Volume 5: Tribulation of All Beings
What is a Tribulation?
There was one thing Yi Qiu had never been able to figure out—what exactly did the System mean by an “unavoidable plot node”1?
Was it the author’s original spark of inspiration? Or was it a core point in the novel’s outline, designed to drive the plot forward?
But at this point, figuring it out didn’t matter anymore. Whichever explanation was true, she had now reached the final node.
“A god saves all beings by sacrificing one; a god saves one by sacrificing all beings. When the people suffer, the Fei2 is born, and calamity descends upon the mortal world.”
Little Bird Coo Coo Fly had once said that Chao Yun’s entire character was built around this single sentence.
Chao Yun was a god, a god who had protected the mortal realm for thousands of years. Her love for every living creature was impartial.
But often, the more a character seems incapable of favoritism, the more stubborn and tangled their obsession becomes when they finally do pick a side.
Yi Qiu wasn’t surprised by Chao Yun’s choice at all. After all, she had made a similar choice in the original novel.
In the end, whether in a novel or in reality, the choice between “one” and “the many” has always been a source of endless debate.
To trade one person’s life for the safety of thousands upon thousands seems like an obvious choice. But if that one person is your own beloved, different people will make different choices.
Most people are only rational when it’s not their problem. When disaster strikes them personally, there’s no telling what kind of mess they’ll make.
Perhaps the atmosphere in that room had just been too awkward.
Without waiting for Jian Li to finish making breakfast, Yi Qiu slipped away and returned to her own guest room.
The moment she stepped inside, You Yan shut the door. Pushing gently on her shoulders from behind, she guided Yi Qiu to the table and pressed her down into a seat.
Yi Qiu turned in surprise, looking up at You Yan. She had just opened her mouth to speak when You Yan walked around, pulled up a stool, and sat down facing her.
“You left something unsaid,” You Yan stated with certainty.
She was always like this, making it impossible to hide anything from her.
Yi Qiu sighed softly, glanced out the window, and asked in a low voice, “Can anyone outside hear us?”
You Yan simply waved her sleeve, and a sound-proof barrier enveloped the room.
“They can’t hear now,” she said.
Yi Qiu nodded. She straightened her posture slightly and placed her hands obediently in her lap before speaking. “You remember that novel I told you about?”
“Of course.”
“I told you that in the later parts of the novel, Fusang3 dies, and both the Golden Crow4 and Goumang5 fall into the demonic path6. The Golden Crow, hating the Heavenly Dao7 for its heartlessness in toying with him for ten lifetimes, wants to shatter the heavenly rules. So he joins forces with a Ferocious Beast8 called ‘Fei’ and fights a massive battle against his old man…”
“Mm.”
“That Fei… have you ever heard of it?”
You Yan thought for a moment. “I’ve heard it’s an ancient Ferocious Beast. Whenever it appears, it brings calamity to the mortal realm—mountains crumble, rivers dry up, plants wither, and a great plague sweeps the land.”
Yi Qiu nodded. “According to the novel’s setup, the Fei’s power comes from the pain and resentment in the hearts of all living beings. When the people’s suffering reaches a peak, those emotions converge into demonic energy, which then gestates the Fei’s body and soul.”
As she spoke, she propped her chin on her hand and mused, “The Wood God’s9 existence can alleviate the people’s suffering. If the mortal realm loses the Wood God, those hardships will slowly fester. That’s how the Fei comes to be.”
Hearing this, You Yan asked quietly, “Then why didn’t you say so?”
Yi Qiu bit her lip. “I wanted to. Even if no one believed me, I still wanted to say it…”
She had to admit, from start to finish, she was just an onlooker. When the story was over, even if she didn’t leave this world, she would definitely return to the Demon Realm with You Yan. So for her, as long as the male and female leads got their happy ending, what ultimately happened to the mortal realm wasn’t that important.
Besides, in most fantasy and cultivation novels, innocent humans were often sacrificed as mere “numbers,” mentioned in passing. It was just as You Yan had once said—there were too many innocent people in this world. How could every single one of them live a peaceful life?
