CH 164

Heaven and earth are indifferent to benevolence or malevolence; all living beings are like straw dolls in its eyes, without distinction.

Chu Ge represents the Heavenly Dao in the book, and he would not allow anything to occur in that world that deviates from his control, causing the plot to become chaotic and potentially backfiring on himself.

Chu Ge is a mortal in this world, and he would not permit the beings he created to have any unpredictable impact on his homeland. He would also not allow them to reveal his secrets, which could lead to trouble, nor would he permit the dissemination of the skills from the book, causing them to lose their unique characteristics.

Whether you are the bloodthirsty and ruthless Yan Qianli, the righteous gentleman Xie Jiuxiao, or the perpetually chivalrous Chu Tiange. It’s all the same, no matter who you are.

So, “because you are the villain” is just an excuse.

It has nothing to do with good or evil, nor does it concern gender. It is not so much about morality as it is about the fear of losing control. Anything that is unpredictable and uncontrollable is strictly forbidden.

Why is Qiu Wuji an exception?

It’s not just because of love.

It’s also because Qiu Wuji has always understood him from the beginning and has never done anything that scares him.

“When Qiu Wuji and I hadn’t reached this stage in our relationship, she was still fine.” Chu Ge said wearily, “Do you know why?”

Yan Qianli chuckled, “Because she’s beautiful, and you hope she can be in this kind of relationship with you.”

Chu Ge remained expressionless, “Do you think you’re being funny? If heaven and earth are indifferent, then beauty is just the same as straw dolls… Maybe she’s just a puppet.”

Yan Qianli was taken aback and fell silent. That statement is not wrong. If it were someone else, being able to control the fate of a stunning woman would likely result in something other than a romantic relationship.

“Actually, in the beginning, I was coerced by her. She held a sword to my neck,” Chu Ge held Qiu Wuji’s hand and smiled. “At that time, I was very unwilling, so I turned the tables on her and added a character detail that still angers her to this day… At that time, we can say that we were mutually hostile.”

Qiu Wuji gave him a blank look. For some reason, listening to these words brought a sense of nostalgia. Their past encounters… Whether it was holding a sword to his neck or his stubborn addition of the line ‘If you want a man, find the Creator God.’

That was the beginning of their relationship, and comparing it to their current dependence on each other felt like a world away.

“During that time, something else happened, and I felt very lonely. When Qiu Wuji reappeared, I had less resistance and more surprise. So I was willing to talk to her and strive for mutual understanding,” Chu Ge said in a low voice. “Qiu Wuji is tough on the outside but soft-hearted. She knows the difficulties I face and won’t cause any unintended consequences in this world. When she tested the limits of the book, she was cautious and tried not to make significant changes to avoid any unforeseen circumstances. I may not say it out loud, but I see it all, and I’m grateful for Qiu Wuji’s understanding… and I love her even more.”

He paused for a moment and continued, “Can anyone else do these things? Can you, Yan Qianli?”

Yan Qianli remained silent.

Of course not. Now that he knows the truth, he would surely do everything in his power to change as much as possible. What’s the point of trying to break free from fate? Just look at Qiu Wuji’s attempts to change things from various angles—what has it accomplished?

Chu Ge continued, “Besides Qiu Wuji, I trust no one. Perhaps you’re right. I don’t judge based on good or evil; good and evil merely determine the premise of progress… The ultimate factor is closeness.”

He spoke a lot, seemingly trying to organize his thoughts. But now, it seemed that he had indeed sorted things out, and his voice became resolute. “I, Chu Ge, am not some impartial divine entity. I am merely a mortal. I am biased towards my own family, and I will only compromise for the sake of my family. Qiu Wuji can, but others cannot. In this world, there can only be one character from the book, and that is Qiu Wuji!”

“When you put it that way, it actually sounds quite normal,” the little flame sitting cross-legged in the bead responded, arms folded. “Everyone has their own selfishness, so there’s no need to talk about understanding our desire to break free. Just say that you want to control everything and manipulate our destinies. I come from the demonic path, and I’ve never sought fairness. If someone is weaker, they become prey; that’s only natural. It’s just that your loved ones by your side might find it difficult to accept, hahaha…”

“She won’t, because she understands me. I’m just honestly writing a book, never intending to do anything to anyone. Why would I provoke anyone? Fish and meat, who cares… It’s just that your awakening came at the wrong time. When I complete the world within the book, the world will play out on its own, and I’ll bring Qiu Wuji out. We’ll separate the two realms, and everyone can live in peace. Who cares about your future destinies when you’re all well-fed… I don’t even read my own book anymore…”

Yan Qianli: “…”

It seems like that makes sense… But according to the course of your plot, and considering my character as a villain, I am probably going to die. Should I just accept my fate? Damn it.

