Chapter 113: Living Towards Death (Part 2)
For countless years, she had seen many heroes and bold figures—those brimming with ambition, those gentle and refined, those concerned with the world, those compassionate and merciful. She had seen countless geniuses and powerhouses—those who deemed themselves supreme, those who blended with the dust, those content with a wife, children, and a warm hearth. Among all these people, only that man had ever made her feel fear. Even though she had now caught up to his level of cultivation, even though she often spoke of him with mockery and disdain, she had to admit that even today, his name could still send a chill through her.
Or perhaps it was because when she had first faced that man, she was merely an innocent, lively, adorable girl who knew nothing of the world, while he was the supreme being of the realm, the sovereign father who was still alive yet destined to be recorded in history as the eternal emperor?
"Emperor Taizong, you have been dead for so many years. Can you not find peace?"
She looked up at the starry sky, gazing at the position where the brightest star had once shone many years ago. After a long silence, she furrowed her brows.
...
...
This early autumn night was truly long, easily stirring memories of old acquaintances.
As the Heavenly Sea Holy Empress thought of Emperor Taizong, Zhou Tong was also thinking of that former dean of the National Academy, Shang Xingzhou.
Zhou Tong was a pure villain. He reveled in the suffering of his enemies and even his friends—though aside from Xue Xingchuan, he had no true friends. This did not mean he was insane or mentally unstable; on the contrary, he was more clear-headed and rational than most people in the world, and that was the essence of true evil.
To continue enjoying this beautiful life, he needed to preserve his status, which meant ensuring the Holy Empress's throne remained unshakable.
As things stood, the person most likely to shake the Empress's throne was, of course, Chen Changsheng.
Perhaps in a few days, he would die, but Zhou Tong would not take risks. He would not wait in silence.
This was a problem posed by countless major forces, including Shang Xingzhou and the imperial clan. Zhou Tong felt he had found the method to solve it, but first, he had to locate the problem itself.
As he pondered how to crack it, his admiration for Shang Xingzhou grew deeper, eventually turning into awe.
This world was one of the strong. One man could command the wind and rain of a region; one saint could shake the eight directions of heaven and earth.
Shang Xingzhou was undeniably a powerhouse, a great master of the orthodox state religion. Though his reputation was not widespread and he did not rank among the stormy figures, everyone knew he had long since stepped into the sacred domain, with unfathomable cultivation and strength. But what truly made Zhou Tong revere him was his profound foresight.
He had raised Chen Changsheng in the old temple of Xining Town for fifteen years, teaching him nothing, then sent him directly to the capital and wrote a letter to the Pope.
He was still alive. This should have been a debt of gratitude to the Pope from years ago, but now it had become his weapon. The bond of brotherhood within the orthodox state religion was naturally also a weapon. As for Merisa, the representative of the old faction of the state religion, an old man determined to help the imperial clan reclaim the throne, he had likely known Chen Changsheng's identity very early on. That was why he had been so eager—almost like forcing a seedling to grow—to help Chen Changsheng rise, making him the successor of the state religion in just two years. Thus, when the Holy Empress wanted to kill Chen Changsheng, the state religion would inevitably protect him. The already fragile alliance would naturally shatter. The Holy Empress would lose her greatest supporter, and the Chen imperial clan would have hope of reclaiming the throne!
Just by sending Chen Changsheng to the capital—such an insignificant act—he had shattered nearly twenty years of peace in the Great Zhou Dynasty!
It was said that saints use the world as a chessboard and never regret their moves. But Shang Xingzhou dared to use saints as chess pieces and the state religion's legacy as a tool. As for emotions, experiences, and human hearts, he wielded them effortlessly and discarded them without a second thought. What a remarkable schemer!
These were, of course, Zhou Tong's own deductions, because he too was a schemer.
The more he admired Shang Xingzhou, the more he regretted not killing Chen Changsheng earlier.
"I don't care about the process; I care about the result."
Standing on the stone steps, he looked at his subordinates kneeling in the courtyard and said with a smile, "I don't care about your analyses and judgments. I want to see him dead."
