The air went completely still and silent. So oppressive was the atmosphere that only the pounding of her heart and Yue’s trembling fingers in her hand assured Yoshika that time was still moving. Prince Qin Yongliang and his sisters stepped aside and knelt, bringing everyone in the courtyard to their knees alongside them.
The domain of Authority was not so blunt as a hand on her shoulders, forcing her to the ground. Instead, it was a strange, insidious feeling. As though it was just wrong to remain standing. Like she was drowning, and the only way to escape to catch her breath was to prostrate herself immediately.
Yoshika tried to resist, but Yue was completely caught up in it, and dragged them both down. The best she could do was keep her head raised as she knelt on the ground.
When He entered, His domain was like a solid wall of impenetrable steel. Though the part of Yoshika that existed between the realms of immortality and divinity could still sense the endlessly profound ocean of Order and Harmony, Qin Yang’s aura was entirely inscrutable in person.
Instead, she had to rely on her mortal senses as He calmly strode into the unified space. Not, she noted, from either the Jiaguo or Flowing Purewater sides, but instead from some space beyond space, stepping directly from wherever He had been and into the courtyard as though He’d always been there. A part of the world that had simply gone unnoticed until He deigned to make His existence known.
The God-Emperor was a surprisingly plain looking man. Average height and build, with dark hair and tired eyes, and the appearance of a man in His middle age—not quite graying, but thoroughly world-weary. His clothes stood out more—fine robes in red, black, and gold, with colorful embroideries depicting dragons, phoenixes, and kirin. His hair was affixed in place by an ornate golden crown, and He wore a short-cropped beard.
His expression was placid, and He walked softly, but each step held the weight of the world as the oppression on Yoshika’s aura intensified with His approach. Qin Yang stopped at the center of the courtyard, and His eyes met hers. Then, the world really did halt. From the sweat beading on her forehead, to Yue’s pulse in her palm, to the sun’s very rays—everything waited for Him. Then, He spoke, His voice only for her.
“We meet at last, young lady of many names. Sooner than anticipated. Brother Shen undersold your capabilities rather severely, I think.”
It was spirit communication. The intent and meaning behind every word slammed into Yoshika’s soul, though she had a sense that He was trying to be gentle. It wasn’t what she’d expected, even though she’d hoped to get an opportunity to speak to the God-Emperor.
“I-I get that a lot.”
Though Yoshika was familiar with spirit communication, she faltered slightly in her attempt to respond. It wasn’t like the mutual exchange of thoughts and feelings that came naturally to spirits and elementals, but more like wrapping her thoughts up in a ball and hurling them in his general direction.
“Mm. Of that, I have no doubt. It is the burden of youth to be ever underestimated by seniors. I know you, however, and I have long understood that the crossing of our paths would be inevitable.”
“You know me? Really? I feel like I’d remember if we’d met before.”
The pressure on her aura suddenly redoubled.
“Hmph! Impertinent child. Do not mistake my civility for weakness. I will not tolerate disrespect, even from another Sovereign.”
“You—”
She bit back her acerbic response. It was her habit to test the boundaries of those in power, because as she saw it, if a bit of informality was all it took to offend someone, then that wasn’t a person worth respecting in the first place. But she couldn’t afford to offend Qin—at least, not any more than she already had.
Given how powerful He turned out to actually be, she felt as though her only hope was that he wasn’t quite as complicit in the destruction of their world as he seemed. All of her plans would be worthless if he chose to directly oppose her now.
“I apologize for my tone. I was not informed that you would be attending my wedding, and this meeting has caught me off guard. I note that you call me Sovereign—is that an indication of rank as a cultivator, or as a ruler? I was under the impression that the Jade Heavenly Empire did not recognize foreign sovereigns.”
He waved a hand dismissively.
“An affectation established by my children. I have long acknowledged the Dragon Empire of the southern isles. Our relationship with closer neighbors—now united under your banner—was more complicated, as both were originally under my rule before splitting off to gain their independence.
“To answer your question, however—it is both. As a ruler, you have the support of your people, and that alone is worthy of respect. However, your status as a cultivator is, as you may have surmised, the reason for this encounter.”
“I had guessed it was something like that, yes. If you might entertain me, however, I am still curious about what you meant when you said you know me.”
The God-Emperor frowned slightly, then sighed.
“No. I will not answer that for you. Let it simply be said, that I am not so blind and aloof that I cannot see what is right before me.”
She didn’t want to let it go at just that, but she couldn’t afford to mess this up. Yoshika had been wrong when she thought herself prepared to have Qin as an enemy. Still, it gnawed at her, and rather than move on, her response came almost before she thought of it.
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“It was the awakening stone, wasn’t it? The essence within them still holds part of your will—your intent. I felt it during my ascension. That wasn’t just a lingering shadow of your intent, was it? It was you.”
He looked down his nose at her, His expression giving nothing away.
“If that is your answer, then so be it. I am not here to entertain your guesses.”
“Then what are you here for?”
“Watch your tone, young sovereign. You are twice warned, and there will not be a third.”
Yoshika bit back a retort and just nodded stiffly. She wished Yue could be there to help her through it, but even as she squeezed her wife’s hand, there was no response. Whatever Qin was doing, it was only for the two of them—everything else was trapped in the stillness between moments.
