To stop time from moving, this was a skill that even the fallen gods did not possess. In this world or any of them, really, Tian was the only one who was able to do it. Usually, he did not use it but he had no desire to appear before unsuspecting people whether that was the two in the room or anyone who might enter.

He moved to the bedside, ignoring the figure of Leng Jin Yu, and stared at Jinde’s profile. He had seen this person while watching Qiu Ling and knew just how important he was to him and what kind of role he had played in his life.

Actually, come to think about it, maybe having him still around wouldn’t be too bad. He needed the current king of the dragon race alive for his plan to come to fruition. Well, he had some leeway there compared to Jing He but he still felt that Qiu Ling was his safest bet. But when it came to the current state of things, it could only be called precarious. Maybe with this person’s influence, matters could stabilize somewhat.

He leaned forward, reaching out a hand. Before he could touch him though, hurried steps sounded behind him. Tian stopped his movement and turned back, looking at the wide eyes of Xiang Yu who had halted on the doorstep.

The fallen gods might not possess the ability to stop time but they weren’t affected by it in the same way the trueborn gods or dragons were. They might feel a little dizzy and sluggish at first but they could shake it off if they got through the initial daze. Apparently, Xiang Yu who had been in an alert state before had noticed his arrival and managed to pull himself together after a few moments.

Tian looked at him, taking in his curious expression. He knew this child trusted him so he wasn’t surprised to not see any doubt in his gaze when he suddenly saw him in here. “Xiang Yu.”

Xiang Yu had felt scared when he originally noticed a change inside and came running over at once. His eyes lit up when he realized that the person was Tian though. He indeed trusted him and wouldn’t consider for even a moment that Tian might want to hurt Jinde. On the contrary, he figured this should be a good thing.

“Did you come to help him?” He came closer but stopped a few steps away from Tian, looking at Jinde curiously. He had asked Xin Lan for help but the person had run out again, not explaining anything. Now, it seemed he didn’t need to worry about that anymore. With Tian here, nothing should happen.

Tian gave a hum, not bothering to explain more. “You returned from your trial. How was it?” Of course, he was very well aware how Xiang Yu’s trial had gone but they hadn’t seen each other again since he left so he felt that it wasn’t wrong to ask.

Xiang Yu immediately pursed his lips. How had his trial been? Well, originally, it was great but then he met that bastard Xiao Li and everything went wrong. He even died prematurely, missing out on what he had originally set out to live through. How could he be happy?

Tian nodded faintly. “It seems things didn’t go quite as planned.”

Xiang Yu shook his head. “No. It’s so unfair!” He furrowed his brows but wasn’t sure where to start complaining. Actually, if he could, he’d like to have a do-over of this do-over trial. Although asking for that …

Xiang Yu tilted his head and then looked at Tian questioningly. “Could I do another one? I mean, most trueborn gods do two or three trials, right? I only had two now so going on another one shouldn’t be a problem, right?” If he did, maybe Xin Lan would be more open to being with him? Who knew if he wasn’t rejecting him not because of time but because he was a fallen god? It was entirely possible. He knew how prejudiced people were, after all.

Tian looked at the Mark of Wisdom between Xiang Yu’s brows which had changed since he last saw him. “I guess it wouldn’t be impossible. Are you sure you want to leave now though?”

Xiang Yu blinked his eyes and then looked at Jinde’s figure which was still frozen in time. Well, he had wanted to be there to watch the child be born. And there was also Qiu Ling’s wedding coming up …

Xiang Yu blinked when he thought of that and curiously looked at Tian. “Qiu Ling is trying to get married but his father-in-law won’t let him.”

Tian hummed. That wasn’t a response to his question but he could roughly get what Xiang Yu meant: ‘Aren’t you going to do something about that as well if you’re here already?’ But, to be honest … no, he wasn’t. He was only helping Jinde because he had made a deal with Xin Lan. As for Qiu Ling and Jing He getting married, while he was keeping an eye on it, he didn’t intend to interfere as long as Jing He’s life wasn’t in danger.

Xiang Yu also seemed to understand that Tian wasn’t interested. He pursed his lips but didn’t complain. Anyway, it was already nice to help Jinde. In regard to Qiu Ling, there were still many things he could do himself. “Well, I do want to go on a trial. Just … just maybe a little later. Can I?”

Tian nodded. “Of course.” He watched his expectant expression for a moment and finally handed him a vial. If you want to go, you know what to do. Just make sure to find a safe place first.”

Xiang Yu happily nodded and put the vial away for later. Then, he curiously looked at Tian, waiting for him to do what he had originally come for.

Tian also didn’t continue talking and instead turned to Jinde, a sliver of energy entering his forehead and touching his soul. After that, he simply retracted his hand and left, time in the mortal and immortal realms resuming as normal as if nothing had happened at all.