Heaven and Earth are indifferent to benevolence or malevolence; all living beings are like straw figures and dogs on an altar, indistinguishable.
Chu Ge, as the Heavenly Dao within the book, will not allow anything to spiral out of control in that world, disrupting the plot and potentially causing him retribution.
Chu Ge, as a mortal in this world, will not allow the beings he creates to cause any unpredictable impact on his homeland; nor will he allow them to reveal his secrets, plunging him into trouble; similarly, he will not allow them to spread the skills from the book, causing him to lose his unique characteristics.
Whether you are the bloodthirsty and violent Yan Qianlie, the righteous and gentlemanly Xie Jiuxiao, or the chivalrous Chu Tiange.
It's all the same, no matter who you are.
Therefore, "because you are the villain" is just an excuse.
It has nothing to do with good or evil, nor with gender.
It's less about good and evil, and more about the fear of losing control; anything unpredictable and uncontrollable is unacceptable.
Why is Qiu Wuji allowed?
It wasn't just about affection.
It was also because Qiu Wuji had understood him from the very beginning and never did anything he was afraid of.
"Before Qiu Qiu and I had this relationship, Qiu Qiu could," Chu Ge said wearily. "Do you know why?" Yan Qianlie chuckled. "Because she's beautiful. You wanted her to be in this relationship with you."
Chu Ge remained expressionless. "Did you think you were funny? If the world is unkind, even the most beautiful woman is just a straw dog… or maybe a puppet."
Yan Qianlie paused, then fell silent.
That was true. If someone else could control the entire fate of a stunningly beautiful woman, they probably weren't in a relationship.
"Actually, at first, I was forced by Qiu Qiu. She held a sword to my neck." Chu Ge held Qiu Wuji's hand and smiled. "At the time, I was very unwilling, so I turned around and taught her a lesson, adding the line that she's still angry with me to this day… At that time, we were essentially hostile to each other."
Qiu Wuji rolled her eyes at him.
For some reason, hearing these words brought a sense of nostalgia.
Their first meeting... whether it was holding a sword to his neck or him stubbornly adding a line to the book, "If you're looking for a man, look for the Creator God."
That was their beginning, and compared to their current companionship, it feels like a lifetime ago.
"Something else happened back then, and I felt very lonely. When Qiuqiu reappeared, I felt less resistant and more delighted, so I was willing to talk to her and try to understand each other." Chu Ge said softly, "Qiuqiu is tough on the outside but soft on the inside. She knows my difficulties and won't arbitrarily cause any impact on this world. When she went back into the book for the test, she was also very careful, trying not to make any drastic changes to avoid any unforeseen circumstances. I didn't say anything, but I saw it all, and I'm very grateful for Qiuqiu's understanding... and that's why I like her even more."
He paused here: "Can others do this? You, Yan Qianlie?"
Yan Qianlie remained silent.
Of course not. He knows the truth, and he'll definitely try his best to change as much as he can. Otherwise, what's the point of breaking free from fate? Just like Qiu Wuji tried to change things from every angle, but to no avail.
Even if he said he could, no one would believe him.
Sure enough, Chu Ge continued, "Besides Qiu Qiu, I don't trust anyone. Maybe you're right, I don't look at good and evil. Good and evil are at most just prerequisites for progress... but ultimately, it's about closeness."
He said a lot, seemingly trying to sort out his thoughts. At this point, he seemed to have indeed figured things out, and his voice became firm: "I, Chu Ge, am not some impartial Heavenly Dao. I'm just a mortal. I will only favor my family, and I will only compromise for my family. Qiu Qiu is okay, but others are not. There can only be one person in this book, and that is Qiu Wuji!"
"When you say that, I actually think it's quite normal," Little Flame said, sitting cross-legged in the bead, arms crossed. "Everyone has selfish desires, so there's no need to talk about understanding our desire to break free. Just say you want to control everything and manipulate our fate." "I come from the demonic path, but I never demand fairness. If you're weaker than others, you're the prey, it's only natural. It's your wife who might feel a little sorry for you, hahaha…"
"She won't, because she understands me. I'm just honestly writing a book, I've never thought about doing anything to anyone, what's the big deal, who did I offend… It's just that your awakening is untimely. When I've finished the world in the book, the world will take its own course, I'll bring Qiuqiu out, separate the two realms, and everyone will live in peace. Who cares about your future fate? They're just bored… I don't even read my old book anymore…"
Yan Qianlie: "…" That makes sense… originally nothing would have happened…
But according to your plot, and with my villainous character setting, I was probably going to die anyway, should I just accept my fate? Damn it.
