Ze Tian Ji Chapter 737-738

Chapter 737 – The Sorrow of Those Chasing After the Sun

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

The voice belonged to Shang Xingzhou.

‘Don’t let the capital see, don’t let the world see, don’t let him see’…but what if he was seen?

Everyone knew that the unspoken consequence was undoubtedly related to death.

Chen Changsheng said nothing, only gazed at the snow falling in the night, his eyes bright and calm.

He also had a few words in his heart, and they were undoubtedly related to his return.

……

……

Tonight’s snow did not intensify, nor did its power lessen. The uncountable number of cavalry surrounding the Orthodox Academy were still warily facing off against each other.

Shang Xingzhou returned to the Imperial Palace. Those blue-clothed Daoists reverentially bowed to him, then took their leave.

He stood in the snow, gazing at the silhouette of the young emperor cast upon the window by the light, feeling a sense of gratification.

Everything had been worth it.

There was a rustling sound on the ground, the sound of shoes crunching against the soft and pliable snow. Priest Xin came up behind him and softly whispered a few words to him, his appearance very humble.

Though Mei Lisha had returned to the sea of stars, the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education still had no new master.

This hall had a very special status in the Orthodoxy and concealed an enormous amount of power, so it was not convenient for Mao Qiuyu to lead it. He had only led it as a temporary leader for a few months.

Many people believed that Priest Xin, who was deeply trusted by Mei Lisha and was also very close to the Orthodox Academy, was the best candidate for taking charge over the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education, but his qualifications and seniority were somewhat lacking.

No one knew that Priest Xin actually had another identity as a secret agent for the Department for Purging Officials.

And no one knew that a few days ago when Zhou Tong had been hunted down and killed, the one that had plucked the array of the underground Zhou Prison and forced Zhou Tong out had also been him.

The reason was very simple. Priest Xin, who now had a bright future, would certainly be unwilling to continue serving as Zhou Tong’s dog, so he hoped that Zhou Tong would die.

Of course, if he had not already obtained a few promises or guarantees, his courage would probably have arrived a little later.

“There will be no problems in the capital for the moment and the Li Palace will be without problems for three years. There is not much meaning in your managing the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education.”

Shang Xingzhou continued, “Go to the south for me and see how Holy Maiden Peak and Mount Li are doing. Also, tell the Longevity Sect to send that object of mine to me.”

Priest Xin was somewhat shocked, as he had no idea what the Longevity Sect needed to send to the venerable master of the Dao that would be so important. But he said nothing, accepting the order and very quickly vanishing into the snow.

……

……

The snow that had accumulated on the lake had been blown away by the earlier wind, revealing the glossy layer of ice beneath. Under the illumination of the distant light, it appeared like a massive sheet of colored glass.

There were a few spots on this colored glass—the footprints that she had left behind as she walked across.

Perhaps because he was looking at this lake frozen into a sheet of colored glass, Chen Changsheng remembered a few things that were very important to her.

“Did you bring those Night Pearls and treasures with you?”

In the underground cavern beneath the well of New North Bridge, the ceiling had been inlaid with over a thousand extremely precious Night Pearls while the ground had been piled high with gold and silver.

They were the little Black Dragon’s treasures, and they had also served as the greatest source of mental support in her centuries of long imprisonment.

Chen Changsheng was well aware of how important these things were to her, so he had brought up the matter.

“Of course I brought them with me.”

The Black Dragon patted her stomach, exuding the aura of some hero that had just finished drinking eighty bowls of strong alcohol.

In her human form, she was very small, two heads shorter than Chen Changsheng. She looked like a girl of eleven or twelve, so this display of hers seemed rather amusing and also quite adorable.

Chen Changsheng knew that her black dress was her dragonscales and could not be parted from her, but it couldn’t hold too much. Moreover, she had no spatial artifact, so he couldn’t help but be very curious about where she had put all those things.

