WYFSDLG Chapter 11

As soon as the sound of the dragon’s words fell, the top of the cave began to collapse into fine pieces of gravel, a sign that it was about to fall down and they couldn’t hold on any longer. In the beginning, the stones that fell were not too big, roughly the size of a finger, so it was not a problem to hit his mortal body, giving Feng Qingyun enough time to think. Normally, his best choice was to kill the dragon and take its heart before the cave completely collapsed.

 

And the Dragon God obviously thought so too. He even deliberately climbed down from the stone pillar to make Feng Qingyun’s job easier, even if it meant aggravating his already gruesome wounds.

 

However, Feng Qingyun chose not to move. He simply sat there without saying a word, showing no intention of attacking the dragon at all. In addition, he even stared at him without blinking, with no expression on his face but an air that clearly expressed how angry he was about what had just happened.

 

“Why are you staring at this Lord?” The Dragon God asked, feeling puzzled. “If you don’t do it sooner, you’ll die with me.”

 

However, Feng Qingyun answered: “Instead of killing to save others, I prefer to just die with you.”

 

The dragon was stunned and frozen in place, but Feng Qingyun had no intention of saying more, sitting down on the stone pavement with his arms crossed and quietly waiting for his end. The Dragon God soon realized that his seemingly gentle and temperamentless little “bride” was truly a stubborn man who refused to go back on his words. He might have let his lover bully him into coming to the dragon’s lair, but it didn’t mean that every inch of his bones wasn’t covered in arrogance.

 

He simply didn’t want to dissect the heart of a demon he had accidentally wounded, let alone pretend that nothing had happened, and go back to spend the rest of his life in bliss with the man who betrayed him, even if he still had feelings for him.

 

To put it plainly, he neither wanted to please the villagers who imprisoned and abused a benevolent creature nor did he want to whitewash a marriage that should have never happened from the beginning. From the second that person sent him away, he no longer had a place in his heart. After all, Feng Qingyun was the type to throw away a broken jar instead of trying to mend it.

 

As for the Dragon God, he never expected to be moved, and frankly speaking, was quite shocked by the resolve of a mortal before he died. Before he had enough time to come to his senses, Feng Qingyun looked up at him again, asking: “But things can’t remain like this. I don’t want to kill you, but how are you going to make it up to me for the lies you just told?”

 

The dragon looked down in response to the sound, only to see a young man sitting among chaotic stones and rocks, with bright red blood splashed all over his snow-white undergarments, like peach blossoms in full bloom. The hair at his temples was a little messy after he struggled with the stone nails, looking a little thrilling. And when he frowned and looked up at the dragon, his appearance was both stubborn and unspeakably beautiful.

 

While feeling the passage of his vitality, the dragon looked at him for a long time, saying in the end: “… Just think of it as me owing you a debt.”

 

“You’re going to die. What’s the value of owing me once?” Feng Qingyun seemed to be very angry, with not a single trace of respect left in his words.

 

The Dragon God lowered his head: “…Then, this Lord will spare your heartless husband.”

 

“We didn’t even finish the ceremony,” Feng Qingyun didn’t think about it, frowning tiredly. “What kind of husband is he? Aren’t I here as your bride?!”

 

The dragon felt like he had suddenly lost his way. For hundreds of years, people had always begged him tremblingly, and it was the first time in his long life that he… Had to try his best to coax a mortal. After a long time, he finally came up with a way before the roof of the cave fell: “How about you let me tell you a story.”

 

Feng Qingyun looked up at him. Seeing that he was still dissatisfied, the dragon interrupted in time: “The story of this village.”

 

Feng Qingyun paused, showing a little bit of interest.

 

And the poor dragon God was afraid that he would regret it, so he quickly started telling the story: “A long time ago, this place was not called Fulong Village. Because of the year-round drought, it was so poor that it didn’t even have a decent name. Passers-by simply called it… The Grave. And those who were unlucky enough to be born here lived in poverty for generations. For that reason, they kept begging the heavens until finally… God heard their prayers and came here to give them rain.”

 

Speaking of that, the dragon suddenly stopped…

 

… And Feng Qingyun, who was already completely immersed in the dragon’s quiet voice, couldn’t help but ask: “Then what?”

 

“Then the wind and rain in the village were good, crops began flourishing, and the people gradually became richer. But the gift of divine power could only be maintained for a while, not a lifetime. When the villagers learned that the god wanted to leave, in fear and wanting to retain him, they sacrificed seven human children and turned them into pillars with evil laws. Like that, they trapped the god in the mountains and received “blessings” for life, giving them abundance and wealth forever.”

