Chapter 836: The Old Men of That Generation
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Just as the Tianhai family could never represent the Tianhai Saint Empress, in Chen Changsheng's view, the Second Master of the Tang clan certainly could not represent the Tang family either.
If he wanted to understand the Tang family's true stance, he had to meet Old Master Tang in person.
The Archbishop showed a rare expression of difficulty, saying, "By rights, he should indeed come to pay his respects to you, but Old Master Tang never receives outsiders. Unless he wants to see someone. Back then, the Saint Empress sent Mo Yu personally to Wenshui to summon him to the capital, but the Old Master... he didn't even accept the imperial edict."
Chen Changsheng said, "You misunderstand. I meant that tomorrow I will go to the old residence to pay my respects to Old Master Tang."
The Archbishop was very surprised, thinking, *You are His Holiness the Pope. Even if you are considered a junior from the perspective of the Tang family's young master, it makes no sense for you to take the initiative to go to the old residence. Wouldn't that be a loss of status?*
The King of Linghai's expression also turned unpleasant, and he prepared to speak to stop him.
Chen Changsheng didn't give them the chance. He said, "Pass the word along. I await their reply."
Only then did people vaguely understand that His Holiness the Pope wanted to use this matter to judge something.
The Archbishop accepted the order and left. Not long after, the Tang family's old residence sent back a reply.
Just as everyone had expected, Old Master Tang did not agree.
The reason given by the old residence was – he had caught a slight chill.
Everyone knew that a great figure like Old Master Tang wouldn't really catch a chill. This was naturally an excuse.
Of course, the fact that the Tang family's old residence was willing to offer this excuse could be considered as giving His Holiness the Pope considerable face.
If it were anyone else, even so-called big shots like Wugiong Bi or Prince Xiang, if Old Master Tang said he wouldn't see them, he simply wouldn't see them. There was no need for any reason.
But Chen Changsheng didn't think Old Master Tang was doing him a favor.
He sat quietly by the river for a long time, thinking, and then he laughed.
The sunset painted the sky, also illuminating his still-young face. His smile was very clean, pleasing to the eye.
His mood was truly very good at this moment.
Back at Banya Horse Farm, when he decided he had to come to Wenshui, from that day on, he had been worried about one thing.
He was worried that Old Master Tang's mind was already made up. He was worried that the things Tang Family's Second Master was doing represented the collective will of the Tang family.
Now, it seemed he didn't need to worry about that anymore.
Because Old Master Tang didn't dare to see him.
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...
Back in the National Academy, Chen Changsheng had said to Old Eunuch Lin, and later to the Master of the Teaching Sect, that his master, Shang Xingzhou, didn't dare to see him. The 'dare not' he spoke of didn't mean his master was afraid of him, or too cowardly to face him, but rather that Shang Xingzhou was unwilling to see him, and thus had to confront some issues he didn't want to face.
Today, when he thought Old Master Tang didn't dare to see him, it was a similar meaning. It didn't mean Old Master Tang was afraid to face him, but rather that Old Master Tang didn't want to face some of his questions, was unwilling to be persuaded by him. And this precisely showed that Old Master Tang himself was aware of the possibility of being persuaded by Chen Changsheng.
"Make preparations. Tomorrow, you will all accompany me to the old residence."
Chen Changsheng looked at everyone and said, then turned to Guan Feibai, "You are injured. Stay in the Dao Hall."
Everyone was very puzzled, thinking, *The Tang family's old residence has already refused the request. The Old Master won't see you. Are you going to force your way in?*
"The Old Master has caught a slight chill, so it's inconvenient for him to receive guests. Even if I am the Pope, it's not appropriate," Chen Changsheng said. "But coincidentally, I am also a doctor."
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...
His Holiness the Pope couldn't force his way into the Tang family's old residence. Would adding the identity of a doctor make any difference?
Even if this doctor was the best at curing chills, so what? In the end, he still had to inform them first. That very night, the Dao Hall once again conveyed His Holiness the Pope's intention to visit Old Master Tang the next day to the Tang family's old residence, and explicitly stated that His Holiness the Pope was very concerned about the Old Master's health.
The next morning, Chen Changsheng and the others, escorted by the National Religion's cavalry and priests, left the Dao Hall.
Even when the Pope's carriage appeared on the main street of Wenshui City, there was still no confirmation from the Tang family's old residence.
Chen Changsheng didn't wait any longer. He ordered the carriage to continue forward.
Yesterday, he went to the manor to visit the Tang family's eldest branch master. Today, he was going to the old residence to treat the Old Master. He brought countless rare medicinal herbs prepared by the National Religion, and even more goodwill. Could the Tang family be angered by this and block the road to the old residence?
Such an unreasonable act was not something a family that had lasted a thousand generations would do.
No matter how many people in the Tang family didn't want him to go to the old residence, didn't want him to meet Old Master Tang, at this moment, they could only watch helplessly as the Pope's carriage slowly traversed the long street, passed the ancestral hall with its black eaves and white walls, and drew closer and closer to the old residence, powerless to do anything.
The door of the Tang family's ancestral hall was tightly shut. What was that fellow locked inside doing right now?
Chen Changsheng didn't glance at the ancestral hall's door, but he naturally thought about these things. Then he remembered that it was still early. Given that fellow's lazy nature, he was probably still sleeping, completely unaware that he and Zhexiu were passing by his door.
