Chapter 562: Not Here?
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Yun Xiaoyao shuddered as a sliver of fear ran down his spine. "I beg your pardon? Me? I…"
His Majesty held Yun Xiaoyao's hand; his voice was low and filled with emotion as he said, "Brother, you are the only one I can entrust this matter to. Only you have the ability, the qualifications to do this!"
Yun Xiaoyao's throat seemed to close off on its own; he was unable to utter a single word.
"If my greatest fear is realized, the crown prince can only take over the throne temporarily after my death, but you, you must become the regent and administer the state!" His Majesty held Yun Xiaoyao's hand tightly and said, "You must remember this!"
Yun Xiaoyao chuckled dryly. "Even if I really did so… I would have committed treason and murdered the emperor. I would be lucky if I could escape and flee the world; how could I possibly serve as regent?"
The emperor gripped his hand and bit off each word slowly, "I have already left behind an edict. If I were to die a sudden death, Yun Xiaoyao shall be the regent and manage all matters pertaining to the empire. Your words shall decide everything; even the appointment of the throne shall be based on your decision!"
Yun Xiaoyao shuddered and could not help crying out "Brother!" as he lifted his head.
This was the first time in his long life that this pair of brothers had actually addressed each other properly.
His Majesty held Yun Xiaoyao's hand, clenching it once and shaking it before letting it go without saying another word. He looked up into the sky of dark clouds and said with a smile, "Don't you be fickle and ambivalent about this. What we have just said is between us brothers. We still don't know what this dark mass actually does. Maybe it just wants to find the brilliant leader of this world. It might have misjudged Dongxuan as the empire to rule the world, and now that it knows its judgment was wrong, it's coming to Yutang. This could be interpreted as a friendly act, so we can still afford to relax."
Perhaps his prophecy had become true. The Emperor of Yutang's casual guess was approximately sixty to seventy percent spot on; other than some inconsistencies in some key parts, he had guessed everything correctly. Nonetheless, he had missed the main point that affected the entire issue.
Yun Xiaoyao's emotions were a rollercoaster ride. He swallowed hard, unable to calm himself down. His eyes were on the dark clouds as well, watching the mass expand and approach, descending to the ground. His heart beat like drums at a high tempo; his palms were drenched in sweat.
The black clouds were unusually slow but it continued to drop. Its target was indeed the Yutang Palace!
The gale suddenly billowed with amazing intensity.
His Majesty's robe fluttered in the wind, but his expression was nonchalant. He stood with his arms on his back, his body straight like a pavilion on a hill. His gaze was indifferent in the face of the various odd occurrences that was taking place up front.
By now, the clouds were about two hundred feet above the palace. It was growing thicker, like an inky mountain that was about to reach down to the human realm and decimate everyone.
Yun Xiaoyao's palms were sweaty; his right hand that was on his sword hilt felt slippery and he almost lost his grip on it.
There were faint noises that resounded from the outside.
A few officials had rushed in with haste, suicide written all across their faces. Leng Daoyin, Fang Qingtian, the Grand Preceptor, the Grand Commandant… these people were bolting in, one after another. Most of these people were aged; they staggered even as they walked, but all of them had come without hesitation.
All of them stood behind the emperor, watching the dark clouds with resolution brimming in their eyes. They remained silent.
The officials who came to gather together increased in number. Before long, there were already more than thirty imperial court officials standing with the emperor.
His Majesty suddenly laughed. With his arms spread wide, he said, "It is worth living this life of mine to have the company of my dear officials!"
The dark clouds continued its oppressive descent, hovering less than a hundred feet above everyone's heads. It was unstoppable, approaching with utmost urgency, yet no one knew if it was good or bad. However, it was generally agreed that it couldn't be a good sign.
At this point in time, with the peculiar sight so close, it was almost a ninety percent confirmation that those who were there would be looking at death in its very face.
However, the officials knew no fear. At such a critical moment, they had bravely entered the palace to face this unknown fate, to accompany the emperor they had served throughout their lives. Just the number of people who displayed their loyalty was not something any known emperor could compare to!
Yu Peize chortled. His eyes were rimmed red. He spoke softly, "I've tasted the joy of being an emperor in this lifetime, but I've never tasted the success of being a person! Today, I've finally tasted it! I have no more regrets!"
"Life or death, good or bad, we're willing to be by Your Majesty's side!" the officials chanted in unison.
A while later, the ferocious clouds were close enough to touch everyone's heads. One could almost reach out to it, but everyone was still and calm, both physically and emotionally.
Actually, it was bullsh*t. This was a matter of life and death, a situation where the latter was almost guaranteed. Anyone who hoped to take any chances would not dare try it here, thus all who were here loved and served the emperor wholeheartedly.
As they waited for the arrival of their final moments, the unity between ruler and officials, the sole thought shared among them, the strong sense of belonging, were seeping over everyone present. Despite the crossroads of life and death at which they stood, everyone had a strange sense they had never felt as strong as they did now.
As long as their hearts were together in this, their intentions would live on. Even if they were to die together, their deaths would not have been in vain. Many of them even felt that it was the entire Yutang who was standing alongside them. The entire empire of Yutang, the territory, the land, everything of Yutang, were hand in hand with them!
If so, what was there to care about life or death?
Despite the indifference of everyone present, the dark clouds came closer and closer. It was already right before their eyes. At the very next moment, it would touch all of them!
His Majesty frowned lightly and spoke up, "Whether you are a human or a ghost, daemon or demon, since you've come and made such a big fuss, why don't you show yourself?"
The thick, black, mass of clouds then paused, hovering and billowing, but did not do anything further.
Yun Xiaoyao gripped his sword tightly, cultivating all of his cultivation base to the point that there was already a small, condensed, tornado whirling beside him; his entire body was coiled tightly, like a spring awaiting release.
Wisps of black clouds extended out before retracting swiftly!
The emperor and entourage were dumbfounded.
What was going on?
Finally, at the far end of the thick clouds, there was a soft voice that spoke, full of surprise and doubt.
"Why don't… here… Why isn't it here? This is impossible…"
His Majesty's ears perked up once he heard the voice in the clouds and called out faintly, "Since you've spoken, why don't you just show yourself this once?"
The voice in the clouds scoffed, "Since my target isn't here, what's the point of meeting?"
A swift rush of wind could then be heard as the entire canopy of black mass expanded rapidly and ascended hundreds of feet away in the space it took to snap a finger. Another exclamation drifted down from the clouds before the ball of ink rose up high and was about to leave.
Such a dramatic arrival, and yet it was about to leave without accomplishing anything?
The Emperor of Yutang and the rest of his high-ranking officials were stupefied, thinking to themselves, "F*ck, you f*cking took off your pants and this is what you show us? Then why are you here? Were you just planning to proclaim confusion?"
It was ridiculous. Were otherworldly experts and reclusive masters all so absurd?
It was only when the clouds had reached a certain height that the mass stopped once more and the voice spoke up again, "Oh, yes, I almost forgot. That one over there, why are you holding your sword hilt so tightly, with such an offended look? What do you intend to do with it?"
Anger and discontent were evident in that voice.