Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Linghai Zhiwang, Archbishop An Lin, and the other figures of their level knew that, starting from three years ago, someone in the capital had been constantly sending letters to the Pope.

Whether the Pope was in the snowy mountains, Hanqiu City, or Wenshui, those letters had never stopped.

The writer of these letters had been of great help to their plans, especially in the last few months.

Many people had speculated as to who the mysterious person behind these letters was.

Linghai Zhiwang had once thought this person was Tianhai Shengxue, while Archbishop An Lin believed that it was most likely to be Prince Chen Liu.

It was only after the news of the marriage was spread throughout the continent, along with the news that Chen Changsheng was intending to return to the capital to officiate this marriage, that people finally learned that the writer of these letters had actually been Mo Yu.

As the most powerful woman in the Tianhai government, or perhaps even the most powerful person, many people did not understand why Mo Yu had been able to survive the Tianhai Divine Empress's death. Moreover, she was still living openly in the capital and was even getting married to that person.

Many people believed that her relationship with Chen Changsheng made the Imperial Court somewhat cautious.

In that year, in the middle of a snowstorm, Mo Yu and Zhexiu had executed Zhou Tong on the Road of Peace by death of a thousand cuts. Even now, the people of the capital found that scene impossible to forget.

But had Chen Changsheng really decided to return to the capital just because she had written a letter to him requesting him to officiate the marriage?

Linghai Zhiwang and the others did not think so.

They were only looking at Chen Changsheng's back, but they could still feel that heavy pressure.

The invisible yet infinitely heavy sky seemed to have descended onto his shoulders.

In that same year, on a night of harsh wind and snow, Shang Xingzhou and Chen Changsheng had carried out a conversation in the Orthodox Academy.

Other than the little Black Dragon, no one knew the specifics of that conversation, but many people could guess based on what happened afterward.

Shang Xingzhou and Chen Changsheng, this master and disciple, had likely reached some sort of agreement.

Chen Changsheng would leave the capital, becoming the first exiled Pope in history.

Many stories happened after that, from the snowy mountains to Wenshui to Holy Maiden Peak, and finally to White Emperor City.

Only when they were confronting the demons, the threat from the Sacred Light Continent, and the cunning schemes of the White Emperor did this master and disciple finally work together, proving that statement: A temple of Xining rules the world. The relationship between the two seemed to have mellowed.

But now, with Chen Changsheng determined to return to the capital, this agreement seemed about to come to an end.

So would this journey be an ice-breaking trip, or would it be the opening to a human civil war?

……

……

The winter was reaching its end, but spring had still not come. The world was still cold.

Both within and without the city, the Luo River was frozen, its icy surface covered in a thick mantle of snow, making it look like a massive belt.

Three thousand cavalry escorting the Orthodoxy convoy came out of the horizon, entering the eyes of the crowd.

Linghai Zhiwang and the other Prefects of the Orthodoxy sat in the divine carriage at the very front.

The Gloom Willow and the other treasures of the Li Palace exuded a warm and holy light into the gray skies.

Tens of thousands of people lined the road into the city, welcoming the return of the Orthodoxy's diplomatic mission.

The common people had no idea of what exactly had happened in White Emperor City, but they did know that the schemes of the demons had been broken and their greatest worry, the betrayal of the Demi-human race, had not been realized. Moreover, all this was due to the efforts of the Li Palace.

Fruits and fresh flowers, rare and precious in the winter, were thrown into the laps of the Orthodoxy cavalry.

Most of the gazes were focused on the two massive divine carriages in the back of the convoy.

These were gazes of passion, respect, adoration, and fervor.

They had heard that the Pope was returning.

The Holy Maiden was also returning.

As the convoy slowly pressed forward, the crowd lining the road began to press forward, growing increasingly packed.

If not for the officials and soldiers of the City Gate Department strictly keeping order, chaos really might have ensued.

An Hua, dressed in the uniform of the Thirteen Divisions of Radiant Green, led several thousand of the Orthodoxy's most fervent believers in prostrating to those two divine carriages.

More and more people began to prostrate, a massive and majestic tide.

……

……

The capital did not have a city wall. Unless one rode a flying carriage, one would have to stand on some of the taller buildings within the city to see farther.

In these last three years, Tianhai Chenwu had resided in his estate outside the city. He rarely entered the city, and his visits to the palace to privately speak with the emperor were few and far between. He was the head of the Tianhai clan, and in the complex situation at present, no amount of caution could be considered excessive.

Today, however, was an exception. He had reserved the entirety of the Pine Forest Lodge, a restaurant just as famous as Clear Lake Restaurant, and had invited several extremely conspicuous nobles so that they could look afar from this high place. There were several Divine Generals amongst these nobles, but the most important of them was still the Prince of Zhongshan.

As they watched that tide of people prostrating, the Divine Generals turned somewhat gloomy. As the proud students of the former and now deceased Principal of Star Seizer Academy, Chen Guansong, they had played extremely important roles in Shang Xingzhou's administration. They naturally found this scene somewhat difficult to endure.

But they did not voice their complaints, nor did they have the ability to voice them.

These commoners were paying respects to the Pope and the Holy Maiden. Nothing could be more proper in the world.

Moreover, in the ceremony to close South Stream Temple, the Pope had personally killed the White Tiger Divine General in front of the Prince of Xiang.

Even so, how had the Imperial Court responded?

Tianhai Chenwu looked at the woman in the front of the crowd, who was dressed in the uniform of the Thirteen Divisions of Radiant Green. He slightly creased his brow and asked, "Who is that person?"

Apart from her relationship to Archbishop An Lin, An Hua was an ordinary priest. But she was now extremely famous in the capital and in the northern reaches of the continent. A subordinate quickly reported on her background.

"A pack of foolish men and stupid women!" Tianhai Chenwu harshly rebuked. "They truly know nothing. Are they making a show of force to the Imperial Court?"

"A show of force? This is the will of the common people, and this was all done by that person you consider a stupid woman."

The Prince of Zhongshan still had his rancid expression, as if everyone in the world owed him money. Perhaps it was because he had still not been able to forget how he had been forced to eat feces for so many years. However, his tone when speaking was much gentler.

Tianhai Chenwu understood his meaning. Chen Changsheng had been secluded from the world for three years, so that he had been able to gain such loyalty and such a fine reputation in such a short time was naturally due to the Li Palace, especially to those fervent believers led by An Hua spreading the word.

His gaze left An Hua and fell on those two divine carriages in the back, where it froze.

With his level of strength, he could tell at a glance that no one was in them.

……

……

After three years, Chen Changsheng finally returned to the capital.

He did not go to the Li Palace, or to the Orthodox Academy, or to the Imperial Palace to see his senior brother. Instead, he went straight to an estate.

Many years ago, when he first came to the capital, he had also gone straight to this place. He did not go to see the green ivy and stone pillars outside the Li Palace, did not go to the Mausoleum of Books. At that time, this conduct had even elicited a round of contempt from the mistress of this estate.

This estate was naturally the Divine General of the East's estate.

The Xu Estate had the same old appearance, brimming with a somber air. 'Ruling his household like he commanded his troops' was not an empty phrase.

All the maids had been ordered to stand far away, leaving only a few people in the reception hall.

Chen Changsheng sat in a chair. Xu Shiji's wife, Nanny Hua, and Shuang'er were standing.

The mood was very awkward. Even the tension in the air seemed unable to circulate. Everything seemed frozen.