noffsinger Chapter 301: Gathering and Separation
Chapter 301: Gathering and Separation
Xiao Lie pressed further, "So that's why he left for eighteen years?"
"Whoever obtains the treasure will rule the world... Is that why you say chaos is imminent and the world will inevitably descend into chaos?"
King Ling nodded slowly, looked at the horizon outside Qianling Mausoleum, and sighed deeply.
"He went to the Qin state with Brother Zhang Xuanji, and we don't know when he will return."
"So what should we do now?" Xiao Lie asked.
The Spirit King said with a determined look in his eyes, "I must return to Illusionary Spirit City as soon as possible."
There are still some things that need to be taken care of before he returns.
“Okay, I’ll go back with you. Let’s ride as fast as we can.” Xiao Lie said without hesitation.
“No, not ‘we’.” The Spirit King turned his head, his gaze falling on him with a detachment that Xiao Lie had never seen before.
Xiao Lie was taken aback: "What do you mean by that?"
“You are not an official of the Kingdom of Ling, so you don’t need to get involved in this mess.”
The Spirit King's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable resolve: "What are you doing here, getting involved in this mess?"
"Spirit King!" Upon hearing the Spirit King's words, Xiao Lie hurriedly took half a step forward.
“But I am a citizen of the Ling Kingdom. Although our Su Family Village has been destroyed, our roots still belong to the Ling Kingdom, don’t they?”
“I am no longer the Spirit King, so how can I have ‘my people’?”
The Spirit King turned his face away, avoiding his gaze. "You all have to leave, the farther the better, find a place where no one can find you."
"Does it have to be this way?" Xiao Lie's voice was filled with resentment.
The Spirit King did not answer, but instead called out, "Flower Spirit Star!"
Upon hearing the sound, Hua Lingxing stepped forward, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said in a deep voice, "Your subordinate is here!"
King Ling turned his head to look at her, his eyes swirling with complex emotions, a mixture of reluctance and resolve.
In the end, it all boiled down to a cold statement: "The cultivation technique you practice is no longer the Illusionary Spirit Technique of my Illusionary Spirit Garden."
From this day forward, you are no longer a member of my Illusionary Spirit Garden!
The four spirits of painting, poetry, wine, and tea were all shocked upon hearing the Spirit King's words, exclaiming, "Spirit King!"
Hua Lingxing also suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with shock and confusion: "Spirit King?!"
"This is the last time I will command you as the 'Spirit King'."
The Spirit King's voice trembled slightly, but each word remained clear, "Take the rest of Su Family Village and go as far as you can... get out of here!"
The last three words were almost uttered through gritted teeth, with an almost cruel determination.
"Lord Ling, you saved my life!" Hua Lingxing's voice choked with emotion, and her eyes instantly reddened.
"I was born a citizen of the Spirit Kingdom, and I will die a ghost of the Spirit Kingdom! If you must leave, I will stand with you through thick and thin!"
King Ling stopped looking at her and turned to walk towards the gate of Qianling Mausoleum.
Her back was straight, yet it exuded an indescribable loneliness, and every step she took felt like walking on a knife's edge.
"If... I mean if!" Xiao Lie's voice suddenly rang out, carrying a hint of stubbornness, stopping her in her tracks.
Although King Ling stopped, he did not turn around.
Xiao Lie took a deep breath, came to her side, looked at her, and asked, "If your brother comes back and really wants to take back the throne of the Spirit King, what will you do?"
"This is none of your business," the Spirit King said coldly, turning his gaze away.
"Then what should I care about?" Xiao Lie pressed, refusing to back down.
The Spirit King finally looked up at him, and a faint smile suddenly appeared on his lips, a smile that seemed to contain a sense of relief.
"For example, news about that little girl; and for example, the blood feud with the Shadow Organization, you will have to avenge it sooner or later, but not now;
For example... the chieftain you met on the way to Si Chao.
She asked three questions, each one striking a chord with Xiao Lie.
Xiao Lie was taken aback when he heard this, and then he laughed too.
He twirled the jade flute in his right hand between his fingers and then tucked it securely into his waistband.
Then he stretched and spoke in a light and confident tone.
"Sister Xiaoya, the Spirit King has been sending people to search for us all along, and we have been searching for us as well."
Although we haven't received any leads over the years, I believe she will definitely come back.
"And we remember the grudge against the Shadow Organization, and we have never dared to forget it!"
He paused, a cold glint in his eyes: "As you said, now is indeed not the time."
When the last thing was mentioned, his eyes lit up, as if starlight was twinkling in them.
"Yan Yan...with Senior Hong watching over her, she must be safe!"
King Ling looked into the light in his eyes, a light devoid of the entanglements of power or the weight of the kingdom, containing only the purest beliefs and concerns of a young man.
She was silent for a moment before speaking, "Go. Take them with you and live a good life."
"And what about you?" Xiao Lie asked, his voice a little muffled.
"Me?" King Ling looked up at the sky outside Qianling Mausoleum, where the clouds rolled and unrolled, just as they had been when his brother left eighteen years ago.
"I was born in this deep palace, grew up in this power struggle, and I am destined to stay here."
Her tone was soft, yet it seemed as if it had been destined all along.
Xiao Lie wanted to say something, but Hua Lingxing grabbed his sleeve.
Hua Lingxing gently shook her head at him, her eyes full of meaning: some roads can only be walked alone.
Hua Lingxing knelt on the ground, tears finally streaming down her face, but she bit her lip tightly and said nothing more.
She knew that the Spirit King's decision would never change.
The Spirit King glanced at the two of them one last time, his gaze lingering on their faces for a moment, as if trying to etch their images into his heart.
Then, she turned around and walked out of the Qianling Mausoleum gate step by step.
His deep purple robes fluttered slightly in the wind; his back was resolute, and he never looked back.
The rays of the setting sun pierced through the archway of Qianling Mausoleum, casting her shadow long and thin before it disappeared into the bright light outside.
Xiao Lie stared at the empty door and suddenly felt his eyes sting.
He raised his hand and pressed the jade flute at his waist; the icy touch made him a little more awake.
Xiao Lie was silent for a moment, then his gaze fell on Hua Lingxing, and he asked in a deep voice, "What do you plan to do?"
Hua Lingxing raised her hand to wipe away the tears on her cheeks. Although sadness remained in her eyes, there was also an unwavering determination.
"I cannot disobey the King of Spirit's orders. But leaving does not mean abandoning him."
Xiao Lie turned his gaze back to the direction where the Spirit King had left, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the jade flute at his waist.
The coolness of the flute traveled through my fingertips, but it couldn't suppress the turmoil churning in my heart.
He murmured softly, as if untangling a jumble of messy subplots.
"The Empress, the Spirit King, Liu Lingzhen... this game of chess is bound to fall apart in the end."
Chaos is about to break out; I fear the world will never see peace again.
Seeing his solemn expression, Hua Lingxing couldn't help but ask softly, "Have you thought of something?"
Xiao Lie turned to look at her, his eyes filled with a blank look. After a long pause, he slowly shook his head: "It's hard to say. I have a feeling that some things... might be beyond our expectations."
This inexplicable unease was something he couldn't express in words.