 

Although there were speculations before, when Feng Qingyun listened to all the contexts, he suddenly choked, unable to think of what to say for a moment. It was poverty that made the villagers sacrifice their own children to trap the gods, but it was wealth that made them warmly receive orphans and widows as food for the trapped dragon.

 

And as soon as poverty showed itself again… So did the hidden fangs, which might as well have been the so-called “human nature”.

 

Feng Qingyun took a long time to ask the question in his heart: “Those people who became pillars… Was it voluntary?”

 

“At the beginning, it was. But later, the days in their village turned for the better, so naturally, no one wanted to die. In the end, they began to draw lots to decide who would become the next human sacrifice.” Speaking of that, the dragon paused for a moment and then opened his mouth again, with sarcasm evident in his words. “Later on, the village chief began to tamper with the lots, and some “virtuous people” from the village took the opportunity to murder everyone they didn’t like… Anyway, they could do anything they wanted.”

 

Feng Qingyun suddenly fell into silence. It all started in the spirit of voluntary sacrifice for survival, but with gradual prosperity, it had been distorted into a tool to get rid of those who didn’t agree with the village chief.

 

Seeing that he didn’t say anything, the dragon deliberately continued: “One time, they sacrificed one less pillar because of the internal struggle. They didn’t nail my tail, so I used it to bring a flood that drowned everyone from the surrounding mountains, including babies in swaddling.”

 

The god who originally tried to help the world had been betrayed by human nature, having his goodwill distorted after hundreds of years of suffering. He even tried to scare and intimidate the beauty in front of him, even if it was only to make fun of his situation before he died.

 

And yet, Feng Qingyun didn’t even blink his eyelids when he heard his confession. Instead, he just responded perfunctorily, as if he were coaxing his family’s dog for deliberately pretending to be a fierce wolf.

 

The dragon paused and asked after a long time, “Don’t you pity them?”

 

“It was their choice to betray God.” However, Feng Qingyun gave a completely unexpected answer. “It’s their own fault that they now suffer retribution, so it’s not pitiful.”

 

The Dragon God didn’t expect that answer at all. He suddenly fell silent, but the rubble that fell from the cave’s ceiling had now become the size of a fist. He blocked Feng Qingyun and looked at him condescendingly before asking: “If it were you, what would you have chosen?”

 

That question was a little awkward. After all, he didn’t specify whether he was talking about the villagers’ choice, or the god’s.

 

Feng Qingyun didn’t answer. Instead, he lowered his eyes and said an even more abrupt sentence: “Lord Dragon, you destroyed my hairpin.”

 

The dragon was stunned: “The hairpin your lover gave you? Just take my heart. It’s not too late for you to go back to him and ask for another one.”

 

Feng Qingyun said: “He didn’t give me anything. And from the moment he sent me back to the sedan chair, he was no longer my lover.” Speaking of that, he looked up at the dragon that was already coiled around him, protecting his body. “So this is the answer to your question. From the moment the villagers betrayed God, God was no longer the God who protected them. And if I were that god, I wouldn’t have helped them in the first place anyway.” The young man lowered his head, and his fair side face looked particularly benevolent against the blood stains on his clothes, but his words were cold: “The road to Dao means nothing, and people should cross it by themselves[mfn]What he said here is: 大道无为, 众生自渡. The first part, 大道无为, comes from Taoist philosophy, particularly from Laozi’s teachings in the Tao Te Ching. It refers to two concepts, 大道 (Dàdào)- referring to the natural, fundamental principle that governs the universe; and 无为 (Wúwéi)- often translated as “non-action” or “effortless action”, it does not mean doing nothing but rather aligning with the natural flow of things, acting in harmony with the Dao without force or struggle. This phrase expresses a core Taoist idea that the highest wisdom and power lie in effortless action, allowing things to unfold naturally without excessive control or resistance. It suggests that when we try too hard to manipulate or force things, we disrupt harmony, whereas true mastery comes from flowing with nature. The second part, 众生自渡, is also often associated with Buddhism and Taoist beliefs, and it can be broken down as follows: 众生 (Zhòng Shēng)- all living beings or sentient beings (often referring to people in a broad, spiritual sense); and 自渡 (Zì Dù)- to save (or ferry) oneself, or “cross the river by oneself”. It implies that true salvation or enlightenment is a personal journey. No external forces, whether a god, teacher, or master can save someone in a spiritual sense; each person must find their own way. In a more practical sense, it suggests that growth, wisdom, and liberation must come from within. Others may guide or inspire, but ultimately, everyone must take their own steps.[/mfn].” 

