Ze Tian Ji

Edited by: Michyrr

Xu Yourong’s voice rose continuously from the Divine Path. It was clear and melodious, but no one associated it with the gurgling of a stream. Her voice was too cold and did not rise or fall, and it lacked any sort of pity. It was like a tiny pearl condensed from the coldest snow clattering against a frozen porcelain plate, instantly shattering into powder, leaving no evidence of its existence other than a chill upon the world.

Perhaps it was because she had been speaking of killing people this entire time.

Starting from her plans to kill Prince Chen Liu in the Prince of Xiang’s estate, she had spoken of many topics related to killing people. The princes outside the Mausoleum of Books, the officials in the court and the provinces, and those Divine Generals who controlled the military—she had a plan to deal with each of them.

The temperature on the Divine Path dropped lower and lower as she spoke. In the obscured part of the snowstorm behind her, one could vaguely make out several lines, though it was not possible to tell if these were the marks of history, the marks of fate, or the movements of the lines across a Fated Star Plate.

After some time, she finally concluded her talk and gazed at Shang Xingzhou.

If the emperor really was standing with her and Chen Changsheng, then they truly did occupy the higher ground in this battle.

In the present situation, she had a very high chance of succeeding in those plans.

Shang Xingzhou did not think so, or perhaps he was not convinced, because he firmly believed that he deeply understood Chen Changsheng.

"That fellow is too inflexible and incapable, and he’s also small-minded."

He taunted Xu Yourong, "You are sure that he has the daring?"

"I do not agree with your view. He only wishes to be a good person."

Xu Yourong’s eyelashes trembled as she added, "And besides, today, it is me doing this, and you know that I can do it."

Shang Xingzhou mocked, "Does Wang Po know what you’re thinking? And do the Mount Li Sword Sect and those other sects and clans know? If they knew you were so crazy, would they still support your decision? You are sure that they will continue to accompany you in going crazy up until the last moment?"

Xu Yourong said, "In a ship sailing toward the other shore of the sea of stars, all hands must be of one mind."

Shang Xingzhou asked, "And when have you seen a ship on the sea overturning on its own?"

"As long as there is sufficient pay, even the most pessimistic sailor will still hope to step on dry land until the true end arrives."

Xu Yourong continued, "On the contrary, this will only give them more faith in a certain victory."

Shang Xingzhou said, "So you coerced them."

Xu Yourong said, "I’ve read the history books. Whether hero or tyrant, they all had to resort to such methods to gather their forces."

"What of the Li Palace? The millions of believers in the north won’t necessarily heed your will and follow your footsteps."

Shang Xingzhou gave her a faint smile and said, "Does Chen Changsheng know what you are really thinking?"

There was a pause, and then Xu Yourong declared, "I do not care."

Shang Xingzhou’s eyes turned deep and serene as he asked, "Even if floods drown out the world?"

Xu Yourong calmly replied, "Even if the world drops into a bottomless chasm."

Shang Xingzhou calmly noted, "You will leave behind an eternally infamous reputation on the annals of history."

Xu Yourong calmly answered, "As I said before, I do not care."

Shang Xingzhou asked, "If the world falls into chaos and the people are plunged into misery, how will Chen Changsheng see you?"

Xu Yourong softly said, "I live for myself, not for anyone else, and certainly not because he loves me."

Shang Xingzhou praised, "Extraordinary, but I am not someone who takes threats."

Xu Yourong replied, "I want to try."

In that storm in Xunyang City, Wang Po had once said something similar when facing Zhu Luo.

Later, when Chen Changsheng was facing opponents so strong that they seemed invincible, he also said those words.

Today, Xu Yourong also said those four words.

Her eyes were very bright and her expression was very calm, but that resolved will within represented the greatest madness.

Shang Xingzhou asked, "How confident are you?"

Xu Yourong replied, "I used the Fated Star Plate to calculate the result seventeen times. Four of them had you accepting my demands while in three of them, I failed."

Shang Xingzhou arched his brow. "Four out of seventeen, and you dare threaten me?"

"In the remaining ten times, we all lost. The Great Zhou Dynasty collapsed and any grandiose plans or dreams of conquering the world became a joke."

Xu Yourong calmly concluded, "So it is not four, but fourteen."

Shang Xingzhou gazed at the breathtakingly beautiful, seemingly delicate young girl in white for a very long time.

He suddenly said, "I also do not care."

Xu Yourong calmly gazed at him, seemingly guessing at what he was going to do.

Shang Xingzhou said, "Even if I agree to your request now, I can break my word at any time."

There were many legendary figures in Taizong’s era, like the Prince of Hejian or Divine Generals Qin and Yu. Compared to these people, Shang Xingzhou was rather obscure.

In reality, he had accomplished many tasks, and his importance was no less than Wang Zhice’s.

He only cared about practical results and cared nothing for reputation. Given his style, he was highly likely to choose a temporary retreat in the face of Xu Yourong’s blizzard of an assault. Once the situation had calmed somewhat, he would launch his thunderous counterattack.

"Yes."

Xu Yourong faintly smiled. "So I demand even more."

Shang Xingzhou froze at these words, and then he smiled.

The Mausoleum of Books became extremely still. The faces of the people who heard these words contorted in shock.

Even the eyes of the Prince of Xiang and the Old Lady of the Mutuo clan were stupefied.

Because they had just heard the world’s most absurd words.

......

......

From start to finish, Xu Yourong had never stated just what exactly she demanded from Shang Xingzhou. Shang Xingzhou had also never asked. But both of them and the people listening outside the Mausoleum of Books all knew that Xu Yourong was demanding that he retreat, reclude himself, retire.

Just a moment ago, Shang Xingzhou said that he could break his word at any moment, and so Xu Yourong said that she demanded even more...

What could be a demand greater than the practical concession and surrender that was retreating, recluding, and retiring oneself?

It presumably was not death, because Shang Xingzhou’s obsession was to personally witness the human army breaking into Xuelao City, and such a demand was far too absurd.

But could it be self-crippling his cultivation? This was a similarly absurd demand... Who would agree to it?

How did Xu Yourong manage to suggest such an absurd and laughable demand?

The stillness in the Mausoleum of Books was broken by gasps and discussion.

Everyone thought that Xu Yourong was crazy.

Yet as time passed, these gasps and discussion gradually came to a stop.

The shock in the eyes of the crowd was even more intense, run through and through by disbelief.

The disciples of South Stream Temple could see that the faint smile on Shang Xingzhou’s lips had already faded.

The people outside the mausoleum could see nothing and hear nothing, but this silence was extremely bizarre.

Was Shang Xingzhou really considering Xu Yourong’s demand?

The Prince of Xiang’s complexion suddenly turned extremely nasty.

The absurd could only occur with abnormal people.

And Shang Xingzhou was an abnormal person.

That Xu Yourong dared to make this demand meant that she had accurately observed that if she was crazy, Shang Xingzhou was even crazier!

"They’re all crazy."

The Mutuo clan’s Old Lady and the head of the Wu clan glanced at each other and saw the astonishment in each other’s eyes.

"They’re all crazy."

The Prince of Zhongshan muttered as he looked at the Mausoleum of Books, excitement appearing in his eyes.