Chapter 26: Everything Began at White Emperor City
News came in succession, and the Papal Palace was no longer as quiet as before. The bishops and deacons stood in the square between the halls, murmuring among themselves, waiting for orders from the Pope or the archbishops, their expressions varied.
The imperial court must be even more tense at this moment. Who knows what the princes and ministers are doing now?
Nanxi Zhai, Lishan, Muzhe Manor… all arrived in the capital on the same day. This was, of course, deliberate. After the unification of the north and south, the court had relaxed its surveillance over the southern sects and noble houses. Coupled with the cover of the Grand Court Examination, they had failed to receive advance notice.
Looking across the continent, who had the ability to orchestrate such a major event? Naturally, it was Xu Yourong, for she was the Southern Holy Maiden. The question was, what exactly did she intend to do? Was she using this overwhelming momentum and spectacle to force a confrontation? Could Daoist Shang Xingzhou still remain quietly in Luoyang City?
Thinking about these matters, the priests in the Papal Palace turned their gazes toward the secluded hall deep within.
Tang Thirty-Six, Linghai Zhiwang, and Hu Sanshier were also watching Chen Changsheng.
Chen Changsheng said nothing and made no indication. With a calm expression, he walked back into the hall.
Linghai Zhiwang didn’t fully understand, but he grasped his intent and turned to leave the Papal Palace.
Tang Thirty-Six chased after him into the hall and asked, “What are you planning to do?”
Chen Changsheng said, “I plan to practice my sword.”
Tang Thirty-Six was stunned.
Today’s sky was exceptionally azure, cut into pieces by the closely spaced eaves, looking like a shard of porcelain.
The clear, gentle sound of flowing water was very distinct in the quiet, dim hall.
The clear water in the stone pool rippled endlessly, the ladle resting quietly beside it.
That pot of green leaves had returned to the place where it had existed for many years. Though one leaf was missing, it was still lush and pleasing.
Chen Changsheng did not enter the Green Leaf World. Instead, he walked into a quiet stone chamber deep within the hall.
The stone chamber was empty of any furnishings. The walls and floor were made of gray stone, looking exceptionally plain, or rather, crude.
A worn meditation cushion lay on the floor.
Seeing that cushion, Tang Thirty-Six naturally thought of the one in the Wen Shui ancestral hall and stopped in his tracks.
Chen Changsheng sat down on the cushion and extended his right hand.
There was no wind in the stone chamber, so his sleeve did not flutter, but his fingertips began to tremble.
With a soft snap.
A flick of the finger.
Accompanied by a clear sound of air being split, thousands of swords streamed out from the scabbard at Chen Changsheng’s waist, filling every space in the stone chamber.
Countless sharp sword intents rose and fell within the chamber, clashing and resonating, then gradually calming down.
From outside the stone chamber, it looked like an ocean of swords, with Chen Changsheng sitting at its center.
Seeing this scene, Tang Thirty-Six felt a chill rise over his eyes, and then he noticed a single eyelash drifting down.
With a faint grinding sound, the stone door slowly closed, and Chen Changsheng closed his eyes as well.
Walking out of the hall, Tang Thirty-Six looked at Hu Sanshier and asked, “What’s going on?”
Hu Sanshier said, “His Majesty has always been diligent in his cultivation.”
Tang Thirty-Six found it absurd and said, “At a time like this, he only thinks about practicing his sword?”
“Yes,” Hu Sanshier replied, also worried. “Since meeting with the Holy Maiden that day, His Majesty has not concerned himself with anything else.”
Tang Thirty-Six felt uneasy, because this scene gave him a sense of déjà vu.
…
…
Countless eyes in the capital were fixed on the Xu Mansion.
These past few days, Xu Yourong had not seen anyone, quietly staying at home.
But everyone knew that this matter was related to her, related to the people she had met.
Before meeting Prince Chenliu, before entering the palace late at night to meet the Emperor, she had already met many people in the south over the years.
These people had now arrived, coming from the south, from her south.
“The Holy Maiden is pushing too hard. You are her father; you must say something.”
The Eastern Imperial General’s Mansion was as solemn and quiet as ever, making the voice from the flower hall all the more distinct.
