Nightfall

Inside the quiet palace, Master Qi Mei looked at the three elder priests in red silently. After a long while, he suddenly said, “The Daughter of Yama is not the Daughter of Light.”

The leading priest in red said softly, “I wonder what the master means by saying that. We just feel that the Heavens love all life. Haotian would be willing to give her some time to reflect, even if she is the Daughter of Yama.”

Master Qi Mei was the chief monk of the Xuankong Temple’s Hall of Respect. He was from an Unknown Place, and in the mortal realm, he was considered the highest figure in the Buddhism Sect. He was of equal rank with the three Great Divine Priests of the West-Hill Divine Palace. However, this was still Haotian’s world, and Haotian Taoism had a way higher status than the Buddism Sect. The three priests in red cultivated in the West-Hill Divine Skill, and were important people in the Divine Hall. Even Master Qi Mei would find it hard to keep them down.

“Can your words represent the stance of the West-Hill Divine Palace?” asked Master Qi Mei.

The elder priest in red said blandly, “Why not?”

Ye Hongyu, the Divine Priest of Judgment, was not in Chaoyang City. Those from the Judicial Department were still on their way to Chaoyang City. Several honored visiting professors of Haotian Taoism were setting up defenses in the distant mountains. Right now, within the Yuelun Kingdom palace, the three priests in red held the highest position in Haotian Taoism. What they said could certainly represent the Divine Hall.

The only person who held a higher position than the priest in red was Luo Kedi. He was lying on a stretcher, heavily injured. The confusion that had previously colored his eyes were long replaced with coldness. However, he could not speak nor stop the three priests in red.

Other than the Tang Empire, the other countries were all controlled by the Buddhist and Taoist sects. While the Yuelun Kingdom was powerful by itself, when pressured by both the Buddhist and the Taoist Sects earlier, it didn’t have a choice at all. When the king saw that the attitude of Haotian Taoism seemed to have changed, he felt slightly more at ease and said, “Then let’s wait for a while.”

Master Qi Mei gave a deep look at the three priests in red, and then turned to walk out of the palace. He had already vaguely guessed that the matter involved an internal dissent within the West-Hill Divine Palace. As a master of the Buddhism Sect, he did not wish to involve himself in the strife. Since the chief monk would arrive soon, he believed that the three priests in red could not affect the overall situation.

…

…

On a certain balcony in the palace, a priest in red looked at the crowd gathered at the White Tower Temple in the distance, and said mournfully, “The Divine Hall of Light had been declining since the Great Divine Priest was imprisoned. We can’t even find a Grand Cultivator in the Knowing Destiny State. What can we change, faced with the current circumstances?”

Another priest in red said dejectedly, “What we said earlier had already gone against the Hierarch’s edit, even if we don’t do anything later. We would be locked up in You Prison when we return to Peach Mountain, never to see Haotian again.”

The leading priest in red said coldly, “The Divine Priest of Light was ambushed back then, and was locked up in the You Prison without cause. The Divine Hall of Light suffered for ten years until the Great Divine Priest found his successor in Chang’an. The Lady of Light finally appeared again, but the Hierarch and the other two Divine Halls are colluding with the Buddhism Sect and framed her as the Daughter of Yama. In face of this situation, how can we do nothing?”

“Senior Brother. What are we going to do… if our lady is really the Daughter of Yama?”

“The light can never be wrong because it represents Haotian. The path our lady has to take to get back to her throne is paved with bloodshed and plots. It would be difficult for the Divine Hall of Light to shine with light again. I suppose this is Haotian’s test for us.”

The leading priest in red looked at the masses at the White Tower Temple in the distance. Excitement and passion spread on his aged face as he said, “I gave away all the wealth I accumulated over decades in the Kingdom of Qi to get this chance to come to Yuelun Kingdom. Thus, I will save the Lady of Light even if I have to die here today!”

…

…

Ning Que’s last resort was to enter the White Tower Temple, barge into the monastery and hold Quni Madi and Lu Chenjia as hostages. However, it was also the plan he did not wish to use most among all his backup plans. Just as how Quni Madi and the bigwigs at the palace had seen, this act was like putting himself into a deathtrap.

However, he needed to buy some time to rest and wait. He was exhausted, and his right hand trembled as it held on to his hilt. He was injured, both externally and internally. The truly serious injuries were caused when he fought outside the courtyard with Luo Kedi and Master Qi Mei. While he was hurting from the injuries he sustained on the streets while on the run, they were not serious. However, Ning Que was extremely terrified when he thought of what had happened on the streets.

