socalfunplaces Chapter 1427 Faenes's Deal with the Devil
Chapter 1427 Faenes's Deal with the Devil
Shao Yun and Ying exchanged a glance and couldn't help but burst into laughter, completely ignoring Paimon's "threat".
Vanessa stood there, feeling incredibly awkward, unsure of what to do with her hands.
On one side were Shao Yun and his group, laughing carefree and completely oblivious to the occasion; on the other side was Tianli Fanes, who hadn't finished explaining the important matter. Unable to bear it any longer, she quickly coughed twice, stepped forward, and awkwardly reminded them:
"Um... everyone, excuse me for interrupting. Let's put aside the ethical dilemma for now and hear what the original one has to say. After all, it concerns the safety of Teyvat, so we can't delay too long."
Upon hearing this, Shao Yun also dropped his joking expression; he still had to give Vanessa face.
He winked at Ying, then looked at the sulking Paimon, waved his hand and said, "Alright, alright, for Vanessa's sake, I won't tease you anymore, Paimon."
This farce about getting Paimon to call him "Dad" and "Mom" has finally come to a temporary end.
……
The topic returned to Teyvat itself. Shao Yun looked up at Fanes on the throne and directly pointed out the most pressing reality at hand.
“I understand your plan, but it’s no use talking about it now. Teyvat is about to be destroyed, truly and irreversibly destroyed. We don’t have time to worry about successors. We must find a way to escape from here immediately!”
As Fanes looked at Shao Yun, who seemed intent on escaping Teyvat with his family, a mocking smile appeared on his weak face.
"Do you think you can escape?"
He slightly raised his eyes, gazing at the illusory sky, and said despairingly, "Beyond the heavens, it has long been completely enveloped by 'Dark Fate.' Before long, this protective 'eggshell' of Teyvat will shatter completely and vanish into nothingness."
"Those souls that ascended to the heavens to sustain the eggshell are no longer enough!"
"The eggshell can be shattered from the outside at any moment... Therefore, your fate has long been inextricably linked with Teyvat; if Teyvat perishes, you will surely die; if Teyvat lives, you can survive!"
After listening, Shao Yun sneered coldly and retorted, "Then what can I do? You want me to kill people? To plunder the souls of those who possess the Eye of God to repair your so-called 'eggshell'?"
Fanes shook his head slightly; at this point, there was no other choice.
"No, now, no matter how many souls there are, it's not enough. Teyvat is now in a systemic collapse, which can no longer be solved by patching things up; it must be completely transformed."
At this point, his gaze fell on Ying again, and he said, word by word, "The only way to be completely transformed is to change the laws of nature."
"I will have the 'Son of Man,' the Fourth Adventist, use her unique abilities to 'purify' the abyssal power sweeping through Teyvat."
"Once the Abyss is stabilized, continue to maintain the normal operation of the Teyvat Fate System. In this way, Teyvat will be safe, and you will be able to survive."
Although Shao Yun didn't understand the principle behind Fanes' solution, he instantly developed PTSD the moment the word "purification" entered his ears.
He started hurling insults at Fanes.
"You old bastard! I knew it! Like father, like son. You and your lackeys have been plotting against us from the very beginning!"
"As expected, you still had your eye on Ying! Let me tell you, no way! I will never let my wife become a filter for you to purify the abyss, absolutely not!"
"Don't think I won't hit you just because you're wearing a mask! Go to hell, you bastard!"
Faced with Shao Yun's insults, Fanes simply leaned weakly against the throne and retorted, "If we can't even survive, how can we talk about civilization?"
"I created the humans of Teyvat and gave birth to all living beings on this land, so I must be responsible for the humans of Teyvat and for this land!"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, his tone becoming increasingly resolute, each word revealing a cruel reality.
"Sacrificing a small group of people to ensure the survival of the majority, to ensure the continuation of Teyvat... This is not a choice, but something that someone has to do!"
Immediately afterwards, Fanes slightly raised his eyes, a hint of arrogance flashing in them, and began to expound on the timeless truth in his heart.
“I know that everything I did was cruel and selfish, and I understand why the guy I made into the Heart of God said I was brutal.”
"But what you don't know is that I also did everything in my power to keep this world, which should have been destroyed long ago, barely surviving for so long!"
"Over the years, many have come to challenge me, attempting to overthrow my rules and control the fate of Teyvat, but in the end, no one has succeeded in overthrowing me; they have all become dust that serves as a warning to future generations."
"The winner sets the rules, the loser submits to the winner. This is the fundamental rule governing the world and the entire universe, and it has never changed, has it?"
No sooner had Fanes finished speaking than Kong could no longer restrain himself. He took a sudden step forward, his brows furrowed, and shouted:
"This is your mess, a situation you created yourself. We will not take over, and we will certainly not let my sister do any so-called 'purifier'!"
But Fanes seemed not to hear him at all, not even sparing Kong a glance. His gaze passed over Kong and quietly fell on Shao Yun and Ying. There was no urging in his eyes, only a calm waiting for the outcome.
The ones who can truly make the decision are not Kong, but these two people chosen by fate, the "son of man" and the "shepherd" on whom he placed his high hopes.
