Chapter 83 — Ten Years
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 6 of 7
The man appeared to be a disciple of the Blood-Refining Hall, gravely wounded; in his terror and agony his reason had at last given way, and with mad shouts he lunged at Ming Li. But a moment later a dark blue radiance shot with bloody red light burst from Ming Li's right hand and enveloped the man.
The smell of blood in the air grew heavier yet.
The withered husk of a body slumped limply to one side. The faces of the Blood-Refining Hall's people went whiter still; some of the younger disciples began to tremble. Yet in Ming Li's eyes a faint red glow slowly kindled, and once more he said slowly, "Will you submit, or not?"
And the ugly black Soul-Devouring Rod in his hand (the dark iron staff...) gradually began to glow.
Behind him, all the men in black seemed to draw a single breath, and at once stepped forward as one.
An incomparable, monstrous aura came surging over them like a flood from heaven and earth, drowning every last soul of the Blood Refining Hall.
Suddenly a shout burst from among the Blood Refining Hall's people: "No—no, I, I, I surrender!"
On the heels of that voice, a young disciple came running out, left the ranks of the Blood Refining Hall, and dashed over to the side of the Nether King Sect—though by instinct he kept himself far from where Mingli stood.
Once that first crack had opened, the reaction came at once; the people of the Blood Refining Hall looked at one another, and from time to time someone stepped forward. Elder Nian gave a long sigh, knowing that in the end the tide had turned against them, and said with a bitter laugh, "Enough. Enough!"
With that he stepped out from the crowd, the others following at his back, and walked slowly up before Mingli. From his breast he drew a black iron token the size of a palm, graven with a black heart. He held it out to Mingli with both hands and said with a bitter laugh, "This is the Blood Refining Hall's Black Heart Token. Eight hundred years of the Blood Refining Hall's foundation—as of today, it is finished..."
"Nonsense!"
At that very moment a great shout rang out, though the voice carried a faint tremor of dread, and it came from behind them. Everyone started and turned to look—and there, before the great boulder, a man still stood who had not gone forward with the rest.
Daoist Wild Wolf!
Daoist Wild Wolf glared at Elder Nian, breathing heavily, but his voice came out loud: "Elder—when you first brought me into the Blood Refining Hall, we swore a solemn oath together before the image of Patriarch Black Heart, that we would hold to it all our lives without swerving. How—how can you do this?"
A flicker of shame crossed Elder Nian's face; he lowered his head and said in a low voice, "Wild Dog, circumstances are stronger than men. Don't go looking for your own death—come over here, quickly!"
Under the gaze of countless eyes—and above all those eyes ahead, faintly shedding a terrible red light, that pierced him to the heart like needles—every hair on Daoist Wild Wolf's body stood on end; even his feet trembled uncontrollably, so great was his fear.
Yet in the midst of that trembling he slowly shook his head: "No, Elder, no. Whatever you ask of me, I will do—but to betray the Blood Refining Hall, no. That I cannot do!"
Facing forward, his eyes blank and hollow as though everything had crumbled to nothing, he said softly, "Since I was small I looked like a freak; everyone spurned me, and even my own parents cast me off. I was raised by wild dogs and knew every kind of torment and humiliation. Only after I entered the Blood Refining Hall did it fall to me to bully others, to hold my head high. So I swore a great oath before the Patriarch—that in this life I would follow the Blood Refining Hall, and die without regret..."