Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 1013 – The Will of the Li Palace

In the battle on the Bridge of Helplessness, Chen Changsheng had defeated Xu Yourong, confirming his status as successor of the Orthodoxy.

But on that night, he had not gone to the Great Hall of Light, electing instead to eat stewed beef ribs with Xu Yourong on Fortune Peace Road.

The one to face countless shocked gazes and raise his hand to ask for leave for him had been Tang Thirty-Six.

The person who had lowered their head and received for him the Divine Staff that symbolized the Orthodoxy’s authority was also Tang Thirty-Six.

Today, the person holding the Divine Staff to maintain the Li Palace’s array and lock it on the person in that courtyard of snow was still Tang Thirty-Six.

This sort of pressure was truly too great. Even someone like Tang Thirty-Six was not willing to do it again.

Chen Changsheng looked at him and smiled, and then he turned his head back to the snowbound courtyard, his smile gradually fading.

Inviting the Prefects to White Emperor City was tantamount to moving the Li Palace’s array here.

If the Demon Lord had attacked just now, he really did want to try and see if he could kill him.

Regrettably, but also perhaps fortunately, the Demon Lord had not moved.

Then based on the current situation, Madam Mu would no longer give them a chance like today’s.

He and the Demon Lord might both be able to leave White Emperor City safely, then…

“There’s a matter that I’m wondering if you can help me with.”

He was speaking to Tang Thirty-Six.

Surprised, Tang Thirty-Six asked, “What matter?”

Chen Changsheng replied, “Help me write a few letters.”

Tang Thirty-Six was puzzled about why Chen Changsheng wanted help writing letters. A possibility immediately came to mind, causing his face to instantly turn lively. “A love letter? Although your literary talents are far inferior to mine, why learn from foolish youths? Are you planning to write letters to Luoluo and are afraid that the Holy Maiden will see them?”

Chen Changsheng wanted to explain, but he ultimately just shook his head, appearing extremely helpless.

……

……

Tang Thirty-Six had only arrived at White Emperor City early this morning.

Because he had come in too much of a hurry with such a strict deadline, he did not bring too many subordinates from the Tang clan, only Fivekind Man.

The Fivekind Man that had appeared in Wenshui City several days ago.

In the conflict between Shang Xingzhou and Chen Changsheng, the Tang Old Master preferred the former, but in this major event involving the demons, his response was incredibly clear. He would provide anything that Chen Changsheng required.

The people from the Orthodoxy had also just arrived this morning.

Chen Changsheng had known of this matter the entire time, which is why he had scheduled his meeting with the Demon Lord for today.

The Tang Old Master had dispatched his strongest, as had the Li Palace. Their momentum could be described as vast and mighty.

The moment Hu Thirty-Two arrived with Chen Changsheng’s decree, he and Daoist Siyuan left the same night from the Li Palace. On the way, they met up with Linghai Zhiwang and An Lin. Together with seven thousand Orthodoxy cavalry, they traveled due west from the Mount Song Army headquarters. After passing through the Cong Province Army headquarters, they were guided by the Bear tribe and stealthily entered the watershed of the Red River.

The seven thousand cavalry were currently ensconced deep in the mountains on the opposite shore. Although they could not affect the overall situation in the land of the demi-humans, they still brought an intimidating aura. As for the four archbishops and the Li Palace treasures they carried, they were a powerful force that no one could underestimate.

Of the Six Prefects of the Orthodoxy, Mu Jiushi had been exiled, Daoist Baishi had been executed, and Hu Thirty-Two had been added, leaving five.

Now, four of them had left the capital, coming to White Emperor City tens of thousands of li away.

Mao Qiuyu had not come. Many people thought that this Orthodoxy Prefect with the highest cultivation level had not appeared because he was holding down the Li Palace, but Chen Changsheng knew that this was not the case. Mao Qiuyu was currently in seclusion, waiting for the enlightenment which would let him break through into the Divine.

