Chapter 40: The Palace of Darkness, Heart Towards the Light
There was dead silence in the hall.
The massive screen, composed of twelve pieces of Hetian jade, stood silently in the darkness, like a monument separating life and death. The jade itself was warm and smooth, but now, illuminated by the dim oil lamp, it exuded a chilling aura that seemed to freeze the soul.
Chen Ye stood ten steps away from the screen, his posture straight as a sword, allowing the familiar, suffocating feeling of oppression to surge from all directions.
He took a slow breath. The air, mixed with the smell of mold, kerosene, and old blood, was once the breath he relied on for survival, but now it made him feel repulsed and nauseous.
He didn't wait any longer, nor did he prepare anything unnecessary. His voice was not loud, but like a stone thrown into stagnant water, it resonated clearly and decisively in the hall.
"Master, I would like to apply to retire from the business world."
As soon as the words fell, the air in the entire hall seemed to freeze at that moment.
There was no response from behind the screen.
Time, at this moment, stretched infinitely. One breath, two breaths… it felt like a century. The silence itself was an invisible, overwhelming force. It tested, examined, and crushed Shen Ye's resolve.
If it were anyone else in the Tianji Pavilion, under this level of pressure, they would probably have broken out in a cold sweat, fallen to their knees, and retracted their rebellious words.
But Chen Ye just stood there quietly, without even his eyelashes trembling.
His heart was calmer than ever before.
His thoughts had long since left the gloomy underground palace. He remembered the small farmyard, and Su Qinghan. He remembered the fleeting hint of stubbornness that flickered across her lips as she frowned and drank the bitter medicine he had brewed; he remembered the smile that could not be hidden in her bright eyes as she instructed him on how to cook; he remembered the "Dad" she unconsciously murmured as she ran a high fever and delirium.
Those vivid, warm, and down-to-earth images built an indestructible barrier in his heart, enough to withstand all the cold and pressure from the underground abyss.
He knew the rules of Tianji Pavilion.
This is the forge of the world's sharpest blades, and assassins are the very blades forged. The fate of a blade is to either break during a mission or rust and be destroyed. No blade can ever choose to return to its sheath and enjoy its old age.
There are no retired assassins in Tianji Pavilion, only dead assassins.
This was the first and most important rule that the Pavilion Master told him personally on the day he became "Zhuying".
He believed it without a doubt and thought that he would die silently in a mission like all his predecessors, becoming a cold code name in the files of the Intelligence Hall.
Until that ray of light shone into his dark world.
He had found something more important than life, and for it, he was willing to pay any price. After an unknown amount of time, the suffocating silence was finally broken.
A voice, indistinguishable between male and female, as if specially processed, slowly emerged from behind the screen. It was emotionless, like the grinding of metal or the cracking of ice, amplified by the structure of the hall, carrying an inhuman majesty.
"'Candle Shadow'."
Just two words, but they carry a penetrating scrutiny.
"You are my most perfect creation."
There seemed to be a hint of a sigh in that voice, but more of it was a cold disappointment, as if one was examining a flawed treasure.
"What... made you so vulnerable?"
Fragile?
Chen Ye chewed over the word in his mind, a subtle, self-deprecating arc appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Once upon a time, he also thought he was powerful.
He was so powerful that he could disregard all emotion, treating human life like a name on a file. He prided himself on his coldness and his indifference. He had cultivated the "Lightless Heart Sutra" to its highest level, suppressing all his emotions and desires, transforming himself into a precise, efficient, and infallible killing machine.
At that time, in the eyes of the Pavilion Master, he was "perfect".
But now he understood that it wasn't strength, it was emptiness. It wasn't perfection, it was incompleteness.
What's the difference between a person who can't even feel joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness, a walking corpse who only knows how to obey orders, and an animal waiting to be slaughtered on the chopping board?
It was Su Qinghan who made him understand what it meant to truly live.
It's worrying about someone's safety, and rejoicing at someone's smile. It's savoring the saltiness of food, and feeling the warmth of the sun. It's possessing something you want to protect, and the flame of hope ignited in your heart.
These emotions, which the Pavilion Master considers "fragile", are precisely the source of all his current strength.
Thinking of this, Chen Ye slowly raised his head, his eyes firmly penetrating the dim air and staring directly at the vague outline of the figure on the screen.
"I found something more important than the mission."
His answer was frank and direct. Without the slightest hesitation or concealment, this honesty itself was a radical break. It meant that he had completely abandoned all the principles that the Tianji Pavilion believed in.
Behind the screen, there was another long silence.
This time, the silence wasn't simply one of coercion, but rather one of...exploration. It was like a chess player discovering his most prized piece had suddenly developed a mind of its own, leaping off the board. This made him feel apprehensive, and perhaps even a hint of anger at being challenged.
"'Something more important'?" The Pavilion Master's voice rang out again, this time with a hint of obvious sarcasm. "A woman?"
Shen Ye did not answer, but his silence was the best answer.
"Heh..." A meaningless chuckle emanated from behind the screen, lowering the temperature in the hall even further. "How ridiculous! I gave you the power to stand at the pinnacle of darkness, yet you're giving it all up for a woman. 'Candle Shadow,' have you forgotten your training? Have you forgotten the outlines of the 'Lightless Heart Sutra'?"
