Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 634 – A Map of the Capital

Hearing the words ‘bear cub’, Tang Thirty-Six recalled Xuanyuan Po. He smiled, but it was rather sourer this time.

He was still in the Orthodox Academy, but he was already beginning to miss the people who were no longer in the Orthodox Academy, as well as his time in the Orthodox Academy.

This period of time had truly been beautiful beyond compare, worthy of reminiscence. It was a pity that tonight, once he left, he would never return.

“I understand,” he said to the Tang Second Master. “I’ll go with you.”

The Tang Second Master calmly gazed at him and gave another one of his silent laughs, his mouth gaping wide, his whole appearance rather comical.

After quite some time had passed, he finally restrained his smile. “This is very good.”

With these four words, he took Tang Thirty-Six out the gates of the Orthodox Academy.

Zhexiu and the South Stream Temple disciples could do nothing but watch as their figures vanished into the darkness.

The Tang Second Master brought Tang Thirty-Six out of Hundred Flowers Lane onto the main street. An unmarked carriage was already waiting for them.

At this sight, the elite Imperial Guards monitoring the Orthodox Academy from the darkness grew slightly restless and then quickly calmed back down.

No matter if it was the Orthodoxy cavalry or the troops of the Imperial Court, they all acted like they did not see this carriage, did not see the Tang Second Master and Tang Thirty-Six boarding this carriage.

The Wenshui Tangs were just this terrifying of an existence.

Although on the surface, it seemed as if their power had not been able to penetrate into the capital for many years, in reality, they still possessed a nigh unimaginable influence.

Because the true item that could allow one to access godhood was not faith or strength, but money.

The carriage proceeded through the dark capital, its wheels imprinted with arrays making no sounds, whether they traveled across gray stone or red brick, seeming just like a ghost. Not even the Princess of Ping’s flying carriage pulled along by pure white Pegasus across the sky was faster than this seemingly ordinary carriage.

The people within the carriage could not feel any bumps or jolts, yet it didn’t feel at all comfortable to Tang Thirty-Six.

He asked, “Just what does the clan want to do?”

The Tang Second Master replied, “You’ll find out soon.”

Because they were traveling too quickly, the wind lifted the curtains of the carriage. As Tang Thirty-Six watched the streets fly by and saw the tightly shut entrances of stores, he silently pondered.

In the deepest depths of a market, the carriage stopped. This place was the general assembly of the Heavenly Fragrance Market.

Before entering a door which led underground, Tang Thirty-Six stopped and asked the Tang Second Master, “You want to take over the property the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets owns in the capital?”

The Tang Second Master slightly raised his brows, seemingly rather surprised that he was able to guess at the clan’s true goal in such a short time.

“Even if the situation on the continent will be thrown into chaos, is the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets so easy to handle? What if the Elder of Heavenly Secrets comes to the capital?”

In order to deal with the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets, one first had to resolve the problem that was the Elder of Heavenly Secrets.

Even if the Tianhai Divine Empress invited the Elder of Heavenly Secrets to the capital to assist, for what reason did the Tang clan judge that the Elder of Heavenly Secrets would die?

It must be known that this elder who had the ability to clearly understand the heavenly secrets was also the head of the Storms of the Eight Directions.

“The Elder of Heavenly Secrets will not come to the capital.” The Tang Second Master walked into the gloomy underground path, not turning his head as he spoke. “Because he is about to die.”

Tang Thirty-Six’s just-raised foot once more fell back down as he fell into a state of absolute shock.

The Elder of Heavenly Secrets was about to die? Why?

“Of the experts of the Divine Domain in the current era, he and His Holiness the Pope are the two oldest. Since they are unable to achieve Concealed Divinity, they cannot escape the four words of ‘birth’, ‘aging’, ‘illness’, and ‘death’.”

The Tang Second Master continued walking as he calmly spoke. “In Mount Han, when he attempted to seal the Demon Lord, he was injured, quickening the process.”

Tang Thirty-Six followed, asking, “Then what of the Divine Empress? Are all of you so sure that she will lose?”

The Tang Second Master explained, “The Tianhai Empress’s strength relies on her ruthless heart. Chen Changsheng entered the capital two years ago, yet she never once moved. Even if she wants to kill him now, it’s already too late.”

The heavy iron door behind the pair slowly closed, cutting off the capital behind them.

The underground space here was very large but not at all gloomy, as there were Night Pearls and jade fire placed everywhere for light. It wasn’t tranquil and serene either, as there were people everywhere.

Several hundred accountants were at their tables, copying something, calculating something. The table in front of each person was piled high with files.

“What are they doing?” Tang Thirty-Six asked.

The Tang Second Master replied, “What should our Tang clan most revere?”

Tang Thirty-Six could not think of an answer.

The Wenshui Tang clan was the wealthiest in the entire continent, with not even the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets being able to surpass them. Before the Chen Imperial clan established the Great Zhou Dynasty, the Tang clan was already the Tang clan. The Tang clan was involved in every sort of business: military weapons, magical artifacts, rations and fodder, crystals, mines…if there was one thing that they most revered, could it be money?

They walked towards the room in the deepest part of this underground space. The three chief stewards of the Heavenly Fragrance Market here looked at Tang Thirty-Six behind the Tang Second Master, the looks on their faces rather unnatural.

They had been working on this matter for more than a year, but had never revealed it to him.

This was the Heavenly Fragrance Market, an opening that Tang Thirty-Six had torn open in the capital for his clan last autumn by borrowing the momentum of the Orthodox Academy’s rebirth.

His clan had long since taken over everything in secret while he remained completely unaware.

He was busy handling the affairs of the Orthodox Academy, so to manage the Heavenly Fragrance Market, he naturally used the stewards sent by his clan, thus the Heavenly Fragrance Market very naturally became his clan’s property.

Yes, he was the most pampered grandson of the Wenshui Tangs, yet during a major event like this, he still had no right to speak.

However, to these stewards, many years later, Tang Thirty-Six would inevitably become the master of the Tang clan. Although what they were doing now was not betrayal, it wasn’t much different, so they couldn’t but feel somewhat uneasy.

“The Tang clan is forever the Tang clan’s Tang clan, not any one person’s Tang clan.”

The Tang Second Master lifted the teapot on the table and took a drink from it, then he walked in front of the wall and said with his backs turned towards the three stewards, “Do this matter well and the Tang clan will not treat you all unfairly.”

The three chief stewards glanced at Tang Thirty-Six and then softly affirmed.

The Tang Second Master lightly flicked the teapot and a map seven feet tall and wide dropped down from above to hang in front of the wall.

This map was constructed from the most durable golden silk and drawn with the most finely ground Southern Water Ink, the ink most likely mixed with some charcoal. Under the light of the Night Pearls and jade fire, it was exceptionally clear.

This was a map of the capital, drawn with the most meticulous detail. Whether it was the Imperial Palace, the Li Palace, or the most ordinary house, nothing was excluded.

The Tang Second Master carried the teapot in his left hand while he examined the map. His face revealed a satisfied expression. “Report.”

The three chief stewards lined up in order, took out thick files from their bosoms, and began to report.

“The Capital Garden of Harmony has been confirmed. Its strength has weakened by three-two-three.”

“South Red House Street has been confirmed, its strength is at its starting number.”

“North Li of Achieving Merit is impossible to confirm. On the day of Taizong’s death, too many palace maids were buried with him. The Yin Qi might cause perturbations.”

“White Paper District is confirmed, the strength has been increased by one-four-one.”