(Today is Sister Sandbag and the Fire Beacon's birthday, and also Chen Changsheng's birthday. I wish them a happy birthday. Some of my reading friends are definitely celebrating their birthdays today. I also wish you a happy birthday. I suddenly realized that every day a reader will be celebrating their birthday, so I wish you a happy birthday in advance!)
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Before Tang Thirty-Six found him, Mei Chuan encountered Xu Yourong in the forest.
He had never met Xu Yourong, but he knew who she was.
Just as Tang Thirty-Six had said in the forest, she was truly very beautiful.
Mei Chuan was rather surprised, but his etiquette and demeanor in greeting were still impeccable.
He was also rather surprised that Xu Yourong knew that he was the new education overseer of the Orthodox Academy and also knew of his relationship with Mei Lisha.
Thus, Mei Chuan could not be sure if this meeting was a coincidence or not.
Xu Yourong said to Mei Chuan, "The Orthodox Academy is very important to them."
Mei Chuan humbly replied, "This lowly officer knows."
Xu Yourong said, "But you do not understand what they will do for the Orthodox Academy."
"Academy Supervisor Tang told that teacher to scram. He probably won't dare to come to the Orthodox Academy ever again."
Mei Chuan sighed, "His initial teaching of the Essay on the Origin of the Dao was truly excellent."
Xu Yourong asked, "Tang Tang didn't tell you to scram?"
Mei Chuan froze for a moment before respectfully replying, "He did not."
Xu Yourong was quiet for a while, then said, "So that's how it is."
Mei Chuan appeared surprised.
Xu Yourong softly explained, "He didn't tell you to scram, which means he wanted you dead."
Mei Chuan's expression flickered.
Xu Yourong shook her head. "I feel that what they did was wrong."
Mei Chuan's tense mood somewhat relaxed.
"This is the Orthodox Academy and you are the education overseer sent by the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education. If they act, they will never be able to explain themselves to the priests and believers."
Xu Yourong calmly gazed at him and said, "But I do not need an explanation."
Mei Chuan's mind, which had just relaxed, tensed up once more.
"My Lady's meaning is?"
"My meaning is that since I do not need an explanation and the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education does not dare ask me for an explanation, then I should be the one to kill you."
A wind blew from the forest, ruffling the snow-laden mountain plum blossoms and rustling her clothes.
Her eyes were as tranquil and gentle as usual. There were no negative emotions in them, much less killing intent.
Bishop Mei Chuan asked with confusion and a hint of hope, "You want to kill me?"
"If you were just an instructor of the Orthodox Academy, I wouldn't care. But you are Mei Lisha's nephew, so I can only kill you myself."
Xu Yourong was still as calm as ever, as if she was not talking about killing someone, but discussing the Dao of the Heavenly Tome Monoliths.
This calmness made Bishop Mei Chuan feel an unprecedented fear and chill, so much so that his voice began to tremble.
If Xu Yourong really did kill him, let alone the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education, not even the Li Palace or the Imperial Court could do anything.
Would the Li Palace and the Imperial Court demand that the Holy Maiden of the south pay for a bishop's life?
"If Sir kills me in the Orthodox Academy, the unification of the Orthodoxy that Sir and His Holiness are pushing forward will be greatly affected."
Bishop Mei Chuan's voice trembled slightly, but his expression was very sincere. It was as if he was wholeheartedly thinking for the other party.
Xu Yourong's reply was very indifferent, but at the same time, it also meant that it was terrifying.
"I don't care."
After saying this, the temple sword appeared in her hand.
Bishop Mei Chuan's pupils constricted. His right hand floated up like a floating cloud, blocking in front of him. At the same time, his body blurred as he prepared to retreat.
It was too late.
There was a light swish.
Bishop Mei Chuan's right hand left his wrist and fell.
The temple sword had pierced through his chest.
With a buzzing sound, ten-some seemingly indistinct sparks, like wild plums, drifted out of the temple sword.
These were all the true flames of the Heavenly Phoenix.
All life was extinguished by these indistinct sparks.
