Hongmeng (1)
In the beginning, before Chaos had opened, all the worlds belonged to Hongmeng.
As time passed, the Great Dao Laws that had begun to take shape in the seemingly endless Hongmeng remained incomplete. To maintain the balance of Chaos, Hongmeng spontaneously gave birth to three thousand Primordial Demon Gods, each rooted in the Great Dao Laws, to sustain its workings.
It was instinctive for the Primordial Demon Gods to devour the Source of Laws and grow stronger.
Driven by this instinct, the three thousand gods fought one another to seize the Source of Laws, and bloodshed shrouded the endless Hongmeng.
In Honghuang, years were beyond counting. No one knew how long it had been when, amid what seemed like endless battles, the weaker Demon Gods were devoured one by one. Only those who wielded powerful laws could survive.
Among them were the mighty Pangu, who commanded the Law of Power; Daoist Hongjun, who commanded the Law of Immortality; the Great Immortal Yangmei, who commanded the Law of Space; and…
There was also the God of Causality, who almost never showed himself and was known to almost no one.
Luo Yan.
*
“What do you think Pangu is trying to do?”
In a somewhat remote place, Yangmei watched Pangu fighting on the Hongmeng Battlefield not far away and spoke with a complicated expression.
Beside him stood a figure dressed in a plain, pristine robe.
In this world, which had yet to give birth to the concept of “beauty,” most Primordial Demon Gods dressed however they pleased. More often than not, they simply used magic to slap a hasty glamour over themselves, caring little what the others thought of them.
Hongjun, with his neat attire, stood out as an oddity.
At Yangmei’s words, Hongjun’s expression remained unchanged. He watched Pangu’s fierce battle intently, brows drawing together slightly. Beneath his sleeve, his fingers moved as he silently calculated.
After a long while, he abruptly cut off Yangmei’s incessant chatter. “Causality…”
“What?” Yangmei blinked.
“There are three thousand Great Dao Laws. After all these battles, few Demon Gods remain, but… have you ever seen a Demon God who commands the Law of Causality?” Hongjun turned his head to look at Yangmei.
Only then did Yangmei understand what Hongjun meant by “causality.” He stared in astonishment. “Causality? There’s actually a Demon God who commands the Law of Causality?”
“Tsk, tsk.” Yangmei shook his head, clicking his tongue. “That’s the Law of Causality… No wonder we’ve never seen him. So that’s the law he commands. If he knows how to use it…” He tapped his head, puzzled, and thought for a moment before spreading his hands. “With a law like that in his grasp, how can he stand hiding away in the depths of Hongmeng?”
Hongjun seemed lost in thought. At this, he said meaningfully, “Among the Chaos Demon Gods… who gets entangled in causality?”
…
Luo Yan really could stand it.
It wasn’t that he was especially patient. From the moment he came into being, Luo Yan had known exactly what he had in his hands.
Causality, causality. What was causality?
Causality was a binding contract to which all living beings were subject. “Cause” was every interaction among living beings; “effect” was the karma that could not be defied. Once you became entangled in causality, you were bound to bear the chains of karma. And if you failed to repay that karmic debt…
Well, a tribulation would come to settle the score.
The iron law of causality could not be defied. In theory, the Demon God who commanded it was practically invincible.
Just imagine: the Causal Lines twined around the God of Causality’s fingertips let him perceive every potential, past, and perhaps even future karmic connection. As his cultivation advanced and his understanding of the laws deepened, the God of Causality could even interfere with others’ karma and force it to rebound upon them.
And yet…
Luo Yan stared expressionlessly at the Causal Lines bouncing merrily across his fingertips, occasionally tying themselves into knots.
It was a good law, but what could he do when the Chaos Demon Gods simply weren’t entangled in causality!
Chaos had yet to open, and the Great Dao Laws were still incomplete. The three thousand Demon Gods who sustained Hongmeng each wielded a law, and none of them were entangled in causality.
So the God of Causality, whose strength did not lie in combat, could only keep his thoughts to himself and quietly play dead, hiding away in the depths of Hongmeng.
