549 Qualifications and Conditions (2/2)
”You're right,” he admitted.
”Who would you find more qualified than I am?” asked Ye Qingxuan.
Shi Dong shook his head. ”It's not because of this, Mr. Ye, not all at.” His voice was hoarse, ”If you didn't have this stole on you, I would have been there to welcome you the moment you set foot on the island.
”Next, I would have sought you to help us re-establish the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and pleaded for the help and support of Anglo at all costs. Even if I had to kneel down, even if all of us here would become mercenaries of Anglo, I would pay any price for the legacy of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to be passed on.”
He said, ”If you want our music, our technology, our manpower, whatever, I can gladly give it to you. But you didn't come here for that, am I right?”
He raised his palm, with the stole in it. ”You want it, you want the Religious Court of Inquiry, but you can never have it.
”Not a chance.”
”Why?” Ye Qingxuan asked. ”Because of Michelle's death?”
”Of course not.” Shi Dong seemed as if he had heard a joke. ”Innumerable people of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith have died because of others. It's not like the past Grand Inquisitors had never killed one of our own. Even if you kill me, grind my bones into ashes and sprinkle them into the sea as fish bait, no one will say anything, let alone Michelle. However, Mr. Ye, you must understand something. 'Grand Inquisitor' is not just a title. It is where the faith of many lies, do you understand? This title... It represents a belief that many have died fighting for, sacrificing everything they had at all costs.”
Ye Qingxuan listened quietly and nodded. ”So I don't deserve it?”
Shi Dong waved his hand. ”Do you know what a catastrophe is?”
Ye Qingxuan had to suppress a laugh. No one in the world could possibly understand catastrophes better than him.
But Shi Dong looked at him and said, ”I've looked through your resume, and I know your accomplishments. In this regard, few in the world are comparable to you, even the Grand Inquisitors we've had in the past. But Mr. Ye, do you know what a catastrophe is to the ordinary person?”
Ye Qingxuan was silent.
”Vast, terrifying, powerful, undead... Do you know how the ordinary person feels when facing catastrophes?” said the old man.
”The desperation and powerlessness coming from the bottom of one's heart after witnessing an existence beyond the human imagination; thoughts and doubts about the meaning of human existence from a perspective beyond the ordinary; self-mockery towards the insignificance of oneself; guilt... Can you feel them?
”Can you confront catastrophes?” Shi Dong continued, ”Not by yourself, but with a group of people, thousands of people, tens of thousands of people, the people who admire you, the people who trust you, the people who will not hesitate to entrust you with their lives.”
He pressed on, ”Can you lead such people? Can you provide them with the courage to contend with countless demons and undefeatable catastrophes, to fight for a glimmer of hope?” He looked at Ye Qingxuan, a raspy voice like that of steel scraping against steel coming from his metallic prosthetic vocal cords. ”And after that, can you give the order that would cost all of them their lives mercilessly in order to achieve victory?
”Can you gamble with the world at all costs, even if it meant pulling all the countries into the abyss and using all of mankind as your chips?”
He asked, ”Can you?”
Ye Qingxuan still remained silent.
”It's a war, Mr. Ye, a war between humans and non-humans, a war that began in the Age of Dark and has lasted till now, and will continue into the future,” Shi Dong said.
”Blow the warhorn. Such is the true essence of the duties of the Grand Inquisitor and the Court.”
In the long silence that ensued, Ye Qingxuan chuckled as if he was mocking himself. ”What you want in a leader is the ability to do so? Is that...what you want?”
”Mr. Ye, as I have said earlier, I'm old, so old that I just want to greet death.” Shi Dong shut his eyes tiredly. ”I only want a proper burial place, to die in the hands of the enemy in a war considered glorious, leaving my remains on the battlefield. Can you find me the battlefield?
The battlefield worthy of us to shed blood and to suffer in pain for, the battlefield that we desperately want to set foot on once more, even if we have to sacrifice our lives and burn our souls for it, can you find it? ”
In another long silence, Ye Qingxuan suddenly laughed. It was a relaxed and happy smile. ”Then allow me to change my conditions.” He looked at the old man in front of him and said calmly, ”To die in the crusade to the East, would that be enough?”
Dead silence.
Dead silence descended suddenly.
In the blink of an eye, it seemed that even the sound of breathing had disappeared. Even the old men immersed in the battle simulation and their dreams came to an abrupt stop. Everyone turned back stiffly and stared at Ye Qingxuan.
In their aged, murky pupils, red light shone. It was like a flame in the embers that had never been extinguished; fanatic and dangerous. It was as if they wanted to burn this guy who spoke about the dreams that they would never forget so lightly into ashes! But also full of desire, the desire for the possibility that was almost impossible.
”Crusade?” Shi Dong repeated. He was no longer dozing off. He opened his eyes, the laid-backness and politeness of the old man fading away, replaced by an iron-like fierceness. He looked at Ye Qingxuan. ”Did you say crusade?”
”Yes, the tenth crusade to the east,” Ye Qingxuan said. ”A real crusade, a real expedition all the way to the easternmost of Asgard to rebuild the White Rock Stronghold and penetrate the World of Dark.”
”You can make it happen?” the old man questioned. Shi Dong leaned forward, dragging his heavy restraints like he was judging Ye Qingxuan in his mind. As if he was about to unsheathe his sword at any moment, his eyes became cold. He asked aggressively, ”Can you? Ye Qingxuan!”