Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 1069 – The Tile on the Corner of the Roof

The two Daoist nuns were Huai Ren and Huai Shu. After the internal strife of South Stream Temple, they had restarted their travels. Based on the agreement, they could at least return to Holy Maiden Peak every ten years for the grand ceremony to the stars. No one would have expected them to have stealthily entered the capital and taken up residence in the Prince of Louyang’s old estate.

At Xu Yourong’s words, Huai Ren calmly replied, “Temple Master’s words are of utmost importance, and this deed will let us atone for our crimes.”

Huai Shu recalled that bloody light in South Stream Temple and found it hard to control her rage. She said, “Shang Xingzhou used Huai Bi to stir a storm, so how can we act as he desires?”

Huai Ren calmly said, “If our Dao hearts had been calm, how could we have been used by him?”

Her senior sister’s words caused Huai Shu to restrain her anger. She looked at Xu Yourong and gave her an admiring and grateful gaze, then nodded her head and said no more.

The several hundred disciples of South Stream Temple entering the capital today had sent massive shocks throughout the populace. An elder like Huai Shu naturally took great pleasure in seeing such unprecedented brilliance.

In the past, if South Stream Temple had made such a display of power, before the Great Zhou Imperial Court would even have time to say anything, the Li Palace would have already taken action.

Fortunately, the Li Palace was in a standoff with the Great Zhou Imperial Court, increasing the importance of the southern sects and giving South Stream Temple this sort of opportunity.

Of course, creating such an array of forces and seizing this opportunity was also an extremely difficult task.

Xu Yourong was still very young and had not yet entered the Divine Domain. Unlike the previous Holy Maiden, she could sufficiently intimidate the Great Zhou Imperial Court. But her relationship with the Li Palace was the closest of all Holy Maidens’. Moreover, the motivational power and determination she had displayed in this matter were truly worthy of respect.

A fake mountain was erected behind the estate’s rear gate, with several jade-green plants growing on it.

A cold wind blew through, covering the leaves of those plants in a thin layer of frost.

“Everything’s fine at the Xue clan. Do you want me to tell Chen Changsheng?”

A black-clothed girl appeared and spoke to Xu Yourong.

Sensing the rapid drop of temperature within the princely estate, Huai Shu quickly guessed this girl’s identity. Her complexion slightly changed as she subconsciously took a step back.

In her travels around the world with her senior sister, she had seen many impressive sights and strange people. Logically speaking, an expert half a step from the Divine should not have made her feel fear.

But Black Frost Dragons were divine creatures of the highest level, innately pressuring the souls of human experts.

The little Black Dragon had gotten used to this sort of response and she did not much care, but the other Daoist nun had attracted her interest.

Huai Ren had a very calm expression and had not been affected by her appearance. She acted like she did not know of the Black Dragon’s background.

The little Black Dragon took measure of her and then said, “You’re very strong.”

There were few people on this continent that she felt were strong.

In South Stream Temple’s internal strife, Huai Bi had suddenly used the Divine Finger of the Worldstream to seal Huai Ren’s most important Qi openings. Despite being forced into a passive state, Huai Ren had still been easily able to reverse the situation. At the time, Chen Changsheng had felt that this Daoist nun had an unfathomable level of strength.

The Black Dragon turned to Xu Yourong, somewhat shocked and rather confused.

Just what was she planning to do by inviting an expert like this to live in the Prince of Louyang’s old estate?

Xu Yourong said nothing, only gazed at a nearby estate.

This estate was screened by high walls, making it impossible to see the luxurious buildings within. All that was visible were the high eaves of its roofs.

Sculptures of beasts were crouched at the corners of these eaves, adorned in golden scales, seeming both like a dragon and not a dragon.

……

……

The Prince of Xiang’s face began to twitch, fat rippling, as he gazed at those dragon-like beasts on the corners of the roofs glimmering gold in the sunlight.

