Night Song - Chapter 33
"Pack your things, let's go back to the inn." He closed the trunk lid and turned to leave the room.
The note was placed on the table, and five people sat around it.
After a long silence, he spoke in a deep voice.
"The meaning of this secret order is very clear: divide up this pile of jewels, leave the Western Regions forever, and never be involved in any affairs of the religion again."
He paused, then his sharp gaze swept over the four young faces in turn.
"Now that things have come to this, there must be changes within the church. You can think carefully about whether to stay or leave."
"As long as you go to places where the church's influence is not present, you can enjoy these riches for a lifetime and squander them without end."
"No matter how your identities change, you are all subordinates of Xue Shi. Once Jia Ye loses power, you will inevitably be purged as well. This note is a sign of her mercy, giving you a way out."
"Now that we are in Dunhuang, those who wish to leave can take the gold and pearls and go straight to the Central Plains without revealing the origins of the Demonic Sect. The world is vast and the sky is high, and they can do as they please. Those who wish to stay can turn back to the sect. As for whether their encounters in the mountains will be good or bad, that is up to fate. Think it over carefully." Having said what he needed to say, he awaited the outcome.
"What will happen to the Snow Envoy?" Mo Yao asked first.
He remained silent for a long time without answering. He wanted to know the answer to this question more than anyone else.
"If we don't become assassins, what will we do in the future?" Bi Jun asked blankly.
These teenagers received training in killing from a young age; they were taught from the time they could remember. They had no idea that there were other ways to survive.
"I wonder how things are going in the sect," Blue Owl complained, but her expression held a hint of anticipation. "Could it really be going to the Central Plains?"
“It’s impossible not to go. Boss is right. If we do something wrong with Islam, we might just walk into a trap.” Silver Swan began to check the weight of the gold beads.
"Why leave behind the Crimson Eagle and the Black Kite? It would have been so much better if we had gone together," Jade Falcon sighed regretfully.
"Dream on. It's already a mercy that Xue Shi released five people. If all seven leave together, the Pope will immediately become suspicious," Yin Hu retorted dismissively. "Use your brain. Why would such a small matter as Shache require so many people to be mobilized?"
"I hope the Central Plains is a good place." Bi Jun scratched his head and gave up on the topic.
"Shake it out or go together?" Blue Owl suggested enthusiastically. "It's better to go together, it'll be more fun with the brothers."
After counting the amounts, Yin Hu clicked his tongue and announced a number. "Xue Shi is really generous; she's probably emptied her pockets."
Suddenly possessing enormous wealth and free from constraints, the four teenagers were all excited and overjoyed.
"Leaving tomorrow?" Yin Hu looked up and asked, glancing at the leader of the group.
"The Snow Envoy said the sooner the better." Blue Owl was anxious, yet also fearful of the cult's authority, and subconsciously wanted to get things done as soon as possible.
"Entering the Central Plains..." Bi Jun began to drift off into daydreams.
"Boss, where do you think would be a better place to go?" Mo Yao asked the key question, and everyone fell silent.
Four pairs of eyes were fixed on him, waiting for an answer.
He hesitated for a moment.
"You should leave first tomorrow, preferably heading towards the heartland. That's the richest place in the Central Plains, and it's far from the Demonic Sect."
"Isn't the boss going?"
"Why?"
"Then we won't leave either."
"Because of Akamaru's Gu poison? Wasn't it cured?" This question caused astonishment, and everyone started talking at once.
“I don’t need the gold beads. This box can be divided among the four of you. Be careful from now on, and you should be able to live quite comfortably.” He gestured for the four to quiet down. “I have other plans for myself. You should stick to your original plan.”
"The eldest brother is originally from the Central Plains, so why not travel together?"
"Staying in Dunhuang isn't safe either. What if the sect sends people to attack us..."
“We’ve always followed our leader, there’s no reason for us to separate.”
………………
……………
After much persuasion, his handsome face darkened, and his jumbled words vanished instantly.
“I know your good intentions, no need for further words, I know what I’m doing.” After thinking for a moment, he softened his tone. “Don’t worry, I may return to the Central Plains in a few days, and it won’t be difficult to meet again then.”
"Go ahead, but remember to keep a low profile and don't let the people from the Central Plains discover your identities. It's best to be cautious."
His resolute and uncompromising tone left no room for persuasion, and they could only watch helplessly as he walked away.
"Why isn't the boss leaving?" Blue Owl asked, puzzled.
"I'm still worried," Bi Jun speculated, and Yin Hu nodded.
"Snow Envoy..." Mo Yao said half a sentence.
“Actually, he was the one who should have left.” Bi Jun sighed.
"It's fortunate that Xue Shi also produced the antidote for Chi Wan; we're just benefiting from it," Mo Yao agreed with him.
“Those two people…” Blue Owl remained puzzled.
"There's something going on between them," Bi Jun kindly informed him, quite used to his partner's slow-wittedness.
"That's awful." Silver Swan gave him a sharp jab. "That's called emotion."
"Relationships are such a hassle," Blue Owl concluded, though only half-understanding the situation.
"You're right," the three said in unison.
A collective sigh filled the room.
Assault
He galloped swiftly, never stopping, rushing back to the church through the night.
It's hard to explain why, but just as the long-awaited freedom was about to arrive, they gave it up and willingly returned to the battlefield where life and death hung in the balance.
When all the constraints were broken, the surge of emotion in my heart was not one of ecstasy.
Seven years of captivity, daily torment, liberation should have been a long-awaited dream, but...
He could only follow his heart and rush headlong into the perilous depths of the Tianshan Mountains like a moth drawn to a flame.
