Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 1016 – All Living Beings Are Suffering

Jin Yulu did not kneel. He stood somewhat farther off, gazing at the White Emperor with a somewhat complex expression.

The White Emperor sat on the massive stone chair, his feet several zhang from the ground.

Logically speaking, since it was simply impossible to step on the ground, it naturally followed that it was impossible to stand up.

But he stood up.

Like a majestic snowcapped mountain appearing between the heavens and earth.

The heavens and earth responded.

Ten-some snowy mountains thunderously boomed.

Snow avalanched down while a blizzard engulfed the half-mountain.

The demi-human experts were forced back from the stone chair by the might of the blizzard.

When any part of this furious storm touched the White Emperor’s imperial robe, it would immediately vanish, as if absorbed into his body.

The White Emperor took three steps forward through the blizzard.

As the blizzard entered his body, he grew larger and larger, his imperial robe renewing, his eyes going from gray to purest white, imbued with a chilling and threatening power.

He gazed into the distance as he indifferently asked, “What’s happened these last few years?”

The Prime Minister prostrated in the snow and used the simplest words and fastest speed to recount all the major events.

After listening to it all, the White Emperor appeared unmoved, his expression remaining serene.

Jin Yulu’s voice suddenly came through the blizzard.

“Bie Yanghong is dead, as is Wuqiong Bi.”

The White Emperor’s only response was to arch his brows.

The blizzard gradually dissipated.

Jin Yulu jeered, “Back then, I said that you should marry a virtuous wife. Doesn’t it seem now like your eyesight is even worse than Bie Yanghong’s?”

The White Emperor remained silent, though he now peered in a certain direction.

All the demi-human experts and the soldiers by the lake followed his gaze.

In that direction was White Emperor City.

The truth had already appeared before everyone.

Madam Mu truly had schemed to imprison the White Emperor for several years.

The crowd found it utterly appropriate for the White Emperor to lead a great army and march on White Emperor City.

But the White Emperor did not move.

He ceased to contemplate that city. His gaze moved to a place ten-some li away and he asked, “You are Chen Changsheng?”

Many people followed his gaze and realized that Chen Changsheng had not come over.

More importantly, many people, including the Prefects of the Orthodoxy, had already left. Only he and Tang Thirty-Six were still there.

……

……

Separated by ten-some li, Chen Changsheng and the White Emperor looked at each other.

He did not answer the White Emperor.

His silence caused the mood in this mountain range to become rather strange.

The Demi-human Prime Minister stepped forward, intending to speak.

Someone else spoke before him.

Tang Thirty-Six’s voice rang out. “The White Emperor’s words are discourteous.”

Many years ago, Zhu Luo outside Hanqiu City and the Holy Maiden inside Xunyang City had asked the same question, with not a single word out of place.

At the time, Zhu Luo’s and the Holy Maiden’s questions symbolized their curiosity towards Chen Changsheng, as well as a sort of acknowledgment.

At that time, his name had only recently appeared on the continent.

But the present was not the past.

No longer was he that young Daoist from Xining Village, that new student of the Orthodox Academy. He was the Pope of the Human race.

Even the White Emperor was being extremely disrespectful by asking this question.

So though the demi-human personages were enraged by Tang Thirty-Six’s rebuke, they had no means of refuting it.

The White Emperor calmly looked at Chen Changsheng, suddenly asking, “Is Your Holiness the Pope only here to watch?”

He had ignored Tang Thirty-Six, but he had addressed Chen Changsheng differently.

Chen Changsheng still said nothing.

When he was with Tang Thirty-Six, he would talk more often.

But if he needed to interact with the outside world, he would speak very rarely.

Because Tang Thirty-Six would speak for him, and all of the Orthodox Academy knew that Tang Thirty-Six was much better at talking.

“If not for His Holiness the Pope, there would be nothing to watch today.”

Tang Thirty-Six calmly concluded, “So Your Majesty’s words are completely wrong.”

In his words, the White Emperor was referring to how Chen Changsheng was standing at a distance and had also had Linghai Zhiwang and the rest leave in advance.

Tang Thirty-Six’s response had been on the mark. Since the demi-humans were the ones being aided, they had no basis to question the arrangements of the human side.

But these words were lacking in respect, especially because he was speaking to the White Emperor.

Furious gazes gathered on Tang Thirty-Six’s body.

Tang Thirty-Six’s expression did not change.

At this moment, Chen Changsheng confirmed that Linghai Zhiwang’s party had entered the secret tunnel, so he finally broke his silence.

He looked at the mountain ten-some li away and said, “This junior bids farewell.”

After so saying, he brought Tang Thirty-Six with him and left.

The White Crane was waiting for them nearby.

Their departure was immediate.

It was all simple and straightforward to the extreme.

Through painstaking effort, he had finally saved the White Emperor and seen the answer.

Everything really was a scheme of Madam Mu’s.

To the Human race, this seemed to be the best answer.

Logically speaking, he should have stayed to discuss with the demi-humans their next grand undertaking.

But he did not do this, and he had even had Linghai Zhiwang take the rest and leave in advance.

Because this answer was too good, too much of what he wanted.

So he decided to leave.

He wanted to do something.

He wanted to write his own answer.

……

……

In the stone hall at the highest point of the Imperial City…

There were no pear blossoms by the window, though a few flowering scholar trees had been planted.

Madam Mu was confident that this had nothing to do with Scholartree Manor.

Just like how what was taking place in the Starfall Mountains actually had nothing to do with Chen Changsheng.

In the end, it was a problem between her and him.

“I don’t know if your father is dead or alive, but I think that he’s probably alive.”

She walked to the window and gazed dispassionately into the distance. “Even if he’s alive, he could still not appear. If he does not appear, then he still has some affection for me. If he does appear, then he is truly heartless. Even now, I still don’t know which answer I want.”

As she spoke, she gently caressed Luoluo’s black hair.

Luoluo’s head was lowered, her face was pale, and her eyelashes were fluttering. It was easy to see that she was rather nervous.

The scholar trees outside the window suddenly began to shudder, shedding countless green leaves, as if a painting had come to life.

Madam Mu’s gaze pierced through the green leaves and into the distance. After a long period of silence, she abruptly said, “Truly a heartless man.”

Luoluo found it impossible to restrain herself, and raised her head to look at her mother.

“You took advantage of Father’s severe injuries to imprison him, used Starstone to drain his beast essence, wanted to put him in a death trap, but now… you’re calling him heartless?”

Her voice trembled from anger and sadness. “Mother, you did all this for the Great Western Continent? Was it worth it?”

Madam Mu calmly gazed at her and declared, “I’ve never loved you, because you are a daughter.”

Luoluo tightly pursed her lips, her small face covered in stubbornness. She did not respond.

Madam Mu knew what she meant and said, “Little Shi does not take on my view of the world, so she naturally doesn’t need to bear my demands.”

Luoluo didn’t understand and asked in anguish, “But why?”

“Because females are mostly extroverted,” Madam Mu calmly said. “I don’t want to be this sort of person, and I hope that you won’t be this sort of person. In the future, no matter who you end up marrying, remember that it’s only your parents’ clan that can help you, because all the men in the world are cruel and heartless.”

Once more, she had brought up the cruelty and heartlessness of men.

Even when the truth was seemingly right before her eyes, Luoluo was still rather puzzled. Her voice shaking, she asked, “Mother, just what is happening here?”

Madam Mu looked out the window into the distance, and said, “I hope that you never know or understand what is happening here.”