Chapter 143 — Reluctance

Yun Yifeng laughed: "A tale as fine as this day's will surely be handed down through the ages and celebrated across the world..."

"Hold!"

Suddenly a soft cry rang out cold and clear within the great hall, cutting through the very words of Yun Yifeng—a man hailed as one of the great pillars of the orthodox path under heaven—and silencing him.

Every face in the hall changed color.

Lu Xueling, in white robes like driven snow, her face ashen, one hand clenched tight about the scabbard of the Tianxuan sword, walked slowly forward.

Zhenren Daoyan's expression shifted slightly, and he looked toward Master Shuijing; but she only watched Lu Xueling's figure. Suddenly she sighed softly, closed her eyes, and seemed content to take no further part.

Zhenren Daoyan's face changed once more, and his expression slowly darkened. Rising to his feet, he said: "Xueqi, have you something to say?"

In the Yuyu Hall there was not a sound.

Every gaze was fixed upon that woman in white.

Her garments stirred gently though no wind blew; from afar, even her figure seemed to drift like duckweed, wavering and frail, too slight to withstand any storm.

Yet her lips were pressed so tightly together, and an odd flush of crimson flickered faintly across her pale cheeks; those shoulders, beginning to tremble softly, made her seem for the first time utterly helpless.

Suddenly she whirled about, turning her back on all those gathered in the Yuyu Hall, toward the great and towering gate beyond, toward that boundless blue sky, toward the far distance beyond the sky, toward the unknown places of that distance—

she gazed long and deep!

What feeling lay in that single look?

Then through the Yuyu Hall rang her voice, low yet resolute as iron, sharp as ice split and snow sundered:

"I will not!"

Far away.

Upon an unfamiliar hillside, a figure crouched in a dark corner suddenly shuddered.

The chorus of insects that had risen and fallen across the wild hills abruptly ceased.

The figure struggled slowly to its feet within the shadows, and as though sensing something, stood staring blankly into the distance.

A monkey's form leaped out from beside him and scrambled up onto his shoulder in a few quick bounds.

A long while later, his voice came out of the darkness:

"Xiaohui, why is my heart suddenly beating so fast..."