Free Web NovelChapter 13: The Guilty or the Guiltless ~ 5
As he convicted the man, Qianye watched as the enforcer retreated the blade from his neck, holding it hanging by his side.
Within moments thereafter, they heard a thud over concrete. Then another thud follwed, and their gazes followed as the disciple that had assassinated him fell to his knees and kowtowed in penitence.
"Elder Han, it was all that Meng Jue’s fault! He coerced me with this false evidence against Senior Ouyang, telling me that we would be hero’s of the sect if I helped kill him!" He plead, and at the same time, he continuously rose then lowered his head, throwing it back down to the ground regardless of how he began making his forehead bleed.
"Bah! If you had used your brain in the first place what core disciple of our great sect would ever resort to being a profane practitioner?" The hotheaded outer disciple that had shouted the most at the man earlier said.
The man snapped his head in his direction, his face stained in with pitiful tears, "I am only a new outer disciple recruited in this years intake, how could I have known any better?! What must I do if a high ranking inner disciple approaches me to kill someone for them?! Say no and suffer being suppressed in the sect!?"
He waved a condemning hand harshly in the direction of the disciples of the crowd who had begun murmuring amongst themselves about him, "As the genius of my clan it was my responsibility to secure benefits for us! Would my purpose not be immediately lost if I had denied Meng Jue his request!? You all understand his domineering nature more than I do, do you really think he would have let me off!?"
At that, many of the disciples fell to a hush.
A lot of them in the crowd today, although they had come here with the motive of being present for the scandal, in the first place, it was by Meng Jue’s demand that they had come.
They ultimately could not refute what the disciple said.
And thus, the man could only laugh despondently at himself. What else was there to do?
At the same time, the supervisor didn’t both paying more attention to him, briefly glancing over to Meng Jue who was only standing with his hands clenched and his head hung. There was blood dripping from both of his clenched fists, spattering over the ground beneath.
Xiao Bo, this whole time was still being pressed to the ground by Elder Han Tieliang’s pressure, and at some point, Mo Chen had reduced himself to a penitent as well, kneeling with his head hung low and his palms pressed to the ground. freēwebnovel.com
Qianye found it a short shame that he could not see his or Meng Jue’s expressions. His gaze drifted over to the despairing disciple, his expression solemn.
’Originally, it would have been exactly as he described. Because of his help, Meng Jue would have given him a lot of support in his growth, making the occasional appearance at times in the dungeon ruin exploration and the secret realm, and even becoming one of the higher ranking inner disciples.’
"It is only your misfortune that you chose the wrong devil to support..." Someone in the crowrd muttered delicately.
And Ouyang Qianye could not help the frustration that bloomed within him there.
’I hate this bullshit...’
His gaze was drawn to the hand that the elder had reached toward him. There was a small, faintly luminous blue pill in the man’s hand.
"Take it. You may do it yourself."
For a moment, he watched the shimmer of it in the silence that lingered as everyone’s gaze drew over towards them.
Then, he raised his hand, taking the pill.
’All of this shit about luck... destiny...’ He took the pill and tossed it into his mouth. ’All of this nonsense that demands you have no choice in a matter...’
The pill, within moments of touching the back of his throat, burst into streams of Qi and ambrosial dew. Its essence swiftly filled his body, invigorating him and his body was healed. It was such a euphoric, yet fleeting sensation, and within moments, he was able to bring himself to stand.
His hand was already reaching for the pommel of the blade that the enforcer held out. ’Meng Jue might have given the order, yes, but ultimately, whose choice was it to put the blade through his heart? As a reader, its easy to say that it is because the story demands it. However, this is reality now. I’ll be damned if there will be no butterfly effects from what I will do with my knowledge.’
A wind brushed through the yard, tousling the hair of the disciple that had assassinated him. He had not hung his head down, holding his gaze though tear eyed and pitiful.
Ouyang Qianye would not allow himself to accept that there was not always a choice. There was always a singular moment, even a fraction of it, where making a different choice against whatever damnation seemed ordained.
’You had your chance to make a different choice sooner in spite of the circumstances.’ His brows furrowed faintly, ’Perhaps the result of my choice will be meaningless and I suffer an even worse end...’
Qianye raised the sword, and its steel, still wet over its edge with the blood from his neck, shimmered with in the sun.
’But at the very least, if I am to suffer, it will be by the consequences of what I decide. Before my death, all suggestion that my will is meaningless before whatever the destined and fortunate dictate, can go to hell.’
The moment that he accepted anything otherwise, he would be consigning himself to being no different than the rest of them. That was why despite the disgust that he felt, Ouyang Qianye was grateful.
"Thank you, for giving me my choice back," he confessed, gracious for the fact he had killed Ouyang Qianye.
His jaw tensed briefly, and he slashed downward.
The wind whistled faintly as it relented against its edge. Then, if sheared through flesh.
Its steel clanged faintly as it hit then cut through the ground. Blood sprayed and the bisected halves fall apart from one another, innards slobbered out and the heart, in its final beats, fell out to squelch over the ground, throbbing, pleading for its dying flickers of life.
And that misfortuned blood sprayed over him as the light of the dying afternoon fell over his gaunt figure.
