Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 859 – It’s Pitch-Black on That Side

“I have an aunt that was raised in that nunnery. Grandfather wanted to leave a path of retreat for the Tang clan, or perhaps he wanted to ensure her safety, so he didn’t dare let anyone know. But when I was small, he liked to put me on his knees and tell me many stories. This story was one of them, but he thought that I was too young back then. He had no idea that I remembered it all.”

Tang Thirty-Six looked at the estate across the river, appearing somewhat in a trance as he talked.

Chen Changsheng glanced at him and asked, “Just how old were you then?”

Tang Thirty-Six replied, “About one year old.”

Chen Changsheng replied, “You were actually able to remember something from when you were that young?”

Tang Thirty-Six answered, “Perhaps I developed fast.”

Chen Changsheng sighed, “This is a little bit too fast.”

“Who am I? I happen to be a genius.”

This was quite the amusing joke, but neither Chen Changsheng nor Tang Thirty-Six laughed.

After a while, Tang Thirty-Six continued, “I don’t know who the Old Master had that daughter with, but in his entire life, he has probably only loved that woman, so the person he truly dotes on is that daughter. It’s precisely because he dotes on her that I know that the Old Master will not let her become clan head, and I also don’t fear. So I was willing to reveal this matter. Yeah, you’re right, I just wanted to use that woman in Chicken Crow Nunnery to threaten Grandfather.”

Chen Changsheng didn’t know what to say.

Tang Thirty-Six glanced at him and asked, “Do you think that I’m cruel and callous?”

“Daoist Baishi is dead… It was on my order.”

Chen Changsheng suddenly brought up this seemingly unrelated matter, his gaze dropping down to the dark waters of the river.

Yesterday, the Tang clan’s Fivekind Man and Chusu had engaged in pitched battle here. Poisonous blood had sprayed everywhere, polluting both banks with a foul and toxic Qi.

The Tang clan had already begun to clean up, but still many fish had died.

Both he and Tang Thirty-Six had excellent eyesight. Even in this gloomy environment, they could still see those dead fish in the rotten and dark mud of the river.

In the Orthodox Academy, Tang Thirty-Six had told him to not sink into the mud, but what about now?

Chen Changsheng commented, “Do you think that we’ve become those people that we used to loathe the most?”

Tang Thirty-Six replied, “If we can change something by becoming them, then it’s also fine.”

Chen Changsheng asked, “For example?”

Tang Thirty-Six pointed at the opposite shore. “If you hadn’t acted that way, the darkness on that side would have fallen behind us.”

The river separated the estates of the chief branch and the second branch. No lights could be seen on the opposite shore, all consumed by a somewhat sinister pitch-black.

From yesterday until now, many people had died in the second branch.

Just like Tang Thirty-Six had said, if they had been the ones to lose, this tragic end would have been the chief branch’s to bear.

Tang Thirty-Six said, “Thank you.”

Chen Changsheng answered, “You’re welcome.”

……

……

According to Tang Thirty-Six’s demand, before the sun set behind the mountains, the Tang Second Master died.

On the morning of the second day, Tang Thirty-Six went personally to inspect the corpse and make sure that there was nothing suspicious.

The Orthodoxy dispatched Linghai Zhiwang. According to the report he made to Chen Changsheng on his return, Tang Thirty-Six had been very quiet, apparently lost in thought.

Once he took the medicine personally brewed by Chen Changsheng, the Tang First Master’s illness was stabilized, but he still did not wake from his coma.

That sinister poison had already seeped deep into his organs, making it very difficult to completely remove it. Action was needed on the Longevity Sect’s part.

The Tang clan had already sent people to the Longevity Sect. It was said that the blind zither player might be traveling with them in secret. Tang Thirty-Six was still not at ease and decided to make a personal visit.

Chen Changsheng also had to go south. He had a few very important matters that needed handling.

