Nightfall

The impa.s.sioned, loud and hot-blooded declaration suddenly turned into loud swearing . Old Master Chao cursed at the Abbey Dean and smashed his cane at the man .

Ordinary people and extraordinary people were all human beings . They would all turn into ash after death . But there was still a largedifference while they were alive . No way could the old man"s cane knock down the Abbey Dean .

The people on the snowy street thought that Old Master Chao was dead, but he did not die because the Abbey Dean did not do anything . Instead, he walked past the old man calmly .

Eldest Brother faintly guessed the intention of the Abbey Dean . Haotian Taoism wanted to break into Chang"an and the hearts of the people in the city . The Abbey Dean had killed many on the streets because he wanted to break the hardest of the Tangs with his strongest means . He wanted to stomp their pride into the mud . However, since killing them could not solve the problem, he then chose to ignore them .

However, the Abbey Dean did not understand the Tangs . Old Master Chao had just skittered by the fine line separating life and death . He was not confused by the Abbey Dean"s disregard, but instead, started to feel suspicious and even fearful .

It was fine even if he failed to knock down the man . There would be opportunities to do so in the future . It was fine even if he did not die; not dying was better than dying after all . Was there any reason to start feeling self-doubt? Old Master Chao leaned against his cane and cursed colorfully as he walked to the street side . His cursing was violent, and his words, filthier than the filth on the snowy ground .

The Abbey Dean frowned slightly and continued forward . He walked towards Ning Que, and closer to the Imperial Palace .

Eldest Brother said, "This is wrong . "

The Abbey Dean replied, "The Tang Empire might be strong, but what can you do if the Heavens want it to fall?"

In front of the Verdant Canyon .

Ye Hongyu looked at Jun Mo who was standing across her . Blood flowed down her sleeves, dripping onto the ground and mixing with the odors of the blood that had been building up over the past days .

She was very calm because she knew that Jun Mo was more seriously injured than herself . He was burning up the last of his Psyche Power and life force, inching closer to death .

She looked at Jun Mo"s expressionless face and at the bloodied disciples of the Academy behind him . She thought of the terrifying fights before the Verdant Canyon over the past week . She thought of how the people before her had blocked the path of the powerful Divine Hall Coalition Army, and stopped them from entering the Southern parts of Tang Empire .

People like Jun Mo would fight hard to the very end . And even she could not help but feel moved . Traces of pity and admiration could be seen in the Divine Light inside the deepest part of her eyes .

"The Heavens want your Academy to fall . What can you do about it?"

She looked at Jun Mo and said .

Jun Mo looked up at the sky . The rain had stopped but the clouds had not fully parted yet . Only a few spots of the blue sky could be seen . It was like shattered porcelain .

Furthermore, even if the rain were to stop and the clouds were to dissipate, it was daytime now, so he would not be able to see the moon . He was only looking at his teacher before he died in that fight .

He did not answer Ye Hongyu"s question directly . Instead, he said, "Chao Xiaoshu is a good man . If there had not been any incidents back then, he would have been my Younger Brother . "

Ye Hongyu knew who Chao Xiaoshu was . However, she did not understand why Jun Mo would mention him now .

Jun Mo looked at the sky and sought for the traces left behind by the moon seven nights ago . He continued, "However, he wanted to follow the previous Emperor, which was why he did not enter the Academy . "

"Back then, the previous Emperor wanted to clear the Royal Court, which was how the night at Spring Breeze Pavilion happened . "

Ye Hongyu knew of the incident at the Pavilion . Chao Xiaoshu and Ning Que had become known to the West-Hill Divine Palace after that rainy night .

Jun Mo looked away . He then said, "Before that night, Chao Xiaoshu negotiated with the opposition at the House of Red Sleeves . There, he said two things that later spread throughout Chang"an . "

"This was what he said . "

Jun Mo said, "If Heaven allows, I will live . If people won"t allow that, I will kill them . "

Ye Hongyu suddenly felt cold because she knew what he would say next .

Even though the world was fighting against the Tang Empire now and Haotian Taoism was at odds with the Empire, she had not expected such a question raised up by someone so calmly and with such determination in Haotian"s world .

Sure enough, Jun Mo gently shook his right arm, and blood sprinkled off the wide and square iron sword .

He held the iron sword and looked at Ye Hongyu . It looked as if he was looking at the sky above her head as he said, "I always thought that this statement wasn"t appropriate . Because even if the Heavens would not allow me, I will still live . "

"And if this bloodied Heaven won"t allow me to live, then . . . I will now allow it to live either . "

Finally, he said, "At least, I won"t let it live in peace . "

On the snowy street in Chang"an .

Eldest Brother looked at the Abbey Dean and said, "Teacher once said that where the human heart desires to go, Heaven would allow it . "

"And should Heaven not allow it, what would you do?"

