Chapter 58: Seeing the Middle-Aged Scholar, the Sky Turned Dark
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Tang Thirty-Six finally came to his senses, thinking to himself that this was indeed the case. Liu Qing had barged into Cold Mountain without an invitation—wouldn’t the Heavenly Mechanism kill him for that?
Chen Changsheng couldn’t figure it out either, and couldn’t help feeling worried. Su Li had left, the second-ranked mysterious assassin had also gone, and when Liu Qing departed, he truly looked like a lonely ghost wandering through the night, as if he might be devoured by the sun of the daylight at any moment.
He knew that someone like Liu Qing must have his hands stained with blood, and he really shouldn’t feel sympathy. But he couldn’t control his emotional inclinations. After all, in Xunyang City, they had once fought side by side against an enemy, and against the most powerful enemy in the world.
“What do you think an assassin of the highest caliber really needs?”
Tang Thirty-Six suddenly said, “He’s definitely earned enough money. I think what he wants to find again is a kind of life.”
Chen Changsheng was a bit puzzled and asked, “Life?”
“These assassins love fighting, love killing, but they’re not madmen. So they really like it when someone pays them to fight and kill. That way, they don’t have to consider things like morality. They turn fighting and killing into a daily job, and that’s the life they pursue.”
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
“People like Liu Qing can now be said to be a group without a leader, turned into a bunch of lonely ghosts. They want someone to lead them back to the old days.”
“And then?”
“I may not have that kind of ability, but I do have money… They like this kind of life, so I’ll give it to them!”
“Don’t you dare start thinking crazy thoughts.” Chen Changsheng looked at him very seriously and said.
Tang Thirty-Six shrugged nonchalantly and said, “Just talking casually, why so serious?”
Zhe Xiu said expressionlessly, “He’s already thought it through. Otherwise, why was he crying and begging Liu Qing to leave a way to contact him earlier?”
Tang Thirty-Six said in embarrassment and anger, “Don’t talk nonsense without evidence, or I’ll kill you.”
Chen Changsheng glanced at him.
Tang Thirty-Six quickly changed the subject: “Don’t you think Xiao De’s appearance earlier was very abrupt?”
He had to admit, this subject change was clever, because this matter was indeed worth thinking about, and there were quite a few suspicious points.
Cold Mountain was a place controlled by the Heavenly Mechanism. For Xiao De to enter the mountain gate meant he had been invited by the Heavenly Mechanism. Yet he chose to make trouble for Chen Changsheng on the mountain path. Even if he was strong and arrogant, wasn’t he afraid of angering the Heavenly Mechanism? And even if he successfully humiliated Chen Changsheng, what benefit would that bring? Besides venting some anger, could it offset the endless disadvantages of offending both the State Religion and the Heavenly Mechanism at the same time?
“Xiao De is different from ordinary demons, like completely different from that bear kid of ours. He’s not simple at all; on the contrary, he’s very calculating.”
Tang Thirty-Six, thinking about this matter more and more, found it problematic, and his expression turned serious. “Even though he has plenty of reasons and excuses to humiliate you, for him to take such a big risk to do this, there must be a huge benefit involved. But no matter how I think about it, I can’t see where the benefit lies.”
“Unless someone can gain a tremendous advantage from this matter and then convert it into other benefits for him.”
“If Chen Changsheng is thoroughly humiliated—beaten into a pig’s head, or even stripped naked—who would benefit the most?”
“Of course, it’s not the Saintess, nor Princess Luoluo… Don’t hit me, we’re talking serious business here… It should be the competitors. If the future Pope suffers such a huge loss of face, the Li Palace would naturally retaliate. But… if someone brings this up in the future, even His Holiness the Pope wouldn’t have much to say.”
“If this is a conspiracy, it’s very simple, even childish, but it can cause real harm to you.”
“Why? Because you are the future Pope, worshipped by millions, the most sacred, and therefore, the easiest to defile.”
“Zhe Xiu, don’t look at me like that. I didn’t mean it as a double entendre.”
“Chen Changsheng, tell me if my analysis makes sense.”
