Chapter 654 - Wu Ying
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Without warning, wisps of smoke rose in the yard, accompanied by the scent of candles. There was also.. a strong whiff of hard liquor.
It was as if Sir Wu was in the midst of memorializing someone.
Those who worked at the Board of Military were veterans of war. A sniff of candle wax and alcohol, followed by the sight of rising smoke, was self-explanatory to them. However, this time around, there were doubts that rose within their chests..
For all these years, more than thousands of generals from Yutang's Board of Military had perished in the battlefield, but no one had ever seen Sir Wu Ying paying tribute to anyone. He seemed to be eternally aloof, like the mortal world's emotions had nothing to do with him.
This time tonight, when there was a lull in warfare, why were the candles suddenly burning? Who was being memorialized? Who - who could possibly make this emotionless man pay homage so openly?
Curious as people would always be, no one came forth to check because no one dared to. They were colleagues, they were more than aware of Wu Ying's temper - he would not answer despite being questioned; he would only gaze back at the person with his dead eyes that flickered with the will-o'-wisp, silent all the way. Ultimately, one could only flee in panic after falling prey to that stare; perhaps, one would even find it hard to sleep at night, entangled in nightmares.
This was not nonsense - it was speaking from experience!
The sighs in the court were incessant, only growing softer as time passed.
historical
A man dressed in black stood in the yard, like a roaming spirit whose path was blocked by the candles before it. There was a thin branch in his hand that was being used to fiddle with the fire.
"Now, you're gone as well.." he sighed softly, speaking to himself, yet the words seemed to be directed at someone in front of him - there was only the luminance of the candles.
"I really didn't expect that you'd be eliminated as well.. Maybe you've thought of it before, but you never told me."
The dark shadow spoke gently, "For so many years, we've been watching each other from afar in this city. The occasions were rare, countable on two hands when we could actually sit together. You seem to already have forgotten that we were once brothers of life and death. You seem to have forgotten, too, that you lost your wife and younger brother because of me."
"I've been wanting to explain it to you all these years, but I guess you didn't need this explanation. You've never given me the chance nor have you sought revenge against me. I guess you already know the truth, you just couldn't face it."
"Back then, you joined the Four Seasons Tower. I followed suit - just to keep watching over you, just so we brothers could do something together. Of course, whether it's good or bad, as long as I'm with you, it doesn't matter what it is."
"As always, in accordance with the eccentricities of heaven and earth some time ago, you were sent to Tiantang City to respond to anything that might happen. That time, I told you that God's will is not to be defied. A gentleman does not stand by a crumbling wall. I thought you understood it - I thought you'd know to protect yourself. Some things that are birthed from heaven, are not meant to be destroyed."
"Stubborn as you were, you insisted to go against God - to compete with the very heavens. I still followed you to Tiantang City. You opted to belong to the civil side of mandarins, naturally, I had to become the martial one for you, so there wouldn't be any sign of weakness."
"All these years, especially after the existence of the Residence of Nine Supremes, I have watched you defy the way of heaven, conspiring against the Nine Supremes step by step, sending them straight to the deadly abyss.. I remember that I've reminded you, that the Nine Supremes will not perish. Still, you didn't believe it, you felt that man could defeat God."
"However, a man can only do so much. When God's will is set, how can man move it?" He sighed softly, "Now, we've finally come to this day. You've left as well.. I wonder if you have experienced the slightest bit of clarity before you departed?"
"You didn't contact me until the end. Were you thinking of not burdening me? Were you wanting to protect me as well? Against the slightest chance of danger?" Wu Ying smiled faintly as he spoke, "I'm very happy. I am content because I'm still your brother in your heart."
"It's simply unfortunate that it has come to naught."
"The other party will be coming for me, most likely tonight."
"The end now is only whether I want to die or not. That's all there is to it."
He spoke slowly, in a soft voice, with a thin branch in his grip to fiddle with the sparks and ashes. The action lasted until the flames gradually dimmed and slowly became flaring ashes; it continued even when the ashes had no light nor warmth.
He was still stirring the ashes. He was carefully checking if the hell money he had sent his brother was entirely burnt. He was afraid that a slight act of negligence would corrupt the perfection of this farewell.
There was nothing left. Everything had been reduced to ashes!
Yet, his hand flipped. A big pile of hell money appeared once more on the ground with a sweeping sound. He lit the fire again and began tinkering, repeating his previous actions.. This time, however, he no longer spoke, continuing his task in silence.
The dancing flame illuminated his face irregularly, like a ghost in this ghostly yard that restlessly roamed the human world.
After some time, he lifted his head and tilted it slightly to listen carefully to his surroundings before speaking faintly, "Lord Supreme Cloud, come join me since you've arrived."
His gaze quietly fell on the top of a tree on the left, in front of him. There, a strand of clouds was floating around the plant.
Right as he finished speaking, the wisp of cloud moved. Drifting toward him, a masked man in black emerged with a twirl.
Supreme Cloud of the Nine Supremes had descended!
Looking at the dark silhouette materializing and slowly forming into a human shape, Wu Ying's gaze, that was like the will-o'-the-wisp, did not waver; it only turned much colder compared to his usual emotionless, piercing stare.
Even though the atmosphere was unusually frightening, Wu Ying was still calm as he spoke hoarsely, "Lord Supreme Cloud is stealthy indeed. If I didn't have the presupposition, I might not have caught the tiny anomalies and wouldn't have noticed your arrival!"
Yun Yang scoffed and replied, "Wu Ying, do you know that I've always admired you? No, it's more appropriate to say that I respect you. If it weren't for this solid reality, I wouldn't ever have thought that the other spy hidden deep within Yutang is you. When this was first confirmed, I even hoped for my judgment to be wrong, that the so-called reality was but a plot set by the enemy to confuse me. Unfortunately, the truth is the truth - no matter how much I don't want to believe it, how reluctant I am, I still have to do so!"
Wu Ying chuckled dryly and exclaimed, "Lord Supreme Cloud, what you said has actually explained a good chunk of what's on my mind."
"Oh?" Yun Yang made a sound of surprise.
Wu Ying smiled softly; his voice trailed off as he said, "In the entire Empire of Yutang, the ones I respected the most, admired and liked the most, were the nine of you - the Nine Supremes. The one I venerated and revered the most among the nine of you was none other than you, Lord Supreme Cloud."