The Path Toward Heaven

In the world of the Green Sky Mirror, the amulet wouldn’t have a chance to show up if Yun Qi hadn’t come; it wouldn’t emerge even after tens of thousands of years.

Yun Qi had forgotten all the past things he experienced in the other world; it was natural that he would forget what he had learned at the One-Cottage House. However, when he studied and cultivated in this world, he had created his own amulets.

Different people on the different paths could eventually end up at the same destination, or end up in a totally different environment; this was the essence of the so-called Dao. The amazing nature of the Dao makes anyone feel astonished.

If Yun Qi were in the real world, he would be the founder of a new sect. Even if he couldn’t ascend to become the fairy immortal, he would still become a saint of some sort.

Yet, he must have been affected by his Dao Heart he formed in the other world, which positively contributed to his creation of the amulet. Still, it was an amazing achievement.

Looking at the scholar lying in the pool of blood, the Qin Emperor suddenly thought that it would be meaningless even if he could become the ruler of the entire world.

This idea was rather inappropriate for any Cultivation practitioner. So he came back to his senses soon enough, and claimed tersely, “So what? This emperor is still alive!”

Yun Qi raised the broken sword and pointed it at him, saying, “You are supposed to die.”

“If a person dies when he is supposed to die, the affairs of the world will be much simpler. Unfortunately, the affairs of the world have never been this simple.”

The Qin Emperor continued with an indifferent expression, “Indeed you have almost killed me, as Zhuo Rusui did before. Both of you have an exceptional talent and powerful fighting skill, but both of you are too stupid. You should understand that the fury of the ordinary individuals has no chance of altering the course of history.”

Yun Qi said, “Your Majesty might be right in this regard. Yet, it’s rather dull to live such a clever but despicable life like yours.”

The Qin Emperor stared into his eyes and demanded, “A dull life? Since you attempted to assassinate this emperor, your students and followers will be buried alive by this emperor; do you think this would be more interesting?”

Yun Qi looked at his eyes quietly for a long time, and then suddenly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

Seeing this, the Qin Emperor flashed a cruel and determined smile in his eyes.

Yun Qi coughed blood as he said, “I don’t understand why you would do so. You can’t kill all the inhabitants of the world. Even if you could rule the world with your cruel method and oppress all corners of the world with your powerful force, this wouldn’t last long. Don’t you want to pass the position of the emperor to your heirs for ten thousand generations? You are fully aware that the cruel Qin imperial court will finish by the second generation, so why don’t you want to change your course?”

“Hence, you think this emperor doesn’t dare kill you. This idea is exactly the same as that of those useless scholars and women of the mortal world.”

The Qin Emperor looked at him and continued in a mocking tone, “I have forgotten some of the past experiences; but you have forgotten them more completely, and that is why you have stepped on this fatal road.”

Recalling the conversation he had with the Grand Scholar Zhang of Chu State many years ago and the conversation with the Eunuch He, Yun Qi said evenly, “You people always claim that I have forgotten many things. Though I don’t know what it means, I don’t care, even if it is true. I have reached the destined place without much burden; though I seem ignorant during the journey, it is nonetheless a pleasant one.”

“Ignorance is ignorance,” the Qin Emperor exclaimed. “If you knew this emperor desires not for the inheritance of ten thousand generations, but the Fairy Book, you would be able to understand me better.”

“The Fairy Book? It sounds kind of familiar,” Yun Qi said.

Seeing his expression, the Qin Emperor somehow got angry all of a sudden, and said sharply, “It is a precious treasure of the fairy immortal and desired by all the Cultivation practitioners; it offers a slim opportunity for longevity!”

“Oh, this is the truth.”

Yun Qi looked down at the blood on his body, tossed the broken sword away, and wiped his face with his sleeve. “Reminded by what you have just said, I actually remember some things now.”

The Qin Emperor’s eyes lit up a bit. “What have you remembered?” he asked with hidden intention.

“I think you will die today. It’s because I think the Chu Emperor will show up in Xianyang; and I figure many things will change as a result.”

Yun Qi added, “By now I begin to recall his name; I think his name is Jing Jiu. He is a very formidable figure.”

After a moment of silence, the Qin Emperor remarked, “You begin to remember those things, meaning you are close to your death.”

“Yes, I am beginning to remember some more things.”

Yun Qi paused a moment, and continued, “And I remember some more…Yeah, much more.”

The Qin Emperor looked at him with a seemingly smile.

“…I have remembered more and more; no, actually I have remembered everything.”

Looking at the ceiling of the grand hall, Xi Yiyun said, “I am indeed not a person from this world.”

This simple statement in fact revealed innumerable emotions; but it sounded somehow as light as the clean water.

