Xyrin Empire-Chapter 731

At first, I thought I’d head straight to meet the Father God once I arrived at the Divine Realm, and I even got myself mentally prepared for it—that is to say, I wasn’t prepared at all. Turns out I’d have to stay at Bingdisi’s place for a day or two first. The official explanation from Bingdisi was that the Father God was incredibly busy managing endless affairs and needed to schedule meetings with precision, stating that even if we arrived early, he simply wouldn’t have the time to show up. I understood this, after all, he is the supreme leader of the entire Endless Void, not someone who’s available whenever you wish.

Honestly, even without her explanation, it wouldn’t have mattered much: we had already gotten a sense of the Divine Race’s character, a group of beings who are unconventional and dislike unnecessary formalities. Even the most serious among them—like those in the group described by Bingdisi, referred to as the Old Man Alliance—those council members responsible for judgments and sentencing, don’t care about diplomatic etiquette or everyday rules because they find them "irrelevant to good and evil." Knowing their habits, Sandora and I had no objections to what appeared to be the Divine Race’s nonchalant arrangements, because, frankly speaking, after Bingdisi had visited Shadow City as a Divine envoy, we didn’t offer much hospitality either—Monina had spent nearly a month as a kitchen maid in our house, Lin took care of all the heavy lifting at home, Yelsen was busy patrolling the city and cracking down on pirate legions daily, Kenser helped me look after the kids while also taking care of Dingdang, and Bingdisi was Sandora’s playmate. The only time we let those from the Nine Heavens Gods breathe some outside air was a trip to the counterfeit heaven that is Erli Bridge...

Thinking about it, I suddenly felt that the Tiaozi Five, who came as envoys from the Divine Race, were more like they came to do odd jobs, and it’s kind of impressive how they don’t seem to care about anything.

Bingdisi’s house was beyond my wildest imagination, its luxury and grandeur reaching an outrageous level. I could’ve never imagined that this Female hooligan grew up in such a majestic and solemn palace—look at Dingdang in comparison, her residence is much simpler. Our Little Goddess has never been fussy about her temple; a pocket big enough is all she needs to feel comfortable, and, of course, a lampshade works too...

As for Bingdisi’s parents, I actually now find them to be admirable, truly elegant and noble superiors—please forget Uncle Kuwayin’s earth-shattering entrance and Aunt Aisali’s (Big Sister?) kick that I never witnessed but surely was graceful; that was all due to a disappointing daughter who provoked those reactions. After getting to know them, I realized the two elders before me were compleyely the epitome of manners, demeanor, and elegance. Uncle Kuwayin, who had the aura of old nobility, was chatty, warm, and kindly, learned and humorously clever, Aunt Aisali, as elegant as a princess, was not much of a talker, but was a very gentle and kind woman... Goddess, and showed immense enthusiasm for our visit. When our large, rowdy group was invited into the grand living room to rest a bit, the two heads of the household went to great lengths to show their generosity and warmth as hosts. Their gracious manner made it almost hard to believe that Bingdisi the oddity was actually birthed by them.

"To be honest, what happened to you in your childhood? With parents as good as yours, how did you end up a hooligan?" Taking advantage of the moment Uncle Kuwayin turned his head to talk with his wife, I finally couldn’t suppress my inner turmoil and whispered to Bingdisi.

This question was quite sharp, and anyone else asked outright would definitely turn hostile, but Bingdisi’s sense of shame was peculiar; we always had frank discussions about such topics. So, the Female hooligan responded openly, "I think it has to do with the education I received as a child."

"So, your elders’ iron-fisted education eventually led you, Miss, to become overwhelmed and psychologically twisted into a vandal?" I was full of question marks.

"No, it’s mostly due to those hundreds of years spent at school: surrounded by two hundred professors all teaching you things that you would never be able to learn in your lifetime, what would you do?"

I was at a loss for words.

"And don’t be fooled by the way my parents act in front of others, you will soon find out how slippery they are—don’t forget that door, and their image usually doesn’t last fifteen minutes."

Critiquing your elders like this in front of them, is that really okay?

The first meeting with Bingdisi’s family wasn’t as tense and stressful as we anticipated; the Divine Race really was a Race easy to get close to. Little Baobao had been running around the hall since a while ago, not at all self-conscious about not running wild in someone else’s home. The Divine Power emanating from Lilina caught the attention of Bingdisi’s parents, and after introductions, they were astonished to learn that this little girl had become a direct spokesperson for a Goddess and held the esteemed positions of the founder of an interworld religion and current Female Pope. However, their interest in Lilina waned after Dingdang popped out to greet her superiors, recognizing the trend that every Life Goddess’s spokesperson has a miraculous resemblance in their inexplicable selection process. Sandora and Bingdisi’s parents had met a few times before, and this was a reunion after countless millennia, so they spoke a bit more. Sandora mentioned the events that befell the Empire, and the disaster that struck a great civilization, and Bingdisi’s family expressed their deep sighs. Uncle Kuwayin particularly struck a chord with me,

"Ah, Aisali, isn’t it something how in just the blink of an eye, the Mortal World undergoes so many changes?"