“You’re so stupid.” The Black Dragon was somewhat angry. She patted her stomach again and said, “I already said that it’s all in here.”

Chen Changsheng finally noticed that her stomach was slightly swollen like that of a child that had eaten too much.

It turned out that she had actually taken those thousand-some Night Pearls, the vast mountains of gold and silver, and the sea of coral…and swallowed it all.

At least he wouldn’t have to worry about money for the next few years, but did that mean that she would have to spit it out every time he needed money?

Chen Changsheng felt that this was quite a filthy method, and then he very naturally recalled that besides spitting it out, there was still another method. He instantly became uneasy.

“Cease your foolish thoughts!” The little Black Dragon very quickly reacted and roared, “If you continue to think such nonsense, I’ll swallow you whole.”

Chen Changsheng thought to himself, if you really do swallow me, you’ll have to spit me out in the end, or use that other method. His face grew even more queasy.

The Black Dragon very quickly understood and her face turned even more unsightly than his as she slowly raised her fist.

This was a rather delicate fist, looking like a solitary plum blossom in the snow, extremely pitiful.

……

……

Boom! A clap of thunder exploded in the Orthodox Academy. The ground shook and the snow on the great banyan tree rustled down.

Several cracks appeared on the frozen lake, with water appearing where the cracks intersected. In the floating shards of ice, the reflection of a person could be seen.

She grabbed this person and carried him off into the library.

In order to protect the books, the lights in the library were special and they exuded less warmth. Even a large quantity of these lights blazing for a very long time would be ineffective at drying soaked garments.

Chen Changsheng stood amidst several dozen of these lanterns, cold lake water constantly dripping from him onto the glossy black floor.

To be blown by a fist into the water, and thus thoroughly soaked and chilled to the bone, was a matter very worthy of being aggrieved and angry about.

He did not feel this way, as his body which had undergone perfect Purification was able to endure this sort of attack, and after his perfect Star Condensation, the normal heat and cold of the world was utterly incapable of encroaching upon his body.

Of course, the primary reason that he did not care was that the little Black Dragon was currently acting rather strangely.

Based on her personality, the black-clothed girl should have been quite pleased with herself, but now she was sitting across from him with her head lowered in dejection. He could even tell that she was feeling quite sorrowful.

“What’s wrong?”

“My strength has gotten weaker.”

“Perhaps…it’s because you just escaped and aren’t used to using it?”

“No.”

She looked at the chains still tied to her feet and said, “If we can’t find a way to break these chains, I might never be able to defeat your master.”

Chen Changsheng realized that this was what she had truly been worried about and consoled, “Even if we did break the chains, you still wouldn’t be able to beat him.”

She was very angry and huffed, “Is this how you comfort people?”

Chen Changsheng seriously replied, “Yes, because this is an objective fact. When I was a baby, a Golden Dragon wanted to eat me, but it ended up being driven away by my master.”

Amongst the Dragon race, the Golden Dragons and the Black Frost Dragons were the noblest and most powerful. Many, many years ago, when the Golden Dragon tribe had left the continent, it had been out of respect for the Black Frost Dragons. The Golden Dragon that he spoke of, based on Senior Yu Ren’s description, had probably been one of the members of this tribe, and it might have even been part of their Imperial clan.

That Golden Dragon had naturally been many times stronger than the little Black Dragon, yet it had still been no match for his master.

In his view, there was truly no need for the little Black Dragon to be worried or sad about being unable to defeat his master.

Who would feel sorrow about not being able to catch up to the sun?

……

……

Who would?

Of course, it would be those people daring enough, or perhaps mad enough, to chase after the sun.

Her gaze rested on the dagger at his waist.

When she first saw this sword, she had sensed that profound and familiar Qi that was worthy of either wariness or respect.

After hearing Chen Changsheng describe the events of the past, she was sure that this dagger was that Golden Dragon’s third whisker.

To be able to defeat a member of the Golden Dragon Imperial clan and to even pluck out its most precious third whisker to use it as a weapon, such a person would have to be very strong and very confident.

