Nightfall

The Last Words

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“He said, ‘Just do it recklessly! You never hesitate!’”

“He said, ‘What are you waiting for? When on earth will you defect?’”

“He said no matter how long it would take he would be waiting for you in Chang’an!”

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“He also said… the young companions are always the best.”

“He said… rolling up my verse books I am madly joyful.”

“He said… I’ve missed you so much that I’m beyond myself.”

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Inside the hall it was as quiet as the dead winter. It was deep winter outside. But how could the coldness penetrate the thick walls? Only Chen Qi’s words were floating in the air. The first three lines were still lingering while the later three were already uttered as waves in the ocean. They broke the silence and hit the stone walls with murals. They smashed the walls and splashed onto thousands of divine priests and deacons, which made them feel cold.

Ning Que’s words were abrupt as iron and frivolous. But being put together meant they were a matter of course, the Academy’s matter of course. I’m waiting for you in Chang’an, therefore you must come. That’s the only logical possibility, thus a matter of course.

Taoists worshipped Haotian, while the New Stream was shaking its foundation. No matter what Ye Hongyu did, she could never dispel the fundamental conflict between the two. Therefore the New Stream had to be extinct and Ye Su had to be killed. If Ye Su were to be killed, she would definitely defect.

It was just a matter of time before she would defect. But it was better to be sooner than later. Because if she were to defect sooner, it might bring Ye Su and the New Stream another chance.

Many people knew it and Ye Hongyu knew it best. But everyone in Taoism chose to ignore it as if the crack on the sun never existed.

Ning Que passed his words to her right then, and they were some very rude words. Chen Qi comprehended it well enough and uttered them in a ruder way that shocked the entire West-Hill before his death.

It was like a blunt man taking off the clothes of a helpless girl. He took off the blood robe that covered their belief and unveiled the cruel truth in the blazing Divine Flames of Haotian.

Those words were crucial. He made his point clear and provided an answer, so that the thousands of people inside the Divine Halls could no longer ignore it.

Taoism had to make a choice. No matter if or when Ye Hongyu would defect, Taoism had to treat her as a traitor now.

The Hierarch stood behind the screen and his lofty figure was not shivering at all. Instead the radiating screen started shivering and generated halos.

Chu Youxian could not help his psyche from shivering together with the screen. When he and Chen Qi made that decision, they had been prepared for their deaths. And they knew dying must feel awful.

Everyone was looking at Ye Hongyu and waiting for her decision, for the first betrayal of Great Divine Priest of Judgment throughout the history of Taoism, and for the collapse of Taoism.

People felt a complex of emotions: some relief, great anxiety and fear, as well as curiosity.

They were obviously shocked but no one said anything. She seemed not to see their gaze at all and stood calmly where she was.