1027 Her Faith (1/2)
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Coming out of the white Divine Hall on the peak, Ye Hongyu walked down along the mountain trail. Clouds floated beside her dress while she found her psyche cleared. When she reached the plateau, she had regained her tranquility.
She looked gently and calmly at the couple of stone cottages on the plateau. The next moment, she found her Taoist heart firm as iron. The plateau and stone cottages meant a lot to her, much more than memories.
She had to drop her state when she escaped from Lian Sheng in the Front Gate of Devil's Doctrine. Both her cultivation and Taoist heart was seriously wounded. When she came back to Peach Mountain, people thought she could never regain her power. They scorned her and the Hierarch even tried to marry her to Luokedi.
She locked herself in one of those stone cottages and continued cultivating. She knew she could break through all the obstacles. Then she received a letter from the Garret Sword.
She regained her power and killed the previous Great Divine Priest of Judgment. Then she became the youngest Great Divine Priest in the history of the West-Hill and started a new chapter of her legend.
Since then, neither Luokedi nor the Hierarch could never threaten her. Nothing in the human world could ever be a problem for her.
Ning Que's words or the question posed by the Academy was nothing. She came to the stone cottage not for some relief from the person inside, but rather to collect the reward she deserved for having made a choice.
She did not betray Taoism or kill the Hierarch. She chose not to tear up Taoism with her Divine Hall of Judgment and ignored Ning Que's invitation. Instead of turning to the Academy, she stayed on the Peach Mountain and posed herself in the danger. Now she was to confront the absolute danger by herself.
She was qualified to ask for whatever she wanted from that person inside the cottage.
The night fell quietly and darkened her scarlet Gown of Judgment. It seemed to have been soaked in blood for thousands of years before she put it on.
She stood quietly in front of the stone cottage and did not look inside. Because the person who used to be inside was now sitting in the wheelchair by the cliff and enjoying the sunset.
”I have no idea what it was. But I guess it must be something very important since Ning Que kept it until the last moment,” the old man in the wheelchair said calmly without turning back.
Ye Hongyu said, ”It's important to me but nothing to the human world. Or it mattered in the past but no longer now.”
The Abbey Dean said, ”It was important after all.”
Ye Hongyu said, ”But I don't want to hear it.”
”Ning Que did not say it properly.” The Abbey Dean mocked, ”It was very inappropriate to try to win you for the Academy only by sending two people and a few words. His words are after all not the Seven Tomes of Arcane.”
Ye Hongyu agreed, ”Indeed. That was also why I didn't want to listen.”
The Abbey Dean said, ”You already knew it long ago therefore it was not surprising. Then it was not good enough to convince you.”
Ye Hongyu said, ”Ning Que and Yu Lian underestimated me. The Devil's Doctrine and the Academy together might be able to set up the entire world, but not me.”
The Abbey Dean smiled in the wheelchair and said, ”I said the same thing previously.”
”I always knew it was Xiong Chumo.” Ye Hongyu continued, ”I didn't take him after the Rite to Light not because I wanted him to stay miserable, but rather because I knew Your Highness would not allow me.”
The Abbey Dean said, ”I'm the leader of Taoism and I never play favoritism.”
Ye Hongyu said, ”I still won't kill him. I probably will never do.”
The Abbey Dean looked gentle and asked, ”Because of your faith? Or piety to Haotian?”
Ye Hongyu said, ”It has nothing to do with my faith.”
The Abbey Dean smiled and asked, ”Then what for?”
Ye Hongyu said, ”I want Xiong Chumo's life in exchange of another person's life.”
The Abbey Dean laughed and shook his head, ”First you have to prove you can kill him. Then you are qualified for the exchange.”
One could only exchange things with something one possessed. Otherwise it would be stealing or robbery.
Xiong Chumo was the Hierarch and had surpassed the Five States long ago. He activated Tianqi and the Divine Flame to dispel the evils around the world. No one except for the Eldest Brother or Yu Lian could have a certain win over him.
No matter how talented Ye Hongyu was or how well she cultivated, she was still too young. Even if she was already at the zenith of Knowing Destiny, how could she kill Xiong Chumo?
”Then how about with my own life?” She said, ”No matter how shamelessly Ning Que played in the game, I am still grateful for him and the Twenty-three Year Cicada.”
”Why?”
”Because they proved to the Divine Halls how important I was. They tried their best to win my help. Therefore Taoism should pay a price that is enough to keep me.”
The Abbey Dean smiled and said nothing.
The Hierarch's life was indeed not something Ye Hongyu could take. But she was after all the Great Divine Priest of Judgment and had countless royal subordinates. If she were to defect, it would be a fatal loss for the West-Hill given that the Divine Hall of Light and Revelation Institute would both be missing leaders.
The Academy had prepared for years to carry out this plan. Yu Lian paved the way for it several years ago. She had waited patiently to see it happen today. However they failed.