The Tang Second Master's smile gradually faded. Looking at him, he asked, "Does Your Holiness truly wish to humiliate our Tang clan?"
Chen Chang Sheng stared at a place outside the palace and said, "I never wanted to humiliate anyone, but that guy would often misinterpret my words to satisfy his own bad taste. For example, right now, he would definitely say that the person I humiliated was you and had nothing to do with the Tang family, because what right do you have to represent the Tang family?"
This was the most important sentence.
Although Chen Chang Sheng used Tang Thirty Six's name to say this, it was obviously what he wanted to say.
The Orthodoxy did not agree to the second branch inheriting the Tang clan, and did not even want to engage in any dialogue or negotiations with the second branch. It still firmly stood on the side of the chief branch.
This was something that had been determined long ago. But before today, the Tang Second Master could not help but imagine a few other possibilities. In a situation where the Imperial Court was clearly flourishing and the main branch of the Tang clan was clearly losing power, was it possible for the Li Palace to give up its original plan and attempt to rope in him, the true head of the Tang clan?
If that really happened, the Tang family's position would be even more important, and they would be able to gain more benefits.
Now Chen Chang Sheng's words directly announced that this possibility did not exist.
The Tang Second Master was not very disappointed, but he once more felt that pressure.
This meant that if he wanted to become the head of the Tang family, he first needed to pass through Chen Chang Sheng.
Although he was very confident and had the full support of the Imperial Court and Shang Xingzhou, this time, his opponent was the entire Orthodoxy.
"I don't want to humiliate the Tang Family. In fact, I don't want to humiliate you either. I just don't like that smile of yours. "
Chen Chang Sheng's voice was still as calm as ever, just like his current expression.
It might seem a little rude to say such things in person, but at least it was honest.
"Wang Po doesn't like to smile like this either … When he first saw me smile like this in the old mansion, he wanted to punch me in the face."
The Tang Second Master continued, "But even today, even though he's already an expert of the Divine Domain, I still smile like this, and he still can't do anything to me. Your Holiness, if you really don't like my smile, then close your eyes, or try to get used to it. "
Compared to Chen Chang Sheng's words, his attitude was even more rude and forceful.
The meaning of this sentence was clear and simple.
The Li Palace should not meddle in the affairs of the Tang clan, nor did it have the ability to meddle, so please pretend that you didn't know, or … endure.
…
…
Whether it was the main hall or the rear hall, the Daoist church of Wenshui was magnificent, comparable to the halls of the Li Palace.
This was because over the countless years, the Tang clan of Wenshui City had contributed far too much wealth to the Orthodoxy.
Perhaps it was for this reason that the Tang family's guardians and attendants did not feel any awe when they looked at the Taoist temple. Instead, they felt a sense of pride as if they were looking at their own property.
The Tang Second Master had already been in the rear hall for a very long time, but there was still no sound. The expressions of the two Guardians gradually turned grim while the attendants wanted nothing more than to charge in.
If not for the fact that the two archbishops were standing guard outside the hall, if not for the Pope being within the hall, if it were any other day, the people from the Tang clan really would have done such a thing.
The two worshippers looked at each other and saw the vigilance and uneasiness in each other's eyes. They sent a subtle message to the outside of the forest.
There was no sound of wind breaking in the forest, but there were several faint aura fluctuations, which even the Taoist temple's tactical formation did not detect.
The Archbishop of Wenshui had brought several dozen priests and even more cavalry to guard this place.
In a certain tree deep in the forest, Zhexiu hugged the Demon Commander's Banner Sword, his eyes closed as if he was resting, but his spiritual sense had always been following those Qis.
If the Tang clan really dared to risk universal condemnation and attack, the people brought by the two Guardians would never be able to charge into the Daoist temple, because Linghai Zhiwang and An Lin were there. And the people hidden in the forest would probably be wiped out in a very short time.
The Tang clan naturally would not make such a foolish move. Their true preparations were probably in another direction.
The rear garden of the Daoist temple was on the shore of the Wenshui. On the opposite shore was a long embankment, and behind the embankment were restaurants and residences.
Separated by two-hundred-some zhang, two residences upstream and downstream had their doors tightly shut. The light inside was dim, and many people were concealed within. There were also several heavy metal chests — these chests were filled with mountain-cleaving axes. This sort of weapon designed by the Tang clan was often used on the battlefield to chop off the sharp and hard front claws of the wolf cavalry. Today, it was prepared to be used to chop off the two thick chains on the Wenshui River.
Once the chains were broken, the Wenshui, which had been calm for many years, would be flooded with ten-some armored ships, each equipped with ten-some divine crossbows.
The sewers leading to the Daoist temple were already covered in a black and viscous oily substance, but it was hard to tell what it was used for.
The setting sun shone on the restaurant, and the scenery on the second floor was even better, allowing one to see even further.
Luo Bu sat by the railing, facing the setting sun as he drank wine, silently calculating how long the Tang Second Master had been in the temple.
The Orthodoxy had many experts. Logically speaking, even if the Tang clan had prepared for a very long time, they should have been able to deal with them.
The problem was that this was not the Tang clan's full strength.
Luo Bu looked down the stairs.
The setting sun hung over the Wenshui, the evening clouds retreating into the curtain of night. The trees on the shore seemed to turn into red maples.
A blind zither player was playing the zither by the water.
Seven peddlers, six government laborers, three fortune-tellers, two sesame-candy-selling elders, and a cosmetic-buying girl were on the street.
It was just like yesterday.
Luo Bu said nothing at this sight, thinking to himself, the Tang clan's strength truly is unfathomable.
Will that fellow really run into trouble today?
… …
… …
"This being the case, why have you come to see me?" Chen Changsheng asked the Tang Second Master.
The Tang Second Master replied, "This place is Wenshui City. As the host, I naturally have to come to give my greetings and see if there is anything lacking in my hospitality. This is etiquette."
Chen Changsheng was quiet for a while, then said, "I understand."
This was the meaning that he had finished his inspection and was sending the guest off.
The Tang Second Master naturally would not just leave like this. He still had not seen the person he wanted to see.
"Sir has a friend in Wenshui, and coincidentally, I also have a friend in the Li Palace. His name is Baishi."
He said to Chen Changsheng, "I don't know where he is right now. It's rare for old friends to meet again, so I would like to invite him to drink a cup of wine."
Chen Changsheng replied, "Regretfully, he is unable to drink this cup of wine, because he is already dead."
He was very calm, as if he was speaking of a very ordinary matter.
The Tang Second Master could no longer maintain his composure. His expression slowly changed, and then he once more noiselessly laughed.
This time, there was an indiscernible meaning in his smile, and it was even colder.
"Then has Your Holiness ever thought that Sir's friend might also be dead?"
He stared into Chen Changsheng's eyes.
Chen Changsheng was still very calm. "No, because I am still not dead."
This was confidence.
He was the Pope.
As long as he was alive, who would dare to kill his friend?
The Tang Second Master stared into his eyes for a very long time, then suddenly said, "Your Holiness the Pope might not know, but that big brother of mine is suffering from a serious illness that has lingered for more than two years. There is no cure for it, and he might die at any time. And this illness … is highly likely to be hereditary."
Chen Changsheng asked, "Then why did you not get the illness? So in my view, this illness cannot be hereditary. That friend of mine will not get sick. "
The Tang Second Master's voice became even colder. "Who can say for sure about something like illness?"
Chen Changsheng stared into his eyes and enunciated each word, "I can say for sure. If I forbid him from getting sick, he cannot get sick."
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