Nightfall

The flames danced on the silver mask and in the black eyes, like lightning in the summer rain.

It was late winter and was snowing. The Qi of Heaven and Earth in Chang’an had been put to rest, so it was not really lightning, but embers of fire.

The snowy field and the beautiful quiet village on the state highway should have made a beautiful scene. However, they were burned by fierce flames and had become a black and bleak wasteland.

Prince Long Qing looked at the scene before him silently and indifferently. He did not look excited and only his hand wrapped tightly around the rope revealed how he truly felt.

After leading the barbarian cavalry into the Eastern Wilderness, he had ordered his subordinates to set fire to the distant Eastern Border and this village.

He had led 2000 of the most elite among his cavalry to ambush Chang’an regardless of any price they had to pay. Both the Tang army and the persistent Valiant Cavalry Battalion would not be able to catch up with him at this point in time.

He was already very close to Chang’an.

Years ago, he had lost to Ning Que at the Academy’s entrance exam. He had left Chang’an with the West-Hill Divine Palace diplomatic corps and the Papal Cavalrymen on this particular path.

On the same highway, he recalled what had happened back then and the emotions he felt. Then, he remembered the ambition he had in the past.

“I want to pull down all these ugly houses of the Tangs and eradicate all the rapeseed in the fields. Then I’ll burn all of them, with all the sins and the filth, to rebuild into a holy, bright world.”

He was about to return to Chang’an, a city that had left him with endless humiliation and pain, changing his life in a certain sense. His cultivation state and strength had improved vastly, but his eyes no longer shone with purity.

The rape blossoms in the field by the highway had not yet grown. The houses built by the Tang farmers which had been painted in various colors were not as beautiful or ugly as they had been. Then, he shall burn them all.

He might as well tell those in Chang’an that he had arrived.

It was snowing in Chang’an and the north of the Xiao Mountain, but it was just as cold. The rain soaked through the armor and into the leather coat until it reached the skin, making the days even more unbearable.

The Southern Army marched northwards in the cold rain. The Tang army could be seen throughout the Xiao Mountain and in its forests. There were many of them, making it look like the forest was filled with leaves that had fallen and gathered for a thousand years.

The march was very difficult. The cold weather and rain, the decaying leaves and the trampled mountain path were their enemies. Many had already fallen behind along the way.

There were more people who moved forth even though they were pale, both emotionally and physically tired. They gritted their teeth, lowered their heads and followed the people in front of them, crawling through the muddy wilderness.

They could only continue if they gritted their teeth, and they could only conserve the last bit of their energy by staying silent. Only when they hung their heads could these tired people see where the troops were marching to.

More than 100,000 Tang Army soldiers walked in the mountains. However, they did not make too much noise. Only the occasional sound of heavy objects falling could be heard when the troop’s boots struck the mud.

The silence was frightening, and this was also what frightened their enemy the most.

The generals of the Tang army and the ordinary soldiers all firmly believed that even if the West-Hill Divine Palace Coalition Army really had the one million soldiers strong troop told as in the rumors, they would be able to stop them if they could reach Chang’an.

They had to rush to the north of the Verdant Canyon, and the West-Hill Divine Palace Coalition Army did not give them enough time. They did not have time to sleep or eat hot meals as they spent all their time on the road.

They walked day and night, through the snow and rain and through the foggy forests in search of a faster path. They kept walking.

However, the distance was still too long. The Southern Army had tried its best, but it was still a distance away from the northern Verdant Canyon. They were already several days late from the arrival date requested by the Military Ministry.

Theoretically speaking, the Verdant Canyon should have fallen and it was pointless for the Southern Army to rush over. In fact, it was dangerous for them to do so. What they should do right now was to seek information of their enemy, to later retreat and await for aid.

However, the troop still rushed on because they did not receive any new orders. Their mission was still to rush to the Verdant Canyon and defend it because they believed, almost blindly, in the abilities of the Academy’s disciples.

Because they could not accept that.

The clouds were thin and the rain light on the other side of the Xiao Mountain.

Raindrops pattered, falling upon the quiet wilderness and were instantly absorbed by the soil. It was impossible to wash away the blood accumulated during these seven days and only added a certain amount of dampness to the ground.

The ground in front of the Verdant Canyon was harder due to the pressure exerted upon it by the powerhouses’ Qi of Heaven and Earth. As such, the rain seeped through it slowly and started to accumulate in the messy hoof prints on the ground.

There was a booming sound from the far south of the Wilderness and the earth began to vibrate. The shallow layer of water in the prints started to shake.

“The South Jin Kingdom’s trebuchet has finally arrived.”

Sixth Brother looked at the people and objects that had appeared in the distance and felt the ground under his feet shaking. There were several bloodied wounds on his iron-hard body and a deep gouge on his hammer.

Forth Brother sat under the iron shelter, holding the River and Mountain Sandbox, struggling against the Virtual Sword left by the Abbey Dean a few days ago. All the other disciples of the Academy other than him were seriously injured.

The flower Wang Chi had stuck in his bun was long stained with blood, turning black.

Ximen Buhuo’s front was stained with blood and his face was as white as a sheet of paper.

Beigong Weiyang’s hands landed on his bloodied zither, curled up like birds’ claws.

Jun Mo changed into new clothes that were plain and devoid of blood. His left sleeve floated in the cold air. He lowered his head in the rain, looking exhausted.

He silently looked at the water gathered in the hoof prints close to him.

The front of the Verdant Canyon was littered with body parts and corpses. Only the area surrounding him was empty.

There was yet another battle before the Verdant Canyon after Liu Bai retreated. Every time the Divine Hall Coalition Army thought they were about to overwhelm the Academy’s disciples, they rose up from the sword and music.

Ye Hongyu stood in the distance across them; her Divine Robe of Judgement had long been stained with blood, making it truly the color of blood.

Seven months later, she had finally seen a glimmer of victory.

The Academy was not Haotian after all. It was not omnipotent.

Jun Mo slowly bent down and picked up his high crown that had fallen to the ground.

He had ignored the crown that had fallen after his battle with Liu Bai as he did not have the time.

There was blood and ash on the crown.

He slowly frowned, wanting to get rid of the blood and ash on it.

He was holding the crown with his right hand because he had already lost his left hand.

Mu You walked up to him and took the crown, carefully wiping it down with her handkerchief.

Jun Mo leaned forward, bowing to her.

Mu You’s eyes were wet as she smiled and returned the bow.

They bowed at each other.

Mu You said, “I will marry you.”

Jun Mo said calmly, “That’s good.”

Mu You placed the crown onto his head and arranged it seriously.

This was the gifting of the crown.

Jun Mo said, “To die for the gift of the crown is reasonable.”

Mu You replied, “To die together is reasonable as well.”

Crying and screaming sounded before the Verdant Canyon. It was a cry that tore one’s heart.

Beigong Weiyang broke his zither strings. Blood splattered everywhere as he screamed through his tears, “I don’t accept this!”