After a while, Nie MingJue slowly put his sword back into its sheath, “I won’t do anything to you.”
Meng Yao looked up at once. Nie MingJue continued, “On your own, go confess to the LanlingJin Sect and receive your punishment. Let them deal with you whichever way they deem fit.”
With a moment of hesitation, Meng Yao replied, “…ChiFeng-Zun, I can’t give up now that I’m already here.”
Nie MingJue, “To get here, you took the wrong path.”
Meng Yao, “You’re going to be sending me to my death.”
Nie MingJue, “If your words are true, it won’t happen. Go, reflect, and turn over a new leaf.”
Meng Yao whispered, “…My father hasn’t seen me yet.”
It wasn’t that Jin GuangShan didn’t see him.
He simply pretended to not know his existence.
At last, under Nie MingJue’s pressure, Meng Yao still replied “yes”, though with great difficulty.
After a while of silence, Nie MingJue spoke, “Stand up.”
As though his body was deprived of all energy, Meng Yao stood up in a trance. He staggered a few steps forward. Seeing that he was on the verge of falling, Nie MingJue helped him steady up. Meng Yao murmured, “…Thank you, Sect Leader Nie.”
Watching his lifeless figure, Nie MingJue turned around. Yet, he suddenly heard him speak, “…I still can’t.”
Nie MingJue wheeled around. He didn’t know since when, but a sword was in Meng Yao’s hand.
He pointed the sword at his stomach, face full of despair, “Sect Leader Nie, I’m unworthy of your kindness.”
As he spoke, he thrust it inside with force. Nie MingJue’s pupils shrunk abruptly. He reached to grab the sword, but it was already too late. In the instant, the sword in Meng Yao’s hand pierced through his stomach and left through his back. His body collapsed into the pool of other people’s blood.
Nie MingJue was shocked for a split second, then went forward. Half-kneeling on the ground, he turned Meng Yao’s body over, “You’re…!!!”
Meng Yao’s face was colorless. He gave Nie MingJue a weak look, then forced a smile, “Sect Leader Nie, I…”
Before he finished his sentence, his head slowly dropped. Holding his body, Nie MingJue avoided the blade of the sword and pressed his palm onto Meng Yao’s chest, passing him spiritual energy. Yet, Nie MingJue suddenly felt his body shudder. A cold, unceasing stream of energy came from his stomach.
Wei WuXian had known that there’d be a bluff, so he wasn’t too surprised. Nie MingJue, however, likely never expected Meng Yao to really harm him. Thus, as he watched Meng Yao calmly stand up in front of him, still unable to move, he was still more shocked than angered.
Meng Yao had probably carefully worked out how to avoid the vital areas. With both caution and composure, he pulled the sword out of his stomach, producing a string of small, bloody splashes, and pressed the wound—this was all he did to treat it. Nie MingJue, on the other hand, still remained in the posture that he used when trying to help Meng Yao. Half-kneeling with his head raised, their eyes met.
Nie MingJue didn’t say anything. Meng Yao didn’t say anything either. He sheathed his sword, bowed toward Nie MingJue, and sprinted away without looking back.
He had just acknowledged his mistake and agreed to receiving his punishment before feigning suicide and setting up a trap. Now, he was already long gone. It was probably Nie MingJue’s first time seeing such a shameless person, especially one that had just been the trusted aide whom he promoted himself. For this, he flew into a terrible rage, being especially fierce during the Wen Sect’s battles. Even when Lan XiChen had the time to assist Langya, a few days later, his anger hadn’t died down one bit. As soon as he came, Lan XiChen laughed, “MingJue-xiong, what a temper you seem to be in. Where is Meng Yao? Why does he not come and douse your flames?”
Nie MingJue, “Don’t mention such a person!”
Without any exaggeration, he told Lan XiChen of how Meng Yao killed and planned to blame someone else, then feigned death and ran away. After he heard the story, Lan XiChen was also surprised, “How could this be? Maybe there was a misunderstanding?”
Nie MingJue, “I caught him right on the spot. What misunderstandings could there be?”
Lan XiChen thought for a moment, “Judging from his words, the person whom he killed had definitely done wrong. However, he should not have taken his life either. We are in harsh times, so it is quite difficult to determine who was at fault. I wonder where he is now.”
Nie MingJue spoke in a harsh tone, “He should hope that I don’t catch him. If I do, I’ll offer him as sacrifice to my saber!”
However, as though his words turned into a prophecy, during the next few years, it was almost as if Meng Yao had suddenly disappeared, as if he had sunk like a rock into the ocean. No trace of him was left.
Now, Nie MingJue loathed him in the same manner that he had once valued him. Whenever the name was mentioned, he put on an angered face, expressing things hard to explain in speech. When he was certain that no information could be found, he refused to discuss Meng Yao with another person ever again.
Nie MingJue was never close to people. He rarely opened up to anyone. Though he finally managed to obtain a competent, trustworthy subordinate, whose character and capabilities he approved, he found that the subordinate’s true colors were nothing like what he had thought they were. It was only natural that his reaction was so extreme.
Just as Wei WuXian was thinking, his head suddenly began to ache, as though it was about to split open. The bones in his body felt as if they were crushed under a chariot. He couldn’t move at all—just the slightest shift made his body creak and groan. Opening his eyes, his sight was so blurry that he could only barely see many figures lie collapsed on the cold, jet stone floor of the hall. It seemed that Nie MingJue’s head had been injured. The wound was already numb. Dried-up stains of blood had clotted over his eyes and his face. With a slight twitch, warm blood climbed down his forehead again.
Wei WuXian was astounded.
During the Sunshot Campaign, Nie MingJue won almost all battles. The enemy couldn’t even approach him, much less cause him to be so badly injured.
What sort of a situation was this?!
A soft movement came from beside him. Wei WuXian glanced with the corner of his eye and saw a few vague figures. With great difficulty, he focused his gaze and saw that they were a couple of cultivators wearing robes of the sun and flames motif. They moved forward in an adept posture of kneeling on the ground.
Wei WuXian, “…”
All of a sudden, a bone-chilling sense of pressure surrounded him, reaching Wei WuXian through Nie MingJue’s body. Nie MingJue lifted his head slightly. At the end of the jet stone tiles was a large seat made of jade. A person sat atop it.
The distance wasn’t close, and Nie MingJue’s eyes were hindered by the blood, so he was unable to see who the person was. Nonetheless, he could guess who this was without using his sight.
The doors of the palace were abruptly opened. Somebody entered.
All of the disciples within the palace walked on their knees, yet this person only nodded in salutation as he first came in. Unlike the others, he walked forward nonchalantly. At the end of the hall, he seemed to bow down and speak a few words with the seated person before turning to this side.