Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 1116 – The Meaning of This Fight

The swords were like suspended rain, hanging over the ruins, aimed at the master and disciple.

The wind had stopped, so the gravel no longer rolled about, and so naturally made no sound. All was quiet.

The people in Hundred Flowers Lane noticed this silence and knew that something big had happened.

Life and death were naturally matters of true importance.

That astonishing killing intent within the Orthodox Academy struck everyone’s minds dumb.

Suddenly, a zither note rose and countless strings snapped.

Crossbow bolts were fired haphazardly in front of the Orthodox Academy, Sacred Light illuminating the overcast sky.

The air was occasionally punctuated by the howl of an arrow or the groan of someone struck by an arrow.

When the chaotic situation was once more put under control, several pools of blood could be spotted in the lane, but Wang Po was nowhere to be seen.

Linghai Zhiwang was abnormally pale, worried as he was for the Pope’s safety.

If something hadn’t happened in the Orthodox Academy, if the Pope was not in danger, why had Wang Po suddenly moved at this tense moment and forced his way into the school?

A bitingly cold blade intent appeared in front of Maple Forest Pavilion.

A breeze rustled the red maples as Wang Po appeared in front of the ruins.

Surveying the area and sensing the remnants of the sword intents and Daoist techniques in the air, he quickly gained a rough understanding of what was happening.

“Is there any need for the genius of a generation to be so unwilling?”

Wang Po’s words were as sharp as blades. The cold breezes just stirred to life by the blade intent were instantly chopped into slivers.

Tang Thirty-Six sighed, “Yes, it’s too shameful.”

He spoke with such sincerity that it felt like he was speaking completely out of concern for Shang Xingzhou’s reputation.

Xu Yourong said nothing.

At some point, she had appeared behind Chen Changsheng.

She was extremely close, only a few steps away.

This was an extremely risky course of action.

Her head was lowered, making it difficult to see the look on her face, but it was possible to see her eyelashes trembling.

A bright light made her eyelashes seemed like ginkgo leaves in the autumn.

This light came from the depths of her eyes, the blazing essence blood of the Phoenix.

She was prepared to at any moment to strike.

To save Chen Changsheng.

Or to die together with Shang Xingzhou.

The clouds fled in all directions as the mountainous dragon approached the ground, its shadow growing darker and darker.

Subsequently, the shadow ceased to deepen, because she had clearly seen what was going on and felt afraid.

And where was Yuren?

Wang Po had spoken correctly, and Tang Thirty-Six had also spoken with sincerity.

Given Shang Xingzhou’s status, it was truly hard to believe that he would break his word.

And the fact that he was Chen Changsheng’s master made the matter even more shameful.

Wang Zhice had been invited to the capital by him, but he would also not support him. He said, “If you do it, you know what I will do.”

Shang Xingzhou was not necessarily afraid of Wang Zhice, even if he might be working together with Wang Po.

The Prince of Xiang and the princes of the Chen clan would support Shang Xingzhou, and he also had the military and the experts of the court.

His chances were good in this war, even though it was also rather risky.

He truly wanted to break his word and kill Chen Changsheng.

Just a moment ago, when Wang Zhice had said that he had lost, he had closed his eyes and seen many futures.

These were different futures that came from the different choices that he could make.

One of these seemed like the most beautiful of futures, so he had calculated it five times. In four of them, he had successfully repeated that perfect course of events.

That future also arose from his choice.

His fingers would soon strengthen their grip.

Chen Changsheng’s head would drop to the ground like a ripe fruit and smash into pulp.

An extremely dangerous battle would come next. He might lose or he might win, but there would basically be no threat to his life.

No matter the outcome, when the battle reached its most fevered pitch, he would voluntarily surrender, admit his sins to the young emperor and then retire to Luoyang.

In the next few years, internal conflicts would naturally rise from within the masterless Li Palace, and with external pressures, he would easily be able to regain his authority over the Orthodoxy.

In this period of time, he would have Prince Chen Liu die.

In the years after that, the Prince of Zhongshan would rebel, leading the armored cavalry from Blue Pass into the south.

At that time, he would return from Luoyang.

Even if he did not return, the Prince of Zhongshan’s loss was still assured, but he would still seize the chance to have an open discussion with the young emperor and cast those old matters to the back of their minds.

Only this way could master and disciple be of one mind, could all the realm swear their loyalty.

In another few years, the world would be united, the people of one mind. As humanity prospered, it would be time once more for the northern expedition.

A million-man army looking down upon a city.

What city was that?

Xuelao City, of course.

……

……

This was the result that Shang Xingzhou had calculated.

This was a future of supreme beauty.

For this future, he could give up everything, sacrifice his all.

“Even if this will be scorned for the rest of history?”

Wang Zhice asked.

“I have spent several centuries behind the curtain. If Tianhai had not forced me out, perhaps even today I would not have stepped onto stage.”

Shang Xingzhou said, “I am not even willing to leave my name on history, so why would I care it if was good or bad?”

Wang Zhice said no more, because he knew Shang Xingzhou truly was this sort of person.

Wang Po also said nothing, only tightened the grip of his right hand on his hilt.

Shang Xingzhou’s killing intent to Chen Changsheng was extremely authentic.

His hand was on Chen Changsheng’s throat.

Who could stop him?

The back wall of the Maple Forest Pavilion suddenly toppled. Yuren’s figure appeared in the settling dust.

Shang Xingzhou calmly gazed at him.

Yuren shook his head very slowly, making it seem very heavy.

Shang Xingzhou understood what he meant.

Yuren was saying to him, “Your calculations cannot be realized.

“If you kill Junior Brother, I will never forgive you.”

If master and disciple were not of one mind, the world would not swear their loyalty to them, and so that last scene would not take place.

Shang Xingzhou was unaffected.

Because he was confident in himself.

Shang Xingzhou believed that with enough time, Yuren would understand all the pains he had taken.

But why had he still not done it?

Perhaps it was because someone was acting too calm?

That person was about to die.

To die to a most shameless person.

He had every reason to be angry.

He could erupt with curses.

He could give an impassioned speech.

He could also cover Shang Xingzhou’s face in spit.

But he did nothing.

As Shang Xingzhou was speaking with Wang Zhice, he just quietly watched as if enjoying a play.

He was only an arm away.

Everyone thought that Shang Xingzhou would kill him, so why was he so calm?

Shang Xingzhou was quiet for a while, and then he asked, “You already knew I would do this?”

“I deeply understand Master. If the world believes Master is wrong, Master will definitely believe that the world, not you, is wrong.”

Chen Changsheng said, “How can someone like Master, who is always correct, possibly admit that they have lost?”

Shang Xingzhou asked, “Then why did you arrange for today’s fight?”

If Shang Xingzhou would not abide by the agreements he made before the fight no matter the result, what meaning was there in this fight?

If Chen Changsheng had calculated this beforehand, why had he spent so much effort to force Shang Xingzhou to agree to his request, to have the situation develop to this state?

“Of course it has meaning, because it has helped Master clearly see who you are.”

Chen Changsheng said to Shang Xingzhou, “Look, Master. Look at how ugly you are, how unpleasant to look at.”

HIs eyes were clean and bright like mirrors, reflecting a face.

It was a rather elderly face, stained in blood, imbued with a pride and madness that came from self-hypnotism.

Shang Xingzhou looked at this face and found it very unfamiliar.