Ch.194: Nameless Ghost Offering a Nameless Flower
Xie Lian’s emotions were still deeply sunken in the screaming of those resentful spirits, and couldn’t quite regain himself for the moment, so he responded distractedly, “…Don’t address me by that title.”
Every time he heard someone address him like that, it was as if they were reminding him of something, making him feel particularly irritated, every such call would make his heart jolt once.
However, Wu Ming said, “Your Highness will forever be Your Highness.”
Xie Lian glanced over. Of course, he couldn’t see the face of this black clad warrior, and could only see a smiling face. Yet when the other gazed upon his face, he could also only see a tragically white mask.
Xie Lian said coldly, “If you keep calling me by that title I’ll disperse your soul. Don’t think yourself to actually be that strong.”
That black clad youth bowed his head and did not speak. Xie Lian calmed down, “Go search the area around Lang-Er Bay, and find the best location to set up an array to conduct a ritual.”
“Yes sir,” Wu Ming replied.
Xie Lian closed his eyes, paused, then opened his eyes again, and gazed at that black clad warrior, frowning, “How come you’re still here?”
That black clad warrior replied, “The location is settled. What about the time?”
“Time?”
“The souls of the dead cannot wait any longer, we must find a subject to curse soon without delay.”
It indeed couldn’t delay for too long. After some silence, Xie Lian said, “Three days.”
“Why three days?” Wu Ming asked.
For some reason, every time Xie Lian conversed with him he’d get easily agitated, “In three days it will be the full moon. Unleashing the human face disease then will increase the power significantly. You ask too many questions, just go.”
Wu Ming nodded and stood down soundlessly. Xie Lian closed his eyes again and covered his forehead with a hand, hoping to relieve this wave of headache. Just then, he heard a cold mocking chuckle from behind him.
Having heard this familiar mocking laugh, it was as if all of Xie Lian’s blood had frozen solid. He instantly turned around, and sure enough, behind him sat a snow white figure wearing a cry-smiling mask, wearing a funeral garb with expansive sleeves, his hands tucked in, watching him from the altar.
White No-Face!
Xie Lian pulled his sword and lunged, and that white clothed man TING! and caught the point of the blade with two fingers. He sighed, “Just as I thought. This appearance suits you very well.”
If they didn’t remove their masks, these two looked exactly the same from head to toe, and after a scuffle, the two clothed men clashing against each other, no one besides themselves would be able to differentiate one from the other. White No-Face easily evaded all of Xie Lian’s strikes as he asked, “Your Highness, you buried your parents in such a deserted, strange soil, don’t you think it’d wrong them?”
Xie Lian’s heart sank, “YOU TOUCHED THE BODIES OF MY FATHER AND MOTHER? DID YOU DESTROY THEIR CORPSES??”
“No, just the opposite,” White No-Face said. ”I helped you give them a proper, solemn burial.”
Hearing this, Xie Lian was taken aback, and White No-Face added, “I helped you carry them to the XianLe Royal Mausoleum, and I even helped them put on rare and exquisite robes to prevent their cadavers from rotting for thousands of years. So, the next time when you go visit them, you will still be able to see the same faces of when they were still alive.” He told Xie Lian the location of the Royal Mausoleum and the way to enter. This should’ve been something the king and Guoshi would tell Xie Lian personally, but before they were able, they either died or disappeared. Xie Lian was both stunned and suspicious, “Why do you know the way to enter the Royal Mausoleum?”
White No-Face smiled, “I know everything about Your Highness.”
Xie Lian cussed, “You don’t know shit!”
He was still not used to spitting out such vulgar words from his lips, and as if White No-Face had seen through his mind, he looked him up and down and said gently, “Don’t worry, it’s alright.
From now on, there will no longer be anything that can hold you back, there won’t be anyone who holds any unnecessary expectations of you, and there certainly wouldn’t be anyone who’d know just who you are. So, you can freely do anything you want to do.”
Hearing this, bafflement began to fill Xie Lian’s mind.
Just why was this monster here?
To express good will.
That’s right. While that might sound hilarious, Xie Lian’s instincts told him that this creature was here to express his good will. Whether it be providing his parents with a solemn burial or encouraging him, it all came from this intent.
He must be very, very happy, happier than any other time Xie Lian had met him. It was as if seeing such a Xie Lian made him exceptionally delighted, and he unconsciously became more gentle and kind. This kindness actually gave Xie Lian a flashing sense of gratefulness that’d bring tears, but much more so, there was disgust.
Xie Lian said frostily, “Don’t be too happy too soon. Don’t think I will allow a creature such as you to remain in this world. Once I’ve wiped YongAn from the map, I will come for you. You best prepare yourself!”
White No-Face flipped open his hands and shrugged, “I welcome you with open arms. Even if you come with the intent to kill me, I will still be here waiting for you. When you’ve become truly strong enough to kill me, you will be able to succeed me. However–”
The smile under the mask seemed to have faded, “Will you actually destroy YongAn?”
