The Weight of Revelations
At the beach where they first met, where the memories of their fateful encounter still lingered in the salt-tinged air, Ao Bing found Ne Zha waiting for him, practically bouncing with excitement. The contrast between this vibrant boy and the demon Shen Gongbao described couldn't have been starker.
"Ao Bing! You came!" Ne Zha exclaimed, his face lighting up with a joy so pure and unbridled that it seemed to chase away the shadows of doubt and dread that clung to Ao Bing's soul.
"Of course," Ao Bing replied, despite feeling a stone crushing his chest, "What is it, Ne Zha? Why did you call me?"
Ne Zha thrust a piece of paper towards Ao Bing, his small hands trembling with a endearing, youthful eagerness. "It's an invitation! To my birthday celebration. The whole town is coming, can you believe it? They finally understand!"
Ao Bing took the invitation, his fingers skimming the text as he read the excited scrawl. When he looked up, he saw Ne Zha's expression had turned serious.
"Ao Bing," Ne Zha said,, "I... I don't really care if anyone else comes. But I want you to be there."
The raw honesty and hope in Ne Zha's voice made Ao Bing's heart ache. "Why?" he asked.
Ne Zha shuffled his feet, suddenly shy. "Well, duh, It's because... well, you're my only friend. I need you there."
Ao Bing felt a lump form in his throat. "You're my only friend too..." he murmured.
"-so you'll really come?" Ne Zha asked again, his eyes hopeful. "You promise?"
Ao Bing nodded, forcing a smile that felt like a lie. "I promise, Ne Zha. I'll be there, no matter what."
Ne Zha turned to leave but spun back around, pointing at Ao Bing. "You better come! You promised!"
Ao Bing could only nod, not trusting himself to speak.
Finally satisfied, Ne Zha turned away, a big goofy grin spreading across his face as he practically skipped off, his laughter ringing out across the beach.
Ao Bing looked down at the invitation, noticing the crude drawing Ne Zha had made of the two of them together. He clutched it tightly, his heart heavy with conflict.
Meanwhile, back in his room, Ne Zha excitedly tried on different outfits, muttering to himself, "Which one makes me look more heroic?"
"I'd say none of them quite suit a demon," a smooth, cold voice suddenly came from behind him.
Ne Zha whirled around, immediately launching an attack at the intruder. The man, Shen Gongbao, quickly raised his hands, a look of feigned innocence upon his face.
"Wait! Stop! I know your master, Taiyi!" Shen Gongbao shouted as Ne Zha's fist connected with his stomach one last time.
Hearing this, Ne Zha paused his assault, lowering his fists. "You... you know Master Taiyi? How?"
Shen Gongbao nodded, a sly smile crossing his face. Indeed, I do. We have a long history, he and I. But that is not why I'm here... Tell me, Ne Zha, do you really know who you are? Do you truly understand the nature of your existence?"
Ne Zha puffed out his chest proudly. "Of course! I'm Ne Zha, born of the Spirit Pearl, destined to be a great demon hunter!"
Shen Gongbao's smile turned cruel, a twist of the lips that held no warmth or kindness. "Oh, you poor, deceived child. Your parents have been lying to you, feeding you pretty tales to keep you docile and obedient. You're not born of the Spirit Pearl, but of the Demon Orb, a vessel of pure evil and destruction."
Ne Zha's face paled, the color draining from his cheeks like water from a cracked cup. "What? No, that's not true!" he protested.
"This party," Shen Gongbao continued mercilessly, "it's just a cover. They're waiting for you to die, Ne Zha. On your sixteenth birthday, heavenly lightning will strike you down, and they will rejoice in your demise."
Ne Zha stumbled backward, his world crumbling around him. "You're lying!" he shouted, but there was doubt blooming in his voice.
Shen Gongbao watched with satisfaction as Ne Zha's expressions shifted from denial to hurt to dawning realization, the truth sinking in like a poison that corroded his very soul. He could see the betrayal etched on the boy's face, the anger building within him like a storm that threatened to break.
The pieces fell into place - the isolation, the fear, the sudden lavish birthday celebration that seemed too good to be true.
"They really have been lying to me," Ne Zha said, his voice hollow with realization. "This party, it's not for my birth at all, It's to celebrate my death?"
Shen Gongbao nodded, his expression one of feigned sympathy. "Precisely, my dear child. Your own parents have been waiting all this time to be rid of the 'demon' they bore, the monster they created."
