Chapter 805: Soldiers, Fighters, Warriors
Three Grand Archbishops of the Holy Church, two thousand cavalry guards—their presence was nothing short of overwhelming.
Of course, this was the northern battlefield. Songshan Military Prefecture alone commanded several thousand Black Armored Cavalry. If a real fight broke out, there was certainly a battle to be fought.
The problem was that Ning Shiwei and his most trusted subordinate officers had already died in the deep night of Snow Ridge. The position of Divine General of Songshan Military Prefecture stood vacant. The thousands of Black Armored Cavalry and even more ordinary soldiers were gripped by panic, utterly unsure whose orders to follow.
The most critical issue was this: even if someone dared to step forward and take command, who would be willing to bear that responsibility?
Divine General Cheng Tao and Divine General Jian Xi belonged to different factions. Yongxue Pass and Yonglan Pass had always been at odds with each other. But now, facing the immense pressure exerted by the state religion, they had no time to dwell on old grudges. They locked eyes, each seeking some form of help or support from the other.
Zhongshan King and Tianhai Chengwen, however, no longer exchanged glances. Their earlier vigilance and unease had now become reality.
Three years ago, Zhou Tong had been executed by slow slicing on Snow Street. The previous His Holiness the Pope had returned to the Sea of Stars. Chen Changsheng had succeeded him, then quietly vanished into the wind and snow.
The capital had quickly returned to calm, and the political situation had moved forward steadily. Many guessed that this was the result of some agreement between the state religion and the imperial court—more precisely, between Shang Xingzhou and Chen Changsheng, master and disciple. As long as he did not remain in the capital, nothing would happen.
The Pope was not in the Papal Palace but wandering the world to cultivate his enlightenment. This was the first time such a situation had occurred in history.
Everyone knew that, in truth, the Pope had been exiled.
But no one looked down on the young Pope because of this, and certainly no one mocked him.
In the eyes of the world, he had willingly distanced himself for the greater good, for all living beings, to fight against the demon race.
In the three years that followed, Chen Changsheng indeed never returned to the capital.
Except for one appearance on the Snow Plain battlefield, no one even knew where he was.
During these three years, the state religion had also remained remarkably silent.
The Papal Palace was so quiet. Its famous row of stone pillars had aged considerably, and the ivy on the walls had gathered much dust.
The Grass Moon Pavilion stood wordless in the twilight. The osmanthus flowers in Guiqing Palace gave off a honey-like fragrance, but no bees came to gather. The Moss Dwelling was as gloomy as ever. The clear water tiles, washed by rain, gleamed with a serene beauty like porcelain. Many of the maple trees outside the Papal Secretariat had been moved to the Autumn Residence. The Hall of Heavenly Dao in the snow was utterly desolate.
Bai Shi Daoist, Archbishop of Wenhua Hall; Mao Qiuyu, Archbishop of Yinghua Hall; Si Yuan Daoist, Archbishop of Zheshong Hall; An Lin, Grand Archbishop of the Holy Edict; and Linghai Zhiwang, Archbishop of Liuyun Hall—each held a sacred treasure of the state religion and resided in their respective five Daoist halls, ignoring worldly affairs and rarely seeing outsiders. Only the Grass Moon Pavilion now had no master.
The Heavenly Dao Academy and the other four Ivy Academies enforced their rules with extreme strictness, and the Daoist halls in various prefectures and counties also acted with great restraint.
The martial examinations of the academies ended without resolution. Even the Ivy Banquet and the Grand Court Examination had been suspended for three years.
The imperial court’s official reason was that the demon army’s southern invasion had made the situation tense, hence the suspension. But everyone knew the real reason.
Lingyan Pavilion had been reduced to ruins by Her Holiness the Empress. The state religion refused to open the Papal Palace. What meaning was there left in such a Grand Court Examination?
