disappointment or his desire to slack off. After stretching lazily, he said in an unhurried tone, "Since you say you aren't, fine then. We'll speak of it next time. It's been four hundred years; a little longer won't hurt..." After a moment of hesitation, Ji Jue reminded him, "Didn't a Mohist arrive already?" "That slippery little rascal? He certainly scooped up quite a bit, but he won't do." Lord Huaxu said slowly, "The covenant was established through Non-Offensive. Only the one wielding Non-Offensive is qualified to fulfill the covenant on behalf of the Mohists. Furthermore, isn't the legacy of that little girl Quicksilver in your hands as well? "Hmm? Let me see. Non-Fate belongs to you, and you can even summon the Edge of Revolution... If you say you aren't, then who is? Me?" "..." Ji Jue fell silent, speechless, hesitating on the verge of speaking. Lord Huaxu glanced at him. "If you've got something to say, spit it out. Are you turning it over in your mind just waiting for me to take a look, or what?" "No, I just wanted to ask—did you grant me the authority because of this?" Looking back now, when he had used Non-Offensive to fleece the system and managed to pluck out the permissions to the Huangliang Relic, it had seemed suspicious no matter how one looked at it. Setting aside whether Wen Sheng would have guarded such a vital object with his life, was it really something he could have touched just by reaching out? Furthermore, when he was pulled in, although he wasn't inside his workshop, his residence in Yacheng was directly connected to it. It lacked neither spiritus blockades nor the requisite defense sequences. How could it have shown zero reaction when his soul detached, acting as though it didn't exist at all? Indeed, the arrangements and defenses in his workshop had been treated as if they were completely nonexistent. If this entity hadn't intervened, how could he have inexplicably plunged into this dream? Could it be that this lord had grown bored of a one-man show and wanted to watch a contest in the ring? "You craftsmen... always overthinking things. How amusing." Lord Huaxu was amused and shook his head. "I already told you: Non-Offensive is a contract, a token, a proof of pledge. Upon touching a fragment of the paradise, it naturally reacted. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have been awakened by such petty squabbling. "Honestly, I thought someone had come to fulfill the covenant, giving me hope for nothing." The black cat licked its paw and said nonchalantly, "Take it as a lesson, kid. If you don't want to court trouble, keep those not-so-clean little hands of yours to yourself. Don't go pawing around at everything when you're bored." Ji Jue was stunned for a moment and couldn't help pressing, "Then..." "Though the dream of paradise originated with me, what you actually see has nothing to do with me." Lord Huaxu cut off his question, answering bluntly, "Whatever you dreamed of, Ji Jue, that was a dream belonging to you. "If you ask me, you are already far luckier than that unfortunate wretch just now. "Whether real or illusory, existing or not, the longing and blessings wrapped around you are genuine. "As for whether it was all a phantasm, does that truly matter so much?" The black cat seemed to smile as it countered, "Did they never love you?" "..." In the protracted silence, Ji Jue said nothing. After a long while, he bowed his head with sincerity. "I stand enlightened." "From the beginning until now, I have finally heard a word spoken from the bottom of your heart." The black cat shook its fur, slowly pushed itself up, and leaped onto a lavish cat tree adorned with gems. It settled into the golden nest and silk cushion at the very top, instantly looking majestic and imposing. Like an emperor, it held its head high and puffed out its chest. Yet, no matter how one looked at it, it was bizarre. "You're the strange one, aren't you? My form manifests according to the visitor's conjectures and thoughts, yet you turned me into a cat? "You brat, there ought to be limits to your disrespect for elders, you know?" Lord Huaxu raised a paw, swatting Ji Jue's forehead and hair twice as if annoyed. He turned two circles on the cushion, curled into a ball, found a comfortable posture, and lay down. "Enough idle chatter. The Paradise of Myriad Phenomena is my domain, and a ruler cannot be unjust. "Seeing as you provided me with a good show and conveniently helped me retrieve this fragment, speak—what reward do you desire?" *Count me in! Is big bro actually giving something out?* Ji Jue’s eyes lit up. Just as he was about to open his trap and name a price, he heard Lord Huaxu’s mocking voice: "However, at the end of the day, I'm just a pauper with nothing to my name except vain illusions... Things from the outside world don't exist here. "To say nothing of workshops, equipment, or blessings. That little thing known as the Fire Thief came after my time. In the era I inhabited, your Supreme Goodness and Great Sins had yet to appear. There were none of those fancy little baubles in that desolate hell." Even as he spoke, the tail curled around the fragment swayed gently. Encircled by the black tail, the jewel shimmered with faint luminescence, crystal-clear and utterly exquisite. It was practically an explicit hint: *—Do you want this Huangliang Relic or not?