Jia Ye let him go.
Jiuwei wanted him to leave.
I knew what the right choice was, but I still couldn't suppress my anxiety and turned back.
For several days he did not sleep, fear and anxiety burning in his chest like fire, forcing him to keep whipping the horse.
Everything in Yamaguchi was normal, with nothing unusual about it.
He suppressed his surprise and flew into the water palace. The lotus leaves swayed and the fragrance of flowers filled the air, but there was only deathly silence.
Jia Ye's room was empty. Chi Diao lay on the ground, a sword wound in his back. He had been dead for some time, but his face still showed resentment.
Upon examining the wound, it was indeed inflicted by Jia Ye's short sword. Before he could take more than a few steps, Xuan Yuan lay dead at the foot of the steps, just as the Crimson Eagle had died. The attendants had vanished without a trace, and the water palace was eerily quiet.
A loud bell suddenly rang out from a tall building in the distance, only to stop abruptly after half a chime. He looked up sharply; outside the window, the main hall stood like a mountain, and the setting sun on the horizon was blood-red, both beautiful and ominous.
Layer upon layer of buildings stretched endlessly, guarding the central hall, higher than the mountains. The majestic and solemn main hall stood proudly atop the jade platform, overlooking the surrounding peaks. A strong wind blew, the pines surged, and the wind chimes beneath the Seven Treasures Pagoda swayed incessantly, their chaotic ringing seemingly carrying a murderous tone.
Blood flowed everywhere in the main hall, and countless corpses lay on the steps. The stench of blood filled the air. Most of the dead and wounded were teenagers. The killing squad and the war slave camp had poured out their forces, and limbs and severed bodies were scattered all over the ground.
All the guards in the main hall were dead, including several attendants who followed the Pope, demonstrating the ferocity of the situation. He hadn't gone far when several people engaged in combat came into view; their familiar figures immediately calmed him.
"Nine Micro!" Seeing that he was at a disadvantage, he stepped forward to take over the sword move and fought side by side.
Sweat the size of soybeans beaded on Jiuwei's forehead, and he already had several wounds on his body, indicating that the fight was not easy. If it weren't for the fact that he was surrounded by several people, he would have been at a disadvantage long ago.
"What are you doing back here?" Upon seeing him, Jiuwei was startled and distracted, nearly taking a sword strike. "Didn't Jia Ye promise to let you return to the Central Plains? Didn't she give you the antidote?"
"I've taken it; it was my own fault for not trusting it." He switched the longsword to his left hand, his sword flashing with a sharp and imposing aura, instantly suppressing the opponent's attack.
"Idiot!" Jiuwei blurted out, "A rare opportunity, and you actually..." The opponent's internal force struck, and she gasped for breath, unable to utter another curse.
"Say less, save your energy to kill your opponent first." He gloated slightly, seeing Jiuwei Zi's flushed face. "Where's Jia Ye?"
“I know you want to ask her.” Jiuwei gritted her teeth and attacked recklessly, successfully inflicting another bloody wound on her opponent. “She and Qianming Zisu are dealing with the King in the inner hall, and I’m in charge of taking care of Xiushe.”
Xiu She, the King's shadow guard, was the one who captured him and brought him to Tianshan seven years ago.
At this moment, he was fighting against Jiuwei and several assassins all by himself, and he still had the strength to fight back. However, after a long battle, he gradually became anxious.
"Join forces?" He stared at his old enemy, not blinking an eye. Although so much time had passed, he still remembered the other's unpredictable skills, having faced off against him countless times in his mind.
"In the same way as back then." Jiuwei spat, a ruthless glint in her eyes.
After a moment of stillness, two bright sword beams suddenly shot up like lightning.
"Your swordsmanship has improved quite a bit." Jiuwei teased him, hanging on his shoulder despite the numerous bloody wounds all over his body. "It seems your original skills were truly impressive."
"Are you still holding on?" he asked casually, not particularly worried, knowing that most of the injuries were superficial.
"It's a minor matter. Now we just need to see if they've killed the Pope."
"I'm afraid it won't be that easy." If even a mere snake-cultivation technique is so difficult, one can only imagine how much more strenuous it must be for the King.
"To be honest, I really didn't expect that the one who wanted to kill the King the most was actually Jia Ye." Jiu Wei lowered her head and chuckled a few times. "You would never guess that she was the one who orchestrated all of this."
"Even you?" He didn't change his expression, dealing with Jiuwei's rambling while also silencing the guards who occasionally popped out.
“We are all.” Jiuwei’s face twisted slightly as the injury was aggravated. “She used her ambition to provoke Qianming and then seized my weakness, forcing me to join her in the fight. To be on the safe side, I had no choice but to persuade Zisu.”
Why didn't you tell me?
“Jia Ye said he would let you return to the Central Plains, and I think that’s better too,” Jiu Wei said frankly. “Who knows if the uprising will succeed? It’s better to lose one person at a time.”
He gave him a disgruntled look.
Jiuwei ignored him and continued to mock him. "In the end, you fool rushed back on your own, all my efforts were in vain."
"You also got a share of the gold?" I had expected it all along. Although Jia Ye had a superior status, he didn't care much about money and didn't accumulate much wealth. Jiu Wei must have helped him in the process.
"Just a small portion, anyway. It's useless to keep it if things fail, and we'll be fine if things succeed." Jiuwei didn't seem to care at all, just sullen. "Now look what's happened, if things don't work out we'll be brothers in the underworld."
The number of corpses in front of them was increasing, leaving no place to step. Before even reaching the inner hall, they could hear the sharp, whistling sound of weapons cutting through the air, making them want to raise their hands to cover their ears.