From that moment, she came to know just how terrifying a human Chen Changsheng’s master was.

If there was a chance, she naturally would not make this sort of human her enemy, but…

From this day forward, I am your Protector.

If that powerful human wants to kill you, I must think of a way to defeat him and kill him.

And so, I am rather sad.

It will eventually turn out that Priest Xin was working for Black Robe too /s

Chapter 738 – The Exiled Pope

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Sadness was just an emotion and it in no way symbolized despair. The little Black Dragon lowered her head and looked at her trail through the snow as she began to ponder and calculate. That Shang Xingzhou had been able to easily defeat the Golden Dragon was naturally because he had the home court advantage, and he also must have made preparations in advance. How could she accurately assess his true level of strength through this battle?

Chen Changsheng guessed at what she was thinking and said, “You don’t need to keep thinking about it.”

The Black Dragon raised her head and stared into his eyes. “The Pope made me your Protector for a reason.”

Both she and Chen Changsheng were unaware that the Pope had rescued her from beneath New North Bridge and made her Chen Changsheng’s Protector primarily because of the complicated relationship between the Black Frost Dragon tribe and White Emperor City.

Upon hearing the term ‘Protector’ once more, Chen Changsheng fell silent. He suddenly asked, “Do you know who my master’s Protector was back then?”

The little Black Dragon shook her head.

Chen Changsheng looked into the snow where that person had vanished, saying, “On that night, Martial Uncle told me…Master didn’t pick a Protector.”

A strange light flashed across the Black Dragon’s eyes.

Chen Changsheng continued, “Master believes that one cannot rely on external things when cultivating the Dao, nor can one rely on other people. Just relying on himself is enough.”

The little Black Dragon said nothing.

This sort of person was far too frightening.

……

……

After the black night was the dawn. The capital was still enveloped in a snowstorm as the continent welcomed a new year.

Many important events took place on the first day of the new year. For instance, the Great Zhou formally changed the era name, and the Li Palace welcomed a new master.

In the Li Palace’s ceremony to celebrate the new year, something took place that shocked the entire continent.

According to the Pope’s final decree and the Orthodoxy’s announcement that had already been promulgated across the entire world, Chen Changsheng was the new Pope.

Yet he did not appear in the new year’s ceremony and his figure was not seen in the Great Hall of Light. Naturally, there had also been no enthronement ceremony. This news attracted all sorts of surprised discussion. Whether it was the priests of the Li Palace, the teachers and students of the Ivy Academies, or the common people of the capital, they all felt utterly perplexed and deeply uneasy.

In this time of confusion, the Li Palace issued an authoritative explanation.

The announcement contained the seals of the Five Prefects and Chen Changsheng’s personal signature.

Because the Pope was too young, he had not cultivated for long enough. As such, he had decided to enter the world to cultivate, comprehending the Heavenly Dao amongst the red dust of the mundane world.

And when would he return? Nobody knew, and the announcement did not answer this. It was just written very clearly that the Pope could return to the capital at any time to ascend to the throne.

The Pope was not in the Li Palace but instead had concealed his name and entered the world to cultivate?

This was the first time such an event had taken place in all of history.

Shock and bewilderment flooded the entire capital and continent, so much so that many people did not even remember what the new era name of the Great Zhou Dynasty was.

After these emotions were slightly diluted by the passage of time, people finally had the leisure to turn their heads and recall the past year. Upon recalling all the things the previous Pope had done, they began to vaguely understand: all this had been a part of the previous Pope’s plan.

If Chen Changsheng remained in the capital, it would deeply unsettle the Imperial Court, which would assuredly lead to a war.

If he left the capital, it would make the Imperial Court…to be more precise, it would let Shang Xingzhou feel much more at ease.

However, even now, few people understood why Shang Xingzhou was so wary of, so repelled by, so vexed by the existence of Chen Changsheng.

