Tang Thirty-Six finally awoke from his stupor and thought to himself, this really is the case. Liu Qing had no invitation, yet he had intruded into Mount Han. Wouldn't the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets kill him?
Chen Changsheng also could not understand and could not help but worry — Su Li had left, and the mysterious assassin ranked second had also left. When Liu Qing left, he really did seem like a lonely ghost walking in the darkness, as if he could be swallowed up by the sun of the day at any moment.
He knew that a person like Liu Qing had assuredly had hands stained with blood and truly should not be sympathized with, but he had no way of controlling his emotions. After all, in Xunyang City, they had once fought shoulder to shoulder against an enemy, and against the strongest enemy in the world.
"Just what do you think an extremely powerful assassin needs?"
Tang Thirty-Six suddenly said, "He's definitely earned enough money. I think that what he wants to reclaim is a kind of life."
Chen Changsheng was somewhat confused, asking, "Life?"
"These assassins like to fight, like to kill, but they're not madmen, so they really like people paying them to fight and kill. This way, they don't need to consider things like morality, turning fighting and killing into a daily job, and this is the life they pursue."
"Just what are you trying to say?"
"Liu Qing and the others can be described as a group of dragons without a leader. They've become a group of lonely ghosts, and they want someone to bring them back to their old days."
"And then?"
"Although I don't have that kind of ability, I have money … they like this kind of life, so I'll give it to them!"
"You absolutely must not let your imagination run wild," Chen Changsheng very seriously said to him.
Tang Thirty-Six very indifferently spread out his hands and said, "I was just casually saying it, there's no need to be so serious."
Zhexiu expressionlessly said, "He already thought it through, or else why would he be crying and yelling for Liu Qing to leave behind his method of contact?"
Tang Thirty-Six angrily said, "If you don't have any evidence, then don't talk nonsense, or else I'll kill you."
Chen Changsheng glanced at him.
Tang Thirty-Six hurriedly changed the topic. "Don't you think that Xiao De's appearance just now was very abrupt?"
It had to be said that he had changed the topic very beautifully, because this matter truly was worth thinking about, and there were many doubtful points.
Mount Han was a place controlled by the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets. For Xiao De to be able to enter the mountain gate meant that he had received an invitation from the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets. In the end, he had made things difficult for Chen Changsheng on the mountain path. Even if his strength was tyrannical and his actions arrogant, was he not afraid of angering the Pavilion of Divine Ordinance? And even if he did succeed in humiliating Chen Chang Sheng, what good would it do him? Other than venting the anger in his heart, could it possibly offset the limitless disadvantages of simultaneously offending both the Orthodoxy and the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets?
"Xiao De is different from ordinary demi-humans. For example, he's completely different from that devilish brat of ours. He's not simple and honest at all. On the contrary, he's extremely scheming and farsighted."
When Tang Thirty Six brought up this matter, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that something was wrong. His expression became serious. "Although he has sufficient reasons and excuses to humiliate you, for him to take such a big risk to do this, there must be a great benefit. But no matter how I think about it, I can't see where the benefit is."
"Unless someone is able to obtain great benefits from this matter, and then turn it into other benefits for him."
"Chen Chang Sheng will be thoroughly humiliated. For example, he will be beaten into a pig's head or even stripped naked. Who will benefit the most?"
"Of course it won't be the Holy Maiden, nor will it be Princess Luoluo … don't hit people, we're talking about serious matters … but those competitors. For the future Pope to lose so much face, the Li Palace will naturally take revenge, but … if someone uses this matter in the future, not even His Holiness the Pope will be able to say anything. "
"If this is a scheme, it's extremely simple, even like child's play, but it can actually harm you."
"Why? Because you are the future Pope, worshipped by all, the holiest of holies. As a result, you are also the easiest to sully. "
"Zhexiu, don't look at me like that. I didn't mean it as a pun."
"Chen Chang Sheng, see if my analysis is reasonable or not."
Silence. Chen Chang Sheng and Zhexiu glanced at each other, both thinking, Tang Thirty Six is truly worthy of being the successor of the Wenshui Tang clan. In such a short amount of time, he was actually able to analyze this sudden matter so clearly and accurately deduce the cause and effect.