When they reached the Tang family's old residence, would they only see a tightly shut gate?
This was the greatest worry of the King of Linghai and the others, and it also seemed like a highly probable scene.
Chen Changsheng wasn't worried about being shut out.
No one understood why he seemed so confident, given that Old Master Tang was unwilling to see him.
Presumably, Old Master Tang, upon receiving the news, would also be very curious about this.
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...
The Tang family's old residence was at the southernmost part of Wenshui City. It was a long way from the Dao Hall, taking quite some time to travel.
The city gates had long been closed. More accurately, they had been closed since last night and never reopened, even though the time for opening had long passed.
Apart from the National Religion's carriages and cavalry, there was no one else on the street. The Tang family hadn't sent a steward, not even a guide.
The long street was silent. One could only hear the steady hoofbeats of the warhorses and the sound of wheels grinding against the bluestone.
A gust of wind blew from the river behind the street, stirring up an old piece of paper. Looking at the paper, which was covered in congealed grease stains, it might have been paper used to wrap meat.
A black dog ran out from a side alley, lowered its head, and sniffed the paper. Finding it uninteresting, it turned and left.
Chen Changsheng noticed that the black dog was already old, but its fur was still smooth and glossy, indicating it was very well cared for. It had a collar around its neck, clearly a domestic pet.
"I haven't seen any stray dogs in Wenshui City."
He thought about this and found it a bit strange.
Logically, in a place as prosperous as Wenshui City, stray dogs should live quite comfortably here.
Could it be that because of his arrival, Wenshui City had driven away all the stray dogs?
The King of Linghai remembered having the same question the first time he came to Wenshui City many years ago. He said, "There are no stray dogs here."
Chen Changsheng asked, "Why?"
The King of Linghai said, "Either they are taken home and kept, or they are killed, or they are eaten. In short, there are no stray dogs."
These words sounded like a very plain narration, yet they seemed to hide many profound meanings, making those who heard them feel an inexplicable chill.
Chen Changsheng thought that, in a sense, Old Master Tang and his master Shang Xingzhou were very similar people.
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...
All the old men of that generation were very similar.
Yes, three years ago, the Heavenly Mechanism Old Man died, the Pope died, and this year, the Demon Lord also finally died.
Except for Wang Zhice, who was wandering somewhere unknown, of that generation, only Shang Xingzhou and Old Master Tang remained.
Which generation was that generation?
It was the generation that had experienced the ten thousand li of scorched earth, the people living in misery, the demon invasion, the siege of Luoyang, and the life-and-death struggles that hung in the balance for just a few days.
It was precisely because they had endured so much pain and tragedy, had borne pressures unimaginable to people today, that those people had wills of incomparable fortitude. Like the hard rock atop a solitary peak, like the green pine growing in the rock, no matter how miserable or desperate the circumstances they faced, they would not give up. They remained calm and composed, always holding onto their ideals.
Similarly, because they had experienced too much, had seen too much cruel and dark history, they had, without exception, become the staunchest realists, the most ruthless schemers. Insidious tactics, broad-mindedness, and lofty goals coexisted harmoniously within their aging bodies, without any conflict.
In the end, they became the most respected, most feared old men in the world, worthy of awe from all living beings.
The Old Master Tang that Chen Changsheng was going to see today was such a man.
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...
The Tang family's old residence was in the south of the city. Unlike what the world imagined, the old residence wasn't that large. It was far smaller than the two manors of the eldest and second branches. Moreover, it wasn't located by the Wenshui River. It was built against a somewhat low hill, looking quite ordinary, with nothing remarkable about it.
Chen Changsheng and his party had traveled all the way from the Dao Hall without seeing a single person. Here, they finally saw some.
The steward from the old residence, whom they had seen at the manor yesterday, stood humbly by the roadside. Behind him stood another elderly man.
This elderly man's gaze was indifferent, like the autumn sky. His expression was aloof, and his aura was restrained, not leaking out.
Looking at this elderly man, a flash of crimson suddenly appeared deep in Zhexiu's eyes. Nanke released her grip on Chen Changsheng's sleeve.
As the two people in the group with the keenest perception of danger, Zhexiu and Nanke immediately sensed the terrifying level of this elderly man.
The King of Linghai's expression also became exceptionally grave. He said in a deep voice, "Half-step Divine!"
If it weren't for the portraits in the moss chamber, he might have even thought this elderly man was the Old Master Tang that the Pope was going to see.
This elderly man's cultivation realm was truly unfathomable.
Chen Changsheng and the others didn't know that this was one of the three remaining senior protectors of the Tang family. During the incident at the Heavenly Book Mausoleum, at that critical moment, this senior protector had been by the side of the Tang family's Second Master. This showed his status and strength within the Tang family.
Yet, this senior protector, whose cultivation had reached the half-step Divine realm, was merely a guide at the Tang family's old residence today.
Just how deep were the hidden strengths of the Wenshui Tang family?
It was only at this moment that the King of Linghai realized that no matter how exaggerated the world's imagination of the Tang family was, it still seemed to fall short of the astonishing reality.
He became very vigilant, very worried about Chen Changsheng's safety on this trip.
However, neither he, nor Zhexiu, nor Nanke were able to follow Chen Changsheng into the Tang family's old residence.
Because that senior protector glanced at him expressionlessly.
Then, Chen Changsheng shook his head.
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