Chapter 658: Whatever For?
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Yun Yang was deep in thought, slowly digesting everything Wu Ying had said.
The actual truth behind the incident was a lot to comprehend and the Four Seasons Tower's strength was still formidable. Up until now, only the tip of the iceberg had been seen…
Yun Yang had thought of this for more than once or twice, but he was still not used to it – he still did not like it. Even then, the fact remained. There was nothing he could do but to face it fervently.
In spite of this, the outcome was still acceptable for now. In some sense, it could even be considered delightful! He was now certain that besides Wu Ying who stood before him, and the three Venerable Lords who were already rebelling against their master, the threat of the Four Seasons Tower's spies were non-existent, from Tiantang City to the entire Empire of Yutang!
In other words, the internal woes of Yutang that had been planted by the Four Seasons Tower were thoroughly cleansed!
Of course, this did not include the crown prince, the unlucky third prince and the fourth prince. These three fellows were actually involved in this huge conspiracy too. For a moment, Yun Yang did not feel like leaving whetstones for Bao'er anymore; what filled his mind was the satisfying thought of chopping these bastards into extinction, to vent the resentment he felt.
While Wu Ying was the mastermind behind the Nine Supremes' ambush at Tianxuan Cliff, the man's temperament meant that he would hardly be affected, no matter how Yun Yang sought his revenge – Yun Yang himself would not gain much satisfaction from it either. The man was already one of the living dead, his eyes only seeing past the point of death, and not having any more zest for life; even if Yun Yang killed him through torment and torture, what could possibly come out of it?
Thinking about this, a hint of disappointment flashed within Yun Yang. He was discomforted by the realization. Forget the fact that he still had three princes to tackle in the future, there was also Mr. Nian from the Four Seasons Tower. These people would not be in such a similar state of mind. The plan for revenge could still go on!
"No matter how manipulative you were, no matter how close your strategy came to succeeding, Bi Zhongliu is still dead."
Yun Yang spoke faintly, "Actually, there was no way for him to escape death. Since he's done such a thing, such an end will come to him sooner or later. Even – even if the Four Seasons Tower's higher authorities didn't decide to end him, or maybe if he wasn't willing to die, would I have let him go? That day, I was already resolute on killing him. I would kill him if he hadn't died. No matter what, he would still have to meet his end! There's only one outcome to all of this."
Wu Ying's gaze flickered as he replied coldly, "Looks like the heavens have blessed Lord Supreme Cloud indeed. He didn't die in your hands. It's a fortunate affair for all of us."
Yun Yang smiled but a sharp, murderous glare flashed through his eyes. "That's right. He should feel lucky he didn't die in my hands. If he had died because of me, his death wouldn't have been as easy."
Wu Ying's words held only an implied meaning that was not stated overtly, but Yun Yang's words concealed nothing. He tore the smokescreen apart, standing tall and antagonistic against Wu Ying.
Wu Ying turned around; his gleaming eyes turned as sharp as a blade, he focused his glare on Yun Yang's face. He enunciated his words clearly, "Does Lord Supreme Cloud mean to torment him for revenge? Perhaps, I should say that Lord Supreme Cloud is rather disappointed you didn't get to use your torturing tricks on Bi Zhongliu?"
Yun Yang answered gently, "With the intelligence system you have, you should know that torturing you people, all of you who commited treason and kill the nobles, you who helped in destroying the empire without any conscience, is the enjoyment of my life!"
"What a strange manner of enjoyment!" Wu Ying laughed but his tone and expression were stone cold.
Yun Yang's gaze turned icy and sharp as well. He said faintly, "Marshal Wu, you've spoken a lot today. I wonder if you have anything more to add on?"
Wu Ying sucked in a deep breath, like he was about to lash out, but swallowed his ire. "I do."
"Then, please continue, Marshal Wu."
"I'm not your prisoner. You don't have to use an interrogative tone on me!" Wu Ying complained.
"I thought I've been adequately polite. Does Marshal Wu still think it's hard on the ears? However, it would only be Marshal Wu's lifetime regret if you don't say certain things now. Otherwise, I wouldn't have met you here, would I?!" Yun Yang said coldly.
Wu Ying grunted and replied, "Is this how Lord Supreme Cloud treats one who sincerely supplies you with intel?"
Yun Yang answered in an indifferent manne, "Ah, don't you think speaking like this lacks finesse, Marshal Wu? We both know that you'll speak of it whether I ask the question or not. Would it be possible to keep your lips sealed, given that I have humiliated you?"