That remark made me completely give up on ever understanding the Divine Race’s concept of time: I had been clinging to that little bit of hope up until then.

In contrast to our family’s relaxation (or should I say carefree attitude?), Monina and the other three were now showing a bit of restraint, even Uncle Kenser seemed a bit unnatural, but that couldn’t be helped. After all, they belonged to the Divine Race, and even if the gods usually aren’t sticklers for formalities, they still had some sense of hierarchy: Bingdisi’s parents were high-level government officials in the Divine Realm, so for a small civil servant like Monina and a Little Sentry like Lin, munching at the Central South Sea was certainly nerve-wracking, especially for Lin, who was so timid and shy that she was practically curling into a ball on the chair. Now, the only one in their group not nervous was Dingdang: let’s not forget the epic history of growth of this little creature, who had dared to burn off the hair of Father God in her early years!

"Ah, look at me, so caught up in talking that I almost forgot the main event," Uncle Kuwayin suddenly slapped his forehead as if he had remembered something, "It’s time to eat now, after all—Sandora’s eyes have already turned green."

I wordlessly glanced at Sandora, who bared her teeth at me, "It was the same when I came to Bingdisi’s house before, no rules or anything."

The grand banquet was quickly prepared. The work efficiency of the Divine Servants in the palace was truly high. Bingdisi’s parents were clearly well-versed in the customs of various worlds and had even done some research on our world, because, to my surprise, I found traces of braised pork and lion’s head meatballs among the dishes...

No sooner had the meal started than Sandora entered a mode of gluttony, devouring food with the speed of a whirlwind oblivious to others, using elegant gestures but displaying a frightening eating pace. Two Divine Servants were well-prepared for this, having carved out a green corridor specifically to transport food to Sandora from the back hall to the front hall. The two ran just fast enough to keep up with her eating speed: from this, Anwina in the Mortal World, you win. It also shows that Sandora made a significant impression on this place last time. Even before the hosts had ordered it, the Divine Servants knew they were dealing with a guest for whom eating was a critical matter.

The short-haired woman previously referred to by the single name ’Mo’ was the housekeeper of Bingdisi’s, which of course is the colloquial term. Officially and according to her duties, she was a Secondary God in this temple. Although she was still a Divine Servant, she was close to acquiring her own Divine Position. Throughout the meal, she stood rigidly behind her master, like a dashing female housekeeper. My casual question about her identity led Bingdisi to explain the meaning of "Divine Servant" to us.

Divine Servants, as the name implies, are servants who serve the gods. Their origins come in two types: one is an advanced mortal, that is, a faithful believer of a True God during their life, whose faith reaches a certain level, who has made great contributions to the will of God, and who has a soul filled with many virtues. They can voluntarily be baptized after death to advance to Divine Servant status and continue to serve their beloved God in the Divine Realm. For a devout believer, this is a supreme blessed matter since in the Divine Realm, aside from handling some affairs for their own Main God, Divine Servants are on equal footing with ordinary members of the Divine Race. In other words, it is an opportunity for mortals to transform into gods. However, the requirements are so high that the number of mortals who receive this honor is limited. The second type of Divine Servant is already a member of the Divine Race, just one who has yet to obtain a Divine Position, an "Apprentice" of the Divine Race. In the Divine Realm, except for a very few special creatures like Dingdang who are born with a Divine Position, most members of the Divine Race start without one. They begin as apprentices, slowly learning how to manage their Authority. There are two parts to their learning: the theoretical part, which is classroom teaching, and the practical part, which is serving as apprentice workers to gods with Divine Positions or as interns in certain enterprises and institutions, accumulating experience, waiting for the transition to full status—of course, there are also problem children who for various reasons can’t transition even after millions of years, and our Mo here is one of them.

Yes, I know Mo looks like a dashing female housekeeper and acts in a way that seems far more mature than Dingdang, who came into life able to skillfully wield Authority but is an unreliable character, she more resembles a qualified full-time worker. But two classes are stymying her transition: theory and practice...

This is someone even more of an examination numbskull than Dingdang, earnest in character but a complete disaster in grades. According to Bingdisi, if she still can’t successfully transition within a million years, Father God will have no choice but to create a special "God of Housekeepers" position just for her.

It seemed that Bingdisi’s family didn’t have any rules about maintaining silence at the dinner table. Uncle Kuwayin kept asking Sandora and me about recent events in the Mortal World during the meal, particularly the state of the Empire. Aisali, on the other hand, was silent, except for occasionally hurling her knife, striking Bingdisi in the forehead across the crazily behaved dinner table, a scene of a normally rowdy Female hooligan being punished made me quietly take out my camera.

"Idiot, I want that one!"

The little doll on my shoulder suddenly kicked her tiny feet, pointing at a dish in the distance made of Heaven knows what but with a nice appearance, and clamored for it. It seemed that after arriving in this unfamiliar place, the doll girl had become a bit restrained, sitting on my shoulder from the start, holding tightly onto my head without loosening her grip even when eating, as if this gave her a sense of security. Such behavior naturally caused me a fair amount of hassle; for example, every time I took a bite, I had to remember to lift my chopsticks and deliver an equal portion to Mercury Lamp, otherwise the doll not getting her share would start biting my head.

