Chapter 1150 – One Carriage, One Painting (2/2)
……
Shang Xingzhou had still come.
It was right when the morale of humanity was at its lowest, when the war had reached its most critical and dangerous point.
After several hundred years, he had come once more to Xuelao City.
Many people, including himself, had already guessed that this would be his last visit to Xuelao City.
Other than the injured Prince of Xiang, the important individuals in the army all came to this small mountain to pay their respects.
In the plains outside Xuelao City, dust was rising constantly between the various camps and this small mountain.
Though he had secluded himself in Luoyang for ten years, Shang Xingzhou's prestige was undiminished and had even risen.
……
……
As he saw plume after plume of dust rising from the plains, Linghai Zhiwang's face grew even more fraught with concern. He looked to Chen Changsheng, wanting to advise him with a few words, but he knew that it was not the right time.
Archbishop An Lin had returned from the dangerous front lines with Guan Bai's body.
The tens of thousands of demon warriors encamped outside Xuelao City had come from the various tribes and did not have the complete trust of the Imperial clan, but they were exceptionally lethal on the battlefield.
Chen Changsheng sat by Guan Bai's body for a very long time.
Back in the All-School Martial Exhibition, Guan Bai had been standing by the road and glanced at him. That had been their first meeting.
Afterward, Wuqiong Bi entered the capital and tortured a stray dog to death. And after that, Guan Bai lost an arm.
For this matter, no matter what Bie Yanghong said, no matter how miserable Wuqiong Bi had ended up, Chen Changsheng had never forgiven her.
He felt that someone like Guan Bai was worthy of even greater respect, deserved an even better end.
He hadn't expected him to still end up like this, to only end up with this.
”What about Liang Banhu?”
Chen Changsheng asked Archbishop An Lin.
He remembered it very clearly.
As the first to reach Xuelao City, the North Third Camp of the Eastern Army had always been a thorn in the side of the demon armies. They had almost been surrounded multiple times.
Late one night, several days ago, ten-some of the Demon race's great tribes cooperated in a counterattack. Their objective was the North Third Camp.
The battle that night had been exceptionally desperate, and only after Guan Bai led one thousand Orthodoxy cavalry in an overnight march to reinforce them was the danger finally resolved.
But Guan Bai died in battle, and Liang Banhu, one of the three cavalrymen to reach Xuelao City first… had also died in battle.
”Liang Banhu chose self-combustion.” Archbishop An Lin recalled the sight of that desperate battlefield. An expression of sorrow on her face, she looked at Chen Changsheng for some time before finally saying, ”I don't know if he was trying to repent for the crimes of his brother, but I heard that he was particularly courageous on the battlefield.”
Chen Changsheng fell quiet. At these sorts of moments, he didn't know what to say.
Archbishop An Lin added, ”There's something wrong with Guan Feibai's mood. We must think of a way to make him retreat.”
Chen Changsheng replied, ”Discuss the matter with Yourong.”
An Lin left to carry out this order.
Linghai Zhiwang asked, ”Shouldn't we go over there to take a look?”
He was naturally referring to the small mountain where Shang Xingzhou resided.
Chen Changsheng had still not gone there, so neither had Linghai Zhiwang and the other priests of the Li Palace.
In truth, many of the priests were constantly looking over at that mountain.
Chen Changsheng was the Pope and of most esteemed status. But he was still the student, so it was somewhat unreasonable for him to not take the initiative to pay a visit.
”There's no need.”
Chen Changsheng pulled up the white cloth to cover Guan Bai's face.
He and Linghai Zhiwang walked out of the tent. As he gazed at that distant mountain, he wanted to say something, but he ultimately chose not to.
Doing nothing, Chen Changsheng returned to his own tent.
Shang Xingzhou remained in his own carriage.
Separated by a hundred-some li, teacher and student maintained their silence.
Occasionally, Chen Changsheng would glance in that direction.
On the other hand, Shang Xingzhou's eyes remained closed as he allowed the sun shining over the demon realm to cast its heatless rays upon his face. It was like he wanted the elderly wrinkles on his face to be somewhat smoothed out.
Everyone, including the demons in Xuelao City, wanted to know what Shang Xingzhou would do next.
Presumably, he would not just sit in his small carriage and watch the battle.
Early on the morning of the next day, they finally saw what Shang Xingzhou wanted to do.
He had hung up a painting in the sky.