In the morning, I greeted Ice Dad and Ice Mom under imnse psychological pressure before having breakfast together. Throughout the al, the expressions on both parents’ faces... I won’t describe them; you can imagine it yourself. Anyway, it looked rather unsettling. Uncle Kuwayin, who is so handso he could swipe his way to becoming Earth’s richest man, by the end of breakfast had already managed to smile his way into having three wrinkles on his cheek. Aunt Aisali also appeared inexplicably excited, continuously adding dishes and rice to my plate, which I did appreciate—at least until my view was completely blocked by the food in front of .
"Look at how worried your parents are," I quipped with Bingdisi in the depths of my soul, "but this reaction does seem a bit exaggerated, huh."
"They do it in phases, it’s nothing," Bingdisi answered drowsily, "They actually do this deliberately to create a sense of urgency for , and incidentally put pressure on you too. They’ve pulled this stunt hundreds of tis. Even if you ignore them, it’s fine."
I chuckled dryly, unsure whether to marvel at Ice Dad and Ice Mom’s "lovably" exaggerated style, marvel at Bingdisi’s understanding of her parents, or marvel at Bingdisi’s imperviousness. Thinking it over, I decided not to marvel: this family of three has been clowning around like this for over a billion years. Regardless of how long I marvel, I won’t finish marveling—even by the next millennium. I should continue feeding my side’s deadpan Ice Sister. Speaking of which, I’ve beco quite proficient at the task, not only knowing Bingdisi’s tastes but even judging if she’s full just by intuition and feeding mory: thanks to Bingdisi’s soul perpetually babbling in my mind.
I cared for the vacant Ice Sister like I was tending a child, teaching her to open her mouth, reminding her to chew slowly, feeding her water, and even patting her back if she occasionally choked (though for the Divine Race, it doesn’t matter much). Due to poor coordination, even simple actions went awry, so I had to periodically wipe her mouth and clean the food residue off her clothes. While these countless actions were cumberso, they weren’t annoying. On one hand, watching such a pretty girl eat absentmindedly was actually quite enjoyable; on the other hand... taking care of children at ho honed my skills.
This truly is a sad story.
I feel that the absent-minded, deadpan Bingdisi is actually cuter than her normal self right now. But upon reflection, the normal Bingdisi seems quite... distinctive too. Plus, besides that fact is that the lively Ice Sister hasn’t darted around in ages—I do miss that figure.
Although this goofball female hooligan has always been by my side, she’s temporarily split into two parts that are stored separately; not assembling them feels consistently odd—can you imagine having plain boiled noodles today and drinking hot water mixed with flavor packets tomorrow? A female hooligan like Bingdisi needs both a healthy physique and a mischievous soul to remain upright...
"Going to Father God later, right?" Bingdisi suddenly spoke, "A preliminary result should be available today, Sovare’s efficiency is always terrifyingly quick."
As I expertly wiped Bingdisi’s (body’s) face, tidied bread crumbs off her clothes, and sorted out her hair, I nodded: "Yeah, there were originally two things to do in the Divine Realm; now that your issue is sorted, the rest is just focusing on research. By the way, you didn’t sleep well last night; take a nap now, I’ll call you if anything cos up."
Bingdisi murmured an "oh," despite her soul form not needing respiration, she still yawned to indicate she was preparing to sleep. anwhile, I pondered three questions: Do gods need to yawn? Do souls need sleep? How does Bingdisi handle her hair while sleeping?—I hadn’t ti to ask before hearing a fierce threat within my mind: "Try asking another question about hair and see what happens!"
I smiled helplessly, tugging at the corner of my mouth, then glanced at Aunt Aisali watching with a warm smile. Yeah, Bingdisi was right, her parents were intentionally exaggerating to add psychological pressure, but Aunt Aisali’s expression now seed normal, right? Uncle Kuwayin also finished dining like a composed old gentleman, waiting for the Shadow Servant to clear the table.
"She fell asleep, didn’t rest well last night, I let her take a nap." Though uncertain, I figured they might have sensed Bingdisi’s soul had shifted from active to quiet, which brought about the behavioral change. Therefore, I inford them Bingdisi had fallen asleep.
"A very troubleso silly girl, huh." Aunt Aisali smiled elegantly, looking nothing like Bingdisi’s mother; gods don’t age, so she seed more like Bingdisi’s sister, even reaching the point where you can’t tell if she’s the elder or younger sister. With that smile, I faintly saw Bingdisi’s shadow in her: though their personalities differed greatly, their smiles seed strikingly similar.
"Well, she’s quite lively; once you get used to it, you realize her temperant isn’t too bad, at least very genuine." I returned a smile, speaking from the heart: Bingdisi’s temperant may be overly intense for most, but thanks to the lethargy of Void Creatures, I feel I can adapt to communicating with anyone—look at how well Qianqian’s brain shes with mine, can’t you?
