Chapter 643: Xuanwu is the Most Objective

Chapter 643: Xuanwu Is the Most Objective

This night was originally meant to be the grand occasion for the Four Symbols Sect's crucial ceremony, yet as dawn broke, it seemed the agenda for the night's festivities would have to be changed.

What was supposed to be the ascension ceremony for a new cult leader now seemed rather insignificant by comparison.

The Night Emperor had truly descended upon the mortal realm.

No one needed to introduce the sword to the crowd. Any disciple who practiced the Four Symbols techniques could sense a powerful aura radiating from it—an aura that encompassed the individual cultivation of every single disciple, all-inclusive and boundlessly vast.

This was absolute confirmation of what was recorded in the cult's ancient texts: the Night Emperor once possessed an unfinished divine blade. This was that very sword.

The weapon was no mere symbol; it carried absolute, tangible manifestation.

One could tell from the intricate, complex forging process that it would be utterly impossible for anyone other than the Night Emperor to wield it, let alone finish forging it with their own hands. It was questionable whether the Night Emperor himself could have completed it, as the texts clearly stated he had only created the crude embryo and left it unfinished.

Yet, right before the eyes of the entire congregation gathered for the ascension ceremony, they watched it brought to completion.

Without a word from anyone, the disciples automatically came to view Zhao Changhe as the Night Emperor.

A few self-proclaimed experts among them thought to themselves that it was no wonder the Venerable One's attitude toward Zhao Changhe had always been so peculiar. If it had been any other man tangled up with the Holy Maiden, the Venerable One would have flayed him alive. Yet look at how she treated Zhao Changhe—aside from punishing the Holy Maiden by making her copy scriptures, she could never bring herself to strike him. The two Venerable Ones had even collaborated with him in various ways, fighting Maitreya and the Sea Emperor like close, trusted comrades-in-arms.

It turned out they had suspected Zhao Changhe was the Night Emperor all along. Since the Holy Maiden was meant to be a servant to the god anyway, there was nothing to punish. The only reason for the scripture-copying penance was simply because the Night Emperor's identity had not been confirmed yet, so they could not rush to hand her over.

However, the few individuals actually involved knew perfectly well that Zhao Changhe was not the Night Emperor.

His martial arts and those of the Night Emperor could not be said to be poles apart; they were simply entirely unrelated.

Even Vermilion Bird's past hope—"come reference our Four Symbols Sect techniques once you hit a bottleneck"—had never been put into practice. From beginning to end, apart from the basic method of lighting up the stars in resonance taught to him early on, his martial path had absolutely nothing to do with the Four Symbols Sect.

Furthermore, his conception of the stars had achieved the feat of "walking ahead of the Night Emperor." Starting with the Milky Way before moving to the Four Symbols could still be considered a mere adjustment of direction, but this simultaneous brilliance of the sun and moon was fundamentally a different matter from the Night Emperor's intent. The blazing sun was not the night, and with such an element, he could no longer be called the Night Emperor.

And yet, the sword embryo dictated that he could only dance within its framework. If his intent had completely contradicted the essence of the heavenly stars contained within the embryo, he could never have successfully forged the sword, let alone given birth to a sword spirit. His success meant that his intent aligned perfectly with the heavenly stars without issue.

It seemed his wild boast had truly come to fruition—he was not the Night Emperor, but he had walked further than the Night Emperor ever did.

For a moment, the few people in the subterranean chamber stared at each other. They had truly arrived at the question Zhao Changhe had posed earlier: was their loyalty pledged to the specific individual of the Night Emperor, or to the intent of the heavenly stars? If it was the latter, they could kneel right now.

But it remained utterly bizarre. He was a man who did not know a single piece of the Four Symbols Sect's internal techniques, and none of his martial skills were related to it. To call him the Night Emperor was about as accurate as claiming to be the First Emperor of Qin.

Of course, all matters were decided by people. As long as the high management of the Four Symbols Sect acknowledged it, then he was.

The three high-ranking members looked at one another, each wearing an extraordinarily peculiar expression. Xia Chichi suddenly burst into laughter and bowed gracefully, saying, "Salutations, Night Emperor."

"Who asked you?" Vermilion Bird snapped, snapping out of her daze. "You can't wait to go attend to his bedchambers, can you?"

"What kind of talk is that?" Xia Chichi replied calmly. "The Holy Maiden does not serve with her body; that is something the Venerable One has repeatedly emphasized to me, so it has nothing to do with that. As the Holy Maiden of the twin lineages, my comprehension of the Azure Dragon's intent is close to mastery. I was originally meant to be discussed and appointed as the cult leader tonight, so I naturally possess the qualifications to speak on momentous affairs. I believe he is the Night Emperor, and I am merely declaring my stance."

She did more than just possess the qualifications; her authority was overflowing. If this were a meeting to be debated, her status would undoubtedly make her the chairperson.

But what kind of chairperson declares their stance the moment the meeting begins? Was this presiding over a meeting or setting the narrative?

Vermilion Bird looked toward Third Sister for assistance. Her own mind was in disarray, and she could not tell if her thoughts were objective or if she was doing justice to her faith. Xia Chichi was a typical case of someone whose heart was entirely with the outsider and could not be relied upon at all. The only one who could look at this objectively was Xuanwu.