Seriously, the Law of Causality might seem a little useless at the moment, but it was still one of the core Great Dao Laws. If the other Demon Gods found out that the God of Causality could barely use his power right now, they’d tear him limb from limb and devour him on the spot.
At the thought, Luo Yan gave a soft snort. Without the slightest courtesy, he pulled the writhing Causal Lines off his fingers and held them in his hand, casually tying them in knots. Sensing their resentment, Luo Yan laughed.
“What, unhappy?” He poked the knot he had just tied. “I haven’t even complained about all the trouble you cause me.”
It wasn’t as if Luo Yan had never run into other Chaos Demon Gods. Hongmeng was only so big, and though not all three thousand Demon Gods were top fighters, traveling tens of thousands of miles in a day was nothing unusual. No matter how far away Luo Yan hid, he was bound to run into a few of his kind who came looking for trouble.
And Luo Yan wasn’t some helpless pushover. As his cultivation improved, even if he couldn’t use the Law of Causality, he could still handle a few nobodies who only dared venture into remote places. He might not be able to beat the Demon Gods on the central battlefield, but these fellows were another matter.
Those unlucky Demon Gods who came looking for trouble naturally became Luo Yan’s nourishment.
Luo Yan toyed with the Causal Lines in his hand. Over the years, his understanding of the Law of Causality had deepened, and he seemed to have caught a glimpse of Hongmeng’s future.
‘A great change is bound to come to Hongmeng. And this change…’ He lifted his gaze toward the distant central battlefield. ‘Does it have something to do with Pangu?’
Just then, two somewhat unfamiliar presences came to a stop outside the barrier Luo Yan had set up.
Luo Yan frowned. When he realized the visitors had stopped right outside his door, he knew they had found his hiding place. He raised his voice. “What can I do for you two?”
*
Hongjun and Yangmei stood outside the barrier.
At the clear, gentle voice that came from within, Yangmei shot Hongjun a surprised glance.
Yangmei looked over Hongjun’s immaculate clothes, then considered the polite, scholarly tone of the voice within. “Why do I get the feeling… you and this fellow would get along.”
Both of them were putting on airs.
Hongjun ignored Yangmei’s teasing and stepped forward. In an unhurried voice, he said, “I am Hongjun. I wish to meet you, fellow daoist.”
It sounded polite, but only just.
He hadn’t even asked whether the other party was willing. He’d simply announced that he wanted to meet.
“Arrogant,” Luo Yan muttered. But in Hongmeng, strength had always been what mattered. Hongjun was fairly reserved himself, but he was often in Yangmei’s company, and Yangmei was anything but. Together, the two of them carried considerable weight among the Demon Gods.
He had every reason to be arrogant.
Luo Yan lived in seclusion, but he had still heard of Hongjun and Yangmei. He waved away the barrier he had set up and walked out at an unhurried pace, exchanging pleasantries as he went. “So you are Hongjun, fellow daoist. Then I take it this is Yangmei?”
He seemed relaxed, but was secretly on his guard.
Two against one. Tsk. Without the Law of Causality, this could be tricky.
Luo Yan smiled, prepared to run if he couldn’t win.
Then he looked up and was nearly blinded by the surging fortune around Hongjun. His hand, hidden in his sleeve, clamped down hard on the restless Causal Lines, but his face betrayed nothing.
Yangmei’s teeth ached. He looked at Hongjun, then at the God of Causality, who was also wearing a robe, and clicked his tongue in wonder. “Could you two be long-lost brothers? You’re remarkably alike in the way you carry yourselves.”
Luo Yan and Hongjun tacitly ignored Yangmei’s joke.
They looked at each other for a moment before Hongjun spoke first. “The two of us have come to discuss an important matter with you, fellow daoist.”
Yangmei, standing beside him, froze. What important matter? How come he knew nothing about it? And to say it so matter-of-factly… Wasn’t Hongjun going to get thrown out by the God of Causality?
The Causal Lines grew more restless. By now, Luo Yan had also sensed that the two Demon Gods, with whom he had never had any dealings, meant him no harm. He stepped aside to let them through the barrier, then turned and followed them in.