Ne Zha's hands clenched into trembling fists, his nails digging into his palms hard enough to draw blood. "And the universe collar, the barriers - they were never meant to protect me, but to keep me locked away, hidden from the world. Because they're afraid of what I am."
"Exactly so," Shen Gongbao agreed. "They never loved you, Ne Zha. You were merely a burden they were forced to bear, a demon they sought to contain and destroy."
Ne Zha felt the last vestiges of his hope crumbling away, replaced by a growing fury that threatened to consume him, to burn away everything he had ever known and loved. All his life, he had yearned for acceptance, for a chance to prove his worth, to show the world that he was more than the demon they feared. And now, to learn that it had all been a lie...
He wanted to end the world.
"I have to confront them," Ne Zha said, his voice low and dangerous, a boiling rage bubbling beneath the surface. "I have to know the truth, from their own lips. I need to hear them admit it."
Shen Gongbao placed a hand on Ne Zha's shoulder, squeezing gently, a gesture of false comfort that only served to fan the flames of the boy's anger. "Then go, my child. Seek the answers you deserve. And when you do, remember who it was that told you the real truth."
Ne Zha nodded, his expression hardening like a mask of stone. As he rushed out of the room, Shen Gongbao's lips curled into a satisfied smile. He had planted the seeds of doubt and discord, and now he could only wait to see how they would take root and blossom.
With Shen Gongbao's words still ringing in his ears, Ne Zha made his way to the courtyard, to the lavish birthday celebration his parents had organized. As he walked through the crowd, he could feel the fearful stares of the townspeople upon him, the whispers that followed in his wake like the hiss of a thousand snakes.
"Look, it's the demon child," he heard someone whisper.
"I can't believe I agreed to come. We should leave before he brings more destruction."
Ne Zha ground his teeth, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the faces around him. It was clear his father had lied - the townspeople still saw him as a monster, a demon to be feared and reviled, not the hero he had been promised.
Across the courtyard, Ne Zha spotted his mother, Lady Yin, her face a mask of bittersweet sorrow as she approached him. With a gentle touch, she brushed the hair from his eyes.
"My, how you've grown," she said softly. "I can hardly believe this day is already here. I- I just really want to see you grow up well."
The sadness in her voice tugged at Ne Zha's heart, but then he remembered Shen Gongbao's cruel revelations, the bitter truth that had shattered his world, and he looked at her with eyes filled with contempt
Rather than lashing out at his parents, Ne Zha stayed silent, quietly observing as a torrent of emotions threatened to tear his chest apart . The revelations had struck him to the core, his once-bright future crumbling to ashes before his eyes.
Pulling his tearful wife away, Li Jing approached, holding a small, ornate talisman in his hands. He maintained a facade of forced cheerfulness, a desperate attempt to maintain the illusion of normalcy they had built up around Ne Zha.
"Ne Zha, my son," Li Jing said, his voice carrying a hint of strain, "I have a special gift for you. This talisman will protect you from harm, a symbol of our love and devotion to you as your parents."
Ne Zha said nothing, his eyes fixed on his father with a cold, unwavering glare. Li Jing hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and carefully pinned the talisman to Ne Zha's pants. As he did so, Ne Zha's body tensed, but he remained motionless, his gaze never leaving his father's face.
Li Jing finished attaching the talisman and stepped back, feeling the weight of their son's accusing stare. The tension between them was palpable, filling the air with an uncomfortable silence, a maw that seemed to swallow all warmth and joy into its depths.
Just then, Taiyi, Ne Zha's master, approached them. In his hands, he held three gifts.
As Taiyi presented the gifts, Ne Zha's face remained a stoic mask. The first was a vibrant
Next, Taiyi gestured, and the
Finally, Taiyi placed a
"Use them well, my student," Taiyi said solemnly. "They will aid you in your effort to become a great demon hunter."
Ne Zha gripped the spear tightly, the weight of his master's words sinking in, the bitter irony not lost on him. He remained silent, his eyes darting between the gifts and the faces of his parents, whose expressions were that of two people about to lose their son, not celebrate his birthday.
As the party guests looked on in silence, a hushed anticipation hanging in the air, Ne Zha turned to Taiyi, his voice burning with cold fury, a rage that sped like corruption through his veins.
"These were never meant to help me become a great demon hunter, were they?" he accused, his grip tightening on the spear. "You've all have just been lying to me from the very beginning."
