Chapter 682: Inexplicable
(The previous chapter had a few lines from Yu Ren, and Xue Zai messaged me asking if it was a bug. I thought about it, admitted it was, and made the correction. Then... I’ll be quite busy for a while. I’ll explain the specifics in a few days. If I have time, I’ll write; if not, I’ll have to apologize. I wish you all a happy life and good health.)
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The gates of the imperial city were tightly shut. The divine generals stationed in the capital, the court officials of various ministries, and the princes had all arrived at the palace. Mao Qiuyu and White Rock Daoist had also rushed over from the detached palace. As time passed, more and more intelligence arrived from the snowy plains to the south. That shocking news, which could stir the entire continent and bring countless upheavals, gradually gained more details, more vivid images.
Three days ago, on the very night of the Heaven’s Tomb Ridge incident in the capital, a world-shaking event had also occurred in Snow Old City. The Demon General suddenly raised the banner of rebellion, leading a massive army to storm the Demon Palace. The Demon Lord was ambushed by the Demon race’s military strategist, Black Robe, and a hidden powerhouse from the Council of Elders. He suffered severe injuries, fell into the Dark Spring, and had no hope of survival.
The Demon Princess, Southern Guest, used a forbidden bloodline technique to forcibly break through the Demon Palace’s barrier, transforming into a peacock and fleeing southeast. She escaped successfully by taking advantage of the raging blizzard. Seven Demon generals loyal to the Demon Lord and tens of thousands of Demon cavalry were killed or executed in this rebellion. The streets and alleys of Snow Old City were awash with blood, like surging green waves, a sight that inspired fear. Afterward, Black Robe and the Demon General installed the Demon Lord’s youngest son as the new ruler, issuing several Demon decrees demanding loyalty from all Demon tribes and armies, while also ordering a kill-on-sight command for Southern Guest.
What was going on? The assembled officials of the Great Zhou in the hall exchanged bewildered glances. Even though they had confirmed the truth of this news through multiple channels, people still found it hard to believe... The greatest enemy of humanity for a thousand years, that demon who had once loomed like a shadow over the north, whom even Emperor Taizong had failed to kill... had he died just like that?
Yes, a thousand years ago, the Demon Lord had been defeated by Zhou Du|fu and gravely wounded. This year, in the Cold Mountains, he had expended much of his essence and blood to break the formation of the Heavenly Mechanism Elder. Few knew that on his way back to Snow Old City, the Demon Lord had also encountered the White Emperor. That earth-shattering battle must have worsened his injuries. But how could he have died like this?
The most incomprehensible thing was: how could he die in a rebellion?
To find a force within the Demon race capable of overthrowing the Demon Lord, it could never be the Council of Elders, nor the tribes that had already been cowed into submission. It could only be the Demon General, who commanded a significant portion of the Demon army and possessed terrifying personal strength, along with the mysterious and unfathomable Black Robe, who had secretly cultivated who knows how many forces. And they had to have joined hands.
The problem was that even the most imaginative storytellers wouldn’t dare to think in that direction.
The whole world knew that the Demon race’s military strategist, Black Robe, and the Demon General were at daggers drawn. If not for the Demon Lord personally suppressing them and mediating repeatedly, the two sides could never have coexisted.
This couldn’t be fake, because this situation had persisted for hundreds of years. So who could have made Black Robe and the Demon General set aside their past grievances, take such enormous risks, place such immense trust in each other, and join forces to launch such a treacherous and terrifying strike against the Demon Lord?
People’s gazes unconsciously turned to a certain spot—an inconspicuous corner of the hall, very quiet, with no eunuchs or maids standing there. Only a row of bead curtains swayed silently in the autumn breeze. Behind them, a vague scene could be glimpsed. There was no chair behind the curtain, only a long corridor.
That corridor led to a very ordinary room at the back of the hall.
Many years ago, the legendary ministers whose portraits hung in the Lingyan Pavilion used to gather in that room to drink tea, play chess, curse, and pass the boring time before court sessions.
