Sadness was just an emotion, not despair. The Black Dragon lowered its head and gazed at the footprints in the snow, quickly beginning to think and calculate. Back then, when the Golden Colossal Dragon Imperial Family returned from the foreign continent and broke through the crystal wall, how much power did they lose? Shang Xingzhou was able to defeat it easily because he had the home advantage, and he must have made preparations in advance. How could he accurately judge this person's true realm through this battle? If his chains were unlocked, how many chances would he have of defeating this person?
Chen Chang Sheng guessed what she was thinking and said, "Don't think about it anymore."
The little Black Dragon raised her head and stared into his eyes. "The Pope has made me your Protector, so there must be some meaning behind it."
Neither she nor Chen Changsheng knew that the Pope had rescued her from New North Bridge and made her Protector primarily because of the complicated relationship between the Black Frost Dragon tribe and White Emperor City.
Hearing the term "guardian" again, Chen Chang Sheng was silent for a while, then suddenly said, "Do you know who my master's guardian was?"
The Black Dragon shook her head.
Chen Chang Sheng looked at the direction where the man just disappeared in the wind and snow and said, "That night, Martial Uncle told me … Master didn't choose a guardian."
A strange light flashed through the little Black Dragon's eyes.
Chen Chang Sheng continued, "Master believes that cultivating the Dao cannot rely on external objects, nor can he rely on others. Only relying on himself is enough."
The Black Dragon said nothing.
Such a person was too terrifying.
…
…
Dawn came after the night. Wind and snow still enveloped the capital, and the continent welcomed a new year.
Many important events occurred on the first day of the new year. For example, the Great Zhou Dynasty officially changed its era name, and the Li Palace welcomed a new master.
At the Li Palace's New Year's ceremony, something happened that shocked the entire continent.
According to the will left behind by the Pope and the announcement of the Orthodoxy, which had already been announced to the world in advance, Chen Changsheng became the new Pope.
However, he did not appear at the New Year Ceremony. His figure could not be seen in the [Light Palace]. Naturally, there was no so-called coronation ceremony. This news gave rise to countless shocked discussions. Whether it was the priests of the Li Palace, the teachers and students of the Ivy Academies, or the common people of the capital, they all felt extremely perplexed, and then very uneasy.
Amidst the confusion, the Li Palace gave an authoritative explanation.
The notice had the blood seals of the five leaders and Chen Changsheng's personal signature.
Because the Pope was too young and had not cultivated for long enough, he decided to enter the world to cultivate and comprehend the Heavenly Dao in the world of mortals.
When will you be back? No one knew, and there was no answer in the bulletin. It was clearly written that the Pope could return to the capital at any time to ascend the throne.
The Pope was not in the Li Palace, but had concealed his identity and secluded himself in the world?
This was the first time something like this had happened in history.
Shock and confusion filled the entire capital and even the entire continent, so much so that many people did not remember what the new era name of the Great Zhou Dynasty was.
When these emotions were finally somewhat diluted by time, people looked back at the year that had just passed and thought back to what the previous Pope had done. Only then did they vaguely understand something — all of this had been arranged by the previous Pope.
If Chen Chang Sheng stayed in the Capital, it would make the Imperial Court feel extremely uneasy. This kind of uneasiness would inevitably lead to the outbreak of war.
His departure from Jingdou would make the court … more accurately, it would make Shang Xingzhou feel much more at ease.
Even now, only a few people understood why Shang Xingzhou would be so wary of, reject, and loathe Chen Changsheng's existence.
Just as Chen Changsheng had understood long ago, just as Shang Xingzhou had sighed last night in the snowstorm of the Orthodox Academy, if they hated each other, they would not meet.
Give this master and disciple some time, some distance.
Give the Imperial Court and the Orthodoxy some time, some distance.
Give the world and its people a chance.
It did not need to be a war, did not need to be decided in a moment of life and death.
Chen Changsheng was still the Pope.
But he could not stay in the Capital, could not stay in the Li Palace.
Even if this endgame would ultimately end in a battle to the death, there would at least be some leeway to place a chess piece.
Problems that could not be resolved now could be resolved in the future, perhaps when both sides possessed even more wisdom.
This was the previous Pope's arrangement, and now it seemed that it was also the best method of resolving the problem.
Of course, the previous Pope's arrangements had naturally included even more details, so that even if Chen Changsheng left the Capital, the Li Palace could still maintain its stance.
This never-before-seen situation, with its extremely complex causes and conditions, was a perfect manifestation of the Pope's wisdom and patience.
As the successor, what Chen Changsheng needed to do now was to accept this arrangement and continue to increase his wisdom and patience, as well as his strength.
He needed to rely on his wisdom and patience to survive.
As long as he lived, he was the Pope.
Once the mountain flowers bloomed, they could talk about it again.
Not everyone could understand this matter, and even fewer people could understand the painstaking thought that had gone into the previous Pope's arrangements, as well as the resolve and boldness that the Li Palace had displayed through this matter. When their shock faded, they saw that the truth was very simple.
Chen Changsheng had succeeded as Pope, but he had been driven out of the Capital.
Anyone could see this as a victory for the Imperial Court.
Many people believed that Shang Xingzhou was unwilling to declare war on the Orthodoxy, unwilling to reject the Pope's final decree, so he was making a gesture of leniency.
Leniency was naturally condescension.
A Pope that was not in the Li Palace was only in name, no matter how one looked at it.
It was even more dismal than being only in name.
This was an exiled Pope.
… …
… …
The era of the Orthodox Era had officially come to an end.
The Tianhai Divine Empress's rule over the continent had become a page in the annals of history that had been turned over.
The Great Zhou Dynasty had formally changed to a new country, the confluence of the north and south had been declared a success. When spring returned to the earth, countless matters would be put into practice. There were already many cultivators that had been decreed to come from the south to the north and join the various armies.
The Demon Empress had been executed, the Demon Lord had been executed, Xuelao City had fallen into internal strife, the Pope had passed away, and all things had changed. The future of the continent was bright.
The Human race would undoubtedly welcome the best era since Emperor Taizong.
No one knew that on an ordinary and uneventful winter day, the new Pope, Chen Changsheng, left the Orthodox Academy.
He left Hundred Flowers Lane, merged into the crowd, and walked along the Luo River. He crossed the Bridge of Helplessness and the stone pillars in front of the Li Palace, exited the city gate, and left the capital.
He carried a letter in his bosom, a sword at his waist, and an umbrella in his hand.
At his side was a girl dressed in black.
The girl had a fresh and pleasant appearance, but her face was expressionless, making her seem particularly cold.
In her bosom was a pot of Green Leaves.
Chen Changsheng did not walk very fast, but the girl was very petite. If she wanted to keep up with him, she had to walk faster.
As she walked, her black hair rose and fell in the cold wind. The Green Leaves in her bosom also rose and fell.
These were not two oars swaying in the spring wind, but the appearance that she and the world should have.
… …
… …
(When I first wrote the Pope's Green Leaves, I had Lyon in mind. I wanted to write this scene, so the little Black Dragon's name really should have been Matilda.)
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
