Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 827 – Without My Permission, the Sun Cannot Set Behind the Mountains

The Tang Second Master’s laughing face was gradually restrained. Looking at Chen Changsheng, he asked, “Does Your Holiness the Pope truly intend to humiliate our Tang clan?”

Chen Changsheng’s gaze was fixed on some place outside the hall as he replied, “I’ve never thought about humiliating anybody, but that fellow would often misinterpret my intentions to satisfy his own malicious interests. For example, right now, he would definitely say, ‘I’m humiliating you, which has nothing to do with the Tang clan, because since when did you get the right to represent the Tang clan?'”

This was a most important question.

Although Chen Changsheng was borrowing Tang Thirty-Six’s name to say it, it was clearly a question he wanted to ask.

The Orthodoxy did not agree to the second branch’s inheriting the Tang clan and was not even willing to negotiate with it. It still firmly supported the chief branch.

This was a matter that had been determined a long time ago. However, before today, the Tang Second Master couldn’t help but imagine another possibility. With the Imperial Court clearly at the height of its power and the Tang clan’s chief branch at its nadir, perhaps the Li Palace might have given up on its original thoughts and was now attempting to draw closer to him, the true person in charge of the Tang clan?

If such a thing really did happen, the Tang clan would become even more important, would be able to act more freely, and would gain even more profit.

Chen Changsheng’s words now directly announced that such a possibility did not exist.

The Tang Second Master was not too disappointed, but he once more felt that pressure.

This statement meant that if he wanted to become the true head of the Tang clan, he first needed to pass the bottleneck that was Chen Changsheng.

Although he was very confident and had the full support of the Imperial Court and Shang Xingzhou, his opponent this time was the entire Orthodoxy.

“I have no desire to humiliate the Tang clan, and in truth, I also have no desire to humiliate you. I just really don’t like that laughing face of yours.”

Chen Changsheng’s voice was still extremely calm, just like the expression on his face.

It was somewhat impolite to say this in front of him, but at least it was honest.

“Wang Po also doesn’t like this laughing face of mine… When he first saw me laugh like this in the old estate, he wanted nothing more than to punch me in the face.”

The Tang Second Master continued, “But even if he’s now an expert of the Divine Domain, I can still laugh like this and he still has no means of seizing me. Your Holiness, if you really don’t like my way of laughing, then close your eyes or try to get used to it.”

Compared to Chen Changsheng’s words, his stance was even more impolite and unyielding.

This meaning of these words was clear and simple.

‘The Li Palace should not involve itself in the Tang clan’s affairs, and does not have the ability to, so please pretend you don’t know, or… endure.’

……

……

The Daoist church of Wenshui, whether speaking of its main hall or its rear hall, was exceptionally grandiose, on par with the palace halls of the Li Palace.

This was because the Tang clan of Wenshui City had tributed far too much treasure to the Orthodoxy over the countless years.

Perhaps for this reason, the Guardians and attendants from the Tang clan did not look at the church with any sort of reverence. On the contrary, they proudly regarded it as a property of their clan.

Quite some time had passed since the Tang Second Master entered the rear hall, yet no sound had emerged from it. The expressions of the two Guardians gradually turned grim while those attendants wanted nothing more than to charge in.

If not for the fact that two archbishops stood guard outside, if the Pope were not within, if things were still as usual, the people of the Tang clan really might have done this.

The two Guardians glanced at each other, seeing the vigilance and unease in each other’s eyes. Using some almost undetectable means, a message was sent out of the forest.

No howls of wind erupted from the forest, but there were a few extremely faint ripples of Qi that not even the church’s array was able to sense.

The Archbishop of Wenshui, several dozen priests, and even more cavalry stood guard at this place.

On a certain tree in the forest, Zhexiu hugged the Demon Commander’s Banner Sword, his eyes closed. He seemed to be resting, but his spiritual sense had been following those ripples of Qi this entire time.

