When Chen Changsheng said these four words, the proclamation naturally could not continue.
Eunuch Lin calmly gazed at him and asked, "You think that I don't dare to kill you?"
Chen Changsheng replied, "On the third day of a new sovereign's ascension to the throne, sending someone to kill the future Pope will go down in the annals of history."
Eunuch Lin calmly gazed at him and calmly said, "You are His Majesty's beloved junior brother, and you also have many supporters in the Orthodoxy. Just as you said, if I really did kill you, His Majesty would grieve and the capital would fall into chaos. In order to pacify the situation, in order to give history an explanation, presumably, I would also be ordered to die."
Chen Changsheng replied, "But you would still kill me."
Eunuch Lin indifferently said, "Because you have already expressed your stance. I can sense the danger you pose, so since you are not willing to become a subject, you can only die. His Majesty ascended to the throne and needs to intimidate the world. Anyone who harbors thoughts about the Demon Empress must die, no matter who it is. As for my own end, it is not important … because I am a foolishly loyal person."
"Foolishness does not mean that you have the authority to be unreasonable, and it certainly does not mean that you need to be respected."
Chen Changsheng turned around by the window. The clear and cold autumn light fell on his academy uniform, very similar to the starlight.
He unsheathed his sword and placed it in its sheath.
His hand was very steady, as was his breathing, and so was his voice. "Is my master in the Li Palace right now?"
Eunuch Lin slightly creased his brow. He had not expected Chen Changsheng to still be able to maintain a clear mind.
"Have you ever wondered why he did not kill me three days ago in the Mausoleum of Books, and why he still has not come to the Orthodox Academy to see me?"
Chen Changsheng looked at Eunuch Lin and said, "Because he does not dare to see me, and he cannot be sure that he can silently kill me."
… …
… …
"He was raised by me. If I say that I want him dead, then he should obediently die. This is his duty."
In the most secluded palace hall of the Li Palace, a voice as clear and cold as autumn echoed.
"If this is his duty, Senior Brother, why do you not dare to see him in the Orthodox Academy?"
The Pope's voice also rang out.
"Why do I not dare to see him? I just don't want him to say something inappropriate when he sees me because of those stupid things and make me angry. "
Shang Xingzhou was no longer as ordinary as he had been in the past twenty years. He was still wearing his Daoist robe, but no one would treat him as an ordinary middle-aged Daoist.
He had a head full of black hair, a hint of frost occasionally visible at his temples. His face was handsome, his skin as tender and smooth as a newborn's, his expression calm and indifferent, his elegance making one's heart palpitate. He was clearly older than the Pope, but he still looked incomparably young, his body seemingly brimming with boundless energy.
The Pope looked at him and calmly said, "Is that so? Then why did Senior Brother come to see me? Aren't you afraid that I'll say something inappropriate and make you angry? "
Shang Xingzhou said, "I came to see you because I want to discuss the inheritance of my sect."
The Pope asked, "That staff?"
"That's right," Shang Xingzhou said.
The Pope confirmed his meaning. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Why?"
Shang Xingzhou calmly replied, "Tianhai is already dead. What use is there in keeping him?"
The Pope slowly shook his head. "As a child, he was well-versed in the three thousand Daoist Canons. His talent in cultivation is superb, and his conduct is impeccable."
Shang Xingzhou calmly gazed at him and said, "Junior Brother, you should be well aware that the inheritance of the Orthodoxy has never had anything to do with talent, or else how could it have been your turn to succeed the throne?"
The most important consideration in the inheritance of the Orthodoxy was how to ensure that the Orthodoxy continued to exist for thousands of generations. It truly had nothing to do with the talent of the candidate, only with profit.
Back then, when the Li Palace was choosing the next Pope, Shang Xingzhou, who was slightly stronger in cultivation and far superior in both methods and willpower, withdrew from the competition precisely because of this consideration.
It was so one thousand years ago, so how could it be any different now?
Thinking of the past, the Pope fell silent for a very long time. Suddenly, he said, "His bloodline clearly comes from the descendants of the deceased."
Since talent and Dao heart were not being discussed, only profit was being discussed, and this was the focus.
"Correct, I once promised that monk that as long as I succeeded, Chen Changsheng would become the representative of the deceased and succeed as Pope, and they would give up on the struggle for the imperial throne."