It had already been three years since the confluence of the north and south, and there was now a chance that the northern and southern Orthodoxy could reunite.

In the Orthodoxy’s southern faction, the Longevity Sect was a shell of its former self, devoid of strength and only able to perform a few small actions from the shadows. The one the Li Palace needed to persuade was Holy Maiden Peak.

Given the relationship between Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong, there really was a chance that this matter might succeed, and the Orthodoxy really might regain its former glory.

To the Orthodoxy, this was naturally an excellent matter, but the Imperial Court would not see it this way.

They all left Wenshui City, upon which it was time to part.

The first to leave was Guan Feibai. Logically speaking, since Mount Li and the Longevity Sect were both in the south, he could have traveled together with Chen Changsheng’s group. However, he had received news that his eldest brother would return to the mountain in a few days, so he was inevitably in somewhat of a rush. The day before yesterday, when Chen Changsheng went to the old estate, he had stayed in the Daoist church to recover from his injuries and remained unaware that a certain person had appeared outside the old estate.

Chen Changsheng had a vague understanding of a few things and said to Guan Feibai, “I’ve met your senior brother. Give him my well wishes.”

Guan Feibai believed that he was speaking of Gou Hanshi. Without pondering the matter any further, he agreed, then he said to Zhexiu, “If your illness is cured, you can come to Mount Li any time, and no one will stop you. But if your illness can’t be cured and you are destined to meet a sudden death, don’t come to bring your curse on Junior Sister. None of us will let you meet.”

Zhexiu’s expression did not change, as if he had not heard.

Chen Changsheng offered a sword to Guan Feibai. “Your sword broke, so I’ve picked one out for you. I don’t know if it’s suitable for you though.”

In the back garden of the Daoist church, the sword that Guan Feibai had bought with a few taels of silver had been broken by Chusu. Chen Changsheng had wanted to give him a sword this entire time. He had not gifted the sword in the past two days because, besides Guan Feibai’s injuries, he also did not want to drag the Mount Li Sword Sect into the rotten matter that was his business with the Tang clan.

Everyone knew that Chen Changsheng had many swords at his side, and they were all excellent swords.

Guan Feibai looked at this ancient, yet sharp sword, his eyes glowing.

This sword was also from the Garden of Zhou, from the Sword Pool, and it was called Army Shattering. It emphasized a strength that could shatter thousands of armies and was extremely suitable for his personality. Surprisingly, Guan Feibai did not immediately accept it. He seemed to think for a while, then said, “I didn’t contribute much to this matter, and we already owe you far too many favors. We can’t owe more.”

He was referring to how his martial uncle of the Mount Li Sword Sect had been saved by the Cinnabar Pill, and also that old matter from several years ago of Chen Changsheng escorting Su Li back to the south.

The matters of their eldest brother and the engagement, and their junior sister and Zhexiu, led to the disciples of the Mount Li Sword Sect being very unwilling to owe Chen Changsheng any favors.

Or else it would truly be very awkward for them if they came into conflict with Chen Changsheng.

“If you really feel like there’s any sort of debt, they were all cleared two days ago.”

Chen Changsheng was referring to the scene that had taken place in front of the old estate two days ago. If Luo Bu had not taken the Yellow Paper Umbrella and spoken with the Tang Old Master, the Tang Old Master would never have given him two hours of Wenshui City’s time, and the events that followed would never have happened.

Guan Feibai didn’t understand what he meant, so he was still unwilling to take the sword.

Tang Thirty-Six said, “Just what’s one sword worth? I took several hundred swords from him and didn’t feel anything.”

Guan Feibai shot back, “That’s because there are very few people in the world with as thick a skin as you.”

Tang Thirty-Six retorted, “That’s called being elegant and unrestrained… Take the sword. If you really do have a falling out, just don’t use the sword.”

Guan Feibai thought this over, then agreed. “That truly is quite reasonable. If that really does come about, remember to remind me.”