It was obvious something was amiss. The first person to rush out onto Divine Martial Street infected with the human face plague was a strapping fellow, which made no sense.
Xie Lian had pondered many possible differences between the soldiers infected with the human face plague and those who were not. He examined every angle, but these plagued soldiers didn’t differ obviously from others. Among all those infected, appearances, physical builds, identities, and personalities varied widely, without any discernible pattern. Could it be that catching the plague was merely a matter of luck?
He muttered to himself, "What have the soldiers done that lets them resist the human face plague? Or what have they done more of than common people?"
His eyes widened and his face turned pale as an idea hit him. Feng Xin noticed the abrupt change and asked, "What's the matter, Your Highness? Did you think of something?"
Xie Lian did have a terrifying guess in his mind.
He stood up suddenly and blurted, "No! No, it can't be true. There's no way it's that."
Feng Xin and Mu Qing also got to their feet. "What's going on?" they demanded.
Xie Lian pressed his forehead and paced fretfully, raising a hand to pause them. "Hold on, I have a ridiculous thought. It shouldn't be true, but I need to test it."
Mu Qing asked, "What guess? How are you planning to test it? Need me to find someone for you?"
Xie Lian quickly rejected that. "No, we can't test it on a living person. What if I'm wrong?" Deep inside, he desperately hoped he was mistaken, completely off track. Mu Qing frowned. "Your Highness, if you want to know if it's true, you must use a living person. It’s the best way; fretting here won't help."
Feng Xin also scolded, "Can't you see he’s stressed enough? Don’t push it."
Mu Qing turned, irritated. "What did I say wrong? I'm just pointing out the truth. What's the use of hesitating now?"
Feng Xin retorted angrily, "Do you measure everything based on utility? You don’t even pause when it comes to human lives? That's too coldhearted."
Mu Qing said calmly, "Coldhearted? Were you trying to call me bloodless?"
Xie Lian had lost the patience to mediate between them as he usually did. "You two, arguing over a single sentence, know your place! Stand here for an entire stick of incense, both of you. Old rule."
Silence surrounded them when the "old rule" was mentioned. Feng Xin and Mu Qing's expressions shifted slightly. Xie Lian waved them off, "Heaven Official Bless. Start."
After a pause, Feng Xin ground out, "Blessings favor."
Mu Qing followed suit, "Favor taken."
Feng Xin struggled with "taken..." while Xie Lian turned away to the uneasy forest to interrogate those three infected soldiers.
The "old rule" was Xie Lian's method to divert their attention. Feng Xin and Mu Qing would argue constantly, small quarrels leading nowhere, so initially, Xie Lian had them stand without speaking for the duration of a stick of incense to calm down. When that failed, he later let them play a word-chain game. A bit of competition distracted them from their arguments, making them focus instead on winning. Xie Lian was quite satisfied with this discovery and imposed it again, hoping to ease tensions temporarily.
But the relaxation was short-lived. After a single incense stick's time, Xie Lian returned, his face grim. He commanded, "Gather the soldiers who shared camp with the infected. I need to question them."
The two men, relieved from their word game, were relieved. Mu Qing added, "That's fine. But this indirect approach might not guarantee complete accuracy."
Feng Xin was about to follow orders when Xie Lian stopped him. "Wait! It's deep into the night. Gathering them now is too conspicuous. I can't let news of this spread. Everything must be kept quiet."
Feng Xin turned back, asking, "So, what’s the plan? Question them privately, one by one?"
Xie Lian nodded, "That's the only way. Tomorrow, find those closest to the infected and bring them one by one to my room, without letting them know others were questioned. Remember to order them to keep silent. Otherwise..."
He sighed, "Use threats. Say if it leaks, it's execution. The harsher, the better."
Mu Qing grumbled, "One by one will take forever."
Xie Lian insisted, "No matter how long it takes, I must ask; the clearer the answer, the better. I must get to the bottom of this, no room for error."
Thus, the next day, Xie Lian spent his time questioning over three hundred soldiers.
All three hundred gave him the same answer. With each repetition, Xie Lian's face grew more troubled. After it was over, Feng Xin and Mu Qing entered the room to find Xie Lian at a table, massaging his forehead in silence. It took him a while before he said, "Guard the gates. I need to visit Mount Tai Cang."
Feng Xin hesitated, "Did you find out, Your Highness? Is it a curse or...?"
Xie Lian affirmed, "It's a curse."
Mu Qing asked seriously, "You’re sure?"
Xie Lian replied, "Absolutely. I also know who will be infected and who won't."
Despite his words, there wasn't a hint of relief in revealing the truth, which made Feng Xin and Mu Qing sense a deeper complexity. Yet, since Xie Lian didn't elaborate, they prudently withheld questions, feeling their unease grow.
At Mount Tai Cang, in the Imperial View Hall atop the highest peak of the Divine Martial Temple, the national teacher was burning incense in the swirling smoke. Directly, Xie Lian requested, "Master, I need to see the Emperor."
The national teacher finished his ritual calmly, "Your Highness, the gates of the heavenly realm are closed to you now."
Xie Lian insisted, "I know. But I’ve discovered an unprecedented curse is attacking the Divine Joy Kingdom, not a natural disaster but the work of evil forces. Please help me summon the Emperor, for him to descend and possess your body, so I can directly inform him. He might know what is causing this and provide a chance for a countermeasure."
Since returning to the mortal realm, Xie Lian had reported to the Divine Martial Hall three times. The past two times were mere formalities, but this time, his plea was genuine. The national teacher sat, telling him, "It's not that I won't help you, Your Highness. It's just unnecessary. Even with an audience, the Emperor's answer will only disappoint you."