"Your daughter is very cute," Aunt Aisali suddenly said with a smile, looking at Mercury Lamp from across the table.

"Who is this idiot’s daughter?"

Although it was a commonly acknowledged fact, Mercury Lamp couldn’t help but instinctively shout out loud and flail her arms when someone called her out so directly, "I’m only sticking around this idiot because I have no choice, this hopeless Loli Fan!!"

I picked up my chopsticks and tapped the little one’s head. When I drew my hand back, I was left holding half a stick: such a quick biting speed!

"I’m quite confident in my own eyes," Aisali said with a wink, "It reminds me of when my daughter was little. You can’t fool anyone with those looks and little gestures of yours. You’re just like Bingdisi when she used to indulge us with her coyness."

Mercury Lamp was stunned for a moment, then started trying to pull my head away, a typical doll-like method of easing her embarrassment, while Bingdisi, on the other hand, slammed her head on the table: "I’m too ashamed to show my face!"

"Hmph, idiot, I’ll get it myself if I have to!"

Seeing everyone’s gaze turning towards her, Mercury Lamp suddenly shouted out loud and suddenly spread her black wings, flying across the dining table. As a result, Uncle Kuwayin’s gaze was instantly captivated by the wings of the little doll.

Mercury Lamp’s wings were small when not expanded, sticking to her back like cute decorations on a piece of clothing, only resembling an angel’s wings when spread out. No one had noticed them before, but now, they had caught the serious attention of Bingdisi’s dad.

The old man was very serious: "Bingdisi, is this your child? Why didn’t you tell us about something so important earlier? When did you two..."

Mercury Lamp, in mid-flight, plopped right into a salad plate, and I slid under the table. The post-dinner entertainment that followed was truly spectacular: Bingdisi and her mom chasing her dad all over the house.

Everyone could finally confirm that Bingdisi hadn’t been lying before: the images of both parents truly did not last long.

Sandora and Bingdisi, a pair of good friends, went to their room to discuss some secretive matters, while Qianqian and Lin Xue led a group of little ones, under Mo’s direction, to start exploring the majestic and enormous palace. According to Bingdisi, even the bell towers at the four corners of the temple were enough to make places like Karazhan die of shame. The mysteries contained within could turn even Medivh’s hair white overnight. Big Sister was pulled away by Aunt Aisali to discuss experiences in taking care of troubled children; the latter had a pair of eyes that could see through everything. She had quickly noticed Big Sister’s parental status in our circle, as well as her authority among the kids—although that authority was always something Big Sister found embarrassing.

Meanwhile, I was busy in a small room next to the foyer, helping Mercury Lamp clean up the salad sauce on her face and clothes. The little doll kept twisting and turning while I wiped her face, which made the task extra challenging.

"Forget it, this outfit should be washed." While I was struggling to clean the little girl’s clothes, I finally decided to simply pull out a small black dress from my Personal Space. For various reasons, I always had dozens of spare sets of necessities for every child at home, which naturally included specially tailored clothes for the 92.3cm Little Princess.

"Okay, help me put it on!" Mercury Lamp unceremoniously held up the dress in front of her and ordered.

The little girl was becoming less guarded by the day. Before, even a touch from me could lead to a half-day brawl, but now she even needed my help getting dressed and combing her hair, all the while stubbornly denying the reality of being adopted. Is tsundere really the way to go?

I carefully slid the dress, which resembled a doll’s toy outfit, onto the doll-like girl, and noticed she wore a silly smile on her face. Unable to resist my curiosity, I asked, "What’s up?"

"Nothing, idiot!"

Was she remembering the difficulty of dressing herself the first time, reliving those feelings now with a blissful smile?

From the first time she struggled to stand up in a dusty room, fighting to dress herself, to now quietly nestled in her "father’s" arms, becoming the pampered Little Princess, she must have finally been able to laugh happily.

"Alright, let’s see my treasure—so beautiful."

I lifted Mercury Lamp high in the air, satisfied with the outcome of dressing her. Not to brag, but since caring for Mercury Lamp, I’ve become even more proficient at dressing dolls than Little Baobao.

"Hey! Don’t say something so disgusting!" The little doll kicked and struggled in mid-air, but her small arms and legs couldn’t reach the enemy before her, and finally, she had to quietly settle down, "Hey, idiot, you’ll never abandon me, right?"

"Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?"

Mercury Lamp’s leapfrog thinking left me puzzled.

"Just answer me, why so many questions?"

"That’s why you’re an idiot, asking something like this," I chuckled as I placed the little one on my shoulder, "Stay by my side for a lifetime, Little One."

"Why? We clearly have no relation..."

"Aunt Aisali just said it, didn’t she," I tapped the forehead of the suddenly sentimental little doll, "I’m your dad!"

The anticipated forehead tap attack did not come. Instead, Mercury Lamp just hummed softly and hugged my head... and fell asleep?

I checked the time: one-thirty. Indeed, it was nap time for the kids. Big Sister, you’re formidable for training even a doll to such a fierce biological clock!(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to qidian.com to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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