"Though we know our flustered behavior gives her substantial pressure," Kuwayin sighed softly, "I really have no other way. I’m a rather clumsy father, and spent most of my ti outside fighting wars when Bingdisi was little. Every ti I returned triumphantly, it felt like a completely unfamiliar young woman lived in my house. She called dad, but I didn’t know how to speak to her... You see, it gradually turned out this way. Now, the only thing I know and can do as a father is ensure this task is done. And you know what? She disappeared for a long ti, losing touch...it’s only now that I want soone to actually anchor that wild girl, you know?"
Unexpected, yet inevitable, I could only spread my hands: "So you’re just going to ss with , huh?"
"No need for formalities, strictly speaking according to the Void Ladder, when we et you we should be performing a reception ceremony," Uncle Kuwayin said with a half-joking wave of his hand, "Actually it’s not all ’ssing around.’ Bingdisi, that child... is truly worriso. You should know her, do you think soone like her... not to ntion millions of years, even if a few million more pass, could marry..."
"...Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"
"Don’t say anything."
"Actually, sotis Bingdisi is a very naive child," Aunt Aisali said, patting her dejected husband aside with a warm smile, "Many see her as a genius, but when it cos to personal issues, she’s as blank as a piece of paper. She doesn’t understand her own feelings at all, and when she encounters emotions she’s never dealt with before, she easily becos unresponsive, then foolishly categorizes them as the camaraderie she usually only knows."
"I already have Sandora and the others," I chuckled, "I’m quite satisfied with that. As for love, it’s wonderful, but if it’s spread too thin, it might not make everyone happy. Besides, I really don’t think this playful bickering with Bingdisi counts as love..."
"But if it really can let one more person feel happy, why not," Aunt Aisali said softly, though her eyes still shifted away, "Of course, I’m just saying this casually. After all, it’s still your own matter. I can tell that when it cos to you and Bingdisi... things probably can’t develop according to common logic, let nature take its course. Additionally, I have to say, your thoughts make more satisfied..."
I was speechless and eventually spread my hands with a helpless smile: "Alright, alright, can we not talk about this—besides, Uncle Kuwayin, isn’t it just you too, if Bingdisi had another mom..."
"She does," Aunt Aisali replied casually, "Ancafna, this shaless person knew her even before he knew ."
What?!
I was dumbfounded, completely stunned. What kind of unexpected developnt is this?!
How did I just casually say sothing that turned out to be true? Why has Bingdisi never ntioned this to anyone—do you see how proud Xiao Xue is when introducing her three mothers to others?
"Um... so Bingdisi has another mom..." I chuckled awkwardly, my gaze awkwardly falling on Uncle Kuwayin. I originally thought, seeing him always paired with Aunt Aisali, that he only had one wife. But to think this seemingly honest Ice Dad was also multi-threaded, "Then why have I never seen her? Doesn’t she live in this temple?"
"She died in battle in the Sixth Quadrant 1.3 billion years ago and left nothing behind," Kuwayin said quietly, with a calm expression, yet there was a somberness in his eyes that ti had struggled to bury, "It’s normal that Bingdisi doesn’t ntion her, it’s a matter from so long ago."
Not even 1.3 billion years could smooth over the longing. Even the Divine Race finds it hard to overco such partings in life and death.
I really wanted to slap myself: "... Sorry."
"It’s alright," Kuwayin shrugged, his expression genuinely indifferent, "In the Divine Realm, whose family doesn’t have a few casualties? Gods don’t age, so sooner or later most of us will die in expeditions in the Abyss or while protecting the world. This won’t change as long as there is a day we can die. Not even Father God has been exempt from such experiences—before the Jia Di sisters, there was still an older sister, but now in the Divine Realm, there might not be more than a hundred gods who’ve actually seen the Eldest Princess’s appearance. To us, this is part of immortal life—and sooner or later, it will be the sa for you."
I don’t know how the topic suddenly shifted to such a heavy direction, and while I wanted to change the subject, I wasn’t sure what to say. Kuwayin, this ancient Divine Race who has lived far too long, spoke rightly; this is not sothing unimaginable: when a race, like gods, never ages, never falls ill, with hearts forever steadfast, and anwhile, the Abyss and Doomsday forever lurk in the Void, their lengthy lives are actually a cruel one-way journey from the very beginning:
As long as you live long enough, you will eventually die on the battlefield, falling in a remote, cold place unreachable by mortals, leaving behind your hotown and loved ones, with only your na entered in the fallen roster, brought ho by your commander.
It’s always a single choice.
"Since the establishnt of the Divine Realm, no Divine Race has died in their own bed at ho," Kuwayin remarked with a relieved smile, seemingly not finding this topic overly lancholic, "They fall far from ho. I’ve already withdrawn from the active deploynt of each Expeditionary Army, but you know, even Father God personally goes on expeditions, so I’ll have my day sooner or later."
My gaze passed the nearby crystal windows, silently observing the busy temple gardeners in the garden; anything radiant and splendid stands on heavy bases, and around the roots of the World Tree is only a patch of cold blackness. Star Domain is like this, Huron is like this, Xyrin is like this. Immortals must pay the price of immortality——Bingdisi actually said similar words to himself. But I suddenly don’t find this unbearable: at least, these things happen after a long passage of ti, don’t they? And you’ll always have enough opportunity to avoid them.
