Chapter 959: When There's Work, Disciples Do It
The area before the Imperial City was very quiet. The conversation between that official and Xuanyuan Po had been heard clearly by everyone present.
National Teaching Academy? Xuanyuan Po?
The silence in the arena did not last long this time before it was broken by whispers. Those whispers grew louder and louder, gradually becoming noisy, interspersed with many exclamations, until finally it surged like a tidal wave.
The commoners recalled a rumor from many years ago.
It was said that a talented bear clan youth had traveled eighty thousand miles to the human capital, successfully passed the entrance exam into one of the Green Vine Six Academies—the Star Picking Academy—only to be crippled by a certain young master of the Tianhai family. But misfortune turned into fortune, and he entered the National Teaching Academy instead. Some even said he became a student of Her Highness Luoluo!
In those two years, this rather legendary tale was a frequent topic of conversation among the common people over tea and meals. That bear clan youth was the envy of many young demons. However, as time passed, the situation changed, especially with the final outcome. The story and that bear clan youth gradually faded from memory. Occasionally, someone would recall the rumor, but they would only shake their heads and sigh a couple of times.
Until today, at the Heaven's Chosen Ceremony, when the lower city commoners surged like a tide before the Imperial City, he stood like a reef at the very front, drawing everyone's gaze, telling them all that he was that former bear clan youth, and that he still represented the National Teaching Academy.
The entire arena erupted in an uproar, extremely clamorous. Countless eyes fell upon Xuanyuan Po, wanting to see clearly what this protagonist of the rumor actually looked like, and even more so wanting to know why he had suddenly vanished for these past few years. If the rumor was true, hadn't he fled from the National Teaching Academy? Why was he appearing today to fight under the banner of the National Teaching Academy? If His Holiness the Pope learned of this matter, what kind of problems would arise?
There was a slight commotion around the Imperial City. Several dozen priests walked in from outside. Some of these priests were demons, some were humans. Most wore black clerical robes, a few wore green Daoist robes, and one wore a red divine robe—he was actually a Grand Archbishop.
Seeing these priests with their indifferent expressions and inherent solemn authority, many commoners instinctively bowed their heads in greeting and then made way.
Since a few days ago, the Western Wilderness Daoist Hall had kept its main gates tightly shut. Everyone in White Emperor City understood why. It was even said that the Grand Archbishop had torn up the invitation to the welcoming banquet for the Western Continent Crown Prince. Why would these priests, including the Grand Archbishop, suddenly appear before the Imperial City at this moment?
The Grand Archbishop led several dozen priests toward Xuanyuan Po.
Watching this scene, recalling the ending of that rumor, the commoners' hearts grew tense, yet also excited at the prospect of watching a spectacle.
What happened next surprised everyone.
The Grand Archbishop did nothing at all. He simply walked directly to Xuanyuan Po's side and then stood there in silence. The several dozen priests spread out, separating Xuanyuan Po from the commoners, and especially from those Red River demon guards and officials, clearly adopting a protective stance.
Immediately after, there was another stir outside the Imperial City. Several managers from the Tang Clan Trading Company, who looked ordinary but gave off an extremely formidable feeling, walked in from outside. After bowing to Xuanyuan Po and the Grand Archbishop, they stood behind them.
A moment later, officials from the Great Zhou Embassy also arrived. Although their emotions were complex—one could even say hesitant and conflicted—they ultimately walked toward Xuanyuan Po and the others and stood on Xuanyuan Po's other side.
Xuanyuan Po was a bear clan member, but his identity today was that of a student of the National Teaching Academy.
Whether it was the Grand Archbishop, the embassy officials, or the managers of the Tang Clan Trading Company, they could not yet know how the imperial court, the Li Palace, or Wenshui City and the Southern Lands would respond. But at such a tense and sensitive moment, they had to make their stance very clear.
...
...
