Chapter 858 - Stubbornness

Who knew how long Ye Zichen had been suppressing those very words? He took this chance to get it all out in the open. Instantly, he felt as if a giant boulder had been lifted from his shoulders

He was the reincarnation of the Yellow Emperor.

He had illuminated the Emperor Star.

He was the Chosen Son of Heaven.

But none of it compared to being in the Modern Realm, cracking jokes with his roommates, graduating and finding a job, working in an office....

This couldn’t offer anything remotely comparable to the benefits he got from the Red Packet Server. Nevertheless, this was the sort of life an ordinary person ought to lead.

Even if he was muddle-headed and ignorant and accomplished nothing in his life!

Now, you could say he was a dragon among men, the reincarnation of the Yellow Emperor, the forefather of China, and the entire Three Realms had to respectfully address him as “Emperor Ye.”

He received tens of thousands of respectful bows was widely respected.

He worked with figures of legend like Yang Jian and the Jade Emperor, Chang’e herself was fond of him, and he had his soulmates by his side.

Did he enjoy it?

No, all he “enjoyed” was endless, unrelenting pressure.

If there was even the slightest hint of trouble, he had to stand at the forefront and face it head-on. He bore the title of “Emperor Ye,” so he couldn’t retreat and risk looking anything less than omnipotent in front of the people.

Earlier, he’d had to plot and conspire against the Demon Realm.

After this, he had to go back and soothe his beloveds’ emotions, as well as find a way to return to the Modern Realm.

He was only in his twenties, yet all of this had already been placed upon his shoulders. He was truly exhausted; the neverending pressure had him at his wits’ end.

He couldn’t blame everything on Gu Zichen, but he really needed a target to vent his anger at.

In response to Ye Zichen’s rant, Gu Zichen said nothing at all. He simply stared, wide-eyed as Ye Zichen’s chest heaved.

After a while, he finally asked, “so, you think everything is my fault, huh?”

“I never said everything was your fault, but…..” Ye Zichen looked directly at him, “you can’t deny that you’re the one who arranged every step leading up to this, can you?

Gu Zichen’s hands trembled slightly, and his eyes brimmed with disbelief. His lips quivered, yet he couldn’t speak.

Until now, he hadn’t realized that, in Ye Zichen’s eyes, all his arrangements were nothing but a burden.

“Great, you said how you really feel. That’s wonderful,” said Gu Zichen. He forced a smile and nodded. “In that case, I’ll just say I’m sorry I dragged you into this mess.”

“No need, it’s a little late to say all that,” interrupted Ye Zichen. “All I want to say now is, in the future, please don’t force me to walk down the same losing path you once walked. I don’t want to repeat your mistakes.”

“No problem,” Gu Zichen let out a long sigh.

Then his eyes reddened as he spoke again. “You’ve said your piece. I have my own pride, so from now on, I’ll keep my distance. In the future, you can decide for yourself which path you’ll walk. I won’t interfere in the slightest.”

“Then I’d like to thank you in advance.”

“Hah…..” Gu Zichen smiled coldly. “But you’d better not get conceited. Do you remember what I once told you? You aren’t the only person I chose; there’s another.”

“What?” Ye Zichen’s brows shot up.

“He made so many mistakes that I gave up on him halfway through. I decided to support you whole-heartedly instead, “ said Gu Zichen, lips quivering.

He let out a burst of self-deprecating laughter. “But I never would have guessed you’d give me this sort of pleasant surprise! I gave everything I had to support you, but to you, it was actually just a burden.”

Ye Zichen’s expression was indifferent.

Seeing this, Gu Zichen sighed and said coolly, “then I’ll just say this: the Emperor Star didn’t just light up for you. The Heavens chose two people, but only one can remain! Before long, you’ll definitely bump into each other. When that happens, there’s no need to worry. I won’t hold a grudge because of what you just said. In the end, which of you shall survive? That will depend entirely on your abilities.”

“Hm?”

In response, Ye Zichen’s expression shifted slightly.

The Heavens chose two people? Only one could remain?

There were two emperors!

And he’d been completely unaware of it!

Seeing Ye Zichen’s change in expression, Gu Zichien snorted. “Worried?”

Gu Zichen had originally come here to help Ye Zichen take the throne, but now it seemed….

There was no need for that.

Ye Zichen, who he’d once thought so highly of, was now trying to blame everything on him?

If that’s how it was going to be, he might as well let Ye Zichen choose his own path. Gu Zichen actually wanted to see how far Ye Zichen could get without his help.

A losing path!

He’d even said his was a “losing path!”

Who would’ve guessed that, although he himself had yet to realize it, Gu Zichen was starting to become stubborn and irrational? He believed that everything he did was correct. As for everything Ye Zichen had just said, he simply felt that Ye Zichen had been a waste of his time-- he didn’t reflect on his own actions at all.

In his eyes, he’d already been through all this before, so all of his decisions were correct.

Ye Zichen refusing his help was equivalent to seeking death. No more, no less!

He jeered at Ye Zichen, assuming he’d listen to reason and back down.

To his surprise, Ye Zichen simply frowned slightly, paused to get his expression back under control, then said, “can you let Yang Jian go now?”

Ignored.

He blatantly ignored Ye Zichen’s words.

Gu Zichen glowered. Internally, he felt a sudden urge to crush this uncontrollable chess piece into bits.

However, countless unforgettable images flashed involuntarily through his head, reminding him that this was his last chance.

For the sake of that faint possibility, he had to endure.

He smothered his violent urges and looked heavily at Ye Zichen, then retracted his gaze and sat back into his chair.

“Nope.”

After saying that, he immediately thought of all Ye Zichen’s possible responses. He was in no mood to argue, so he immediately followed up, saying, “this is a lucky chance for him. Be patient and just watch. I told you, he’s one of your Auxiliary Stars. Hurting him means hurting the Emperor Star. I wouldn’t do something like that.”

Meanwhile, as Ye Zichen’s physical body sat motionlessly on the chair, Yang Jian’s situation grew more and more desperate.

The overwhelming pressure put enormous strain on his internal organs. He lay sprawled on the ground, blood flowing from his mouth, face streaked with blood.

"Your Excellency, please have mercy on him."

The North Pole Emperor knelt anxiously to the ground, followed by all the other immortals of the Heavenly Court.

“North Pole, what are you doing?!” called out Yang Jian despite his extreme agony. The North Pole Emperor was the leader of the Heavenly Court. If he fell to his knees, that affected the dignity of the whole Heavenly Court.

The North Pole Emperor acted as if he hadn’t heard anything. He bowed as low as he possibly could and plead for mercy with the utmost sincerity.

However, he got no response whatsoever.

Seeing this, Yang Jian’s eyes reddened completely. Right now, all he could think….

“Young man, can you hear my call?”