There was a moment of silence. Chen Changsheng and Zhe Xiu exchanged a glance, thinking that Tang Thirty-Six truly lived up to his reputation as the heir of the Wenshui Tang family. In such a short time, he had analyzed this sudden incident so clearly and deduced the cause and effect so accurately.
Yes, now they believed Tang Thirty-Six’s reasoning.
The appearance of that demon expert was too sudden, his attack too unreasonable, so there must be some reason behind it.
The scepter of the State Religion was already in hand, but to wear the divine crown and become the Pope, Chen Changsheng still faced many trials.
Today was one such trial—seemingly ordinary, but actually quite dangerous.
Xiao De’s goal was the throne of the entire demon domain, spanning both sides of the Red River.
Who could pay such a huge price to get Xiao De to risk the Pope’s divine punishment and strike at Chen Changsheng?
More precisely, who had the qualifications to promise Xiao De so many future benefits?
That person, or those people, were almost obvious—they had to be competitors for the Pope’s throne or the Great Zhou imperial throne.
For example, the Tianhai family far away in the capital, or the King of Linghai near the mountain.
The big shots of the State Religion couldn’t enter Cold Mountain because of the Heavenly Mechanism’s rules. Thinking about it now, this matter was quite interesting.
Because it was too coincidental.
He had to admit that some people’s arrangements seemed crude on the surface, but were actually clever in their clumsiness.
If it weren’t for Liu Qing appearing on Cold Mountain for some reason, this conspiracy might have actually succeeded.
“You’re pretty lucky,” Tang Thirty-Six said.
Zhe Xiu said, “This has nothing to do with luck.”
Yes, if it weren’t for the journey south together, sharing the storms in Xunyang City, and Chen Changsheng never letting Su Li return to the capital alone, how could he have had such good fortune earlier?
People walked along the mountain path. Acquainted cultivators gathered together, discussing the earlier commotion.
At the very front, Chen Changsheng said to the Heavenly Mechanism steward, “I… have some acquaintance with that senior earlier. Could it be possible…”
The steward said softly, “Of course there’s no problem. What happened in Xunyang City is known to the whole world. Even if they don’t give Su Li face, they have to give you this face.”
Chen Changsheng actually knew that the Heavenly Mechanism was still giving Su Li face, but he had just pointed it out.
“Of course, he cannot kill anyone within Cold Mountain. Even if he meets a mortal enemy, he can only avoid them.”
The steward finally said, “Otherwise, even the face of His Holiness the Pope and Her Majesty the Empress wouldn’t be of much use here.”
With this promise from the Heavenly Mechanism steward, Chen Changsheng felt much more at ease.
He never expected that he would see Liu Qing again so soon.
And at this moment, Liu Qing was in extreme danger.
The mountain path turned slightly, and ahead lay a clear stream. On the other side of the stream, among the cliffs, were forests everywhere. Yellow leaves, from light to deep, were so beautiful that it was hard to distinguish the shades and intensities. The trees bore all kinds of fruits, weighing down the branches until they seemed ready to snap at any moment.
Near the stream grew hundreds of persimmon trees. The yellow persimmons on the branches were densely packed, looking like countless lanterns.
Liu Qing stood by the stream, in front of countless yellow lanterns, holding his sword in hand. His face was as pale as blood, and he was breathing rapidly and heavily. His shoulders drooped terribly—not to strike faster with his sword, but because they were truly about to collapse, as if an invisible mountain were pressing down on him.
Several thin streams of blood seeped from his ears and the corners of his eyes.
His head seemed like those heavy fruits in the forest, ready to burst from ripeness at any moment, or to break the branch from its weight and fall from his neck.
Either outcome meant death.
Liu Qing’s right hand, holding the sword, trembled incessantly, barely able to hold on.
Even at this point, he still hadn’t drawn his sword.
Because he couldn’t draw his sword.
At the same time, he didn’t dare to draw his sword against that person.
Among the yellow leaves covering the mountain stood a middle-aged scholar.
He clasped his hands behind his back, looking at those lantern-like persimmons, as if checking if they were ripe.
A pendant hung from his belt. If one looked closely, they might notice it was a seal.
This middle-aged scholar seemed unremarkable, but when Chen Changsheng’s gaze fell upon him, the sky among the mountains suddenly turned dark.
Who exactly was this person?