Taiyi's eyes widened, a look of panic crossing his features. "Ne Zha, what—"
But Ne Zha cut him off, whirling to face his parents. "You two," he spat, as though addressing them were distasteful to him. "You've been waiting all this time to be rid of me, the 'demon child' you never wanted!"
Lady Yin stepped forward, her hand reaching out to him in a desperate plea for understanding. "Ne Zha, my son, that's not true! We love you, we—"
Ne Zha backed away, his eyes brimming with betrayal. "Don't touch me!" he growled, the air around him beginning to tremble with his primal rage.
In the next moment, Ne Zha began to chant, his voice resonating with the power of ancient magic. Taiyi's face drained of color as he recognized the incantation, a spell of unbinding that should have been kept from Ne Zha.
"Ne Zha, stop!" he cried out, his voice panicked, a desperate attempt to halt the inevitable. "How do you know that spell?"
But Ne Zha refused to be silenced, his voice resonating with power as he continued the ritual. The more he chanted, the more he could feel a dark tide building within him, a power he hadn't known he possessed.
Taiyi watched in horror as the universe collar around Ne Zha's neck began to glow and loosen, the ancient artifact that had kept his true nature at bay for so long. It began to come away in swirling arcs of golden energy and with a final burst, the collar broke free, clattering to the ground and rolling away in a shower of sparks.
The transformation was immediate and terrifying. Ne Zha's small, childlike form began to shift and grow, his features sharpening into a masculine frame, a being of pure power and rage. Flames erupted around him, forming a swirling ring of fire that danced and flickered like a living thing.
Lady Yin cried out, and reached out towards her son, a desperate attempt to reach the child she had loved and nurtured. "Ne Zha, my child!"
But Li Jing grabbed her, pulling her back before she could breach the flames. "No, stay back!" he warned.
As the flames died down, Ne Zha stood revealed in his true form, a being of pure demonic might. Gone was the youthful face, replaced by a young man with dark red hair that swirled upwards like flames. His features had sharpened, taking on a fierce, almost feral quality. The red symbol on his forehead, usually hidden by his bangs, now blazed openly, pulsing with demonic energy.
He wore a vest adorned with fire embroidery that left his chest partially exposed, showcasing his lean, muscular physique. Harem pants and an orange and yellow sash at his waist completed his attire, all seeming to dance and flicker like flames in the heat of his transformation, like an inferno given human form.
The armillary sash whipped around him wildly, responding to the surges of power emanating from his body. In one hand, he gripped his fire-tipped spear, its tip glowing white-hot.
But the most chilling feature were his eyes - stark white and empty, devoid of any human emotion or mercy. They were the eyes of a beast, a creature of pure instinct and rage. They were the same eyes Lady Yin had seen the day he was born. This was Ne Zha's true self, the demonic essence that had been concealed so long by the universe collar.
Taiyi stared at Ne Zha, his expression a mix of disbelief and horror. e had known, deep down, that this day would come, that the power they had sought to contain would one day break free. But to see it unfold before his eyes, to witness the birth of a true demon... it was a nightmare.
As the transformation completed, Ne Zha's loss of faculty became immediately apparent. He lost the ability to speak, to reason, to feel anything but the primal urge to destroy, to rend and tear and burn until nothing remained but ashes and dust.
Without warning, Ne Zha launched himself at Taiyi, his spear lashing out with blinding speed, a blur of crimson and gold that seemed to split the very air itself. Taiyi's eyes widened, and he quickly summoned his own weapon - a giant paintbrush with bristles that stretched and bent like a whip, a tool of creation turned to the art of war.
"Lady Yin, stay back!" Taiyi shouted, using the brush to parry Ne Zha's vicious strikes, each blow sending shockwaves rippling through the courtyard. "I'll hold him off as long as I can!"
The two engaged in a furious dance of clashing weapons, Taiyi desperately trying to hold off his former student's onslaught. Ne Zha's movements were savage and unpredictable, fueled by raw demonic power.
Sensing the danger, Li Jing rushed to join the fray, drawing his own sword. "Ne Zha, my son, please!" he pleaded, even as he moved to defend himself.
Ne Zha's eyes narrowed, and with a flick of his wrist, the armillary sash came alive, lashing out at Li Jing like a serpent striking at its prey. The crimson dragon-like ribbon wrapped around his father's blade, yanking it from his grasp with a strength that defied mortal understanding.