Chu Ge seemed to know what he was thinking and looked at him sympathetically. “Little Qianli, at least in the outline of the mortal realm, I didn’t write your death… After going through the trouble of creating a powerful and charismatic villain, I even planned to incorporate you into the heavenly realm’s storyline. Of course, I haven’t decided whether you’ll live or die in the end…”

Yan Qianli: “?”

Qiu Wuji tilted her head. She had been drawn into deep philosophical thoughts by their conversation, but this statement immediately dispelled them, and she suddenly felt like laughing.

“He… I’ve seen his future outline before, and he really didn’t write your death,” Qiu Wuji explained with a suppressed laugh. “In the ensemble he’s currently writing, every character is important. Even if they’re just serving box lunches, it will be meaningful and worth remembering as a memorable finale.”

At least it’s more meaningful than crawling out and getting caught, and having your subsequent storyline erased from the book. Little Flame sat in the bead, dumbfounded.

He never wrote about my death.

And even after finishing writing, he won’t bother with that world. In other words, at most in a year or two, we won’t have any predetermined fate anymore. For a long cultivation journey, what is one or two years? Even if you want to defy the heavens, you have to plan for hundreds of years!

Then what am I doing?

“No…” Little Flame began stuttering, “Then, what are you trying to ascend for? To break free from what fate?”

Qiu Wuji calmly replied, “Because I want to become a real person in this world, to be his wife. Do you want that too?”

“Damn!”

Little Flame began struggling, “Damn heavens… I mean, respected Heavenly Dao, Creator God, you must forget what I’ve done. I’ll go back and obediently follow your arrangements. Let me chop whoever needs to be chopped, and I won’t come out again…”

Qiu Wuji was dumbfounded, “Are you still Yan Qianli?”

“You ignorant woman, what do you know? If a practitioner of demonic path does not change direction whenever they want, can it still be called the demonic path? Is it too shameful to bown to the Creator?” Little Flame stomped his foot. “I’m going to die. Even though I could have lived fine in the subsequent storyline, I had to come out and endure a night of rain. There won’t even be a memorable finale that people will remember. Do you know what it feels like…”

Chu Ge and Qiu Wuji looked at each other.

Hearing it was heart-wrenching, seeing it was tear-inducing.

Little Flame continued to struggle, “Creator God, it would be troublesome to change the subsequent storyline, right? I, Yan Qianli, am also a top-level demonic cultivator who has roamed the Nine Provinces for thousands of years. The subsequent plotlines must be important, right? If you want to make changes, it will be a huge undertaking. Creator God, you should save yourself the trouble and not erase it…”

Chu Ge: “…”

“Qiu Wuji, say something. You are the leader of the righteous path, kind-hearted, right…”

“You called me an ignorant woman just now.”

“I’m sorry, Master Qiu…” Little Flame hurriedly said, “The Cloud Horizon Sect should also have a method to erase memories, right? They can completely erase the memories of what I’ve seen and heard, and put me back in the book… You see, it’s so simple, it’s for the sake of Creator God…”

Qiu Wuji helplessly said, “Let me think…”

Little Flame was overjoyed, “Thank you, Master Qiu. I won’t oppose you anymore…”

Qiu Wuji rubbed her forehead, “Why do I feel like Yan Qianli is already dead? The Yan Qianli who dared to challenge the heavens, where did his shameful will to survive come from?”

On the other hand, Chu Ge understood Yan Qianli better, “Yan Qianli would never accept such a meaningless and insignificant death. It’s normal for him to be submissive now, but he’ll change his attitude once he returns.”

Yan Qianli didn’t argue either. No one knew him better than the Creator God himself. All this acting was meaningless.

Chu Ge looked at the anxious Little Flame squirming inside the bead and hesitated for a moment, “Can you erase his memories?”

Qiu Wuji said, “He is a nascent soul, not an ordinary human… My current cultivation level is not enough. I can do it for ordinary people, but I’m not sure about him…”

Little Flame erupted in anger, “Ignorant woman! Just as I expected, the true face of the righteous path, the most untrustworthy!”

Qiu Wuji picked up the bead expressionlessly and placed it under the alchemy furnace, saying, “I need to refine pills and improve my cultivation. I happen to need your Vermillion Sun Soul Fire. Once the pills are satisfactory, then we can discuss further.”

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