The Abbey Dean stopped and looked at the snow falling from the sky . After a moment of silence, he said thoughtfully, "You can look up and see, when has Heaven ever spared anyone?"

There was a moment of silence . n.o.body spoke because no one could answer his question .

In the face of absolute strength, courage was admired, but it was useless . In the indifferent eyes of Heaven, the desires of human beings rarely mattered .

The skinny Taoist fell silent, so did the Old Lady Chu and the injured . The dead could no longer speak, and even second uncle Chao stayed silent, though his lips had hesitated for a moment .

Finally, a voice broke the silence .

The voice was hoa.r.s.e and dry . The person seemed not to have drunk water in a long while and had lost too much blood . The voice sounded rather grating .

The voice seemed weary and weak but was determined . It was grating, unlike the sound of something sharp scratching against gla.s.s, but like the sound of mirrors being broken .

The voice said, "Then we shall destroy it . "

The Abbey Dean looked to the back of the crowd and spotted Ning Que"s face which was covered in blood .

Then, he saw Ning Que"s eyes .

Their gazes met for the first time .

Ning Que looked at him and said, "Where the heart desires, Heaven has to obey . And if Heaven does not, then we will destroy it . I think this is a very simple principle . "

The Abbey Dean looked at the determination and confidence in his eyes . His eyebrows rose upwards . .

The Natural Stream Magical Finger had injured Ning Que gravely, and his confidence had taken a hit . However, his spirit was determined . But then, he gradually felt lost .

He watched as the two teens cried and shouted while they tried something unimaginable . As such, he decided to stand up and then, he did .

But he could only lean against the podao which was supporting his weakened body .

Then, several ordinary people rushed by him, rus.h.i.+ng towards the black sea of death .

He saw many people die before his eyes .

He felt that it was wrong .

The choices that these ordinary people had made went against the knowledge he had of this world . It went against his own rules . Even though he had seen many similar instances, what he saw today a.s.saulted him with a shock that he could not bear .

Because in the past, he had always placed himself outside the situation .

Today, on this street, he was in the situation .

His body and soul followed the spraying of blood and the fall of those bodies . They followed as those souls departed and gently landed in this world .

In the past, he was willing to die for Chang"an because he felt responsible and emotionally-linked to the city . It was because of the responsibility and kins.h.i.+p he felt for the Headmaster, Master Yan Se and the Emperor . He was sure it was not because of zealousness .

He thought that his blood was cold . When the blood in his body began to grow heated until it was boiling, he started to feel lost and confused .

He vaguely felt a power .

He had seen this power, and it had happened more than once .

But it had not felt as real as it did right now on the snowy street .

It was then, when a wizened voice rang in his ears and his heart .

He did not know that it was second uncle Chao speaking .

The wizened voice rang across the Tang Empire . His subconscious seemed to follow the voice, traveling across rivers and mountains . And everywhere, he saw different people .

He saw those at war, marching in troops, fighting for their lives, seeking death . Those holding on, and those who were waiting . Even those waiting were filled with bravery .

He saw many people who were impressive .

Then, he saw many images flas.h.i.+ng across his eyes .

He saw the bloodied chopper in the woodshed, the broken fields in Hebei county . He saw refugees that looked like ghosts and the wide Min Mountain . He saw the Old Hunter, the soil of the City of Wei . He saw the lights in the night of Chang"an and the lake in the Wilderness . He saw the grave covered in weeds at the Lanke Temple .

He saw many people who were not impressive, but they were all humans .

He seemed to have returned to the Lanke Temple"s stone statue; as if he were still in the final conversation with Lotus in the Bone Mountain at the front gate of the Devil"s Doctrine . He seemed to be looking at the Talisman Master in the tribe he met that summer when he entered Talisman Taoism .

The earliest humans fought with wild beasts in the wilderness . They began to wear furs, eat meat, live in caves, and then began to farm land, raise livestock, and eat more meat . Humans continued to eat meat, and think a lot of ways to cook meat to ensure that the meat was very fragrant . This was so they could eat more meat because eating meat made one stronger .

He saw human beings building houses, villages and roads, and finally saw a majestic city standing on the plains, seeming to pierce the sky—it was Chang"an City .

He walked through Chang"an and saw the bun shop that he had seen a few days ago . He saw the green stones, and recalled the aura he had once sensed . It was the power that belonged only to the mortal realm .

It was a power that could change everything .

It was a power that could beat time .

It was an ordinary power that was extraordinary . It was blinding but inconspicuous . It was the hot steam of the bun shop or a black brick in the city wall . But it was also the pa.s.sing on of wisdom and stubborn resistance .

Ning Que suddenly felt very moved .

This power was so magnificent .

He was so close to it and could feel such an unvarnished feeling .