Once the three of them had taken their seats, Luo Yan and Hongjun simultaneously released their power, layering their laws over the barrier. Yangmei didn’t understand what was going on, but he sensed the strange atmosphere and joined in.
The three Demon Gods worked together to conceal Luo Yan’s abode beneath layer upon layer of protections.
When they were done, Yangmei asked impatiently, “What are you two being so cryptic about?” He turned to Hongjun. “What’s this important matter that needs so much secrecy?”
Luo Yan chuckled. “It seems Hongjun hasn’t explained things clearly to you, fellow daoist Yangmei?”
Hongjun’s gaze was dark. “This matter concerns our lives. We can’t afford to be careless.” He glanced at Yangmei. “I didn’t tell you earlier because I was afraid you’d blurt it out.”
“…”
Fortunately, Yangmei knew his own temperament. He rubbed his nose and forced himself to wait patiently for the two of them to explain.
At the same time, he couldn’t help grumbling to himself. He’d been right after all. The God of Causality and Hongjun really did get along. Was Luo Yan trying to sow discord between them by exposing Hongjun’s secrecy right away, just to put them on the back foot?
“I’ve come because of the greater tides in Hongmeng and Pangu.” After placating Yangmei, Hongjun went straight to the point. “There are hardly any of the three thousand Demon Gods left in Hongmeng. Pangu shows no sign of tiring, and it looks as if he intends to slaughter them all. With his strength, I truly don’t know who could stop him.”
“But I don’t understand why Pangu would do such a thing.” For once, confusion colored Hongjun’s voice. “If he slaughters all three thousand Demon Gods and is left alone in Hongmeng, how could that possibly be a good thing?”
Luo Yan raised an eyebrow. “Why do you think I would know the reason? You and I both know that the Primordial Demon Gods aren’t entangled in causality. I’m the God of Causality, but…”
He seemed to be mocking himself as he let out a soft laugh. “I’m hardly worthy of the name.”
“If you were truly unworthy of the name, would you have survived until today?” Hongjun said. “The Demon Gods who have yet to die beneath Pangu’s axe are all extraordinary. There’s no need to belittle yourself. I’ve spent a long time calculating, and no matter how I work it out, that sliver of hope points to you.”
“Why don’t the three of us join forces? Or are you really so magnanimous that you’d offer your life to Pangu?”
Not quite.
Even if Luo Yan was content to keep to himself, he wasn’t so lazy that he’d stop caring about his own life.
Faced with Hongjun’s pointed question, Luo Yan kept smiling. He did know a few things other Demon Gods didn’t, and he did have a way to protect his life.
Luo Yan glanced at Hongjun, whose expression was grave, then at Yangmei, who was sitting beside him and babbling away. The Causal Lines had been unusually restless ever since he met these two. If he wasn’t mistaken, Hongjun and Yangmei really could survive to the end. Joining forces with them would do him nothing but good. So he said, “We, the three thousand Demon Gods, each have our own foundation in the Dao. We have cultivated all this time for one reason only: to attain the Great Dao.”
“Pangu is no different.”
Thinking of what the Causal Lines had shown him not long ago, Luo Yan’s expression grew complicated. “From what I can see, Pangu’s path is to attain the Dao through strength. At the end of that path, he will open up the world.”
After a pause, he abruptly changed the subject. “I imagine you’ve both sensed it too. After all this cultivation, there’s been no further progress in the laws you command. Especially you, Hongjun, fellow daoist. How could there be any Immortal Dao in Hongmeng?”
Though he didn’t understand why Luo Yan had suddenly changed the subject, Hongjun thought of his own situation and couldn’t help nodding. In a sense, he and Luo Yan were in the same position. Neither the Law of Immortality nor the Law of Causality had a foundation for attaining the Dao in Hongmeng as it was now. It was no small feat that they had managed to survive and cultivate this far, but he had no desire to keep wasting time.
That was also why Yangmei couldn’t calculate Luo Yan’s whereabouts, but Hongjun could.
Some connection existed beyond the reach of sight. In the end, the Great Dao had granted them a slender chance at life.