In a world like this, the word “innocent” was meaningless. You couldn’t expect gods, demons, and immortals to have much empathy for ordinary humans, could you?
And yet, she still wanted to say it.
Because I’m human, she thought. At least, my soul is still human.
But the moment the System spoke, she fell silent.
Ever since arriving in this world, she had felt lost more than once, unable to find the way forward.
Every time she wanted to do something based on her own feelings, the System would pop up and tell her, “This is an important node, an unavoidable part of the main storyline.” It left her feeling completely conflicted.
“I was just about to say something when the System suddenly told me I had entered the final node…” Yi Qiu said. “It turns out my mission always had this segment. I couldn’t avoid it…”
“You mean the ‘Fei’?”
“Yeah.” Yi Qiu mulled it over for a few seconds. “I know that once it descends upon the world, the suffering of mortals will deepen immensely… but it’s part of my mission.”
“There’s no need to blame yourself. Even if you had said it, you wouldn’t have changed anyone’s decision,” You Yan said. “The moment Chao Yun made her choice, she was already prepared to pay any price for it.”
You Yan was right. That decision itself meant that from now on, the Wood God of the Heavenly Realm had to abandon her charge and betray her own faith.
Someone who makes that kind of decision isn’t going to be swayed by a few words.
Yi Qiu rubbed her temples. “I’m getting more and more confused about what it even means to complete the mission…”
“I’ve been thinking about something,” You Yan said.
“What is it?”
“You’re supposed to help the Golden Crow undergo his tribulation10. But what is a tribulation?”
“Huh?”
You Yan pondered for a moment before asking in a low voice, “Why must the gods and immortals of the heavens always descend to the mortal realm to experience a tribulation11, whether for ascension or for atonement?”
Yi Qiu’s eye twitched. “Ah, well…”
That question really stumped her. In all the novels she’d read, not one had ever explained it.
In novels, it was normal for gods to pop down to the mortal realm to experience a tribulation for no good reason. And those tribulations always involved a dramatic love story. It was fiction, just made-up stuff. You read it and moved on. Who cared about the reasoning?
Yi Qiu thought it over seriously before giving a serious answer. “To forge their hearts, I think. I remember the book mentioned that experiencing tribulations makes one’s resolve stronger.”
You Yan shook her head. “I don’t think that’s it.”
Yi Qiu was taken aback. “Then what is it?”
You Yan considered it for a moment. “Look at the change in that kid.”
“Change?”
“Empathy,” You Yan said.
“Huh?” Yi Qiu was lost for a second.
“The gods and immortals of the Heavenly Realm have been high and mighty for too long. Sometimes they forget that their very existence is for the sake of protecting the mortal realm,” You Yan said coolly. “The Golden Crow was like that.”
“Mm-hmm…” So?
“And what about him now?”
“Now…” Yi Qiu’s mind churned, and then, a wave of understanding washed over her.
She mumbled to herself, “Could it be that the story Little Bird Coo Coo Fly originally envisioned wasn’t 《The Story of a Chuunibyou Teenager Failing to Resist Fate》12, but something about remorse, growth, and transformation?”
Why would the heavens make the Golden Crow descend to the mortal realm to experience a tribulation? It couldn’t just be to make him suffer for his sins.
Those in high positions easily look down on others. Making them experience a tribulation wasn’t just about hardship to temper their hearts; more importantly, it was to make these gods, who couldn’t feel empathy for the “ants” in their eyes, truly be human for once—to become one of the “ants” they once looked down upon.
Through that, they would develop empathy for the “ants.”
This was especially true after the world line changed. Luo Mingyuan’s character had undergone a fascinating transformation—a half-demon who had joined an immortal sect, enduring endless humiliation but never growing to despise the world.
That was the change his previous nine lives had wrought. This final life was the key to whether he could successfully pass his tribulation.
