Chapter 657: Brilliant As One Is, Why Fall From Virtue?
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"We were a pair of brothers who took different paths but shared both life and death. I believe that Lord Supreme Cloud will still understand what I mean by this," said Wu Ying.
"Yes, I do," Yun Yang sighed.
It explained why everyone knew Sir Bi as Sir Bi, but no one seemed to know Sir Bi"s real name. It was because the name Bi Zhongliu was a name of taboo, unable to be mentioned in polite society.
This was why Sir Bi was only the crown prince"s aide; granted, a chief aide, but still only an aide. He had never entered the court.
"Sometime later, Bi Zhongliu joined the Four Seasons Tower for some reason or other," Wu Ying spoke faintly, "Back then, I was cultivating Yin Mana Manipulation and was experiencing some form of progress. Nonetheless, I"ve always felt guilty towards him, so I followed him and joined the Four Seasons Tower as well."
"A few years later, he was transferred to Tiantang City. Not too long later, I… I also ended up here in Tiantang City."
"Then, it was a long, long time of watching each other from afar. He chose to become an aide for Yutang"s royalty in preparation for his actions, while I became one of the military officials. We still didn"t communicate with each other, but since then, the Four Seasons Tower has enjoyed the legend of exemplary civil and military mandarins."
Wu Ying spilled another cup of tea gently on the ground, heaving a soft sigh.
"Just by how he handled things, it could be seen that Bi Zhongliu"s temperament had long changed since what happened back in the day. I didn"t mind the change. No matter how he changed, he was still who he was - my brother, Bi Zhongliu!"
"Even when he chose to strike at the Nine Supremes, I stood by his side and did my best to help him. Even when my conscience screamed at me, I couldn"t be bothered by it… As brothers in this lifetime, when he wanted to go to h.e.l.l, I would, of course, go to h.e.l.l with him!"
Wu Ying spoke nonchalantly, his tone carefree and gleeful.
"I knew that it wasn"t right, I knew that it was sinful. I knew that my conscience would never be clear, but I did it anyway. I did it with him – without regrets."
Yun Yang sighed as well. He once again felt speechless in the face of such an individual.
He could distinguish between right and wrong. He was clear about good and evil, yet he still insisted on going astray.
"Actually, I really did give him a reminder on that day. I told him that since the heavens decided to lower the Nine Heavens Demesne unto Yutang, it was a sign of G.o.d"s will. The plan to go against the Nine Supremes to exterminate them was destined to fail – because G.o.d would not allow it."
"However he didn"t give me any reply, still determined to defy G.o.d."
"So I followed, defying the very heavens together with him."
"I began to carefully wipe out any trace of relevant evidence that he left behind. I removed traces and clues – all of them!"
"I believe that you have an approximate understanding of the particular developments regarding the Nine Supremes" ambush. The last thing I can add to it is that the entire set up started with the intelligence I supplied, the chances I created. Then, it was Bi Zhongliu"s arrangement and planning which secured the kill. After that, utilizing some of his people, the information was gradually spread to Spring Frost; this was actually the last detail in the entire scheme. The cooperation between the two of us had already completed a great deal of the entire trap. Reality simply proves that man could challenge G.o.d as well..."
Wu Ying spoke with an almost prideful tone, describing the conspiracy in detail.
Yun Yang, on the other hand, was busy verifying his narration. After all, he had received too much information regarding the Four Seasons Tower during this period of time; he needed to sort through them one by one, from the crown prince, Sir Bi, to Venerable Lord Ice, Yang Botao, Supreme Lord Spring Frost…
Yun Yang heaved a long sigh inwardly.
How was this a plan? It was mainly countless strings that were mushed together to form a trap targeting the Nine Supremes. What was the goal? To force the Nine Supremes to Tianxuan Cliff? One link was tied to the other, one step followed closely by another – everything was connected seamlessly.
As Yun Yang listened to him, cold sweat soaked his back. For the first time, the brain of the Nine Supremes felt that his mental capacity was lacking as he listened to such a plot. Even if he got a second chance, he and his brothers might not have been able to escape.
Many of those who were manipulated in the conspiracy did not even know of the grand plan. Many were even loyal to Yutang, loyal to the Nine Supremes – they had merely become part of the plot just because they had delivered certain information…
Several pieces of information needed to be linked together before a relatively complete material could be obtained. Yet, who could have imagined the subtlety of the ulterior motive hidden within it?
What were the implications of asking a general of the guerrilla division to do certain things? What was the implication of having someone else trigger something on the side afterward; then, what it represented to have something done to a certain extent until the other end had gathered everything to form an information chain… The complexity and chaos that accompanied the things that had been done were unimaginable!
It was no wonder that he could only track down Supreme Lord Spring Frost as Tiantang City"s main culprit. There was nothing among these bits and pieces of information that could lead him to Sir Bi or Wu Ying. Even when Yun Yang knew everything now, knowing that all of it was to strike at him and the Nine Supremes, he still felt that the scheme was a masterpiece that could not be duplicated.
It was a heaven-defying master plan, one that was beyond a single man"s might!
"What a remarkable talent!" Yun Yang sighed softly and said, "Brilliant as you are, why did you fall from virtue?"
Wu Ying replied faintly, "If my talents weren"t above the rest, how could one become the best among the crooks? Those mediocre ones, how are they qualified to become an outstanding crook?!"
"Is Bi Zhongliu"s unusual death due to some sort of mysterious seal? Like the restriction on Supreme Lord Spring Frost back then?" Yun Yang asked.
With a chuckle, Wu Ying answered, "Who in the Four Seasons Tower doesn"t have a seal on them? Did you know that Mr. Nian does as well? Did you think that he doesn"t have one on him?
Yun Yang was shocked upon hearing his reply. "Isn"t Mr. Nian the mastermind, the highest figure in the Four Seasons Tower? Why does he have a seal too?"
"Mr. Nian is the Four Seasons Tower"s mastermind, true enough. However, there is only one Mr. Nian who doesn"t have a restriction on him. As for the other Mr. Nian"s, I don"t know how many have the seal on them," Wu Ying replied.
Yun Yang said thoughtfully, "I see. I see now that this is the truth of Mr. Nian! Doesn"t this mean that you also have a seal upon you?"
Wu Ying sneered. "I did have a seal initially. The seal that the Four Seasons Tower places on its higher authorities is unique – it"ll merge with the individual"s cultivation method. Once the restriction is triggered, an eighth of one"s lifetime of cultivation will be lost. Who among cultivators would be willing to give up on the cultivation method they had worked on for their whole life for? Nonetheless, I already had a plan of my own when I first joined the Four Seasons Tower back in the day. Upon arriving at Tiantang City, I trashed the Yin Mana Manipulation I was cultivating and turned to Saint Lucid Volition. Because of that, the so-called cultivation method seal no longer existed within me."
"This is also the main reason I haven"t been out of this house for decades." Wu Ying, who seemed to be at a loss, looked around the house said sadly, "Nonetheless, my exhaustive plan – despite having devised everything for so long and so strenuously - it is still futile… Bi Zhongliu has died, after all…"
Wu Ying let out a drawn sigh and fell into a trance.
After a long time, two droplets of tears fell from his eyes as he spoke in a broken voice, "He has died, after all…"