Bishop Mei Chuan was a Star Condensation expert, but in front of Xu Yourong, let alone a chance at victory, he couldn't even block her.
The gap in cultivation between the two was far too great.
More importantly, even when the temple sword brought death to his body, he still did not believe that Xu Yourong could kill him.
He was not just himself.
He was an instructor sent by the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education.
He represented the collective will of the conservative faction of the Orthodoxy.
He was the hand that Shang Xingzhou had extended towards the Orthodox Academy.
Even if you were the Holy Maiden of the south, in the face of this hand, should you not negotiate, mutually concede, and finally reach a compromise?
Bishop Mei Chuan felt all this to be utterly absurd, his pale face brimming with disbelief.
He sat on the snow, vomiting blood, and then gradually losing his breath.
The forest was quiet. A voice came from somewhere, a voice brimming with complex emotions.
"Even if you killed him, you still needed to give a reason."
Xu Yourong calmly replied, "I said before that I don't care. I just need people to know that I killed him."
The person sighed, "No wonder you invited me here."
Xu Yourong replied, "Yes, I wanted you to see it."
Upon learning of this matter, she had resolved to kill Bishop Mei Chuan, so she had come to the Orthodox Academy and invited that person in the forest.
But she had not expected that Chen Changsheng would meet this person ahead of time, which inevitably added to the troubles.
"Yes, this king saw it."
A young man walked out of the forest.
He was dressed in the robes of a king, his face handsome and spirited. Compared to the past, he was even more graceful and noble.
Prince Chen Liu.
His father, the Prince of Xiang, was the most powerful prince in the Great Zhou Imperial Court. After breaking into the Divine, his status had become even more special.
And as the only member of the Chen Imperial clan left behind in the capital, his status had always been special.
Coupled with the rumored admiration Shang Xingzhou had for him, Prince Chen Liu was unquestionably the most popular person in the capital.
But to Xu Yourong, he was still that companion from ten-some years ago who had studied with her in the Imperial Palace.
Prince Chen Liu probably viewed her in the same way.
So when he saw her kill Bishop Mei Chuan, his thoughts did not linger too much on how to deal with the aftermath, but on her heart.
"I didn't think that you would have such deep feelings for Chen Changsheng."
Prince Chen Liu sighed, "In the past, I would never have imagined that you would do so much for a man."
Bishop Mei Chuan was the hand that Shang Xingzhou had extended into the Orthodox Academy.
How to deal with it? Anyone who was sufficiently calm and intelligent would know that this hand had to be cut off.
But the relationship between Bishop Mei Chuan and Mei Lisha made this matter extremely complicated.
Shang Xingzhou's status in the Great Zhou Imperial Court and the Orthodoxy was too high.
If Chen Changsheng wanted to oppose his teacher, besides his status as Pope, he needed to constantly increase his prestige.
Prestige originated from cultivation and strength, but it was also related to one's reputation.
Under the Li Palace's propaganda and the influence of An Hua and her fanatical followers, Chen Changsheng's prestige in the continent was growing higher and higher.
This prestige came from the Cinnabar Pill, from the simultaneous attack of ten thousand swords on the battlefield with the demons three years ago, from that falling boulder in White Emperor City.
It had been accumulated through Chen Changsheng's blood and sweat, his impeccable virtue, and a very long period of time.
If he killed Mei Lisha's descendant, it would deal a massive blow to his prestige.
In more mundane terms, it would dirty his hands.
Xu Yourong knew that Chen Changsheng would find this very difficult.
She had guessed that Tang Thirty-Six would not make things difficult for Chen Changsheng.
But Tang Thirty-Six was also a member of the Orthodox Academy.
Just now, as they walked along the lake and gazed into the distance from the banyan tree, she had felt a slight regret that she had not been able to participate in Chen Changsheng's past.
Now that she thought about it, this was a very good thing.
She was not a member of the Orthodox Academy.
She could kill.
The cry of a crane startled the entire Orthodox Academy from its sleep.
The snow on the branches of the trees rustled down.
Several dozen teachers and students walked out of the school building, following the cry of the crane, and then into the forest.
Several cries of alarm rose from the forest. (To be continued.)
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