He was not a pervert, so whether he was executing someone or torturing a minister, he did not deliberately act refined and elegant or wear a shy smile on his lips. When he laughed, it was usually because the situation had become so absurd that he could only force a bitter smile, like now.
"He's a living person, and a famous one at that. Most importantly, he's a patient... and yet, you can't even find out where he is?"
Zhou Tong looked at his subordinates in the courtyard but did not finish his words.
Only he knew that Chen Changsheng was a man about to die.
Whether famous, a patient, or about to die, in the end, he should be easy to find.
The Ministry of Justice had thousands of secret agents and even more informants, yet after half the night, they still couldn't locate this man.
This made Zhou Tong unable to suppress a laugh.
Seeing the smile on their superior's face, none of the Ministry officials in the courtyard felt at ease, and no one was foolish enough to try to laugh along. Their faces were pale, and their black hats could not block the starlight falling from the sky, making them look especially bleak.
Zhou Tong looked at the official kneeling at the front, withdrew his smile, and said calmly, "The court pays you the highest salary, so naturally, I have the highest expectations of you."
This official was a high-ranking intelligence officer in the Ministry, usually moving freely through various government offices and state religion halls, commanding great respect. But now, being so casually named by his direct superior, his body trembled violently.
High expectations meant great disappointment. He knew he had to do something, or else Zhou Tong would surely make him remember tonight's failure in another way.
A crisp crack rang out—the sound of a finger breaking!
He forcibly snapped the little finger of his left hand. His face grew even paler, pain flickering in his eyes, and his voice trembled as he spoke.
"Your subordinate is incompetent. Please give me another half hour, and I will surely find that man!"
Zhou Tong looked at the official, his expression unchanged. Cheng Jun, standing nearby, frowned slightly. In his view, breaking just a little finger hardly showed determination. If it were one of his own direct subordinates in the Cavalry, he would have demanded they cut off an entire arm.
To Cheng Jun, this broken finger made Zhou Tong seem too merciful. But to the Ministry officials in the courtyard, it was a clear and terrifying warning. The officials dispersed from the small courtyard, leading their respective teams to resume the search through the capital's night. Their movements and atmosphere were faster and more tense than before.
"Spending half the night without finding any clues means the other party has the ability to conceal their tracks... after all, he is the future Pope."
Cheng Jun followed Zhou Tong back inside, respectfully poured him a cup of tea, and lowered his voice. "In my opinion, instead of searching aimlessly like this, we should first figure out where he plans to go after leaving the National Academy, then set a trap there ahead of time."
The small courtyard on North Military Command Alley was stocked with countless rare teas, but Zhou Tong only ever drank one kind: the Da Hong Pao from the south.
The pot was brewing Da Hong Pao now, but it hadn't steeped long enough, so the tea in the cup was a bit pale.
Zhou Tong looked at the faintly rippling tea color in the cup and said, "If we could guess where he's going, the Li Palace wouldn't be so frantic right now."
A sinister smile appeared on Cheng Jun's face. "Then we'll force him to show himself."
Zhou Tong's gaze remained fixed on the teacup, as if staring long enough would deepen the color of the tea.
Hearing Cheng Jun's words, his expression didn't change. He let out a faint "Oh" and asked, "How do we force him?"
As the most arrogant of the orthodox Eight Tigers, Cheng Jun's methods were always simple and brutal.
"Even if he wants to stay away from the storm in the capital, there are still people he cares about." Cheng Jun gritted his teeth. "Let's grab a few students from the National Academy, grab a few vendors from Hundred Flowers Lane, chop off their hands and feet, and throw them onto Vermilion Bird Street. I refuse to believe he won't hear about it."
Zhou Tong suddenly laughed, as if the tea in his cup had indeed grown a shade darker.
The rich, fragrant Da Hong Pao looked like blood.
Bloody and brutal didn't mean ineffective. Zhou Tong glanced toward the door, and a subordinate official understood the intent and slipped into the night. Soon, this seemingly crazy idea would spread throughout the capital and reach Chen Changsheng's ears.
"Have you considered that this means open war with the Li Palace? When Chen Changsheng came to me to demand someone, the state religion's cavalry surrounded this place."
