Chapter 730 – The Darkest Shadow (2/2)

Yes, the wooden basin floating in the stream, the infant in the basin, and the Golden Dragon's hanging whisker had all been part of his scheme.

But when he first laid eyes on Chen Changsheng, this was not the Duke of Wei, not Wang Zhice, not Tianhai, not a general who reigned over a region, not some rich scion who possessed wealth beyond imagination, not a concubine seeking power through beauty, not a repulsive eunuch, not some impassioned scholar from the Kingdom of Wu who liked intellectual conversation, not some old and experienced chancellor who adored feathers. This was just…an infant.

This was an infant who could not even open his eyes, an ignorant and unaware infant, an infant without good or evil or thought.

He could not find a single reason to convince himself that what he did was correct.

In those fourteen years, every time he saw Chen Changsheng, a doubt would appear in his mind, a shadow cast over his Dao heart.

Life in Xining Village's old temple was very simple, and to not meet was manifold times more difficult than meeting.

Chen Changsheng transformed from an infant into a youth like the spring breeze.

The shadow over Shang Xingzhou's Dao heart had already become as thick as the night.

……

……

”I know that Teacher feels no guilt about me, that good and evil have no part in this affair. It is just that you are unable to convince yourself, and convincing yourself has always been the most important.”

Chen Changsheng said to Shang Xingzhou, ”So to you, my existence is a very frightening thing.”

Before Buddhism was destroyed, it once had a phrase called a 'heart obstruction'.

He was currently Shang Xingzhou's heart obstruction.

Shang Xingzhou was willing to exhaust all his resources to remove this heart obstruction, as only this way could he ensure his Dao heart was brightly lit.

He hoped that Chen Changsheng would die, but he could not personally do it, as it would have no effect. On the contrary, it would only cause the heart obstruction to deepen and leave him without means of wiping it away.

Several days ago, even if Yu Ren had not used such a resolute method to have him stay in the palace, he would not have gone to the alley of the Northern Military Department, but to the Li Palace.

Back on the Divine Path of the Mausoleum of Books, he had passed Chen Changsheng on the Divine Path without even glancing at him and made no efforts to stop him from bringing down the Divine Empress's body because he had already thought of what to do afterwards.

He wished to use these matters as justification for Chen Changsheng to very naturally die at someone else's hand.

He had approached success quite a few times.

For example, when Eunuch Lin had wanted to sweep away the threats and hindrances that prevented the young emperor from holding power, he used the Tianhai Divine Empress's remains to make trouble. In secret, he had wanted to use the matter to kill Chen Changsheng, yet he had not succeeded.

For example, Xue Xingchuan's bitter misfortune and Zhou Tong as a lure had been meant for Chen Changsheng to strike out on his own volition, after which he would be killed.

”Unfortunately, none of them succeeded,” Chen Changsheng said.

”I did not think that you had already understood all this, but it does not matter.”

Shang Xingzhou's face was rather regretful. ”If not for Wang Po, you would have died that day at Tie Shu's hands.”

When Eunuch Lin suddenly attacked the Orthodox Academy, Chen Changsheng had already understood everything, but he still felt rather sorrowful over his master's regret.

Shang Xingzhou continued, ”I swore an oath to your martial uncle that I would not attack, and the fact is that I never did. Neither Lin nor Zhou was an intentional plan on my part; it was all natural. If you persist in remaining in the capital, more and more such things will happen, and none of it will have one sign of my influence.”

It was difficult to tell what was true and false in these words, but there was no need to tell.

Man's intentions were always drifting between true and false. Even if one saw all its varieties, one would still not be able to make out the distinction.

On the academy wall on the other side of the lake, ten-some blue-clothed Daoists appeared.

These Daoists all had unfathomable cultivations and an indistinct killing intent drifted about their sleeves.