Nightfall

The Taoist Hall was very quiet. The only sounds were Ning Que’s footsteps echoing down the corridor.

Walking along the stone ladder to the upstair, he looked to the stone window on the street side. Blowing from outside, the drizzle gently sprinkled on Sangsang’s light cyan dress and expressionless face.

Seeing this, Ning Que was hit by mixed feelings. She appeared to be a lot lighter and have much clearer breath, as if she will leave the world at any time.

After seeing the dilapidated Buddha stone statue in Lanke Temple, Sangsang got sick. She began to feel tired and occasionally coughed like human beings, but she became less and less human at the same time.

The problem Sangsang faced was to either remain in the mortal world or return to the Divine Kingdom, which was also the problem that the Academy wished to solve. Ning Que knew clearly that it was certainly a long and dangerous process full of ups and downs, just like the game of tug-of-war. He was a little nervous but didn’t take it seriously.

He went up to Sangsang and looked at the capital city of the Qi Kingdom in the rain through the stone window. They stood silently side by side, as if they wanted to engrave the street in the spring rain into their memory.

The street was washed clean by the rain. However, the rain that was accumulated on the ground gradually became red due to the blood flowing from the hall.

The Taoist Hall was still quiet. The commander and his subordinates executed the order perfectly, making no sounds during the slaughter.

After a short while, Ning Que heard the door open downstairs, and then saw several cavalrymen quickly rushing into the spring rain and then riding toward different directions.

These cavalrymen were rushing back to Peach Mountain to report the latest situation to the Divine Hall, and they also had to inform the cavalrymen and the principal stationed outside the capital.

Two thousand cavalrymen from the Divine Hall had followed them all the way, which made Ning Que less curious about their principal.

All of a sudden, the cavalryman who was rushing toward the south of the capital raised the flag he was holding and shouted loudly, as if he was admonishing the people on the street.

Although the spring rain was not violent, the far distance muffled the voice of the cavalryman. However, Ning Que was able to capture the words clearly due to his sharp perception.

“One shall bear the wrath of heaven if one ever disrespects the Light!”

…

…

Ning Que knew clearly that the wrath of heaven was just a saying. He had hung around Sangsang for twenty years, but never saw her personally criticize anyone, let alone going through the trouble to get a knife to stab someone.

In the history of mankind, it was always the Divine Hall who had condemned and killed the enemies in the name of Haotian, even without Haotian knowing.

Sangsang was a little tired and went to rest. Ning Que stood by the stone window and looked at the capital in the rain. He listened to the crying and shouting sounds from the rain, showing no expressions on his face.

There were faint shouts rising out of the distance. Every once in a while, a cavalry squad of the Divine Hall rushed to the hall, untied the bag under their saddle, and poured the bag’s contents on the stone steps in front of the hall.

Those bags were filled with human heads.

After a day and a night, the heads that piled up on the stone steps in front of the hall sent out the smell of blood which was so strong that the rain could not weaken the odor.

There was a total of 180 people, which included the divine priests and deacons who had participated in the bloody cleansing previously as well as the ordinary Taoists around the capital city. They were all beheaded by the cavalrymen of the Divine Hall.

The heads piled up like a mountain, some of which still had their eyes wide open unwillingly while some had the expression of regret and fear. Whether the owners of these heads were noble red-robed divine priests or just some unknown person who was forced into the torrent, their faces were now full of blood.

Sangsang woke up and ate a bowl of rice porridge and two steamed buns stuffed with beef and carrot under Ning Que’s service. Then she walked to the stone window and looked at the heads in front of the hall, looking rather pleased.

The morning light was so fresh, but the scene in front of the hall was so bloody. The holy flame was lit on the piled heads, and quickly became fierce. The rain did not extinguish the fire. It only helped the fire spread.

In the blazing flame, one could faintly see the deformation of the skulls, as if those who have died can still perceive the pain despite their distorted five senses.

The unpleasant smell of burning filled the hall.

In the spring rain, thousands of people of the Qi Kingdom watched the flame and the burning heads in front of them. The looks on their faces were finally not as numb as before. They seemed a little terrified but also excited.

“I am Haotian.” Sangsang looked at the pile of human heads and continued to say without any expressions, “Human beings must obey my will.”

Ning Que thought for a while and suggested, “Or you could use another word instead of obey.”

Sangsang glanced at him and asked, “Like what?”

Ning Que answered, “Although I have no faith, I still think that humans obey your will out of love.”

Sangsang argued, “Humans will never love me.”

Ning Que looked at the middle-aged divine priest whose face was wet with tears and said, “I bring you here because I want to remind you that some people do love you even though some had to die due to their love for you.”

Sangsang didn’t take it seriously. “That’s because I am Haotian.”