If the Tang clan truly dared to commit this monstrous crime, the two Guardians and the people they had brought would find it impossible to break into the rear hall, as Linghai Zhiwang and An Lin were there, and the people hiding in the forest would probably be killed very quickly.

The Tang clan naturally would not do something so foolish. Their true preparations were probably coming from another direction.

The back garden of the church bordered the Wenshui. On the opposite shore was a long dike, and behind the dike were restaurants and houses.

Two of these houses, separated by around two hundred zhang, had their doors tightly shut and were dimly lit. There were many people hidden inside, as well as several heavy metal boxes. These metal boxes contained mountain-breaking hatchets, a weapon designed by the Tang clan that was often used to hack off the sharp and hard foreclaws of the demons’ wolf mounts on the battlefield. Today, however, their intended use was to sever the thick chains floating on the Wenshui.

When those chains were severed, the surface of the Wenshui which had been calm for so many years would welcome ten-some armored ships, each of them fitted with divine crossbows.

The drainpipe leading to the Daoist church was already full of some black, viscous, and oily substance, though its use was not yet clear.

The sun shone on the restaurant. From the second floor, one could get an even better view, could see even farther.

Luo Bu sat by the balcony, facing the setting sun as he drank while mentally counting how long it had been since the Tang Second Master had entered the hall.

The Orthodoxy had many experts, so logically speaking, even though the Tang clan had prepared for a long time, they should still have been able to cope with it.

The problem was that this was not all of the Tang clan’s strength.

Luo Bu looked to the floor below.

The sunset hung over the Wenshui, the evening clouds gathered in the curtain of the night, and the trees lining the banks seemed to become red maples.

A blind zither player strummed his zither by the river.

Seven peddlers, six government laborers, three fortune-tellers, two elders selling sesame candy, and one girl buying cosmetic powder were on the street.

It was the same as yesterday.

Luo Bu silently regarded all this and thought to himself, the Tang clan’s strength is truly unfathomable.

Would this fellow really get into trouble today?

……

……

“This being the case, why have you come to see me?” Chen Changsheng asked as he looked at the Tang Second Master.

The Tang Second Master answered, “This is Wenshui City, so as master, I naturally have to come and greet you and see if there’s anything you find dissatisfactory. This is courtesy.”

Chen Changsheng was quiet for a few moments, then said, “I know.”

With the message delivered, he intended to send off his guest.

The Tang Second Master naturally would not leave like this. He still had not met that person he wanted to meet.

“Your Holiness has a friend in Wenshui. Coincidentally, I also have a friend in the Li Palace called Baishi.”

He said to Chen Changsheng, “I don’t know where he is right now. It’s hard for old friends to meet, and I want to invite him to drink a few cups of wine with me.”

Chen Changsheng replied, “Regrettably, he will no longer be able to drink this cup of wine, as he is already dead.”

He was very calm, as if he was speaking about a most ordinary affair.

But the Tang Second Master could no longer maintain his composure. His complexion slowly changed, and then he began to noiselessly laugh.

This time, there were a few more ambiguous emotions in his laughing face, and it was much colder.

“Then has Your Holiness ever thought that perhaps your friend is also already dead?”

He stared into Chen Changsheng’s eyes.

Chen Changsheng was still very calm. “No, because I am still alive.”

This was confidence.

He was the Pope.

As long as he lived, who would dare kill that friend of his?

The Tang Second Master stared into his eyes, stared for a very long time. Suddenly, he said, “Perhaps Your Holiness does not know, but my elder brother is suffering from a terrible illness. He has been confined to his bed for more than two years, and all medicine has been ineffective. He might die at any time. And this illness… is highly likely to be hereditary.”

Chen Changsheng asked, “Then why haven’t you gotten it? So in my view, this illness is not hereditary and that friend of mine will not get sick.”

The Tang Second Master’s voice became even colder. “Just who can say anything about a thing like illness?”

Chen Changsheng stared back, enunciating each word. “I can speak about it. If I do not permit him to get sick, he will not get sick.”