Chapter 220: The Emperor’s Heart Is All Wind and Snow
Coughing has many causes, the most common being illness.
Cold qi injures the lungs, lingering most stubbornly. Even experts in the Divine Domain would find it very troublesome.
Shang Xingzhou did not know that in the years to come, the White Emperor would keep coughing like this, coughing for many years.
But he knew the White Emperor had suffered no light injuries, just like himself.
Whether it was those two Holy Light Angels or Madam Mu, all were extremely formidable opponents.
He and the White Emperor were the strongest in the world, yet they still had to pay a certain price.
At this moment, he could have chosen to do something. He did not, precisely because of this reasoning, and also because he knew that neither Chen Changsheng nor Xu Yourong would support him—his and the White Emperor’s will could shift endlessly with the changing times, but that young man and woman would not.
He said to the White Emperor, “But in the end, we’ve still come to today.”
“She has high talent, good bloodline, ability, great intelligence, and is beautiful. United with me, she can bear the finest offspring.”
The White Emperor said, “For this, I can endure many things, including her ambition. Only I never imagined her ambition would be so vast.”
Shang Xingzhou understood his meaning.
If Madam Mu only sought some benefits for the Western Continent, the White Emperor would merely remain silent. But her recent actions had touched upon matters of life and death for the demon race.
“In truth, I’ve always known she looks down on me. She always thinks I’m a demon who doesn’t understand art.”
The White Emperor said calmly, “None of that matters. I can still tolerate her. But I cannot endure as Bie Yanghong did. Most importantly, Luoluo is the next White Emperor I have chosen. You should also know very well how pure and powerful her bloodline is. Just because of the Western Continent’s ideas, she should be married far away to Snow Old City? She has truly gone mad.”
Shang Xingzhou said, “In this whole affair, what I understand least about you is this point. The child in her womb is also your offspring.”
The White Emperor said expressionlessly, “When it comes to children, it’s never about quantity but quality. A child as excellent as Luoluo is enough. What use is it to produce more waste? Since ancient times, our race has been few in number—that is the principle. Not everyone is like your Emperor, who sired so many sons and then made them slaughter each other, seeing who could survive to inherit the throne. What is that? Raising venomous insects? You humans are sometimes utterly incomprehensible.”
The Emperor in this sentence naturally referred to the great Taizong Emperor.
Shang Xingzhou said, “If that’s the case, why do all this?”
“Back then, on the snowy plains north of Cold Mountain, you used my hand to gravely wound the Demon Lord, and also delayed me for five years.”
The White Emperor’s gaze at Shang Xingzhou grew deep.
“Those five years were enough for you to do far too many things. You actually managed to seize back human authority from Tianhai’s hands… I had to consider one question: if Snow Old City falls and you unify the world, how should my race then conduct itself? So I could only try to delay your pace.”
Shang Xingzhou said calmly, “I am not His Majesty Emperor Taizong. I do not have the ability to defy fate and change destiny. You all overestimate me.”
The White Emperor said, “You are my friend. I know how terrifying you are. Moreover, you have taught two excellent students.”
Shang Xingzhou did not respond to that, saying instead, “So you designed this scheme?”
This was still his earlier statement.
Why do all this?
“This” referred to everything.
This was the White Emperor’s city.
Everything that happened in this city had to pass with his consent, or his tacit approval, or even his covert instigation.
Whether it was the things Madam Mu did, or what the Xiang clan chief did, whether good or evil.
For example, the Heaven’s Selection Ceremony, the dangers Chen Changsheng once faced, this scheme, the deaths of Bie Yanghong and Wuqiong Bi, and most importantly, that one matter.
The White Emperor would not agree to marry Luoluo to Snow Old City, but that did not mean he had not initially considered allying with the demon race.
“You used your own daughter as a bargaining chip to make both sides fight, while you watched from the sidelines. No matter the outcome, you would step forward and rally all, achieving perfection.”
Shang Xingzhou said, “For people like us who have lived too long, we have too much time to think through problems. Naturally, our schemes have few flaws. Only you did not expect Chen Changsheng to arrive so early, changing the entire direction of events, and that he would be so persistent in digging you out of that mountain.”
The White Emperor said, “I told you, you taught two excellent students. And you also arrived.”
Shang Xingzhou said, “With such a major event, how could I not be present in person?”
The White Emperor knew that the major event he spoke of was not merely the demon race’s intention to ally with Snow Old City, but more so those two Holy Light Angels.
For figures like him and Shang Xingzhou, who stood at the pinnacle of the continent, truly major events could only be matters from beyond this world.
Both were men who walked the Great Path. Their path was this side’s path.
In Wang Zhice’s words, positions are relative, so stances are naturally predetermined by birth.
The demon race’s actions had already touched their bottom line.
“It should have nothing to do with the Demon Lord.”
The White Emperor said, “Only a madwoman like her and Black Robe would do such a thing.”
