Chapter 468

Nüwa's footsteps halted at the palace gate.

It was precisely when she was about to take a decisive step that a heavenly sound came from behind.

"Good! I agree!"

This was Donghua the August Emperor's voice, his tone exceedingly cheerful.

A formal reply of historical significance! A salted fish, seemingly thanks to the earnest teachings of the female domineering CEO, successful Grandmaster Nüwa, was enlightened and resolutely turned over! A great victory!

Although Nüwa had her back to Donghua, the light in her eyes shifted unpredictably—there was surprise, there was suspicion, even a hint of realization… all these contradictions coexisting, coupled with the familiar taste of the small dried fish she savored in her mouth, her gaze finally coalesced into a strange, mysterious smile, as if a flash of insight had let her perceive some hidden truth.

Although it's unknown whether she could see the whole picture, a corner of the clue was quite interesting.

However, that smile, the moment it appeared, was swallowed by Nüwa's self‑control, sinking into her heart; her facial expression quickly self‑adjusted, revealing a flawless, utterly genuine‑looking extreme restraint of burning anger.

——This is the self‑cultivation of a peak Actor!

Women, natural-born Actors.

Nüwa, as the most formidable female representative of this era, is even the top dog among them!

Everything was so lifelike, with not a trace of flaw.

From facial expression, to body language, to the outward manifestation of divine‑sense emotion…

Her teeth creaked as Nüwa turned slowly, bit by bit, to face Donghua the August Emperor once more, her expression showing both repression and anger.

Reasonable and proper.

——Logically, upon hearing good news, the negotiating party intending to sign a cooperation agreement, she ought to be overjoyed.

But…

Does Nüwa not care about face? You, a peak Grand Luo, with boundless temporal sense, your thoughts in negotiation are merely a fleeting moment.

Having made up her mind, she ought to immediately give a definite reply.

But you neither agreed early nor late; only when I announced the end of cooperation and was about to leave did you leisurely speak up, stopping my steps…

I! Nüwa! Am very doubtful! "Are you playing with me?!"

Nüwa coldly stared at Donghua, lips pressed tight, pretty face taut, strenuously releasing killing intent, which was in fact telling the other party——

Nüwa, must not be insulted! Indeed, she came to negotiate cooperation, seeking allies to aid her, to add bricks and tiles to her Pangu grand undertaking.

But! What is her Pangu for? It is to stand upright and proper at the pinnacle of all gods!

It is to become the mother of all Grand Luo divinities! Not to suffer resentment, to be summoned and dispatched for teasing! To grovel and beg for cooperation… such an option does not exist in her divine lexicon!

Oh, that's not right either.

In this vast Honghuang, there still exists a deity who can make her feel wronged and tremble.

That deity is called Fuxi.

Besides Fuxi, when facing other divinities, her cooperative attitude is always one of equality—you respect me, I respect you; you humiliate me, and I will turn around, rally my eight hundred underlings, and raise you and your family grave to the skies!

What's more, now… as long as she can achieve great success, changing her family's junior position, even Fuxi would have to raise his hand and surrender, truly making her the supreme under heaven!

Such is the background.

Donghua, how could you humiliate and toy with me like this?! I, Nüwa, absolutely will not accept such humiliation!

Before we continue discussing the cooperation matters, you must make things clear to me! Otherwise…

Nüwa stared dead‑locked at Donghua, endless chill brewing in her eyes and emanating from her whole body, icy stillness dominating this span of time and space.

"I will surely give you retribution!"

Nüwa said nothing, but her expression blatantly conveyed that meaning.

If you don't give me an explanation, then I'll give you one! This face‑off outweighs heaven.

Furious, I would rather not care about the Pangu struggle and instead focus on how to kill you! Serving Fuxi with softness—could it possibly be weaker than serving you with softness? Nüwa is furious.

The consequences are grave.

Of course.

Some august emperor daring to do such a thing… obviously, he is no timid soul.

"Heh."

Donghua gave an inscrutable chuckle, lightly tapped the table, and a layer of splendid warm light flowed out, completely canceling the deathly chill Nüwa had brought.

"You say I'm playing with you… tsk tsk."

He smacked his lips, suddenly chuckling, "But it's not wrong either."

The atmosphere froze in an instant.

A single sentence, and the heavens were talked to death.

Donghua, also a little chat expert.

Nüwa's expression stiffened; at this moment the emperor's magnanimous admission left her somewhat dazed… how should she respond next? Before she could react, Donghua continued speaking.