“My apologies, Your Majesty. To what do we owe the unexpected honor of your visit?”
“Brother Shen has approached you already, and I understand you have your own arrangements with him. I will not interfere with that, nor do I have any designs on your divine artifact. However, now that you have stepped into the realm of divinity, we must address your encroachment upon my domain and the future of your empire.”
“It’s not my intention to intrude on your domain—”
He scoffed and shook His head.
“Do not lie to me. I know that you intend to claim this world as a Sovereign deity. I warn you now that it is a fruitless ambition. I have already been granted ownership of our Sealed Bloody Star and the surrounding starfield by Brother Shen. If you attempt to strive against me, you will fail.”
“I was only doing that because I didn’t see any other way to save this world from destruction! I think we’re close to a solution now, and if you can help us finish it, then I’d be happy to—”
“I will not.”
Yoshika blinked.
“What?”
Qin Yang pursed his lips, and his sunken eyes seemed to grow even more weary as he sighed.
“What you are trying to do is impossible, and your attempts only drive this star further toward destruction. You must stop immediately.”
“What?! You can’t just—”
She stopped herself before she could offend the God-Emperor further, starting over with a more measured tone.
“Your Majesty, with respect, I am not trying to fight over territory with you. This is not about your empire or mine. There won’t be an empire to squabble over if our world collapses.”
“Indeed. Which is why you must stop. I have done all I can to prevent the emergence of nascent divinities such as yourself, but even my reach is limited and I have grown weary as this star approaches its end. Occasionally one slips through and must be culled—as was the case with your ancestor, the fox spirit—and some, like that Snake, whatever he calls himself in this era, are simply too troublesome to hunt down.”
“But why?! If we work together, with the power of the Sovereign’s Tear, we could complete the formation to dispel the seal, I’m sure of it!”
He shook his head sadly.
“It cannot be done. Brother Shen did not design such a forgiving prison, nor is it so flawed that it could be undermined from within. This world is doomed, but its people may yet be saved—you must see reason.”
“I thought of that, but there’s not enough time! We’re already on the verge of destruction, and neither of us has enough time to expand our domains to encompass the entire world.”
The emperor cocked His head, and his dull stare sent a cold chill through her.
“No, we do not. I never intended to save the entire world, nor even my entire empire. When the time comes, my chosen and I will be spared to start anew in a world not condemned by the Bloody Sovereign’s impotent rage against the heavens. That is my compact with Brother Shen.
“I offer you one of my own—join me, and I will grant you a place in that new empire. A world of your own, within the domain of my starfield. Become one of my chosen, and you may bring as many of your own as you wish to found your new kingdom within my Jade Divine Empire.”
Yoshika cast a sidelong glance at the Heavenly Host, the identical force of xiantian cultivators who all shared the same domain. Not in the way that her own aspects were a single soul. They weren’t joined in that way, but rather they were individual souls who’d been willingly stripped of their identities and conformed to a rigidly defined path, set out for them by another.
“I’ve seen what you offer your chosen, Your Majesty. I don’t know how you convinced so many to willingly...conform like that, but it’s not a path I can walk.”
“They understand that the path I offer them is the brightest they will ever seek. I offer you one brighter still. I must commend your talent and foresight. With your power, many more might be saved. Join me, and the new empire reborn from the ashes of this star will be far greater for it.”
“You’re not asking me to join forces with you. You’re telling me to abandon my hopes and dreams. To give up on the people I swore to protect.”
She shivered in revulsion, some part of her domain understanding what he was demanding and utterly rejecting it. Yoshika glared at the God-Emperor as she saw what he really was. Why his domain had stagnated for so long and his presence seemed to fade from the world over the last millennium.
“It isn’t cooperation you’re asking for—it’s submission. You want me to give you my power. Relinquish everything I’ve worked for in exchange for whatever leftover scraps you deign to offer me. You don’t care about this world or its people. You’ve given up.”
He scowled down at her.
“I have done all I can for this world. The new empire will rise to heights this failed attempt never could. If you would just see reason, you would understand! You could be among those who shape it—do not waste my generosity!”
Yoshika took a deep breath. She was making a mistake. Probably...the last one she’d ever make. Yet, as she looked back at her wife’s frozen, terrified expression, she knew that there was only one choice she could possibly make.
Some things were worth fighting for. Dying for.
“Qin Yang, when your grandson—my master—asked me to cut out the rot infecting your empire, I thought it meant people like Yan De, or Bai Renshu. The ones who twist the ideals of your nation for their own gain, at the expense of those weaker.”
“Yan De was too ambitious by far. He would never have been content to be part of something greater. You did me a favor by removing him. I’m glad you understand—”
She shook her head.
“I was wrong. The rot runs deeper than that. So much deeper. All the way to the core—to the very foundation of the morality that men like him ‘twist’ to their wills. The rot infecting your empire isn’t Yan De. It’s you.”
The God-Emperor’s face twisted into an ugly sneer, and the pressure of his domain became a crushing mountain against hers.
“You dare?! So be it then, Empress Yoshika. You have chosen death!”
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