Chapter 137 — The Heartbroken
劍問蒼天 · Page 2 of 7
Qinglong and Yousi both lowered their heads, unable to bear looking at this man any longer.
The Hades Lord drew another deep breath, letting the air out of his chest, and his gaze shifted. After a moment it settled on the table beside Qinglong's hand—on that small blue-and-white urn.
"In there is...?" he asked mildly.
Qinglong stepped forward, lifted the little urn, and handed it to the Hades Lord. "After the shaman passed away, this subordinate took it upon himself to have the old gentleman's body cremated. What lies in this urn are his ashes and relics."
The Hades Lord silently took the blue-and-white urn and stroked it for a long while with both hands. Then he sighed softly and said, "Though this master could not bring Yao'er back, in his dying body he spared nothing and exhausted his vital essence to gather Yao'er's soul whole. He fell short at the last step, but he is truly our great benefactor."
He handed the urn back to Qinglong. "Make the preparations. With the highest rites of our Holy Cult, escort the master back to the Southern Border with all respect."
Qinglong took the blue-and-white urn and nodded. "Yes."
The Hades Lord was silent a moment. "And Mingli? How is he?"
Qinglong hesitated, but Yousi had already spoken at his side. "Since he came out of the cold jade stone chamber, he seems to have collapsed entirely—like a man who has lost his soul. He stumbled and staggered all the way back to his room and has not come out since." She paused, then said softly, "As of today, that makes three days as well."
The Hades Lord's face was bleak. He slowly clasped his hands behind his back and after a long moment murmured, "Ten years of sorrow, all in one night at the heart! Ah—come, let us go see him."
With that he walked slowly away, hands behind his back. Qinglong and Yousi exchanged a glance and followed silently behind him.
Seen from behind, the Hades Lord with his head of white hair cut a strangely desolate figure.
Mingli's room was quite far from the Hades Lord's own quarters, yet very close to the cold jade stone chamber where Bili lay. That was because the Hades Lord, unwilling to grieve more, kept his distance from the stone chamber where his daughter rested, while Mingli, whenever he was on Mount Huqi, went to visit Bili almost every day.
As the three of them passed through the corridor and gradually drew near Mingli's room, Qinglong and Yousi, walking behind, clearly noticed something strange in the Hades Lord's bearing—perhaps because this place was once again near that place of sorrow.
But none of them said a word.
At last they came to the lonely stone door. No one else was near the place where Mingli lived; he had always preferred solitude. Only, some distance from his door, a single disciple of the Hades Sect still stood watch.
The Hades Lord stepped forward, opened the stone door, and went in—then paused. Qinglong and Yousi sensed something amiss as well, and stepped inside to look. The room was completely empty: not only was Mingli gone, but Little Grey was gone too. Everything in the room stood as usual, without the slightest sign of having been disturbed—only the bed looked a little rumpled.
Qinglong frowned, turned, and called out. The Hades Sect disciple standing outside hurried in and knelt before the Hades Lord. "Greetings, Sect Master!"
The Hades Lord turned to look. Qinglong said softly at his side, "These past days, apart from handling sect affairs, this subordinate has been waiting outside the Sect Master's door. As for this place, I left these disciples to keep careful watch."
The Hades Lord nodded slightly and turned to the disciple. "Where has the Vice Sect Master gone?"