As Chen Changsheng had understood long ago and as Shang Xingzhou thought with sorrow last night in the snow of the Orthodox Academy, since the two loathed each other, it was better to not meet.

Give this master and disciple a little time, a little space.

Give the Imperial Court and the Orthodoxy a little time, a little space.

Give this world and its millions of inhabitants a single chance.

There was no need for a war. This was not necessarily something that one needed to die for.

Chen Changsheng was still the Pope.

It was just that he could not remain in the capital, could not remain in the Li Palace.

Even if it would come down to two irreconcilable sides at the end, there could at least be a gap.

The problem could not be resolved right now, but in the future, perhaps both sides would have more wisdom to resolve this problem.

This was the plan of the previous Pope, and now it seemed like the best method to resolve this impasse.

Of course, the previous Pope’s plan contained even more details that ensured that even if Chen Changsheng left the capital, the Li Palace could still safeguard its position.

This unprecedented situation had many extremely complex factors and circumstances, and perfectly embodied the previous Pope’s intelligence and patience.

As his successor, all that Chen Changsheng needed to do was accept this arrangement and then continue to increase his intelligence, patience, and strength.

He needed to rely on his intelligence and patience to survive.

As long as he survived, he was Pope.

He would discuss it again once the mountains bloomed with flowers.

Not everyone could understand this matter, and even fewer could understand just how much thought and effort the previous Pope had put into this plan, or the resolve and daring the Li Palace had displayed. After all their shock faded, the reality that the people saw was very simple.

Chen Changsheng had become Pope, but he had been driven out of the capital.

Anyone could see that this was the Imperial Court’s victory.

Many people believed that this result was because Shang Xingzhou did not wish for the Imperial Court and the Orthodoxy to come to blows, nor did he wish to reject the Pope’s final decree, so he had expressed a magnanimous stance.

To be magnanimous was naturally to look down on someone.

Anyone could see that a Pope that could not be in the Li Palace was a Pope in name alone.

It was perhaps even a more dismal existence than being a Pope in name alone.

This was an exiled Pope.

……

……

The Zhengtong era formally came to a close.

The Tianhai Divine Empress’s reign over this continent had become a page in history, and a new page had been turned.

The Great Zhou Dynasty had formally changed rulers, the confluence of the north and south had been declared a success. As spring returned to the earth, countless matters became realized. At this moment, many cultivators had received imperial orders and were leaving the south to head north and enter various armies.

The Demon Empress had been executed, the Demon Lord was dead, Xuelao City was in chaos, and the Pope had bid farewell to the world. All things were changing from old to new, and the future of the continent was awash with light.

It was certain that humanity was about to welcome the finest generation since Emperor Taizong’s.

No one knew that on a normal and unremarkable winter day, the newly appointed Pope Chen Changsheng left the Orthodox Academy.

He left Hundred Flowers Lane and mingled with the crowd. He walked along the Luo River, crossed the Bridge of Helplessness and passed the stone pillars of the Li Palace, exited the city gate, and left the capital.

In his bosom was a letter, tied to his waist was a sword, and in his hands was an umbrella.

A girl dressed in black walked by his side.

The girl was clean and charming, but her face bore no emotion, making her seem particularly cold.

She held a potted Green Leaf at her chest.

Chen Changsheng did not walk very fast, but as the girl was very small, if she wanted to catch up, she needed to walk faster.

As she walked, her black hair bobbed up and down in the cold wind. The Green Leaf at her chest also bobbed up and down with it.

This was not two oars bobbing up and down in the spring wind, but the appearance that she and this world should have had. (TN: The part about two oars bobbing up and down is a reference to a famous Chinese children’s song.)

……

……

(AN: When I was first writing about the Pope’s Green Leaf, I was thinking about Leon, and this was precisely the sort of scene I wanted to write. So the little Black Dragon’s name should actually be Matilda. TN: Leon and Matilda are characters from the movie ‘Leon: The Professional’.)