Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 572 – How Did You Escape?

After opening his eyes with some difficulty and seeing Tang Thirty-Six’s concerned face, Chen Changsheng felt that there was nothing out of the ordinary. However, after seeing that Zhexiu’s perpetually indifferent face was actually showing some concern, he couldn’t but be a little shocked and then get the impulse to laugh.

His injuries had not been light—his sea of consciousness had been shaken, resulting in his unconscious spell.

It wasn’t because of the internal injuries he had received when he had used the Thousand Li Button and collided against the Heavenstone array enveloping Mount Han, but all because of the Demon Lord’s distant finger.

At the time, the Demon Lord, standing by the stream and separated from him by a vast distance, had pointed his finger.

He had used the Yellow Paper Umbrella to block this Qi, but he had not been able to block the monstrous might contained within.

“You actually woke up so quickly?”

Tang Thirty-Six was very surprised to see him awake so soon and leaned forward to help him up.

Zhexiu commented, “He really did wake up quickly.”

Sitting against the head of the bed, Chen Changsheng looked at them and said, “Why can’t I see any excitement on your faces?”

Zhexiu ignored this question while Tang Thirty-Six replied, “The Elder of Heavenly Secrets personally came to see you and confirmed that there was nothing wrong, so there was nothing for us to be worried about.”

Chen Changsheng thought of those two worried faces he saw the moment he woke up and knew that they just didn’t want to admit it. He would not needle at them, instead saying, “The Elder of Heavenly Secrets confirms that there’s nothing wrong with me, so that means that there really is nothing wrong with me? You should invite Principal Mao to come and see.”

At present, Mao Qiuyu was Archbishop of the Hall of Illustrious Persons, but they were used to addressing him as principal.

Tang Thirty-Six replied, “The Elder of Heavenly Secrets calculates the stars above and rivers below and he has never once been wrong. If he’s says there’s nothing, there’s naturally nothing wrong.”

Chen Changsheng fell silent, then said, “Then did he calculate that we would encounter these things?”

With these words, the room became abnormally silent. Only the faint sound of voices in the distance could be heard.

This peace and silence were because they all felt that all the things that happened after entering Mount Han reeked with the stench of plotting and conspiracy, but the primary reason was that they had all recalled the middle-aged scholar.

The picture of the middle-aged scholar holding his hands behind him as he gazed at the persimmons had left far too deep of an impression on them.

They knew that it would be very difficult to forget that scene for the rest of their lives.

After quite some time had passed, Tang Thirty-Six whispered to Chen Changsheng, “You’re sure…it was that person?”

Without speaking, Chen Changsheng slowly nodded his head.

Tang Thirty-Six lowered his head and rubbed his forehead, powerless to speak.

He was the sole son of the Wenshui Tangs, not even fearing the Tianhai clan much. It really could be said that he feared nothing in the heavens and earth, the many stories that had taken place in front of the Orthodox Academy proof of this. Yet when he thought of the middle-aged scholar’s identity, even he felt fear in his heart.

“When I was very small, I had a dream.”

A voice broke the downcast mood in the room.

Chen Changsheng and Tang Thirty-Six looked over.

Zhexiu looked at the other two and expressionlessly continued, “It was to kill him.”

Chen Changsheng was shocked speechless. To aspire to kill the Demon Lord from such a young age, this was truly too…

“Formidable,” Tang Thirty-Six said to Zhexiu with heartfelt admiration. “You’re far too formidable.”

“But…that’s just a dream.”

Zhexiu thought of the scene he saw at the mountain path, his complexion somewhat pale. “I never imagined that I would see him with my own eyes.”

Tang Thirty-Six became rather incensed at these words. Waving his hands to indicate his disdain, he turned to Chen Changsheng and asked, “How did you manage to survive?”

This was a matter all of Mount Han, even all of the world, wished to know, and also the point in this entire event that was most crucial and most difficult to understand. Even when delayed by the Heavenstone array of the Elder of Heavenly Secrets, the Demon Lord still wanted to kill Chen Changsheng, so just how had he managed to survive?

Relying on strength, talent, magical artifacts, or will?

No, this was the Demon Lord.

No matter how outstanding Chen Changsheng was in these aspects, it was impossible for him to escape by relying on them.

Upon hearing Tang Thirty-Six’s question, Zhexiu did not show much expression, only moved two steps closer to the bed. It was very obvious that he was also very interested in this answer.

Chen Changsheng did not immediately answer the question, instead using his eyes to give a sign to Tang Thirty-Six.

Tang Thirty-Six understood. He walked to the door and looked around, then took out a magical artifact from his bosom. A faint Qi sprung forth that cut off any prying eyes.

“I…met a person.” Chen Changsheng hesitated, then continued, “That person might have been Lord Wang.”

Tang Thirty-Six and Zhexiu looked in each other in the eyes, shock evident on their faces.

Especially for Zhexiu, this resolute and persistent wolf youth, besides the Demon Lord’s name, what other name could cause him to lose control over his emotions?

Lord Wang…this world had many people surnamed Wang, and also many people that served as officials, and there were also many people that were called Lord Wang. In the past one thousand years, only one did not require any sort of prefix or explanation. Just by calling him Lord Wang, everyone in the world would know who it meant.

That person was called Wang Zhice.

The room became incomparably quiet, a silence that lasted even longer than the last.

After this interminable time had passed, Tang Thirty-Six and Zhexiu finally awoke from their shock.

Tang Thirty-Six sighed, “Lord Wang…really did not die.”

Chen Changsheng was somewhat surprised, so he asked Tang Thirty-Six, “You guys aren’t shocked?”

Tang Thirty-Six angrily replied, “We were just like quails a moment ago, how else do you want us to be shocked?”

“But…you said ‘really’ just now…could it be that many people already guessed that Lord Wang wasn’t dead?”

“Of course, these sorts of rumors have been circulating all the time, saying that Lord Wang was still alive, just hiding away as a recluse from the world.”

“But in the Daoist Canon and the histories, it’s written very clearly that Lord Wang’s soul has already returned to the sea of stars.”

”If you can believe all the words in the histories, then women can become emperors.”

“The Tianhai Empress…”

“It’s a metaphor…in brief, this matter has always been one of the two great riddles and people have always been speculating about it.”

“Two great riddles?” Chen Changsheng asked in confusion.

Tang Thirty-Six explained, “The final ends of Zhou Dufu and Lord Wang.”

Chen Changsheng thought of that obsidian coffin in the Mausoleum of Zhou that was as barren as a plain and seemed to understand. “Because no one has discovered their skeletons?”

Tang Thirty-Six replied, “To be more precise, no one even knows if they’ve died or not…back then, no matter if it was Emperor Taizong or those legends of the Lingyan Pavilion, they all ultimately returned to the sea of stars, all of them witnessed by many people. Only those two are exceptions.”

Chen Changsheng thought it over and then said with extreme confidence, “Then, at least one of those riddles has been solved.”

Tang Thirty-Six and Zhexiu once more looked at each other and asked uncertainly, “You’re sure?”

It must be known that this was no ordinary matter. Once news that Wang Zhice was still alive got out, it would assuredly shake the entire continent.

Chen Changsheng nodded but then suddenly remembered something and his expression subtly changed.