Chapter 636: A Map of the Capital
Listening to the words "troublesome kid," Tang Thirty-Six thought of Xuan Yuan Po and laughed again, though his smile carried a faint bitterness.
He was still at the National Academy, but he had already begun to miss those who were no longer there, as well as the days spent in that place.
Those days had been utterly wonderful and nostalgic, but unfortunately, after tonight, they would never return.
"I understand," he said to the Second Master of the Tang family. "I'll go with you."
The Second Master of the Tang family looked at him quietly, then laughed soundlessly once more, his mouth opening wide, his expression somewhat comical.
No one knew how long passed before he restrained his smile and said, "This is good."
With those four words, he led Tang Thirty-Six toward the gate of the National Academy.
Zhe Xiu and the disciples of the Southern Stream Sect could do nothing but watch their figures disappear into the night.
The Second Master of the Tang family 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 soldiers of the Imperial Guard monitoring the National Academy stirred slightly, then quickly fell silent.
Neither the National Academy cavalry nor these imperial troops seemed to notice the carriage or the Second Master of the Tang family helping Tang Thirty-Six aboard.
Such was the terrifying presence of the Wenshui Tang family.
Though on the surface, their influence had been unable to enter the capital for many years, they still wielded unimaginable power.
For what could truly reach the divine in this world was not faith or strength, but money.
The carriage moved through the capital shrouded in night. The wheels, enchanted with formations, made no sound whether rolling over bluestone slabs or red brick paths, gliding like ghosts. Even Princess Pingguo's flying chariot, drawn by snow-white pegasi across the sky, could not travel faster than this seemingly ordinary carriage.
Those inside felt no bumps, yet it was not comfortable—at least for Tang Thirty-Six.
"What exactly does the family intend to do?" he asked.
The Second Master of the Tang family 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 and the shops with tightly closed doors, lost in silent thought.
At the deepest part of a market district, the carriage stopped. This was the headquarters of the Fragrance Guild.
Before stepping through the door leading underground, Tang Thirty-Six paused and looked at the Second Master of the Tang family. "You're taking over the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion's assets in the capital?"
The Second Master of the Tang family raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised that he had guessed the family's true purpose so quickly.
"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 the capital?"
To deal with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the first thing to resolve was the existence of the Heavenly Mechanism Old Man.
Even if the Sea Empress Tianhai invited the Heavenly Mechanism Old Man to the capital for assistance, how could the Tang family be certain he would fall here?
After all, that old man possessed the ability to see through the workings of heaven and was the foremost among the Eight Winds and Rains.
"The Heavenly Mechanism Old Man won't come to the capital," the Second Master of the Tang family said as he walked into the dim tunnel 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. Having failed to achieve divine concealment, they cannot escape the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death."
The Second Master of the Tang family did not pause, speaking calmly. "In the Cold Mountain, he exchanged blows with the Demon Lord from afar and was injured, accelerating this process."
Tang Thirty-Six followed him. "And what about Her Holiness the Empress? Are you so sure she will lose?"
The Second Master of the Tang family said, "The Sea Empress Tianhai's strength relies entirely on ruthlessness. Chen Changsheng has been in the capital 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, sealing off the capital from the outside.
The underground space here was vast and not dim, filled with the light of night pearls and jade fire. It was also not quiet, for it was crowded with people.
Hundreds of accountants sat at their desks, copying and calculating, with piles of ledgers stacked like small mountains before each of them.
"What are they doing?" Tang Thirty-Six asked.
The Second Master of the Tang family said, "What is it about our Tang family that should be most feared?"
Tang Thirty-Six couldn't think of an answer.
The Wenshui Tang family was the richest in the continent, unrivaled even by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Before the Chen imperial clan established the Great Zhou dynasty, the Tang family was already the Tang family. They dealt in everything—weapons, artifacts, grain, crystals, mines... What was most worthy of fear? Was it money?
When they reached the deepest room, the three chief stewards of the Fragrance Guild looked at Tang Thirty-Six following behind the Second Master of the Tang family, their expressions somewhat unnatural.
For over a year, they had been hiding from him the matter they were working on.
This was the Fragrance Guild, a foothold Tang Thirty-Six had carved for the family in the capital last autumn, riding the momentum of the National 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 Academy, he had also overseen the Fragrance Guild, naturally using stewards sent by the family. Thus, the Fragrance Guild had seamlessly become the family's property.
Yes, he was the most favored grandchild of the Wenshui Tang family, but on matters of this magnitude, he still had no say.
Yet the stewards thought that years later, Tang Thirty-Six would surely become the family head. Knowing that what they were doing now, though not outright betrayal, was close to it, they couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"The Tang family will always be the Tang family's Tang family, not one person's Tang family."
The Second Master of the Tang family 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 family won't treat you poorly."
The three chief stewards glanced at Tang Thirty-Six and murmured their assent.
The Second Master of the Tang family 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, likely mixed with some black gold. Under the light of the night pearls and jade fire, it was exceptionally clear.
It was a map of the capital, drawn with extraordinary detail—whether the imperial palace, the Li Palace, or the most ordinary civilian homes, nothing was omitted.
The Second Master of the Tang family 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 ledgers in their arms, and began to report.
"Jinghe Garden confirmed, intensity decreased by three hundred twenty-three."
"Hongju 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; yin energy may have interfered."
"Baizhi Lane North confirmed, intensity increased by one hundred forty-one."
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