Chapter 193: The Will of the Li Palace
Back then, during that snowy battle at Naihe Bridge, Chen Changsheng narrowly defeated Xu Yourong, thereby securing his position as the successor within the national religion.
But that night, he did not go to the Radiant Hall. Instead, he went to Fushui Road and ate beef bones with Xu Yourong.
Amid countless shocked gazes, the person who raised his hand to ask for leave on his behalf was Tang Thirty-Six.
The person who bowed his head and accepted the divine staff representing the authority of the national religion on his behalf was also Tang Thirty-Six.
And today, the person holding that divine staff to preside over the Li Palace's formation, locking the entire courtyard in wind and snow, was still Tang Thirty-Six.
This kind of pressure was simply too immense. Even someone like Tang Thirty-Six wouldn't want a repeat of this.
Chen Changsheng looked at him and smiled. Then he turned back to gaze at the courtyard shrouded in wind and snow, his smile gradually fading.
All the temples had gathered at White Emperor City, which was essentially moving the entire Li Palace formation here.
If the Demon Lord had made a move earlier, he truly wanted to take the risk and try to kill him.
Regrettably—or perhaps fortunately—the Demon Lord did not act.
So, judging by the current situation, Madam Mu would not give them another opportunity like today's.
Both he and the Demon Lord might be able to leave White Emperor City safely. So…
"There's something I need you to help me with."
He said to Tang Thirty-Six.
Tang Thirty-Six's expression shifted slightly. "What is it?"
Chen Changsheng said, "Help me write a few letters."
Tang Thirty-Six didn't understand what letters he wanted him to write. Suddenly, a possibility occurred to him, and his face became incredibly animated. "Love letters? Although your literary talent is far inferior to mine, there's no need for you to imitate those foolish youths. Could it be that you want to write to Princess Luoluo, afraid the Holy Maiden might see?"
Chen Changsheng wanted to explain a few things, but in the end, he just shook his head, looking rather helpless.
…
…
Tang Thirty-Six had only arrived at White Emperor City in the early hours of this morning.
Because the journey was so urgent and time was so tight, he hadn't brought many subordinates from the Tang clan—only five people.
They were the same five people from Wenshui City a few days ago.
In the master-disciple conflict between Shang Xingzhou and Chen Changsheng, Old Master Tang still favored the former. But on major matters concerning the demon race, his reaction was very clear: whatever Chen Changsheng needed, he would provide.
The people of the national religion had also just arrived in the early hours of this morning.
Chen Changsheng had known about this all along, which was why, when the Demon Lord invited him to meet, he insisted on setting the time for today.
Even Old Master Tang had dispatched his most powerful forces, and the Li Palace was even more so—it could be described as an overwhelming display.
After Hu Sanshier brought back Chen Changsheng's decree, Daoist Siyuan set out from the Li Palace that very night. He met up with Linghai Zhiwang and Anlin along the way, leading seven thousand guardian cavalry straight from Songshan Military Prefecture into the Western Plains. Passing through Congzhou Military Prefecture, they made contact with the Bear tribe and quietly entered the Red River basin.
Those seven thousand guardian cavalry were now hidden in the mountains on the opposite bank. While they couldn't overturn the overall situation in the demon domain, they still served as a deterrent. As for the four archbishops who had brought the Li Palace's most precious treasures, they were a formidable force that no one could ignore.
In the past, the national religion had six giants. After Mu Jiushi was expelled and Baishi was executed, Hu Sanshier filled the vacancy, leaving five.
Now, four of them had left the capital and traveled tens of thousands of miles to White Emperor City.
Mao Qiuyu had not come. Many assumed that this highest-ranking giant of the national religion hadn't appeared because he needed to guard the Li Palace. But Chen Changsheng knew that wasn't the case. Mao Qiuyu was in seclusion, waiting for the heavenly opportunity to break through into the Divine Domain.
The matters of White Emperor City were certainly of utmost importance, and the safety of the Pope was paramount. But in Chen Changsheng's view, Mao Qiuyu was facing a critical moment. Whether he could avoid external interference and successfully ascend to the Divine Domain was equally significant.
He looked at Linghai Zhiwang and asked, "Who is protecting Dean Mao?"
"The Heavenly Academy is now temporarily managed by Daoist Shuxin. Zhuang Zhihuan has been living in the Li Palace."
Linghai Zhiwang said, "Besides that, the Archbishop of the Ancestral Temple and several senior sisters from the Qingyao Thirteen Divisions have been attending to him."
Zhuang Zhihuan came from a poor background. Because he had been sponsored for his studies, he had always been close to the Tang clan of Wenshui. After serving as Mao Qiuyu's deputy for many years, he finally became the Dean of the Heavenly Academy a few years ago. His realm, strength, vision, and methods were all extraordinary.
With him personally protecting Mao Qiuyu, along with those equally powerful figures from the Green Vine Six Academies, Chen Changsheng should, in theory, have nothing to worry about. But thinking about Zhuang Zhihuan's son, his expression couldn't help but turn strange.
Everyone present knew the story from the Garden of Zhou back then, and the tragic incident of Zhuang Huanyu committing suicide by the well. They understood Chen Changsheng's concern.
Linghai Zhiwang glanced at Daoist Siyuan, who pretended not to notice.
Anlin felt helpless. She stepped forward and said to Chen Changsheng, "Before we left, the Dao Sovereign issued a decree, ordering the Prince of Xiang to handle this matter."
Hearing this, Chen Changsheng was first startled, then came to his senses and dropped the subject.
Clearly, his teacher would not do anything under the current circumstances. So having the Prince of Xiang take charge should be meant to reassure him.
Linghai Zhiwang and Daoist Siyuan seemed to have different opinions.
Chen Changsheng asked, "What's wrong?"
Daoist Siyuan said, "Before Priest Xin went to Fengyang County, he met a Daoist from Changchun Temple."
Chen Changsheng fell silent.
Priest Xin went to Fengyang County, and then died there.
That was done to make Bie Yanghong and Wuqiong Bi believe that the killer of their son was Chen Changsheng.
—Master, do you really want me dead this badly?
Chen Changsheng couldn't remember how many times he had thought about this question since the incident at the Heavenly Book Mausoleum.
Although the situation had changed, and both the imperial court and Shang Xingzhou now needed to pin their hopes on what he could do in White Emperor City, who knew how deep that obsession truly ran?
Linghai Zhiwang said gloomily, "At such a critical moment, if someone stabs us in the back, it will be very hard to deal with."
The national religion possessed unimaginable reserves and hidden strength. Even if the entire Li Palace had been brought to White Emperor City by Chen Changsheng, it still didn't matter. But if Shang Xingzhou didn't want the national religion to gain another Divine Domain powerhouse, who could stop him now?
Chen Changsheng indicated that this matter was not up for further discussion.
Linghai Zhiwang and Daoist Siyuan exchanged glances but said no more.
Having traveled ten thousand miles and endured prolonged pressure outside the snowy courtyard, the people of the national religion and Tang Thirty-Six were already exhausted. But they still couldn't rest, because Chen Changsheng needed their opinions on a certain matter.
The hall fell very quiet.
Since the incident at the Heavenly Book Mausoleum, the return of human Divine Domain powerhouses to the Starry Sea had become a common occurrence in recent years. But those were ultimately internal human conflicts. Bie Yanghong and Wuqiong Bi, however, had died at the hands of foreigners.
Linghai Zhiwang said, "Madam Mu must die."
Even a giant of the national religion had no right to speak of a Saint's life or death. Under normal circumstances, this could be called reckless talk.
But he said it, and everyone remained calm.
Because in their eyes, this was only natural. (To be continued.)