Chapter 79

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Xuan Ge

Inside the Tai Bu Si of the Yuque Xianzhou, incense smoke curled gracefully; the desk held the implements used for divination, and the air was permeated with a faint scent of sandalwood and spiritual resonance.

Jing Tian, originally dignified in bearing and impeccable in etiquette, now wore an expression full of remorse and sullen resentment.

The solemn and proper Tai Bu aura surrounding her also began to fall into disorder, her fingertips unconsciously clutching her sleeve.

"Master, why are you stopping me?"

Yao Guang raised her eyes to look at Jing Tian, her face full of inner conflict, her tone carrying a trace of grievance and unwillingness.

This person was her master, someone she respected.

Yet at this moment, she only wanted to bypass her master and rush out of this Tai Bu Si that trapped her.

As Yao Guang spoke, she moved to sidestep past Jing Tian; the round, hollow-carved jade pendant at her waist, its patterns like lightning veins, swayed slightly with the motion, emitting a faint, crisp sound.

This jade pendant was worn close to her body day and night, never leaving her side.

Every day she would perform divination for Ling Sha on schedule, not out of malicious prying, but hoping to indirectly learn of Xuan Ge's recent situation through Ling Sha's fortune.

The reason she was so persistent was because when divining for Xuan Ge, the hexagram changed unpredictably — one moment it was Great Auspicious: "The gentleman sits in the spring breeze."

Clearly Xuan Ge's work was proceeding smoothly, and he could even steal leisure amid busyness to "slack off," his expression content.

But the next second, the hexagram would suddenly turn Great Inauspicious: "The blade turns toward one's own body, yet one shows a smile to others."

This hexagram clearly foretold that Xuan Ge would have to endure the pain of sending off his old subordinate, yet still force himself to appear calm and smiling, not letting his subordinates perceive his sorrow and reluctance.

That hidden endurance and helplessness made her heart ache terribly.

Even when Jing Tian personally performed the divination, the result was the same.

Xuan Ge's fate was too capricious, with far too many variables; it simply could not be precisely predicted through divination.

But the people around Xuan Ge — their fortunes could be divined to some extent.

Although their accuracy would fluctuate in accordance with Xuan Ge's orders and influence, one could still glean a trace of Xuan Ge's situation from them, which was better than nothing.

But today, when she divined for Ling Sha, she obtained the hexagram "Yin deficient, supplementing Yang"; at that moment, she could no longer sit still.

She understood better than anyone that this hexagram of "Yin deficient, supplementing Yang" meant Ling Sha would share carnal intimacy and mutual understanding of heart with Xuan Ge.

This portent caused the panic and unwillingness in her heart to surge up instantly.

Jing Tian looked at Yao Guang before her, her heart full of conflict and impatience, and spoke in a gentle tone that carried an undeniable admonition, attempting to awaken her reason:

"Yao Guang, no clue has yet been found for Xuan Ge's death calamity; are you going to give up just like this, and let romantic entanglement delay a major matter?"

"Death calamity.... Death calamity...."

Yao Guang murmured to herself, repeating those two words; the corners of her eyes instantly shimmered with crystalline tears.

The previous urgency and unwillingness gradually gave way to helplessness and bitterness.

All her impulsiveness stemmed from her concern for Xuan Ge, yet her master's words were like a basin of cold water, waking her up somewhat.

Yao Guang sat down on the ground slowly, as if drained of all strength....

The pure white ceremonial dress she wore, its hem embroidered with vivid peacock patterns, now hung limp on the floor, devoid of its former liveliness and elegance.

Just like her state of mind at this moment, gray and heavy.

Yao Guang could no longer suppress the grievance and unwillingness in her heart, and cried out in a delicate voice:

"Xuan Ge! You bastard! Why won't you come to Yu Que! Why!"

Tears in Yao Guang's eyes fell like beads from a broken string, sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto the ceremonial dress, blooming into small wet stains.

Her voice was full of accusation, and also a deep affection and waiting that could not be concealed.

Jing Tian lowered her eyes to look at her disciple sitting on the ground weeping, and secretly let out a light sigh, her eyes full of helplessness and heartache.

She knew clearly in her heart that her own death calamity and Xuan Ge's death calamity had overlapping shadows....

She had long since divined that her fate would ultimately end with her dying at the hands of her disciple Fu Xuan.

But she had only seen this predetermined "effect," never able to see clearly the "cause" behind it, not knowing why things would reach that point.

However, regarding the Third Abundance Civil War, she already had a vague guess in her heart.

Her death calamity would certainly occur within this war, but Xuan Ge's death calamity remained shrouded in thick mist; the road ahead could not be seen clearly.

"Master, this damn death calamity divination has delayed me for so many years.... And now it's going to let Ling Sha get ahead..... I'm unwilling...."

Yao Guang slowly raised her eyes, meeting her master's gaze.

In her purple-blue gradient eyes there was both decisive unwillingness and struggling hesitation; that unwillingness nearly burst through her chest.

"And that damn bunch of...."

She gritted her teeth, about to continue cursing those who had once obstructed her and opposed Xuan Ge, but her words were interrupted in time by Jing Tian.

"Yao Guang, your heart is in chaos."

Jing Tian's voice was calm yet powerful, instantly cutting off Yao Guang who had begun to emit hostility; her gaze carried a hint of admonition, trying to make her calm down.

Inwardly he recalled that those who had once opposed Xuan Ge and obstructed Xuan Ge had already been personally led by Xuan Ge with troops and executed on the spot, not a single one left.

