Chapter 727: The Coronation
Everyone knew that Shang Xingzhou did not like his student, Chen Changsheng.
As for the reason, Yu Ren and Chen Changsheng himself had probably guessed some of it, and were gradually guessing more and more.
But for the people of the world outside the old temple in Xining Town, this had always been a very difficult question to understand.
From a personal emotional perspective, Shang Xingzhou had raised Chen Changsheng since childhood. Even if all of this began with a conspiracy, Chen Changsheng should have been more trustworthy to him than others. Even from the perspective of life ideals, Shang Xingzhou wanted humanity to achieve unprecedented unification in order to defeat the demon race. Yet supporting Mu Jiushi to become the Pope, thereby forming an alliance with the Western Continent, was not necessarily better than Chen Changsheng ascending to the position of Pope and the imperial court gaining the full support of the Li Palace.
No one could understand Shang Xingzhou’s thoughts. Even the Pope’s speculations could not hold up. After they brushed past each other in the Mausoleum of Heavenly Books in the morning light, all of this happened naturally. However, in many subsequent stories, Shang Xingzhou never clearly expressed that he wanted Chen Changsheng to die. Even though this was a secret known to all under heaven, it had never been put on paper or put into action. Until tonight, when Shang Xingzhou admitted it to Yu Ren, he declared his intention to heaven and earth for the first time.
The starry sky immediately dimmed, and an invisible killing intent enveloped the capital.
Chen Changsheng’s life and death depended on his own efforts, on Shang Xingzhou’s attitude, and now it was also closely tied to the life and death of another great figure.
The Li Palace had long made its stance clear. The Pope would not allow Shang Xingzhou to do any harm to Chen Changsheng.
The problem was, how many more days could the Pope live?
That night in the Li Palace, nothing happened after all. The starlight torn apart by the fine snow and scattered clouds fell on Madam Mu’s robes, beautiful as if unreal.
As dawn approached, Shang Xingzhou finally left the imperial palace and arrived at the Li Palace, between the five clear, beautiful, and sacred old temple eaves.
Before he officially appeared, Madam Mu had already left with the sky full of snow and starlight.
Apart from the Pope, the Li Palace would only ever allow one saint to enter at a time; otherwise, for the state religion, that would mean war.
That night, Shang Xingzhou had a very long conversation with the Pope, probably the last conversation of their lives. No one knew what they talked about, or whether some agreement had been reached between the imperial court and the state religion. But starting the next day, a warm spring breeze descended early upon the capital. An atmosphere called reconciliation gradually spread. Zhe Xiu and Mo Yu were taken out of the Dali Temple. The former was directly sent back to the north by the Ministry of War, while the latter returned to the Orange Garden, temporarily under house arrest and surveillance.
It was still deep winter. The so-called spring breeze was naturally illusory. Everyone knew that this situation could last for a very long time, or it could come to an abrupt halt at any moment.
No one knew how many more days the Pope could live, nor whether Shang Xingzhou would still keep the promises made in that night’s conversation after the Pope returned to the Starry Sea.
The atmosphere in the capital gradually grew tense. Many people felt as if they could already see that violent storm ahead of time. No, in the depths of winter, it should be a blizzard.
Amidst unease and anticipation, the New Year approached. A heavy snow fell on the capital, turning the streets and buildings entirely white, a beautiful sight.
The Li Palace in the wind and snow was even more beautiful.
Chen Changsheng supported the Pope as they walked out of that quiet side hall and came to the largest square among the palace complex.
Over the years, he had frequently entered and left the Li Palace, but the place he visited most often was that quiet side hall. This was the first time he had come here with the Pope.
The square paved with bluestone was covered in snow like a felt carpet. The stone pillars, seemingly scattered but actually arranged with hidden patterns, had their tops whitened by the snow. Chen Changsheng’s divine sense could clearly feel that beneath the square lay an extremely ancient and profound aura. If this was a formation, it would likely be no weaker than the Imperial Chariot Diagram.
Looking into the distance, several palaces appeared and disappeared in the wind and snow. He knew these were the famous Grass Moon Hall, Osmanthus Pure Palace, Moss Dwelling… The Li Palace had six halls, each containing a treasure representing the history and supreme authority of the state religion. Hence, the term “Six Great Figures” had gradually developed.
He knew why the Pope had brought him here.
The sacred and majestic auras from places like Grass Moon Hall and Osmanthus Pure Palace were expressing submission to him.
“The snow this year is too heavy,” the Pope said.
His gaze pierced through the wind and snow, landing in the distant north. His face, covered in wrinkles and age spots, revealed worry for the future: “With the civil strife in Snow Old City, the demon race is unprecedentedly weak. This snowstorm will surely cause many tribes to become disaffected and trigger countless conflicts. When spring comes next year, the wolf cavalry will inevitably march south.”
The wind and snow were beautiful, but also harsh. The demon race would inevitably suffer great losses. Coupled with this rebellion, Snow Old City could not recover its strength in a short time. Under such circumstances, the Pope’s assertion that the demon army would launch a large-scale invasion south next year seemed baseless, but Chen Changsheng understood this was inevitable. The demon race was a mad and terrifying species. The weaker they were, the more bloodthirsty and brutal they became, because they knew that only this way could they survive this most difficult period.
The Pope sighed and said, “Since we find each other tiresome to look at, it’s better to leave as soon as possible.”
This sentence had no beginning or end, and only Chen Changsheng could understand it. After the incident at the Mausoleum of Heavenly Books, many people guessed that he would leave the capital. In fact, he had always wanted to leave, but at that time, he knew his teacher would not let him go unless he died.
Now it seemed that the conversation between the two saints in the Li Palace that night had ultimately changed something after all.
“Alright,” he said.
The Pope looked at him and said, “You are the successor I have chosen. No matter how many years pass, you must return.”
Chen Changsheng said, “When you need me, I will come back.”
The Pope said, “He wants to talk with you.”
Chen Changsheng thought for a moment and said, “That’s fine.”
…
…
The Li Palace shone with great radiance. The snow falling from the night sky seemed to turn into celestial flowers scattered from the divine kingdom, breathtakingly beautiful.
The state religion’s clergy, cavalry, and various levels of religious officials stood in the square, occasionally illuminated, like a vast ocean under the morning sun.
The Hall of Light was even more dazzling, impossible to look at directly, filled with an inexplicable majesty.
Inside the hall, thousands of red-robed cardinals and archbishops bowed their bodies, their faces full of piety and awe.
The stone wall slowly opened. Under the gaze of the twelve sages and the statues of the divine kingdom’s heroic spirits, the Pope and Chen Changsheng walked out from the light.
The Pope took the divine crown from Mao Qiuyu’s hands and placed it on Chen Changsheng’s head.
Chen Changsheng grasped the divine staff and walked to the very front, beginning to receive blessings and bestow blessings.
His body was somewhat stiff, but his expression was very serious, his movements meticulous. He made no mistakes in any of the procedures, even the most minute requirements of the Daoist Canon. It was perfect.