Nightfall

The bubble on Sangsang’s fingertip was flawless. But it was not exactly a perfect one. The surface of the bubble was wavy and indescribable charming, just like her swollen belly that seemed weak yet incredibly strong. It was the space itself.

She looked emotionless. But it was calm rather than ruthless. It seemed that the two cracks on the bubble and the life inside her swollen belly was indicating some future happenings, and constantly changing her.

By the Snow Sea, a Taoist in an indigo gown appeared at the edge of the woods. He turned the direction of the winds and the temperature of the area. He was the most powerful and wisest figure in the current world and had the most profound foresight. However, amazingly he seemed blind to the dim lamp inside the yurt.

He was not turning a blind eye to it, but rather he could not see it. He could not see the lamp light, nor the chicken broth in the pot, or Sangsang who was sitting by the window. It was because Sangsang did not want him to see. With a single flash in her psyche, she kept the cabins and yurts away from the real world.

Inside, it was Haotian’s world. Even a powerful figure like him could never look through.

The Abbey Dean stood by the frozen woods and watched the dancing snow above the Thermal Sea. There were footprints of beasts gradually covered by the snow, but not a single trace of what he was looking for. Although he did not find what he wanted, he was not leaving. Somehow he knew intuitively that she was right there.

Sangsang sat quietly by the window. Dim lamp light scattered on her chubby cheeks. Her hand was placed on her swollen belly. She was not looking at the person by the woods or doing anything at all, not even thinking.

It was the seventh time that the Abbey Dean came to the Snow Sea in search for her. Every time he got closer. She had no idea if he would be able to see through her world and find her in his next visit.

The night in the north seemed extremely long, or even endless in late autumn. The sun seldom shone. The Abbey Dean stood by the woods for the whole night until the morning sun dazzled him. He looked again toward the cabins and yurts by the Snow Sea and reconfirmed that she was not there. Then he disappeared again.

The indigo lion was lying still in a corner by the furnace. It was afraid of that human being. Its master’s silence upon his visits had added to its anxiety. It did not even dare to take deep breaths over the night, not to mention wagging its tail for some drumstick from its master.

That person was finally gone. The indigo lion felt relieved and stood up. It shocked the head and revived its stiff body. But when it came to Sangsang it realized that she was still sitting by the window without thinking or moving, as if she was not aware that he was gone.

The sun shone for a short while then fell into the darkness again. Sangsang stared at the chilling world outside until the lamp died out and the figure in indigo gown showed up by the woods again.

Sangsang was still sitting there quietly. And the Abbey Dean was going again. She kept sitting quietly, without eating, speaking, sleeping, thinking, or moving.

Some abnormal wind blew again and the Qi of Heaven and Earth was slightly disturbed. This time a scholar wearing a cotton-padded gown appeared by the woods. He looked around as if he was also looking for something.

He was dust-stained, exhausted and extremely skinny. He had not taken a good rest for a long while. It seemed he could be blown down by the chilling wind at any time.

Sangsang finally moved. She turned away from the snowy sea to look at the scholar by the woods. The indifferent look in her eyes was replaced by a complex of emotions.

She suddenly felt like going out of the yurt, out of her own world. It was because she felt that the scholar was trustworthy. Yet she also felt some fear and disgust. Therefore she ended up doing nothing.

Two days after the Eldest Brother left, the Drunkard came as well. This powerful figure who had undergone the previous Ever Night seemed to have finished all the liquor in the flagon hanging on his waist.

Sangsang did not spare a glance at him. She was not even so cautious as when the Abbey Dean came. Finally they were all gone. Sangsang stood up by the window and walked to the furnace. She stared at the overcooked chicken broth for a long while and sensed the pungent smell.

When he left home that night, he wrote her a note to finish the chicken broth before it went bad. Was that pot of chicken broth finished eventually? Sangsang recalled that note while she stroke on her swollen belly. She suddenly felt lonely and wished that someone could be there by her side. It was all because she was thinking of him.

It was in her world, where time flew, the chicken broth got burnt, the life inside her belly kept growing, and she was gradually weakened. If she could no longer shield her world, danger would come.

She placed the burned chicken broth in front of the indigo lion and ignored its miserable look. She took out an abacus and started to calculate possibility of potential danger and solutions.

She had to provide for the little creature inside her belly and consume her energy to shield her world from the outside. Therefore she could no longer make the invincible calculation like she did years ago. She might still be peerless in playing chess or cards. Neither Chen Pipi nor Song Qian could beat her. But she could no longer use her divine heart to make divine plans. She had to use this human tool to calculate and predict the important matters.

