Chapter 501: Storytime
The atmosphere was tense as no one dared to speak. Everyone was looking at Rong Xing, waiting for her to wake up and to hear her decision about whether she would support Hui Yue or her father.
Hui Yue was seated in a chair and in his hands was the small bottle containing Wang Ju Long's Soul Shadow. This bottle was being gently caressed but also treated with great care. By his side was Sha Yun and on his other side was Huli. Both of them were standing straight, but neither spoke. Huli glanced around the entire room, observing everyone with a cold gleam in her eyes, and Sha Yun was looking at Hui Yue with tears in her eyes.
Lao and Jo were seated behind Sha Yun, both of them were silently seated holding each other's hands as tears streamed down their cheeks. They were just staring at the bottle in Hui Yue's hands.
The mood was terrible all around. Deng Wu, who had been pale and frightened from the very start, was glancing at Hui Yue from time to time. Otherwise he was paying his full attention to Rong Xing. At this moment, his heart was in turmoil. He had loved Rong Xing his entire life, but Hui Yue was his good brother... Who would he choose if Rong Xing were to pick her brother and father's side? Much like Hui Yue and Lan Feng, he had Little Dragon within him, and it was not possible for him to let down his lifetime friend much like Lan Feng, he had been tricked and lost his body. For Hui Yue and Little Dragon he would have to give up Rong Xing, but how could he do so after a lifetime of following her?
His heart was in as much agony as Hui Yue's. He knew that if Rong Xing made the wrong decision, he would be on the side that had to get rid of her and this was a decision he could not fully comprehend the meaning of. Every time he tried, he was filled with pain and agony.
The four Saints, Xiao Ning, Ye Ling, Zhu Jun, and Luo Qiang dared not speak a word. They had witnessed the battle and understood some parts of what had happened, but others parts they were unaware of. They had not been by Hui Yue's side long enough to know of the relationship between Hui Yue and the Rong family.
It took Rong Xing three hours before she finally came to, and when she did, she was confused. Looking around, her eyes were filled with confusion as they scanned the room noticing everyone present. Her eyes paused on Hui Yue, Huli, and Deng Wu before quickly moving past them.
"What happened?" She asked with a weak voice to Deng Wu who was beside her helping her sit up. Although he knew that there was a chance of her turning against them, in his heart he refused to acknowledge it.
No one answered Rong Xing's question at first. Everyone was filled with pain as they remembered the events that had occurred earlier, but they also knew that they had to tell her the truth. She deserved to know exactly what had happened so that she could make her own decisions.
"Your father killed Ju Long." Hui Yue said with a low voice. There was no killing intent left in this voice, only an immense amount of tiredness and emotions. "He killed her and made her into a soul shadow. The attack was intended to hit me, but she shielded me. She is now sealed within this bottle,"
"Your father fled this place while Ming was pleading with me to let him go. When he vanished, he took Ming with him. As for why he took your brother, I do not know, and for what will happen to Ming I know even less." Hui Yue sighed and gave a quick rundown of exactly what had happened from the moment he had appeared within Muchuan City until the moment that Rong Xing had woken up.
Having heard everything Rong Xing's lips trembled and her face was deathly pale, and her eyes filled with disbelief.
"I knew nothing of this!" She exclaimed, and there was a slight bit of fear in her voice, and Hui Yue just nodded his head and waved his hand.
"I know." He said emotionally as he gently gave the bottle with Ju Long to Huli. "I do not blame neither you nor Ming for anything, to me both of you will forever be my good brother and sister." Hui Yue sighed.
"You, however, need to make a choice. You can either join us to defeat An He and your father with the goal of returning Rong Ming to us, or you can support your father. If you choose to stay with us, I will help you become a God and let you travel with us to challenge An He and finally bring peace and prosperity to this world."
"Or your other option is to support your father and thereby also support An He. Your brother might end up making this choice now that your father has taken him. If you choose to support your own family, I will not blame you. But you should know that I will cut all ties to you." Hui Yue's words were harsh, but they were not unreasonable.
"I will allow you to keep living in the Divine Beast World as a normal citizen. As long as you do not go against me, I will not act against you, but I will also not assist you in gaining strength either."
"If one day your father comes to pick you up, then I will fight him. If one day you become a God, I will also fight you. I cannot afford to let An He gain another God ranked cultivator under his command."
Rong Xing's face was pale and turned even paler as she heard Hui Yue's words. She did not answer straight away but closed her eyes as a small tear escaped the corner of her eye.
