Chapter 961: A Different Shade of Red
Around the Imperial City, silence once again descended in an instant of absolute stillness.
The "Academy Principal" Xuan Yuan Po referred to in that statement was naturally the principal of the National Academy, which was today's His Holiness the Pope, Chen Changsheng.
Did Her Highness Luoluo like Chen Changsheng?
If one only considered status, position, and age, Chen Changsheng was certainly the best match. The problem was...
The entire continent knew that Her Highness Luoluo was Chen Changsheng's student, and Chen Changsheng already had a Dao companion—the Southern Holy Maiden Xu Yourong.
What was going on with Xuan Yuan Po's statement?
That high-ranking official of the Great Zhou court raised an eyebrow slightly, displeased.
The Archbishop of the Western Wasteland Dao Hall's expression shifted subtly, but in the end, he said nothing.
That steward of the Tang family also forcibly suppressed his emotions and remained silent.
The viewing platform atop the Imperial City was also quiet. The great figures of the demon race inside the hall exchanged bewildered glances, completely unsure how to react.
Could it be that Xuan Yuan Po was telling the truth? Had Her Highness Luoluo always secretly admired her teacher? This... how could this be?
At the highest point of the Imperial City, Madam Mu no longer spoke, her expression turning somewhat grim.
Aside from the earliest members of the National Academy, few could guess at Luoluo's feelings. As her biological mother, Madam Mu had long known.
What she hadn't expected was that Xuan Yuan Po would directly expose this matter in front of so many people.
She knew that this matter, whether for Chen Changsheng's or Luoluo's reputation, would bring extremely negative consequences.
Why did Xuan Yuan Po do this? Was he truly foolish, or malicious?
In the other stone hall, Luoluo also learned of Xuan Yuan Po's words.
She recalled what her mother had said when she left that morning.
"Even if you can fool the entire world, how can you fool yourself?"
She had always treasured that feeling carefully, not letting anyone—including Chen Changsheng—see it.
She had thought it would continue like this, never imagining that those fellows from the National Academy had already known all along.
Now, the entire world knew.
What was she supposed to do now? It was so embarrassing.
She couldn't help but silently complain about Xuan Yuan Po a couple of times.
Perhaps it was because the dusk was deepening.
Her small face flushed slightly red.
For some reason, she wasn't angry. Instead, she felt a little bit happy.
...
...
The silence was because the shock was too great, leaving everyone at a loss.
Everyone who heard Xuan Yuan Po's words was flustered and disoriented.
Silence also meant the atmosphere was about to grow tense.
"How dare you! You show such disrespect to Her Highness, spouting such nonsense!"
That high-ranking official glared at Xuan Yuan Po, trembling with rage, pointing at his face and shouting, "Guards!"
His words were cut short, and no Red River demon guards surged forward to cut out Xuan Yuan Po's troublesome tongue, because a voice rang out.
That voice was very deep, rumbling like an ancient bell, echoing before the Imperial City like the reverberation of a mountain stream in a secluded valley.
This was not Madam Mu's voice, but the voice of another great figure of the demon race.
In the stone hall behind the viewing platform, the Grand Elder slowly opened his eyes, no longer pretending to sleep. He rose slowly, walked out of the hall, and came to the edge of the Imperial City wall.
His mountain-like massive shadow fell far below, casting a shadow over many people's heads.
The Grand Elder made no comment on Xuan Yuan Po's final words, as if he hadn't heard them at all.
Whether considering the dignity of the demon race or the complex relationship with the human race, this was perhaps the best response.
"What you said just now was not wrong. So-called divine selection ultimately depends on oneself. I hope you receive the ancestral spirit's blessing tomorrow and make it to the end the day after."
The entire White Emperor City heard the Grand Elder's deep, distant voice.
This was his attitude toward Xuan Yuan Po—very clear and unambiguous. It might also be his attitude toward the human race.
Thus, there was no further trouble. That official and the Red River demon guards who had been about to arrest Xuan Yuan Po withdrew.
Madam Mu stood at the highest point of the Imperial City, gazing at the distant mountains in silence, lost in thought.
...
...
As when they had come, the poor commoners from the lower city surged away from the Imperial City like a tide, flooding down the Heavenly Stairs, then gradually dispersing into the narrow alleys and humble streets, sinking into the silence of their daily toil. Who knew if, in the years to come, they would remember today's excitement?
Before dispersing, this black, oppressive tide first escorted Xuan Yuan Po back to Song Town.
Tonight, Song Town was unusually lively, but not noisy.
The priests from the Western Wasteland Dao Hall stood calmly and vigilantly on the high ground of the streets and alleys, watching the surroundings.
The steward of the Tang family, along with dozens of cultivators from the Southern Lands, fixed sharp gazes on every place where lights were lit.
Some burly, powerful men patrolled the outermost perimeter, checking everyone who entered Song Town.
No matter how one looked at it, the human race's forces putting on such a display in the demon race's capital was bound to cause trouble and showed extreme disrespect to the demon court.
Madam Mu had moved too quickly. From the moment the rumors began to spread to the formal opening of the Divine Selection Ceremony was only a few days. The human race simply had no time to react.
Xuan Yuan Po, representing the National Academy in the competition, naturally became the greatest—or perhaps the only—hope for the human race in White Emperor City.
To ensure Xuan Yuan Po's safety, the Archbishop and the others cared little about offending the demon race, and they made it clear that they did not trust the demon side.
The Archbishop looked at Xuan Yuan Po with fervent eyes, and the Tang family steward's face was also full of hope.
Xuan Yuan Po understood what they were thinking.
In the Archbishop's view, Xuan Yuan Po had vanished for years and suddenly appeared today, surely having received orders from the Li Palace.
"Does His Holiness the Pope know about this?"
The Archbishop looked at Xuan Yuan Po, asking nervously. "Or has His Holiness already arrived?"
Xuan Yuan Po shook his head and said, "The Principal probably doesn't know about this yet."
Seeing his expression, the Archbishop and the others knew he wasn't lying, and they fell silent.
The events that had occurred during the closing of the Southern Creek Nunnery had reached White Emperor City the night before.
The Archbishop was well aware that if the Li Palace knew about this, they would absolutely stop at nothing to disrupt Madam Mu's arrangements.
He had done the same himself. From the very beginning, he had torn up the banquet invitation, showing the most vehement opposition.
But if His Holiness the Pope didn't know yet, and the Li Palace had no time to make arrangements, what could he and Xuan Yuan Po possibly do?
Thinking back to Xuan Yuan Po's earlier words, the Archbishop felt a strong sense of fear and unease.
If there really was something between Her Highness Luoluo and His Holiness the Pope, would His Holiness, in a fit of rage, burn himself to death with holy fire afterward?
Under the surge of emotion, his face flushed slightly red, as if he had drunk a great deal of strong liquor.
"I entrust this to you."
He looked at Xuan Yuan Po, his expression tragic and solemn. "Even if a million people must die, you cannot let Her Highness marry that Second Prince of the Great Western Continent!"