* Ji Jue instinctively pulled his head back slightly, struggling to suppress a look of distaste, his smile stiffening. "Can I exchange it for something else?" "..." Lord Huaxu fell silent, staring at him with claws extending one by one, itching to give this bastard a makeover. *Was his dream fragment some cheap trinket?* Earlier, when Wen Sheng had raged and interrogated him, the cat had been as relaxed as a spring breeze. Yet now, Ji Jue’s expression of disgust—refusing even what was offered for free—left the King of Chaos feeling a bit wounded. Still, the words had already been spoken. After staring at him for a long time, he forced out a response. "You can." *You little punk had better not keep pushing your luck!* At that, Ji Jue turned back without hesitation, pointing downward toward that quiet sea of souls, the spirits steeped in vanity and illusions. "Then... I trouble you to grant them a dream." Ji Jue hesitated before adding, "A sweet dream they deserve, just like... the one I had earlier." The faith and lies of the Holy God, the bewitchment and exploitation of the cult, the honey and poisoned bait scattered by Wen Sheng, the binding and imprisonment of the Lord of the Flies. Too much pain, too much torment. Living in this world, there were already too many tribulations that ought not to have existed. They had been swept into this struggle, enduring countless unprovoked disasters. Now that everything was over, the least they deserved was a dream of their own, right? After a long silence, the black cat looked at him and suddenly smiled faintly. "Alright." Fine things in this world were never durable; colorful clouds shattered easily, and glazed glass was fragile. In the human world, pains and tribulations were many. As long as one lived, torment was never in short supply. What better compensation could there be than a sweet dream? For Lord Huaxu, it was merely an effortless gesture, no trouble at all. "And..." Ji Jue made another request, watching his expression carefully. "Hmm?" Lord Huaxu tilted his head, showing neither annoyance nor displeasure, gesturing for him to speak boldly. "If, I mean, if..." Ji Jue took a deep breath, raised his head, and made a solemn plea. "If, after the dream ends, they are still willing, and still have the courage to open their eyes and face that world, can they be allowed to return?" "Of course. I already said, the Paradise of Myriad Phenomena is no prison. This is a place where one comes and goes freely. None who come are turned away, and none who leave are pursued." Lord Huaxu waved a paw. "However, if their bodies are gone, there is nothing I can do. "You aren't expecting me to pay out of pocket to clean up someone else's mess, are you?" "That is enough." Ji Jue bowed his head in gratitude. "Aside from that?" The cat twitched its ears, growing somewhat impatient. "I told you, the Paradise of Myriad Phenomena is my domain. Entertaining guests, hosting feasts, welcoming arrivals and seeing off departures—these are naturally my proper duties. They cannot be counted as a reward or bounty. "Besides... what you desire most in your heart isn't this, is it?" He paused, leaning closer. The amber pupils dilated, as if encompassing the heavens and earth, reflecting Ji Jue’s minuscule silhouette. "I can see it, Ji Jue. The desires in your heart surge without end. A dream is a place where all things are permitted, so why conceal it?" In the silence, Ji Jue’s fingers twitched, and twitched again. With difficulty, he turned his head. After the dragon dissipated, that familiar figure lay sleeping within the crystal. Within arm’s reach. "Her problem..." "The resistance and contradiction between consciousness and innate nature—quite rare, actually." Lord Huaxu grinned. "Her talent is so extraordinary that a human soul can barely accommodate it, which ends up suppressing her nature... Heh, like a stone that ought to hatch a natural disaster wanting instead to bloom into a flower. Truly bizarre." "Is it difficult?" "Effortless." Lord Huaxu waved a paw dismissively. "It is merely reconciling the repulsion between soul and flesh. If you don't demand altering her essence and only want to soothe the disharmony, a single dream will suffice. "However, Ji Jue, is that truly what you wanted to ask?" "..." Ji Jue closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and finally made up his mind. Amid Lord Huaxu’s smile, he raised his head. "Can I make requests regarding the content of the dream?" "You may." Lord Huaxu nodded decisively, full of anticipation. "Isn't this place a dream as well, Ji Jue? The paradise acknowledges all desires and yearnings. Since this is your rightful reward, you may ask for whatever you wish. "As for traces and loose ends, you naturally have no need to worry. The permeation of a