“I get it!” Yi Qiu said earnestly. “The Golden Crow came down to undergo his tribulation and atone. I have no way of knowing what he went through in the first nine lives, but I know everything that’s happened in this one. So where is his tribulation now? If it was the Killing Tribulation13 brought by the Yi Bird, he’s already escaped death so many times, and I haven’t seen any sign of him passing his trial.”
As she spoke, her fingers tapped unconsciously on the table. “Now that Chao Yun is going to save that Yi Bird, regardless of whether Luo Mingyuan and Jiang Yuyao can forgive her choice, Chao Yun’s personality means she’ll never let the Yi Bird harm them again, right? So the ‘tribulation’ is a moot point.”
This final plot node had circled right back to the content of the original novel’s later stages: an ancient Ferocious Beast is revived, and all living beings are plunged into misery.
So, was it possible that in this tenth life, the “Fei” was his tribulation, and the “suffering of all beings” was also his tribulation?
As Yi Qiu considered this, she analyzed in a low voice, “He once brought disaster upon the common people14, so only by truly protecting the common people can his merits be complete and perfect15?”
From a novelist’s perspective, it was perfectly logical. After all, so-called Cause and Effect16 had always been a fickle master of fate.
Perhaps that was why the final plot node had appeared at this exact juncture.
She was suddenly beginning to understand what it meant to change the world line of 《Thin, Withered Branches》 and guide the story to a rational HE17.
“I was just speaking casually,” You Yan said lightly. “You don’t have to analyze it so seriously.”
“I think you’re exactly right!” Yi Qiu slammed her hand on the table. “Every effect has a cause! To pass this tribulation, he can’t avoid that Fei!”
“Since you know what will happen, there’s no need to hide it. Just tell them,” You Yan said calmly.
Yi Qiu hesitated for a moment, frowning. “But will they believe me?”
“If you say it, they might not believe you. But if you don’t say it, no one will ever know,” You Yan said. “Often, being suspicious of something is better than being completely ignorant.”
That makes so much sense…
Yi Qiu was about to say more when You Yan added breezily, “Actually, you don’t need to worry about a thing. Leave it all to me. Never mind one Ferocious Beast—even if your mission was to assassinate the Heavenly Emperor, I could find a way…”
Hearing this, Yi Qiu frantically waved her hands, cutting her off. “No, no, my goals aren’t nearly that lofty!”
You Yan’s tone just now had been like she was saying, “Let’s pick a day to slaughter the chicken in the yard.” It sounded effortless.
If anyone else had said that, Yi Qiu would have rolled her eyes on the spot. But coming from You Yan, it sounded perfectly reasonable.
Come to think of it, in the original text of 《Thin, Withered Branches》, You Yan had indeed played the Fei for a fool. She not only used the Fei and the Golden Crow’s power to cripple the Heavenly Realm but also backstabbed and finished them both off. She was the textbook definition of someone who would tear down the bridge after crossing the river, kill the donkey after it’s done grinding18.
With someone this ruthless by her side, why should she be afraid of a Ferocious Beast that hadn’t even kicked open its coffin lid yet?
But even the most ruthless person isn’t made of iron.
“I promise you, I won’t overthink it, and I won’t worry anymore,” Yi Qiu said, taking You Yan’s hands in hers. She looked at her seriously. “I believe you can do anything. But before you do all this for me, can you please just rest quietly for a while and stop running around while you’re still injured?”
“…”
“Don’t be stubborn!” Yi Qiu frowned. “It makes my heart ache…”
You Yan’s expression seemed to waver for a second, and even her breathing slowed for half a beat.
After a brief silence, she finally answered in a low voice, “Alright.”
Seeing this, Yi Qiu pouted. “What kind of reaction is that?”
You Yan couldn’t help but chuckle. “Nothing. I was just thinking, you’ve started being delicate on my behalf.”
“…” How is that being delicate?
“I’m not in pain. What are you aching for?” You Yan asked, a smile in her eyes.
“…” How can this bird woman be like this? I’m worried about her, and she’s laughing at me…
“I’ll do as you say.”
Fine. Seeing as this bird was being somewhat obedient, she would let it slide…
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