After some time, he looked away and held up the fat of his belly that was bulging past his belt. He sighed, “This matter has gotten big.”

Prince Chen Liu bitterly smiled. “I didn’t expect that Yourong was still doing things as crudely and simply as when she was young.”

The Prince of Xiang looked into his son’s eyes and slowly and solemnly said, “With as many years as your father has served the venerable Daoist, as long as I do not act rashly, I am assured my present honor and riches. I will ask you again: do you still persist in your view that we should take another step forward?”

He was currently the most powerful and esteemed prince of the Imperial Court and was also an expert of the Divine Domain. If he were to take another step forward, where would it go?

“If we do not take this step, will the Great Zhou Dynasty be the Chen clan’s world, or Xining’s world?”

Prince Chen Liu calmly said, “This is the matter I care about the most.”

The Prince of Xiang’s finger sank into the fat of his belly. He constantly sighed but said nothing more.

……

……

Prince Chen Liu had just gotten married, but he had no mind to spare for his lovely wife, because Xu Yourong had made too great of a stir.

But his lovely wife, as beautiful as a flower, also had no time for her husband. She had left the princely estate and returned to the Tianhai clan.

Tianhai Shengxue stood in front of the estate’s gate, looking at the Princess of Ping who, though already attired as a wife, still had her pampered expression. He advised, “Although your husband has a rather bland personality and is a deep thinker, it’s not a bad personality, and he’s always paid attention to his reputation. He won’t treat you poorly, but you also have to pay some attention. How can you run back immediately after getting married?”

“I came back to talk business, not to start up a love rivalry or any of those other dull games.”

The Princess of Ping walked into the estate and sneered, “If we don’t hurry and respond, are we just going to watch that woman get all the glory?”

Tianhai Shengxue knew that the Princess of Ping had held a deep grudge toward Xu Yourong ever since she was little, but he had not expected that three years after the Divine Empress’s death, when the Princess of Ping no longer actually held her title, her grudges still remained. As time passed, they had even seemed to worsen.

She had returned to the estate today as a representative of the Prince of Xiang’s estate to discuss with Tianhai Shengxue’s father how to deal with the current situation. Tianhai Shengxue found this quite boring and had no desire to take part. He took the reins from one of the clan warriors and began to lead his horse out, but before he could get very far, a thin and tall elder appeared at his side.

This elder seemed rather ordinary, but his status was anything but. He was currently the most senior Divine General of the age and he was called Fei Dian.

Tianhai Shengxue said, “Although Sir has taught me much over the last few years, Sir staying by my side is truly just wasting time.”

Fei Dian said, “Since the Divine Empress dispatched me to be by your side, it proves that you are worth it.”

At the time, Tianhai Shengxue had been the youth with the most potential in all of the Tianhai clan. By ordering Fei Dian to stand at his side, the Divine Empress could be considered to have placed her high hopes on him.

But though the Divine Empress was now dead, Fei Dian did not seem to have any intention of leaving.

“Uncle Fei, what do you think is more interesting, remaining in the capital or going to the frontlines?”

Without waiting for an answer, Tianhai Shengxue shook his head and said, “It has to be fighting the demons on the snowy plains that’s more interesting.”

Fei Dian impassively looked forward and said, “But I am still alive right now.”

A little surprised, Tianhai Shengxue glanced at him.

“General Han Qing is dead, Xue Xingchuan dead, Tian Chui is dead, and many other people have died. I hear that Jin Yulu’s life in White Emperor City also isn’t that great.”

Fei Dian continued, “That I am still alive and can even drink a little wine every day is precisely because I think little, do little.”

Tianhai Shengxue knew that these words were a warning to him.

His thoughts were very difficult to hide from Fei Dian.

But who could not have any thoughts on the situation in the capital?

He raised his head up to that sky so blue that it seemed like it had just been washed. “The storm is about to come, so one has to find a roof tile to cover one’s head.”