Ze Tian Ji

Edited by: Michyrr

The teachers and students of the Orthodox Academy sent Chen Changsheng off with their eyes as he walked towards the gate. The expression in their eyes was very complex, their moods very sorrowful.

The female disciples of South Stream Temple were waiting for him at the gate.

Chen Changsheng indicated that these women did not need to follow him and walked out.

"This is the order of the temple master," Ye Xiaolian angrily called from behind him.

Chen Changsheng knew that it would be very difficult to convince these girls, so he said to Priest Xin who had come to welcome him outside the academy, "Please."

Priest Xin sighed and waved his hands, ordering the priests of the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education and the Orthodoxy cavalry to step forward and surround the Orthodox Academy. Naturally, they also blocked the disciples of South Stream Temple within.

Chen Changsheng turned back to the Orthodox Academy and silently bid farewell.

Three and a half years had passed since that spring day.

He did not know when he would next see them, the ivies and people within the Orthodox Academy.

He had written four letters and passed them to Su Moyu, just as Su Li had done, clearly communicating everything he wanted to communicate.

The chill coming from the well of New North Bridge was getting colder and colder. Only two years were needed before the little Black Dragon would be able to escape.

He no longer had any debts with this world, no burdens to shoulder, so he could advance freely.

As he watched Chen Changsheng’s back disappear into Hundred Flowers Lane, Priest Xin felt a complex assortment of emotions.

It did not take long for the news that Chen Changsheng had left the Orthodox Academy to spread to the entire capital.

In these past few days of late autumn, Zhou Tong was not often at the Imperial Palace. Instead, he was at the newly renovated offices of the Department for Purging Officials, overseeing matters.

When this news was delivered to the alley of the Northern Military Department, he happened to be sitting in a palace armchair, brand-new yet painstakingly worked on until it looked old, and drinking tea.

The tea he drank was the still the most expensive Great Crimson Gown, and his garb was still that great crimson official’s robe that seemed to give off the stench of blood.

His face was very pale, his eyes so apathetic as to seem utterly devoid of human emotion. He looked more like some ferocious ghost.

"Make the preparations to welcome an honored guest."

He lightly placed his teacup on the table and calmly ordered his subordinates in the courtyard.

The officials received the order and began to hurriedly rush about. The atmosphere both inside and outside Zhou Prison became particularly stern and oppressive.

On a distant street, a man exuding a cold and gloomy Qi akin to iron glanced up at the sky upon hearing this news.

The sky was getting darker and darker not because of the passage of time, but because the clouds were piling thicker and thicker. It was no longer the season of crisp autumn climate. It seemed like it was about to snow.

Not long afterwards, the newest report was quickly sent to the alley of the Northern Military Department: Chen Changsheng had entered the Li Palace.

In the small courtyard, those most loyal and most powerful subordinates turned to that palace armchair, thinking to themselves, could His Excellency have overthought things?

The Imperial Court had arrayed so many forces, would even a person like Chen Changsheng still dare to invade Zhou Prison?

"Going to the Li Palace does not mean that he won’t go another place later today."

Zhou Tong gazed at the red clay teapot in his hands as if it were something dead and indifferently said, "Let us wait for him to come out."

......

......

The four seasons did not exist in the deepest part of the Li Palace, and so there was naturally no cold of winter, nor was there any sign that snow was about to fall in that piece of sky cut out by the eaves.

Just like the Green Leaf, which was still brimming with life, tender and green. Its leaves swayed in the falling trickle of clear water, displaying its beautiful stem.

No sign of illness could be seen on the Pope’s face, but his wrinkles had deepened and increased in number. He seemed much older.

Just as Mei Lisha did on the autumn day before he died, elder cultivators would in a very brief span of time display their elderliness.

Seeing the Pope’s face, Chen Changsheng felt rather sorrowful and sad, that this was unfair of both this great earth and the starry heavens above.

The Pope was younger than Shang Xingzhou by two years.

He was keenly aware that if his martial uncle had not encountered so many conflicts between his own demands and the situation of the world, and thus been unable to maintain a truly serene Dao heart, he would never have aged so quickly.

