Chapter 578 – Who Am I (1/2)

Chapter 578 - Who Am I

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Who was Chen Changsheng?

He was a child of the river picked up by Daoist Ji from the middle of a stream.

He was a young Daoist from Xining engaged to the Heavenly Phoenix Xu Yourong.

He was the inheritor of the Orthodoxy, the successor of the Pope.

He was well-read in the Daoist Canon, of surpassing talent and a genius in the path of the sword.

But, just who exactly was he?

He stared into the eyes of the Elder of Heavenly Secrets and asked solemnly, ”Am I Crown Prince Zhaoming?”

In the past year, this had been one of the most controversial and also most secretive of rumors in the capital.

No one knew the answer.

Everyone said that there was nothing that the Elder of Heavenly Secrets did not know. Then did he know of this?

This question was very straightforward and abnormally cold and stern, just like Su Li's sword or Wang Po's blade.

Even though the Elder of Heavenly Secrets had long since mentally prepared himself, his eyes still narrowed and he remained silent for a very long time.

After this long period of time, he finally spoke, ”When the Empress requested for me to make a special trip to the capital to examine you, I also wanted to ask a similar question.”

Chen Changsheng thought, this is also a question that I really want to know the answer to, so he said, ”The result?”

The Elder of Heavenly Secrets replied, ”There was no result, because…your and Crown Prince Zhaoming's ages do not match up.”

Chen Changsheng did not relax at this reply for two reasons.

He had carefully calculated: even though his age did not match Crown Prince Zhaoming’s, his senior brother Yu Ren's just so happened to. Moreover, the Elder of Heavenly Secrets had concealed some deeper meaning in his words. There was no result because the ages did not match. Then didn't this mean thatfrom every other aspect, he should be Crown Prince Zhaoming?

”If your age really could match Crown Prince Zhaoming's, then on the contrary, there would be something wrong with this matter.”

”Why?”

”Because it's too correct.”

Because it was too correct, so it was incorrect. This sounded rather mystifying, but Chen Changsheng could easily understand it. If his age really did match Crown Prince Zhaoming’s, the rumor circulating throughout the capital would very easily become the truth and those thunderstorms hidden away would inevitably burst out, perhaps tearing apart the black curtain of the capital, perhaps exploding his body into powdered flesh and shattered bones.

The next words of the Elder of Heavenly Secrets directly jolted Chen Changsheng from his stupor and caused his body to go somewhat stiff.

”I know you have a senior brother, and his age is actually a match for Crown Prince Zhaoming.”

The Elder of Heavenly Secrets looked into his eyes and said, ”There's no need to be nervous, I am not saying that he is Crown Prince Zhaoming.”

Chen Changsheng asked, ”Why?”

The Elder of Heavenly Secrets replied, ”Because he is a complete match for Crown Prince Zhaoming.”

Chen Changsheng didn't know what to say.

”I've always deeply admired Principal Shang's myriad Daoist techniques.”

With a calm expression, the Elder of Heavenly Secrets said, ”When the false is taken for true, the true becomes false, but it's a pity that this is not enough to deceive me.”

Chen Changsheng did not ask what he could not be deceived about. At this moment, his mind was completely focused on other things.

He was thinking of a certain Daoist scripture. This Daoist scripture was called the Scroll of Time, and time…was age.

”Besides age…in other aspects, I'm a match for Crown Prince Zhaoming?”

”Yes, I'm very sure that you are a descendant of the Chen Imperial clan.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Changsheng could no longer maintain his composure.

In the rumors and gossip that had been spreading throughout the capital for more than a year, before they spoke about how he might be Crown Prince Zhaoming, they naturally first brought up that he was a member of the Imperial clan.

”Why? Why is everyone so sure that I'm an Imperial? Is it just because my surname is Chen?”