Tribulation Crossroad

After the recent disaster, the marketplace had yet to resume activities. It was rather barren with only a few desperate people trying their luck in hope of finding some willing customer.

As Hou Hui's eyes swept them, a sigh escaped his lips.

"Harm. They have truly harmed these people."

But although he wished he could alleviate their plights, he couldn't go to every single house and offer compensation for the damage caused. Not only was that overwhelmingly tiring, but it was also beyond the scope of what he could offer. This was the job of the government.

As he walked past the stalls, however, a voice picked his interest.

"Come, come! I will read your fortune! The first question is free of charge. For every single one afterward, you can pay whatever you feel my prediction was worth."

"Swindler."

This was the first thing to spring from within Hou Hui's mind as he turned toward the origin of that voice. But seeing the man, he was intrigued. It was a white-haired old man dressed in a white scholar robe, sitting in front of a rather neat stall.

While there was nothing luxurious about him, he seemed detached from the calamity that affected the entire city.

"Could it be an immortal in disguise?"

Hou Hui wondered but immediately disregarded the idea as he could feel no cultivation base from the man.

"Ordinary yet extraordinary? Good, I will bite!"

And immediately, he stepped toward the fortune teller. With his stall currently being empty, that was no difficult task.

"My first question is simple. Who am I?"

The reason why Hou Hui was that puzzled by the fortune teller was that if he truly wasn't mortal, then they were only two possibilities. He was either an immortal whose cultivation base had been shrouded by a powerful god, or a god in the flesh.

"You are who you choose to be. But your name is Hou Hui and your identity is that of the eldest son of the Heavenly Emperor."

And Hou Hui's interest immediately turned into apprehension.

"You do not need to be surprised. I have only set up shop for you. Since you're here, freely ask your questions. I give you another three."

While the immortals and gods that knew his face weren't that few, he knew all those who did. But he didn't know this person. A person's appearance could be changed, but the aura could not. He had never met that man until this day. Of that he was certain.

Quickly, however, he regained his composure.

"You say you set up shop for me, but I'm certain that I do not know you. Why did you truly come to this mortal world?"

"You have reached a crossroad and your future is in jeopardy. On behalf of an old acquaintance of mine, I came to warn you."

Hou Hui's outwardly calm face quickly contorted into a frown.

"Very well. Please plainly tell me what you came to warn me against."

The old man raised his face and his black eyes locked on Hou Hui's with an intensity he had rarely if ever felt before.

"Those three children you have recently saved. You absolutely cannot bring them back with you."

As he spoke, a vast, boundless force rippled within his words and the time of the entire imperial city stopped fluctuating.

"The power of time? A demon god? No…what the hell are you?"

A perplexed Hou Hui asked. Ironically, no immortal could control the power of time. As for demon saints and gods, once they released their holy and divine powers, they could not hide their true nature.

"That is not important. What is important is that you listen to me very well. You have reached a crossroad. Your destiny hangs on the choice you are about to make. If you choose to leave those children here in their native world, an incomparably radiant path awaits you. In less than three thousand years, you will become a god. The title of crown prince will fall within your hands and in ten thousand years, you will become the emperor! The three realms shall acknowledge you as their one and only ruler!"

Hearing those words, Hou Hui's heart violently shook.

"What if I insist on bringing them back?"

"Then the only thing awaiting you is incomparable misery. If heaven pities you, you shall experience two major tribulations. If heaven doesn't pity you, you shall experience three major tribulations. One more destructive than the other until you finally collapse and fade from existence!"

It would be a lie to say that those words had not shocked Hou Hui to the core of his soul. However, he wouldn't let himself get intimidated so easily.

"I am a Fate Wielding Immortal. Heaven cannot dictate my destiny."

"That is where you are wrong. The destiny of all living thing is written by heaven's will. While the paths are many, they are all within its grasp. For a mere immortal to claim ownership of fate is an asinine notion. I've said what I had to. The rest is up to you!"

If Hou Hui disagreed with his words, he certainly didn't show it.

"You still owe me one last question. If I choose to leave them behind, what will happen to those children??"

"In three hundred years, they will experience a great calamity. Qing Yun will ultimately find the road to Dao Revelation, but the immortals he will offend in his lifetime will ambush, murder him and steal his body to refine into an immortal puppet the night before his breakthrough. Blinded by anger, Qing Ya will chase them for revenge only to get himself butchered. And as for Qing Yue, although she will not die from the event, she will degenerate into a dual cauldron with a fate certainly worse than death."

"Why didn't you say that sooner. I now take my leave."

"The most painful path is not necessarily the worst. The least painful might not truly be the best. Think carefully about the future you envision for yourself less you make a mistake that cannot be rectified through several lifetimes."

With that said, the man vanished in a haze of sky-blue light. And with his disappearance, time once again began fluctuating within the Azure Cloud imperial city.