From the look on his face, the Pope knew what he was thinking. Smiling, he asked, "Are you not thinking that good people do not live long?"

Chen Changsheng silently nodded.

"But I am not at all a good person. Of course, even if that statement is true, it is no reason for us to become bad people."

Chen Changsheng was very pleased by these words. Opening wide his bright eyes, he seriously affirmed, "Yes."

The Pope wiped the beads of water from the Green Leaf. Taking the towel offered by Chen Changsheng to wipe his hands, he indicated that Chen Changsheng should sit. "Your master has been very quiet over these past few days. Do you not think it strange?"

Both the Orthodox Academy’s defiance of the decree and Wang Po’s entering the capital were major events for the new government, but Shang Xingzhou had not once given his opinion on them, not even saying anything during the celebration of the confluence of the north and south.

Chen Changsheng clearly understood that this was not in accordance with his master’s personality, but he was truly not concerned about it.

"In these past few days, he has been constantly attempting to get the Imperial Court to control the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets," the Pope went on. "It seems now that he’s on the verge of success."

No matter how little Chen Changsheng cared about these matters, he still couldn’t help but be shocked by this statement.

The Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets was no ordinary organization, and possessed an unimaginable amount of resources and power. When the Divine Empress reigned, the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets could have been considered one of the strongest pillars of the Great Zhou Imperial Court. Now, with both the Divine Empress and the Elder of Heavenly Secrets dead, if Shang Xingzhou were able to keep the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets under the control of the Imperial Court, it would be a truly extraordinary feat.

The importance of this matter could not be overestimated.

The rebellion in Xuelao City had killed humanity’s greatest foe in one thousand years, momentarily addressing the danger of the demons encroaching southward. Immediately after, he unhesitantly took over negotiations from Tianhai’s government to dependably and prudently push the confluence of the north and south forward until both sides finally signed. If Shang Xingzhou was even able to settle the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets...

Even if he remained reading books in that little room in the Imperial Palace, not seeing people much, he would still be a god in the hearts of the people.

"To Senior Brother, this is not at all perfect."

The Pope gazed at Chen Changsheng and said, "You know what he wanted to do at the very start."

Chen Changsheng knew.

To Shang Xingzhou, the ideal situation was nothing else than him once more possessing the authority of the Orthodoxy after the Pope died.

However, although he was a member of the Orthodoxy’s legitimate line of succession, many events had happened in the past and he was also the Pope’s senior brother, so from all sorts of angles, it was impossible for him to ascend to the throne of Pope.

Thus, after the night of the Mausoleum of Books, the first thing he did was push forward Mu Jiushi and attempt to replace Chen Changsheng, but he did not succeed.

It was precisely because he had failed to smoothly seize the Orthodoxy that he put so much of his mind into ensuring that the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets would fall into his hands.

The Pope suddenly said, "Position is relative, as is importance."

Chen Changsheng recalled that the phrase ’Position is relative’ had been written in the first page of Wang Zhice’s notebook.

"To create a balance between position and importance, thus preventing the entire world from dancing according to the whims of people like us, is what I have wanted to do throughout these past few years."

The Pope looked him in the eyes and said, "Only this way can the ordinary people living in this world live slightly more steady lives."

Chen Changsheng understood.

In the later years of Emperor Xian, the Pope had supported the Divine Empress. This time, he had supported his master and the Chen Imperial Clan. Now, with his master and the Imperial Court at the peak of power, the Orthodoxy wanted to travel in the opposite direction, the further the better.

This was related to his feelings and his Dao, but it could also be said to have no relationship. This was an indiscriminate benevolence to the millions of people of the world, but in specific matters, it could often appear sticky and rough.

He also understood why his martial uncle was telling him these things.

These were teachings, a legacy, the current Pope instructing his successor.

"Understanding does not mean I can do it."

Chen Changsheng thought of the storm over the Mausoleum of Books, the corpses by the road, the blood and fire in the capital, and fell into a daze.

"Perhaps I still haven’t learned how to be a great personage."

......