dream leaves no footprint. What's more, with me personally taking action, she can become whatever you want her to be without her even realizing it—any shape or form." "Alright, then..." Ji Jue paused for a moment, then spoke slowly, "Let her grow up healthy in a sound family. "With a loving mother, an upright father, a mischievous little sister who causes trouble, and... a stubborn little brother who nevertheless loves everyone. "So there will be occasional quarrels and occasional troubles. But after an argument, they can sit together at the same table to eat, and when distressed, there will be someone to talk to. "There need not be great joy, nor must there be great sorrow. She only needs to grow up safe and sound, just like..." As Ji Jue reached the end, he trailed off. In the pause, he couldn't help but smile, letting out a relieved sigh as he finished, "Just like any ordinary person." This was fine. This was enough. "Just that." He bowed his head. "I trouble you." *Tch!* The smile froze on Lord Huaxu’s face, unvarnished disappointment showing through. *Did I come here to see this crap?* *Disgraceful wretch, you deserve to get beaten half to death once you get out!* *Given an opportunity and completely useless at taking it!* He shook his head, offering a final reminder: "Dreams wake, Ji Jue. No matter how wonderful the dream, it will wake in the end." No matter how much illusory light you gave her in the dream, when she opened her eyes, there would ultimately be nothing before her. Whether it was the peaceful daily life of an ordinary person or the fragmented, miraculous drops of happiness, all of it would leave her. All she would see was a landscape of devastation. After fleeting sweetness, all that awaited her would be bitterness and torment far greater than before. "I know," Ji Jue nodded. "I know it intimately." Amid the endless, life-and-death warfare of the Mid-Continent, those exhausted by death and survival would regard the seclusion and tranquility of the Thousand Islands as a fairy tale or legend. Among the island city-states where resources were scarce and failing to plunder meant a slow death, the ordinary people long accustomed to exploitation and hunger would yearn for the stability and prosperity of the Federation and the Empire. In the wilderness of the Federation, the scavengers who toiled endlessly and lived displaced lives treated the dazzling world within the cities as a paradise. Yet within the city walls, the beasts of burden drained of every ounce of energy by endless rat races and labor would look up, their eyes illuminated by the singing, dancing, and gilded debauchery above the glass ceiling. There might be differences, but everywhere was the same... There was no Land of Forgetfulness, no Utopia. The world was so cruel that the only thing remaining was the gentleness within this dream. Yet at least in the dream, this gentleness and happiness were real, turning away no one’s tears or pathetic wretchedness. At the very least, a night of peaceful sleep. Ji Jue turned back to look at the serene sleeping face within the amber-like crystal. So peaceful. Gone was the usual cheerful warmth he had grown accustomed to, and there was no trace of the stubborn determination she forced herself to wear. Perhaps this was what she truly looked like. Ji Jue wanted to look a little longer. "A dream destined to wake is not a bad thing, and becoming a little weaker doesn't matter either. I believe she doesn't need a heart of stone to face this world, to face the life she chose. "So let her rest well for a while and have a good dream." Lord Huaxu scrutinized him in silence. He made no attempt to conceal his observation. Piercing through pretense and lies, witnessing truth... Precisely because of this, he could perceive the desire surging like a tide within Ji Jue’s heart, the yearnings suppressed beneath reason, the roiling wishful thinking and impulses, and even the sincerity unadulterated by falsehood in the words that had spilled out. This mercy and vulnerability, usually deliberately suppressed behind coldness and detachment. And an indescribable foolishness! What else could it be? Was he supposed to praise him? This sickening, irritating sensation was like watching a fine piece of jade willingly roll into a pile of dog dung... Obstinate and wallowing in degradation! It was rare for him to show some kindness, only to find that offering it was worse than feeding it to a dog! An offer to the Paradise of Myriad Phenomena had been shoved right into his face, yet this bastard pretended not to see it. Since he understood that sweet dreams were the only final refuge, why hesitate? Since he could appreciate the wonder of the paradise, why deliberately resist it? *Do you enjoy courting suffering that much, you fool?!