Lady Yin watched the battle with tears in her eyes, her heart breaking at the sight of her family torn apart. "Ne Zha! Please, stop this!" she cried out.
Taiyi, his brush whirling to deflect Ne Zha's relentless attacks, shouted over the din of the fight. "Lady Yin, find the collar! Quickly! It's our only hope of containing him!"
Nodding, Lady Yin turned and began searching frantically, calling out to the few remaining servants who had not already fled in terror. "The collar, find the collar! We must get it back on him!"
The servants scattered, overturning furniture and scouring the courtyard for the discarded artifact that had once contained Ne Zha's power. Lady Yin joined them, her hands shaking with adrenaline as she searched for the key to restoring her son.
Meanwhile, the battle raged on. Ne Zha, his demonic mind consumed by rage and the need to destroy, pressed his advantage against Taiyi and Li Jing. The two seasoned warriors found themselves hard-pressed to keep up with the young man's raw, unrestrained might.
On a cliff overlooking the chaotic battle in the courtyard, Ao Bing stood clutching Ne Zha's birthday invitation, his expression one of worry and pure despair.
Shen Gongbao turned to his student, a smug smile on his face. "You see, Ao Bing? This is exactly what I told you would happen. The demon child cannot fight against his true nature."
Ao Bing's grip tightened on the invitation as he watched Ne Zha's transformed state battling against Taiyi and Li Jing. "Master," he began, "if they can get the collar back on him, will he return to normal?"
Shen Gongbao let out a mocking laugh. "Even if you do, it matters not. Ne Zha is doomed to be destroyed by the heavenly tribunal regardless, a fate written in the stars themselves. His destiny is sealed, and nothing can change that."
Ao Bing's shook his head in anguish. Turning to his master, he dropped to his knees, his forehead hitting the ground in a deep kowtow. "Please, Master, let me at least try to save his parents. Ne Zha... he saved my life once, a debt that I must repay."
Shen Gongbao scoffed, but then a gleam of calculation crossed his features. "Very well, Ao Bing. You may attempt to intervene." He pursed his lips, his voice lowering to a warning. "But be wary - we have yet to remove your horns. The consequences for you being discovered as a dragon would be far more severe than anything even Ne Zha can inflict upon this town."
But as Shen Gongbao turned to deliver this final caution, he realized Ao Bing had already disappeared, the invitation fluttering to the ground in his wake.
Down in the courtyard, the battle raged on. Taiyi and Li Jing were struggling to hold their own against the transformed Ne Zha, whose demonic power seemed to grow with each passing moment.
Lady Yin and the servants desperately searched for the missing universe collar, their cries of "Find it!" echoing through the chaos like a prayer to the heavens.
Ne Zha, consumed by his demonic rage, fixed his sights on his father, Li Jing, his eyes blazing with a primal hatred that knew no bounds. With blinding speed, he launched himself forward, his fire-tipped spear poised to strike.
But at the last moment, the spear became stuck, trapped between two gleaming hammers wielded by a cloaked figure who had appeared in front of Li Jing. It was Ao Bing, his identity obscured by the billowing fabric, but his ice-carved weapons and the creeping frost that crawled up Ne Zha's spear gave away his presence.
Ao Bing braced himself, his arms straining to hold back Ne Zha's devastating thrust. "Ne Zha, stop this madness!" he pleaded, his voice muffled by the cloak. "I won't let you hurt your father!"
Ne Zha's eyes widened with recognition, a flicker of humanity breaking through the demonic haze that clouded his mind. But the fury that consumed him allowed no room for reason, no quarter for mercy or compassion. He let out a guttural roar, summoning flames to engulf his arms. The intense heat caused the ice slowly inching up his weapon to melt away, freeing him from Ao Bing's restraint.
Ao Bing was forced to disengage, his hammers glowing with cold energy as he prepared to defend against Ne Zha's next assault. The two clashed in a dizzying exchange of blows, the air snapping with each blow of the conflicting elements of fire and ice.
The hammers had a distinctive gourd-like shape, with a rounded head and a sturdy handle. As Ao Bing clashed with the transformed Ne Zha, the ice weapons radiated a cold, ethereal energy, capable of trapping and slowing the fiery spear attacks.
Ne Zha's movements were savage, his spear a blur as he rained down strike after strike aimed directly at Ao Bing's head and chest. Ao Bing met each attack with steadfast determination, deflecting and parrying, refusing to give ground.