The Qin Emperor stared at him and said contemptuously, “Do you feel all of this is actually illusionary? As a famous disciple of the One-Cottage House, you have been lost in the mortal world; it’s truly absurd.”

Xi Yiyun shook his head and said, “I was who I was in that world; and also I am who I am in this world.”

Then, he added in a genuine tone, “I have been this kind of person no matter where I was or am; so it’s not important whether I remember things or not. As such, I cannot be said to be lost in any sense.”

The Qin Emperor fell silent once more. Then, he commented with a hint of resentment, “But you will die nevertheless; and I will win the Dao Competition. The Fairy Book will belong to me in the end.”

Xi Yiyun brought his gaze back and looked at him. “Is the significance of the Dao Competition, to you, merely limited to this?” he pressed.

The Qin Emperor for some reason got angry again. “The significance?” he exclaimed sharply. “After you die, I will kill all of your students and followers, and burn all of your books. I will forbid anyone from teaching your ideas or even mentioning your name. I will wipe all trace of you from this world. As such, you will be insignificant to this world, and this world will be insignificant to you.”

Xi Yiyun said calmly, “The ideas are something existing beyond the perceptions. The knowledge is not creation but discovery. Even if I am dead and my books are burned, those ideas will be found by someone. As for what the significance of this world is to me, it will remain in my consciousness; and my significance to this world will also remain in my consciousness. This is more than enough for me.”

The expression in the Qin Emperor’s eyes turned even colder, as he demanded, “You claim you are a benevolent person; but your students will be buried alive by this emperor because of you, don’t you feel remorseful?”

“A deer wails in the field; its sound is heart-wrenching. Yet, its wailing is not because of sorrow, but anger. It’s because the dire situation they are in is not their doing.”

Xi Yiyun stared at his eyes and said genuinely, “In my opinion, you don’t have to do it.”

On top of the ceiling beam in the grand hall, the green bird stood quietly, watching the scene below.

The Cultivation practitioners in the real world were also watching it.

The arrows of the crossbows were piled up like a small hill.

Xi Yiyun sat in the middle of a pool of blood.

The Qin Emperor stood in front of him, and suddenly laughed out loud.

The laughter echoed in the gloomy, bloody palace hall, sounding exceedingly nasty.

This nastiness was intended for this world and for himself.

“If it were earlier, you might be able to threaten me; but I have forgotten the things that I want to forget. As such, your threat won’t work.”

Having said that, the Qin Emperor wheeled around and headed for the outside of the grand hall.

There was a faint blast.

The amulet in the scroll produced one last effect, a flame.

Hundreds of swordsmen of the Qin army rushed into the hall and wielded their swords toward Xi Yiyun.

All the onlookers could see was this scene before the green bird flew away from the Royal Palace.

A bloody slaughter was also under the way in the Institute of Xianyang.

The green bird landed on an eave of the watchtower, looking in the direction quietly.

Countless soldiers of the Qin army encircled the Institute of Xianyang as tightly as a water barrel.

Over one hundred scholars wearing the long swords knocked over the tables before them and used them to block the thin and ineffective palace gate, in an attempt to resist the attack and then seek a chance to counterattack.

The arrows of the crossbows fell down like the raindrops. The fresh blood soaked the windowsills. No painful cry or dreadful scream or weeping could be heard here.

The Qin army broke through the palace gate and charged in.

The scholars pushed open the hall gate and charged head-on.

The long swords were all pulled out. They could be drawn and used to kill, if one wanted to, regardless of how long they were.

The fervent melee lasted a long time.

The scholars had killed many times more enemies, until their swords were broken in half.

They had fallen down with the arrows in their chests, or fallen down under the long spears and swords. They had fallen down in the pool of blood, and bid their final farewell to this world.

The corpses and bloody smell were everywhere in the Institute of Xianyang. Many flies flew over, making irritating buzzing sounds.

The Qin army dug a large pit in the Institute of Xianyang and tossed the corpses of these scholars into it. Then they brought the books of the Institute and placed them on top of the corpses. At last, they poured oil on its top and started the fire.

It was a large fire, producing a great deal of black smoke. It burned for a long time, and didn’t burn out until dusk.

The bloody color filled the sky. It was unclear if it was the twilight or the light from the fire.

In a place three hundred miles southeast of Xianyang City.

It was autumn. The red leaves on the mountain looked like countless flames leaping up and down when they were shone on by the setting sun and ruffled by the wind.

This was a wonderful scene, resembling the burning clouds in the sky.

Jing Jiu stood by the cliff’s edge. His hair was loose, covering his face; his beard was so long that it reached his abdomen; his clothes were in tatters. He looked like a wild man.

He was looking at Xianyang in the distance, wordless.

A temple was vaguely seen among the mountains under the twilight.

…

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