Chapter 130: A Map of Kyoto
Hearing the words "brat," Tang Thirty-Six thought of Xuan Yuan Po and laughed again, though his smile carried a faint bitterness.
He was still at the National Teaching Academy, but he had already begun to miss those who were no longer there, as well as the days spent within its walls.
Those days had been utterly wonderful, worthy of nostalgia, but unfortunately, after tonight, they would never return.
"I understand," he said to the Second Master of the Tang Clan. "I'll go with you."
The Second Master of the Tang Clan gazed at him quietly, then laughed silently once more, his mouth opening wide, his expression looking somewhat comical.
No one knew how long passed before he restrained his laughter and said, "That's good."
After uttering these four words, he led Tang Thirty-Six toward the gate of the National Teaching Academy.
Zhe Xiu and the disciples of the Southern Creek Sect could do nothing but watch their figures vanish into the night.
The Second Master of the Tang Clan led Tang Thirty-Six out of Hundred Flowers Lane and onto the main street, where a carriage with no markings was already waiting for them.
Seeing this scene, the elite Imperial Guards monitoring the National Teaching Academy from the night street stirred slightly, then quickly fell silent.
Neither the National Teaching cavalry nor these imperial troops seemed to have seen the carriage, nor did they appear to notice the Second Master of the Tang Clan helping Tang Thirty-Six aboard.
Such was the terrifying presence of the Wenshui Tang Clan.
Though on the surface, their influence had been unable to enter Kyoto for many years, in truth, they still wielded unimaginable power.
For what could truly connect with the divine in this world was not faith or strength, but money.
The carriage moved through Kyoto under the cover of night. Its wheels, enchanted with formations, made no sound whether rolling over bluestone slabs or red brick roads, gliding like a ghost. It was believed that even Princess Ping's flying chariot, drawn by snow-white pegasi through the sky, could not travel faster than this seemingly ordinary carriage.
Those inside felt no bumps, yet it was not particularly comfortable—at least, that was how Tang Thirty-Six felt.
"What exactly does the family intend to do?" he asked.
The Second Master of the Tang Clan replied, "You'll know soon enough."
Because the carriage was moving so fast, the night wind lifted the cloth curtain at the window. Tang Thirty-Six watched the receding street scenes, the shops with their doors tightly shut, and fell into silent thought.
Deep within a market district, the carriage stopped. This was the location of the Heavenly Fragrance Guild headquarters.
Before stepping through the door leading underground, Tang Thirty-Six paused and looked at the Second Master of the Tang Clan. "Are you taking over the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion's assets in Kyoto?"
The Second Master of the Tang Clan raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised that he had guessed the family's true purpose in such a short time.
"Even if the situation on the continent is about to undergo earth-shattering changes, is the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion so easy to deal with? What if the Heavenly Mechanism Old Man doesn't come to Kyoto?"
To deal with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the first thing to solve was, of course, the existence of the Heavenly Mechanism Old Man.
Even if the Sea Empress Tianhai invited the Heavenly Mechanism Old Man to Kyoto for assistance, what basis did the Tang Clan have for concluding that he would fall here?
After all, that old man possessed the ability to see through the secrets of heaven and was the foremost among the Eight Winds and Rains.
"The Heavenly Mechanism Old Man won't come to Kyoto," the Second Master of the Tang Clan said, walking into the dim underground passage without looking back. "Because he's about to die."
Tang Thirty-Six, who had just lifted his foot to step forward, stopped again, utterly shocked.
The Heavenly Mechanism Old Man was about to die? Why?
"Among the current sacred domain powerhouses in this world, he and His Holiness the Pope are the oldest. Since they have never managed to become hidden immortals, they cannot escape the four words: birth, aging, sickness, and death."
The Second Master of the Tang Clan did not pause, speaking calmly. "In the Cold Mountain, he clashed with the Demon Lord from afar and was injured, accelerating this process."
Tang Thirty-Six followed him and said, "And what about Her Holiness the Saint Empress? Are you so sure she will lose?"
"The Sea Empress Tianhai's strength relies on her ruthlessness," the Second Master of the Tang Clan said. "Chen Changsheng has been in Kyoto for over two years, yet she has never moved against him. Even if she kills him now, it's already too late."
The heavy iron door slowly closed behind them, shutting out Kyoto.
The underground space here was vast and not dim, illuminated everywhere by night pearls and jade fire. It was also not quiet, for it was filled with people.
Hundreds of accountants sat at their desks, copying and calculating something, with piles of documents stacked like small mountains before each of them.
"What are they doing?" Tang Thirty-Six asked.
The Second Master of the Tang Clan said, "What is the most fearsome thing about our Tang Clan?"
Tang Thirty-Six couldn't think of an answer.
The Wenshui Tang Clan was the richest family on the continent, a status even the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion could not surpass. Before the Chen royal family established the Great Zhou Dynasty, the Tang Clan was already the Tang Clan. They dealt in everything: weapons, artifacts, grain, crystals, mines... So what was most worthy of fear? Was it money?
When they reached the deepest room, the three chief stewards of the Heavenly Fragrance Guild looked at Tang Thirty-Six following behind the Second Master of the Tang Clan, their expressions somewhat unnatural.
For over a year, they had been keeping their work hidden from him.
This was the Heavenly Fragrance Guild, a crack Tang Thirty-Six had torn open in Kyoto last autumn, leveraging the momentum of the National Teaching Academy's new students.
The family had long since taken over everything in secret, while he knew nothing.
While managing the affairs of the National Teaching Academy, he had also overseen the Heavenly Fragrance Guild, naturally using stewards sent by the family. Thus, the guild had smoothly become family property.
Yes, he was the most favored grandchild of the Wenshui Tang Clan, but on matters of this magnitude, he still had no say.
Yet, in the stewards' minds, they believed that many years later, Tang Thirty-Six would surely become the clan head. Thinking that their current actions, though not outright betrayal, were close to it, they couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"The Tang Clan will always be the Tang Clan's Tang Clan, not any one person's Tang Clan."
The Second Master of the Tang Clan picked up the teapot on the table, took a sip, walked to the wall, and said with his back to the three stewards, "Do this job well, and the Tang Clan won't treat you poorly."
The three chief stewards glanced at Tang Thirty-Six and murmured their assent.
The Second Master of the Tang Clan lightly tapped the teapot, and a map seven feet wide and long unfurled from above, covering the wall.
This map was made of the toughest golden silk threads, drawn with the finest Southern ink, which seemed to be mixed with some black gold. Under the light of the night pearls and jade fire, it was extremely clear.
It was a map of Kyoto, drawn with exceptional detail. Whether it was the imperial palace, the detached palace, or the most ordinary civilian houses, nothing was omitted.
The Second Master of the Tang Clan held the teapot in his left hand, looked at the map with a satisfied expression, and said, "Report."
The three chief stewards lined up in order, opened the thick documents in their arms, and began to report.
"Jinghe Garden confirmed, intensity decreased by three hundred twenty-three."
"Red Residence South Street confirmed, intensity matches initial data."
"Jiangong North Lane cannot be confirmed. On the day of Emperor Taizong's death, too many palace maids committed suicide; the yin energy may have interfered."
"White Paper Workshop North Lane confirmed, intensity increased by one hundred forty-one."
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