Nightfall

On the plaza in the capital of Song it was deadly quiet except for some heavy snorting from time to time. But it was from the warhorses rather than humans.

Someone was preaching from afar. It sounded indistinct because of the distance as if it was from Heaven. In the indistinct preaching there were weird words like women, stones, sins, steamed buns, and salt. But it was immediately blown away by the warhorses’ snorting and disappeared in the chilling winter air.

But did it really disappear? Of course not. Those words got into people’s ears and stamped on their hearts. The divine priests and deacons from the West-Hill and armed cavalry of Song were laying around the plaza, ready for an ambush. They looked uneasy upon hearing that.

The snorting from hundreds of horses became heavier. Thousands of divine priests, deacons and soldiers were gathering along the quiet streets.

According to the plan of the West-Hill, these heavily armed troops would dash into the quiet plaza and kill the traitors as well as the showy priest, and it would lead to another upsurge to extinguish the New Stream.

However… those stern divine priests, indifferent deacons, and pale Song soldiers did wonder why so many previously pious followers of Haotian could have been converted by that blasphemer. Why were they standing or even sitting while listening to his preaching? Shouldn’t they be on their knees all the time?

Why?

The command finally came. Upon the closing of the city gate, the entire Song Kingdom would become a place for death. No one could escape. Those who disobeyed the Divine Halls and followed the New Stream, or even people who showed sympathy to the followers of New Stream were all going to be arrested. As for the preachers and blasphemers, they would definitely be killed.

The wind coming from the coastline gradually ceased. It could not blow away the snowflakes or melt the snow on the streets. While the snow accumulated, united and terrible footsteps prevailed. The city became a pure and chilling white. Everyone knew that the white snow would be stained by blood in no time.

Iron spears were clapping with the armors. The warhorses were snorting rapidly and the cavalrymen seemed ruthless. The smell of metal in the air gradually became bloody. Screaming were heard from around the plaza. People knew that the Divine Halls would not turn a blind eye to the spread of the New Stream. But they were not expecting a conflict of beliefs to be so ruthless and bloody.

Those who had sympathy for the New Stream were driven to a corner by the deacons of West-Hill and the cavalrymen. Clip-clops stormed and iron cudgels were thrown onto human flesh. People were screaming and crying everywhere, but mostly crying.

They were dreadful and desperate cries.

Blood was shed. Harsh shouts were everywhere. The clashing of spears and blades became louder and louder. Then something brighter showed up — the swords.

Over twenty disciples of the Sword Garret from South Jin joined the crowd and applied their swordsmanship inherited from Liu Bai and Liu Yiqing against the fury of Heaven.

The fury of the Divine Halls was temporarily repulsed. But it immediately became more tangled with more cavalrymen and powerful Taoist cultivators pouring in.

Three leaders of the Divine Halls’ cavalry led their soldiers and broke through the disciples of the Sword Garret and darted toward the center of the plaza. They did not care about the followers of the New Stream who were crying and running around, but only wanted to take down that calm priest on the stage. As long as they could kill him, how could these followers of New Stream continue to believe in his absurd preaching?

Looking at the people covered in blood, the crying mothers with children in their arms, and the grey-haired elders who were scared, Ye Su felt a profound sadness. But strangely he felt the same sympathy for those cavalrymen of the Divine Halls who were coming to kill him.

Chen Pipi walked onto the stage and was ready to escort his Brother to leave. Ever since they left the South Jin, he had been used to such routine on their exile.

“It seems today is indeed the last day.” Ye Su patted his shoulder and stopped him from packing. Then he looked at the falling snow and the sky, “But why is the Master doing this?”

Throughout the years of exile, the carefree character had disappeared together with his fat. Chen Pipi said, “It won’t be the end until the last moment.”

He was stern. Despite his exhaustion he was not any less resolute. He sounded like the former Chen Pipi only when he said so. He believed in the virtue and fought for it. His most admirable virtue, according to his best friend Ning Que, was that he could always be optimistic no matter how desperate the situation was.

“It’s different today.” Ye Su turned away from the sky and looked at the mounting cavalrymen on the plaza as well as the powerful Taoist cultivators. He said calmly, “They’ve sent a lot.”

“People like these cannot stop us.” Chen Pipi came to him and looked at those approaching leaders and their cavalrymen from the Divine Halls. He said, “They are dying.”

He was seriously wounded several years ago and his Mountain of Qi and Ocean of Snow was destroyed. Being a wastrel now, he could not defeat any of the powerful figures from the Divine Halls today. He said it calmly as if it was a matter of course. Of course it was the Academy’s matter of course.

However right after he said so, he was slightly shocked as he saw a girl breaking through the crowd and coming toward the wooden stage. It was Xiaoyu, the South Sea girl who was his former fiancee. The previously proud and powerful South Sea girl was still powerful. But her pride was deeply restrained now. She was wearing a divine robe and seemed calm and stern.

She had reached the State of Knowing Destiny. The disciples of the Sword Garret were not able to stop her. No matter how strong their swords were, they turned into scrap in front of her.

The South Sea girl stopped at twenty miles away. She watched the three leaders darting forward with their vigorous cavalrymen.

She looked at Ye Su with a complex of expressions, including some of admirating, fear, hatred and contempt. She knew that this most remarkable traitor in the Taoist history would be killed in no time. She looked to Chen Pipi with even more complicated emotions. But it was hard to tell what she was thinking about.

A leader of the cavalry dashed toward the stage on his horse. He came like thunder and his cutlass almost pierced the sky. The talisman on his cutlass shone distinctively and carried massive Qi of Heaven and Earth.

If it was in the past, these two men could easily handle his attack or even ignore it. Ye Su and Chen Pipi used to be the two most famous people in Taoism for the past twenty years. Ye Hongyu and Long Qing were nowhere close to them.