In the ending of that rumor, the foolish and shameless bear clan youth, seeing that the then-headmaster of the National Teaching Academy—now His Holiness the Pope Chen Changsheng—was about to be killed by the Holy Empress Tianhai, and that the National Teaching Academy was about to be destroyed, had fled.
The appearance of the Great Zhou officials and the Tang Clan managers, especially the appearance of the Western Wilderness Daoist Hall's Grand Archbishop, directly declared that the ending of that rumor was false.
Little De looked at Xuanyuan Po in the distance, his brows slightly raised.
He knew the name Xuanyuan Po, but only knew it.
The so-called legendary tale that had once delighted the demon commoners was utterly insignificant to a great figure like him.
In those years at the National Teaching Academy, Xuanyuan Po was definitely the least famous person, very ordinary. Both Tang Thirty-Six and Su Moyu, or even Zhexiu, were far more famous, not to mention Her Highness Luoluo and Chen Changsheng.
Little De hadn't expected Xuanyuan Po to suddenly appear today and create such a grand spectacle. This made him feel a bit wary. It seemed Xuanyuan Po had been hiding in White Emperor City for many years. Could it be that Chen Changsheng and the National Church had long been prepared for today's events?
Many great demon figures shared the same thought as Little De. The palace behind the Imperial City viewing platform became exceptionally quiet. The bear clan chieftain ignored all the gazes, stood up, and slowly walked out of the hall. The Grand Elder, seated at the highest place, seemed still to be asleep.
The only one qualified to sit in an even higher place was Madam Mu. She knew that Xuanyuan Po had been living in White Emperor City all along. At first, she had even sent shadow guards to monitor him for a long time, but Xuanyuan Po had never made any move, so she gradually relaxed the surveillance—until today, when she suddenly saw him again. But her thoughts were different from Little De's, the elders', and the ministers'. She was very certain that neither the National Church nor the Great Zhou court had time to react, let alone prepare in advance. Logically, she had nothing to worry about. But she had heard that voice very clearly just now.
"National Teaching Academy, Xuanyuan Po."
This fellow was, after all, a student of the National Teaching Academy. Would he have any impact on her plans?
A faint trace of killing intent flickered in Madam Mu's eyes.
When the Heaven's Chosen Ceremony began, Luoluo was gazing into the distance from a high place, looking at the nine celestial trees in the distant mountains, her mind empty and still.
When the battles were raging fiercely within White Emperor City, Luoluo began her afternoon nap, using the freshest incense, sleeping soundly and deeply.
When dusk fell and the candidates to enter the celestial trees and receive the baptism of the desolate fire were about to be announced, she was drinking tea, appearing very calm.
She was not suppressing her emotions, nor was she pretending.
Because she was born with noble bearing, and her teacher had once taught her that in the face of great events, one must have a calm demeanor.
She was truly calm, because she simply did not care about this Heaven's Chosen Ceremony at all. No matter what the final outcome was, no matter what her father and mother thought, no matter what the elders, ministers, and commoners thought, no matter what the demons and humans thought—as long as she was unwilling, she would not accept it.
She had once heard Mo Yu say that the Holy Empress had once evaluated that... little master's wife in such a way.
If the master's wife could do something, then of course she could too.
The reason she had never expressed any opposition, always waiting quietly, was because she knew opposition was meaningless, and also because she had been waiting for her teacher to arrive. If her teacher didn't come—no, if her teacher couldn't come—no, if her teacher wasn't in time...
Then she would simply leave in the end, bidding farewell to this palace, this city, and this Red River, never to see them again.
Holding her teacup, she glanced at the stone bead on her wrist and thought silently to herself.
Just then, Lady Li hurried in, looking at her with a complex expression, and said, "Seven victors."
"Nine celestial trees, yet only seven?"
Luoluo thought there must be some kind of conspiracy or trick involved, felt a bit annoyed, and took a light sip of tea.
Lady Li hesitated, then said, "One of them is Xuanyuan Po."
Pfft! Luoluo sprayed out all the tea she had in her mouth.