Zhou Tong looked at Cheng Jun with a smile, his expression carrying deep meaning.
Cheng Jun knew the other man wanted to gauge his resolve.
He had thought it through clearly. Like Zhou Tong, if the Holy Empress lost power, he would be dead for sure.
That was why he had personally come to North Military Command Alley tonight, abandoning his usual caution and handing over all the Cavalry to the Ministry's command.
He looked at Zhou Tong, maintaining a humble posture, but his voice was sharp with a sense of martyrdom. "It's a fight to the death. We can't afford to give an inch!"
...
...
No one expected that Chen Changsheng had already returned to the National Academy—more precisely, to the alley outside it.
He knew nothing of the bloody plan the Ministry had just devised.
He had come to Hundred Flowers Lane not to prevent Zhou Tong from going mad and harming the National Academy's students or the nearby vendors, but for another purpose.
Standing in the shadows of Hundred Flowers Lane, he watched the figures that flickered in and out of sight—agents of both the court and the Li Palace—and finally fixed his gaze on the carriage at the street corner.
Last autumn, when the Heavenly Sea family and the state religion's new faction had tried to suppress the National Academy by proposing the inter-academy martial competition and sending many experts to challenge him, it had been an interesting story. Back then, he had noticed this carriage at the street corner.
Every time a match occurred, that carriage would appear.
It hadn't tried to hide its identity. Everyone knew it came from the Ministry of Justice.
Knowing wasn't enough. Zhe Xiu had specifically investigated this carriage, and the information he gathered was now in Chen Changsheng's mind.
...
...
North Military Command Alley was not narrow; it was actually a straight street wide enough for two carriages to pass side by side. The Ministry of Justice compound was also vast, containing countless buildings besides the grim prison. The famous small courtyard with blooming crabapple trees lay at the deepest part, requiring a long walk from the entrance through numerous checkpoints.
The carriage returning from the National Academy drove straight into the compound, following the gravel path through inspections. The fierce, terrifying three-headed black dogs showed no abnormality, and it finally arrived outside the small courtyard.
The night was deep, but many in the capital couldn't sleep, including those in this courtyard.
Zhou Tong and Cheng Jun sat drinking tea, though it was unclear if they could truly savor its flavor.
As reports came in from outside the courtyard, Cheng Jun's spirits lifted slightly.
This carriage had brought back the latest news from the National Academy, and he was very concerned about it.
The courtyard door was pushed open. Footsteps sounded, then stopped. The official must have halted, standing on the ground of the small courtyard.
Cheng Jun turned to glance into the courtyard and saw the official with his head slightly lowered, not offering a report on his own. He frowned slightly.
As a high-ranking court official, his reputation was terrible, but his ability was actually decent, and he ruled his subordinates strictly. If one of his Cavalry officers had been so slack in reporting, he would have already thrown his teacup at them, forbidding them to dodge...
But this was North Military Command Alley, not his territory. Though he seemed rough and brutal, he was actually very clever. He would never discipline another man's subordinate in front of Zhou Tong. Just as earlier, when he thought the Ministry official's punishment of breaking a finger was too light, he had remained silent. Now, he kept his composure.
But the next moment, he could no longer stay calm.
Because the official in the courtyard lifted his head.
It was a very young face.
Cheng Jun stood up in shock.
Zhou Tong turned to look into the courtyard, his pupils contracting, a chill rising.
Chen Changsheng.
The newcomer was Chen Changsheng.
The entire capital had been searching for him all night, yet no one knew his whereabouts.
The Ministry's assassins and killers were hunting him everywhere, and yet he had appeared inside the Ministry itself!
What did he want to do?
Zhou Tong silently watched the young man in the courtyard, saying nothing, and slowly set down his teacup.
The Da Hong Pao in the cup had steeped too long, its color as glaringly thick as blood.
Chen Changsheng silently watched him, his right hand rising to grip the sword hilt at his waist in the autumn wind.
On this long autumn night, Zhou Tong had been searching for him, wanting to kill him.
Little did he know, Chen Changsheng had also been searching for Zhou Tong, wanting to kill him.