Nightfall

“You should thank Jun Mo.”

Inside the worn-out cottage, Ye Su was talking to Liu Bai. He sighed and said, “Although I won’t be able to use my sword again, being able to see your skills, I am already satisfied.”

Liu Bai stood by the window and looked at a lunchbox on the windowsill. Upon these words he turned to Ye Su and replied with a smile, “I am also very satisfied.”

He was wearing a cozy silk shirt with gold thread embroidery, and a pair of comfy but not too worn-out cloth shoe. Without his sword, he looked just like an ordinary person living an ordinary life in Linkang City.

Ye Su’s Ocean of Qi and Mountain of Snow was completely destroyed, but he could still tell at one glance that Liu Bai was one of the strongest, and he had improved further to a level that Ye Su could not figure out.

It was hard for someone at the highest peak to reach a higher level, but Liu Bai did it. Ye Su knew that it had something to do with the fight in Verdant Canyon. That was why he said Liu Bai should be grateful to Jun Mo.

The fight in the Verdant Canyon was a miracle for swordsmanship. Liu Bai, the Sage of Sword, Jun Mo from the Academy and Ye Su from Taoism were the stars. They represented the highest level of swordsmanship in the world. After this fight, Ye Su was crippled. Jun Mo lost his arm and thus his way to cultivation. Liu Bai was also seriously wounded. But being the strongest in the world, he was the first to recover and even made a breakthrough.

Liu Bai said, “Chao Xiaoshu came to me at the Sword Garret. He couldn’t make it to the Academy nor seek Taoism. He could not achieve any higher level in swordsmanship, not even to where you were ten years ago. However, this man is very unrestrained. He was not afraid of death or loss, and he followed his heart throughout this life. He was the reason I left the Sword Garret.”

Only then did Ye Su realized that apart from Jun Mo, this was the other reason.

Liu Bai continued, “A few years ago I kept Chao Xiaoshu’ sword in the Sword of Garret, which I later passed on to Yi Qing. When Yi Qing was wounded by Ning Que, I gave that sword to Ye Hongyu to kill the Great Divine Priest of Judgment. That was very satisfying. Last year, the Headmaster of the Academy borrowed that sword to slay dragons and spirits in the Wildness. That was my honor. This time the Academy sent Chao Xiaoshu to borrow that sword. I could not reject him because I was fond of him, and also because the Headmaster of the Academy once honored me. I was most willing to lend them the sword.”

Ye Su came to the window and poured him a bowl of water.

“The first time I lent that sword, the Great Divine Priest of Judgment was killed. The second time, the sky was split. The third time, it will likely be someone extraordinarily influential. If just lending the sword causes this much mayhem, what am I supposed to do with my own sword?”

Liu Bai said with a smile, “People die whenever I lend out the sword. Then who am I supposed to kill with my own sword? Coming out of seclusion this time, I find myself all alone. Ke Haoran is gone, and Lian Sheng is gone too. Meanwhile, the Headmaster of the Academy has passed on. The Abbot is crippled while Jun Mo is trapped. And here you are teaching in such a shabby place. Who else could I confront?”

Ye Su knew what he was about to say and interrupted him, warning, “You will die.”

Liu Bai said, “The path of a swordsman is straight and lonely. It would rather be broken than rot in a tomb.”

Ye Su was still holding the bowl of water. He asked after a moment of silence, “Why did you tell me all these?”

Liu Bai answered, “Chang’an is too far away. Besides Jun Mo, you are the only one I can confide in.”

Only Jun Mo and Ye Su were qualified to hear about these things. Therefore, he had another objective when he left the Sword Garret for Linkang City. “With what you’ve done and what you’ve taught the people, you would have no escape within Haotian, and neither the Taoists nor the Abbot would accept you. I won’t be coming back. Without my protection you are doomed. Therefore, I suggest you go to the Academy.”

Ye Su said, “Someone had told me the same thing.”

Liu Bai said, “So Ning Que really did leave Chang’an? I suppose in a few days there will be a good show in the Peach Mountain. How could I miss that?”

Ye Su said after a moment of silence, “Probably.”

Liu Bai said, “Your junior brother is going to die soon.”

Ye Su said, “Can you help me deliver a letter?”

Liu Bai said, “Sure.”

Ye Su said, “I hope it won’t interfere with your pursuit of Taoism.”

Liu Bai said, “It won’t.”

Ye Su gave him a letter and said, “Wish you luck in seeking the Grand Dao.”

Liu Bai concluded, “Taoism will definitely seek for me if I wish.”

Upon saying that, he took the bowl of water from Ye Su. Without drinking it, he poured it onto the ground. With some hearty laugh, he left the cottage.

Ye Su looked at the water he poured, knowing that it was his condolence to their future.