Clearly, the speaker was forcibly suppressing his anger.
The speaker was Peng Shihai, the Eastern Xiang Divine General.
In terms of status, Peng Shihai was inferior to Xu Shiji, and in terms of seniority, he was far behind. But he was a student of the late Dean of the Star-Picking Academy, Chen Guansong, and he did not represent only himself. He also represented several other divine generals who held military power, and possibly even the will of the Daoist.
Xu Shiji forcibly suppressed his irritation and said, “Though the Holy Maiden and I are father and daughter, there is also the distinction between ruler and subject. What do you expect me to say?”
Peng Shihai sneered and said, “If it’s hard for you to say, then I will. I want to see the Holy Maiden and state my case!”
Xu Shiji could no longer control his emotions and said in a deep voice, “I told you she’s not here. Believe it or not!”
…
…
Xu Yourong was indeed not at home today.
Under a clear sky, she held a yellow paper umbrella and wandered casually through the streets and alleys of the capital.
This umbrella was one she had asked Chen Changsheng for when she visited the Papal Palace a few days ago. She must have already known then that she would need to take a walk today.
Beside her was a black-clad young girl.
Everywhere in the streets and alleys, people were discussing today’s events. The voices from the teahouses and taverns rose higher and higher.
The black-clad girl wore an indifferent expression, her vertical pupils giving her an eerie beauty. She kept stuffing snacks into her mouth, which seemed a bit odd.
Hearing the discussions, she mumbled indistinctly, “Did you start preparing back in White Emperor City?”
Xu Yourong smiled slightly and said, “Yes, right when you went to hunt down that foreign angel.”
The Little Black Dragon looked at a certain spot ahead, her eyes turning cold. The seedless candied dates in her hand shot out like sharp arrows.
A little boy who was bullying his younger sister bent his knee and fell hard, immediately bursting into tears.
Seeing this, Xu Yourong shook her head.
The Little Black Dragon clapped her hands, ice crystals scattering between her palms, and then asked, “Why that time?”
Xu Yourong said, “Because that was when I confirmed that Shang Xingzhou had suffered a serious injury.”
The Little Black Dragon was momentarily stunned. “He was injured?”
Xu Yourong said, “Yes.”
The Little Black Dragon knew how important this was. Her vertical pupils contracted as she asked, “How did you confirm it?”
Xu Yourong said, “The White Emperor had just broken free at that time. Whether he was pretending or not, his realm and aura were not at their peak, and he also had to fight two Holy Light Angels. Shang Xingzhou, on the other hand, was different, and he had me as an ally.”
The Little Black Dragon didn’t understand her meaning.
Xu Yourong said, “Under those circumstances, Shang Xingzhou did not try to kill the White Emperor. That can only mean he was also seriously injured.”
The Little Black Dragon was very surprised. “Aren’t they friends?”
Xu Yourong smiled but said nothing.
The Little Black Dragon then realized that she had said Shang Xingzhou had her as an ally, and was even more shocked.
“If he had really attacked the White Emperor at that time, would you have helped him?”
Xu Yourong said calmly, “Of course I would have helped him. In fact, I was already prepared to act.”
The Little Black Dragon thought for a moment and said, “This is just your speculation, isn’t it?”
Xu Yourong said indifferently, “The reason he and the White Emperor didn’t continue attacking that Holy Light Angel but left it to you was because they were wary of each other.”
The Little Black Dragon was not yet an adult, but she was not lacking in intelligence. Recalling the scene at that time, she quickly reached a conclusion.
She was silent for a long time before saying, “You humans are really terrifying.”
The bustle on both sides gradually faded. The street widened and then grew quiet.
Xu Yourong and the Little Black Dragon arrived at a quiet street.
If Mo Yu had been there, she would have recognized at a glance that this place was very close to the Taiping Dao.
The Little Black Dragon said, “I thought you were going to see the little girl from Nanxi Zhai. Why are you here?”
Xu Yourong said, “I’ve come to see two elders.”
The Little Black Dragon found this the most boring thing and vanished in a flurry of snow and wind.
Xu Yourong walked to the back door of a mansion.
The door slowly opened.
Xu Yourong looked at the two Daoist nuns and said, “Thank you for your trouble, shishu.”