No one rushed her, and silence enveloped the entire room as everyone patiently waited for her to make a decision. This decision was not easy for her. Her brother had been taken away by her father and would likely join his cause. Not only that, but this was her father! A man she had admired and looked up to all her life. A man who had taught her how to behave and how to grow to be a fine woman. But behind him was An He, and Rong Xing knew that she would never approve of An He no matter how much she tried.
On the other hand was Hui Yue. Someone she considered her younger brother and also someone she felt she owed even more than her life to.
After a long time, she opened her eyes, and a determination could be seen within. "I will help you fight An He, but I will not fight against my family." She said determinedly. "I am unable to harm him, but I cannot help him either. An He, on the other hand, is a man that I cannot agree with, and I wish for this world to be free of him and his influence."
Rong Xing had made her decision, and there was no changing it. This decision came straight from her heart, and she was certain that this was the best solution.
Everyone was surprised as they heard her decision, but deep inside they were excited. Although Rong Xing would not fight against her own father, she would still be on their side and could be considered an ally. Hui Yue slowly nodded his head.
"That's fine. I can kill your father on my own." He said casually, and his casual words shook the hearts of everyone present, especially Rong Xing's, but she also understood that there was no way to avoid this. Her father had chosen to support An He and had even killed Wang Ju Long. There was nothing but death for him in Hui Yue's eyes.
"Wu." Hui Yue called out, and Deng Wu, who was unable to hide the relief on his face as he felt that he would not have to go against Rong Xing at any point, instantly turned to look at him. The smile vanished as his eyes landed on the bottle.
"Please tell everyone about what we encountered on our trip." Hui Yue said with a sigh as he leaned back in his chair. He was not in the mood to detail their long journey and arduous trials they had been through.
Deng Wu, clearly understanding his emotions, nodded his head and stood up. He cleared his throat but did not instantly start telling the story of what they had gone through.
"It is not that I do not trust you." Deng Wu started with a seriousness in his eyes that was rare for this joking youngster. "But I need everyone within this room to swear a blood oath that what they hear will never be spoken of to anyone else. What they hear cannot be shared with outsiders, and I also need you all to swear your allegiance towards Yue."
Everyone was stunned, but after a bit of time, they nodded their heads. The first to step up was Rong Xing, and with determination shining in her eyes she cut her finger and allowed for her blood to spill.
"I, Rong Xing, swear on my blood that I will forever be loyal to Hui Yue as long as he does not order me to kill or participate in the killing of my father, Rong Liang. I swear that I will never mention any information given to me about Hui Yue, or his friends, to outsiders and should I break this oath, let my blood be boiled within my body."
Hearing this oath, everyone nodded their heads. They stood up one after another swearing a blood oath, even Huli swore a blood oath of loyalty to Hui Yue and when they had finished Deng Wu nodded his head in approval.
"Thank you." Deng Wu said from his heart. Even he swore an oath of loyalty to Hui Yue to prove that he was no different from the others, and afterwards, he picked up a chair and sat down in the middle of the library, looking at everyone present. He took in a deep breath and started speaking.
He began with their departure from Muchuan City and how they met the Laws. How they entered the Central Palace and avoided the guards of the different dungeons below.
He talked about the trials one after another and explained everything that had happened. He went into details about every challenge and the danger and rewards they had gained from these challenges and answered any questions that were asked.
Deng Wu did not stop explaining their trip as the trial came to an end. He continued to explain what Hui Yue had told them about his experiences within the Vermilion Bird's inheritance trial.
After this, he described how they had destroyed the roofs of the capitals in the Dungeons of the Divine and afterward he told how they had saved the Laws.
Deng Wu was not in a hurry to tell everything that had happened, and he even went as far as to explain what the Laws were, how they were created, and their history. Everything the Gods had told them was shared. There was no reason to hold anything back as no one here would go out and say what they heard.
After the rescue of the Laws, Deng Wu spoke about how they had gone to Hui Yue's home, and he talked about all the changes which had happened to the village. He told how Hui Yue helped his family become stronger and helped all of them refine their bodies.
After this, he continued to explain about their trip to visit Old Snake and their trip to Snow Dragon Mountain. That fiery location that did not match the name of the mountain range at all.
He explained how Huli had created a pocket dimension and made one layer of protection after another around the Formation of Life, and he explained how Hui Yue had merged the world with his soul. He finished off by telling about how they went to visit the Frozen General and his story before they returned to Muchuan City. Without knowing it, the entire evening and night had gone by while Deng Wu had been constantly speaking, and his words had left everyone speechless. Silence descended over the room as everyone digested what had been said.