All was silent in the monastery. One could hear the shouts, yelling, and even crying from across the lake. Quni Madi did not speak. Lu Chenjia suddenly asked, “Have you kept her by your side over the past year?”

Ning Que nodded.

Lu Chenjia shook her head as if she had found his reply hard to believe. She looked at the white paper flower between her fingers and said dazedly, “Is there really anyone in the world who is not afraid of death?”

“Those who are unafraid of death haven’t been born yet.”

Ning Que walked over from the window, picked up a futon and sat down to take a rest.

Those who were on the shore across the lake had not rushed across the narrow bridge. It meant that the two hostages he had taken were useful. He had to make use of this time to recover his Psyche Power and regain his strength.

Sangsang stretched out her legs and placed them on his knees. Then, she hugged him from behind, placing her face against his neck. She shut her eyes tiredly and began to rest.

Ning Que had not put Sangsang down from his back whether they were running, standing, or sitting. Even though he needed a rest badly right now, he did not let her go because he did not know what would happen the next moment and whether they needed to start running again.

Lu Chenjia looked at the scene before her and shook her head. She said softly, “Most people are indeed foolish when they fall in love.”

Ning Que answered, “Even though you are the Flower Addict, it doesn’t mean that you know what it means to be in love. You do not even know what love is.”

Lu Chenjia looked at him and asked seriously, “What is love?”

Ning Que replied, “If it could be explained clearly, then it wouldn’t be love.”

Lu Chenjia frowned slightly, unwilling to believe that someone so shameless like Ning Que would do so much for Sangsang. She said, “I don’t think the reason why you have fled with the Daughter of Yama was to get some benefits from it.”

Ning Que glanced at her and asked, “Why do you like flowers? Do they look good, or do they bring you any benefits?”

Lu Chenjia understood what he meant and shook her head. She said, “Plum blossom shoots are ugly, but they have spirits. That is why I like them. I understand what you mean. But she…is an evil flower.”

“Is Long Qing an evil flower?”

Ning Que said mockingly, “When I barged into the monastery, you didn’t attack me. You must have thought of those novels, in which the female protagonist would cultivate in a monastery and maybe become a nun anytime after shaving her hair. Then, the male protagonist would barge in regardless of any trials and tribulations he experienced…You thought that Long Qing would save you. I’m sorry to have disappointed you.”

Lu Chenjia lowered her head to look at the paper flower between her fingers. She said calmly, “Long Qing used to be the only bloomed flower in my heart. But he’s dead now, so the flower also became withered.”

“I’ve heard that he lives well in the Wilderness.”

“As you said before, he has already become an evil flower. So he is dead in my heart.”

“Even though I don’t know what happened exactly, I’ve seen the result of that battle on the Wilderness in winter. Maybe Long Qing has come to an agreement with the West-Hill Divine Palace. He is no longer a traitor of Haotian, so do you still think that he is an evil flower?”

Lu Chenjia looked up with shock. Her eyes shone brightly before dimming.

Ning Que looked at her and smiled, “He is still that evil flower, but he might have regained his honor and reputation. So you feel delighted and will even have a crush on him again?”

Lu Chenjia looked at his annoying smiling face. Then, she said with a slightly trembling voice, “You’re saying these just to mock me.”

“What I hate most in my entire life are those who want to die or become monks and nuns once they lose their lovers. These people are full of regret and self-loathing, truly beyond disgusting…”

The string of words made Ning Que’s throat feel parched. He reached out for the teapot and drank something in it, only to discover that there was clear water in it. He couldn’t help but frown, and increasingly believed that he was right.

“And I want to tell you that my love is different from yours. Mine might not seem as sad or difficult as yours, but it is calmer and stronger because my love has nothing to do with good and evil.”

Lu Chenjia paused for a moment and asked, “How can one’s love have nothing to do with good and evil?”

“Because love is subjective, just like good and evil, beauty and ugliness. In fact, the world is subjective. Why should my views be affected by that of the world?”

Ning Que turned to look at Sangsang who was resting against his shoulders. He looked at her tiny face and said softly, “I don’t like Haotian or Yama. But no matter whether she is the Lady of Light or the Daughter of Yama, it would not affect my affection for her. Just like how she continued to like me even when everyone said that I was the Son of Yama.”

Quni Madi could not hold back any longer. She scolded shrilly, “Shameless! Nauseating! Filth!”

Lu Chenjia looked at Sangsang and muttered, “I’m… really jealous of her right now.”