These two used to be the real geniuses of Taoism. But they betrayed Taoism. That was probably why Haotian had taken all their power.

That was what the leader of the cavalry thought. He was at the See-through State. With the help of the talisman intent on his cutlass, his attack should be as powerful as Knowing Destiny. How could he not be able to kill these two destroyed men?

Right then an iron cudgel flew in from far away like a moving mountain.

The cavalry leader’s cutlass bumped into that small mountain. The horse could not stop and bumped into the mountain together with the leader.

The mountain was made of iron and was thus indestructible. Whoever bumped into it would be crushed. The leader of the cavalry was crushed together with his cutlass and his horse. Scraps of metal and pieces of flesh were blown to the plaza and shone with a strange gloss.

It suddenly became quiet on the roaring and tangled battlefield. The cavalrymen of the Divine Halls dashing toward the stage pulled the reins desperately. Those fiercely fighting deacons stopped abruptly and looked to the the direction of the sound.

When the dust faded, snow fell again. The ashes fell to the ground together with the snow and could no longer be distinguished. A slim figured appeared clearly.

The fur she wore was shivering in the chilling wind, and so did the wisps of hair by her cheek. She pulled out the iron cudgel from the ground and gazed at the South Sea girl in front of her.

“Tang Xiaotang!” Xiaoyu looked at that person and shouted furiously as if there were flames of hell between her lips. Then she turned to Chen Pipi with sadness and anger.

Tang Xiaotang stared at her and said seriously, “If you dare to look at him like that again, I swear I will take out your eyes.”

Xiaoyu’s voice was extremely chilling, “Why?”

Tang Xiaotang said, “I’ve told you in Peach Mountain years ago. He is my man.” She said it as if it was a matter of course, like Chen Pipi did. And of course it was Academy’s matter of course.

Although he was from Taoism and possessed the noblest root and talent, and she was from Devil’s Doctrine which was renowned as evil and dominating, they were both students of the Academy.

It was deadly quiet in the plaza. The only sounds were the yearning of the wounded and the weeping over their dead friends.

Looking at Chen Pipi and Tang Xiaotang, this South Sea girl gradually calmed down and expressed some self-mockery. “Why should you die here? The Abbey Dean is waiting for you on Peach Mountain,” she asked Chen Pipi.

Chen Pipi explained seriously, “Ning Que once said, ‘When autumn’s golden wind embraces the dew of jades, all the love scenes on earth will fade.’ I’m the golden wind and she is the dew of jades.”

Xiaoyu was stunned and replied sadly, “Indeed well said.”

Chen Pipi smiled at her, “In fact… what Ning Que said next was my favorite. He said we would be together forever and ever.”

“So?”

“So it is not our last day today.”

“You should know whose will this is.”

“My father’s? I’m not sure why his will has to be practiced.”

“This is Haotian’s World. The Abbey Dean is practicing Haotian’s will. No one could change it.”

“I’m his son. And my Brother is his student. Probably we are not able to change him… But I guess someone in this world could.”

“Who?”

“Ning Que.” Chen Pipi said seriously, “That fellow, even Haotian was not his match. How could you think my father would be able to defeat him?”

“Ning Que is in Chang’an and could not leave. He won’t be able to change anything here today.” Xiaoyu looked at him calmly and lifted her right arm. The loose sleeve of her robe rolled down and unveiled her fair arm. It was pretty.

Tang Xiaotang shouted at Chen Pipi, “Don’t look!”

Chen Pipi opens his eyes widely and said, “I am a bit surprised because all her family members used to be swarthy. How did her skin become so fair?”

Making inappropriate jokes meant that he was nervous.

Xiaoyu lifted her right arm and the cavalrymen of West-Hill were ready for another round of attack.

Chen Pipi said Ning Que could change it, not because he really believed so, but rather he was used to boasting of his friend. He looked to Ye Su and received confirmation.

“Brother, it seems you are indeed enlightened,” Ye Su said.

“Why did you say so?”

“Because you can see the future.”

“Hm?”

“You said… it was the last day.” Ye Su smiled, “This is my last day.”

Chen Pipi said, “Then it’s also mine.”

According to the current situation, Tang Xiaotang would never be defeated by Xiaoyu. The disciples of the Sword Garret were still fighting fiercely with their swords shining and should be able to cover their retreat.

But they knew that they were doomed.

Because this time it was what the Abbey Dean wanted.

That man was Ye Su’s most respected mentor and Chen Pipi’s father. They knew exactly how powerful and scary he was. Even though his Ocean of Qi and Mountain of Snow was also destroyed like theirs, he could still overtake the Heaven and Earth with a single movement of his psyche.

The Abbey Dean had never made any mistakes except for the confrontation with the Headmaster. Today there must be more people coming to the Song to carry out the last round of slaughter.

It felt oppressed, and gradually became horrifying with Chen Pipi’s silence and the yearning of the wounded. The snow fell down even slower.

“We, ourselves, are the path, the truth, and the life.” Ye Su looked at the frustrated and miserable followers and said slowly, “If we follow our hearts, we will definitely get out of the dark valley and obtain the ultimate joy.”

Upon these words, the snow storm stopped. The sky above the Song capital cracked between the snowy clouds. Light fell onto him and formed a golden lining on his figure.

The followers of the New Stream were stunned upon the scene and all fell onto their knees.

“The path, the truth, and the life?”

There was a small yard in a few blocks away. Long Qing stood in the middle of the yard and held his hands on the back. He was listening to the sounds from outside and pondering.

Behind him there were dozens of piles of firewood. Those firewoods were dry and pure. Not even a single snowflake dared to fall onto them.

When they were set on fire, the flame was soaring.

…