PS: Today's update, as well as pulling in votes for the 'Starting Point' 515 Fan Festival. Each person has eight votes, and each vote will also give some coins. I beg for everyone's support and praise!
Just like how the Tianhai clan could never represent the Tianhai Divine Empress, in Chen Changsheng's view, the Tang Second Master naturally could not represent the Tang clan.
If he wanted to understand the Tang clan's stance, he had to personally meet with the Tang Old Master.
The bishop showed a rare expression of difficulty. "Logically speaking, he truly should have come to visit Sir, but the Tang Old Master never sees guests unless he wants to see someone. Back then, the Divine Empress sent Mo Yu to Wenshui to personally summon him to the capital, but the Old Master … didn't even accept the decree."
Chen Changsheng replied, "You misunderstand. I said that I would go to the old estate tomorrow to visit the Tang Old Master."
The bishop was very shocked, thinking to himself, you are the Pope. Even if you consider yourself a junior from the Tang clan's Young Master, there's no reason for you to go to the old estate. Isn't this a loss of status?
Linghai Zhiwang's complexion was rather unsightly as he prepared to speak.
Chen Changsheng did not give them the chance. "Pass on the message. I'll wait for a reply."
Only now did the crowd vaguely understand that the Pope wanted to use this matter to determine something.
The bishop left to carry out the order. It didn't take long for the Tang clan's old estate to reply.
Just as everyone expected, the Tang Old Master did not agree.
The old estate gave the reason: a cold.
Everyone knew that an important figure like the Tang Old Master could not possibly catch a cold. This was naturally an excuse.
Of course, the Tang clan's old estate giving this excuse was already giving the Pope a great deal of face.
If it were anyone else, even an important figure like Wuqiong Bi or the Prince of Xiang, the Tang Old Master would not see them if he said so. There was no need for a reason.
But Chen Changsheng did not believe that the Tang Old Master was giving him face.
He quietly pondered by the river for a very long time, and then he smiled.
The sunset painted the sky, illuminating his still young face. His smile was very clean and delightful.
He was truly in a very good mood.
At Sloping Cliff Horse Farm, he had decided to come to Wenshui. From that day onwards, he had been worried about one thing.
He was worried that the Tang Old Master had already made up his mind, worried that the Tang Second Master's actions were the collective will of the Tang clan.
Now, it seemed that he did not need to worry about this matter.
Because the Tang Old Master did not dare to see him.
… …
…
Back in the Orthodox Academy, Chen Changsheng had said this to Eunuch Lin, and later to his martial uncle the Pope, that his master, Shang Xingzhou, did not dare to meet him. When he said he didn't dare, he didn't mean that his master was afraid of him, or was afraid to face him. Instead, it meant that Shang Xingzhou didn't want to see him, and thus had to face some problems that he didn't want to face.
Today, he believed that the Tang Old Master did not dare to meet him for a similar reason. This did not mean that the Tang Old Master did not dare to face him, but that the Tang Old Master did not want to face a few of his questions, was not willing to be convinced by him. This also meant that the Tang Old Master was well aware that there was a chance that he could be convinced by Chen Changsheng.
"Get ready. Tomorrow, you will come with me to the old house."
Chen Changsheng looked at the crowd and then said to Guan Fei Bai, "You are injured, so stay in the hall."
Everyone was confused. Didn't the Tang family's old residence already reject his request? If the Old Master didn't want to see him, could it be that he was going to force his way in?
"The Old Master has caught a cold, so it is inconvenient for him to receive guests. Even if I am the Pope, it is still inconvenient."
Chen Changsheng said, "But I happen to be a doctor too."
…
… …
Not even the Pope could force his way into the Tang family's old residence. Now that he had the identity of a doctor, would it make any difference?
Even if this doctor was most skilled in treating colds, so what? In the end, it was still necessary to inform the Tang family first. On the same night, the Daoist church sent word to the Tang family's old residence that the Pope was preparing to visit the Tang Old Master tomorrow. It also clearly stated that the Pope was extremely concerned about the Old Master's health.
On the morning of the next day, Chen Changsheng's group left the Daoist church under the escort of the Orthodoxy cavalry and priests.
Even when the Pope's divine carriage appeared on the straight street of Wenshui City, the Tang family's old residence still had not received any confirmation.
Chen Changsheng did not wait any longer, ordering the carriage to continue forward.
Yesterday, he had gone to the estate to visit the First Master of the Tang family's chief branch, and today, he was going to the old residence to visit and treat the Old Master. He had brought with him countless precious medicines prepared by the Orthodoxy, and he had also brought with him countless goodwill. Would the Tang clan become so angry that they would seal off the road to the old residence?
Such an unreasonable action was not something that a clan of thousands of generations could do.
No matter how many people in the Tang clan did not want him to go to the old residence, did not want him to meet with the Tang Old Master, they could only watch as the Pope's divine carriage slowly made its way down the long street, past the black-eaved and white-walled ancestral hall, getting closer and closer to the old residence.
The gate of the Tang clan's ancestral hall was tightly shut. What was that fellow locked inside doing?
Chen Changsheng did not glance at the gate of the ancestral hall, but he was naturally thinking about these things. Then he remembered that it was still early. Given that fellow's lazy personality, he was probably still sleeping and had no idea that he and Zhexiu were just passing by his gate.
When they arrived at the Tang clan's old residence, would they also only see the tightly shut gate?