As the battle raged, Lady Yin and the servants continued their desperate search for the missing universe collar. Time was running out, and they knew that only the artifact's power could hope to subdue Ne Zha's demonic transformation.
Taiyi and Li Jing watched the clash between the two young men, silently praying for a miracle. They dared not interfere, fearing that any distraction could prove fatal.
As the intense battle raged on, a hopeful cry suddenly rang out from the side.
"I found it!" Lady Yin exclaimed, holding up the missing universe collar triumphantly. Without hesitation, she tossed the artifact towards Ao Bing.
Catching the collar, Ao Bing wasted no time activating its power. The artifact came to life, the pieces separating and chasing after the transformed Ne Zha, a whirlwind of metal and magic that sought to bind the demon child once more.
Ne Zha's eyes went wide with panic as he saw the collar approaching. Realizing its intent, he desperately tried to flee, gliding away on his wind and fire wheels with all his speed.
But the collar was relentless, the spinning pieces forming a swirling orb as they closed in on Ne Zha, a prison of light and power that would not, could not be denied. Sensing his impending capture, the young demon lashed out, smashing his body with bone crushing force against the walls of the slowly enclosing prison, fighting with all his strength to break free.
Yet the collar was too powerful, the magic that bound it stronger than any mortal will. With a resounding click, it snapped shut, locking securely around Ne Zha's neck once more.
Immediately, Ne Zha began to scream, his demonic power draining from his body. A plume of fire rose around him as he descended rapidly to the ground, his transformed frame shrinking and shifting until, at last, he lay there as a child once more, his strength completely sapped, his spirit broken and defeated.
The silence that followed was deafening, the only sound the soft whimpers escaping Ne Zha's lips as he struggled against the collar's binding effects until finally, he went limp.
As Ne Zha lay on the ground, drained of his demonic power, his parents rushed to his side. Lady Yin scooped the child up into her arms, holding him close as Li Jing hovered anxiously nearby.
Ao Bing approached them and knelt down in front of the family. Reaching out, he tenderly brushed a lock of hair from Ne Zha's face, his eyes soft with concern.
Lady Yin watched Ao Bing's actions carefully, unsure of this young man's connection to her son.
But before she could voice her questions, Ne Zha's eyes snapped open. With a rough, unexpected motion, he lashed out, gripping Ao Bing's hand tightly to halt his movements. Before anyone could react, before they could stop him, Ne Zha yanked himself from his mother's embrace.
In the next moment, Ne Zha had summoned his wind and fire wheels, the golden rings swooping under his feet as he scooped up his fire tipped spear and sped away into the sky. His crimson armillary sash whirled around his arms, joining him in his hasty retreat.
Ao Bing watched helplessly as Ne Zha fled but he also understood the boy's need for solitude, the weight of what had just occurred surely overwhelming him.
As Ao Bing watched Ne Zha's retreating form, Li Jing approached him, a look of profound gratitude on his face.
Cupping his hands, Li Jing bowed deeply to Ao Bing. "Thank you," he said reverently, "You saved us, and my son."
Ao Bing returned the bow, his expression serene. "No thanks is necessary," he replied calmly. "I only did what I felt I must."
Turning to take his leave, Ao Bing began to walk away, but Li Jing suddenly stepped forward, purposefully stepping on the back of Ao Bing's cloak.
With a sharp tug, the fabric was yanked from Ao Bing's head, exposing his horns for all to see. The few remaining servants, as well as Lady Yin and Taiyi, gasped in shock at the sight.
Ao Bing instinctively raised a hand to cover the telltale protrusions, his expression one of shame and dismay.
Li Jing's eyes narrowed. "As I thought," he said, his voice grave. "The dragons were the ones who stole the Spirit Pearl."
Taiyi's eyes widened with realization. "Shen Gongbao," he breathed, the name like poison on his lips.
The revelation hung in the air, the betrayal of Ao Bing's true nature and the deeper conspiracy at play becoming painfully clear. Ao Bing, caught in the web of deception, could only stand there, his heart heavy with the weight of his divided loyalties.
Shen Gongbao suddenly appeared beside Ao Bing, earning a sharp reprimand from Taiyi.
"Shen Gongbao, your treachery knows no bounds!" Taiyi exclaimed, his words a condemnation of the evil that lurked within the leopard spirits heart. "How could you deceive us so, how could you bring such ruin upon the world?"
