Chapter 962: White, Cabbage
Even if ten thousand oppose me, I shall go forth.
Xuan Yuan Po felt that this was something he could try to do. But if it turned out as the High Priest described—that it would truly cost ten thousand lives—he began to waver. Moreover, from what he knew of Princess Luo Luo, if she learned that such a great price would have to be paid, she might pack her dowry that very night and marry the next morning.
The High Priest stood on tiptoe to pat Xuan Yuan Po on the shoulder, gave him a meaningful look, then left with the Tang family steward.
The Bear Tribe chieftain, who had been waiting at the alley entrance for a long time, walked over. He gave Xuan Yuan Po a meaningful glance, then patted him on the shoulder.
He didn’t need to stand on tiptoe, because he was even more burly and tall than Xuan Yuan Po.
“The Great Zhou officials went to the Imperial City but didn’t come here. That means their court has no objection to the Princess marrying that Second Prince of the Great Western Continent.”
The Bear Tribe chieftain said, “What exactly is the Pope thinking?”
Xuan Yuan Po replied, “He probably doesn’t know about this yet.”
The chieftain asked, “Was today’s decision entirely your own?”
Xuan Yuan Po grunted in affirmation.
The chieftain looked at him and sighed. “I told you back then to return to the tribe, but you refused, insisting on staying in White Emperor City. I couldn’t do anything about it.”
Xuan Yuan Po said very seriously, “In the future, I will contribute to the tribe.”
“We’ll talk about that later. What I want to say is—you already won at Pine Town. Why did you go to the other two arenas? That broke the rules of the Heavenly Selection Ceremony.”
The chieftain gestured with two fingers. “If those two hadn’t vouched for you, the Empress could have barred you from entering the Heavenly Tree tomorrow.”
Looking at the chieftain’s hand, Xuan Yuan Po was startled. He wondered why the Xiang Tribe chieftain and the Shi Tribe chieftain—both such important figures—had spoken up for him.
He said, “I didn’t think that far ahead, nor did I intend to break the rules. I just thought—whoever dares to covet the Princess, I’ll knock them down.”
The Bear Tribe chieftain recalled the words Xuan Yuan Po had spoken before the Imperial City and couldn’t help raising an eyebrow. “Quite the boldness. But can you beat Xiao De?”
Xuan Yuan Po thought it over very seriously and reached a very definite conclusion: “No, I can’t.”
The chieftain’s thick eyebrows lowered, and he sighed again. “Then what’s the point of saying all that?”
Xuan Yuan Po said, “I want to try. At least I’ll hold out until the end.”
The chieftain understood what he meant. Holding out until the end was just stalling for time.
If he could drag it out by one more day, the State Church might have a better chance to respond. Though, as things stood now, the hope still seemed very slim.
Between White Emperor City and the capital lay eighty thousand miles of mountains and rivers. The prohibitions from the sacred battle two days ago had severed all contact between them.
The chieftain thought for a moment, then suddenly said, “Xiao De might not hold out until the end.”
Xuan Yuan Po was momentarily stunned, not understanding the meaning of those words.
“You joined the Heavenly Selection Ceremony with your mind set entirely on the Princess’s marriage.”
The chieftain stared into his eyes. “But don’t forget—their goal is to become the White Emperor.”
Xuan Yuan Po was even more confused. If someone won the Heavenly Selection Ceremony and married Princess Luo Luo, wouldn’t that make them the next White Emperor?
The chieftain left without explaining further, but he left behind a final, earnest remark.
“You have your current abilities, and these priests and the Tang family steward protect you, all because of the National Teaching Academy. But don’t forget—it was the tribe that sent you to the capital in the first place. Even if you insist on fighting under the banner of the National Teaching Academy, don’t let your seat lean too far to one side. When you act, consider the tribe’s interests as well.”
Xuan Yuan Po didn’t argue. He remained silent. Because those words made sense. Without the tribe’s nomination and regard, he would never have had the chance to go to the capital back then, nor would he have met Chen Chang Sheng and Luo Luo, and become the third student of the National Teaching Academy.
Watching the chieftain’s burly figure gradually disappear into the night, Xuan Yuan Po suddenly thought of Tang Thirty-Six.
If Tang Thirty-Six had heard that speech, he would definitely have mocked him, saying his rear was too fat and wide to fit on a single bench.
Yes—why agonize over which side to sit on? Why not just sit on two benches at once?
Xuan Yuan Po suddenly felt much lighter. He turned and walked deeper into the alley.
The Bear Tribe warriors guarded the outermost streets and alleys. Tang family experts and several powerful cultivators from the Southern Lands occupied the high ground. The priests of the Western Wilderness Dao Hall stood watch outside the alley.
The alley was very quiet, without a sound.
Not far away was the Pine Town Heavenly Tree Temple, eerily silent in the night, with a faint smell of lamp oil lingering in the air.
At the deepest part of the alley was the small courtyard where Xuan Yuan Po had lived for several years.
He pushed open the wooden door and stepped into the yard, crossing the white round stones. He took off his boots, washed his feet with clean water, and stood on the wooden floor.
He glanced at the short pine tree by the white wall, took a deep breath to calm himself, and walked into the house.
Outside the small courtyard, it seemed quiet, but in truth, many people were hidden there. Besides those ordered to protect him, there were also many cold gazes watching him.
Those gazes might come from certain tribes, from the Council of Elders, from the Great Western Continent, but most of all, from the Imperial Court of the Demon race.
If anyone discovered that the two Sacred Domain experts wanted by the Imperial Court had been living in this small courtyard all along…
Xuan Yuan Po was certain that no matter how many tribal warriors, priests, or human cultivators there were, none of them could stop the courtyard from being flattened outright.
It seemed… Bie Yang Hong and Wu Qiong Bi’s injuries had improved somewhat?
Xuan Yuan Po didn’t understand medicine and couldn’t be sure.
Wu Qiong Bi had lost a lot of blood after her arm was severed. Her face was still pale, but she had eaten all the steamed buns brought that morning.
Bie Yang Hong, as before, sat quietly in the same spot, his demeanor calm.
Xuan Yuan Po also noticed that the color of the crystals on the floor had faded significantly, and the positions of the wooden pagodas seemed to have been shifted.
“You… are you feeling better?”
The light in the room was dim, and he couldn’t tell whether the hint of death in Bie Yang Hong’s eyes had faded.
Bie Yang Hong said gently, “A bit better. Just a little hungry.”
Xuan Yuan Po snapped back to reality and quickly turned to prepare some dinner.
But as he pushed open the paper door, he stopped, turned back, and bowed very seriously to Bie Yang Hong. “Thank you.”
He was thanking him for the advice Bie Yang Hong had given him that morning.
The combat experience of a mainland powerhouse was the most precious gain for any cultivator.
Stepping out of the house, he took firewood from the neatly stacked pile and started a fire to cook.
There wasn’t much winter vegetable left in the house, so he simply made two dishes and stewed a pot of preserved meat and potato rice.
Bie Yang Hong took the food and thanked him.
Wu Qiong Bi’s expression was still grim, but at least she didn’t say anything harsh—just snorted twice.