* Lord Huaxu made no further attempts to entice him, merely flicking his paw. As Ji Jue wished. Scattering sweet dreams. "Before what you call the Age of Chaos—no, even earlier than the so-called Age of the Gods—there was a passage in a book that went like this..." Lord Huaxu spoke slowly: "'—In the boundless kalpas of the past, there was a man wandering the wilderness, pursued by an evil elephant. Terrified and without refuge, he saw an empty well with tree roots beside it. Grasping the roots, he lowered himself into the well. Two mice, one black and one white, gnawed at the roots. On the four sides of the well were four venomous snakes wishing to bite the man, and below lurked a venomous dragon. Fearing the dragon and snakes, and dreading the roots snapping, he looked up and saw honey on the roots; five drops fell into his mouth. The tree shook, the bees scattered, stinging the man below. Then a wildfire arrived, burning the tree.'" He paused and asked once more: "Ji Jue, what did you glean from that?" Ji Jue pondered for a moment and replied, "Reality is terrifying; all life is suffering." *A pupil worthy of teaching.* The cat nodded. "And what else?" Then he heard Ji Jue’s admiring voice: "Turns out honey really is sweet!" "..." Lord Huaxu’s face instantly fell into a deadpan scowl. "Even if heaven falls and earth cracks, at least there's still sugar..." Ji Jue shrugged. "Thinking about it that way, I find it quite nice, don't you?" "You truly spoil the appetite." Lord Huaxu rolled his eyes, averting his gaze in disgust. Forget it. Good advice could not save a ghost bent on dying. Even the Lord of Huaxu could not awaken someone pretending to sleep. In the end, mud walls could not be plastered. Rotten wood could not be carved. "I am deeply grateful for Lord Huaxu’s favor, but having failed your kindness, I truly cannot accept the invitation." Ji Jue lowered his head, conveying heartfelt gratitude and apology. "What I seek is not here. Please just consider it... innate nature being hard to change." Having said that, he chuckled first. Mocking himself. Illusions were numerous; bubbles were manifold. Indeed, the human world saw many changes. Degradation and ascension were sometimes separated by a mere thought. Yet while appearance, age, wealth, and status underwent countless shifts, this foolish nature of his refused enlightenment, even more resistant to change. The obsession of Ascension, the rigidity of Desolate Ruins, the greed and yearning of Heart Pivot, the transformation and renewal of Embers... Thus obstinate unto death, refusing to bow even when facing defeat and ruin. Marching toward destruction out of sheer self-righteousness. Conceited, courting doom, reaping what one sowed; while praying for good fortune, actively seeking out hardship. Reaping one's own karma, and thus finding amusement in it. Ji Jue despised such a world, yet he liked this version of himself. A craftsman's nature was so foolish, yet so delightful. This was fine. And so, let it be. Just like that, he abandoned his illusions. In the brief silence, Lord Huaxu said nothing, but this dreamscape began to tremble faintly. Ripples surged and turmoil churned without pause as a faint rumbling traveled inward from the outside. As if some colossal behemoth had smashed through an ice sheet and plunged into the deep ocean, stirring up violent undercurrents. The black cat’s brow slowly furrowed, as though sensing an unwelcome guest at the door. "Heh, making a special trip just for this trivial nonsense?" He shook his head, sneering in mockery. "Seems you folks have truly fallen on hard times." "What happened?" Ji Jue grew tense, restless and on edge. He felt as though something had locked onto him. "What else could happen? Two things fighting over the doorway, brawling to see who gets in first." Lord Huaxu sneered and raised his eyes. "Look, hasn't the one who beat the other to the punch already arrived?" Before his voice could fade, the endlessly surging iridescent light in the heavens was suddenly parted from the center, thrust aside as some unseen, magnificent presence descended into the dreamscape. Formless and imageless, colorless and shapeless. Like an invisible path where myriad phenomena surged upward, climbing and extending to the end of the soul. That was... Ji Jue was dumbfounded. *Supreme Goodness?!* At this moment, Supreme Goodness: Ascension reigned over the dream! The soul's dazzling light illuminated his eyes. Immediately following that, right before Ji Jue’s eyes, with a thunderous *boom*, it shattered into pieces... Before it could even fully manifest, it was smashed to powder by a pursuing behemoth, repelled and driven out. Behind the fragmented phantasm, a mountain-like, sharply angled stone pillar had already pierced through the dream, thrusting deep inside at an awkward angle. So vast that it exhausted the field of vision, its beginning and end impossible to fathom; so magnificent that even the infinitely large bubble at this moment seemed like mere dust compared to that pillar-like silhouette. It lashed out with a kick, knocking aside the unsteadily poised Ascension, and swaggered boldly into the dream of the Paradise of Myriad Phenomena, kicking up thousands of ripples and towering waves. Turmoil surged; tremors never ceased. **Desolate Ruins** descended! *—You little punk, I’ve finally caught you!*