Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Xu Yourong quietly stared at the Divine Path, stared for a very long time.

As the snowstorm intensified and slackened, nobody appeared.

The little Black Dragon had taken out a stewed beef knuckle from some place and was currently gnawing on it. In a muffled voice, she said, "If it's not the final moment, who would dare to kill you?"

Xu Yourong gave a faint smile, then turned and began to walk out of the Mausoleum of Books.

The Black Dragon thrust her hand into the snowstorm. The oil staining her hand was instantly frozen into powder by an extremely low temperature, then blown away by the wind, leaving her hand completely clean.

She looked at Xu Yourong's back and asked, "Just what do you want Wang Po to do?"

Xu Yourong still did not reply.

The little Black Dragon suddenly thought of a possibility, and her vertical pupils slightly constricted.

She chased after Xu Yourong and began to yell.

"You want him to intrude upon the Divine Path?

"Shang Xingzhou will definitely come to personally stop him!

"That will cause a huge problem!"

……

……

The news that Mao Qiuyu had broken into the Divine Domain was quickly made known to the entire continent, causing shocks to run through it.

In a very short time, the Li Palace requested an honorific title from the emperor on his behalf.

According to the old customs, an estate would have to be arranged for him.

The Storms of the Eight Directions had all had their own estates. For example, Bie Yanghong and Wuqiong Bi had Xiling's Ten Thousand Years Pavilion while Guan Xingke had Starshatter Rock in the Southern Sea. Cao Yunping's estate was Mount Feiya, which the Tianhai Divine Empress had gifted to the Elder of Heavenly Secrets, though very few people knew that the price the Elder of Heavenly Secrets had paid was just a visit to the capital to take a look at Chen Changsheng.

The estate Mao Qiuyu chose was somewhat surprising, but it was also within reason.

He chose Mount Han.

Mount Han was in the northern reaches of the continent, very far from the capital but very close to the snowy plains that the demons ruled.

More importantly, it was where the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets had once resided.

The Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets now completely belonged to the Great Zhou Imperial Court, but the buildings around the Heaven Lake of Mount Han and the marks the Elder of Heavenly Secrets had left there were still present.

Mao Qiuyu had used this choice to make his stance known, and it was also the Li Palace's second display of force following the events at the Mount Song Army headquarters.

The Great Zhou Imperial Court had no reaction. They remained silent on the matter and gave no objection.

Shang Xingzhou was still in Luoyang's Monastery of Eternal Spring and the emperor was still residing deep within the palace, rarely leaving his hall and even more rarely meeting people.

Xu Yourong's visit that night to the Imperial Palace had stimulated countless conjectures and much unease, but it now seemed that the weather would be fine for now.

The people simultaneously exhaled, but they were also greatly confused. Countless gazes looked toward a certain peaceful courtyard in the capital, looked toward its orange lanterns.

The marriage between the Prince of Louyang and Mo Yu was about to take place. Chen Changsheng would be officiating, and Xu Yourong, as the bride's only friend, would naturally be attending.

……

……

This marriage that attracted the attention of countless people was not conducted in the princely estate, but in the Orange Garden.

Starting at dawn, the garden became extremely lively, with the congratulations of guests and their teasing voices never once stopping.

Compared to the front courtyard, the rear courtyard seemed much quieter.

Linghai Zhiwang and several dozen bishops stood in the surrounding snowy forest, cutting this place off from the front courtyard.

Chen Changsheng stood in a pavilion, listening to the noise. He shook his head and said, "I didn't think that they were going to live here after they married. I still thought that she would move to the Road of Peace."

Xu Yourong looked away from the winterplums and said, "She doesn't want to be neighbors with those princes, and besides, the Road of Peace left a bad impression on her."

This year, both the capital and Luoyang were very cold, but time was still passing and the winter was reaching its end.

The winterplums outside the pavilion radiated a striking and glamorous red, but perhaps in another few days, one would no longer be able to see such a sight.

