The dense ma.s.s at the sh.o.r.e was made up of people, thebelievers of Tiangui were beaming from ear to ear in excitement lookingdirectly in front.
Even though that lotus flower vessel was not as resplendentas at night, but it was still exquisitely splendid and magnificent, under thesunlight the gauze lotus petals beautifully rippled. However what was happeningon the vessel did not match the beauty of the boat at all, so much so that itwas somewhat cruel, several women dressed in red kneeled on the platform of thelotus flower vessel, stacks of wood surrounded them, the chamberlain Gao Zhencarried over a torch respectfully to the
Xianjun, saying, “Xianjun it is theauspicious time, please send the sacred women on their way.”
When the people saw the torch, they excitedly bellowed,“Burn them!”
“Heaven and Earth as one, our sect flourishes!”
“Xianjun! Xianjun!”
The earth quaking shout was deafening, the ground wasvibrating, Zhao Jin Yu however was anxious like a cat on a hot tin roof,stating, “What to do? What to do? Why is older brother presiding over such aceremony? Lord Su…” Zhao Jin Yu turned her head to look at the solemn face SuQing Chen at her side, “Don’t tell me the authorities are not concerned? Thisis clearly murder!”
“They are all willing, they’ve written their wills, theauthorities also have no right to control it.” Su Qing Chen stared far away,gaze profound.
“Even if they are willing…, this is too cruel!” Zhao Jin Yunodded without a plan either, she could only appeal to Su Qing Chen for help,“Is there no way to stop it?”
“There is.” A trace of mockery flashed through Su Qing Chen’seyes, “If the Xianjun doesn’t set it alight, but would he do that? This is thefirst time he’s presided over the sacred lotus festival, he will only get theHeaven approval with an offering of tributes to G.o.d, then will he be able totake his role amongst the sect steadily and safely.”
Zhao Jin Yu heart sank, at this moment she clearly and fullyunderstood, her older brother may not be her original older brother…, how didhe become like this?
Su Qing Chen saw Zhao Jin Yu act so worried about anotherman, his chest felt very upset, so his manner unavoidably was somewhat abrupt, butagain seeing tears threatening to roll down Zhao Jin Yu’s eyes he couldn’thelp, gently say, “The issue of reputation here is too complicated, it isn’tsomething you can control, listen, let us return.”
Since the beginning of the dynasty they have always beendevoted to rid of Tiangui this malignant tumour, but Tiangui was like a weed,with just a bit of spring rain it could germinate roots again, even penetratingthe powers in the imperial court, impossible to guard against it.
“Burn them!”
“Set it alight!”
The shouts of the believers at the side shook the sky,Xianjun lifted the torch with eyes complex he looked at the women on theplatform, finally his gaze pointed at a middle aged beautiful woman amongstthem…, previous sacrifices were all virgins, but dreading these women would betoo young and experience to understand how to serve the G.o.d when they reachedheaven, provoking anger in the heavenly being, they would allow one marriedwoman to guide them, that’s why frequently the first offer of sacrifice was sixvirgins and one beautiful married woman.
When that middle aged beautiful woman saw the Xianjun lookat her, she grinned, smiling gently and kindly, apparently having no sort offeeling towards herself being burnt alive.
The Xianjun tightly gritted his teeth before calming himselfdown, Gao Zhen beside him once again urged, “Xianjun, please start the fire.”
In the distance two people, a man and woman, wearingTiangui’s red clothes stood, watching what was happening over there, that womanseemed somewhat frustrated saying, “Why did Lady Zhuang have to go with thosewomen.”
The man standing beside her was very handsome, just standingthere, a jade like characteristic which made people feel comfortable, he said,“This is the customs, I also have no say.”
“Hum.” The woman sneered, saying, “What customs, there wassimply no such custom before! It’s the previous twenty leaders wanting to takecare of the former leader’s widow, and without any other easy way, that’s whythey thought of such a move, using the G.o.d’s name to offer a living person assacrifice, thinking about it, it really is a dirty trick.”
“Yue Ying, what’s wrong? Why are you so emotional today?”
Yue Ying shut her eyes, only saying a while later, “You knowI almost ended up on there, Tu Gang also said I was actually the one chosen bythe G.o.d.”
The man gathered Yue Ying into his arms, comfortinglypatting her shoulders, with a gentle gaze, with a not low and not high voicemixed with touching deep emotions, he said, “It won’t happen, Yue Ying, howmuch did we experience before we could be together, I pledge to you, I willalways protect you, we will never separate.”
Yue Ying buried her head in the man’s chest, tearfullysaying, “I know, but for Lady Zhuang to take my place…, I still can’t bear it.”
The man’s gaze however looked into the distance with a coldresolution, saying, “On earth there is nothing the heavens give for free, ifyou want it you must pay for it, to our newly appointed Xianjun…, everything isjust beginning.”
Meanwhile, the Xianjun on the lotus flower vessel finallydecided to lift the torch, who would have imagined suddenly a burst of windcame rushing, the flame on the torch was extinguished.
“Who is it causing trouble?” Gao Zhen who had handed thetorch to the Xianjun couldn’t help angrily shout.