There was no one left in the world for Liu Bai to challenge. Hence, no one could stop him from whatever he had determined to do. Ye Su did not waste much time on this. His only wish was for Chen Pipi to be alive. Yet, writing a letter was all that he could have done at this point.

…

A letter arrived at the Divine Hall of Judgement via a secret channel. As it was secret, that meant no one, not even those in the Divine Hall of Judgement knew who sent this letter and to where it would end up. When the Black-robed Deacon of the Judicial Department tried his best to investigate it, three men were found dead by the cliff of the Divine Halls of West-Hill. Brutal as they were, the Judicial Department could not make the dead talk.

There was a sword on the cover of this letter, stating clearly that it had to be opened by the Great Divine Priest of Judgement. The deacons of Judicial Department had profound respect for that female figure on the Seat of Heavenly Black Jade. They dared not make any decision by themselves, nor sharing this with other Divine Halls. What they could only do was to deliver the letter to the Great Divine Priest.

Ye Hongyu just needed a glance to figure out where it came from. A few years ago, there was a similar letter delivered through this secret channel. At that time, she was living in a remote stone cottage by the cliff, undergoing the darkest moments of her life. That letter meant a lot to her.

She didn’t know when or why Liu Bai wrote to her at this point. Her fingers became a bit stiff when she opened the letter and saw those familiar yet strange handwritings.

She was silent for quite a while after finishing reading the letter. When they were at the Verdant Canyon, she sent dozens of Black-robed Deacons and sacred guards of West-Hill to protect Ye Su, only to find out that all the guards were killed in a few months. She knew that there were people from Taoism who wanted to kill Ye Su in order to prove themselves. But what really haunted her was that she could not find out where Ye Su was and whether he was fine.

Upon seeing this letter, she realized that her brother had been in Linkang City of South Jin Kingdom. Being protected by the Sword Garret, he should be fine. She felt somewhat relieved but frowned again for what her brother had written in the letter.

The faint flame of Haotian rose from between her hands, and burnt the letter and cover into ashes. She gently opened her hands and looked to the direction of Divine Hall of Light.

Ye Hongyu knew who the man in the Divine Hall of Light was, and could tell why he refused to call her in. The reason seemed funny and contemptuous to her.

Despite her mocking and scorn, that person was after all a superior existence. No matter what had happened between them previously.

Since the moment Ye Su passed on the order from Haotian not to kill Long Qing at Yanbei Lake, she began to have doubts in Haotian and was disappointed with her brother.

Yet what happened in Sishui River had cleared all her doubts.

Ye Su had warned her before he went to the Verdant Canyon. He used to have doubts, which had only led to a fatal failure. That was the punishment from Haotian.

…

The moon was invisible that night, because of the thick clouds and dense mist.

Ning Que was climbing up along the dark steep cliff at the back of Peach Mountain. The Divine Halls were heavily guarded. But no one paid any attention to that cliff. That was because, since ancient times, no one except for the Headmaster of the Academy could get through the peach blossoms in the valley, nor could anyone break through the arrays along the cliff.

He did not stop at the third platform on the cliff but continued to climb straight up. Still, it took him quite a while to reach the summit of Peach Mountain.

He had picked a very remote route which led to the back of the Divine Hall of Justice. He quietly wiped off the dust on his hands and looked at the black smoldering Divine Hall, silently.

It was no doubt a gamble, the last and most risky option in the original plan. But after many days of reasoning he was still unable to come up with a better plan to rescue Chen Pipi. Therefore, he had to take the chance.

The Divine Hall of Justice was relatively empty of people. Especially on the side facing the cliff, there was not a single sign of either the Cavalrymen, Black-robed deacons or the Red-robed Divine Priests.

The hall was spacious, massive and dull. The black floor reflected the lights of crystal lamps without a slightest touch of warmth, but a bone-chilling cold.

It perfectly matched the tone of justice, and the current master of this Divine Hall. Ning Que felt that the Divine Hall of Justice was like a huge tomb, and the Seat of Heavenly Black Jade a coffin.

A beautiful female figure was sitting on that throne with her eyes closed. He looked up to her and uttered, “Please help me.”

The Seat of Heavenly Black Jade was as huge as an ocean of blood. The woman was dressed in the blood-colored Gown of Judgement, and seated on that huge throne, it seemed as if she was the coldest, thickest drop of blood.

The Seat of Heavenly Black Jade was as cold as a blood-crystal coffin. With her eyes closed, cheek on hand and eyelashes stayed still, she seemed like the sleeping princess who would never wake up again in that blood-crystal coffin.

But she opened her eyes. The ocean of blood began roaring and the blood coffin slowly lifted. She did not look at Ning Que. Instead, she stared at the black floor and asked, “Are you here because of the life and death vow?”

…