He could feel his smallness, but it was unlike when he was facing Haotian . He did not feel angry because of his own smallness, but only felt a sense of awe .

Because no matter how small he was, he was a part of this power .

And no matter how magnificent this power was, it came from several insignificant people like him .. . . . The impa.s.sioned, loud and hot-blooded declaration suddenly turned into loud swearing . Old Master Chao cursed at the Abbey Dean and smashed his cane at the man . Ordinary people and extraordinary people were all human beings . They would all turn into ash after death . But there was still a largedifference while they were alive . No way could the old mans cane knock down the Abbey Dean . The people on the snowy street thought that Old Master Chao was dead, but he did not die because the Abbey Dean did not do anything . Instead, he walked past the old man calmly . Eldest Brother faintly guessed the intention of the Abbey Dean . Haotian Taoism wanted to break into Changan and the hearts of the people in the city . The Abbey Dean had killed many on the streets because he wanted to break the hardest of the Tangs with his strongest means . He wanted to stomp their pride into the mud . However, since killing them could not solve the problem, he then chose to ignore them . However, the Abbey Dean did not understand the Tangs . Old Master Chao had just skittered by the fine line separating life and death . He was not confused by the Abbey Deans disregard, but instead, started to feel suspicious and even fearful . It was fine even if he failed to knock down the man . There would be opportunities to do so in the future . It was fine even if he did not die; not dying was better than dying after all . Was there any reason to start feeling self-doubt? Old Master Chao leaned against his cane and cursed colorfully as he walked to the street side . His cursing was violent, and his words, filthier than the filth on the snowy ground . The Abbey Dean frowned slightly and continued forward . He walked towards Ning Que, and closer to the Imperial Palace . Eldest Brother said, This is wrong . The Abbey Dean replied, The Tang Empire might be strong, but what can you do if the Heavens want it to fall? In front of the Verdant Canyon . Ye Hongyu looked at Jun Mo who was standing across her . Blood flowed down her sleeves, dripping onto the ground and mixing with the odors of the blood that had been building up over the past days . She was very calm because she knew that Jun Mo was more seriously injured than herself . He was burning up the last of his Psyche Power and life force, inching closer to death . She looked at Jun Mos expressionless face and at the bloodied disciples of the Academy behind him . She thought of the terrifying fights before the Verdant Canyon over the past week . She thought of how the people before her had blocked the path of the powerful Divine Hall Coalition Army, and stopped them from entering the Southern parts of Tang Empire . People like Jun Mo would fight hard to the very end . And even she could not help but feel moved . Traces of pity and admiration could be seen in the Divine Light inside the deepest part of her eyes . The Heavens want your Academy to fall . What can you do about it? She looked at Jun Mo and said . . . Jun Mo looked up at the sky . The rain had stopped but the clouds had not fully parted yet . Only a few spots of the blue sky could be seen . It was like shattered porcelain . Furthermore, even if the rain were to stop and the clouds were to dissipate, it was daytime now, so he would not be able to see the moon . He was only looking at his teacher before he died in that fight . He did not answer Ye Hongyus question directly . Instead, he said, Chao Xiaoshu is a good man . If there had not been any incidents back then, he would have been my Younger Brother . Ye Hongyu knew who Chao Xiaoshu was . However, she did not understand why Jun Mo would mention him now . Jun Mo looked at the sky and sought for the traces left behind by the moon seven nights ago . He continued, However, he wanted to follow the previous Emperor, which was why he did not enter the Academy . Back then, the previous Emperor wanted to clear the Royal Court, which was how the night at Spring Breeze Pavilion happened . Ye Hongyu knew of the incident at the Pavilion . Chao Xiaoshu and Ning Que had become known to the West-Hill Divine Palace after that rainy night . Jun Mo looked away . He then said, Before that night, Chao Xiaoshu negotiated with the opposition at the House of Red Sleeves . There, he said two things that later spread throughout Changan . This was what he said . Jun Mo said, If Heaven allows, I will live . If people wont allow that, I will kill them . Ye Hongyu suddenly felt cold because she knew what he would say next . Even though the world was fighting against the Tang Empire now and Haotian Taoism was at odds with the Empire, she had not expected such a question raised up by someone so calmly and with such determination in Haotians world . Sure enough, Jun Mo gently shook his right arm, and blood sprinkled off the wide and square iron sword . He held the iron sword and looked at Ye Hongyu . It looked as if he was looking at the sky above her head as he said, I always thought that this statement wasnt appropriate . Because even if the Heavens would not allow me, I will still live . And if this bloodied Heaven wont allow me to live, then . I will now allow it to live either . Finally, he said, At least, I wont let it live in peace . On the snowy street in Changan . . . Eldest Brother looked at the Abbey Dean and said, Teacher once said that where the human heart desires to go, Heaven would allow it . And should Heaven not allow it, what would you do? The Abbey Dean stopped and looked at the snow falling