Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 993 – Quietly

There were still some things that Chen Changsheng did not understand.

On that night in the Mausoleum of Books, the monk from the other continent had not come with his true body. He had used some sort of method to send over his soul.

The two Angels from the Sacred Light Continent that Bie Yanghong had encountered clearly had corporeal bodies. How did they come?

If it was so easy to travel between the two continents, why had no one from the Sacred Light Continent ever appeared before?

He brought up this question with Bie Yanghong, and also inquired as to the method the imperials had used to escape to the Sacred Light Continent.

And more importantly, what was the relationship between the Demon race and the Sacred Light Continent?

Bie Yanghong did not give concrete answers to these questions, because he was not sure if his speculations were correct, so he did not want to affect Chen Changsheng’s judgment.

He said to Chen Changsheng, “For these matters, you should ask your teacher.”

There was nothing wrong with this response. In this world, Shang Xingzhou was assuredly the person with the deepest understanding of the Sacred Light Continent.

He had picked up Chen Changsheng from the stream, driven away the Golden Dragon, and invited the monk from the exiled imperials to come to this world and attack the Tianhai Divine Empress.

His shadow was behind every matter related to the Sacred Light Continent, or else his direct participation.

And those matters were all related to Chen Changsheng.

He did not know what to say.

Bie Yanghong solemnly warned, “Your Holiness must be careful.”

Chen Changsheng understood his meaning.

The battle between the Divine several days ago was a naked attack against a human expert by Madam Mu and the Demon race. What was even more worthy of their caution was that this matter now involved the other race on the other end of the starry sky. The Human race needed to make the strongest response in which Chen Changsheng, as the Pope, also had a duty to bear. At the same time, he would also have to endure a massive pressure.

Crucially, he had to make clear just what Shang Xingzhou was thinking.

Those were all matters for the future, as there were many matters in the present that needed his attention.

Chen Changsheng glanced at Wuqiong Bi.

Wuqiong Bi fiercely glared back.

Chen Changsheng drew back his gaze and asked Bie Yanghong, “Do you really not need to say anything?”

Bie Yanghong shook his head.

Chen Changsheng once more turned to the comatose Xuanyuan Po.

Xuanyuan Po had a sturdy body and a face covered in whiskers, making him seem rather old. In reality, though, he was the youngest in the Orthodox Academy.

Chen Changsheng, Tang Thirty-Six, Su Moyu and Zhexiu loved to tease Xuanyuan Po, but they also doted on him.

He had no idea when Xuanyuan Po would wake up.

……

……

Chen Changsheng walked out of the courtyard and ordered the Archbishop of the Western Wastes that no one was permitted to step into the alley.

The archbishop grunted in acknowledgment. He did not ask a silly question like ‘what do I do if such and such comes?’ Since no one was permitted to step into the alley, then even if the White Emperor and Madam Mu came, or Shang Xingzhou and the Emperor came, none of them would be allowed inside.

Upon sensing the Qi of the several dozen experts in the streets and the incredibly clear Qi of the Li Palace’s array, Chen Changsheng somewhat relaxed.

The White Crane cried out as he mounted it and flew into the air. The several hundred swords around the small courtyard flew through the air with him.

Though he knew that everything was probably okay on that side, he was still rather worried and nervous.

So he did not notice that, before leaving, the White Crane had glanced at the Celestial Tree temple as if greeting some person.

……

……

Upon confirming that Chen Changsheng had left, Wuqiong Bi instantly regained her composure. She rushed to Bie Yanghong and shouted, “There’s something wrong with your brain! What if something happened?”

She was referring to Bie Yanghong’s using his finger to transmit his experience in the battle of the Divine and his wisdom to Chen Changsheng.

It was a transmission technique secretly passed down in Xiling’s Ten Thousand Years Pavilion for seven thousand years, called ‘One Point of Red’.

A teacher could use this technique to directly pass on their understanding of cultivation to their disciple.

This Daoist technique was very mystical and equally dangerous. The slightest lack of caution would lead to backlash from the technique.

In the past, it was only before the Grand Examination or the opening of the Garden of Zhou that Xiling’s Ten Thousand Years Pavilion would choose a few most exceptional students lacking in experience to use this method on.

If one wanted to use this Daoist technique to transfer one’s skills and energy to a disciple, there was even more danger, essentially resulting in death for both the sender and the recipient. For this reason, such an event had only happened twice in the seven-thousand-year existence of this technique in the Ten Thousand Years Pavilion.

Wuqiong Bi had truly been worried when she had seen Bie Yanghong’s finger touch Chen Changsheng’s brow. Her anger now was actually rather reasonable.

Bie Yanghong quietly looked back at her, saying nothing.

Wuqiong Bi suddenly recalled that in these last two days, he had often quietly looked at her like this, not saying anything. She then recalled that in the last two years, he would often quietly gaze at the distant mountains. After that, she recalled what the common people would often say about her and her husband, what those people, Wang Po and his ilk, would often say with their eyes… She suddenly felt flustered and anxiously held her tongue.

She and Bie Yanghong had been married for many years, so he naturally knew what she was thinking. He faintly smiled and rubbed her head.

Wuqiong Bi was even more flustered, because though Bie Yanghong had respected and protected her in the last few years, it had been ages since he had last made such an intimate gesture.

In order to dispel the anxiety in her heart, she awkwardly changed the subject, asking, “Why didn’t you tell him that Xu Yourong had visited?”

“That the Holy Maiden did not appear indicated that she does not want Chen Changsheng to know. I naturally will not say more.”

Bie Yanghong thought for a few moments, then said with heartfelt sincerity, “In the future, you need to treat His Holiness the Pope and the Holy Maiden with more respect.”

Wuqiong Bi angrily replied, “I certainly don’t have the energy to waste on such empty gestures. In any case, for your sake, they won’t do anything to me, or are you planning on throwing me away?”

Bie Yanghong said nothing, only sighed.

Wuqiong Bi recalled his earlier action and once more grew uneasy. She muttered, “If worst comes to worst, I’ll change my temper in the future, kill fewer people.”

Bie Yanghong still said nothing.

Wuqiong Bi’s expression turned nasty. “Are you really prepared to cast me aside?”

The more she thought about it, the more she felt this was true. Both anxious and angry, she began to cry, then curse.

To Bie Yanghong, there was nothing fresh or new about her curses. Time and time again, it was still those same phrases: ‘conscienceless old fool’, ‘heartless and poor scholar’, ‘if it wasn’t for me back then, this and that would have happened’. And yet, just when he was truly beginning to get angry…

Wuqiong Bi, her face drenched in tears, said, “Now I have no hand, or even a son. If you leave, what will happen to me?”

Bie Yanghong sighed and hugged her, lightly patting her on the back so as to stop her from crying too hard.

Her temper had always been this bad. He had always known, but he had never been able to do anything about it.

After some time, Wuqiong Bi grew tired from her crying and cursing. Leaning against his chest, she fell into a deep sleep.

Even while she dreamed, her left hand was tightly latched to his collar, as if she was afraid that he would silently leave.

Bie Yanghong did not sleep. He quietly looked at her face, his thoughts impossible to read.

……

……

The mists in the mountain dispersed.

The sound of waves could be heard from far below at the bottom of the cliff.

Chen Changsheng got down from the White Crane and walked forward.

In front of him was a Celestial Tree, its trunk stretching into the clouds.

At the base of the tree was a large hollow.

Inside was a small house.

A girl dressed in black quietly stood in front of it.