Chapter 1137: Eulogy
A fine drizzle fell, like powder, like mist, gradually dampening his cheeks and collar.
The wild grass and old leaves tossed onto the ridge were covered with dewdrops, looking quite beautiful as well.
As the light of day slowly shifted, he finished his work in the medicinal fields. That little Daoist appeared again, motioning for him to follow.
At the end of the endless medicinal fields lay several lush green hills. Winding along the mountain path, a hot mist spread ahead, and among the pines and cypresses there were actually several hot springs.
Thinking about soaking in the hot springs, Chen Changsheng felt a sense of anticipation. Just as he was about to take off his outer robe, he caught sight of a figure in the mist.
In the damp, hot mist, the pines and cypresses remained vigorous, but the most spirited of all were the peculiar mosses growing on the rocks of the hot springs.
That moss had a somewhat yellowish tint—more accurately, it was golden—exactly the extremely rare Golden-Skin Moss recorded in the pharmacopoeia.
The figure in the mist was collecting the Golden-Skin Moss, moving with great caution and focus, utterly absorbed.
A mountain breeze came from somewhere, thinning the hot mist among the pines and cypresses, revealing the scene among the cliffs and rocks.
That person was bent over, yet still gave an impression of uprightness. His hair was already streaked with white, but it was still combed immaculately, just as before.
Chen Changsheng bowed in salute, then stepped aside.
As time passed, the daylight grew stronger, the mist dispersed, and the Golden-Skin Moss naturally retracted, becoming indistinguishable from ordinary moss.
Shang Xingzhou handed the medicine pouch to his attendant Daoist, took a drink of clear water from the little Daoist, and walked along the mountain path to sit down in the pavilion.
Chen Changsheng walked to the edge of the pavilion.
Shang Xingzhou didn’t even glance at him, nor did he invite him to sit. He asked directly, “What is Bai Xingye trying to do?”
……
……
The battle at White Emperor City ten years ago was the only cooperation between master and disciple.
Chen Changsheng hadn’t known about it beforehand; Xu Yourong had played a bridging role in between, but the final outcome was excellent.
The two of them, master and disciple—one inside, one outside; one visible, one hidden—had forced a peerless powerhouse like the White Emperor into a corner with no retreat. In the end, according to their plan, he had faced the masses, joined forces to kill two Holy Light Angels, and eliminated Madam Mu. As for whether the White Emperor shed tears above the sea of clouds at the very end, no one could know.
It seemed Chen Changsheng’s thoughts were correct. Since Shang Xingzhou cared most about the Northern Expedition, he must be very concerned about the alliance between the human race and the demon race.
Chen Changsheng said, “The White Emperor still doesn’t want to put in too much effort, or rather… he has no real intention to cooperate. I’m quite worried about what comes next.”
The negotiations between the two sides and the specific matters were handled by court officials and bishops from the Li Palace.
But from certain details, it was clear that the White Emperor had little interest in this war—or one could describe it as listless.
Combined with Luoluo’s relationship, he had grasped even more of the situation.
The demon race was now somewhat weak. If the White Emperor hadn’t taken the opportunity to destroy the Elephant Tribe back then, things might have been better.
Including Xiao De, none of the middle-generation powerhouses of the demon race had shown signs of breaking through to the next realm. Compared to the human race, the gap was far too wide.
At least within three years, the demon race would still have only the White Emperor as a Saint Domain powerhouse.
His safety was far too important to the demon race, so he would absolutely never leave White Emperor City, never stray far from the protection of the Red River Grand Formation.
Moreover, what benefit would it bring the demon race to help the humans defeat the demons?
The problem was that with the human race so powerful, the demon race had no way to refuse the request to send troops.
If Chen Changsheng were the White Emperor, he wouldn’t know how to handle the current situation either.
In fact, there had always been a very simple solution to this matter.
Over the past ten years, this idea had spread more and more widely and gained increasing support.
“Eight hundred li of the Red River, thirty thousand li of rivers and mountains—the subjects of the demon race are all waiting for you to marry their princess. The court and the common people also support you. What exactly are you hesitating about?”
Shang Xingzhou asked.
Chen Changsheng opened his mouth as if to speak, then stopped.
Shang Xingzhou said, “Having a wife of equal status is not without precedent.”
Chen Changsheng shook his head.
Shang Xingzhou was not surprised by his answer or the speed at which he gave it.
“Indeed, there’s no need for that, and this matter isn’t as important as people think.”
Hearing this, Chen Changsheng was puzzled, thinking—wasn’t the alliance with the demon race of utmost importance?
“Back in Emperor Taizong’s time, the weak had to fight the strong, so it was necessary to unite all forces that could be united. But not now. The unification of north and south is an inevitable course, because they are compatriots. Whether the demon race is willing to serve or not is just a side issue. In the end, one must rely on oneself. If we ourselves are strong enough, why care about the rest?”
These words from Shang Xingzhou were meant for Chen Changsheng, and also for everyone in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
The Changchun Temple and the Imperial Palace had always maintained contact. The Emperor often came to Luoyang for the New Year, but it was said that Shang Xingzhou had never uttered a single word on state affairs.
In other words, this was the first time in ten years that Shang Xingzhou had spoken out about worldly matters.
His meaning was very clear: the attitude toward the demon race must be tough.
Even if White Emperor City refused to send troops, this war could no longer be stopped.
Chen Changsheng raised the most important question.
“Why did you write to Wang Po, asking him to come and meet us? How did you know that was a conspiracy orchestrated by Black Robe and the Eight Mountain Sages?”
Shang Xingzhou said, “Black Robe deliberately let me know.”
Chen Changsheng was so shocked he couldn’t speak, thinking—what on earth was going on? Could it be another internal struggle among the demons? Did Black Robe and the Demon General want to use the hands of human powerhouses to completely erase the traces of the Great Scholar lineage? But then he thought again—the demons were already at such a dangerous moment. How could Black Robe be so unwise?
Even Shang Xingzhou couldn’t determine the true answer. Was it because she was ultimately human? Or had Wang Zhice gone to Snow Old City?
Chen Changsheng snapped out of his shock and asked, “Who exactly is Black Robe?”
In the end, Shang Xingzhou did not answer this question.
Chen Changsheng was led away by the little Daoist, settled into a small courtyard on the side, had a simple meal, and then received a box.
“Is this something the Old Ancestor wants you to give me?”
He looked at the little Daoist in surprise.
The little Daoist nodded vigorously, then ran out of the courtyard, his little arms swinging, looking extremely adorable.
Chen Changsheng was truly astonished.
In his memory, it seemed he had never received a gift from his master.
The rare two items he had gotten were later proven to be nothing more than sad foreshadowing.
He nervously opened the box and found two very exquisite small magical artifacts inside. Judging by the material, they seemed to be primarily bronze. After studying them for a long time, he realized they were two sound-transmission artifacts made from fragments of the Heavenly Mirror. Using the innate divine power of the Heavenly Mirror, they allowed real-time communication between two distant parties.
This was truly an extraordinary creation, worthy of ranking among the new Hundred Artifacts List. It must have been personally refined by Shang Xingzhou, costing a great deal of mental effort.
Such precious artifacts should be used on the battlefield. Why did his master give them to him?
His divine sense fell upon the stone beads on his wrist. One gray stone bead lit up.
Suddenly, Xu Yourong’s voice came from that stone bead.
“Go ahead, I’m busy.”
Chen Changsheng recounted what had happened.
Xu Yourong’s voice disappeared for a while, then sounded again.
“Or… perhaps these are meant for us.”