Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 693 – Wind with a Message

After some time, Tie Shu opened his eyes. A streak of harshness flashed across his eyes, and then a tinge of perplexity. He seemed to be in a particularly complex mood.

Under the ancient tree, amongst the yellowed leaves, upon the stone stool, he sensed the Qi that Wang Po had left over the past few days. To his surprise, Wang Po’s path of the blade had grown even more profound.

At Wang Po’s level of cultivation, wanting to advance a single step more was incredibly difficult. Yet this person had been able to advance so far in such a short amount of time… In Xunyang City when Wang Po was facing Zhu Luo, although his blade had been powerful, he had not been able to find a single chance. Now, after several days of quiet comprehension in Tanzhe Temple, the situation was completely different.

If Wang Po were allowed to continue advancing, no one could know when he would cross that threshold.

For the first time, Tie Shu felt pressure.

Then, his killing intent intensified.

Neither he nor the Imperial Court would allow for the day to come when Wang Po’s path of the blade finally reached completion.

He got up from the stone stool and gazed at Tanzhe Temple, quietly sensing the flow of Qi in the heavens and earth.

There was someone in the temple with a masterly cultivation, only a little way from his own cultivation level.

He began walking there, and the soaked leaves crumbled under his shoes into the finest of threads, looking just like blooming chrysanthemums.

The autumn wind broke through the curtain of rain and pushed upon the door to Tanzhe Temple. He was still ten-some zhang away from its threshold.

Before the cold autumn wind could run rampant, it was matched by two clear and light breezes. These two breezes came from a pair of sleeves.

The person in the temple was not Wang Po, but Mao Qiuyu.

The gate of the fence running along the side of the temple was pushed upon, and Daoist Baishi walked out of the rain.

Linghai Zhiwang and Daoist Siyuan came respectively from the east and the west.

In the autumn rain, the figures of many cardinals could be seen flickering in and out of the forest.

Four Prefects of the Orthodoxy, each holding a precious treasure, led numerous cardinals of profound cultivation to tightly encircle Tanzhe Temple.

This was truly an impressive array of forces.

Killing an expert of the Divine Domain required such an array of forces.

Tie Shu stared at Mao Qiuyu, his eyes slowly narrowing. His killing intent did not lessen in the slightest. On the contrary, it only became more terrifying.

The Li Palace had truly moved. Did they want to protect Wang Po, or were they actually taking this chance to kill him?

He was well aware that if it was the latter, then even if he was able to escape with his life today, he would have to pay a most grievous price.

He extended his hands into the rain and allowed its cold waters to unceasingly wash them.

He stared as Mao Qiuyu slowly walked out of the temple, and impassively asked, “Is this the decree of His Holiness the Pope?”

Mao Qiuyu did not directly answer his question. Instead, he looked into the distance.

Tie Shu had already sensed this presence, which is why he had asked the question.

In the distant mountains, the garish red and yellow colors brought by the autumn had long been dulled by the cold bath of the rain.

At some point, a princely carriage had appeared on the edge of a cliff.

The Prince of Xiang had personally come.

The Imperial Court’s plan to murder Wang Po might have become the Li Palace’s plan to enclose and kill Tie Shu.

If that princely carriage had not appeared on the cliff, if the rumbling thunder of a great army could not be heard from behind the mountain.

No matter who this scheme was aimed at, it was already revealed.

“His Holiness wanted me to ask you a question.” Mao Qiuyu gazed upon Tie Shu and asked, “Did all of you forget the oath you swore to the starry sky?”

Many years ago, the Pope had led the other experts of the Divine Domain to draw upon the starry sky and establish an oath.

The contents of the oath were this: the benefit of humanity took first priority in everything, so it was absolutely forbidden to move against those cultivating geniuses who bore the future and hope of humanity.

Wang Po was naturally at the top of this list.

Back in Xunyang City, Zhu Luo had wielded his sword against him and could already be considered to have broken the oath, but he had still been able to find some excuse.

His sword had stabbed at Su Li.