Zhao Jin Yu approached walking around the edge of thevessel, beside her followed Su Qing Chen who had just helped her extinguish theflame, “I’m really sorry, I just temporarily made a mistake.”
“Who are you? What do you want?”
Su Qing Chen maintained a smile, saying, “I’m the rightcommander of the Embroidered Uniform Guards Su Qing Chen.”
When Gao Zhen heard Su Qing Chen’s name he was stunned atfirst, his facing showing a cryptic expression, saying, “What brings Lord Suhere?”
Su Qing Chen pointed at Zhao Jin Yu saying, “This is LadyZhao, she said you have taken her mother.”
“Mother?” Gao Zhen’s gaze returned to the platform, glancingat the beautiful married woman for some time, trying to explain, he said, “Couldthis lady be mistaken, this married woman is our Xianjun’s mother.”
Zhao Jin Yu originally held some luck in her mind, but withsuch words from Gao Zhen…, suddenly she felt as if she had dropped into an icecavern, ice-cold from head to toe, she walked over, crying,
“Older brother, areyou crazy? Why do you want to burn mother to death?”
The Xianjun remained taciturn, his body was somewhat rigid.
Zhao Jin Yu couldn’t control it more and more, shivering shesaid, “You must be in trouble right?”
Using her sleeves she consciously wipedher tears, the coa.r.s.e and coldly stiff sleeves rubbed her eyes very red, shesaid, “It’s nothing, I will wait for you to tell me the whole story, no matterwhat you become, you will always be my older brother…, but I am also mymother’s daughter, I can’t just helplessly look on to watch you burn her todeath, to do such a deranged thing!”
The Xianjun tightly gritted his teeth, Gao Zhen did not dareto offend Su Qing Chen, again seeing the Xianjun’s taciturn manner, his mindfelt anxious…, to that beautiful married woman he said, “Lady Zhuang, you oughtto say something, if this carries on, the ceremony will be ruined, then howwill the Xianjun have a standing in the sect?”
At first Lady Zhuang did not dare to look at Zhao Jin Yu,now hearing Gao Zhen’s words, then did she turn her head without a choice,seeing Zhao Jin Yu she said, “Young lady, you’ve made a mistake.”
“Mother!” Zhao Jin Yu shrieked. “Older brother is confused, youcan’t go along with his mistake! Were you not the most reasonable before?What’s more, daddy is still in prison waiting for us to think of a way.”
Lady Zhuang…, was previously called Xu Shi, but for somereason Zhao Jing Chuan had changed his name to Zhuang Qing, and Xu Shi to LadyZhuang.
“Young lady, you really have made a mistake.” Lady Zhuangcalmly and emotionlessly said.
Zhao Jin Yu cried, “Have you gone crazy?”
“Since everything has been cleared up, Lady Zhao, pleaseleave the vessel.” Gao Zhen hurriedly said, afraid Zhao Jin Yu would not agree,he also added, “Even if the young lady did not make a mistake, they still don’trecognise you, so why must you persist? Could it be you like to show warmfeelings but met with cold rebuke?”
These words sounded very unpleasant, in fact it once againpoked at the scar hidden in Zhao Jin Yu’s heart, yes…, thinking about it theyabandoned her, unconcerned whether she lived or died, now why would she rushover to act as a good person?
Suddenly Zhao Jin Yu was like a deflated ball losing heranger, dazed she said, “Lord Su, let us go.”
Su Qing Chen had originally not wanted to care about thismatter, although he himself couldn’t control it either, yet for what reason?Tiangui sect’s power was tangled and complicated, if he really provoked them,there would be a lot of trouble afterwards, but Zhao Jin Yu’s emotions wereextremely unstable then, when she saw clearly amongst the sacrificial women onthe platform was her adoptive mother, she went insane wanting to rush over.Unable to stop her.
After that he knew he had to take control of this matter,first apart from the kind of pity for Zhao Jin Yu in his heart, also Zhao JinYu had fallen into the water yesterday, An Wen Yao had made him suffer from abeating, if something happened to Zhao Jin Yu again today…, that’s why Su QingChen said to Zhao Jin Yu at once, “You have my support, say what you want tosay, do what you want to do, but don’t act rashly, you scared me yesterday whenyou jumped into the water.”
Even though Zhao Jin Yu did not know why Su Qing Chen agreedto help her, but the Xianjun was poised to light the fire, it was an urgentsituation, she couldn’t think about too much, just like this the two peopleboarded the vessel, who would have imagined with a few words Zhao Jin Yu wouldbe prepared to leave void of spirit.
Su Qing Chen gently held Zhao Jin Yu’s shoulders, saying,“If you leave like this, your mother may truly be burnt to death.” His currentreminder was merely out of fear that Zhao Jin Yu would later regret it.
Zhao Jin Yu body was frozen, turning her head to look at SuQing Chen, gradually some hope rose in her eyes, she said, “If I said, help mes.n.a.t.c.h my mother back, can you do it?”
Su Qing Chen pursed his lips in a smile, immediately with adetermined loftiness and aggressiveness, he said, “I can, so long as youdesire.”
Zhao Jin Yu’s tears again suddenly flowed down, she hasnever before been so grateful to Su Qing Chen like now, she said, “Then do it,many thanks.”