Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 735 – Concerning Dreams, and Praising Fate

The unexpected occurred because some human or demon expert appeared on the continent.

These experts were far too powerful, so excessively powerful that the entire world was surprised by their appearance, and they looked down upon the Dragon race.

For instance, the legendary Demon Grand Scholar Tungus particularly enjoyed researching dragon blood. In his long and dull life, an uncountable number of dragons died in that laboratory of his, which never saw sunlight but basked in the moonlight year-round. His reputation was so terrifying that weaker Black Frost Dragons would fall from the sky in fright if they heard his name. Another example was the previous master of the Mountain Sea Sword, who had once fought several battles amongst the mountains and seas with evil dragons. It was said that the sea cucumbers harvested from that sea dyed red with blood were particularly valuable. There was also the strongest Black Frost Dragon in a thousand years that became friends with the Demon Lord of Xuelao City, but was ultimately transformed by Zhou Dufu into that mountain range within the Garden of Zhou.

And yet another example was the person called Su Li.

Back in the hot springs on the snowy plains, when the little Black Dragon saw Su Li for the first time, she was almost scared to death.

She could clearly sense that this person had killed many dragons.

Those people who dared to slaughter dragons were not necessarily fierce, as there was still the chance of failure. Only those who succeeded in slaughtering dragons could be called powerful.

Then what could a person like Su Li be called, someone who had journeyed especially to the Southern Sea to see how powerful the Dragon race actually was and had killed countless dragons with his sword?

Well, he had always been a surprise difficult to describe, an almost insane example that could not be understood with common sense.

The little Black Dragon did not know who Shang Xingzhou was, but she could sense that this powerful Daoist was also probably one of those unexpected individuals, so she had intentionally mentioned that matter from the past. Even if the vicious reputation of the Dragon race could not make her opponent retreat, the legendary name of Wang Zhice should make him feel some veneration.

Shang Xingzhou’s response was very calm and indifferent, completely defying her expectations.

“The you in the rumors is very vicious. If a single word was out of line, you would eat someone. After you made landfall in the south, you transformed countless towns and villages into ruins.” He calmly looked at her like an elder looking at a naughty child as he indifferently continued, “But when I saw you at the time in Frost Flower Market, I knew that the rumors were not true.”

Frost Flower Market was a very obscure place in the capital. Chen Changsheng only knew of it because that was where Mo Yu’s Orange Garden was. It was otherwise very difficult for ordinary people to remember. But why could the little Black Dragon remember it? Several hundred years ago, it was there that she had been captured by the experts of the Imperial Court, where she had gasped for breath, void of strength. The small bridge there had been covered in a shallow layer of frost. That wretched scholar surnamed Wang walked across that bridge, his footprints like blooming flowers…

Perhaps this was the origin of the name ‘Frost Flower Market’.

“You…met me back then?” The Black Dragon stared at Shang Xingzhou, the unease and faint fear in her heart transforming into an intense vigilance.

“Of course I met you before. The chains that Wang Zhice used to bind you were borrowed from me.”

Shang Xingzhou’s gaze moved down to her feet.

Those two chains at her ankles which seemed rather short, but were actually incredibly long, made a stark contrast against the white snow.

Her bare feet stood on the snow-covered ground as if she could not feel the cold, but when she heard Shang Xingzhou’s words, she began to feel cold.

Shang Xingzhou continued, “This chain is a treasure of the Li Palace. Junior Brother was able to pull it from the wall, but he was unable to break it.”

The Black Dragon and Chen Changsheng wordlessly glanced at each other.

Everyone said that time was the strongest and history was the heaviest, and now all this heavy strength lay within Shang Xingzhou’s words.

The Elder of Heavenly Secrets had passed, the Pope had returned to the sea of stars, the Demon Lord had fallen into the abyss, and Wang Zhice had secluded himself from the world. No one existed now who had the right to speak with him about the past.

From a certain perspective, he was history and time. It was just that he had not written his own name down all those years ago.

“My companions and comrades-in-arms have died one by one, and there’s still one hiding like a ghost in the mountains, so I can no longer continue to conceal myself.”

Shang Xingzhou looked at the pair and felt rather sorrowful. As if thinking about stories from long ago, he leisurely said, “Because we are all Protectors.”

Chen Changsheng understood his meaning.

No matter how much they schemed against each other and how cruel their plots, no one could deny that at the very beginning, Emperor Taizong and his ministers in the Lingyan Pavilion were dreamers through and through. They had offered their lives and spilled blood precisely for the sake of ending the chaos in the world, to drive out the demons, to act as Protectors for the continent.

Shang Xingzhou was not merely a witness to that magnificent generation, he had been a part of it.

He had originally been one of these dreamers. His name had not been conspicuous, but he had played an extremely important role. Emperor Taizu’s alliance with the then-Pope, Emperor Taizong’s ultimately obtaining the full support of the Li Palace in the coup of the Hundred Herb Garden, and those cruel stories of the Lingyan Pavilion had probably all involved him.

Those comrades-in-arms and companions had died, or been killed by him and Emperor Taizong, or had left. In short, after the long span of one thousand years, only he was left. Even if he was the only one left, precisely because he was the only one left, he had to bear the fate and responsibilities of his companions on his shoulders.

He wanted to become the Protector of the continent, to carry out Emperor Taizong’s dying wish, to realize the dreams of his companions:

Humanity united, the demons bowing in submission, and the world in harmony for ten thousand generations.

“No one can stop me.

“Nor should anyone stop me.

“Including you.”

Shang Xingzhou calmly and firmly said to Chen Changsheng.

Chen Changsheng didn’t know what to say.

Just then, the cry of a crane resounded through the night sky.

A white crane had returned across vast distances from the south and answered for him.

……

……

A wind blew past. It might have been very cold to ordinary people, but to the two humans and one dragon standing beneath the great banyan tree, it was only chilly.

The snow over the lake was blown about, rustling like the dried leaves that had been buried long ago under the snow.

This starless night was still not cold or dark. This was because no matter how the court changed, the lights of the thousands of homes would always illuminate the world, just as they had done for countless years.

The White Crane carried Xu Yourong’s letter expressing Holy Maiden Peak’s fearless stance.

Madam Mu had departed on her carriage, expressing White Emperor City’s stance.

The stances of Mount Li and Scholartree Manor did not need to be asked.

As for the crucial stance of the Orthodoxy, even if many people were willing to support Shang Xingzhou, just who would dare to blatantly oppose Chen Changsheng in the face of the Pope’s final order?

After a somewhat oppressive silence, Shang Xingzhou spoke once more.

“Back when I first picked you out of the stream, I said that your fate was very bad.”

He looked at Chen Changsheng and said, “Now it seems that I was wrong.”

The young Daoist from Xining Village had now become the youngest Pope in history.

His sun wheel had been shattered in the womb, originally limiting his life to twenty years. Now his meridians had been rebuilt, his star openings were perfect, and the path of cultivation before him was level and smooth.

He had the support of the entire Orthodoxy, the support of many factions, and he also had a Protector.

Anyone could see that his fate was very good and worthy of praise.

What next?