from the sky . After a moment of silence, he said thoughtfully, You can look up and see, when has Heaven ever spared anyone? There was a moment of silence . n.o.body spoke because no one could answer his question . In the face of absolute strength, courage was admired, but it was useless . In the indifferent eyes of Heaven, the desires of human beings rarely mattered . The skinny Taoist fell silent, so did the Old Lady Chu and the injured . The dead could no longer speak, and even second uncle Chao stayed silent, though his lips had hesitated for a moment . Finally, a voice broke the silence . The voice was hoa.r.s.e and dry . The person seemed not to have drunk water in a long while and had lost too much blood . The voice sounded rather grating . The voice seemed weary and weak but was determined . It was grating, unlike the sound of something sharp scratching against gla.s.s, but like the sound of mirrors being broken . The voice said, Then we shall destroy it . The Abbey Dean looked to the back of the crowd and spotted Ning Ques face which was covered in blood . Then, he saw Ning Ques eyes . Their gazes met for the first time . Ning Que looked at him and said, Where the heart desires, Heaven has to obey . And if Heaven does not, then we will destroy it . I think this is a very simple principle . The Abbey Dean looked at the determination and confidence in his eyes . His eyebrows rose upwards The Natural Stream Magical Finger had injured Ning Que gravely, and his confidence had taken a hit . However, his spirit was determined . But then, he gradually felt lost . He watched as the two teens cried and shouted while they tried something unimaginable . As such, he decided to stand up and then, he did . But he could only lean against the podao which was supporting his weakened body . Then, several ordinary people rushed by him, rus.h.i.+ng towards the black sea of death . He saw many people die before his eyes . He felt that it was wrong . The choices that these ordinary people had made went against the knowledge he had of this world . It went against his own rules . Even though he had seen many similar instances, what he saw today a.s.saulted him with a shock that he could not bear . Because in the past, he had always placed himself outside the situation . Today, on this street, he was in the situation . His body and soul followed the spraying of blood and the fall of those bodies . They followed as those souls departed and gently landed in this world . In the past, he was willing to die for Changan because he felt responsible and emotionally-linked to the city . It was because of the responsibility and kins.h.i.+p he felt for the Headmaster, Master Yan Se and the Emperor . He was sure it was not because of zealousness . He thought that his blood was cold . When the blood in his body began to grow heated until it was boiling, he started to feel lost and confused . He vaguely felt a power . He had seen this power, and it had happened more than once . But it had not felt as real as it did right now on the snowy street . It was then, when a wizened voice rang in his ears and his heart . He did not know that it was second uncle Chao speaking . The wizened voice rang across the Tang Empire . His subconscious seemed to follow the voice, traveling across rivers and mountains . And everywhere, he saw different people . He saw those at war, marching in troops, fighting for their lives, seeking death . Those holding on, and those who were waiting . Even those waiting were filled with bravery . He saw many people who were impressive . Then, he saw many images flas.h.i.+ng across his eyes . He saw the bloodied chopper in the woodshed, the broken fields in Hebei county . He saw refugees that looked like ghosts and the wide Min Mountain . He saw the Old Hunter, the soil of the City of Wei . He saw the lights in the night of Changan and the lake in the Wilderness . He saw the grave covered in weeds at the Lanke Temple . He saw many people who were not impressive, but they were all humans . He seemed to have returned to the Lanke Temples stone statue; as if he were still in the final conversation with Lotus in the Bone Mountain at the front gate of the Devils Doctrine . He seemed to be looking at the Talisman Master in the tribe he met that summer when he entered Talisman Taoism . The earliest humans fought with wild beasts in the wilderness . They began to wear furs, eat meat, live in caves, and then began to farm land, raise livestock, and eat more meat . Humans continued to eat meat, and think a lot of ways to cook meat to ensure that the meat was very fragrant . This was so they could eat more meat because eating meat made one stronger . He saw human beings building houses, villages and roads, and finally saw a majestic city standing on the plains, seeming to pierce the sky—it was Changan City . He walked through Changan and saw the bun shop that he had seen a few days ago . He saw the green stones, and recalled the aura he had once sensed . It was the power that belonged only to the mortal realm . It was a power that could change everything . It was a power that could beat time . It was an ordinary power that was extraordinary . It was blinding but inconspicuous . It was the hot steam of the bun shop or a black brick in the city wall . But it was also the pa.s.sing on of wisdom and stubborn resistance . Ning Que suddenly felt very moved . This power was so magnificent . He was so close to it and could feel such an unvarnished feeling . He could feel his smallness, but it was unlike when he was facing Haotian . He did not feel angry because of his own smallness, but only felt a sense of awe . Because no matter how small he was, he was a part of this power . And no matter how magnificent this power was, it came from several insignificant people like him .