Now, Emperor Taizong’s soul had long since returned to the sea of stars, and those legendary ministers had followed him. No one dared to relax so freely in the imperial palace anymore, nor would anyone be so deliberately magnanimous. Most people had even forgotten the stories that had once unfolded in that ordinary room.
One person had not forgotten, because he was a man of that era.
He had not been enshrined in the Lingyan Pavilion, nor did he have the fame of those legendary ministers. But in truth, in that era, he was more important than most of those on the Lingyan Pavilion. Because before those legendary ministers died, before Wu Daozi painted them onto paper, he had personally seen them all. From another perspective, it was he who had sent those legendary ministers to the Lingyan Pavilion.
He was now in that ordinary room.
No one knew whether he was reminiscing about his former comrades or reporting something to Emperor Taizong.
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During the Heaven’s Tomb Ridge incident, the Heavenly Sea Holy Empress had asked who would deal with the Demon race’s threat.
Shang Xingzhou said he could handle it.
Han Qing believed he could, which was why he threw the Frost Remnant Divine Spear to complete that Autumn Kill.
Three days had passed, and the Demon Lord was indeed dead. Snow Old City was in chaos. Shang Xingzhou had proven his words.
At this moment, Han Qing was probably on his way to Snow Old City. Would the former Demon Prince watch his younger brother ascend to the Demon Lord’s throne?
The big shots in the hall stared at the silently swaying bead curtain, stunned into silence.
They couldn’t see Shang Xingzhou’s figure, but their eyes were still filled with awe.
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When there were clouds, the lights of the capital would be reflected back somewhat, so the night couldn’t grow too deep.
When there were no clouds, the stars filled the sky, shining down on the world, so the night still couldn’t grow too deep.
In short, in a bustling place like the capital, it was always hard to see an extremely deep night, let alone pitch darkness, unless a rainstorm forced people to extinguish their own lights.
Starlight was scattered by the flying red geese and several extremely precious Sky Patrol Chariots. Chen Changsheng stood atop the big banyan tree, inexplicably beginning to miss the rainstorm from three days ago.
Perhaps it was because three days ago, many things had yet to happen. Back then, he still had the chance to pretend his life was peaceful and beautiful.
Just like three years ago, when he and Luoluo had spent that time together in the National Academy.
But a year ago, Tang Thirty-Six had told him on this very banyan tree that his teacher had problems, that many people had problems, and that he needed to think carefully about these issues.
Chen Changsheng had thought about those problems, but he lacked the ability and wisdom to solve them.
Tang Thirty-Six had left, forcibly taken back to Wenshui by the Tang family. No one knew if he would ever return.
Xu Yourong had left, forcibly sent back to Saintess Peak by Mo Yu on the orders of the Heavenly Sea Holy Empress. No one knew how much turmoil this city would face when she returned to the capital.
Zhe Xiu had left, vanishing like a true lone wolf into the capital’s night and lights. But he must still be in the capital, though no one knew what he was preparing to do.
What truly made Chen Changsheng feel somewhat desolate, or rather sad, was that Zhou Tong was still alive.
He had already learned the full picture of that night at Heaven’s Tomb Ridge.
That small courtyard with the crabapple trees had been destroyed, but Zhou Tong was doing very well, and... he had poisoned Xue Xingchuan to death.
The shift in the capital’s situation had begun the moment the Imperial Carriage Diagram failed. It could be said that Zhou Tong had played the most crucial role in it.
He had betrayed the Heavenly Sea Holy Empress.
Chen Changsheng could accept that.
Because Zhe Xiu was a wolf, and Zhou Tong was a dog. Wolves travel a thousand miles to eat meat; dogs eat shit.
But Xu Shiji had also betrayed her.
Even the Heavenly Sea family had betrayed her.
These things Chen Changsheng found hard to accept.
It had nothing to do with stances or factions. It was just hard to accept.
This world was far too inexplicable.
He really couldn’t bring himself to like such an inexplicable world.