Xie Lian's expression shifted, "Do you know something? Do you know what that weeping, laughing white-robed person is?"
The national teacher answered, "Your Highness, do you remember what I told you once? Blessings and misfortune in this world are preordained."
Stunned, Xie Lian fell silent. The national teacher continued, "Originally, many people of Yong'an were destined to die. You brought them rain, giving them temporary respite but still couldn’t provide a permanent solution to the drought. It pushed them to seek a future in the Yong'an army at Beizi Slope."
"Originally, the royal city was destined to fall. But you came down in person, instantly reversing the situation single-handedly, giving it momentary relief. However, without utterly destroying the Yong'an rebels and sparing them, you allowed them to grow stronger like a swarm of roaches."
Confused, the national teacher queried, "Your Highness, may I ask what you’re doing? Are you waiting for both sides to repent, to reconcile, and reunite as one nation?"
Xie Lian felt shame but also confusion. He thought, "Strange. I saved and protected these people because they were innocent and didn’t deserve to die. Each decision was carefully made, yet hearing others speak makes my actions sound laughable. How is it I accomplished nothing, so… unsuccessful?"
The word "failure" flared but he banished it. The national teacher went on, "In your divine form, you meddled in worldly affairs, throwing the Celestial Music Kingdom's fate into turmoil. To restore balance, naturally, something arises to correct what you skew. I can't say what exactly is plaguing us, but I'm certain it's born for you."
"..."
Xie Lian staggered at the revelation. The national teacher added, "I'm also certain the Divine Martial Emperor would tell you the same, and that's why he didn’t want you to descend. But even had he told you, you’d still likely have chosen this path. Adolescents don’t heed warnings until they fall."
An incredulous Xie Lian asked, "You're saying the human face plague is my fault? By fate, that creature's actions are due to my own doing? So, the heavenly court won’t intervene?"
"The blame game leads nowhere. In truth, it could even extend to your ancestors for birthing you, leading to your ascension and eventual descent. The origin doesn’t matter."
"As for intervention, no. The culture of Celestial Music's downfall was inevitable; your interference just delayed it, and someone must set it right."
Xie Lian took a deep breath, unwilling to debate Celestial Music’s fate, and asked, "If I disappear now, will it vanish with me?"
"I'm afraid not. It’s always easy to summon deities, hard to send them away. The same with monsters."
Xie Lian acknowledged with difficulty, "Thank you for your guidance, master."
Understanding it was up to himself alone, he bowed in gratitude to the national teacher and prepared to leave. From behind, the national teacher called, "Your Highness! What path will you take?"
"I will face it head-on. That is my only way."
“And what I protect will never be its pawns.”
Half a month later, Lang Ying led the Yong'an army once more in an attack.
Enduring numerous battles over the last few months, the Yong'an army finally became a force to be reckoned with, transforming from a rabble into a disciplined and powerful military.
Lang Ying had seemed to vanish for a while, but this time on the battlefield, Xie Lian met him again. Without hesitation, he soared over the throng, striking down with his sword. "Where is that man in white?"
Lang Ying deflected and counter-attacked, keeping his silence. Xie Lian pressed harder, saying, "You know who I'm talking about. I won't be patient forever!"
Unexpectedly, Lang Ying asked, "Crown Prince, didn’t you promise Yong'an rain?"
Xie Lian hadn’t expected this as Lang Ying’s choice of words, momentarily leaving him speechless. He stammered, "I..."
He had assured Lang Ying that Yong'an would have rain. But with the number of infected in the royal city escalating from a few dozen to nearly five hundred, his spiritual power had been mostly devoted to those bedridden souls. Consequently, he couldn’t fulfill his promise to Yong'an, ultimately returning the Rain Master's hat through Feng Xin to the country of the Rain Master in gratitude.
With anger, he lunged, asserting, "I was the one who brought the rain! Why did it stop? You truly don’t know?"
As his ire grew, so did Lang Ying’s composure. "It's none of my concern. All I know is even without the plague, your power wouldn't have lasted long; just as your rain couldn't save more lives. It's all in vain. Crown Prince, why believe your will alone can manifest destiny? I’d rather trust my own fate."
Somehow, likely prodded by his words, the intention to kill surfaced in Xie Lian’s mind.
His sword shifted minutely, left palm poised. An inner voice cried: Kill this man, and the Yong'an stragglers will no longer be a threat!
This was his inaugural act of resolve to truly kill Lang Ying. However, his palm strike, which should have pierced Lang Ying's heart, was instead fended off, scattering Xie Lian.
He was appalled to realize what had rebuffed him.
Large figures, like rulers or geniuses, develop protective aura during critical moments to ward off harm. These have the potential for ascension. Unexpectedly, the rough soldier Lang Ying had cultivated an intense aura—king’s spirit!
Unwilling to dwell, Xie Lian shifted to pure combat, avoiding magic but finding Lang Ying resilient and hardy. Meanwhile, the battle remained unconcluded.
Yong'an's side again suffered significant losses, but the royal city also bore heavy damages. In the past, this would have been a pyrrhic victory, but for Xie Lian, this was a defeat.
His first ever setback, worsened by the visible wound inflicted by Lang Ying. He could only contemplate the murmurs brewing among his soldiers: your highness, isn't he the Martial God? How could he be struck? Aren't we the heavenly troops? Why is victory eluding us?
However, he had no time for such whispers; Mu Qing relayed a dire report—more than a hundred new infected individuals were sent to the uneasy forest.
Over just a single day, the already isolated, miserable, and freakishly distorted group swelled to an alarming scale!