She was the rule of this world. But since she came to the human world she had been bonded to the world of the mortals. She even could not out-speed those three human beings. It was very dangerous. How could she be faster if she had to run?

Clacks were heard in the yurt while she calculated on the abacus. It was a cheerful melody. The indigo lion was chewing on the chicken bones and wagging its tail cheerfully.

Sangsang’s right hand moved fast on the abacus and created one flash after another. She seemed calm and concentrated. On her left hand the flawless bubble appeared again. On the firm and smooth surface of the bubble, a dozen of light spots appeared. If compared to a map of the human world, the spots could represent the Helan City, Chang’an, West-Hill, Song, Lanke Temple, and the heart of the West Wilderness, as well as the beginning or the end of the roads connecting those places.

…

…

The last rain in autumn came. It was extremely cold in the Central Plains. And the war in the human world had finally come to a last round.

The Tang Empire reestablished the navy. Tens of thousands of warships charged toward the South Jin. The kingdom was thrown into chaos after Ning Que’s slaughter and could never withstand the Tang. With the help of the increasingly prestigious Sword Garret, the Tang occupied Linkang within a dozen days.

The troops of the Great River Kingdom also crossed the river and proceeded to the north. The sacred sedan alongside with the royal sedan led tens of thousands of people from the Great River Kingdom to fulfill something they could never even think of through generations: to take down the Divine Halls of West-Hill.

The Tang army had entered the border of the Divine Kingdom of West-Hill and came to less than two hundred miles from Peach Mountain. The Sacred Sedan of Judgment had came to the Muyu Town in the south, which was only three hundred miles from Peach Mountain. Being attacked in the south and north, the Divine Kingdom of West-Hill had called back every powerful figure and stationed tens of thousands of cavalrymen around Peach Mountain with layers of defense lines. But everyone knew it clearly: the Divine Halls were endangered.

On the balcony of the white Divine Hall on top of Peach Mountain, Xiong Chumo looked over the human world showered in the autumn rain. Sadness was shown on his skinny face. He had no idea what else he could do. It seemed to be the end, and the time for a conclusion. But he even did not know what he should conclude with.

Where was the Abbey Dean? What had he been doing? Why did Haotian never reply to the praying of the pious followers? Why did Haotian stay aside while the rebellions claimed one victory after another without being punished by Heaven? What the hell was going on? Taoism had been ruling over the world for thousands of years. Was it really doomed now?

Xiong Chumo was outrageously desperate. He cursed the Abbey Dean with the meanest and most bestial words and roared like thunder above Peach Mountain. Pathetically, even until now he did not dare to say the Abbey Dean’s name straight forward.

Breeze came from the mountains. It thinned the showering rain and revealed the small town from some distance. The small town seemed tranquil and undisturbed in the autumn breeze and rain.

Looking toward the small town, Xiong Chumo felt gradually calmed down. Even if the Abbey Dean was not coming back, as long as that person was there, the Tang and the Academy would never be able to get close to Peach Mountain. Then what else should he be worried about?

There was actually a lot more to be worried about.

Xiong Chumo stared at the mountains afar in the autumn rain. He could almost see Xu Chi’s flag and the horrifying Black Armor Heavy Cavalry of the Tang. He felt the burden on his shoulders becoming heavier and heavier.

“Long Qing is still not heading back with the remaining forces. What is he doing? Does he dare to disobey my order? Furthermore what is he doing in Yan? Waiting to be killed by Ning Que?” Xiong Chumo growled outrageously.

The middle-aged priest stood by his side and said calmly, “If he could stop Ning Que at Yan, it would be a great contribution to the Divine Halls right now.”

Xiong Chumo sneered, “I wonder if he could.”

The middle-aged priest said, “I guess no one else could if he were to fail.”

Xiong Chumo frowned slightly and turned to him. He was not expecting the middle-aged priest to say so highly about Long Qing. He weighed his words and said, “Hengmu… was killed by Ning Que. Long Qing is not even above the Five States. How could he be a match to Ning Que?”

“I saw Long Qing crawled out of hell in the Abbey many years ago… If there could be a fight between Hengmu and Long Qing, he would definitely kill Hengmu. As for who is more powerful between Long Qing and Ning Que, no one could make any judgement until they have fought their last battle.”

The middle-aged priest said calmly. He had been an observer in Taoism for many years. He knew much more than everyone else would expect. Therefore he was more quiet and calm.

Xiong Chumo said after a pause, “The enemy is coming. Taoism has to take action.”

The middle-aged priest followed his sight and looked toward the small town in the autumn rain, and said, “I will go check it out.”