 

The Dragon Lord looked at him for a long time and suddenly seemed to realize something: “The road to Dao means nothing, and people should cross it by themselves…” As soon as his words fell, the mountain started to completely collapse. The dragon suddenly returned to his senses, and he immediately exhausted the last bits of his spiritual power to lift his head over Feng Qingyun, firmly protecting the figure in his arms. The stones poured down, and the dragon looked at Feng Qingyun: “This is your last chance, are you sure you want to die with this Lord?”

 

And yet, Feng Qingyun didn’t answer. Instead, he just glanced at him and said: “You owe me a hairpin.”

 

“…I got it, I got it.” The dragon said helplessly, “I’ll pay you back later, just regard it as part of your dowry.” After a pause, he continued with subtle malice: “As for the wedding night, I’ll also give it to you at that time.”

 

Feng Qingyun’s eyebrows jumped. He opened his mouth to scold the god for being so out of tune and talking nonsense like a hooligan. However, as soon as he raised his eyes, he happened to see a big stone falling straight on the gruesome wound on the dragon’s neck, without him saying a word.

 

Feng Qingyun suddenly felt that it was better to go in silence. He sat in place as if he had acquiesced to the dragon’s words for a moment.

 

As for the god, he wrapped himself around Feng Qingyun, his cold scales rubbing against his cheeks. As the mountain collapsed, no one spoke in the cave, and only the muffled sound of stones hitting the dragon’s spine was left.

 

He didn’t say anything, but Feng Qingyun felt that the tip of his heart was trembling more with each little sound.

 

After a long time, the darkness surrounded Feng Qingyun once again. But a second before he lost consciousness, he heard the dragon’s last words: “One more thing, I lied to you again…”

 

“This Lord will have that heartless one buried with you.”

 

……………

 

Mount Fulong collapsed, and huge stones poured down, directly smashing through most of the houses in the village. The villagers dragged their families and fled in fear, trying to stay away from the source of danger, but no matter how far they run, the stones could always find them accurately.

 

In the end, they broke down and shouted in despair: “It’s divine punishment… It’s divine punishment!”

 

However, under the landslide, a desperate man rushed to the mountain against the crowd, regardless of his safety. He knelt down at the foot of the mountain acting all kinds of crazy, bowed his head, and scraped the piled-up stones, trying to save his heart from it…

 

… Save the one who was sent to the dragon’s lair on his wedding night, the one he didn’t even have enough time to call “bride”.

 

However, the next moment, a few stones as big as his head hit him directly. The feeling of being a mortal and completely powerless in the face of disaster, mixed with severe pain, spread all over his body in an instant.

 

He snorted, but there was no sign of leaving. Instead, he persistently dug at the pile of stones, not giving up even when his hands turned raw and bloody. Of course, he knew.

 

He knew that this was his retribution.

 

After a long time, a random stone finally knocked him unconscious. When he woke up again, the whole Fulong Village had been completely smashed by the rolling mountains, and the homeless, angry, and terrified villagers tied him to a pillar, overlooking the Fulong Mountain from afar.

 

The Holy Son, the one who loved the world enough to personally give up his own bride to the Dragon God in order to save his village, in the end… He was chosen by the panicked villagers and sent to the high platform called “sacrifice”.

 

“It must be him! He must have touched the bride, so she was no longer pure! Of course, the Dragon God was angry!”

 

“Only by burning him can we calm down God’s anger!”

 

“God’s punishment is all because of him! Do it, village chief!”

 

“I won’t dare anymore… We won’t dare anymore. Please forgive our sins!”

 

The landslide was still going on, and the flames rose to cover the whole sky, like a picture of the end of the world. The moment the flame under his feet was ignited, the man opened his eyes incredulously and looked at the group of righteous and indignant villagers, looking at the lives he exchanged for his lover’s.

 

The vivid and angry faces gradually distorted and faded under the burning of the flames, and all that was left was his sacrifice. In the blazing fire, he even seemed to see fresh, crimson blood flowing out of the cracks in the mountain…

 

… And all that blood poured in front of him, taking the shape of his dead beloved, the heart demon that will continue to haunt him for every waking moment, even outside of that illusory world.

 

The darkest nightmare of his life, his eternal remorse and torment.

 

And what’s more, for the rest of his life, he will never be able to atone for it.

 

……………………..

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