Chapter 663 – A Battle of One Thousand Years
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Blood flowed out from the Tianhai Divine Empress's abdomen, flowing along the spear and falling to the ground, then transforming into golden flames in the wind.
Nevertheless, her face illuminated in the fire's glow was still pale and devoid of color, just as her eyes were devoid of emotion.
Autumn Slaying was truly a fine slayer.
"I truly did not think it would be you. Because in my eyes, you were born lofty and unsullied. Although not a human, you value the ties of friendship more than anyone else."
As she spoke, she finally ceased to use 'We' to address herself. Perhaps there was some deeper meaning, or because she was in pain, or out of habit.
She had made a habit of treating this person, or not a person, as someone on an equal level.
The lotus sea below the Divine Path had been blown into disorder by the wind. It looked just like a rice paddy awaiting harvest that had suffered a sudden torrential rain.
The spear was still as an autumn wind gradually stirred. Frost descended over the world and the edges of the lotus leaves were tinged in white, the pink lotus blossoms seeming to freeze.
Han Qing stood in the lotus sea, his figure seeming very lonely. It was simply impossible to associate this person with the one who had just used the Frost God Spear, executed Autumn Slaying, to change history.
Everyone around the Mausoleum of Books was stunned. No one noticed the important information the Tianhai Divine Empress had concealed in her words.
He gazed at the peak of the Mausoleum of Books, his elderly face somewhat at a loss. "Ties of friendship?"
The Tianhai Divine Empress suddenly smiled, her face rather pale.
"Yes, for a Demon Crown Prince that has lived amongst humans for one thousand years, where his ties of friendship lie is truly a problem."
There was a deathly stillness around the Mausoleum of Books. When everyone heard these words, they were even more stunned, and countless gazes fell upon Han Qing's body.
Divine General Han Qing was actually not a human, but a demon? And he was also the Crown Prince of the demons?
A Demon Crown Prince had actually risked life and limb for the Great Zhou! In the war against the demons, he had bravely led the vanguard, all the way until he became the number one Divine General of the continent!
A Demon Crown Prince was actually willing to guard the Mausoleum of Books for six hundred years all the way until tonight, receiving the deep love, respect, and trust of the populace?
Even deeper within the lotus sea, Bie Yanghong and Wuqiong Bi had no reaction.
In the darkness, the Pope also said nothing.
It was very obvious that these experts of the Divine Domain had already known of this secret.
The Tianhai Divine Empress calmly asked him, "Why do you wish to kill Us?"
After a very long period of silence, Han Qing replied, "I am a Demon Crown Prince, but I am even more a loyal minister of the Great Zhou."
The Tianhai Divine Empress countered, "If you are a loyal minister, then you should be loyal to Us."
"This is His Majesty's final order; I must carry it out," Han Qing said to her.
The Tianhai Divine Empress gazed at the lotus sea and leisurely said, "It turns out that even today, to you, in the Great Zhou, Emperor Taizong is still the only Majesty."
Han Qing replied, "To me, Empress, you are also a Majesty."
The Tianhai Divine Empress suddenly asked, "How did Taizong treat you?"
After a moment's pause, Han Qing replied, "His Majesty treated me like his hands and feet."
The Tianhai Divine Empress sneered, "Those hands and feet of yours are already dead, now hanging in the Lingyan Pavilion."
Han Qing did not speak because he did not know what to say.
The Tianhai Divine Empress continued, "Emperor Taizong used you and also doubted you. Before he died, he compelled you to make an oath to the starry sky that you would guard the mausoleum for the rest of your life, never stepping out into the world. Otherwise, six hundred years ago, you would have broken into the Divine Domain. Ultimately, it was Us that found a way to remove the bindings on your body. We have treated you with kindness."
Han Qing took a deep breath and said, "Empress treated me as an intimate friend. Back then, no matter what the Elder of Heavenly Secrets or the Pope said, Empress always treated me with extreme trust, assisting me in the disputes and dangers far from the world, assisting me in breaking the oath I made to the starry sky. Your kindness to me was as deep as the sea."
The Tianhai Divine Empress added, "We even promised you that you would assuredly lead the army to invade Xuelao City and personally kill the Demon Lord."
Hearing this, the gazes resting on Han Qing's body became even more solemn. They did not know what sort of grudge lay between this mysterious Demon Crown Prince and the Demon Lord that made him leave Xuelao City one thousand years ago and even want to personally kill the Demon Lord.
"Principal Shang made a similar promise." Han Qing fell silent, then continued, "If I could complete His Majesty's final order, the Demon Lord would also die tonight."
Luoyang was very quiet.
Yet these words were like a clap of thunder.
The Tianhai Divine Empress's face revealed a slight disappointment. "Is that so? He is also going to die?"
This sentence contained the word 'die' and 'also'.
Han Qing heard this and for some reason, the armor on his body became countless times heavier and he found it somewhat difficult to breathe.
"Empress's kindness to me was as weighty as a mountain, as deep as the sea…far above His Majesty.
"But His Majesty's kindness comes first. If not for His Majesty, I would have died a thousand years ago.
"I dare not forget the kindness of a single meal because…it was the beginning of everything."
When he said this, his voice trembled, not at all confident. It was like he trying to forcefully convince someone, or perhaps convince himself.
Matters had come to this; there was no need for more words.
Words had come to this, had come to the end.
The Tianhai Divine Empress lost any interest in speaking with him. Her gaze moved upward from the lotus sea to the distant capital.
The occasional fire could be seen on the streets, accompanied by shouts and yells. It was in chaos, but there was one place that was very peaceful, a stretch of pitch-black.
"Even though you've been dead for so many years, are you still not willing to let me go?"
That man had been dead for several hundred years.
As a woman, she had ascended to the imperial throne and expelled his descendants from the capital, showering upon them limitless humiliation. She had thought that she had succeeded in returning all the suffering she had received, had emerged the final victor, but only tonight did she realize that even after so many years, she was still battling with that man.
That place was the Great Zhou Imperial Palace, the Orthodox Academy, and the Hundred Herb Garden.
Many years ago, she had lived in these places, fought in these places, encountered many people and matters.
Only now did she finally understand that nothing had truly changed.
……
……
"Now, you should be able to die, no?"
In front of the Daoist monastery in Luoyang, Daoist Ji gazed at the gradually dimming Phoenix in the mist. He seemed somewhat exhausted.
"Please leave in a good fashion."
By the stream near Xining Village, the monk gazed at the gradually dimming soul, his expression somewhat sorrowful.
"I'm sorry."
In the darkness of the capital, the Pope looked at her on the peak of the Mausoleum of Books, his elderly face brimming with anguish.
……
……
The Tianhai Divine Empress gazed at the world and slightly raised her brows.
She was in some pain.
The Frost God Spear had pierced through her abdomen, simultaneously dealing unmendable wounds to her body, soul, and Dao.
She could already sense that the time to leave had come. This was a matter impossible to reject, just like how her blood blazed into smoke and returned to the blue sky.
A ruthless, cruel, powerful and furious Phoenix cry resounded from the peak of the Mausoleum of Books and then spread to the entire world.
Her black hair madly danced behind her as her Phoenix wings tore through the night sky.
She gripped the spear and pulled it out of her abdomen.
One could imagine the pain from just looking at this scene, but she showed no expression on her face, not even dropping her raised eyebrows.