Wu Ying guffawed then, almost producing tears from how hard he laughed. "Lord Supreme Cloud indeed. I'm very impressed."
"Never mind, you said that we both know the reality. Then, I shall not speak unnecessarily. I've specifically waited for Lord Supreme Cloud tonight mainly to ask something from you," said Wu Ying.
"Marshal Wu'd like to live a little longer, yes?" said Yun Yang. "You didn't manage to save Bi Zhongliu in time and are holding a grudge for him. So you'd like to continue living and watch the Four Seasons Tower fall for him – to complete Bi Zhongliu's lifetime regret with your own eyes, correct?"
"Yes," answered Wu Ying simply.
Yun Yang did not answer for a moment, feeling his emotions run amok. He could not help looking at the night sky that was already obscured by the lush leaves, not speaking for a long time. After a while, he spoke softly, "The Four Seasons Tower is a piece of steel – no one has ever been able to bring it down or rebel against it. Right now, what I want to know is… Why were all of you so loyal to the Four Seasons Tower previously? Why the intention to rebel now?"
He avoided the topic and took an abrupt about-turn, but Wu Ying was not surprised.
Receiving his question, Wu Ying answered, "There's a saying spreading among the Four Seasons Tower's higher authorities – if you ask for immortality, come to the tower."
"If just for immortality, I'm afraid it isn't adequate," Yun Yang commented.
"Confront a fatal tribulation and your spirit rests in the Four Seasons," said Wu Ying, "Even if a person dies… the Four Seasons Tower can still give them another life."
Yun Yang thought about it and said, "It still isn't sufficient, at least, the pinnacle forces of this world will hardly be moved."
"Undergo the Nine Cycles, be liberated and rejoice in life," uttered Wu Ying.
Yun Yang was taken aback and asked in surprise, "What does this mean?"
"The Four Seasons Tower's expression of the Nine Cycles states that with enough merit, one can go to the Pavilion of Almighty Nine Cycles and pick an Almighty Divine Art, retrieve a Golden Elixir of Immortality and a Divine Elixir of God's Will."
Wu Ying continued. "As long as one consumes the Divine Elixir of God's Will, his divine art could be elevated to the state of minor accomplishment. The effect is massive and unimaginable. Once one stabilizes the realm and advances, one can consume the Golden Elixir of Immortality. With the augmentative assistance of this pill, the art can be cultivated right into the state of major accomplishment. Once the cultivation of the art is completed, even when one cannot ascend into sainthood and become an immortal, one can rejoice in a life that spans tens of thousands of years in this human realm. This individual's cultivation base will even be unrivaled other than a rare few."
"That time, one whose cultivation base is in the state of major accomplishment could dissolve all the restrictions set unto them. By then, if you want to be liberated and unbound, the Four Seasons Tower will grant you a title of guest shrine. You can happily do as you wish with it. When the seal is removed, the benefit doesn't reduce. If you haven't used up that one fatal tribulation you have by then, you can still enjoy the power of 'Confront a fatal tribulation, your spirit rests in Four Seasons'. You can even pass it to a third party."
"Everything is witnessed together with heaven's vow. Mighty as Four Seasons Tower's head seems to be, he can't violate it either."
Yun Yang was struck with realization once he heard the explanation.
"So that's why… Joining the Four Seasons Tower not only provides one with unparalleled forces as support, there's hope for immortality in addition to the guarantee of resurrection and finally leaving the tower and becoming free. In the face of such benefits, it's difficult to resist even when one is a pinnacle force of this world… No wonder…"
Yun Yang mused. It had to be said that the Four Seasons Tower was second to none when it came to coming up with such wonderful conditions. Anyone in this world who was wealthy, influential, powerful, and ambitious – all of them wanted to be immortal, all of them wanted to be resurrected after death, all of them wanted to become the top of this world, all of them wanted to live carefree for thousands of years!
It targeted the four main weaknesses of the human directly. Furthermore, such generous conditions were guaranteed – under heaven's vow, no one dared to violate it; for that fact, no one could violate it, even if they wanted to.
"The Four Seasons Tower is magnificent indeed. How unstinting…" Yun Yang sighed and said, "However, like you said, Marshal Wu, such benefits can only be enjoyed when one comes to the highest level."