Quni Madi glared at her, but there was no reaction from Lu Chenjia who was in a daze. Knowing that she was lost in thought, Quni Madi could only sigh helplessly and looked at Ning Que with a cold smile. “You and the Daughter of Yama are about to die, but you are still in the mood to talk about such boring and despicable things.”

“Why do you say that love is despicable? You’ve even had a son.” Ning Que said, and then looked out into the garden. “The scenery here is decent. No one would dare to come in now. What else could we do except for chatting?”

Quni Madi was furious.

Ning Que ignored her and thought about other things silently.

He knew that Quni Madi was right. The monastery was located on an eyot and they were surrounded. This was the equivalent to a deathtrap. Quni Madi and Lu Chenjia might be of high status, but the residents and the king of the Yuelun Kingdom would not agree to exchange their lives for Sangsang’s, let alone powerhouses of the Buddhism and Taoism Sects.

His choice to enter the monastery to buy time was similar to his decision at the Lanke Temple. At a time when he was at death’s doorstep, he had subconsciously pinned all his hopes on the Academy.

He was waiting for Eldest Brother to appear.

What happened had caused a furor in Chaoyang City and would likely startle his Eldest Brother. Eldest Brother would be able to guess his location. Since the White Tower Temple was so famous, Eldest Brother would definitely know it.

…

…

Time gradually passed, but the noises on the bank across the lake had not stilled. Black crows flew over the monastery, cawing uglily at times. The atmosphere grew even more tense.

Eldest Brother had not appeared. When they were outside the Western city gates, Ning Que had sensed an aura that was replete with compassion, but was suffocatingly powerful, which had appeared in the distance.

Ning Que’s expression turned grave. He knew that he could not hold on any longer. If the owner of the aura reached him, there was no way for him to turn the situation around, even if Eldest Brother appeared.

He walked to Quni Madi and Lu Chenjia. Using two talisman paper infused with the Great Spirit, he locked their Snow Mountain and Ocean of Qi temporarily. Then, he tied up their hands and led them out of the monastery like goats.

Quni Madi felt very humiliated. She glared venomously at Sangsang, who Ning Que was carrying. It seemed that Lu Chenjia was still immersed in what Ning Que had said earlier and did not react to it at all, with a disoriented expression.

The shore across the narrow bridge was surrounded with people. The crowd was largely made up of jobless men from Chaoyang City, old and young, who were all yelling angrily at the eyot.

They were angry because they were frightened. The news of Ning Que having knocked down and killed someone while escaping had spread amongst people. They were even more frightened and enraged. They were almost crazy with their emotions spreading and affecting each other.

If not for the orders that came from the imperial palace, to send several soldiers and cultivators to block the narrow bridge, these people would have already rushed across it and barged into the monastery.

“Bring the demoness!”

“Burn her!”

Several people yelled from across the bridge. Some men even found large rocks by the lake and wanted to stone Sangsang to death, just like how the barbarians in the Wilderness punished adulteresses.

Then, Ning Que appeared on the other end of the narrow bridge with Sangsang on his back.

Many of those in the crowd across the lake had followed the black crows. They had never seen what the Daughter of Yama looked like. And even those who had seen Ning Que and Sangsang had not seen them clearly. They finally saw what the two looked like when Ning Que carried Sangsang on his back and stood on the end of the bridge.

The lake fell into silence immediately, and the man who had been yelling the most ferociously was so scared that he retreated several steps, pressing against the people behind him. The scene became chaotic.

Whispers gradually began to sound in the crowd. Perhaps it was to alleviate fear, and people gathered close to each other, whether knowing each other or not, and began to discuss the two across the bridge.

“So that’s the Daughter of Yama.”

“Her face is a little tanned, and she looks like a demon.”

“But I think she looks quite pale.”

“That’s because it’s powdered. My eyesight is good, she is very tanned and ugly.”

“Who is it they are dragging along? Why does she look like the princess?”

“Who is the man carrying the demoness? He looks scary.”

“I heard that he is a guard from the Underworld. He is very very strong. Previously at Huayan alley, he knocked down over 70 people to death.”

“He knocked them all down?”

“Yeah.”

“Over 70?”

“Yeah, I heard that he even trampled over 100 people to death at the Jingang Workshop.”

“That’s so scary! We’d better leave quickly.”

“You’re so useless! There are over 10,000 of us. No matter how powerful he is, could he kill us all? How can we leave at a moment like this? We have to seek revenge for our neighbors. Furthermore, don’t forget, we are saving the world!”