Chapter 132 — The Fierce Spirit
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 3 of 5
Along the way he met many disciples of the Nether King Sect; all who saw him bowed their heads in salute, and the Nether King paid them no heed, walking slowly on until he reached the end of the path—the Chamber of Cold Ice.
He stood before the door, and his face, usually steady as Mount Tai, suddenly seemed to have aged greatly. With a low sigh he pushed the stone door open and went in.
A gust of cold air struck his face, and the Nether King closed the stone door behind him. The Chamber of Cold Ice was not large, and its furnishings were of the simplest—only a stone platform of cold ice in the center of the room, upon which Bi Li lay quietly, her face white as snow, without a trace of color, her hands folded over her breast, clasping the golden Bells of Union.
A woman sat silently at her side, gazing at her.
The Nether King walked up, his gaze falling upon his beloved daughter's face. Of a sudden the corner of his eye twitched, and even the hands clasped behind his back could not help clenching tight.
Ten years. Ten whole years.
In ten years scarcely a day had passed that he did not grieve for his daughter—so much so that he had deliberately cut down his visits to Bi Li, lest he be unable to extricate himself.
His only, his beloved daughter...
His voice too had grown low and hoarse. "You Si, leave me alone with Yao'er for a while."
You Si rose slowly, turned, gave the Nether King a slight bow, and went out.
The Nether King's gaze swept over her figure, and he said not a word.
"Thud."
At a soft sound the stone door opened and closed again, and in the Chamber of Cold Ice there remained only father and daughter.
The Nether King slowly sat down beside Bi Li.
"Yao'er, your father has not come to see you for a long while. Are you angry with me..." His low voice echoed quietly through the stone chamber, laden with endless bitterness.
Only Bi Li, lying there as serene and calm as ever.
The Nether King gazed at that beautiful face, staring blankly. "You look so much like your mother! Even your temper is much the same. Do you know, Yao'er..."
"When your mother passed, I could not be there to see her one last time. But I know she entrusted you to me. All these years, I have feared only that I might not treat you well, and so have no face to meet your mother in the Nine Springs. But... but..."
This man, whom countless in the world today feared and hated, now found even his voice trembling faintly. He spoke the words he had spoken a thousand times in ten years: "How could you, how could you be so foolish..."
Bi Li gave no answer, lying still and calm before him. Upon her pale countenance there was no trace of suffering or sorrow; on the contrary, there seemed faintly a hint of a smile.
"Yao'er..." The Nether King called softly, and said no more. He simply sat there quietly, keeping company with his only, his beloved daughter.
Until, upon the stone door of the Chamber of Cold Ice, there suddenly came a "thump-thump" of knocking.
The Nether King frowned, and a flash of killing intent passed through his eyes. In these ten years, save for that Ming Li, none had dared disturb him while he kept company with his daughter. As for Ming Li, in his eyes there had always been only Bi Li; the Nether King had never reproached him for it.
But now Ming Li was not here, and someone dared to violate the Nether King's great taboo—a rare thing indeed. The Nether King gave a cold snort, rose, and with his sleeve gently wiped away the faint trace of tears at the corner of his eye. He drew a deep breath, and by the time he turned around he was once more the Nether King whom countless feared and revered.
He walked slowly to the door, opened the stone door, and went out.
Outside stood only one man—Qing Long.