Chapter 427 – The Plum Blossoms Bloom in Every Season, But the Fruit of Autumn Descends (1/2)

Chapter 427 - The Plum Blossoms Bloom in Every Season, But the Fruit of Autumn Descends

(TN: There’s a wordplay here with ‘plum blossom’ (梅) and ‘beautiful’ (美), which share pronunciation. The more commonly used line is 四季皆美, ‘the four seasons are all beautiful’, but here it is 四季皆梅.)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

In the eyes of the common people, the Pope's trust and love towards Chen Changsheng could not be any greater, and was even somewhat unfathomable. Logically, it was only natural that Chen Changsheng act according to the Pope's will, but in reality, from the military fort to Xunyang City, Chen Changsheng had done many things that had gone against it. No matter what angle it was looked at from, the Pope should be very disappointed or at least ask for some reason.

The Pope did not ask. He only calmly gazed at Chen Changsheng and said, ”It's really difficult to imagine that my Senior Brother could actually raise a student like you.”

Chen Changsheng was struck dumb. He suddenly realized that his impression of his master was very blurry. Just what sort of person was Master? In the Pope's view, just what sort of student should Master have raised? He didn't know the answer, but he was very certain that the Pope's words were correct, because he had never been raised by his master. It was Senior Brother Yu Ren that had raised him…

As he thought about Xining Village's old temple, the mist behind the mountain and those sounds in the mist, and also his senior brother and the wildflowers, he became somewhat lost in thought.

The Pope looked at him calmly and then smiled. He thought to himself, at this time, anyone else would get nervous, but it seems that this little kid actually has the leisure to think about other things. Truly extraordinary.

”Sit,” he said to Chen Changsheng.

Chen Changsheng gave an affirmative and then very obediently sat down on the chair. He didn't lean against the back of it, nor did he deliberately attempt to adjust his seat. In brief, he acted very obediently and did nothing intentionally.

The Pope pointed at a teapot.

Chen Changsheng understood. Raising the teapot, he filled the cup in front of the Pope. After thinking about it, he also filled the cup that was in front of him, and then his mind began to wander off once more.

It was because he remembered those two nights in the Hundred Herb Garden, that small table, and sitting across from that woman as they drank tea in silence.

The Pope placed the cup down and randomly said, ”Talk about the Garden of Zhou.”

It was said randomly, and what he wanted to hear was also any random thing that had happened in the Garden of Zhou, because there was only one matter that was certain: there was no Su Li in the Garden of Zhou.

”In the Garden of Zhou…I met a girl,” Chen Changsheng inadvertently said.

The Pope was a little surprised. ”Oh?”

At this, Chen Changsheng awoke from his stupor and felt his face heat up. He hurriedly elaborated in great detail on what had happened in the Garden of Zhou, from the time he had obtained the Yellow Paper Umbrella from the Tang clan in Wenshui up to the Mausoleum of Zhou. It was just that there were some details unrelated to the general picture, such as that girl, that he naturally did not mention. In addition, for some inexplicable reason, he did not mention the Halving Blade technique in the Mausoleum of Zhou, nor those lost Heavenly Tome Monoliths…

Light seeped in through the eaves of the hall, resting on the floor as glossy as jade. It created numerous patterns on the floor, forming what seemed like a chessboard.

The Pope sat in his chair, gazing silently at him for what seemed like forever.

The Mausoleum of Zhou, the Heaven Shrouding Sword, the Yellow Paper Umbrella, Mount Li, the Sword Pool, the monster tide, the story from several hundred years ago, the destiny linking the two worlds—after he had finished hearing about these things, even he could not help but sigh with regret.

”As it turned out…the Sword Pool was a Sword Sea and was really the Plains of the Unsetting Sun. That person's grave was also within.”

The Pope's voice resonated through the peaceful hall.

As one of the supreme Saints of the human world, his understanding of the world far surpassed the imaginations of the common people, but even for him, it was only today that he realized that the plains that he had seen so many years ago actually contained so many secrets.

”The obsidian coffin in the Mausoleum of Zhou was empty.” Chen Changsheng would naturally not forget this most important detail.

The Pope smiled, but said nothing. That person's fate was an enigma for many people, but time was ultimately the world's strongest object. At this time, he no longer paid too much attention to it.

Comparatively speaking, the Pope cared more about another matter. ”This being the case, those swords are all with you?”

Without any reluctance, Chen Changsheng took the dagger from his waist and used both hands to offer it to the Pope.

Back then in the Plum Garden Inn, when Tang Thirty-Six wanted to hold this dagger, he had been rejected, but now Chen Changsheng could not reject. This was because the Pope was the Pope and also his martial uncle.

The swords of the Sword Pool were in his hands—this was a matter impossible to conceal. Back then in the wilderness when he was battling Divine General Xue He, those swords had already revealed themselves.

”Do you know what this sheath is?” The Pope did not take the dagger, instead gazing at him and asking this question.

Chen Changsheng shook his head.

The Pope was somewhat sorrowful as he explained, ”This was once the treasure of the Orthodox Academy's Suppressing Courtyard. Later on, it vanished amidst that scene of fire and blood. It seems now like your master took it away.”

Chen Changsheng didn't know what to say.

”I and Senior Brother were schoolmates and even fellow disciples. As a matter of fact, in terms of talent in cultivating the Dao or intelligence, he has always been above. Yet in the end, I inherited the position of Pope while he went to become the Principal of the Orthodox Academy.”

The Pope lifted his eyes up to the sky outside the hall, the stars in the ocean of his eyes slowly winking in and out of existence, like the passing of clouds or time. ”Because his obsession was too great. You should not learn from him.”