Yes, they now believed Tang Thirty Six's deductions.
That demi-human expert had appeared too suddenly, his actions too unreasonable, so there had to be some reason hidden behind them.
The Orthodoxy's Divine Staff was already in his hands, but if he wanted to put on the Divine Crown and become Pope, Chen Chang Sheng still had to face many trials.
Today was a seemingly ordinary but actually rather dangerous trial.
Xiaode's goal was the two shores of the Red River, the sovereign position of the entire demi-human domain.
Who could pay such a massive price to invite Xiaode to take the risk of the Pope's divine retribution and attack Chen Chang Sheng?
To be more precise, who had the right to promise Xiaode so many benefits in the future?
That person, or those people, were clearly on the verge of appearing. They were assuredly competitors for the position of Pope or the throne of the Great Zhou.
Like the distant Tianhai clan in the capital or the nearby Linghai Zhiwang at the base of the mountain.
The powerful figures of the Orthodoxy, because of the rules of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets, were unable to enter Mount Han. Now that he thought about it, this matter was truly rather interesting.
Because it was too coincidental.
It had to be said that while some people's arrangements seemed crude, they were actually very clever and clumsy.
If Liu Qing had not suddenly appeared in Mount Han for some reason, perhaps this scheme really might have succeeded.
"Your luck is pretty good," Tang Thirty Six said.
Zhexiu replied, "This has nothing to do with luck."
Yes, if they had not journeyed together for tens of thousands of li to the south, weathering the storms in Xunyang City, and if Chen Chang Sheng had never left Su Li behind to return to the capital, how could he have been so lucky?
As they walked along the mountain path, acquainted cultivators gathered together to discuss the storm that had just occurred.
At the very front, Chen Chang Sheng said to the steward from the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets, "I … have some friendship with that senior from before. Is it possible …"
The steward softly replied, "Of course there's no problem. The entire world knows what happened in Xunyang City. Even if we don't give Su Li face, we still have to give Sir face."
In truth, Chen Chang Sheng was well aware that the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets was still giving Senior Su Li face, but he had pointed it out.
"Of course, he cannot kill anyone in Mount Han. Even if he runs into an enemy, he can only flee."
The steward concluded, "Otherwise, even the face of His Holiness the Pope and the Empress would not be good to use here."
With the promise of the steward from the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets, Chen Chang Sheng felt much more at ease.
He had never imagined that he would meet Liu Qing again so soon.
And at this moment, Liu Qing was in an extremely dangerous situation.
The mountain path made a slight turn and a clear stream greeted him. The cliffs on the other side of the stream were covered in trees. The yellow leaves, from light to dark, were so beautiful that it was difficult to distinguish the color or shade of the trees. All sorts of fruits grew on the trees, the branches hanging down so low that they seemed ready to snap at any moment.
Near the stream, there were hundreds of persimmon trees. The branches were densely packed with yellow persimmons, looking like countless lanterns.
Liu Qing stood by the stream, in front of these countless yellow lanterns. His hand gripped his sword, his face as pale as blood and his breathing ragged. His shoulders drooped terribly, not so that he could strike faster with his sword, but because he really was about to collapse. It was like an invisible mountain was pressing down on his body.
Several thin streams of blood seeped out of his ears and the corners of his eyes.
His head was like one of those heavy fruits in the forest, ready to explode at any moment because it was too ripe, or perhaps because it was too heavy, its branches would snap and fall off his neck.
Either way, the result was death.
Liu Qing's right hand that gripped his sword incessantly trembled, on the verge of losing its grip.
Even now, he still had not unsheathed his sword.
Because he had no way of unsheathing his sword.
At the same time, he did not dare to unsheathe his sword at that person.
A middle-aged scholar stood amidst the mountain of yellow leaves.
His hands held behind his back, he gazed at those lantern-like persimmons, apparently checking to see if they were ripe or not.
A pendant was tied to his belt. If one looked carefully, one might discover that it was a seal.
There seemed to be nothing special about this middle-aged scholar, but when Chen Chang Sheng's gaze fell on him, the sky above the mountains suddenly darkened.
Just who was this person?
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