....................................

Instantaneously, the white-robed old man reappeared within a distant world and landed on top of a more than hundred-kilometer-tall white mountain. There, two similarly dressed sky-blue haired old men awaited while sitting cross-legged.

"Tai Xin you have overstepped your boundaries."

Said the man on the right while not directly glancing at Tai Xin whose hairs and eyes had now also turned sky-blue.

"Tai Wei, I'm afraid that is not for you to decide."

"Indeed, that is the matter of the realm's will. However, the rules are clear. Using the Eye of Tribulation to intervene in the fate of outsiders is a grave offense forbidden by the realm's will. You've not only broken the rule but did so solely for personal gain. Although we are peers, you cannot avoid punishment. What is your choice?"

Asked the man on the left.

"Tai Yi worry not. I shall seal myself within the Nine-Tribulation Cliff for the next thirty-thousand years to appease the realm's will."

"Very well."

.....................................

Meanwhile, Hou Hui was silently digesting the fortune teller's words while crossing the streets of the Azure Cloud imperial city. He didn't doubt the truth of the prediction. No one possessed a reason to exhaust such resources to deceive him into abandoning three children. But alas, although he was a Fate Wielding Immortal, he couldn't easily calculate his own fate.

"I rank amongst the most powerful immortals of the three realms. One day, I will become a god. Why must I be ruled by destiny?

Why must I submit to the whims of fate?

Why can I not…forge my own future?

I refuse to accept that everything is set in stone. No one can coerce me into doing anything. I will be free…of all shackles!"

He inwardly exclaimed. And at that time…

"Immortal brother! Immortal brother! Immortal brother!

…three immature voices echoed.

Hou Hui turned toward them with a calm but serious expression. They stopped right in front of him, gasping for breath.

"Immortal brother where did you run to? We've been looking for you everywhere!"

A still panting Qing Yue asked.

"That is so right!"

"Wait! I'm the big brother! I should be doing the complaints!"

Qing Yun indignantly exclaimed.

Hou Hui lifted his hand and teleported the four of them back in front of the siblings' ruined house.

Used to his strange and formidable powers, they weren't alarmed. But as they raised their heads, they saw the seriousness with which he looked at them and immediately, they straightened their backs to firmly meet his gaze.

"Are you serious about wanting to become my siblings?"

He calmly asked.

"Yes immortal brother!"

They resolutely replied.

"Back where I'm from, my daily life is very dangerous and complicated. If you become my siblings, the same danger definitely awaits. You might suffer a lot of hardships. Are you still willing?"

"Yes, immortal brother!"

Their determination didn't once waver.

"Alright, then in front of this house, with your deceased parents as our witnesses, let's swear an oath. An oath not to heaven or the world, but to ourselves, to our hearts, that although we weren't born of the same parents or on the same day we shall live and die together!"

Immediately, Hou Hui turned to face the ruined house and with clasped hands, fell on his knees. For a moment, the trio remained dazed, but quickly they regained their composure and followed suit.

"Today we four swear that although we weren't born of the same parents or on the same day, we shall live and die together!"

The four of them proclaimed in unison.

"Furthermore, I Hou Hui swear that for as long as I live, I shall protect them from all harms and ensure their peace and happiness. If I fail to uphold this pledge, may I die a wretched death!"

Hearing the determination within his words, the trio couldn't help but tremble from heartfelt emotions.

Then headed by Hou Hui, they thrice kowtowed toward the house. Afterward, they stood up and before Hou Hui could say anything, Qing Ya cheerfully exclaimed.

"Immortal brother you've said it! In the future, you must take good care of us!"

"Yes!"

Hou Hui's previous seriousness was replaced by a warm smile and he replied.

"From now on, you cannot call me immortal brother anymore. You must call me…big brother!"

Hearing this, the trio beamed.

"Yes, yes! From now on, you are our big brother!"

"But how will that work? Qing Yun, I'm afraid you will have to become the second brother now."

"Alright, no problem! As long as I get to have this great big brother, I can even be the fourth brother!"

"Ok, you've said it! Now you're fourth!"

"You dare?"

"Hahahahahaha!"

Hou Hui included, they all burst into laughter.

"Alright. Since we've just become siblings, I must give you all a gift."

Hou Hui pointed three fingers at them and from them fired three thin beams of light which dived into their foreheads.

"I've given you all a protective seal. Not only can it ward off the attacks of most immortals for a substantial amount of time, but it can also warn me when you are in danger."

"Thank you, big brother!"

"Alright, patiently wait for me. I have some business to handle in the Ancient Sea. When I'm done, I will take you all to the Heavenly World."

Subsequently, Hou Hui turned into a beam of light and shot toward the Ancient Sea.

"Big brother we will be waiting!"

They exclaimed toward his disappearing form.