Chapter 85
85th chapter “Hussein’s metamorphosis”
Hussein felt his strength continue to leave him as the blood drained from his body. Now, he could no longer distinguish exactly how many injuries he was carrying. The heaviest wound on his left leg was dripping fresh droplets of blood, staining his pants.
In an attempt to lean his forehead against his sword, Hussein nearly sliced off half his head. Luckily he was able to quickly dodge the weapon in time. Above his left eye, a deep wound, revealing the skull bone could be seen. Blood was seeping out and dyeing the knight’s vision in a blood red coloration.
With an unbalanced body, Hussein could only hold onto the wooden crutch (walking stick) that he made before to support himself.
“Hussein, how long will you continue to struggle?” Hussein reluctantly opened his eyes as the sound of Hoilik’s voice achoed against his ear, but the only thing he saw was slash of Sword Qi flying towards him. Lifting his sword with his numbed arms, Hussein managed to block the attack but what followed was the crisp sound of shattering fragments. No longer able to bear the strain, the broken sword in Hussein’s hand finally shattered into multiple pieces and he was also sent flying from this one strike. Unable to stop, Hussein landed across the arena and laid on the floor.
“Give it up Hussein.” Knight leader Hoilik came up to where Hussein was and looked down at the already near death traitor. His voice was just like how Hussein remembered in his memory, “Hussein, God’s will must not be defied. It may not be too late to repent now!”
Hussein started laughing as he lay on the floor.
His face was already buried in the fine chips of stone covering the ground so it sounded like a muffled laughter.
Subsequently, the Knight looked up and gently blew away the blood soaked hair on his forehead. With eyes like someone that has given up, he spoke. “Knight leader Hoilik….. I really want to give up. I’m tired of this lifestyle where I have to point my sword against my companions…. I’m tired of it! Even though I know you are only a phantom of my heart…. But I’m really tired. I want to be free, I really want to escape all of this. Perhaps, I wasn’t meant to shoulder this heavy burden.”
With that said, the knight lifted himself up in a crawl. Without a sword in his hand, he could barely keep his upper body upright and his breathing was so heavy that it was like a hole was pierced into his throat. Afterwards, the knight pointed to his throat with a finger and smiled: “It is here, here…… Stab at this point. I remembered master taught me if a sword was to pierce through this point, it would be a fatal blow, and then….. I would no longer be burdened with anything.” The smile on the knight was very odd and his eyes were getting more and more sullen as he stared at knight leader Hoilik. From his eyes, you can see that Hussein has already given up as he looked up to towards the oncoming sword on top of his head.
But yet at this time, the prideful Knight once again had a hint of struggle in his eyes…. This hint of struggle was almost instinctive and no one knew where this last remnant of struggle came from.
“I…… Can I ask one last question?” Hussein gasped and his eyes showed good faith without any doubt in them. In a soft and sincere voice, “Lord Hoilik, you have taught me a lot in the past, so before I die, can you please answer my last question?”
The sword in Hoilik’s hand slowed down, “Hussein, go ahead and ask.”
“Tell me…… What exactly is God?”
Facing the moment of death, as if unable to give up the faith in his own heart, the Knight puts forth his own life. Until now, this was the biggest doubt in him…… Or perhaps, this question is not a problem for the Knight because in his mind, he already knew the answer…. The reason he proposed this was because of an unyielding and unwilling cry in his heart!
What is God?
Humph! What is God!!!
What exactly is God!!!
The pious and faithful Holy Knight replied, “God is everything.” Hoilik puts on a reverence expression, “Everything! All things, life, sky, Sun and moon, stars, and all the creatures. The will of everything in this world is determined by God! Each of us are living according to the will of God! So…… God is everything!”
“Oh…… All…… HA HA HA HA……” There was disappointment in Hussein’s eyes, but there was also something more and that was disdain! His head was shaking and his laugh grew from small to a loud roar. His voice was also somewhat crazy and provocative, a little unruly, a little haughty, and a little rebellious!
