Heaven Also Falls Ill (Part 2)

The Dao Hall was very quiet, with only Ning Que’s footsteps echoing in the corridor.
Following the stone steps up to the upper floor of the Dao Hall, he looked out from the stone window on the side of the corridor facing the street. Drizzle from outside the hall drifted in, gently falling on Tang Tang’s green robes and emotionless face.
Seeing this scene, Ning Que’s mood was somewhat complex. She, cleansed by the spring rain, seemed to become much lighter, her aura also becoming clearer, as if she could leave the human world at any moment.
After seeing the dilapidated Buddha statue at Lanke Temple, Tang Tang fell ill, just like a human, beginning to feel tired, occasionally coughing, but at the same time, she became less and less like a human.
To be held back by the mortal world’s worldly thoughts, or to return to the Divine Kingdom, this was the problem Tang Tang was facing, and also the problem the Academy wanted to solve. Ning Que knew that this would definitely be a long and arduous process, like a tug-of-war, there would surely be back-and-forth struggles, so he was a little tense, but not overly concerned.
He walked to Tang Tang’s side, looked out the stone window, and admired Qi Guo’s capital city in the rain. The two said nothing, standing silently beside each other, as if wanting to engrave the alleys in the spring rain into their eyes.
The streets were impeccably clean from the rain, but a moment later, the rainwater accumulating on them gradually turned red. Judging by the depth of the color, a great deal of blood must have flowed from the Dao Hall.
The Dao Hall remained silent. The Xiling Divine Temple cavalry commander and his subordinates had perfectly carried out Ning Que’s request, making no sound during the massacre.
A moment later, the sound of the main door of the Dao Hall opening echoed from below. Ning Que saw several Divine Temple cavalrymen, charging into the spring rain at extreme speed, then splitting into various directions and galloping away.
These cavalrymen had to rush back to Tao Mountain to report the latest situation to the esteemed figures in the Divine Temple. In addition, they also had to inform the Divine Temple cavalry and the leading figures stationed outside the capital city.
Two thousand Xiling Divine Temple cavalry had followed all the way. Ning Que had always been curious who was in charge.
The Xiling Divine Temple cavalryman, galloping madly towards the southern street of the city, suddenly raised the blood-banner-like flag in his hand, shouting loudly, as if instructing the people along the road.
Although the spring rain was not heavy, at such a distance, the cavalryman’s voice still became somewhat indistinct, but Ning Que’s senses were extremely sharp, clearly hearing every word.
“Those disrespectful to Light will surely face Heavenly Punishment!”
…
…
Ning Que was very clear that Heavenly Punishment was merely a figure of speech. He and Tang Tang had been together for twenty years; when had he ever seen her personally criticize anyone? Let alone expend effort to stab someone with a knife.
In human history, those who represented Hao Tian to rebuke and execute, or in other words, in the name of Hao Tian to rebuke and execute heretics, were forever the Xiling Divine Temple. Hao Tian fundamentally did not even know about those matters.
Tang Tang was a little tired and went to rest by herself. He stood by the stone window, looking at Qi Guo’s capital city in the rain, listening to the cries and sounds of killing faintly hidden in the rain, his face expressionless.
From afar, in the wind and rain, the faint sounds of killing could be heard. Every now and then, a small squad of Xiling Divine Temple cavalry would arrive before the Dao Hall, remove the cloth bags from under their saddles, and empty their contents onto the stone steps in front of the hall.
Those bags all contained human heads.
A day and a night passed like this. The human heads on the stone steps before the Dao Hall grew more numerous, and the smell of blood grew thicker; the rainwater fundamentally could not wash away any of it.
Around the three prefectures of Qi Guo’s capital city, all one hundred and eighty attendant divine officials and ordinary Daoists who had participated in the previous bloody purge of the Dao Gate were beheaded by the Xiling Divine Temple cavalry.
The heads on the stone steps piled up into a small mountain. Some heads stared with unyielding defiance, some were filled with regret and fear. Regardless of whether the owners of these heads were once esteemed red-robed divine officials, or insignificant individuals swept into the current, their faces were now covered in foul blood, showing no discernible difference.
Tang Tang woke up. Under his care, she ate a bowl of white porridge and two beef and radish steamed buns, then walked to the stone window, looking at the small mountain of heads in front of the hall, somewhat satisfied.
The morning sun was clear, but the scene in front of the hall was bloody. Sacred flames erupted from the pile of human heads, quickly growing fierce. The rainwater could not extinguish them; instead, it seemed to intensify the fire.
In the blazing flames, the distorted faces of the burned heads could faintly be seen, as if the dead could still feel pain, their features twisted, filled with rage and horror.
A foul burning smell permeated the area around the Dao Hall.
In the spring rain, thousands of Qi Guo’s common people watched the scene before them. Their expressions were no longer as indifferent as usual, but revealed horror, and more so, the excitement of spectators.
“I am Hao Tian.”
Tang Tang looked at the pile of human heads in the sea of fire, saying emotionlessly, “My will, humanity must obey.”
Ning Que thought for a moment and said, “Perhaps ‘obey’ could be replaced with a different expression.”
Tang Tang glanced at him and said, “For example?”
Ning Que said, “Although I have no faith, I believe there must also be an element of love in it.”
Tang Tang said, “Humanity will never love me.”
