Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 980 – The Order of a Teacher Is Difficult to Defy

A White Crane in the heavens.

This sight attracted countless gazes from White Emperor City.

Ten-some gray vultures flew up from the Imperial City to meet it. Yet these fierce birds, famed for being difficult to tame, seemed very timid today. They did not dare approach the White Crane, maintaining a distance of several li.

Countless gazes watched as the White Crane flew through the sky.

In an extremely short time, the White Crane had flown from the mountains on the opposite shore of the Red River to the highest point of the Imperial City, where it descended.

The terrifying monsters of ancient times, like the Monster Bull and the Earth Monkey, had become extremely rare, and immortal birds were an even rarer sight.

The demi-human populace was shocked as they speculated as to the origins of the person on the White Crane’s back.

The Archbishop of the Western Wastes led several dozen priests in kneeling on the floor.

Their faces were very respectful, even humble, but their eyes blazed with passion and fervor.

The Tang clan stewards and the cultivators from the south quickly came to their senses. With astonished faces, they prostrated on the ground.

The Great Zhou ambassador felt somewhat conflicted, but he did not hesitate for too long before kneeling along with his subordinates.

Upon seeing this, some demi-humans recalled the White Crane that was currently most renowned on the continent and guessed at the identity of the person on its back.

The chatter in front of the Imperial City suddenly stopped, leaving only silence.

The Demi-human race had been allied to the Human race for a thousand years. With all their interactions, there were also many believers of the Orthodoxy amongst the Demi-human race. These now ecstatically dropped to their knees and began to bow.

Many people still did not know what was happening or about the identity of the person on the White Crane. But they did see the people around them kneeling on the floor and piously kowtowing, so they were infected by this mood and subconsciously kneeled as well.

From the Imperial City to Heavensguard Pavilion, from the stone walls to the grass meadow, countless demi-humans kneeled on the ground like a tide.

……

……

A chilly wind blew.

The white flowers on the gray pavement trembled.

The White Crane slowly folded its wings.

That person stood on the observation platform.

The Divine Staff held in his left hand was still brightly shining with rays of sacred light.

His eyes were even brighter than the light of the Divine Staff.

The air over the observation platform seemed to have frozen as an almost absolute silence reigned.

Countless gazes rested on him, busting with a complex array of emotions.

There was no one on the continent that did not recognize the White Crane, did not recognize the Divine Staff.

And so, there was naturally no one who would not recognize who he was.

The one riding the White Crane to this place was not a celestial, but a Saint.

The one gripping the Divine Staff was not a god, but the Pope.

From the Prince of Luling’s estate to the two shores of the Red River, crossing eighty thousand li through traveling day and night, forcing open the seal, Chen Changsheng had finally arrived.

In this long journey, he could not keep track of how many clouds he had flown through or gusts he had suffered, but his appearance was still clean, his blue Daoist robes not stained with a speck of dust. The only difference was that the topknot that was usually tightly tied was somewhat messy.

Luoluo cutely rubbed her eyes and tilted her head.

She believed that her eyes had seen wrongly, her ears had heard wrongly.

Upon confirming that she was not wrong, she began to smile.

This was the most authentic of smiles, emerging from inside to outside, a flower blooming.

Anyone who saw this smile, no matter their standpoint, would be able to vividly sense her current happiness and joy.

Luoluo ran like the wind toward Chen Changsheng.

Just like everyone had imagined.

But when she was just a few steps from Chen Changsheng, she stopped.

She stopped so hurriedly that her shoe rubbed out a clear print on the hard stone of the platform.

She lightly lowered her head, her hands clasping together. Her posture was perfect without anything strange.

“I have seen Teacher.”

……

……

For one to switch from arrogance to deference inevitably meant that there was something being sought after, because change required a reason.

Luoluo’s display naturally had its reasons.

Chen Changsheng knew, so he did not say anything, only looked at her.

It had been a very long time since he had seen her.

Five years.

Perhaps it was because of her blood or because the sea of stars pampered her, but time had left no trace on Luoluo’s petite face.

Chen Changsheng felt like he was still seeing that girl from five years ago.

In those five years, he had rarely written her letters, so he believed that she had gradually forgotten about those things of the past.

But time truly had no effect on her.

She had not forgotten.

Of course, neither had he.

He was now the Pope, as well as the Principal of the Orthodox Academy. He had many students, and many ardent believers like An Hua.

But in terms of true students, he only had one.

And she was his earliest follower, when he was just a young Daoist priest that nobody knew about.

When he thought of these things, a faint smile appeared on Chen Changsheng’s face, like a wisp of spring wind.

His voice was also like the spring breeze. Although it was not deliberately moving, it easily got close and intimate, lingering and never leaving.

“Rise.”

Luoluo stood up.

She had always been the most obedient to him.

Chen Changsheng had always spoiled her the most.

This gave rise to his second command.

“Come here.”

Luoluo walked up to him.

She stood behind him.

Just like that first night in the Orthodox Academy.

When that demon assassin was trying to kill her, Chen Changsheng stood in front of her.

It was also like the first night of the Ivy Festival.

When the Education Overseer of the Heavenly Dao Academy was prepared to attack her, Chen Changsheng had pulled her behind him.

Luoluo stared at Chen Changsheng’s back, deciding that her royal father really had spoken the truth.

‘When the sky is falling, there will be someone tall to hold it up for you.’

Teacher has always been taller than me.

Her gaze fell on Chen Changsheng’s clothes. She thought about a scene that Archbishop An Lin had described in her letter and was suddenly taken by an impulse.

That demon princess can grab it, so why can’t I?

But in the end, she did not reach out, as she proudly thought to herself, I’m Teacher’s student. I don’t need to prove it to anybody.

She ceased to think about the past, ceased to think about the present.

The order of her parents, the marriage with the Demon Lord—she no longer needed to ponder these things.

She knew that her teacher would help her handle them.

At this moment, all she needed to do was attentively stare at Chen Changsheng.

And then continuously sigh.

Teacher’s back really is nice to look at.

Teacher still smells just as fine.

……

……

Many people were looking at Chen Changsheng.

Just like Luoluo.

Chen Changsheng ignored these gazes.

He was looking at Madam Mu.

Madam Mu fell quiet for a while, then asked, “Your Holiness has come to preside over the ceremony?”

Chen Changsheng replied, “As I said, I object.”

Madam Mu indifferently said, “Does your objection have any meaning?”

Chen Changsheng answered, “If I do not permit her to marry, she cannot be married.”

A voice came from nearby.

“And why is that?”

Chen Changsheng did not look at the questioner as he calmly answered, “Because I am her teacher.”

The observation platform was quiet.

The rustling of the pear blossoms in the wind thundered in the ears of the crowd.

Madam Mu had earlier justified the marriage as being the orders of the parent and the words of the matchmaker.

The marriage between Luoluo and the Demon Lord had been decided by her and the White Emperor, and been agreed to by the ancestral spirits of the Demi-human race. Who else could object?

Logically speaking, there was no one else with the right to object.

Fortunately, Luoluo had a teacher.

The entire continent knew of this matter.

The heavens and earth, the sovereign, the parents, the teacher.

A teacher for a day, a father for a lifetime.

He had every right to oppose this marriage.

Luoluo peered out from behind his back and said, “Ah, everyone’s heard it clearly. I can’t do anything about it. It’s difficult to defy the orders of the teacher.”

As she said this, she opened her eyes wide, appearing particularly cute and innocent.