Chapter - 371 East And West are Forever APart Like Orion And Antares (5) (1/2)
He heaved a long sigh, as if he was unleashing the inexhaustibly bitter feelings of the past and mourning over the countless disturbances in the Jianghu; during which the others were silent for half a day.
”Laoye Zi,” Zhao Min said, ”Afterwards, the names of Jin Hua Yin Ye [golden flower silver leaf] shook the Jianghu. Why was it that nobody from the Ming Cult recognized their true identities? That Yin Ye Xiansheng [Mr. Silver Leaf] must be Han Qianye; how did he get killed by poison?”
”I am not clear on that matter myself,” Xie Xun said, ”When they, husband and wife, roamed the Jianghu, they always avoid Ming Cult people.”
”That's right,” Zhang Wuji said, ”Jin Hua Popo has always avoided the Ming Cult. When the Six Major Sects besieged the Ming Cult, she did not go up to lend a hand even though she was in the vicinity of the Peak.”
Zhao Min pondered over it and said, ”But Zi Shan Long Wang was the beauty of her era; how did she become that ugly? Her face did not show any sign of damage.”
Xie Xun said, ”I guess she is using some clever trick to change her appearance. In all her life, Mrs. Han has always been a peculiar person, but actually she endures an unspeakable suffering in her heart. She has always avoided the Persian Central Cult's people's pursue, but who would have thought she is still unable to escape in the end.”
”Why is the Persian Central Cult looking for her?” Zhang Wuji and Zhao Min asked simultaneously.
”This is Mrs. Han's biggest secret,” Xie Xun replied, ”Actually, I should not say it, but I am hoping that you would return to the Ling She Island to save her; so I'll have to tell you this.”
”Return to the Ling She Island?” Zhao Min wondered, ”Do you think we can overcome those Persian Three Emissaries?”
Xie Xun did not answer directly, but he told this story instead: ”For several hundred years, the Ming Cult of the Central Earth has always had a man as our Jiaozhu; but the Persian Central Cult's Jiaozhu has always been a woman, not only that, but the woman must be a virgin. The Holy Scripture of the Central Cult clearly stipulated that the virgin maiden is necessary to maintain the Ming Cult's sacred purity. Right after each Jiaozhu takes office, three maidens, called the 'sheng nu' [holy maiden] are appointed from among the Cult's high-level officials. After these three holy maidens take an oath, they are sent out to do good deeds and render meritorious service to the Ming Cult. As the current Jiaozhu pass away, the elders of the Cult convene to evaluate the three holy maiden's merit; the holy maiden who renders the greatest merits then designated to be the new Jiaozhu. But if there is any holy maiden who loses her chastity, she will be punished by getting burned alive; even if she runs away to the ends of the earth, the Cult will dispatch people to pursue her, in order to maintain the purity of the sacred teaching …”
As he spoke to this point, Zhao Min interjected, ”Is that Mrs. Han one of the three holy maidens of the Central Cult?”
”Correct!” Xie Xun nodded his head, ”I was already aware of it even before Fan Yao found out she came out of the secret passage. Mrs. Han considered me as a friend; therefore, she told me everything. During the battle with Han Qianye inside the 'bi shui han tan', they had some physical contacts, her feeling started to grow. Later on, they reassured each other by his sick bed, and she knew that she was committing a great sin. She was aware that there will come a day when the Central Cult will dispatch someone to find her. She was hoping to render a great service to the Central Cult as retribution of her crime. Thereupon she entered the secret passage stealthily to find the 'qian kun dai nuo yi' manual. The Central Cult had lost this manual for a long time; the only copy left belonged to the Central Earth Ming Cult. As a matter of fact, the real reason the Central Cult sent her to the BrightnessPeak was to find this manual.”
”Ah,” Zhang Wuji exclaimed. He vaguely felt something was wrong, but after thinking for a while he still could not figure it out.