But Shen Gongbao ignored the accusation, turning his attention to the distraught Ao Bing instead.
"The secret is out, young prince," Shen Gongbao said, "If any of them report what you are to the Heavenly Officials, the consequences for your people will be severe."
Ao Bing stood torn. On one hand, he was hesitant to cause harm to the innocent, and his friendship with Ne Zha had become a precious thing. Yet, the lifelong indoctrination and responsibility to his family and his dragon kin tugged at his heart. He knew the price of failure, the consequences of betraying his own kind, and the thought of bringing such ruin upon his people was a weight that he could not bear.
Gritting his teeth and closing his eyes, Ao Bing could hear Shen Gongbao's words in his ear, urging him to action, to do what must be done for the sake of all dragon-kind. With a anguished scream, he waved his ice hammers skyward, and the ocean beyond the village responded to his beckoning.
Massive waterspouts erupted from the distant sea, drawing the water up into the sky, forming a vast, hovering lake above the village. Ao Bing then smashed his hammers together, creating a flurry of ice and snow that obscured his form, a whirlwind of winter that consumed him utterly.
From the swirling flurry, the head of a great dragon emerged, quickly followed by the materialization of Ao Bing's true draconic body. He spiraled upwards, opening his jaws to unleash a blast of freezing ice that encased the suspended water, turning it into a frozen lake suspended above the town.
Ao Bing then whipped around and dove into the icy lake, using his immense weight and momentum to begin forcing the frozen mass downwards, his intention clear – to entomb the village and all within under a crushing layer of ice, to bury the evidence of his betrayal and the secrets that had been revealed. It was a desperate gamble, a last resort to protect his people.
As Ne Zha fled the chaos unfolding in the village, he found himself drawn to the solace of a nearby forest. Gliding in on his wind and fire wheels, he landed clumsily, stumbling and tumbling into the dirt.
Sitting up, Ne Zha brought his hands to his face, trembling. The revelations of his true nature, the lies that had been told to him by those he loved most, and the loss of control over his demonic power had left him a broken shell of the boy he had once been.
He stood violently, pacing back and forth, struggling to make sense of it all, to find some measure of understanding in the midst of the chaos. But the answers eluded him, the truth slipping through his fingers like grains of sand, leaving him lost and alone in a world that had no place for him.
Suddenly, Ne Zha stopped, his expression twisting with anguish. With a cry of frustration, he began unleashing a flurry of furious punches against a massive tree trunk. The powerful strikes quickly took their toll, and the tree came crashing down, splintering under the force of Ne Zha's blows.
Exhausted, Ne Zha slumped to the ground, curling in on himself, a small, broken figure amidst the ruins of his own making. But as he sat amid the fallen tree, he sensed a familiar presence nearby.
Whirling around, Ne Zha readied himself for another confrontation, his eyes narrowed with distrust. "What do you want, Taiyi?" he spat in the direction of his master.
Taiyi raised his hands in a pleading gesture. "Ne Zha, please, I'm not here to fight. I only wish to speak with you."
Ne Zha scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. "Speak? After all your lies? I'm not interested, "Master."
Taiyi's shoulders slumped, and for a moment, Ne Zha could see his composure slip. "I understand your anger, Ne Zha. If you choose to hate me for the rest of your days, I will accept that. But there is something you must know about your parents."
At the mention of his parents, Ne Zha tensed, his eyes burning with a mix of hurt and fury. "What could you possibly tell me that I don't already know? That they've been waiting to be rid of me all this time?"
Taiyi shook his head slowly. "No, Ne Zha. The talisman your father gave you, the one he claimed would protect you... It was not that at all."
Ne Zha's brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
Taking a deep breath, Taiyi continued, "That talisman was designed to trade fates. Your father... he is the one who is meant to face the heavenly tribunal, not you."
Ne Zha felt the air leave his lungs. "What!?" he demanded, taking a threatening step towards Taiyi.
Taiyi unconsciously stepped backwards, nodding. "Your father, in a desperate attempt to save you, traded his own life for yours. He's willing to sacrifice himself to protect you, Ne Zha."
As the weight of Taiyi's words sank in, Ne Zha sank to his knees. He covered his face with his hands, unable to look up at his Master with the dawning realization that everything he had believed was a lie once again. Taiyi, seeing the devastation written on his former student's face, could only watch, finally feeling the burden of the truth leaving his own body.