Nightfall

The people on the street who stepped in front of the Abbey Dean, those who fell into pools of blood, and those who made up the new city walls were all certain that their deaths would not change anything.

But they still did it. Because a thousand years ago, the Headmaster and their ancestors had created the Tang Empire by the Sishui River. Then, they had an Academy. And from that day on, they were changed.

Ning Que had previously said such a sentence to the Abbey Dean. Even though they knew they could not protect it, they would still do it. The Tang citizens who were dying seemed to be proving his statement true.

However, as he looked at the streets reddened by blood and at the falling people, Ning Que’s heart began to tremble, and the frost on his lashes tinkled.

There was a loud noise in the distance, and he knew that Eldest Brother had finally arrived and had made a move – This was not the Academy trying to find an opportunity. Ning Que was the Academy’s opportunity. However, in the face of the bloodied streets, Eldest Brother could not stay silent anymore, just like how Ning Que could not bear it any longer.

It had been more than 20 years since he came to this world, and he still believed that he was a non-typical Tang Citizen. He had seen too much darkness and had believed in being cold-blooded to survive. He would pay any price as long as he could live. His heart was as cold as the frozen body that was sealed by the Abbey Dean’s Quietus earlier.

Most of the ice and snow had flaked off, yet Ning Que’s body was still cold. At this time, he felt his body was gradually becoming hot, and the blood in his vessels began to steam. He started to feel something he had not felt in a long time.

That was called feeling hot-blooded.

He did not like words such as solemn or stirring, and he hated the feeling of his blood being heated. But how could the blood flowing from his wounds not emit steam as he watched countless people die before the Abbey Dean?

But hot blood represented hope and desire. Ning Que desired to live and hoped that he could beat the Abbey Dean. In the face of a situation devoid of hope, what could hot blood do?

From time to time, someone would run past him and rush towards the Abbey Dean. He picked up the podao he had dropped on the snow and struggled to support his body.

The podao’s blade pierced the snow and plunged into the hard green stone street.

Eldest Brother failed once more. Blood flowed from the cuts on his cotton jacket.

He stood on the southern end of the Vermilion Bird Avenue, bent over and coughed incessantly. He seemed to be in pain and looked upset.

No one knew where Yu Lian was.

The Abbey Dean continued forward. He killed many people, and tossed many into the air. He passed by many, and ignored many. He continued forward, leaving bloodshed behind him.

There were many injured people on the Vermilion Bird Avenue.

The Abbey Dean walked up close to where Ning Que was.

Separating them, were only a few hundred citizens who were old and weak, women and children.

The skinny Taoist lived in Chang’an city all his life, rising from the most common little Taoist to the current Taoist that he was. But he had always lived in that little temple. He had never seen the priests in red of the West-Hill Divine Palace. Several years ago, when the Great Divine Priest of Revelation came to Chang’an, he had knelt for an entire night, but did not get the opportunity to listen to the Great Divine Priest’s teachings.

He finally met the truly supreme Taoist of Haotian Taoism now. His body trembled uncontrollably and he wanted to kneel in front of the Taoist in indigo. And kiss his feet piously.

He suddenly shouted and grabbed the incense pot from the little Taoist and hurled it at the Abbey Dean.

The incense pot was used in the little Taoist Temple to worship Haotian. It was made of bronze and was very heavy. The skinny Taoist felt that his heart was heavy and felt weak, so he could not throw it far enough.

There was a dull crack, and the incense pot landed on the skinny Taoist’s feet. He started bleeding and moaning in pain, and only remained standing because of the little Taoist priest beside him.

Old Lady Chu took the knife from her third-daughter-in-law and stood before the Abbey Dean.

Old Lord Chao walked to the front of the crowd, leaning against his cane.

The Abbey Dean’s expression was peaceful, and his eyes calm.

There seemed to be hundreds of millions of dying stars’ embers in his eyes, leaving behind only emptiness.

It made one feel afraid and in awe of him.

Everything was about to end under his vacant gaze.

The Tangs who were pursuing death, the unyielding Chang’an, the great Tang Empire, the Millennium-old Academy; all the glory and blood, heroics or evils, the time of light or darkness would all end here.

The long street was chilly.

Ning Que looked at the ordinary face and eyes of the Abbey Dean and suddenly remembered the great people he had met or felt in his life.

No matter the Headmaster, Youngest Uncle, or Lian Sheng, they were all people who truly knew what they wanted. They had freed themselves and then understood what they wanted, which was why they were powerful beyond imagination.

The Abbey Dean was someone like that.

No wonder the Academy fell to the Abbey Dean today. The Academy believed that nothing was a mistake. Then, it should be as calm and collected as people who died on the street today.

But he could not do that.

Because he could not accept that.

The Xiangwan Plain was a fertile land with abundant water in the north of the Tang Empire.

Today, the plain had become the most horrific battlefield.

The Golden Palace cavalry and the elite cavalry of the Northern Army had been fighting here for three days and three nights, just for a key path by the side of the plain.

The Golden cavalry won as they had more soldiers. After paying a terrible price, they finally suppressed the Tang Army, keeping them between several hills in the north of the path and were launching a final offense.

The impact of war-horses made a dull and frightening sound; the friction between cutlasses and straight knives make a scratching sound that hurt the ears. The killing yells and the war drums were dying out because both parties were extremely exhausted.

The war on horses had already become a war fought on foot. The last thousand Tang Army soldiers fought with what was left of their strength and life to resist the attack of the Golden cavalry. However, it looked as if they would lose the battle any minute now.

A Tang Empire officer and his dozen subordinates were surrounded by the warriors of the Golden Palace.

The officer was a little short and not as strong as the generals in the Tang Army. However, he broke out into an unexpectedly powerful combat spree at this critical moment and killed three enemies in succession.

Several cutlasses flew into the air.

The scrawny officer raised his knife, knelt down on one knee and struggled to live.

He listened to the cries of pain from all around the hills and through the hair strands flying before him, he saw many of his companions die and watched the barbarians cruelly drive their knives into the bodies of his companions.

Can they really not hold on any longer?

He thought to himself. Could they really not hold on until the main cavalry came to help?

His pale but handsome face had no expression of hopelessness.

He did not think that he should lose hope.

Because he could not accept that.

A troop ran wildly on the wildlands’ eastern border.

They were cavalrymen of the Valiant Cavalry Battalion. They left Chang’an to fight at the Eastern Border.

They were in a hurry to return to Chang’an right now.

The cavalry and horsemen were exhausted, but nobody asked to rest.

Because they had finally determined where Prince Long Qing and the two thousand grassland cavalry were headed.

Long Qing was heading towards Chang’an.

This meant that they were going to fight against the Tang Coalition Army and they were sure that Chang’an could be broken into.

Chao Xiaoshu’s face was so thin, like a carved stone. He was tanned and haggard.

The cold wind rushed against his face.

They were many days late. They shouldn’t be able to catch up even as he and his cavalry ran after them now.

And even if they caught up, what could they do?

Yet he asked for his troop to continue rushing towards Chang’an.

Because he could not accept that.