Ning Que looked at the middle-aged divine official in front of the hall, whose face was covered in tears, and said, “I brought you to Qi Guo precisely to remind you that someone has always loved you, even if it meant dying for it.”
Tang Tang said, “That is because I am Hao Tian.”
Ning Que shook his head and said, “That year, to save you, Chen Cun died, Hua Yin died, Song Xi Xi died, many people in the Divine Temple of Light died. At that time, you were not Hao Tian, only the daughter of the Underworld King.”
Tang Tang said, “That is because they believed Wei Guang Ming’s words.”
Ning Que said, “But isn’t that trust precious?”
Tang Tang remained silent.
Ning Que said, “You said Qishan Great Master saved you only to save all sentient beings, and that you were not among sentient beings, so he didn’t truly love you. But what about the people in the Divine Temple of Light? What about your master, Wei Guang Ming? They only loved you. When they didn’t know you were Hao Tian, they loved you. When they knew you were Hao Tian, they also loved you. They loved you unconditionally, so why can’t you give them similar love?”
Tang Tang said, “So should I love mortals?”
Ning Que said, “The first Heavenly Chapter of the Xiling Divine Temple states: The Divine loves mortals.”
Tang Tang said, “I no longer love.”
Ning Que said, “Because you are too tired?”
Tang Tang glanced at him and said, “Your jokes often lack logic.”
Ning Que said, “Then if not, why not love?”
Tang Tang said, “Why should I love mortals?”
Ning Que thought for a moment, realizing this was indeed a problem.
No matter what world, all problems fear continuous questioning. For example, the word "love" that humanity always yearns for, once questioned, will there be an answer anywhere?
Indeed, why must one love? Why do mothers love their children? Why do women love their men? Why do people love their country?
Even love, which seems unconditional, if looked at most deeply, can ultimately only receive a cold answer, so cold that it is suffocating.
Ning Que didn’t know how to answer this question. Just like in the Great River Kingdom, he and she hadn’t clearly explained love, so now, he also couldn’t explain to her what love was.
Just then, from the end of the long street in the spring rain, a Divine Carriage slowly approached. The curtains around the Divine Carriage were dark red, and after being soaked by the rain, they seemed to bleed, looking even more murderous.
The Judgment Divine Seat, once again descended upon the human world.
Ning Que was not surprised. On the South Sea shore, he had vaguely guessed who was in charge of the Xiling Divine Temple cavalry. This bloody purge, lasting a day and a night, further confirmed his judgment.
To make such an important decision and have the ability to execute it in such a short time, only a few people in the Xiling Divine Temple could do it, and she, who directly commanded the Divine Temple cavalry, was the most likely person.
“I don’t want to meet these people.”
Tang Tang turned and walked into the room, her voice sounding tired.
…
…
“In the three prefectures of Qi Guo, those disrespectful to Light have all died.”
Ye Hong Yu said, “The Divine Temple’s official proclamation should soon be sent to various countries. The Judgment Divine Temple has acted first, and I believe this purge will end soon.”
Ning Que looked at her, frowning slightly, always feeling that this matter was not so simple.
Ye Hong Yu took off her Divine Crown and looked at him, saying, “I want to meet Hao Tian.”
The scene at this moment was truly very similar to that autumn several years ago.
Ning Que, just like then, reached out to take the Divine Crown from her hand.
Ye Hong Yu did not give it to him.
Ning Que said, “Have we become strangers so quickly? I remember back then you still…”
Ye Hong Yu said, “Don’t be glib. I am not a lovesick fool like Mo Shan Shan, and I don’t want to contend with Hao Tian for a man.”
Ning Que clicked his tongue and said, “Aren’t you being glib by saying that?”
Ye Hong Yu brushed off the raindrops clinging to her black hair and said, “Stop talking nonsense, lead the way quickly.”
Ning Que said unhappily, “Knowing I am Hao Tian’s man, you still show no respect.”
Ye Hong Yu casually tossed the Divine Crown onto the table and said, “How can a kept man earn respect?”
Ning Que was furious and said, “Say that again!”
Ye Hong Yu tied up her slightly damp black hair and said, “You are a kept man.”
Ning Que suddenly understood Chen Pi Pi’s feelings from before.
He said irritably, “Being able to be kept by Hao Tian is not an easy feat!”
Ye Hong Yu said, “Being kept is inherently not easy.”
The two people’s “not easy” clearly carried different emotional nuances. Ning Que was very awkward and couldn’t continue this topic, so he said, “She doesn’t want to meet people from the Divine Temple.”
Ye Hong Yu thought for a moment and said, “That’s fine, I also don’t want to kneel before her.”
Ning Que said, “It seems your faith is not as firm as you once said.”
Ye Hong Yu was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, “Which is more important, faith or hatred?”
Ning Que didn’t understand why she asked this question. Thinking of his revenge in Chang An City, and his killings at the snow lake, he said, “If it were me, naturally revenge is more important.”
“Of course, that’s because I fundamentally have no faith.”
He looked at Ye Hong Yu, his expression solemn, and said, “As for how you should choose, I cannot give specific advice. I only want to say, do whatever makes you happy.”
Ye Hong Yu thought for a moment and said, “Is this a principle stemming from your original heart?”
Ning Que said, “Yes, instinct and original heart are always the strongest.”