Chapter 132: Heavenly Will Divine Child
“I understand.”
An Jing stood calmly before Instructor Li, waiting for him to catch his breath.
From the very start, the man before him had granted An Jing an indenture sum far exceeding the usual amount. Likewise, if not for Instructor Li’s high regard and recommendation, the Medicine Manor Lord would never have treated An Jing differently when he first arrived at Hanging Fate Manor.
Although An Jing ter drew everyone’s attention through his own abilities, there was no doubt that Instructor Li had been one of the people who believed in him the most from start to finish.
He was also the one who pursued An Jing alongside that white-clothed schor ter on, so indeed, Instructor Li shared quite a bit of fate with him.
In fact… An Jing harbored a certain suspicion in his heart.
“I will kill you before you are completely corrupted by the Heavenly Demon.”
Hence, An Jing spoke up, “Now tell me, what is happening with that sinborn demon?”
“Its condition is quite good. With one sp, it could kill dozens of small-time martial artists like you, who only have Internal Energy.”
After spitting out that mouthful of bck blood, an unnatural flush rose to Instructor Li’s face—clearly the final glow before death.
To frighten An Jing off, he spoke in the most exaggerated manner possible: “Let’s not even mention the Red Armored Guards. Of the Divine Sect’s five local flying shuttles, three have crashed. Almost ten cultivators at the pinnacle of Internal Energy Like Tides or at the Internal Fortification stage—people on my level—have died, and a Martial Veins Grandmaster was even killed!
“Believe my final words: you should run while you still can!”
“They actually had a Martial Veins Grandmaster take action?”
An Jing seemed not to hear the warning in Instructor Li’s words at all. Instead, he grew thoughtful. “I never imagined that in just a few days, the Demonic Sect could rally so many people to hunt me down in such haste. Do they really value me that highly?”
“An Jing, do you not understand?”
Seeing that An Jing seemed utterly unafraid, the barely conscious Instructor Li could not help raising his voice. “What the Divine Sect needs is you alive! If you die and are converted by the Heavenly Demon, then the deaths of those children at Hanging Fate Manor—and everyone else—will all have been for nothing!
“Didn’t you originally want to run? Now is the best chance. Why do you suddenly refuse to leave?”
At that, Instructor Li let out a furious ugh, gasping for breath as he mocked, “Could it be you’re entangled with that Heavenly Demon by some twist of fate, and you’re destined to fight it?”
An Jing lowered his gaze and met the other man’s eyes.
“There is no such thing as destiny,” he said. “Before, I ran because I wished to run. Now, I fight because I wish to fight.
“Whether fleeing or fighting, they both stem from my nature.
“My ability to escape camity, and my determination to fight this battle, both arise from who I am.
“Whether I live or die doesn’t mean the lives of the others at Hanging Fate Manor become meaningless. They are all independent individuals, not my vassals… You people always see humans as merely extensions of their Heaven-Ordained Fate, yet you refuse to acknowledge one crucial point: fate depends on people for its existence, and people are what truly matter.”
“Heh.” Instructor Li let out a soft ugh, which An Jing ignored. “If you truly don’t want me to die, then speak pinly. If I really can’t win, I’ll leave.”
“Moreover…” As he said this, An Jing bent down to check Instructor Li’s heartbeat. “Great Chen’s mandate is to protect its popuce.
“Even your sect will fight the Heavenly Demon to the death for the sake of your own ‘believers’ and ‘territory.’
“I’m different from you. I’m just a person. Killing you is one matter; sying the Heavenly Demon is another.
“But there’s something I want to know, Instructor Li. You’re obviously a spy pnted by Great Chen, so why do you seem so loyal to the Demonic Sect in this matter?”
“A spy? So that’s your misunderstanding…” Hearing this, Instructor Li paused in surprise, then ughed—hard enough to cough up blood. “Yes, I did provide some information to those in Great Chen, allowing them to arrive as quickly as possible.
“But that has not the slightest thing to do with being a ‘spy.’
“You don’t actually think Great Chen and the Divine Sect are locked in a blood feud, sworn enemies that cannot coexist, do you?
“And you can’t possibly think there are none of our people in the Imperial Court, can you?
“In this group of Red Armored Guards, we also have people of our own. That’s why this colboration went so smoothly.
“Unfortunately, there are those from Great Chen within the Divine Sect, too, which led to our prize being snatched away… But it doesn’t really matter. Bai Qinghan returned to the main base, and you are drifting through the wilderness. Great Chen didn’t get hold of either of you, so this attempt to steal the prize is ultimately a failure.”
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as Instructor Li cast a mocking gaze at An Jing. “An Jing, don’t think you can escape the Divine Sect’s entanglement!
“On this entire journey, I’ve already sent all your information to the agents lurking on Great Chen’s side… So what if you loathe the Divine Sect?
“Even if you leave the Divine Sect and join Great Chen, you might still be working for the sect! Only then… cough, cough… hahaha… your title would change from ‘Divine General’ to ‘Heaven’s Chosen,’ and that’s all. Nothing else would change!”
“Who said I’m joining Great Chen?”
While Instructor Li was agitated, An Jing remained utterly calm. “I’ve long known there were people like you within Great Chen; I just never expected the spy to be someone else.
“As I expected, this dynasty has rotted completely. No matter how glorious and powerful it once was, it has become a corroded carcass poisoning the masses. I must bring this deeply rooted system to a complete end.
“Whether it is you people, or Great Chen, or anyone complicit with them—anyone who kills wantonly and treats human lives as worthless—I will bring them all down.”
As he spoke, a crimson river of blood fmes churned behind An Jing’s head, forming a Blood Fiend Great Star. “Instructor Li, you must understand—only by destroying all of this completely…”
“…can the human world be reborn.”
“I believe this is the true 【Heavenly Will】!”
Seeing the unshakable resolve in An Jing, the previously agitated Instructor Li was momentarily stunned.
“So this is your goal? The 【Heavenly Will】 you’ve chosen?”
Though he was already on the brink of death, he saw the expanding totem of blood fmes behind An Jing’s head, saw the ever-growing, razor-sharp killing intent, and finally understood. “So you really were born for the Divine Sect. But… do you truly believe you can succeed?”
“Success need not come in my hands, but I will definitely act. I will be the first ‘pioneer.’”
Hearing An Jing’s response, Instructor Li gradually calmed down. “You truly aren’t afraid to die?
“An Jing… you’re not… you actually weren’t running away because you feared death?”
An Jing did not answer that question.
At st grasping a fraction of An Jing’s thinking—though he could not fully comprehend it—Instructor Li finally reached a realization.
His voice dropped as he lowered his head and murmured, “So this is the ‘Heavenly Will Divine Child’ the sect truly wishes to select…
“So that’s it. It turns out I misunderstood all along…”
With his mind growing hazy, Instructor Li began softly reciting the Heavenly Will Sect’s hymn: “How magnificent is the Imperial Heaven that forged this body; yet the common people remain ignorant, ungrateful for its grace.”
“Amid trials of life and death, where do our destinies truly lead? Only our path stands as a shining beacon.”
“He who leads me on this path is called ‘Divine.’ He who walks the Divine is called ‘Heaven.’ He who comprehends Heaven’s Will is called ‘Sage.’
“So... this is the true meaning of ‘Divine...’”
(End of Chapter)