Chen Changsheng gazed at the winterplums and thought of the death by a thousand cuts that Mo Yu and Zhexiu had carried out on Zhou Tong on the Road of Peace. He couldn't help but sigh.

The snow on the winterplums rustled down as a wind blew through the rear courtyard.

Mo Yu came with the wind.

Her face was heavily adorned with makeup today, but it did not seem overdone. She was gorgeous, just as striking as the bloody winterplums.

Before Chen Changsheng had time to voice his congratulations, a wave of perfume assaulted him.

Mo Yu hugged him.

Frightened, Chen Changsheng tried to push her away, but when he saw that exhaustion that not even the thick makeup could hide, he found that he couldn't bear to.

Mo Yu scooted up to his neck and took a deep whiff. "It's so comfortable! Alas, I won't be able to smell it in the future."

Xu Yourong raised her brows and turned around.

Mo Yu taunted, "Your eyes don't see, but your heart still isn't clean. If you're really not angry, why did you turn around?"

Yourong is fine. Yourong isn't angry.

Xu Yourong looked at the winterplums before her and mentally said to herself.

Then she turned around and gave Mo Yu a sweet smile. "I have no idea what you're saying."

Mo Yu teased, "Keep pretending."

No one understood Xu Yourong more than her.

She knew how eccentric Xu Yourong's personality was, how completely different it was from what she showed on the surface.

Xu Yourong glared at Chen Changsheng and walked out of the courtyard.

Chen Changsheng's arms had been spread wide open the entire time so as to avoid touching Mo Yu's body. He looked extremely innocent.

Only when she saw Xu Yourong leave did Mo Yu stop hugging him.

They were the only people left in the pavilion.

The mood was rather warm and naturally rather awkward, especially for Chen Changsheng.

This was the case whether it was Mo Yu who intentionally made Xu Yourong leave in a huff or it was Xu Yourong giving them this chance to be alone.

An uproar suddenly came from the front courtyard, so Chen Changsheng hurriedly said, "His Highness seems to have rather decent relationships with other people."

"Something like relationships primarily depends on whether someone can be a threat to you, so my relationships have always been bad."

Mo Yu said, "None of those brothers and even nephews of his have ever thought much of him, but… people like the Prince of Zhongshan and the Prince of Luling can be considered to like him. After all, he's the only weirdo of the Chen clan who has no interest in power or glory, not a single bit of ambition, and a nerve so weak it's pitiful."

The Prince of Louyang was very famous for his good-for-nothing personality, but it was not appropriate for Chen Changsheng to say anything more.

Mo Yu suddenly looked at him and sternly asked, "Do you know what Prince Chen Liu said in the Monastery of Eternal Spring?"

Hearing these words, Chen Changsheng was finally sure that she had intentionally had Xu Yourong leave in a huff.

"Prince Chen Liu said that she's going crazy."

Mo Yu stared into his eyes. "I trust in his judgment."

Chen Changsheng was stunned for a moment, then said, "I don't understand your meaning."

"When she was very young, I, Prince Chen Liu, and Ping recognized her for what she was. Only we know just what sort of person she really is. She's not like the common people imagine, the Holy Maiden that doesn't partake of mortal foods, nor is she some pure and noble lady. She clearly knows her goal and is extremely cold to this world, and you know what this means."

"You've already said these things to me. I don't believe she and the Divine Empress are the same type of person."

"All the things she's done recently have made you more vigilant?"

"Because I have not felt her coldness."

Mo Yu considered this, and she was forced to admit, "She treats you differently from the rest."

Chen Changsheng sincerely asked, "Then what do I have to worry about?"

Rather incensed, Mo Yu said, "Today is the happy day where I get married, so can you not flaunt in front of my face?"

Startled, Chen Changsheng asked, "What are we flaunting?"

"Tang Thirty-Six said it right."

Mo Yu resentfully spat, "You two are truly a fine couple of…"

Chen Changsheng suggested, "A golden boy and jade girl?"

Mo Yu sneered, "Understand it on your own."