Chapter 959 – Different Kinds, of Red (2/2)
This was not Madam Mu's voice, but the voice of another powerful figure of the Demi-human race.
Within the stone hall behind the observation platform, the Chief Elder slowly opened his eyes, no longer feigning sleep. He slowly stood up out and walked out of the hall to the walls of the Imperial City.
His mountainous body cast a shadow far below, shrouding the heads of many people.
The Chief Elder had no opinion on Xuanyuan Po's last words, treating them as if they did not exist.
Whether it was out of consideration for the dignity of the Demi-human race or the complicated relationship with the Human race, this was perhaps the best response.
”What you said just now was correct. The so-called Heavenly Selection ultimately depends on the self. I hope that you can obtain the blessing of the ancestral spirits tomorrow and walk to the end the day after that.”
All of White Emperor City heard the Chief Elder's low and leisurely voice.
This was his stance to Xuanyuan Po, clear and explicit. This was also perhaps his stance to the Human race.
No more trouble was made. The high official and the Red River Beast Guard prepared to seize Xuanyuan Po retreated.
Madam Mu stood at the highest point of the Imperial City, silently gazing to the distant mountains, her thoughts inscrutable.
……
……
Just like they had come, the impoverished crowd from the lower city left the Imperial City like a tide, drowning the Stairway to Heaven and then gradually dispersing into the slums, silently sinking back into their daily toil. It was hard to say whether they would remember today's excitement in the months and years to follow.
Before dispersing, this tide of people first returned Xuanyuan Po to the Pine Paths.
Tonight, the Pine Paths was particularly lively, but not noisy.
The priests from the Daoist Church of the Western Wastes calmly but vigilantly stood on the highest street, keeping watch on the surroundings.
The Tang clan's stewards led several dozen cultivators from the south, using their incisive gazes to keep watch on all places illuminated by lantern light.
A few burly men, bursting with strength, were positioned on the perimeter, inspecting everyone who wanted to enter the Pine Paths.
In every aspect, the factions of the Human race exhibiting so many forces in the capital of the Demi-human race could easily cause an incident. It was extremely disrespectful to the Demi-human Court.
Madam Mu had moved too quickly, with only a few days passing from the spreading of the rumor to the formal opening of the Heavenly Selection ceremony. The Human race had simply been powerless to form a response.
Xuanyuan Po, as a representative of the Orthodox Academy, naturally became humanity's greatest, perhaps only, hope in White Emperor City.
In order to ensure Xuanyuan Po's safety, the archbishop and the others simply did not care about what the demi-humans thought. Moreover, they were now clearly displaying their distrust towards the Demi-human race.
The archbishop gave Xuanyuan Po a passionate gaze while the Tang clan stewards looked at him with hope.
Xuanyuan Po knew what they were thinking.
In the thinking of the archbishop and the others, Xuanyuan Po's concealing himself for many years and abruptly appearing today had assuredly been on order of the Li Palace.
”Does His Holiness the Pope know of this matter?”
The archbishop nervously asked Xuanyuan Po, ”Or is his esteemed self already here?”
Xuanyuan Po shook his head. ”Principal probably does not know of this matter.”
Seeing his expression, the archbishop and the others knew that he was not lying, causing them to all fall quiet.
The events of the closing of South Stream Temple had been transmitted to White Emperor City the day before yesterday.
The archbishop was also confident that if the Li Palace knew of this matter, it would pay everything to break Madam Mu's plans.
He had done the same. At the very start, he had torn apart his invitation to the banquet to express the fiercest stance.
But if the Pope still did not know of this matter, the Li Palace would be too late. With just Xuanyuan Po and him, what could they do?
The archbishop recalled Xuanyuan Po's words and felt an intense fear and unease.
If Princess Luoluo and the Pope really did have something between them, then in the aftermath, might not the Pope use sacred flames to burn him to death out of rage?
In this moment of agitation, his face reddened as if he had drunk very strong alcohol.
”Please.”
He looked at Xuanyuan Po with a tragic expression and said, ”Even if millions have to die, you cannot let Her Highness marry the Great Western Continent's Second Prince!”