“Oh…… Haha…… HA HA HA HA!! Everything! All!! You say?” Hussein suddenly raised his head with an unyielding anger on his face and then in a near shouting voice, he shouted out his inner thoughts.
“Why!!!”
Seemingly, a breath of life infused into the knight’s heart and cracked apart the yoke of despair inside him. Light once again returned to his eyes and an indomitable fighting spirit was burning in him!
“Why!” He grunted with a painful expression on his face. Struggling to stand up, he no longer allowed Hoilik to continue looking down at him in a condescending way…… Instead, with pride, dignity, and equal to the person in front of him, he spoke: “Why! Why must God be so high and mighty! Why must all things live according to its will in order to survive? Why can it represent the will of all things? Is it the Sun? Even the sun would have a time where it would set! Is it the stars? But even the stars would have a time when it would fall! Is it time itself? But time marches on!! Why must it alone be perpetual and without change!”
Hussein’s entire body was already covered in bloodied wounds but then at this moment, the wounds suddenly healed! The wounds squirmed and frantically bumped up as it tries to close up the wounds with each ticking moment. Suddenly, a deep golden light burst forth from his eyes and chest! Then… a rumbling sound could be heard!
A brilliant golden light suddenly erupted from Hussein’s already dying body!
Not the pale golden light from before! But instead, real deep gold like that of the sun! Bright and brilliant!
Bathed in the burning energy, Hussein closed his eyes and clenched his fist. A glimmer of peace could be seen on his face as the roaring golden flames engulfed his body, cleansing his soul, bones, and muscles in his body….
This feeling is very….. Comfortable.
As if reverting back into a fetus inside a womb and soaking in the amniotic fluid. His whole body had a warm feeling corsing through him as if the liquid was moistening his withered soul and reincarnating his entire being!
As Hoilik’s sword made contact with the golden Dou Qi, the sword immediately melted away!
Hoilik looked at Hussein, then shouted in a roar. “Obstinate traitor, die!”
With a howling sound, the sword struck down like a falling meteor as it aimed at Hussein’s head!
But……
Gently opening his eyes, Hussein casually reached out his hand and gripped the oncoming blade…..
Easily gripping the blade with his powerful hand, no matter how much Hoilik struggled, the ninth level knight was unable to budge the sword even an inch.
Drops of blood were dripping down the palm of his hand holding the blade. Each droplet of blood seemed to turn into a golden color as it touched the ground! Enshrouded inside the golden Dou QI, the wound on the palm immediately healed and the sword was slowly melting away as it burned under the light!
At that moment, the rebellion Hussein finally changed!
Opening his eyes, the pupil has completely turned into a golden color. With an indifferent face, he looked at Hoilik and spoke in a gentle but understating tone, as if pledging, he said:
“Even if you say God represents the will of everything in this world…… However, I’m an exception! My will is free and will not be enslaved by anything! Even if the other person is the so called God!”
Gently lifting one hand, then gently falling down like leaves in the wind. Hoilik was easily beheaded and blood sprayed out into the air!
Hussein slowly puts down his hand and quietly looked at it. His eyes were almost motionless as he spoke, “This…. Is the power of a Saint Paladin?
“You see, my friends can solve it by themselves.” Du-Wei smiled confidently, calmly sitting down on the floor. In front of him was a stone wall and on the wall was a surface like rippling waters. Appearing on this surface was a picture: Hussein was enshrouded in a golden Dou Qi, then with a wave of a single hand, the powerful knight leader was easily beheaded by Hussein.
“Thank you, this thing is like a movie…… Well, even if you don’t know what movies are.” Du-Wei said it with a smile.
Medusa’s hoarse and deep voice sounded puzzled: “Didn’t he give up already earlier? Why all of a sudden he would…”
“This is the human faith.” Du-Wei replied in a solemn tone, “Remember, this is the human ‘faith’. This power may be present in every person’s heart. You can’t really see it when it’s weak, but you will see it when it explodes…. You saw it, this faith……. Is a part of human nature.”