It was just that Wang Po insisted on standing in front of Su Li.

But today? Tie Shu had come to Tanzhe Temple, bringing with him the autumn rain. He had clearly come to kill Wang Po, so what excuse or reason would he be able to find?

Would he be able to answer the question the Pope had asked Mao Qiuyu to pose?

Tie Shu did not answer.

Mao Qiuyu noted, “Since you cannot answer, do not touch Wang Po.”

Tie Shu’s gaze grew colder. The rain washed his hands even whiter and purer, like two white lotus flowers in the rain.

This was a sign that he was very angry.

Man cannot live well for a hundred days unbroken; a flower cannot retain its beauty for one thousand days.

(TN: The author has chosen to flip the time periods of this saying. Usually it is man that cannot live well for a thousand days and a flower that cannot retain its beauty for one hundred. The meaning of the original saying is that no good thing lasts forever.)

He began to derisively laugh.

The Pope’s days were already running short.

“His Holiness also wanted me to say to you…”

Mao Qiuyu seemed to know what Tie Shu was thinking as he calmly declared, “If, after he returns to the sea of stars, you persist in moving against Wang Po, the Li Palace will exterminate your entire clan.”

If one said that the Li Palace was a sort of sect, then it would certainly be the most powerful sect in the world, because it was the Orthodoxy.

No cultivator could directly oppose the Orthodoxy.

Not even someone as powerful as Tie Shu.

Not even the once-head of the Storms of the Eight Directions, the Elder of Heavenly Secrets, who had controlled the terrifying organization that was the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets.

Of course, an expert of the Divine Domain might not be able to resist the Li Palace, but they would also be very difficult to kill, as long as they did not fall into such a heavy encirclement as one did today.

However, one cultivated the Dao in isolation, yet there were very few cultivators that were truly alone.

They would have family, relatives, friends, schoolmates, clansmen, comrades.

After Mao Qiuyu made this declaration, the temple was plunged into silence.

‘Exterminate your entire clan.’

These four words were just like Tie Shu: unyielding, cold, and giving off the intimidating scent of metal.

Tie Shu looked back at him and said, “All of you should be well aware that Wang Po has come to the capital to kill.”

Mao Qiuyu’s expression did not change. “If he kills someone, he has broken the laws of Zhou, and there will be officials of the Imperial Court to punish him.”

Many people turned to that princely carriage on the distant cliff.

The Prince of Xiang had not left his carriage.

Tie Shu laughed with ridicule and derision.

Mao Qiuyu’s statements represented the stance of the Li Palace.

This stance was very cold.

“He’s come to kill, but none of you dare. I haven’t killed anyone yet, so why does His Holiness care?”

“Because you have the intention.”

“This is unfair.”

Mao Qiuyu did not answer Tie Shu, instead turning to leave the mountain.

Linghai Zhiwang and the others followed.

The Pope truly had no desire to kill Tie Shu.

Just as it had in front of the Orthodox Academy, the Li Palace only wanted to display its strength.

The so-called escort was just using one’s blade to bar the way. The so-called naval convoy was just sailing a boat in front. Without needing to unsheathe the blade or ram the boat, it was enough.

Tie Shu watched as the people of the Orthodoxy departed into the autumn rain, the corner of his eyes twitching.

All of these people were powerful figures of the Orthodoxy, but none of them was a match for him. Yet he did not dare strike them.

It was truly unfair.

Just as he had earlier said to Xiao Zhang on the mountain path.

Before the Pope and the Orthodoxy, what right did he have to talk about fairness?

……

……

The yellow leaves had all fallen and the cold began to deepen.

This year’s winter seemed to come to the capital somewhat earlier. Based on the calendar, it was still late autumn, but snow had already fallen quite a few times.

The people living at New North Bridge felt it all the more keenly. They hid in their homes and constantly rubbed their hands while cursing the weather.

No one noticed that this harsh winter was related to that abandoned well.

A cold wind was constantly blowing from the well, whooshing like someone playing a flute, or like a weeping that cried tears of joy.