劍問蒼天 - 第132章 兇靈 - 翰墨軒

"Step aside!" the Lich said slowly, after a long silence.

The fierce spirit regarded him coldly. "Before the Goddess's statue, have you still no remorse?"

The black robes stirred again. Beneath them, it seemed, he too was deeply agitated—yet he did not, after all, turn to look once more upon the stone woman.

"I was not wrong. It is the Goddess who was wrong!" he said, his voice harsh.

"ROAR!"

The fierce spirit howled in sudden fury, a howl like thunder from the heavens crashing down upon the mortal world, blasting sand and stone into the air for li around: "Beast! Shameless wretch, that you dare speak such words!"

Far off, Jin Pingyue knitted her brows and could not help pressing her hands to her ears. At such distance she could not make out the exchange between the black figure and the white, but this sudden explosive roar of the fierce spirit came at her almost like thunder at her ear, leaving her ears ringing.

In the distance, the Lich's face was hidden behind black gauze; no expression could be seen. But by his voice alone, ever more desolate and anguished, one could tell: "I was not wrong, I was not wrong..."

He murmured to himself—whether to the fierce spirit, or to himself, or perhaps to the stone statue behind him, it was impossible to say.

"Hei Mu, kneel at once before the Goddess's statue and beg forgiveness. Put an end to your foolish delusion, and we are still brothers. Otherwise, from this day on, do not blame me for turning merciless."

The Lich trembled. He raised his head. "You—you still count me as a brother?"

"I do!" the fierce spirit bellowed. "Only break off this mad longing, beg forgiveness before the Goddess's statue, then stand watch with me over the Goddess and guard this Ancient Cave of Demon Suppression—and you, Hei Mu, will forever be my brother!"

The Lich's black robes drifted in the wind, and one could faintly sense the turmoil within him. Yet after only a moment his body gradually stilled, and he fell silent. The fierce spirit watched him, and the earnest hope in his face at last turned to a deeper wrath.

"You still will not turn back?" the fierce spirit roared.

The Lich's voice was now wholly calm, as calm as his everyday tone. Quietly he said, "I have no road back."

"ROAR!" With a furious bellow the fierce spirit swept his giant sword down through the air, slashing past before the Lich. In an instant sand and earth flew up, and the ground near and far seemed to shake.

Jin Pingyue's expression changed. This fierce spirit's cultivation was higher even than she had imagined.

Yet the Lich showed not the slightest fear. Coldly he regarded the fierce spirit. "Elder Brother..."

"Silence!" the fierce spirit raged. "I am not your elder brother!"

The Lich said mildly, "Even if you do not acknowledge me, I will still forever acknowledge you as my elder brother. But back then it truly was the Goddess who was wrong. As matters stand, I mean to do for the Goddess what she left undone!"

The fierce spirit grew more furious still. "Are you mad?"

The Lich drew a deep breath. "Even if I am mad, this is a thing I will do!"

With that, his form drifted, and he floated toward the Ancient Cave of Demon Suppression. The fierce spirit, plainly beside himself with rage, gave a great shout and brought his giant sword down straight at the Lich's head. The force of this blow surpassed the last; the rock walls about the cave mouth shuddered and seemed on the verge of collapse.

Watching from afar, Jin Pingyue could not help but worry for the Lich—but by now he had vanished into the Ancient Cave of Demon Suppression, his figure screened by the rock walls, and she could no longer see how he and the fierce spirit traded blows.

Within the ancient cave, when the flying sand and stone had settled, the fierce spirit howled on without cease—but the Lich's figure was already gone.