He still remembered at the time he wondered why Xuan Ge suddenly took eight hundred personal guards to Yu Que, until after the incident....

He truly understood Xuan Ge's determination and ruthlessness....

Worthy of being an Envoy whom the Imperial Bow personally promoted....

Now the people are all dead; all grudges have become a settled outcome.

What's done is done; bringing up those people again holds no meaning whatsoever, and would only add to Yao Guang's hostility, disturb her nature, and lose more than gain.

Jing Tian slowly crouched down, reached out a hand, and gently placed it on top of Yao Guang's head, gently stroking her white hair, persuading her in a gentle tone:

"Yao Guang, is being first really that important?"

Yao Guang stared blankly at her master, a trace of confusion flashing through her purple-blue gradient eyes, her tone carrying a hint of bewilderment and unwillingness as she countered:

"Is it not important? I've waited for him for so many years, do I not even have the qualification to fight for it once?"

In her view, only if Xuan Ge stayed honestly by her side, never leaving a single step, could she resolve his death calamity.

Jing Tian looked at her stubborn appearance and smiled helplessly.

He let out a light sigh, then reached out, unfastening the lightning-patterned jade pendant from Yao Guang's waist, his fingertips stroking the patterns on the pendant, his tone gentle and solemn:

"Silly child, you possess something they never had, no need to be fixated on the superficial order of precedence."

Jing Tian lowered his head to look at the jade pendant in his hand, his eyes holding a trace of reminiscence, and said softly:

"This jade pendant was personally crafted by his brother Ying Xing when Xuan Ge, since leading troops on campaign, first gained sky-shattering military merit.

It is both a witness to military merit and a symbol of their deep brotherly bond, its significance extraordinary.

Xuan Ge's willingness to gift such an important thing to you is enough to show how special you are."

"Moreover, Xuan Ge once spared no effort to locate your karma, even if he himself was contaminated with countless great ominous omens, he still had to disperse the simultaneous dislocation on you...."

Yao Guang grabbed Jing Tian's sleeve, her tone trembling yet rarely confused, this question she could think through, but just couldn't understand:

"Master! But why is he unwilling to stay by my side.... clearly we can mutually...."

Jing Tian interrupted Yao Guang's words, his tone slightly solemn:

"He is the General of the Shen Wu Xian Zhou, the person who has walked farthest on the Path of the Hunt, how can he ruin the Shen Wu Corps.... and his future path.... for a moment of romantic entanglement...."

Jing Tian feared Yao Guang would still be stubborn, and said a line unlike his character:

"Silly child, Ling Sha is of the Ming clan.... you are ultimately the first one, ah...."

The words stopped there, not continuing further, but a trace of hard-to-detect wariness flashed in the depths of his eyes.

He really didn't want to lightly provoke Ling Sha, even if the other party was just a woman.

Although Ling Sha was neither the Ming Long Zun nor a general holding military power, she was the closest Chief Strategist by Xuan Ge's side.

She had followed Xuan Ge for many years, her methods sharp and her thoughts meticulous, possessing extremely high prestige within the Shen Wu Army.

Ling Sha was long no longer that Ming girl who studied medicine by Yan Ting Jun's side back then.

If Ling Sha were to find out he privately teased her, she'd probably find a perfectly justified excuse, lead the Shen Wu Army to the Yuque Xianzhou, and hold a "Grand Martial Exhibition"......

Although Ling Sha herself held no military power, she was best at coaxing Xuan Ge into happiness; as long as her proposal was reasonable and could arouse Xuan Ge's interest, Xuan Ge would certainly agree readily.

After all, Xuan Ge himself also loved liveliness, and was even more willing to back up the people he cared about by his side.

"Master, aren't you afraid of the Shen Wu Army?"

Yao Guang froze for a moment, then a trace of cunning amusement flashed in her eyes, yet she didn't reveal it directly, her tone carrying a hint of teasing, attempting to ease the heavy atmosphere at this moment.

"Hmph~! Would I fear a bunch of soldier ruffians?"

Jing Tian had his thoughts poked by his disciple, a trace of embarrassment flashing across his face, then he forcibly acted tsundere and returned the jade pendant to Yao Guang, violently standing up, letting out a cold hmph.

Then, Jing Tian turned and strode toward the outside of the Tai Bu Si, his robes fluttering, not forgetting to turn back and add a line before leaving:

"I am a mere civil official, in charge of the Yu Que Tai Bu Si, how would I fear this bunch of saber-waving, spear-flourishing soldier ruffians!? Hmph~!"

The hard-mouthedness in his tone exposed the true thoughts in his heart.

Yao Guang received the jade pendant, slowly stood up, lowered her head to look at this lightning-patterned jade pendant in her hand that carried special significance, her fingertips lightly stroking the patterns on it.

She understood all the words Master said, but the obsession in her heart had not decreased in the slightest; once it involved Xuan Ge, she could no longer maintain calm and reason.

"Huu~" Yao Guang took a deep breath, striving to calm the surging emotions in her heart, forcefully suppressing that intense unwillingness down.

Such unwillingness, she had already experienced countless times.

But today, looking at Ling Sha's divination, this unwillingness was yet more intense than any previous time.

She raised her eyes to look toward the outside of the Tai Bu Si, a rich pink flashing through her purple-blue gradient eyes, her tone soft like honey water, carrying thick anticipation and deep affection, murmuring softly:

"Xuan Ge~ I've waited for you so bitterly~~"

Today, this belated unwillingness adds once more....

"I will return to you everything I've waited for~!"