Chapter 656 – Perhaps She Always Knew (1/2)
Chapter 656 – Perhaps She Always Knew
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Linghai Zhiwang gazed at the elder he once regarded as teacher and father, saying, ”The Empress has already defied the heavens and changed fate for Chen Changsheng. Why has Your Holiness still made this sort of choice?”
”This matter has nothing to do with Chen Changsheng, nothing to do with Senior Brother. Choices can only be chosen by oneself.”
The Pope gazed at the Green Leaf within the pot as he spoke with regret, ”Throughout my entire life, I never knew what to choose. Like a blade of grass, I swayed around in whatever direction the wind blew. So it was several hundred years ago, and so it was twenty years ago as well. Senior Brother spoke correctly: I truly am a very useless person. Only at the final moment do I finally act according to my heart, but when that time comes, it is often already too late. Thus, Senior Brother and the Empress broke apart, Zhu Luo and Guan Xingke died. When carefully considered, it should all be considered my fault.”
It was said that because of the Orthodox Academy's rebirth, the Pope had ceased supporting the Orthodoxy's new faction in the past two years, causing both Linghai Zhiwang and Daoist Siyuan to develop a deep resentment for the Pope, but the two of them actually bore no malice towards him. This was because both of them were keenly aware that in the past one thousand years of the Orthodoxy, the Pope was the only true, pure cultivator of the Dao.
Hearing these words, Linghai Zhiwang and Daoist Siyuan raised their heads, but saw that the Pope now stood in the Sacred Light, making it impossible to look upon him directly.
Daoist Siyuan said in anguish, ”Your Holiness, there is no need to force yourself to choose.”
The Pope answered, ”My choice is for the benefit of all living beings.”
With this statement, he walked out of the Great Hall of Light.
The several thousand priests outside the hall prostrated like a tide.
The Pope gazed towards the Mausoleum of Books and asked, ”Is it not better to return together?”
The Tianhai Divine Empress's answer to this proposal was extremely clear, her voice extremely cold. Every word was chock-full of ridicule, perhaps out of disappointment?
”And pass my position on to these idiots? You've truly gone senile, so just die then.”
The Pope faintly smiled, knowing that her mood was not very good at this moment, and then he shook his head.
The Green Leaf was no longer in his hands but rather floating behind him in the darkness.
In the gentle caress of the breeze, the Green Leaf slowly shook as if also shaking its head.
With the swaying of the Green Leaf, people began to walk out of the Hall of Pure Virtue a distance away from the Great Hall of Light. Those people were the experts of the Orthodoxy who had sealed themselves away so that they could break through, priests who wished to quietly cultivate and comprehend the Dao. They had already grown used to their lives in the Green Leaf World. After being so suddenly called out, they had rather perplexed expressions, not understanding what was going on.
After a moment, they knew the present situation and their faces instantly turned grave. They congregated with the other priests of the Li Palace and then followed the Divine Avenue out, scattering towards various parts of the capital.
……
……
The Li Palace had finally moved, so the situation in the capital was decided.
Liang Wangsun had left the Lingyan Pavilion. For some reason, the Tang Second Master did not kill him.
The Imperial Guard fell into internal turmoil, the Imperial Palace resounding with the sound of fighting. Only when Prince Chen Liu took up Emperor Xian's so-called dying wish and took a carriage into the palace was the situation finally brought under some control.
Soon after, several princes arrived, eighteen cardinals leading three hundred priests entered the Imperial City, and the Imperial Palace finally turned silent.
The situation in the Imperial Court was even more complex. The rebellious faction encountered massive resistance, and if not for the firm insistence of the Minister of Rites, the experts of the Ivy Academies led by Principal Zhuang Zhihuan of the Heavenly Dao Academy might have killed even more people tonight.
The unrest in the capital was gradually calmed.
The rebellious factions gradually took control of the situation, but the true outcome was still far from being decided, because the Mausoleum of Books was still there.
There were no armies around the Mausoleum of Books, no cultivators or experts from the outlying provinces and counties, because the level of this battle was far too high.
One after another, people came to the Mausoleum of Books. Even the most unremarkable of them was still an important figure.
Mao Qiuyu had come, and with him was a tall and thin man in a Daoist robe, as well as a little girl.
Out of the darkness surrounding the Mausoleum of Books, on the other side of that dried-up river, the hidden experts of noble clans and sects began to gradually appear.
The Tang Second Master did not appear. He quietly departed the Lingyan Pavilion and no longer appeared to anyone else. This was the style in which the Wenshui Tangs conducted themselves. When their task was done, they would depart with the brush of their sleeve, and only when the time for rewards came would they appear once more. Not many people knew of just how important a role the Tang clan had played in tonight's coup.
Many people came to the Mausoleum of Books, but the Qiushan clan head left. On the road southwards, when asked by his Guardian, he pondered before replying, ”There are too many people.”
……
……
Chen Changsheng gazed at the scenes below the Mausoleum of Books in silence, his thoughts a mystery.
In truth, even he didn't know what he was thinking, what he should be thinking.
The tall and thin man by Mao Qiuyu should be the archbishop Daoist Baishi, but just who was the girl?
This girl had a very delicate appearance. Just how did she have the qualifications to stand next to two major figures of the Orthodoxy?
”Mu Jiushi, when did you return from the Great Western Continent?”
The Tianhai Divine Empress gazed at the girl and slightly arched her brows.
Hearing this name, even Chen Changsheng's befuddled mind became somewhat clearer.
It turned out that this elegant and fine girl was actually Mu Jiushi, one of the Orthodoxy's Six Prefects?
He had never imagined that this most enigmatic figure of the Orthodoxy was so young, and from the Tianhai Divine Empress's words, did she also have some relationship with the Great Western Continent?