Ze Tian Ji

Edited by: Michyrr

Archbishop An Lin stepped forward and placed a cloak over Chen Changsheng’s shoulders.

Time slowly passed. The snowstorm showed no signs of slackening, and actually intensified, transforming Wenshui City into a vast expanse of white and causing the temperature to rapidly drop.

The layer of snow on the umbrella grew thicker and thicker, but Chen Changsheng’s grip on the umbrella remained steady, not trembling in the slightest.

He naturally had no intention of leaving.

The dark papal robe, the white cloak, and the shabby umbrella formed a very pleasing sight.

But as they saw this, the people of both the Orthodoxy and the Tang clan grew more and more concerned.

A tense atmosphere gradually settled around the old estate. Even the hill behind it became somewhat chilling and threatening.

At present, still no one was able to confirm what Chen Changsheng was truly thinking.

Did he want to use his sincerity to move the Tang Old Master? Or did he plan to use his identity as Pope to intimidate the entire Tang clan?

Regardless of which, if he continued to stand in the snow, something would go wrong eventually.

Just when the mood outside the old estate was getting more and more tense, when Linghai Zhiwang’s expression was getting gloomier and gloomier, and even the old estate’s steward was beginning to pale, a sound suddenly fell in everyone’s ears.

This was the pleasant crunching sound of military boots stepping on the soft snow.

An officer walked out of the snowy street.

This officer had a full beard stained with snow, obscuring his real age.

Under the gaze of countless experts, in a flurry of snow, he casually walked over, right up to Chen Changsheng’s side.

And then, he stretched out his hand and took Chen Changsheng’s umbrella.

......

......

Many years ago...

Chen Changsheng stood on the highest point of the Mausoleum of Zhou, holding an umbrella as the wind howled around him, holding up the collapsing sky.

In the next moment, he appeared tens of thousands of li away in the snowy plains of the demon realm. In the distance, he was even able to see the outline of Xuelao City.

At the time, he had still been maintaining his half-kneeling posture while holding up the umbrella.

He heard footsteps, and then an exclamation.

"Oh, there’s a sword."

That person had taken the Yellow Paper Umbrella in his hand.

And then he had taken a sword out of the umbrella.

A Demon General had collapsed.

A tear had even been made in that shadow in the sky.

......

......

Many years later...

As a snowstorm fell over Wenshui City, Chen Changsheng was once more holding that umbrella.

Footsteps once more came from behind him.

This person said nothing, just straightforwardly took the umbrella from his hands.

At this moment, Chen Changsheng mistakenly believed that that person had returned.

But they had not.

He also knew the person that had come today.

For some reason, when Luo Bu took the umbrella, Chen Changsheng felt much lighter, as if he had shed a great deal of weight.

Luoluo had once told him in the Orthodox Academy that the White Emperor had told her that she would live a blessed and happy life, because when the sky was falling, a tall person would stand and hold it up for her.

He was taller than Luoluo, so whether confronting a demon assassination or at any other time, he was always there to hold up the sky for her.

This had also been the case in the Garden of Zhou.

Only now had someone taller than him appeared.

Only now did someone take the umbrella in his hand.

On the snowy plains, Su Li had taken his umbrella.

Today, it was instead Luo Bu that took his umbrella.

Luo Bu naturally couldn’t be compared to Su Li.

But he was born with that sort of demeanor.

Whether it was matter, duty, sword, or umbrella, as long as one passed it into his hands, one could relax.

Seeing Luo Bu’s back, Chen Changsheng understood many things. He was rather shocked, and also rather sad.

He finally understood why Gou Hanshi, Guan Feibai, Zhexiu, and even Tang Thirty-Six would always have that sort of attitude whenever they mentioned this person.

He also understood why this person had suddenly changed his attitude towards him when they were at Sloping Cliff Horse Farm.

Thinking of this, Chen Changsheng felt a rare hint of envy.

He did not envy Luo Bu, but envied people who had known Luo Bu for a long time and also people that could become friends with Luo Bu.

Such people included Gou Hanshi, Guan Feibai, the other disciples of the Mount Li Sword Sect, and even Zhexiu and Tang Thirty-Six.

They were schoolmates, or if they had still not met, they still had the chance to become friends in the future.

But it was impossible for him and Luo Bu to ever have this sort of relationship.

......

......

Carrying the old umbrella, Luo Bu entered the old estate.

Chen Changsheng remained silent, so the people of the Orthodoxy naturally would not do anything. Strangely, the people of the Tang clan also made no attempt to stop him.

In a flurry of snow, his figure vanished behind the door.

The Tang Old Master looked at him and said, "I didn’t expect that you would come."

Luo Bu gave a junior’s bow and replied, "Sir knows that I’ve always liked joining in on the fun."

The Tang Old Master indifferently noted, "If your father finds out that you appeared, he will probably not be happy."

Luo Bu helplessly said, "I often do things that make Father unhappy. Ah, now that I think about it, I truly am unfilial."

The Tang Old Master’s attitude towards him was clearly more casual than his attitude towards Chen Changsheng. He casually said, "If you truly feel yourself to be unfilial, why doesn’t he drive you out of the clan? Why is that every time he drinks too much, he always takes the calligraphy that you did when you were little and shows it off to everyone?"

Luo Bu bitterly smiled and said, "Ah, the showing off the father is often the shame of the son."

The Tang Old Master suddenly said, "Since you also feel that your father makes people’s heads ache, why don’t you just take on my surname?"

Luo Bu felt even more helpless, "It’s not like I’m Wang Po. Ah, Sir, please don’t tease me."

The Tang Old Master asked, "Don’t you think that your surname is very strong?"

Luo Bu laughed and said, "What’s so strange about ’Qiushan’? Ah, I think it’s rather nice."

......

......

The surname ’Qiushan’ was unusual, but it was very famous.

Because the famous clan of the south, one of the Four Great Clans, was called the Qiushan clan.

Because the Qiushan clan had an outstanding individual called Qiushan Jun.

He was the personal disciple of the Mount Li Sword Sect’s Master, had taken on Su Li’s legacy, was the head of the Divine Kingdom’s Seven Laws, and possessed the blood of the true Dragon.

For many years, he had always been the idol in the hearts of countless young maidens, the unquestioned leader of the younger generation of cultivators.

In practically every aspect, he was without flaw, almost perfect.

And then, he vanished for five years.

Only three people knew where he was in those five years.

After that snowfall over the capital’s Bridge of Helplessness, he had concealed his name and gone to the north. In the snow-scourged wastelands, he fought with the demons for five years.

Luo Bu was Qiushan Jun.

He was a great general of Sloping Cliff, and also a pine tree of Mount Li.

......

......

Earlier, the Tang Old Master had mentioned to Chen Changsheng that in recent years, he had only met five outsiders in the old estate.

In these past few years, the most remarkable individuals of the human world, those with the most potential, just so happened to number five people.

Su Li, Wang Po, Xu Yourong, Chen Changsheng, and the last one was naturally Qiushan Jun.

Moreover, due to the relationships between their clans, other than Wang Po, he was the person who had entered the old estate the most.

"What have you come to do?" the Tang Old Master asked.

Qiushan Jun answered, "Today, I want to collect on the promise Sir made with Martial Granduncle."