Moreover, Xuanwu had always existed in such a role. Lazy and detached from worldly affairs, she possessed no secular desire for power or personal needs, allowing her to view everything in the cult from the perspective of an ultimate bystander. In the past, whenever Vermilion Bird hesitated over such matters, her first instinct was always to consult Xuanwu.

Third Sister matched her gaze with a solemn expression. She appeared to ponder seriously for a moment before nodding with great objectivity. "This seat believes that the Night Emperor is achieved through the intent of the heavenly stars, rather than the Night Emperor achieving the heavenly stars. Therefore, whoever possesses the intent of the heavenly stars is the Night Emperor, regardless of the specific person."

Vermilion Bird began to stammer slightly. "But, but he doesn't have a single related technique..."

"Putting the cart before the horse," Third Sister said with a stern expression. "The stars are the guiding principle, while martial techniques are nothing more than derivatives. How can one deny the principle because of a derivative product? How pedantic!"

Vermilion Bird said angrily, "Why don't you try kneeling then?"

Without another word, Third Sister sank to her knees. "Salutations, Night Emperor."

"???" Vermilion Bird's mouth fell half-open, unable to close for a long time. You are the Venerable Xuanwu after all; even if you are convinced in your heart, do you care nothing for your dignity and reserve? Why does it feel like you knelt even more readily than Chichi?

She failed to see the subtle glance Third Sister and Chichi exchanged, full of a tacit understanding forged from times they had been piled together. In truth, they had shared this posture of kneeling side by side before, except back then, Zhao Changhe had been behind them.

How could Vermilion Bird possibly know that even Xuanwu, whom she considered the most reliable and devoid of selfish desires, was a total traitor? Believing it to be the objective judgment of Venerable Xuanwu, the taste in her heart at this moment was truly difficult to describe.

Even Xuanwu acknowledged it, and with such resoluteness. It seemed it truly was so...

If it were a vote at a meeting, two out of three already supported it, which was more than enough to finalize the conclusion. However, the affairs of the Four Symbols Sect had long been under Vermilion Bird's control. She was the leader in all but name, and her opinion was the decisive one.

Vermilion Bird's mind was still somewhat confused. How did it turn out that I am the one opposing him... I am clearly very happy inside, very willing, and have been looking forward to this day.

Yet somehow, with the mask resting upon her face, the words of submission simply refused to leave her mouth. It was as if a lifetime of reserve and pride was jammed against the mask, blocking her true heart.

Zhao Changhe's voice finally drifted over. "Please rise, you two. Venerable Vermilion Bird..."

Vermilion Bird looked up at him.

Zhao Changhe said, "In truth, I have no desire to be any Night Emperor, nor do I want everyone to kneel and worship me. I possess nothing worthy of worship. Venerable One, forging this sword by force was somewhat straining for me at this moment, and I took some risks... Well, I do not mean to boast about the danger, but rather to tell you that the reason I chose to do this was solely in the hope that the interests of the Four Symbols Sect and my own would align, so there would be no further conflict. I am unwilling to clash with the Four Symbols Sect, nor am I willing... to stand opposed to the Venerable One."

Vermilion Bird said with some effort, "You speak so smoothly, but is it not still your wish to subjugate the Four Symbols Sect?"

Zhao Changhe said, "Does the Venerable One still find it hard to swallow in her heart, feeling that Zhao Changhe is merely an older youth who turned against his master, a useless person who did not even know martial arts a little over two years ago?"

The two locked eyes, and flashes of the flames from that year flickered in their gaze.

When they first met back then, who could have foreseen today?

Vermilion Bird felt as though another soul within her was driving her to speak. "Indeed. Your strength is not yet sufficient to earn this seat's acknowledgment."

Zhao Changhe pointed his sword forward. "Then... Zhao Changhe challenges Venerable Vermilion Bird. If I lose, I will honestly serve as the Room Fire Pig of the Four Symbols Sect."

This step down... Vermilion Bird found it very comfortable to take. "Very well. If you can defeat this seat, this seat is willing to be at your command from now on."

Third Sister and Xia Chichi simultaneously leaped to the side, poking their heads out to watch the two fight.

Zhao Changhe glanced at them and smiled. "Let's change locations."

Their minds in perfect sync, the two suddenly departed from the Imperial Ancestral Temple and vanished from sight.

Third Sister stomped her foot. "You heartless wretch! I put on such a good show with you, and you won't even let me watch the entertainment!"

Xia Chichi glanced at her. "Were you really just putting on a show?"

Third Sister: "..."

In truth, she wasn't.

In her heart at this moment, she truly felt that Zhao Changhe ought to be the Night Emperor of this epoch. Whatever happened in antiquity had nothing to do with her.

In fact, Vermilion Bird likely harbored similar thoughts by now, but the face beneath that mask simply could not shed its pride.

Zhao Changhe had provided the pretext of a duel, but it remained to be seen whether Vermilion Bird would intentionally throw the match to gracefully allow "Venerable Vermilion Bird to kneel before you."

Third Sister suddenly found herself wondering if perhaps Zhao Changhe did not need Vermilion Bird to lose on purpose.

There was a genuine possibility that Zhao Changhe could win purely on his own strength.

That would be a thorough and complete conquest.