Xuelao City was perpetually beset by wind and snow. It was extremely far from the human world, but it had never been cut off from news.
The capital of the Demons was a large city like the capital and Luoyang. Even if all seventeen city gates were closed, there were still countless ways to send news to the outside world.
Yet Xuelao City had already been sealed for three days, yet the Pope still did not know what had happened in Xuelao City.
It was obvious that this was no ordinary sealing of the city. An earth-shaking event had certainly taken place in the city.
Only three days had passed since the incident at the Mausoleum of Books.
Chen Changsheng recalled the words his master had said to the Divine Empress that night. He had said that he had long since made preparations for the demons. Could it be that the sealing of Xuelao City had something to do with this?
He shook his head, no longer pondering these questions. What did what happened in Xuelao City have to do with him?
The Pope gazed at his profile and sensed the change in his mood. "A useful body should always be used to do useful things, whether it's for the common people of the world or to calm the Dao heart."
Chen Changsheng gazed at the fallen leaves outside the window and somewhat woodenly said, "I've already been used many times."
Bystanders might have found these words rather incomprehensible, but the Pope knew what he was trying to express, and a hint of pity and guilt appeared in his eyes.
"Besides being used, there will always be other uses, like relatives, like friends."
He looked at Chen Changsheng and said, "Your surname is Chen, you are a member of the Imperial clan, and many of your relatives live here."
"Is Master referring to those princes?" Chen Changsheng asked. "They will only wish for me to die a little earlier."
This was a very accurate judgment. Whether it was the Prince of Xiang, whose power would soon reach the heavens, or the Prince of Zhongshan, who would soon control the enormous power of the Great Zhou Army, the person they feared the most was Chen Changsheng.
Because Chen Changsheng was also a member of the Imperial clan, Shang Xingzhou's student, a celebrity known to the entire world. More importantly, he was the future Pope.
In the struggle for the imperial throne or for power, he was the opponent that the princes of the Chen clan least wanted to see.
As for the word 'kinship', it was a joke to the Chen Imperial clan.
Almost one thousand years had passed, but no one had forgotten the coup of the Hundred Herb Garden.
These princes were all descendants of Taizong, so how could they be happy to see the descendants of the deceased regain so much authority?
The Pope understood Chen Changsheng's meaning and said, "Even so, you still have relatives."
The kin here naturally referred to the remnant races currently living on the Sacred Light Continent.
For example, that monk who had once appeared by the stream bank of Xining Village's old temple.
Those members of the Imperial clan that had been chased by Emperor Taizong to the other continent were naturally Chen Changsheng's relatives in terms of bloodline.
It was even possible that his parents were still living there.
Chen Changsheng understood that the Pope had mentioned the people of the Sacred Light Continent not because he wanted him to do something, but to convince him that he was connected to this world.
This kind of connection might be able to make him feel some warmth towards this world and not be as cold as before. Or perhaps it could be said that he could find some reasons to like this world.
This moved him a little.
But he was moved because the Pope had said these words, not because of the content of those words.
This was because he did not have a good impression of those 'kin' living on the Sacred Light Continent.
"Those are not my relatives. They are all bad people."
Chen Chang Sheng said, "When I was still a baby, no, even when I was still a fetus, they did so many things to me."
What things? In order to make the Tianhai Divine Empress believe that he was Crown Prince Zhaoming, the people of the Sacred Light Continent had used external forces to forcefully destroy his sun wheel and sever his meridians when he was still an infant or even a fetus, then poured into him an incomparably dangerous energy of Sacred Light that seemed to be brimming with Qi of life.
In setting up this scheme, neither his master nor his relatives on the Sacred Light Continent could have imagined that the Tianhai Divine Empress would ultimately help him defy the heavens and change his fate.
This also meant that, at the end of this scheme, he would either be eaten by the Tianhai Divine Empress or ignored and die.
This also meant that, from the moment he was born, the infant was destined not to live past the age of twenty.
This was a very cruel thing.
Thus, those people were all bad people.
… …
… …
"My medical skills are very good, and I live a very regular life. I never eat anything heavy with oil or salt, much less pickled food. I live a healthy life and earnestly cultivate. I came to the capital from Xining. I said that I wanted to break off the engagement, but in truth, I wanted to cure my illness, save myself, defy the heavens, change my fate. Everything I did, the goal I lived for, was to survive. “
As he gazed at those leaves bobbing on the surface of the lake, Chen Changsheng's expression became rather gloomy.
"Now that my illness has been cured, I can continue to live. I can live past the age of twenty, two hundred, even one thousand, but I suddenly realized that I was just a substitute, a tool, a fruit. My existence originally had no meaning, so what meaning is there in continuing to exist?"
The Pope wanted to say something, but hesitated.
"Martial Uncle, I know that you want to comfort me, but I have nothing now."
He paused, then continued, "I don't even have my illness anymore."
As he said this, his voice did not tremble in the slightest, seeming very calm.
But even the Pope, who had experienced all the vicissitudes of life and had seen all the ways of the world, felt sorrowful.
He had nothing, not even his illness.
Just how much sorrow and grief were concealed in these calm words?
The Pope sighed.
He had come to the Orthodox Academy today precisely to have Chen Changsheng pull himself together, to at least find the meaning of life. Yet Chen Changsheng had told him that his existence had no meaning in the first place. He wanted to convince Chen Changsheng that this world still had goodwill towards him, but in reality, from the moment he was born, this world had only been brimming with malice towards Chen Changsheng.
He could have continued to persuade Chen Changsheng, like Yu Ren, Xu Yourong, or Tang Thirty-Six.
But seeing such a calm and sorrowful seventeen-year-old youth, he could not bear to say anything more.
"In truth, I originally thought that I would not see you in the Orthodox Academy, or perhaps see you packing your luggage, but since you did not, it means that you are still hesitating. This world has no goodwill towards you, so you must treat yourself even better and make the choice that is best for you. Take your time, don't be anxious. I can still live for a few more days. "
After saying this, the Pope left the Orthodox Academy.
Chen Changsheng did not turn around. He continued to look out the window at the autumn scenery, so he did not realize that the Pope's back was very desolate as he left.
The Pope left the Orthodox Academy, and Mao Qiuyu and the other Prefects of the Orthodoxy also followed suit. Several dozen cardinals and the Orthodoxy cavalry also withdrew.
The cavalry and experts of the Great Zhou Imperial Court did not appear again, because the Li Palace had already displayed its strength and expressed its stance.
Chen Changsheng would still be the next Pope.
The Orthodox Academy regained its peace. The academy gate opened once more, welcoming in the thick aura of autumn.
Some teachers and students took advantage of the chaos to leave, their names recorded by Su Mo Yu in a small notebook.
Even more teachers and students did not leave. They began to clean and tidy up the stone shavings around the library, at the same time preparing for tomorrow's class.
Chen Changsheng went to the neighboring Hundred Herb Garden.
The forest here was even denser than the forest in the Orthodox Academy or the Dallying Forest. The colors of the forest, dyed by the aura of autumn, were very beautiful.
There was a stone table in the forest.
There was no teapot or cup on the table.
He sat at the table, in a daze.
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