"..."
A brief, deathly silence fell over the hall. Kong was so suffocated by Fanes' blatant disregard that he felt like he was being ignored!
Air's cheeks flushed red, his anger stuck in his throat, unable to be vented. In the end, he could only grit his teeth indignantly and shut his mouth unwillingly, his whole body radiating frustration.
"..."
Seeing Sora's frustrated and angry expression, Yuan Shang quickly stepped forward, gently took Sora's arm, and patiently persuaded him in a low voice:
"Alright, Your Highness, don't be angry. We don't need to waste our breath on this dying guy. It's not worth it. The most important thing right now is to think about our own affairs."
Kong was still full of resentment, but he knew that Yuan Shang was right.
There's no need to waste words on a dying person...
In the end, he let Yuan Shang pull him aside and slowly stepped back, handing over all the decision-making power to the two of them.
……
Fanes' gaze lingered on Shao Yun and Ying for a long time, and the silence in the hall seemed to stretch out infinitely, even the sound of everyone's breathing became exceptionally clear.
After an unknown amount of time, he slowly withdrew his gaze, weakly spoke, breaking the deathly silence with a soft cry that echoed in the empty hall.
"O Descendants..."
But all he received in response was Ying's indifferent back.
She turned away, completely rejecting this unreasonable responsibility imposed on her.
She came to find her brother, not to become some kind of Teyvat savior.
“I don’t think we have anything to talk about.” Ying’s refusal was crisp and decisive, leaving Fanes no room for explanation or persuasion.
As Fanes watched Ying's resolute retreating figure, it knew that it had already lost half the battle.
Left with no other choice, he turned his attention back to Shao Yun, and his words were startling, instantly grabbing Shao Yun's attention.
"I've seen that guy before..."
Shao Yun was confused by Fanes's inexplicable remark. Which guy had he met?
"Who?"
A barely perceptible sense of fear rose in Fañes as he described the appearance of the mysterious man.
“I’ve seen that mysterious man in the top hat… He instilled in me a deep-seated fear, an indescribable feeling of being watched.”
"It seems like it was five hundred years ago, right here in this hall, when he suddenly appeared, saw me, and said something to me..."
……
Five hundred years ago, in front of the throne on the Isle of Sky.
At that time, Phanes, though his skills were damaged, was slumped on the throne.
Opposite him sat a mysterious man wearing a top hat and a black suit.
The man in the top hat looked at Phanes on the throne: "How can a weak shepherd protect his flock?"
Fanes: "I will indeed die, my life is already on a countdown, but I have already chosen my successor! My successor will take my throne and continue to protect this land."
The man in the tall hat said, "I think you will fail. You're playing cards like you're blindfolded, relying solely on your own predictions. Aren't you worried that the 'cards' in your hand will be switched?"
Fanes: "No, I will succeed! I am fully prepared. My guide will descend and lead that person to take the throne of the heavens from my hands and protect the existence of Teyvat."
The man in the tall hat said, "Since you're so confident, let's make a bet."
"If the heir you thought you were or the 'shepherd' ultimately chooses to save the world, then the world will be completely safe, and the threatening 'dark fate' will dissipate."
"If your chosen successor, or my chosen 'shepherd,' ultimately chooses to flee Teyvat and abandon the task of saving this world, then the souls of all living beings in Teyvat will belong to me and be at my disposal."
Fanes understood that no matter what choice he made, Teyvat seemed destined for destruction.
So this deal doesn't seem to be a bad one...
"Based on the terms of your deal, whether it benefits you, a stranger, or 'Dark Fate,' Teyvat is ultimately a dead end."
"Since there's a sliver of hope and a chance to completely preserve Teyvat, I'll accept your deal."
……
Fanes briefly recounted an event from five hundred years ago, adding:
"Then, he disappeared into thin air, leaving only one sentence before he left: he was going to complete a bet... I vaguely remember that the bet seemed to be about Inazuma, but I can't remember the specifics."
At this moment, Shao Yun's mind was not on the bet with Inazuma at all; all his attention was focused on the deal between Fanes and the man in the tall hat.
"You really dare to gamble, actually agreeing to such an absurd request... Aren't you just jumping into a trap and courting death?"
In his view, making deals with such a sinister and eerie devil never ends well.
Looking at Shao Yun's mocking expression, Fanes knew that if neither Shao Yun nor Ying were willing to help save Teyvat, then no matter what, Teyvat would ultimately face certain death, either being swallowed by a dark fate or having all its souls belong to that mysterious person.
Either way, it's the worst possible outcome, but it can't get much worse; however, if successful, Teyvat can completely escape the crisis and gain peace once and for all.
After weighing all the factors, he had no reason not to agree to the deal.
"Whichever of these two outcomes comes true, I will not lose out."
"Besides, at that time I was already riddled with wounds, and I had nothing left to lose except this land and the creatures on it."
After speaking, Fanes' gaze fell on Shao Yun and Ying again.
"Therefore, I have been waiting for you, waiting for you to come to Sky Isle on your own and ascend the throne of God. If you still do not come, I will send Asmodian to Teyvat to bring you here."
"You are Teyvat's only hope."