"I'll borrow the phrase you often have on your lips these days."

"Sincere friends who come calling are naturally greeted with warm enthusiasm."

"Deceitful visitors with ulterior motives deserve to be met with tactics, and we must always be ready to cross swords."

Donghua said leisurely, "Nüwa, ask yourself—what kind of deity are you?"

"Your attitude toward me determines how I previously responded…… Is there a problem with that?"

"No problem at all—at least that's how I see it."

Nüwa heard this, her face shifting colors, finally she put on a stern face: "So you first resisted then agreed, playing me around… are you indirectly calling me a fickle petty person?"

"Not quite." Donghua said, astonished, "After all, the human heart is prone to change."

"I would have resisted earlier, unwilling to cooperate…"

The emperor shook his head, "This is entirely because I can't sense your genuine sincerity!"

"I lack sincerity?" Nüwa, somewhat amused by anger.

"Of course." Dong Hua nodded, "Everything you just said…… the starting point, which sentence isn't because of your own self-interest?"

"You're just trying to make a huge profit, that's why you patiently gave me a big lecture, talked about life, spoke of ideals…… don't deny it."

Dong Hua chuckled, "Everyone knows what's going on…… I'm just tired of the right and wrong, so I'm too lazy to deal with you, I don't want to get dragged into this muddy affair again."

"But later, you did say a few heartfelt words, letting go of selfish motives…… even if they weren't very pleasant to hear."

Dong Hua casually fiddled with spacetime, the image reset, and Nüwa's words reappeared.

"This makes me think you still have a bit of conscience, a bit of integrity, a bit of grace—able to take up and let go, to part on good terms—if you don't cooperate, I'll cause trouble for you, I'll ruin all our past collaborations, just to make things difficult for you; nobody should expect to come out unscathed."

Dong Hua's eyes were deep.

Nüwa, however, felt choked up.

Damn! You actually considered thinking of me in such a bad way? I, Nüwa, am that kind of goddess?

Universally acknowledged, I am one of the few innate deities with a conscience, specially tasked with balancing my elder brother's dark, wicked schemes!

You still think of me as that bad? Even though I, Nüwa, deal in real estate, school district houses, and even rally twelve flamboyant youths, aiming to slaughter across the whole Honghuang…… but I firmly believe I'm a good goddess! 'Little notebook noted.'

Nüwa glanced sideways at Dong Hua, the little figurine of thought in her heart busily working, wanting to add a bold, heavy stroke to her diary.

However, when her pen touched the paper, she hesitated a bit.

"'What should I specifically write down?' 'Dong Hua…… he's really problematic!'"

The little figurine in Nüwa's heart hesitated, rolling around all over the seabed of memory.

…

"Is it because you think I finally said something human, so you called out to me?"

Nüwa asked calmly.

"Yeah…… not." Dong Hua said calmly, delivering an irritating twist, before Nüwa even started pondering whether to pull out a forty-meter great saber, he gave his formal reply: "The main thing is, you reminded me of a familiar name."

"Dragon Ancestor…… well, in this era he wears a disguise, called Gong Gong."

Dong Hua's eyes were gloomy, his expression a half-smile.

"Looking at you like this, he still hasn't let go."

"Besides, in the Heavenly Court…… Di Jun also did a poor job, which makes me unhappy."

Dong Hua rose to his feet, in an instant light shone forth, an unparalleled aura of confident majesty appeared, making Nüwa momentarily feel as if she were seeing her elder brother.

"My old workhorse isn't even retired yet, and I'm already developing tacit understanding with my rival…… how is that okay?"

"I think that's improper."

"As for…… you mentioned, when I abandon the Pangu conflict, completely withdraw to stay safe, Dragon Ancestor won't come looking for trouble for me……"

"Wouldn't that show how fearful I am of him?"

"If yet another loose-lipped busybody goes around spreading rumors, spouting nonsense…… wouldn't that make me out to be terribly greedy for life, fearful of death, enduring humiliation just to survive, and that Dragon Ancestor fellow somehow broad-minded, magnificent, not seeing things like a broken-backed dog, upright and righteous, with someone speaking for him?"

"I can't bear it! This absolutely cannot be borne!"

"Thanks for reminding me." Dong Hua looked at Nüwa, smiled and said, "Let me know, at the very least I want to give Dragon Ancestor a deep memory, let him know, and let the world know——"

"I withdrew because I was lonely, invincible, and tired of continuing to blast fish in the fishpond."

