Chapter 1646: His Words Are Laws

Ye Guan said nothing, but Little Ran had already realized the truth. Her eyes welled up instantly, and tears streamed down her face.

Ye Guan gently ruffled her hair and said, "She'll always be with us."

Little Ran threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly, and sobbing uncontrollably.

Ye Guan held her hand and led her to the small vegetable patch.

"Did she plant these?" Ye Guan asked gently.

Little Ran nodded; her eyes were red and puffy. "Before she left... she said something."

𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Ye Guan turned to her, asking, "What did she say?"

Little Ran whispered, "She said, 'What a pity... I won't get to see them sprout.'"

Ye Guan's hand trembled ever so slightly.

Little Ran couldn't stop crying. When Sang Mei said those words back then, she had already sensed something wasn't right.

Ye Guan looked at the garden. His vision blurred as well.

After a long silence, he finally pulled his gaze away. He gently touched the jade pendant over his chest, and then he held Little Ran's hand before walking away.

"Where are we going, big brother?" Little Ran asked, looking up at him.

Ye Guan smiled, "To finish what she didn't get to."

Little Ran blinked in confusion.

Ye Guan brought her into the vast starry skies.

Two figures were up ahead, the East Desolate Ruler and Jun You.

The East Desolate Ruler smiled. "Shall we talk?"

Ye Guan nodded. "Alright."

The East Desolate Ruler didn't beat around the bush. "What is Order?"

Ye Guan raised a brow, "You want to debate the Dao with me?"

The East Desolate Ruler nodded. "I was originally hoping to speak with Sang Mei. But I suppose talking to you isn't all that different."

Ye Guan shook his head, saying, "There's nothing to debate. We're not the same. We walk different paths. No matter how much we talk, it always comes down to one thing: power decides the outcome."

The East Desolate Ruler chuckled. "Do you know why you've never won against the Great Daoist Brush Master?"

Ye Guan frowned.

"It's because he knows exactly who his opponent is. But you... you've never known who you're really fighting."

"You think your enemy is him? No... he was never the true opponent."

Ye Guan replied, "The Supreme Will."

The East Desolate Ruler smirked, "Someone must've told you that. But do you even know what the Supreme Will is?"

Ye Guan stared at him in silence.

"Clearly you don't." The East Desolate Ruler shook his head. "Your understanding of this world is still... shallow. No insult meant, it's just how it is."

Ye Guan asked, "Then what is it you want to say?"

The East Desolate Ruler said, "You think the world is split between order and chaos? That's too simple. There's a third kind of order, an eternal order that contains both structure and disorder."

Ye Guan narrowed his eyes slightly, "You mean... the Heavenly Dao Order."

The East Desolate Ruler grinned, "Exactly. The order created by the Supreme Will. Whether you believe in order or disorder, they're both within its system. But do you know how that system works?"

Without waiting for an answer, he added, "All living beings are born within this framework. From the moment they come into the world, they're bound by it, an invisible prison they can never escape. And worse, they can't even feel it."

"This terrifying cage is everywhere, but almost no one realizes they're in it."

Ye Guan stared quietly at him.

The East Desolate Ruler smiled. "It's like a cow raised by humans. It's led around by a ring in its nose, plowing fields every day. That's its whole life. It doesn't know anything else. Because its father lived that way, it thinks this is normal. It doesn't even know what the word 'freedom' means."

He stopped there. Ye Guan fell silent, deep in thought.

The East Desolate Ruler smiled again. "It seems you're starting to understand."

Ye Guan looked up, "If you know the truth... why do you still choose to obey? To be one of those cows?"

The East Desolate Ruler laughed softly, "Ye Guan, let me give you some advice. Never, ever underestimate 'Him.' You have no idea how terrifying He truly is, not just in power, but in intelligence."

"Think about it. If someone like the Great Daoist Brush Master once served Him willingly... do you really think He's simple?"

