Linghai Zhiwang, Archbishop An Lin, and the others knew that starting from three years ago, someone from the capital had been communicating with the Pope.
Whether the Pope was in the snowy mountains, in Hanqiu City, or in Wenshui, those letters had never stopped.
In the letter, that person helped to plan many things, especially in the last few months.
Many people were guessing who the mysterious person who wrote the letter was.
Linghai Zhiwang had once wondered if that person was Tianhai Shengxue, while Archbishop An Lin believed that Prince Chen Liu was the most likely.
It wasn't until the news of the marriage spread across the entire continent and Chen Chang Sheng was preparing to return to the capital to officiate the wedding did people realize that the person who wrote the letter was Mo Yu.
As the most powerful woman of the Tianhai Dynasty, perhaps even the most powerful person, many people did not understand why Mo Yu was still alive after the Tianhai Divine Empress's death, and why she was openly living in the capital, even marrying that person.
Many people thought that it was because of her relationship with Chen Chang Sheng that the Imperial Court was afraid of her.
The scene of Mo Yu and Zhexiu cutting Zhou Tong to a thousand cuts on the Road of Peace that year was still unforgettable to this day.
But was Chen Chang Sheng's decision to return to the capital really just because she wrote a letter asking him to preside over the wedding?
Linghai Zhiwang and the others did not think so.
Looking at Chen Chang Sheng's back, they could all feel the heavy pressure.
The formless yet infinitely heavy sky seemed to have landed on his shoulders.
It was still that year, on that windy and snowy night, when Shang Xingzhou and Chen Changsheng had a conversation in the Orthodox Academy.
Other than the little Black Dragon, no one knew the specifics of this conversation, but the events that followed allowed many people to guess at what had happened.
Shang Xingzhou and Chen Chang Sheng must have reached some sort of agreement.
Chen Changsheng left the capital, becoming the first exiled Pope in history.
Many stories followed, from the snowy mountains to Wenshui, to Holy Maiden Peak, and then to White Emperor City.
It was only in the face of the threat of the Demons and the Sacred Light Continent, as well as the White Emperor's deep and astute schemes that this master and disciple finally joined hands, proving that the saying of Xining being ruled by one temple, that the situation between the two sides seemed to have eased.
But at this time, Chen Chang Sheng decided to return to the capital, which meant that the agreement would be nullified.
Would this be a journey to break the ice, or the beginning of a civil war among the human race?
…
…
Winter was coming to an end, but spring had yet to arrive. The world was still cold.
Whether it was inside or outside the city, the Luo River was still. A thick layer of snow covered the surface of the ice, making it look like an extremely wide belt.
Three thousand cavalry escorted the Orthodoxy's convoy from the horizon, entering the sights of the populace.
Linghai Zhiwang and the other Prefects of the Orthodoxy sat in the divine carriage at the very front.
The Gloom Willow and the other treasures of the Li Palace exuded a warm and divine light under the gloomy sky.
Tens of thousands of people stood on both sides of the official road into the city, welcoming the return of the Orthodoxy's diplomatic mission.
The populace had no idea what had happened in White Emperor City, but they knew that the demon race's plot had been broken. The most worrisome demi-human betrayal of the alliance had not occurred, and all of this was the work of the Li Palace.
Fruits and flowers, rare and precious in the depths of winter, were thrown into the bosoms of the Orthodoxy cavalry.
More gazes landed on the two extremely tall divine carriages at the back.
Those gazes were filled with fervor, reverence, worship, and even fanaticism.
I heard that the Pope has returned.
The Saintess had also returned.
As the convoy slowly advanced, the people on both sides of the road began to surge forward, causing the scene to become even more crowded.
If not for the soldiers of the City Gate Department strictly blocking the way, trouble really might have arisen.
An Hua, dressed in the ceremonial robes of the Thirteen Divisions of Radiant Green, led several thousand of the most loyal believers of the Orthodoxy in kneeling before the two divine carriages.
Soon after, even more people knelt like a tide, a dense mass of people in a spectacular sight.
… …
… …
The capital had no city walls. Other than those flying carriages, the only places one could see further were those very tall buildings in the city.
In the last three years, Tianhai Chenwu had lived in an estate outside the city, rarely entering the city, and even more rarely entering the palace to meet privately with His Majesty. As the head of the Tianhai clan, in the current complex situation, no amount of caution was excessive.
But today was an exception. He had reserved the Pine Lodge, which was equally famous as Clear Lake Restaurant, and had invited several extremely eye-catching nobles to accompany him. Among these nobles were several Divine Generals, and more importantly, there was also the Prince of Zhongshan.
As they gazed at the tens of thousands of people kneeling in the distance, those Divine Generals had rather gloomy expressions. As the proud students of Chen Guansong, the former Principal of Star Seizer Academy, they were highly valued by Shang Xingzhou, so this sight naturally made them feel very embarrassed.
But they said nothing, nor could they say anything.
Those people were worshiping the Pope and the Holy Maiden. This was a matter that was perfectly justified.
Moreover, during the ceremony to close South Stream Temple, the Pope had personally killed the White Tiger Divine General in front of the Prince of Xiang.
Even so, what had the Imperial Court done?
Tianhai Chenwu looked at the woman at the very front of the crowd, dressed in the ceremonial robes of the Thirteen Divisions of Radiant Green. He slightly creased his brow and asked, "Who is this person?"
Other than her relationship with Archbishop An Lin, An Hua was just an ordinary priest. But now, she had become extremely famous in the capital, especially in the northern part of the continent. Very quickly, a subordinate reported her background.
"A bunch of fools!" Tianhai Chenwu harshly said, "They truly don't know what to do. Is this a demonstration to the Imperial Court?"
"Demonstration? This is the will of the people, and this was all done by that foolish woman you speak of. "
The Prince of Zhongshan's complexion was still as foul as ever, like everyone in the world owed him money. Perhaps it was because he still could not forget the excrement he had been forced to eat back then, but his tone was much gentler now.
Tianhai Chenwu understood what he meant. Chen Changsheng had secluded himself from the world for three years, but in such a short amount of time, he had managed to obtain so much loyalty and fame. This was naturally related to the Li Palace, especially the preaching of those fanatics led by An Hua.
His gaze left An Hua and fell on the two holy carriages behind her, and he couldn't help but focus.
With his level of cultivation, he could naturally see that there was no one on those two holy carriages.
… …
… …
Three years later, Chen Changsheng returned to the capital.
He did not return to the Li Palace, did not return to the Orthodox Academy, did not go to the Imperial Palace to see his senior brother. Instead, he went straight to a mansion.
Many years ago, when he first came to the capital, he had also gone straight to this place. He had not gone to see the stone pillars and ivy outside the Li Palace, nor had he gone to the Mausoleum of Books. At the time, it was precisely because of this that he had been scorned by the mistress of this mansion.
This mansion was naturally the Divine General of the East's estate.
The Xu Estate was still the same as it was in the past, brimming with a somber aura. It truly was not a lie to say that managing a household was like managing an army.
All the maids and maids had been driven far away, leaving only a few people in the reception hall.
Chen Changsheng sat in a chair while Xu Shiji's wife, Granny Hua, and Shuang'er stood in the hall.
The atmosphere was very awkward, and even the tension concealed within could not flow, as if it had been frozen. (To be continued.)
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
