Chapter 2616: Negotiation “It sounds as if you’re interrogating me,” Houtu replied with a voice so impassive that it no longer sounded human. “Should I not be angry? She wouldn’t have been trapped in that world if you hadn’t sent her there,” Zu An replied in a severe tone. The Mermaid Queen had been faring perfectly well here, but Houtu’s intervention had caused her to be trapped in the Frost Palace as Chang’e. “I was indeed the one who sent her back in time. It wasn't just her, but your other lovers too,” Houtu replied unhurriedly. “Why did you do that?” Zu An was both perplexed and infuriated. “You can think of it as their fate.” Houtu’s voice carried a mystical air. “These events are all inscribed in their fate.” “But all this wouldn’t have happened if not for your intervention!” Zu An retorted. Even Jiang Luofu had gone missing in the Celestial Court world as well. “How do you know it’s not their fate?” Houtu returned the question. Zu An was taken aback. Many thoughts flashed through his mind. A long time later, he slowly asked, “Can you see fate?” Houtu slowly replied, “As the governor of reincarnation, I can vaguely see the trajectory of fate, but I’m not all-knowing. Often, it comes as a brief impulse, guiding me as to how I can achieve a certain goal.” “I heard something similar from Zhuanxu. He said that time is an inconsequential concept to beings like him. He gave the ‘future’ me the Sun Slaying Bow so that the ‘past’ me could use it to shoot down the suns,” Zu An said as he tried to make sense of the situation. “I also met a Houtu in the Celestial Court world. She bestowed unto me a droplet of the Shaman races’ blood essence. Would it be right to say that you two are the same entity? That Houtu knows about me and the mission you entrusted me with.” “Your understanding is too simple and riddled with errors, but given your current conceptualization of the world, you can indeed think of it that way.” Houtu was surprised that he could figure out this much. “Emperor Jun sought to attain Sainthood by vanquishing the Shaman races. Emperor Yao sought to attain Sainthood through the prosperity of the human race. All powerhouses aim to reach Sainthood in their own way. Now that I think about it, it’s probably the same for you.” Zu An looked at the powerful silhouette before him. “The only difference is that they failed, whereas you succeeded.” Pei Mianman blinked. Ever since her child days, she had always been complimented for her wits, so why was it that she couldn’t follow the conversation before her? I feel like a dimwit. “You’re half right. I did this to attain Sainthood, but I have yet to reach it,” Houtu candidly replied. Zu An looked unfazed. “You still need the things in my hand to forge the Six Paths of Reincarnation in order to attain Sainthood.” Houtu’s way of attaining Sainthood was through the Six Paths of Reincarnation. This system allowed wandering ghosts to reincarnate, and it also encouraged individuals to do more good and commit less evil so that they could reincarnate into better lives. It went without saying that this was a vast contribution to the world. “You’re right. My Sainthood is founded on the Six Paths of Reincarnation.” Houtu eyed Zu An. “Are you thinking of blackmailing me through this?” Zu An chuckled. “That is indeed what I have in mind. You need the Six Worlds’ power insignias to attain Sainthood. You can try taking them from me by force, but since you haven’t attained Sainthood yet, I have the power to resist.” Pei Mianman tensed up. They sounded like friends earlier. Why does it sound as if they're going to come to blows? She was determined to stand with Zu An, so she secretly channeled her cultivation, ready to make a move at any moment. But this time, our enemy is an enigmatic silhouette. I wonder how I can hurt something like that. “You forgot. You said it yourself. Time is inconsequential to beings such as us. The past me, the present me, and the future me are one entity. The future me has attained Sainthood. You don’t have the means to deal with the present me,” Houtu replied impassively, as if she was talking about something unrelated to her. Zu An’s heart sank. He knew she was right, but he couldn’t give up. “You can’t forge the Six Paths of Reincarnation without the power insignias I've collected. That will hinder your path to Sainthood.” “It looks as if you still have yet to understand the mechanisms of time and history. My attainment of Sainthood in the future is a fact, which means that it will happen with or without you. Someone may aid me in this task in the future. The trajectory of fate is beyond an individual’s means to alter,” Houtu replied. Zu An thought about how Xihe had done everything she could to change the conclusion of the Ten Suns’ downfall, only for her attempts to end in vain. Mi Li had also once told him that important points in history, once determined, could no longer be changed. Houtu’s forging of the Six Paths of Reincarnation and attainment of Sainthood was one such important event that couldn’t change. But Zu An didn’t give up because of that. “Your Sainthood is inevitable, but you still aren’t a Saint yet. Someone else might help you collect the six power insignias if I refuse to cooperate with you here, but you risk losing a lot of time. Who knows how many more years it will take you to get there?” Houtu shook her head. “You don’t understand beings such as us. What appears to be a long time to you humans is nothing more than a nap to us.” “Perhaps I didn’t phrase it well enough. Let me put it in another way. If I don’t help you now, you may face many more variables in your path to Sainthood. Existences like you fear nothing more than variables, no?” Zu An asked calmly. “A Houtu will attain Sainthood in the future, but are you certain you will be that Houtu?” He was using the knowledge he'd learned from the Ten Suns’ incident. Important points in history couldn’t be changed, but a slight change in the process could make a world of difference in the nuances, such as him becoming Yi in the past. Houtu showed a rare emotional fluctuation. “I have to say that you’re an intelligent human. You have convinced me. Speak, what do you want?” Human politics had little meaning to beings like her. She knew what Zu An was after. “Help me save the Mermaid Queen and Jiang Luofu,” Zu An said. He could have simply requested her help, but he'd been worried that Houtu wouldn't give it her all since it didn’t concern her. Houtu frowned. “Ask for something else. What you’re asking for is beyond my means.” Zu An grabbed Pei Mianman and turned around to leave. “You can find someone else to collect your six power insignias then.”