"All the gods should cheer, should feel fortunate; my bearing is transcendent, I do not greed for fame or profit, nor do I pursue power."

"So……" Nüwa hesitated.

"So before withdrawing, I want to give Dragon Ancestor one final lesson, leaving a psychological shadow that will last ten or eight great eras." Dong Hua laughed as he stuffed a small dried fish into his mouth, saying this.

"Wait." Nüwa said hesitantly, "Between you and Dragon Ancestor, it seems Dragon Ancestor is entirely the victim, right?"

"Back then you 'went berserk into demonhood', were beguiled by the demon lord Luo Hou, and ultimately you had him killed in the Slay Immortal Sword Array……"

"Now, how can you act so self-righteously justified, utterly convinced, to exterminate him completely?"

Immediately, the atmosphere here became subtle.

However, this subtlety couldn't last long.

Simply because Dong Hua is a god who has seen grand scenes, and his integrity…… sometimes it's high, astonishingly high, making the gods tremble, capable of wholeheartedly serving humanity and carrying out slaughter without limit; but sometimes it's low, equally low, making the gods wary, utterly unscrupulous.

"Well." Dong Hua slightly lifted his head, sunlight and starlight sprinkling onto his face, outlining a mysterious edge, "Naturally because——the things I've done, I bear responsibility for myself, and I will absolutely not beg for forgiveness in tears."

"Even if I made a mistake."

"Since it's wrong, then be wrong to the end."

"Why be wrong only halfway, then turn back to apologize?"

Dong Hua gently said to Nüwa, his tone calm, yet it made Nüwa feel the hairs on her spine stand up.

Such a Dong Hua Emperor…… although his strength still falls short of Nüwa's, he gives her an extreme sense of danger.

"'Terrifying!'"

This is Nüwa's evaluation in her heart.

"If apologies were useful, what would be the point of cultivation, right?" Dong Hua said slowly, "Nüwa, think about it——"

"If I apologized, could that thorn in Dragon Ancestor's heart be removed?"

"Could he forgive me? No."

"If forgiven…… would he be worthy of those loyal subordinates who once sacrificed their heads and shed blood for his cause?"

"Because my leading the way into demonhood caused them to meet Luo Hou's slaughter, being purged…… even if ultimately time is reversed and they are revived, the shadow in their hearts will not disappear."

"Dragon Ancestor must hate me!"

Dong Hua said lightly and casually, "The unspoken rules of Honghuang also uniformly demand that he must hate me!"

"With Great Luo immortality, Great Luo indestructibility, and unlimited use of Resurrection Armor…… under such premises, how can one lack even a shred of hot-bloodedness?"

"Look."

"Apologies are useless; the other side won't and can't accept them."

"So, everyone also shouldn't engage in these futile efforts."

Let me simply become the greatest evil; in the eyes of the Dragon Ancestor, who represents justice, I am the target that must be defeated with all effort.

Dong Hua smiled, chanting, as if crossing time and space in a daze, whispering to the Dragon Ancestor at some point downstream in the river of time.

Cang!

The time has come to test your capacity!

You must bear hatred and resentment, sleep on firewood and taste gall, work hard, turn the pressure in your heart into the greatest motive, strive forward and struggle, becoming the most inspirational myth!

I await you at the peak!

When you stand before me, I will grant you a defeat, overturn your immortal Dragon Court… so that everything may begin anew in the cycle of history.

The Emperor muttered to himself, the smile on his face radiant beyond compare.

Gulug.

At this moment, Nüwa gulped saliva, took two steps back with a thud-thud, and sucked in a cold breath.

Good… good, utterly insane!

But…

After the fright, Nüwa relaxed her brows, a slightly mischievous smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.

——Dragon Ancestor's misfortune, what does it have to do with her, Nüwa? She couldn't be happier!

'I'll make you storm the palace!'

'I'll make you jump up and down!'

'Serves you right! Serves you right!'

Nüwa's thoughts ran wild and unrestrained.

Until Dong Hua gazed at her with a half-smile, she startled and slipped back into a proper demeanor.

Hand it over.

Dong Hua reached out.

"What do you want?" Nüwa asked, puzzled.

"Naturally, it's the terms you've drafted to persuade me to cooperate..." Dong Hua said leisurely, "Let me see, what benefits are there for me?"

PS: Happy New Year! (End of chapter)