The Pavilion Master's voice suddenly became stern: "Cut off all emotions and desires, feel neither sorrow nor joy! Only when your heart is as still as water can you avoid being exploited! Emotions are an assassin's greatest enemy! They make you hesitate, slow you down, and lead you to make wrong judgments! They can become your most fatal flaw!"
"You saved that woman named 'Feiyue' and disobeyed the order to 'observe only, do not intervene'. This was your first mistake."
"To help her, you used the Tianji Pavilion's intelligence network to destroy 'Youquan'. This is your second mistake."
"Now, you want to quit for her. This is the stupidest mistake you have ever made!"
The Pavilion Master's voice was like a string of cannonballs, each sentence was piercing the heart, and each word struck at the "Assassin's Code" that Shen Ye once took pride in.
Shen Ye listened quietly, with no expression on his face.
Yes, he admitted it all. From the perspective of the assassin's code, he was completely wrong.
He is no longer that "perfect piece of work".
"You shouldn't get emotional, 'Zhuying'." The Pavilion Master's voice softened, a hint of coldness in his persuasiveness. "Such a perfect work as yours shouldn't be tainted by such base emotions. Forget her and return to your original position. You are still 'Zhuying' of the Tianji Pavilion, the uncrowned king of darkness. I can pretend that none of this ever happened."
These words are both a warning and a final ultimatum.
Shen Ye finally spoke again, his voice hoarse but unusually clear: "Pavilion Master, you are wrong."
The figure behind the screen seemed to move slightly.
"Emotions aren't a weakness," Chen Ye said, emphasizing each word. "Without emotions, people are just walking corpses. Only when you have something you want to protect will you be more powerful when you draw your sword."
He recalled the time in the valley when he had fought his way through the encirclement to protect the severely injured Su Qinghan. At that moment, his "Momentary Brilliance" sword technique was, for the first time, not for killing, but for protection. He felt his sword was sharper and faster than ever before.
"I don't want to be a mindless knife anymore." Chen Ye's eyes became brighter than ever before, "I want to be a human being."
"Being a human?" The Pavilion Master's voice was filled with disdain, as if he had heard a huge joke. "Humans are the most fragile things in this world. They have weaknesses, concerns, and are full of all kinds of ridiculous desires. And you, you should be an existence that transcends all of this! Chen Ye, you disappoint me so much."
Deep night?
When the Pavilion Master called out this name that he had long forgotten, Shen Ye's heart suddenly shook.
He couldn't remember how many years it had been since anyone had called him by that name. In Tianji Pavilion, there were only code names, not real names. Names belonged to people, and they were just tools.
The Pavilion Master called out this name at this moment, reminding him that he was once a "human" too, and it was he who turned the deep night into "candle shadow". He could give him a new life, and naturally he could also take it back.
"It seems that you are determined." The Pavilion Master's voice completely lost all warmth, leaving only the coldness that kept people at a distance.
"Yes." Shen Ye answered firmly.
"Do you know the consequences of betraying the Tianji Pavilion?"
"Know."
"Aren't you afraid of death?"
"I'm afraid." Chen Ye said frankly, "But some things are scarier than death. For example... losing her."
This answer, which was almost a confession, completely silenced the voices behind the screen.
In the hall, the only sound left was the occasional crackling sound of burning torches.
Chen Ye knew the final moment was approaching. He was ready. If the Pavilion Master disagreed, he would act immediately. He might not be able to kill this unfathomable Pavilion Master, but even at the risk of his life, he would turn the Tianji Pavilion upside down. He would fulfill his promise to Su Qinghan in his own way.
For a long, long time.
Just when Shen Ye thought he was about to be struck by thunder in the next moment, the Pavilion Master's voice sounded again in an unexpected, almost calm tone.
"I can give you a chance."
Shen Ye's pupils shrank slightly.
"The Tianji Pavilion has nurtured you. You can't just walk away like this. Do one last thing for the Tianji Pavilion." The figure behind the screen slowly stood up, its massive shadow cast across the jade screen like a deity overlooking all living things. "Complete it, and you'll be free. The Tianji Pavilion will forgive your past. From now on, there will be no more 'Candle Shadow' in this world, only deep night."
These words sound like a great blessing from heaven.
But Chen Ye's heart sank to the bottom in an instant.
He knew the Pavilion Master too well. He was a pure businessman, never trading at a loss. If he was willing to "let go" of this most perfect "work," then the "final task" in exchange would be so difficult and dangerous that it would be unimaginable to ordinary people.
This wasn't a gift at all, but a beautifully packaged trap, a final and most fatal test.
But Shen Ye had no choice.
This was his only chance to escape in a "peaceful" way and not immediately involve Su Qinghan in the Tianji Pavilion's pursuit.
"What's the matter?" he asked in a deep voice.
The Pavilion Master did not answer immediately. He seemed to be enjoying Shen Ye's inner struggle at the moment.
In the hall, the invisible pressure became heavy again.
Chen Ye raised his head and looked at the screen with a firm gaze. His eyes said that no matter what it was, he would take it.
His frankness and determination plunged the Pavilion Master into another long silence. In that silence, there was evaluation, calculation, and a subtle final review of a work that was about to get out of control.
Finally, that cold voice slowly uttered a name, and also uttered a cruel truth that was enough to send Shen Ye completely into hell.
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