Or have enough ti to smooth over and accept them.
"With that said, only little figures like Life Goddess, who knows nothing and spends their days in lively celebration, is the real winner here," I chuckled suddenly, "They have no death attribute at all, only Void Creatures can erase them."
"Aside from the Light God System personally created by Father God, the life goddess system was the first group promoted to True God by Father God," Kuwayin said lightly, "But after them, Father God never allowed a second race to possess absolute immortality. He has this ability. What do you think is the reason?"
I fell silent for a mont.
"Haha, don’t overthink it, at least life overall is still okay," Uncle Kuwayin didn’t let stay silent for long, he laughed heartily and slapped my shoulder forcefully, "You need to understand, even Father God doesn’t have the power to shelter every inch of the Void, so let give you so advice begrudgingly with my elder status: don’t mind those things you can’t recover, just protect everything within your sight, ability, and heart; in that range, even if it ans dying, you have to protect them well!"
"I’ve learned." I felt the substantial pressure on my shoulder, enunciating every word.
Kuwayin nodded, and for the first ti, I noticed the wise glow in those scarlet eyes belonging to an elder; I suddenly felt tricked by his usually unreliable image, perhaps the real sage is actually...
"Instructing Void Creatures is quite exciting, hey," Kuwayin sidled over and whispered with Aunt Aisali, but his voice was loud enough for the whole room to hear, "You won’t go up and say a few words? When he grows to Father God’s level, we’ll only be able to stare blankly..."
: "..."
If I ever believe anyone related to Bingdisi again, I’ll surely lack intelligence in my ntal faculties!
With a heart full of emotion, I returned to the Book Tower; Father God was already waiting at the entrance of the Book Tower. His keen observation imdiately led him to ask upon our eting: "Not feeling well?"
"It’s nothing," I sighed, "Just talked with Kuwayin about the Divine Race expeditions, suddenly feeling sothing about eternal life."
"Is that so," Father God’s wisdom allowed him to deduce everything with just this sentence, but he only smiled warmly, "Dilute the heavy stuff into a hundred million years, and if that doesn’t work, ten billion years—it’s always easier to accept; until then, just try to keep them from happening."
I suddenly thought of a strange question, a question that in the premise of ’infinite’ seems equally inevitable: "Hey, have you ’died’? Like my ’drop dead’ way back then?"
Void Creatures don’t "completely perish," but we have our own "death" thod—being banished back to our original state.
"Yes, more than once," Father God replied with an indifferent smile, "The worst ti was being banished to the Void for sixteen million years. However, my first ’death’ happened post-maturity, so I didn’t lose all my mories like you. The Divine Realm has specialized asures for such occurrences; when I die—or rather, am banished back to a state of Void dispersion—the Divine Realm partially closes, with the Pantheon taking over managent authority, so things usually don’t get delayed, the only hassle being having to re-recognize many people after returning..."
I jaw-dropped in amazent for quite a while, looking at him with an odd expression: "Why’s our topic getting this strange?"
"I’ve had even odder talks with Hila previously," Father God shrugged, "We bet on who’d ’die’ thrice first—the first one to reach the count buys the other a al. I waited fourteen billion years for that dinner. Oh, maybe soti she’ll bet with you too; you don’t know how bored she usually is..."
: "...Let’s talk about the research then."
Sovare’s work efficiency indeed proved to be high; though not all personnel were in place, the Ancient Spirit Queue used for data screening had run normally. We returned to the Book Tower’s virtual storage area, the screening process went very smoothly this ti, at least there were no crashes.
After a brief screening, the suspected targets regarding the Hotown World were reduced by nearly half, eliminating those universes clearly uncontacted by Divine Race’s ’Outer World Observers.’ But the remaining suspected targets are still massive, distributed across all known Void Quadrant: No one knows which quadrant the Hotown World was in initially, so we can only list suspected targets in all quadrants.
However, I suddenly recalled the conversation with Anses about the Exile Ark, where he ntioned how the Ark quickly lost connection after entering the Void, at that ti Sandora judged that the phenonon was due to the Hotown World being situated at the junction of two quadrants.
This was vital information, imdiately reducing suspected targets of the Hotown World to one-fifth in quantity.
Then... there was no shortcut for further exclusion.
The days spent in the Divine Realm following this were engaged in this chanical search work, with insufficient voyage log information provided by ancestors causing the later phase to spiral into a ti-wasting and dead-loop situation. Confirming that the extensive data repository could no longer offer more intel, I realized it was ti to return to Shadow City.
Of course, another crucial reason for my decision to leave was—
If I don’t return soon, Ice Dad and Ice Mom might tie and Bingdisi up to the wedding... As soone who upholds true love principles as a new-century good man, this is undoubtedly an escape, comrades! (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to go to Qidian (qidian) to vote for recomndation, monthly tickets—your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian for reading.)
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