It wasn’t until late autumn this year that Snow Ridge witnessed that bloody night. Now, in this winter, the world finally learned some news about the Pope. At this moment, three state religion magnates led two thousand church cavalry, suddenly leaving the capital and, without anyone knowing, arriving at the distant northern Songshan Military Prefecture.
What did they intend to do?
This was the deepest vigilance and greatest unease of Zhongshan King and Tianhai Chengwen.
After three years, the Papal Palace had finally broken its silence. The state religion was preparing to make its voice heard across the continent once more. What did this mean?
“Has His Holiness the Pope finally grown homesick?”
Zhongshan King stood up, a hint of mockery in his tone. “If this means a civil war in the Great Zhou Dynasty, then it will certainly be spectacular.”
Back then, to make Her Holiness the Empress spare his life, he had not hesitated to feign madness and act like a fool, being so ruthless even to himself. What could he possibly fear now?
But his opponent today was also a very tough man.
Linghai Zhiwang, the youngest of the state religion magnates, was an extremely rare Grand Archbishop with a military background. If His Holiness the Pope hadn’t recalled him to the capital back then, he would have already become a Divine General of Great Zhou, with even deeper seniority than Divine Generals Cheng Tao and Jian Xi.
In fact, if Chen Changsheng hadn’t appeared, many believed that he and Si Yuan Daoist were the most likely candidates for the next Pope.
A man like him—what could he possibly fear? Let alone the fact that he had endured three full years in that dark, damp Moss Dwelling. His violent temperament had not been worn down; instead, it had reached the brink of eruption.
“Your Highness is confused!”
Linghai Zhiwang’s harsh and cold voice echoed throughout Songshan Military Prefecture and beyond.
The crowd on the streets and some of the lesser cultivators within the military prefecture felt as if a thunderclap had sounded in their ears, leaving them slightly dizzy.
He stared into Zhongshan King’s eyes and said in a deep voice, “His Holiness the Pope has been assassinated. Shouldn’t the state religion respond?”
Zhongshan King’s gaze was razor-sharp. “Secretly mobilizing the church cavalry to the northern frontier—is that your response?”
“Exactly.” Linghai Zhiwang lifted his chin, speaking with arrogance. “Because I intend to investigate the case.”
The assassination of the Pope was naturally a monumental case. The question was: how should it be investigated?
It was exactly what he had said before entering Songshan Military Prefecture.
The Tianhai family must hand over their people!
Not a single member of the Zhu family or the Peerless Sect should think of escaping!
All officers and soldiers of Songshan Military Prefecture were to be arrested and taken back to the capital for interrogation by the Papal Palace!
The imperial court must give a clear explanation!
If Linghai Zhiwang’s demands were followed, Great Zhou would inevitably face upheaval.
Zhongshan King remained unshaken, staring at him expressionlessly. “What if I agree to your four conditions?”
The Snow Ridge incident had nothing to do with him. Though he had once considered seizing the Cinnabar Pill, he hadn’t yet made a move.
“That is something the imperial court should do!” Linghai Zhiwang showed no sign of backing down because of his words. He said sternly, “But before the Papal Palace has fully investigated this case, no one is to take command of Songshan Military Prefecture, because it might interfere with our investigation.”
Tianhai Chengwen sighed. “Unless the person appointed by His Holiness the Pope himself takes over?”
He was naturally referring to Chen Chou.
Zhongshan King’s expression grew even darker. “This is utterly outrageous!”
Linghai Zhiwang’s face was devoid of any emotion, as cold as his voice.
“The Cinnabar Pill is His Holiness the Pope’s mercy to all living beings. Yet there are those in the court who are so bold as to scheme for the treasure and even attempt to harm His Holiness. Do you think you can get away without paying any price? And even if you agree to these four conditions, what use is it? Would Prince Xiang dare to agree?”
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(I’m trying to build up some saved drafts. Once the saved draft reaches twenty thousand words, I’ll write and post however much I write each day. By then, it should be a bit more.)