Shang Xingzhou said, “Women are all madwomen, so they must not be allowed to stand too high.”
Many years ago, he opposed the White Emperor’s marriage to Madam Mu based on this consideration.
Similarly, he held the same view toward Tianhai Saint Empress.
“So I cannot imagine that you would be willing to ask Xu Yourong for help.”
The White Emperor said, “She is also a woman, and moreover, your student’s fiancée.”
Shang Xingzhou said, “Defeating you is an extremely difficult task.”
“Indeed. In the end, I still lost to you and your disciple.”
The White Emperor said, “This makes me feel more and more that saying has merit.”
This naturally referred to the saying now circulating throughout the continent.
“One temple in Xining governs the world.”
The word “govern” in this saying could be understood as rule, or as subdue.
If Shang Xingzhou and his two students united their efforts, they could subdue all defiance.
“If I remember correctly, you said that before you entered seclusion.”
“Correct.”
“You never admit defeat.”
Shang Xingzhou said calmly, “Then after I destroy the demon race, how do you plan to face me?”
“I was indeed very worried before, but now it’s slightly better, because before you come to White Emperor City again, you must first defeat your excellent student.”
The White Emperor said, “I find your student is even more outstanding than I imagined. For you to achieve this, it will be truly difficult.”
As Shang Xingzhou had said, for great figures like them who had steeped in time for too long, as long as they calculated, there were no oversights.
Luoluo would become the next White Emperor. So as long as Chen Changsheng remained in power, no matter how powerful the human race grew, the demon race could ensure its safety.
Madam Mu had once told Luoluo that this master-disciple relationship was not solid. Only if Chen Changsheng was willing to marry Luoluo could they rest easy.
The White Emperor did not think so. He was very certain that precisely because Chen Changsheng could not marry Luoluo, he would treat her even better.
This was not about unattainable desire, but a fiercely powerful protective instinct born from apology, joy at being admired, and being loved.
Of course, the premise for all these plans to hold was that Chen Changsheng would not be killed by Shang Xingzhou, nor lose his influence.
“You think so highly of that worthless student of mine?”
This was the first time in this conversation that Shang Xingzhou acknowledged Chen Changsheng as his student.
“In truth, everything stems from your attitude toward him.”
The White Emperor looked at him calmly and said, “If you did not value him so much, how would the world have first come to value him so highly?”
Shang Xingzhou said, “What if this valuation is not what you all think it means?”
The White Emperor said, “Then we’ll see when the time comes. And if someone is willing to promise me more in the future, I can certainly change my mind.”
Shang Xingzhou said nothing more. He turned and left Azure Stone Street.
Chen Changsheng had been watching this side the whole time.
He watched Shang Xingzhou’s back disappear into the crowd without making a sound.
Years ago on the divine path of Tian Shu Ling, he had carried Tianhai Saint Empress’s remains downward while Shang Xingzhou ascended. They passed each other without a word, without a glance.
He had said nothing then, nor spoken of it afterward, but his mood had been hard to bear.
Today, Shang Xingzhou had looked at him twice, yet his mood remained the same.
Shang Xingzhou’s gaze at him was no different from how he looked at a stranger.
Two hands landed on Chen Changsheng’s shoulders in succession.
Not a burden, but comfort.
Chen Changsheng smiled at Tang Thirty-Six, then turned to look at Xu Yourong and said, “I’m fine.”
……
……
In the snowy plains of deep winter, the cold was like an abyss. The breath exhaled by magical beasts quickly froze into ice crystals.
The wind was fierce, but carried no warmth.
Black Robe stood quietly, gazing westward, and suddenly said, “Defeated.”
Hearing these words, the extremely tall Upside-Down Mountain Tusker not far away let out a pained roar. Not because the tusker understood his words and knew the demon race’s most important scheme of recent years had been shattered, but because the Demon Commander sitting atop its head had angrily snapped off a section of its hard tusk.
Behind Black Robe and the Demon Commander were over a dozen demon generals. Further away were several abnormally mysterious, massive figures shrouded in black mist.
The demon race had not reinforced White Emperor City, for several reasons.
Black Robe trusted the Holy Light Angels’ formidable combat power, believed in his grasp of the capital’s situation, and also because there was no time.
The more important reason was one person.
In the snowy plains stood a middle-aged scholar.
The most famous scholar in all of history, above heaven and below earth.
Wang Zhice.
“I never expected he would even move you. Now I think back—back then, when you evaded that brat Jie’s murderous intent, Ji Daoren must have contributed no small effort.”
The cold wind stirred, revealing Black Robe’s faintly bluish cheeks, but his voice carried no emotional fluctuation.
Hearing that long-unspoken name, Wang Zhice sighed. “Hundreds of years of wind and snow, still cannot wash away your hatred?”
……
……
(A long-awaited three thousand words.) (To be continued.)