Chu Ge seemed to know what he was thinking, looking at him sympathetically: "Qianqian, at least in the human realm outline, you weren't written to die... It was so hard to create a powerful and charismatic villain, I was even thinking of using you in the celestial realm storyline too, of course, I haven't decided whether you'll live or die in the end..." Yan Qianlie: "?" Qiu Wuji turned his head, he had been getting into a lot of philosophical debate about the human and celestial realms after this conversation, but this sentence completely ended it, and he wanted to laugh.
"He... I've seen his later outline before, he really didn't write you to die." Qiu Wuji explained, suppressing a laugh: "The ensemble he's writing now, every character is important, even if they have to die, it will be a very meaningful ending, the kind of ending that readers will remember."
At least it's much more meaningful than crawling out and being caught and killed, with the rest of the story erased from the book.
The little flame squatted in the bead, the flame was dumbfounded.
He didn't write me to die at all.
And after finishing writing, I won't care about that world at all. In other words, at most a year or two will pass, and everyone's fate will no longer be predetermined.
Compared to the long journey of cultivation, what's a year or two? Even if you wanted to defy the heavens, the preparation time would be measured in centuries!
So what am I doing?
"No..." Little Flame stammered, "Then...then why did you even try to ascend, to break free from some destiny?"
Qiu Wuji calmly replied, "Because I want to become a real person in this world, to be his wife. Do you want that too?"
Little Flame: "Damn it!"
Little Flame began to struggle, "Damn you, God...oh no, respected Heavenly Dao, exalted Father God, forget all that I've done! I'll go back and obediently follow your arrangements, I'll kill whoever you tell me to kill, and I'll never come out again..."
Qiu Wuji was dumbfounded: "Hey, are you still Yan Qianlie?"
"You stinking woman, what do you know? If someone from the Demonic Path can't adapt to changing circumstances, are they still considered part of the Demonic Path? Isn't bowing down to the Creator God shameful?" Little Flame jumped up and down, "I'm going to die! I could have lived a good life afterward, but I went out and got soaked in the rain all night, and now I'm going to die. I won't even have the memorable ending that's supposed to be in the book. Do you know what that feels like..."
Chu Ge and Qiu Wuji exchanged glances.
Those who heard this were heartbroken, those who saw it wept.
The little flame continued to struggle: "Father God, it'll be troublesome for you to change the subsequent plot, right? I, Yan Qianlie, am a top-tier demonic cultivator, having traversed the Nine Provinces for tens of thousands of years. The subsequent plot must be very important, right? Modifying it would be a huge project. Father God, you could save yourself some trouble and not erase it..." Chu Ge: "..."
"Qiu Wuji, say something! Qiu Wuji, you are the leader of the righteous path, kind-hearted, right..."
"You just called me a slut."
"I was wrong, Sect Master Qiu..." the little flame hurriedly said, "The Yunji Sect should also have methods to erase memories, right? They could completely erase the memories of what I saw and heard after I came out, and just put it back in the book." "It's over... See, it's so simple, and this is for the good of Father God..." Qiu Wuji said helplessly, "Let me think..." Little Flame was overjoyed: "Thank you, Sect Master Qiu, I won't oppose you anymore..." Qiu Wuji rubbed his forehead: "Why do I feel like Yan Qianlie is already dead? Yan Qianlie, who dared to declare war on the heavens, where did he get such a pathetic will to live?" Chu Ge, on the other hand, understood Yan Qianlie better: "How could Yan Qianlie be willing to die such a meaningless death, as light as a feather? That's normal... Don't be fooled by his current groveling; he'll change his tune once he gets back." Yan Qianlie didn't argue. No one understands each of His people better than the Creator God; any act was meaningless.
Chu Ge looked at the nervous little flame writhing inside the bead, hesitating for a moment: "Can you erase his memories?"
Qiu Wuji said, "He is a primordial spirit, not a mortal... My cultivation in this body is insufficient. I can do it for mortals, but I doubt it's enough for him..."
The little flame erupted in fury: "You filthy woman, you truly have the face of a righteous person, the most treacherous of all!"
Qiu Wuji expressionlessly picked up the bead and shoved it under the alchemy furnace: "I need to refine pills to improve myself, and I happen to need the Danyang Soul Fire. Refine the pills to my satisfaction, and then we'll discuss other matters."