Ning Que shook his head. “In the past, Chen Cun, Hua Yin, and Song Xixi all died to save you. You were not Haotian back then, but the daughter of Invariant Yama.”

Sangsang still insisted. “That’s because they believed in what Wei Guangming said.”

Ning Que asked, “But what do you think their beliefs were prior?”

Sangsang went silent.

Ning Que said, “You said that the only reason Master Qishan saved you was to save all living creatures, and he did not love you for you are not among all living creatures. Then what about those in the Divine Hall of Light? What about your teacher Wei Guangming? They do love you unconditionally before and after realizing that you are Haotian. Why can’t you love them as they love you?”

Sangsang asked, “So you mean I should love all living creatures?”

Ning Que answered, “The first chapter of West Hill literary canon says, ‘God so loved the world.’”

Sangsang said, “I just no longer do.”

Ning Que asked, “Because you are too tired?”

Sangsang glanced at him and answered, “Your jokes often don’t have any logic.”

Ning Que asked, “Then what’s the reason?”

Sangsang asked, “Why should I love the world?”

Ning Que thought for a while and found that this was indeed a good question.

In any world, constantly questioning would complicate the problems. Human beings have always been obsessed with love, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that humans would be rewarded by asking for it ceaselessly.

Indeed, why do you have to love? Why do mothers love their children? Why do women love their men? Why do people love their country?

Even though the love you bestowed was indeed unconditional, you may only get a cold response which might make you breathless.

Ning Que didn’t know how to answer this question. Just like how he couldn’t explain to Sangsang what romance was back in the Great River Kingdom, he couldn’t explain to her what love was either at this point.

Just then, a sacred sedan was coming slowly from the end of the street in the spring rain. The sheer curtain around the sacred sedan was dark red, and seemed to be bleeding after being wet by the rain.

The Sacred Sedan of Judgment appeared in the human world again.

Ning Que was not surprised, for he had guessed that who the principal of the Divine Hall was back in the South Sea. Besides, the bloody purge of the past day and night affirmed his judgment.

Only a few people in the Divine Hall had the ability to make such an important decision and implement it in such a short period of time, and she was the most possible one since she commanded the cavalry.

“I don’t want to see these people.” Sangsang sounded a little tired and turned away from the window.

…

…

“Everyone in the three prefectures of the Qi Kingdom who dared to disrespect the Light are now dead.” Ye Hongyu said, “The official decree of the Divine Hall should be sent to the kingdoms very soon, and the Divine Hall of Judgement has taken action in advance. I believe the purge won’t last long.”

Looking at her, Ning Que frowned slightly and thought that the whole matter was not so simple.

Taking off her sacred crown, Ye Hongyu stared at him and said, “I want to see Haotian.”

The scene at this moment resembled an autumn day a few years ago.

Ning Que reached out to take the sacred crown in her hand like last time.

However, Ye Hongyu didn’t let him.

Ning Que was surprised. “Why are you so distant from me? I remember…”

Ye Hongyu interrupted him, “Stop your smooth tongue. Unlike Mo Shanshan, I have no intention to fight against Haotian over a man.”

Ning Que clicked his tongue, “Now you are the one who had a smooth tongue.”

Ye Hongyu brushed away the raindrops in her black hair and said, “Cut the crap. Just lead the way.”

Ning Que was displeased. “You know I am Haotian’s husband. Show me some respect.”

Ye Hongyu threw the sacred crown to the table casually and taunted, “How could one respect a man who sponged off his wife?”

Ning Que was angry. “I dare you to say that again!”

Ye Hongyu tightened her damp hair and said, “You are indeed a man who sponged his wife.”

Ning Que suddenly understood how Chen Pipi felt back then.

He was irritated and argued, “It’s not easy to sponge Haotian.”

Ye Hongyu responded, “It’s never easy to sponge anyone.”

Ning Que felt embarrassed and changed the subject, “She doesn’t want to see anyone from the Divine Hall.”

Ye Hongyu thought for a while and said, “It may not be a bad idea. Besides, I don’t want to kneel before her.”

Ning Que said, “It seems that your faith is not as firm as you said before.”

Ye Hongyu went silent for a few moments and suddenly asked, “Which is more important, faith or revenge?”

Ning Que didn’t understand her question, but he remembered his revenge in Chang’an and the killings in Snow Lake. He answered, “To me, revenge is clearly more important.” He continued, “But of course it’s because I never had any faith.” He looked at Ye Hongyu and said solemnly, “As for what you should choose, I can’t give you any specific suggestions. I just want you to know that just do whatever that makes you happy.”

Ye Hongyue thought and asked, “Is that the principle of your intentions?”

Ning Que answered, “Yes. Instinct and intention are always the most powerful things.”

…