Ye Guan calmly replied, "I don't underestimate anyone. Nor do I have the right to do so."

Then, he looked directly at The East Desolate Ruler, "I understand now. The Supreme Will isn't working alone. He must have a core group, an elite class of beneficiaries."

"Maybe five or six major figures, like you, or the Great Daoist Brush Master. And under them, five or six hundred others benefit from their power.

"Those five or six hundred, in turn, support five or six thousand more. Each level sustains the one above. That's the foundation of His control across the universe."

He paused before continuing, "In other words, you're all part of a massive ruling class, one I can't even fully grasp yet."

The East Desolate Ruler burst out into a peal of wild laughter that echoed across the starry skies.

Ye Guan remained silent.

Eventually, the East Desolate Ruler turned to Jun You. "Now do you see the difference between you and him?"

Jun You lowered her head, saying nothing.

The East Desolate Ruler turned back to Ye Guan, "I'll admit it. I finally understood what the Great Daoist Brush Master meant when he said, 'Never underestimate Ye Guan.'

"I barely gave you a hint, and you already figured out this much. How surprising."

"You're telling me all this because you want something from me. Speak."

The East Desolate Ruler's smile faded. "Straightforward. I like it. I want to borrow your little pagoda. Just for three days."

Ye Guan answered, "I'll lend it to you for ten."

The East Desolate Ruler's eyes narrowed slightly, but he said nothing.

Ye Guan simply waited. Both men knew well that nothing was free in this world. If one wanted something, one had to pay for it.

The East Desolate Ruler went quiet for a moment, then said, "What do you want to know? Just so you're aware, I'm only a pawn in this grand game. I don't know everything."

Ye Guan shot back, "Then what can you tell me?"

The East Desolate Ruler answered, "Two things."

Ye Guan nodded, "I'm listening."

The East Desolate Ruler looked serious. "First, I'm not one of the five or six top beneficiaries; it's actually the Great Daoist Brush Master. As for who's above him, whether it's the Supreme Will or someone else, I don't know.

"However, I do know this—one of those top beneficiaries has already crossed paths with you."

Ye Guan's brow furrowed.

"I don't know them, though," The East Desolate Ruler added.

Ye Guan thought for a moment and asked, "What's the second thing?"

The East Desolate Ruler's expression darkened. "He sees everything."

Ye Guan's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know," The East Desolate Ruler replied. "That's something the Great Daoist Brush Master once said. I'm not sure what it means either."

Ye Guan was silent for a while. Then, he opened his palm, and the tiny pagoda floated over to the East Desolate Ruler.

"Ten days. Let it go when time's up. It'll find its way back to me."

Then, he turned around to leave, taking Little Ran with him.

The East Desolate Ruler called out, "Aren't you afraid I won't return it?"

Ye Guan replied without turning back, "It's not mine. It belongs to my grandfather. If you don't return it, that's between you and him. Not my problem."

Little Pagoda was speechless.

Sword Master Qingshan had no idea what to say.

Jun You suddenly asked, "Your grandfather... is he strong?"

Ye Guan turned his head and said just one word. "Kneel."

A divine law exploded in Jun You's mind.

Thud!

Before she could react, she dropped to her knees. She was stunned. She struggled frantically to break free, but no matter how hard she fought, she couldn't shake the Divine Law that ruled her mind.

Ye Guan's words... had become Laws. Every syllable he uttered was a decree in itself.

At that moment, the East Desolate Ruler's face grew grave. He realized that Ye Guan's Order Law was about to break its limits. Combined with his Invincible Sword Dao, he was on the verge of a double breakthrough.

Ye Guan glanced coldly at Jun You, "Someone like you thinks she has the right to speak?"

Without another word, he turned and walked away with Little Ran.

Jun You had never suffered such humiliation. Her face twisted with rage as she roared, "One day, I'll defeat you!"

"Take your time." Ye Guan didn't even look back at her. "Take all the time you need."