"The Four Seasons Tower's set up will not be flawed. Don't you know, Lord Supreme Cloud, that anyone who's qualified to join the tower won't be inadequate nor will they think themselves to be more inferior to others? What others can do, the other will never assume themselves incapable of doing it, but would completing it be better!" Wu Ying chuckled dryly.
"This is the reason still so many people toil for the Four Seasons Tower wholeheartedly up to now."
"Since there are so many advantages, I can't see why the rest of you went astray – you, Bi Zhongliu who died… Could there be a hidden reason that birthed ulterior thoughts?" Yun Yang acutely noticed a crucial point.
"With the guarantee of heaven's vow initially, everyone was rest assured. However, after the battle at Tianxuan Cliff that day… More precisely, after Lord Supreme Cloud began your revenge, we've gradually noticed strange things!" Wu Ying said in a low voice.
"Pardon?" Yun Yang seemed to have figured it out, but he needed Wu Ying's verification.
"For so many years, it's been far too long since anyone dared to hit out at the Four Seasons Tower. The last threat to the Four Seasons Tower has to be Ling Xiaozui's incident dated much earlier on. To this day, there isn't anything that can be of threat to the Four Seasons Tower but since Lord Supreme Cloud carried out your revenge, a lot of Four Seasons Tower's higher authorities, including Supreme Lord Spring Frost and the two Venerable Lords, didn't come back from their death."
"It was fine initially. If it had one, two, or even three people, maybe their tribulation chance had already been used previously. Of course, they can't be resurrected again. However, once suspicion rises, no matter how flawless the cover-up is, actual doubts are still there with enough patience to find them."
"Like the seals on us."
"That's why… following the unfolding of Lord Supreme Cloud's revenge plan – while it's flawless and cautious, no one could actually find out where you really are or who you truly are until now, haven't you noticed or suspected that numerous exposure of the Four Seasons Tower's men felt like they were sending themselves to your doorstep to be killed?"
"Your revenge – the process was arduous, but upon further observation, it was usually smooth. I don't believe that Lord Supreme Cloud doesn't notice it at all. If you didn't feel anything, your reputation as the Nine Supremes' think tank seems to be only a name then!"
Wu Ying's eyes glinted.
Yun Yang was struck by good amount of shock and said, "Truly I've felt it... but why?"
"This is what we can't figure out as well. So many people have died unreasonably and the higher authorities have been crying about hunting Supreme Cloud down and investigating the case but there wasn't any actual action taken! What is this for? Could it be just to alarm these people and let so many of them die in vain?" said Wu Ying.
"That's why I can't die. I must know what all these are for!"
"I want to see the Four Seasons Tower fall."
"I want to live a little longer."
"Nonetheless, Lord Supreme Cloud has found me. Be it for official or personal reasons, you won't let me go just like that."
"I wish to stay here but this requires Lord Supreme Cloud's nod of approval," Wu Ying spoke openly, his tone honest.
Yun Yang replied, "Before I came, the vastness of this world allows you to go wherever you wish to. You can survive, no matter where you leave to."
"I want to stay in Yutang's Board of Military and continue doing what I'm doing. By staying here I feel at peace," Wu Ying answered.
Yun Yang looked up at the man.
Wu Ying spoke flatly, "I've already accomplished the Four Seasons Tower's mission. The only brother who means anything to me has died too. Before I die, before the end I await comes, I want to live as a simple Yutang man or a Yutang official."
"I hope to continue serving my country. That's all."
"If Lord Supreme Cloud doesn't agree to it, I'd escape the best I can and flee to the martial world. I believe that I'll be able to escape."
He watched Yun Yang calmly as he said, "Now, it boils down to Lord Supreme Cloud's word. May I ask what's your decision?"
Yun Yang wore a squint as he observed the culprit who spoke fluently before him. He was unprecedentedly caught in the middle. He could feel that every word Wu Ying spoke now came from the bottom of his heart. There was not a word that was a pretense.
Wu Ying was a capable man. His ability was unrivaled in Yutang's military; truly, there was no one who could replace him. What he said about serving the empire was sincere as well.
'However, there is the grudge of my many brothers… won't I be able to avenge them anymore?'
In addition, what Wu Ying said was also what Yun Yang had been thinking for a long time. the Four Seasons Tower's strength in this worldly realm had been divided by him just like that – it had seemed difficult, but everything was bizarrely easy.
What was everything for?
To Yun Yang, there must be a reason behind this, even when it seemed ridiculous thinking about it now.