Shang Xingzhou expressionlessly continued, "But on that night, Tianhai shattered his will and destroyed the path that the deceased had used several hundred years to open. Even if they obtained the true legacy of the Sacred Light Continent, they would still need several decades to break through the crystal wall again. This being the case, why should I fulfill my promise and make that useless little fellow Pope?"
The Pope's expression did not change at these words. He indifferently asked, "Then who do you want to make Pope?"
Shang Xingzhou said nothing, only clapped his hands.
The clear and resounding applause echoed through the quiet and secluded hall.
After a moment, with extremely light footsteps, a young girl walked in from outside the hall.
On that night, this young girl had appeared in front of the Mausoleum of Books.
She was born very delicate, very charming, very cute, but her face was brimming with an air of nobility and pride that could not be concealed.
Mu Jiushi, one of the young and mysterious Six Prefects of the Orthodoxy. Even the Tianhai Divine Empress treated her differently.
The Pope did not seem surprised by her appearance. He asked, "You are sure that you must be Pope?"
Mu Jiushi smiled. "I am a very cool-headed person. I do not have the confidence to compete with Xu Yourong for a favorable impression in the hearts of the southerners, so I will not go to South Stream Temple to become Holy Maiden."
Her smile was free and easy, her words proud and domineering.
"But Chen Changsheng is nothing at all, so why should I make him Pope?"
The Pope smiled at her, saying nothing.
Mu Jiushi's smile deepened. It was not a smile that a young girl of her age should have.
Her words also deepened, like words carved into wood. They were definitely not words that should be spoken to the Pope.
"Did His Holiness not say … that he was about to die?" She smiled at the Pope. "Even if His Holiness does not want me to be Pope now, there is no way to stop me after I die. It is better to be straightforward now. In the future, when I become Pope, I will remember His Holiness's kindness and will naturally leave Chen Changsheng a path to life."
On that night in front of the Mausoleum of Books, the Tianhai Divine Empress had asked the Pope the reason, and the Pope had given a very clear reason: he was old and about to die.
This should have been the truth, but Mu Jiushi's words were no longer straightforward, but rude.
Shang Xingzhou raised his hand, indicating that she should not speak any further. He turned to the Pope and said, "Of the two things that I want to do in the latter half of my life, one has already been done."
He was naturally speaking of the Tianhai Divine Empress's death.
"The second thing that I want to do is something that Junior Brother is also well aware of. It is to exterminate the demons and complete His Majesty Taizong's dying wish. You also agreed on this point, which is why you joined hands with me in this matter. You are even more clear that in order to exterminate the demons, we need to unite all the strength that can be united. His Majesty Taizong completed the alliance between the Demi-human race and the Human race, and Tianhai and you formed the confluence of the north and south. Next is naturally the confluence of the east and west. Thus, many years ago, you began to cultivate Mu Jiushi. When she was five, you left the position of Archbishop of the Hall of Announcements to her, so why can't she be Pope? "
The Pope wanted to say something.
Shang Xingzhou said, "I know that there has never been a precedent of a woman becoming Pope, but back then, you supported Tianhai's ascension to the throne of Emperor of the Great Zhou, so you should be able to support her. Junior Brother, do not forget that she represents the entire Great Western Continent. The position of Archbishop of the Hall of Announcements is not enough. We must pay even more. Only then can we see the era of the Human race truly united."
The Pope fell silent for a very long time. Finally, he put on his Divine Crown and Divine Robe and began to walk towards the stone wall deep within the hall.
The stone wall gradually parted, a pure and holy light bursting out and shining on Mu Jiushi's face. Her smile was one of pride.
Shang Xingzhou glanced at her.
Mu Jiushi stepped forward and supported the Pope's arm.
The Pope stopped and glanced at her.
She looked back with a sweet smile, showing no intention of letting go.
The Pope said nothing and walked towards the stone wall.
On the other side was the Great Hall of Light.
Several hundred bishops were quietly waiting within the hall.
Tens of thousands of priests, teachers, and students, and cavalry were waiting outside the hall.
The Pope walked to the place where the light was the brightest.
Mu Jiushi stood at his side.
At this sight, many of the important figures of the Orthodoxy, including An Lin and Zhuang Zhihuan, revealed expressions of shock.
Mao Qiuyu quietly stood at the very front, his expression unchanging.
The Pope looked at the crowd and said, "I have a matter to announce."
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