This was what Linghai Zhiwang and the others were most worried about, and it seemed highly likely that this would happen.
Chen Changsheng was not worried about being refused entrance.
No one could understand why he was so confident when the Tang Old Master was unwilling to see him.
Presumably, the Tang Old Master would also be very curious after receiving the news.
… …
… …
The Tang clan's old residence was located in the southernmost part of Wenshui City. It was very far from the Daoist church and required a very long walk.
The city gate had long ago been closed. To be more precise, after the city gate closed last night, it had not been opened again, even though that time had long passed.
Other than the Orthodoxy's carriage and cavalry, no one else could be seen on the street. The Tang clan had not sent a steward, not even a guide.
The long street was quiet, the only sounds audible were the unhurried hooves of warhorses and the crunching of wheels over stone.
A gust of wind blew over from the river behind the street, blowing out an old piece of paper. This paper was covered in congealed oil, so it was probably used to wrap meat.
A black dog ran out from a side alley and sniffed at the paper. Uninterested, it turned and left.
Chen Changsheng noticed that the black dog was already old, but its fur was still glossy. It had been raised extremely well, and there was a collar around its neck. It was clearly domesticated.
"I've never seen a wild dog in Wenshui City."
When he thought of this, he found it rather strange.
Logically speaking, in a place as prosperous as Wenshui City, wild dogs should have lived very comfortably.
Could it be that because of his arrival, all the wild dogs in Wenshui City had been driven away?
Linghai Zhiwang recalled the same question he had asked when he first came to Wenshui City many years ago and said, "There are no wild dogs here."
Chen Changsheng asked, "Why?"
Linghai Zhiwang explained, "Perhaps they were taken in to be raised, perhaps killed, perhaps eaten. In short, there are no wild dogs."
These words sounded very plain, but they also seemed to conceal many deeper meanings, inexplicably making the listener feel somewhat cold.
Chen Changsheng thought to himself, from a certain perspective, the Tang Old Master and his master Shang Xingzhou are truly two very similar people.
… …
… …
That generation was very similar.
Yes, three years ago, the Elder of Heavenly Secrets had died, the Pope had died, and this year, the Demon Lord had finally died.
Other than the wandering Wang Zhice, that generation only had Shang Xingzhou and the Tang Old Master.
What generation was that?
It was the generation that had experienced the scorched earth, the destitution of the people, the invasion of the demons, the siege of Luoyang, the life and death of a few days away.
It was precisely because they had experienced so much pain and tragedy, endured a pressure unimaginable to modern humans, that these people had incomparably firm wills. They were like a rock at the summit of a lonely mountain, like a pine tree growing out of a rock. No matter how miserable or despairing the situation was, they would never give up. They would still calmly face it, always embracing their ideals.
It was also because they had experienced too much, seen too much cruel and dark history, that they had unsurprisingly become the staunchest realists, the most callous strategists. Sinister methods, broad minds, and lofty goals coexisted in harmony with each other in their aging bodies, not conflicting at all.
In the end, they became the most revered elders in the world, those who needed to be revered, those who made all living things fear.
The Tang Old Master that Chen Changsheng wanted to meet today was this sort of person.
… …
… …
The Tang clan's old estate was in the southern part of the city. Contrary to what the common people imagined, the old estate was not very large, far smaller than the two estates of the main branch and second branch. Moreover, it was not by the Wenshui, built against a rather low hill. It seemed rather ordinary, with nothing extraordinary about it.
Chen Changsheng's group had not seen a single person on their journey from the Daoist church, but now, they finally saw a person.
The steward of the old estate that they had met yesterday in the estate was standing on the side of the street with a humble expression. Behind him stood an old man.
This old man's eyes were indifferent, like the autumn sky. His expression was apathetic, his Qi restrained.
Gazing at the old man, a smear of blood suddenly appeared in the depths of Zhexiu's eyes. Nanke's hand released Chen Changsheng's sleeve.
As the two people with the sharpest senses for danger, Zhexiu and Nanke immediately sensed how terrifying this old man was.
Linghai Zhiwang's expression turned abnormally solemn as he sternly said, "Half a step from the Divine!"
If not for the portrait in the Moss Institute, he would have even believed that this old man was the Tang Old Master that the Pope wanted to meet.
This old man's cultivation was truly somewhat unfathomable.
Chen Changsheng's group had no idea that this old man was one of the three remaining Guardians of the Tang clan. In the coup of the Mausoleum of Books, at that crucial moment, this old Guardian had always been at the Tang Second Master's side. One could imagine his status and strength in the Tang clan.
Yet this old Guardian who was half a step from the Divine was only a guide in the Tang clan's old estate today.
Just how deep was the Wenshui Tang clan's hidden strength?
Only now did Linghai Zhiwang realize that no matter how exaggerated the imaginations of the Tang clan were, they were still not as shocking as the truth.
He became very wary, very concerned about Chen Changsheng's safety.
Yet neither he, Zhexiu, nor Nanke were able to follow Chen Changsheng into the Tang clan's old estate.
Because the old Guardian had expressionlessly glanced at him.
And then Chen Changsheng shook his head.
【It's about to reach 515. I hope that I can continue to charge at the Red Packet Ranking of 515. On the 15th of May, the rain of red packets will reward the readers and advertise my works. One piece is still love, so I'll definitely do my best!】
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