NOVEL WEB Chapter 211 So You Like Him
An extraordinary Moon God, an Ancient Divine Body.
The former was known as the number one person of the younger generation, possessing formidable combat strength, an awe-inspiring background, and numerous powerful guardians. The latter, aside from being an "Ancient Divine Body," had almost nothing—no powerful cultivation realm, no formidable personal strength, and no influential figures backing her. She had arrived here from Nan Zhanbu Province with only her own two hands.
If not for some past achievements, her title of Ancient Divine Body might not have garnered more recognition than that of an ordinary young genius. Of course, even so, her fame was not particularly widespread. But Chen Shixian never cared about such things, nor did she envy others. In this respect, she somewhat resembled Chen Pingping: carefree, confident in her ability to grow stronger, and possessing a powerful inner conviction.
WHOOSH!
The cold wind swept past. The figure before her suddenly rose and looked at her. "I've heard of you."
Chen Shixian remained silent. That sentence sounded so awkward. It was just like Chen Pingping asking, "Have you broken through to King Tao yet?" The same kind of deliberate jab. She, the grand Ancient Divine Body, was still in the Supreme Mystery Realm... It was truly infuriating! Chen Pingping was obviously feigning ignorance. The Moon God was probably doing the same. After all, she *was* an Ancient Divine Body! They shouldn't treat her like some unknown, ordinary talent!
"Well," Chen Shixian said, "I mean, is that rumor... true or false?"
"What rumor?" the Moon God asked.
"The one about you and Chen Pingping."
"And if it's false?"
"I'm just asking!"
"And if it's true? What will you do then?" The Moon God stared intently at her.
She was different from Chen Shixian. The Ming Tribe general had lived for vast eons, experiencing Reincarnation multiple times. Whether in temperament, conduct, or any other aspect, she was far more composed than Chen Shixian. Any other woman in this situation would likely have lost her composure by now—fuming, glaring, perhaps even wanting to obliterate Chen Shixian. But she did not.
Undeniably, she had been furious that day. The intertwining of their Divine Souls, the clash of their bodies—every detail of the incident had assaulted her formidable spirit. But after leaving that place, she had gradually calmed down. If Chen Pingping could see this, he would surely exclaim, "Great! No need to take responsibility anymore!" Indeed. From the moment the Moon God decided to leave, it signified she would not become overly entangled with Chen Pingping, despite what had transpired between them. The Ming Tribe general was, after all, the Ming Tribe general. She had her own destiny and belonged to a different world than Chen Pingping.
Still... what puzzled the Moon God was why Chen Shixian was the first person to seek her out after the incident with Chen Pingping. What does she want? What difference does it make if the rumors are true? And what if they're false?
Chen Shixian was momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond. As memories of her playful squabbles with Chen Pingping surfaced, she grew increasingly agitated. Damn it! As much as I claim to dislike him, he keeps helping me time and again. Could it be... he's fallen for me? No! It's impossible for him to like me. And it's impossible for me to like him! He only helps me to mock me, that's it. Yes, yes, that must be it! Chen Shixian thought she had grasped something, but then her thoughts tangled again. Why did I even come here to question the Moon God? This is absurd.
"Have you figured it out yet?" the Moon God asked, her gaze fixed on Chen Shixian.
Chen Shixian said nothing. Definitely not! She felt a surge of frustration.
The Moon God spoke again. "If you still haven't figured it out, I can tell you."
"Huh?" Chen Shixian was startled.
"Do you like Chen Pingping?" the Moon God asked.
"Impossible!" Chen Shixian leaped to her feet, indignantly listing his faults. "There's not a single good thing about that bastard! How could I possibly like him? He has a foul temper, he says awful things, and he's always making me angry! Hmph... I will definitely never like him!"
"Is that so?"
"Of course!"
"Then why did you come here?" The Moon God looked at her, a faint smile playing on her lips. "You are the first 'woman' to come here." She emphasized the word "woman" slightly.
Chen Shixian felt a flicker of panic. It was as if her carefully constructed facade had been ruthlessly exposed, and she struggled to maintain her composure. She retreated a few steps, wanting to refute the Moon God but finding herself at a loss for words. But... how could I possibly like Chen Pingping? It's absurd!
"Let me ask you, when did you first meet him?" the Moon God inquired.
"Many years ago. Almost twenty years now."
"What was it like when you first met?"
"At Salt Mountain!" Chen Shixian blurted out, then paused as a memory surfaced, her teeth clenching. "That bastard tricked me back then..." That direction he pointed? Utter nonsense! I actually believed him and went on a 'demon-slaying' spree—well, I killed a lot of ferocious beasts, but I never saw any so-called Spiritual Beast. And in the end, Chen Pingping stole the Spiritual Beast himself! Truly shameless!
"And then?" the Moon God pressed, the smile on her lips deepening.
"Hey, why should I tell you?" Chen Shixian finally snapped back to reality. "This is between him and me! I'm destined to defeat him." She paused, then added, "As for why I came to ask you, it's obvious, isn't it? Curiosity!"
"The young cultivators in the Central Continent are innumerable, and there are plenty of women among them. Why haven't they come to ask? Why only you?" The Moon God's eyes narrowed.
Chen Shixian was silent. Heavens! A cold sweat broke out on her skin. She realized she couldn't win an argument against the Moon God; it was too intimidating. Every word from the Moon God felt like a snare, a sharp blade poised at her throat, threatening to inflict a grievous wound at the slightest misstep. What a terrifying woman.
She subconsciously retreated a few more steps, eyeing the Moon God warily. "Stop talking! He is my lifelong nemesis! I will definitely defeat him and personally shove him into a latrine! And... as for why I asked you, it was just curiosity. If you don't want to answer, fine!"
There, I've regained my composure, Chen Shixian thought, secretly pleased with herself. Trying to trick more words out of me? No way!
The Moon God smiled softly. "Liking someone often begins with curiosity, don't you think?"
Chen Shixian was taken aback.
"You're curious about everything concerning him—all the news, every person he interacts with, including me," the Moon God continued. "That's why you came here: curiosity. But in reality, it's because you like him."
Chen Shixian's eyes widened, her hastily erected psychological defenses crumbling instantly. She felt the Moon God's words were strikingly reasonable, entirely correct. But she didn't want to admit it. No, she didn't want to like Chen Pingping! There are countless men in the world; why should I fall for a bastard like him?
"You remember the first time you met him, his temper, his personality. You remember every single thing he did for you, even the most insignificant ones..."
"It all stems from your curiosity. And what often lies behind that curiosity is affection."
"Therefore, you like Chen Pingping."
"No, no, no! Absolutely not! Stop talking about me! I don't want to hear it!" Chen Shixian protested.
"Listen to me," the Moon God said with a gentle smile. "It's true that some... unfortunate things happened between Chen Pingping and me. However, I believe that nothing further is possible between us. I have my own world, a place I must eventually return to. But you... you are different."
"???" Chen Shixian stared, bewildered.