Nightfall

Li Yu had been standing still for a very long time before she turned around. Her action was slow because of exhaustion. Looking at He Mingchi, she said, “It looks like the chaos in Chang’an was all your fault.”

“Yes, it was.”

He Mingchi said, “Now Chang’an is like a weak patient and the frightening Chao Xiaoshu has left. As long as the chaos starts, no one can stop it.”

Li Yu continued, “The Divine Hall knows little about our ways. We don’t like chaos, so however the chaos is going to be ended, it will end soon.”

“Your Highness, it is not the right time for arguing.”

He Mingchi said to her with a smile, “Like the Hierarch Lord said in the letter he gave you, the punishment should fall on you because of your selfishness and greed. You’d better give up since you can’t run away from it.”

Li Yu answered, “Even though you have pretended to be a Tang man for so many years, you still don’t know us… In our world, no one will give up.”

He Mingchi clapped his hands, clearly and melodiously. Then he said, “Inspiring but useless. “Haotian is invincible and Haotian Taoism will exist forever. The Headmaster and your father are gone. What can you do? I promised my teacher that I would try my best to save your people, so I hope you will lose soon.”

Until hearing this, Li Huiyuan finally realized the magnitude of the mistake he had made. He became anxious and murmured, “You are from the Divine Hall… How can you be from the West-Hill Divine Palace? Then, why did you save me in the imperial garden? Why did you save the Emperor of Tang?”

He Mingchi sympathetically looked at him and said, “An Emperor like you is the best friend Haotian Taoism can have. You being alive are more worthy than being dead.”

“But you really surprised me recently as you are still capable to do something. If possible, I will try to kill you. However, it is hard to kill the Royals in the palace. Xu Chongshan has tried for me, hasn’t he?”

Looking at Li Yu, he said, “I think you are unable to keep me here.”

Then he turned to the outside of the palace at a low speed and wasn’t bothered being killed by Li Yu, which was a huge humiliation to the sister and brother sitting on the couch.

In the darkest night, he walked out of the palace and entered the imperial garden. Stopping in front of the small building, he looked up at the sky and opened the yellow oil-paper umbrella.

The umbrella was broken by Xu Chongshan and looked funny when it was open. However, its aura was still sacred.

As the umbrella was open, many lines appeared on the vast stone ground under the small building which represented the God-stunning Array and the City of Chang’an.

The sacred aura seeped into the lines and lighted them up. A few minutes later, the light was gone. Only a Divine Talisman Master or an array master could tell the differences.

Some of the lines were blocked as if carriages blocked the Vermilion Bird Avenue of Chang’an.

He Mingchi stood among the trees in the imperial garden, feeling the changing underground until he confirmed what had happened was as good as expected and then he nodded with satisfaction.

At this time, as long as they could find the array’s eye pestle, they could break through the God-stunning Array, Chang’an, and even the Tang Empire.

Now the array’s eye pestle was in the Academy. Even if he could freely wander in the palace, he was not confident enough to steal it from the Academy.

However, it didn’t mean nobody could.

A clear slap sounded in the quiet palace.

Li Huiyuan covered his red cheeks, a blood dripping from his mouth.

Looking at his sister in terror, he cried out, “I’m sorry. I know I am wrong, but I have done it and what can I do? How could I know he was from the Haotian Taoism. Li Qingshan lied to us!”

Li Yu was pissed off and began to tremble. She felt dizzy and was about to fall down.

“Sister! Sister!”

Getting up from the couch, Li Huiyuan held his sister’s hand with the good hand and quaveringly said, “There is no option. We have to surrender to the Divine Hall.”

Staring at him, Li Yu suddenly discovered that she didn’t know her brother at all, someone who was brought up by herself. Then she slapped him heavily once again with a blank look.

Li Huiyuan seemed to feel no pain at all. Widening his eyes, he grasped her hand and would not let her go, screaming, “The Headmaster died. He is dead!”

“Even he is dead, who can fight against Haotian? The Academy can’t save our kingdom. Haven’t you noticed there is no movement inside the Academy? We can only rely on ourselves and the Haotian Taoism. What else can we do?”

“What can we do?”

A lock of hair hung on her forehead. She wearily shook her head and said, “If the Academy can’t support Tang, I will. I will support it until I can’t.”

“No, you can’t.” Because of fear and tension, Li Huiyuan’s voice was hoarse like the torn linen. He said, “Even if the Southern Army didn’t go north, they have to bypass Xiao Mountain to reach the Verdant Canyon. By that time, the West-Hill Divine Palace’s army will have already arrived at the Great Lake, then head to Qinghe and approach Chang’an.”

Li Yu listlessly lowered her head and said, “Chang’an won’t be broken through.”

Li Huiyuan quaveringly added, “They don’t have to break through Chang’an. As long as they besiege us, we will starve.”

Li Yu stretched out her hand to comb his hair and said with a bitter smile, “You’re quite smart by saying this. Why were you so muddled?”

Even though she had been praised as a virtuous and wise person and trusted by her father in both governing the country and strategy, at this time, she was a helpless woman.

The Headmaster was gone and the whole world was invading her country. It was a millennial crisis. It would be difficult for her father to handle such an arduous situation, let lone her.

“We are the Tangs and we don’t surrender.”

Li Yu gently stroked her brother’s cheek and earnestly said, “We will fight to the last moment and we’ll never surrender. Even if you die, you have to die in the palace. Do you hear me?”

At this moment, a eunuch hurried into the palace with the fresh report of the Military Ministry.

General Xu Chi had escorted the Empress and the Sixth Prince to Wuzhou.

Li Yu kept silent while Li Huiyuan widened his eyes in shock.