The matter of White Emperor City was naturally of extreme importance and the safety of the Pope was of the highest priority, but in Chen Changsheng’s view, it was also an extremely important matter for Mao Qiuyu, at this most crucial of moments, to remain undisturbed by outside forces and successfully enter the Divine Domain.

He looked at Linghai Zhiwang and asked, “Who is standing guard over Principal Mao?”

“The Heavenly Dao Academy is temporarily being managed by Daoist Shuxin. Zhuang Zhihuan has remained in the Li Palace this entire time.”

Linghai Zhiwang added, “Besides this, the Archbishop of the Temple Seminary and several senior sisters from the Thirteen Divisions of Radiant Green have also been attending on the side.”

Zhuang Zhihuan had been born in poverty, but he had always been close to the Wenshui Tangs, as they had financially subsidized his education. After acting as Mao Qiuyu’s deputy for many years, he had finally become Principal of the Heavenly Dao Academy several years ago. In terms of both cultivation level and insight, he was incredibly accomplished.

With him standing guard over Mao Qiuyu and those equally capable personages from the rest of the Six Ivies, there was no reason for Chen Changsheng to worry. But when he thought about Zhuang Zhihuan’s son, he couldn’t but show a rather strange expression.

Everyone present knew of the story of the Garden of Zhou and the tragic suicide of Zhuang Huanyu by the well, so they understood Chen Changsheng’s concern.

Linghai Zhiwang glanced at Daoist Siyuan. Daoist Siyuan pretended not to see.

An Lin felt helpless. She stepped forward and said to Chen Changsheng, “Before we left, the venerable Daoist issued a decree ordering the Prince of Xiang to take charge of this matter.”

Chen Changsheng was at first surprised, and then he came to his senses and ceased discussion on the topic.

It was clear that his teacher would not do anything in the current situation, so his ordering the Prince of Xiang to take charge of this matter was probably meant to put Chen Changsheng at ease.

Linghai Zhiwang and Daoist Siyuan seemed to think differently.

“What’s wrong?” Chen Changsheng asked.

Daoist Siyuan said, “Before Priest Xin went to Fengyang City, he met a Daoist from the Monastery of Eternal Spring.”

Chen Changsheng fell silent.

Priest Xin had gone to Fengyang City and died there.

It had been for the explicit purpose of making Bie Yanghong and Wuqiong Bi believe that Chen Changsheng had killed their son.

Master, do you really want me to die so badly?

Chen Changsheng had lost count of the number of times he had thought of this question after the coup of the Mausoleum of Books.

Although the situation had changed, although both the Imperial Court and Shang Xingzhou hoped for him to do a few things in White Emperor City…

Who knew how deep this obsession was?

With a gloomy expression, Linghai Zhiwang said, “If someone were to make a stab at your back in this crucial moment, it would be very difficult to handle.”

The Orthodoxy had unfathomably deep reserves and hidden strength, so even Chen Changsheng’s bringing the Li Palace to White Emperor City did not matter too much, but if Shang Xingzhou did not want to see the Orthodoxy gain an expert of the Divine Domain, who could really stop him?

Chen Changsheng indicated that there would be no more discussion of this matter.

Linghai Zhiwang and Daoist Siyuan were astonished, but they said no more.

Traveling over vast distances and enduring the pressure of the snowstorm outside the courtyard left the Orthodoxy’s people and Tang Thirty-Six thoroughly fatigued, but they still could not rest. Chen Changsheng required their opinion on several matters.

The Daoist church became very quiet.

Starting from the coup of the Mausoleum of Books, a human expert of the Divine Domain returning to the sea of stars became a very commonplace event, but those had been a result of the Human race’s internal conflicts. In contrast, Bie Yanghong and Wuqiong Bi had died at the hands of another race.

Linghai Zhiwang declared, “Madam Mu must die.”

Even a Prefect of the Orthodoxy did not have the right to speak of a Saint’s death. In normal times, this could be considered a rash and presumptuous statement.

But everyone very calmly accepted his words.

In their view, this was only to be expected.