Chapter 339: The Divine Laws
Chapter 339: The Divine Laws
There was a long silence following her answer and Xiang Ling was expecting most of them, if not all, to condemn her plan. Yet, she was left surprised when she saw them just silently accepting her decision without any further protest.
"You are not going to stop me?" She asked as she found herself feeling a little bit bothered by their quick acceptance.
"Are you going to change you mind if we did?" Li Xian asked and she immediately shook her head which made him sigh before he added, "See! There’s no point in arguing. Since you have made up your mind, we will not try to put pressure on you to change your decision. But you should be careful during the war."
She nodded her head in understanding, grateful that they were finally ready to accept her decision no matter how abrupt, dangerous, and unpleasant they were.
"Whom did you share this plan with?" Xin Cheng asked curiously, his question picking others’ interest as well.
Xiang Ling didn’t answer immediately and just looked at them in silence for a few moments before her gaze stopped at Li Xian and she answered, "The Heavenly Empress."
The shock was evident on every man’s face, none of them was expecting her to say what she did. "What did mother say?" Li Xian asked after a while of silence.
"She permitted my plan and shared with me the secret of killing the Shadow Lord." Xiang Ling announced, her gaze shifting among the men as she took in the shift in their expressions.
"You mean..." Dao Ming spoke and while he didn’t finish his sentence, she knew exactly what he wanted to know.
"You are right. There’s a way to kill the Shadow Lord and I’m going to use that way to kill him during the upcoming battle." She announced.
"But do you even know who Shadow Lord is? How are you going to recognize him if he decided to stay hidden during the battle?" Zhe Yuan finally spoke, asking a very serious question.
There was a cold smile on Xiang Ling’s face as she turned her gaze toward the Mer King and answered, "Trust me, Ah Yuan. I will know."
The two of them stared at each other until the air between them became too heavy that Wei Guang had to pull her away. With that, their conversation came to an end and Xiang Ling decided to use the chance to finally speak with Zhang Xuan alone.
She glanced over at the God of Life, noticing that he had remained silent throughout the entire conversation. He was watching her with that same intense gaze, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
"Ah Xuan," she called softly.
He looked at her, and without a word, he gestured for her to follow him to a quieter corner of the palace. The others didn’t seem to notice as she slipped away with him, their focus still on discussing strategies for the war.
When they were finally alone, Xiang Ling took a deep breath, steeling herself. But before she could speak, Zhang Xuan broke the silence. "Are you sure you can do this?" he asked quietly. His voice was calm, but there was a tension beneath it. "Are you sure you can make yourself kill the Shadow Lord?"
So he knew.
Xiang Ling stared at him as her heart pounded in her chest. The question hit her harder than she had expected, but she didn’t hesitate in her reply. "I have to," she said firmly. "If it was just the betrayal, I might not have been able to. But this is bigger than that. It’s about the safety of all five realms and millions of innocent lives. I have no choice."
Zhang Xuan’s expression softened as he took a step closer to her. He didn’t speak, but the look in his eyes said everything. Then, without warning, he pulled her into his arms, enveloping her in a warm embrace.
Xiang Ling stiffened for a moment as the unexpected comfort caught her off guard. But as she felt the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against her cheek, the walls she had built up slowly began to crumble.
She closed her eyes, letting out a shaky breath as a few tears finally escaped her control. For the first time since she found out the truth, she allowed herself to be vulnerable, to feel the depth of the pain she had been hiding. His warmth surrounded her, grounding her in a way nothing else could.
"I’m sorry," he whispered against her hair. "I knew the Shadow Lord’s identity from the very beginning. But as a God, there are things I cannot reveal. Not even to you. I’m detached from the five realms, even in a situation like this. I can’t help even if I want to."
His confession hung in the air between them, but instead of anger, Xiang Ling felt only a dull ache in her chest. She wanted to blame him, to be angry at him for keeping such a terrible secret from her, but she knew he had his reasons. His divine duties often kept him bound in ways she couldn’t understand.
If Immortals were bound by divine laws that prohibited them from interfering with Mortal lives, then the divine laws that kept Gods bound from interfering in other realms’ businesses were even more severe.
She pulled back slightly, wiping her tears away before they could fall any further. "I don’t blame you," she said softly. "You did what you had to. We both have our roles to play."
Zhang Xuan looked at her with a mixture of relief and sorrow. She could see the burden he carried in his eyes, the weight of his responsibilities. But for now, they had each other.
Xiang Ling leaned up and kissed him gently, pouring all the emotions she couldn’t express into that single moment. When they pulled apart, she rested her forehead against his, her voice barely a whisper. "Wait for me. I will come back from the war. Victorious."
His arms tightened around her, his voice low and full of conviction. "I will be waiting."