Chapter 1052 – Cutting Off the Hand (II) (2/2)

More importantly, even when the temple sword was about to bestow death upon him, he still did not believe Xu Yourong would kill him.

He did not represent only himself.

He was the education overseer sent by the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education.

He represented the collective will of the Orthodoxy's conservative faction.

He was just like a hand that Shang Xingzhou had extended into the Orthodox Academy.

Even if you're the Holy Maiden of the south, before this hand, shouldn't you negotiate, with both sides yielding ground and eventually reaching a compromise?

Mei Chuan found all this absurd. His pale face was covered in disbelief.

He fell onto the snow, vomiting blood and gradually ceasing to breathe.

In the silence of the forest, a voice rose, one with many complicated emotions.

”Even if you were the one to kill him, you will have to give a reason eventually.”

Xu Yourong calmly replied, ”I said before that I did not care. I only need to let people know that I was the one who killed him.”

The person sighed, ”No wonder you arranged to meet me here.”

Xu Yourong replied, ”Yes, it was so you could see it.”

Upon learning of the matter, she had decided to kill Bishop Mei Chuan, resulting in her visit to the Orthodox Academy. She had even arranged for that person to come to the forest.

She just hadn't expected Chen Changsheng to meet the bishop before she could kill him, which was sure to cause some trouble.

”Yes, this prince has seen it.”

A young man walked out from the trees.

He wore a prince's robe and had a lively and handsome face. Compared to the past, he was much more graceful and noble.

Prince Chen Liu.

His father, the Prince of Xiang, was the most powerful prince of the Great Zhou Imperial Court and now, after breaking into the Divine, had an even more distinguished position.

And as the only member of the Chen Imperial clan who had remained to stand guard in the capital, Prince Chen Liu had always had a unique status.

Coupled with the rumor that Shang Xingzhou admired him, Prince Chen Liu was unquestionably the most popular person in the capital.

But to Xu Yourong, he was still that companion she had studied with in the Imperial Palace ten-some years ago.

Prince Chen Liu thought the same of her.

So when he saw her kill Bishop Mei Chuan, his thoughts did not dwell on how to handle this matter, but on her thoughts.

”I didn't expect you to have such a deep affection for Chen Changsheng.”

Prince Chen Liu ruefully sighed, ”Back then, I would have never thought that you would do so much for a man.”

Bishop Mei Chuan was a hand that Shang Xingzhou had extended into the Orthodox Academy.

How should one handle it? Any suitably cool-headed and intelligent person would know that this hand had to be cut off.

But the relationship between Mei Chuan and Mei Lisha made the matter extremely complicated.

Shang Xingzhou's status in the Imperial Court and the Orthodoxy was too high.

If Chen Changsheng wanted to contend against his teacher, he not only needed his status as Pope. He also needed to continuously increase his prestige.

Prestige originated from one's cultivation level and strength, but it was also related to one's reputation.

The Li Palace's advocacy and the influence of fervent believers like An Hua had caused Chen Changsheng's reputation in the continent to climb higher and higher.

This reputation came from the Cinnabar Pill, from his assault of myriad swords on the battlefield three years ago, and the falling boulder from White Emperor City.

Accruing such reputation had required Chen Changsheng's sweat and blood, his impeccable virtue, and a very long time.

Killing a relative of Mei Lisha would deal a severe blow to his reputation.

To use a cruder phrase: it would dirty his hands.

Xu Yourong knew that Chen Changsheng was in a difficult spot.

She guessed that Tang Thirty-Six would not put Chen Changsheng in this difficult spot.

But Tang Thirty-Six was also a member of the Orthodox Academy.

When she was walking along the lake and appreciating the view from atop the banyan tree, she had felt a very light regret over not being able to participate in this part of Chen Changsheng's life.

Now that she thought about it, this was a blessing.

She was not a member of the Orthodox Academy.

She could kill.

The cry of a crane alarmed the entire Orthodox Academy.

Snow rustled down from the tree branches.

Several dozen teachers and students emerged from the classrooms. They looked to where the crane cry originated from and then walked into the forest.

Several screams came from the forest.