“What do you mean?” Xie Lian demanded.
“You could’ve made your move right now, so why did you choose to move in three days instead? Could it be, you’re hesitating when things are coming to head? Could it be, even with your kingdom fallen and your family dead, you still don’t have the courage to seek revenge? Will I witness another one of Your Highness’ failures?”
The word ‘failure’ was stabbing his ears. Xie Lian raised his sword and lunged, but he was tripped and fell over.
White No-Face snatched his black sword somehow, and his earlier gentle tone had become condescending, “Do you know what you’re like right now?”
Xie Lian grabbed the snow white boot on his chest, but no matter how hard he pushed, it wouldn’t move an inch, and he remained firmly pinned down by that foot, unable to get up.
White No-Face leaned down slightly, “You’re like a sulking child. You haven’t yet the resolve.”
“Who says I don’t!” Xie Lian cried angrily.
“Then what are you doing right now?” White No-Face questioned, “Where’s your curse? Where’s all of your dead? Your father and mother, your soldiers, your citizens, how truly pitiful to have such a god be thrusted upon them! You couldn’t protect them whilst they were alive, and you couldn’t avenge them even after they’ve died! You useless trash!”
He pushed down with his foot, and strings of blood instantly spilled over the edges of Xie Lian’s cry-smiling mask; gushing from his throat.
White No-Face dropped the hand gripping the sword, and that black jade-like tip prodded against Xie Lian’s throat, drawing over that cursed shackle, awakening certain memories within Xie Lian.
“Would you like me to help remind you of what it feels like to be pierced by a hundred swords?”
Overwhelming fear made Xie Lian’s breathing hitch, too terrified to move. And after having scared him, White No-Face became amiable again.
He withdrew his boot, and helped the Xie Lian who was frozen in terror on the ground to sit up, grasped his chin and pushed him to look in a certain direction, “Come, look. This is what you look like right now.”
What he made Xie Lian look at was the desecrated divine statue upon the desecrated altar.
“Who do you have to thank for having become like this?” White No-Face asked, “Do you think it’s me?”
It was as if Xie Lian’s brain was forcefully washed by him again, and new things were repeatedly poured in, making him more and more confused, more and more doubtful. He had even forgotten his anger, and he wondered bemusedly, “…What is your objective? Just why do you cling to me?”
“I’ve told you,” White No-Face replied, “I’ve come to guide and educate you. The third thing I am teaching you is this: If you cannot save the common people, then destroy them. Only when you step on them will they revere you!”
After having said those words, Xie Lian’s head suddenly throbbed like it was going to explode, and he clutched his head and screamed.
It was those resentful spirits!
Countless resentful spirits were shrieking and wailing inside his brain, and Xie Lian’s head hurt so much he wanted to roll all over the ground. White No-Face on the other hand, started laughing next to him, and he cooed gently, “They cannot wait any longer. In three days, if you don’t unleash the human face disease, if you cannot give them a subject to curse, then you will become the one they curse. Do you know what you will become then?”
Xie Lian could feel that freezing black sword was once again stuffed into his hand, and a voice resounded next to his ears, “You no longer have the choice to turn back.”
When that throbbing headache gradually faded at last, after Xie Lian dropped his hands and opened his eyes, there was only him left within that broken down Palace of the Crown Prince.
The other white clothed man who looked exactly like him had long vanished.
An unknown amount of time had passed, and night had fallen. It was dim and devoid of light inside the Palace of the Crown Prince. Xie Lian’s heart stirred as he realized something.
One day of the three day period had already passed.
Just then, within the darkness of the hall, there seemed to be a touch of white flashing by. It was a curious appearance, and Xie Lian turned to look, but when he saw clearly what that touch of white was, the pupils underneath the mask shrank.
He snatched that thing and demanded, “What… What is this flower doing here?”
It was a fresh, tender and weak little white flower placed upon the left hand of that burnt black divine statue with missing limbs, and the contrast made it appear particularly pure like snow, but also particularly bleak. It looked as if this divine statue had landed all those injuries in order to protect this little flower.
Xie Lian didn’t know why seeing this picture would enrage him either, and he shouted, “GHOST! COME OUT!”
Soon after, that black clad warrior carrying a sabre appeared as expected. He hadn’t yet spoken before Xie Lian demanded, “What’s with this flower? Who did this? You did this?”
Wu Ming bowed his head slightly, and his gaze stopped for a moment on the flower that seemed to be crushed to suffocation in Xie Lian’s hand before finally, he said quietly, “It wasn’t me.”
“Then who could’ve done it??” Xie Lian exclaimed.
“Why does Your Highness become so irritated when seeing this flower?” Wu Ming asked.
Xie Lian’s face darkened, and he threw that flower onto the ground, “…A prank like this disgusts me.”
Wu Ming however, said, “Why does Your Highness think it’s a prank? Perhaps, there truly are believers here who worship Your Highness.”
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