Chapter 172: A Second Woman

The two exchanged many words on the way out of the palace.

Xie Nandu asked, "What about His Majesty?"

Since Chen Chao's identity had been exposed, Xie Nandu was actually very worried. She felt that it would not be easy for Chen Chao to leave this imperial palace.

Chen Chao replied, "Those things didn't happen."

What things?

The Great Liang Emperor directly killing Chen Chao, putting an end to many people's ideas and completely dispersing those views in the Great Liang Dynasty.

None.

Something like that did not happen.

Nothing happened at all.

Chen Chao shook his head. He had a different view of that Great Liang Emperor.

Xie Nandu nodded and said, "That's also a good thing."

Chen Chao smiled and did not say anything further.

……

……

The passing of the Empress was a major event for the entire Great Liang Dynasty, even more significant than the Myriad Willow Convention. The news overshadowed Chen Chao's victory and the foreign cultivators were also happy to accept this outcome. If there was jubilation throughout the Divine Capital at this moment, it would probably be the worst thing for them.

The common people of the Divine Capital were now very sad and unable to celebrate.

In the honey dates shop on South Street, the elderly manager watched his assistant hang up the white lantern and said with sorrow, "You're young and surely don't know those old stories. Back then, before the Her Majesty the Empress became the Empress, even before she became the Princess Consort, she actually loved to eat our honey dates the most. She used to come to our shop every few days to buy a bag. Whenever she came, she would happily praise our honey dates' deliciousness. But later, I found out that Her Majesty doesn't eat honey dates."

At first, the assistant listened with great interest. But when he heard the last sentence, he furrowed his brows and asked rather curiously, "Since Her Majesty didn't like to eat them, then why did she buy these things?"

The shopkeeper frowned and replied, "If Her Majesty didn't like them, can't it be that the former Great General liked them? Or perhaps the Great General's wife liked them?"

"It was actually Her Majesty's younger sister who liked them, who is also the one that's still cultivating outside the city now... But, she should be coming today, right?"

The old shopkeeper was rather sentimental.

He was actually quite emotional when talking.

At his age, even if he was just an ordinary citizen of the Divine Capital, he had indeed experienced many things too. From Emperor Lingzong, to the deposed emperor, and then the current Great Liang Emperor.

He could be said to have lived through three dynasties.

"But it seems that Miss Xie from the academy really likes our honey dates. She's now ranked first in the literary exam."

"She came to buy them with the Saintess of the Myriad Heaven Palace before, but I didn't take her money. Commander Chen is her friend..."

"What are you thinking, punk? That girl can't become the Empress."

The shopkeeper angrily rapped the assistant's head and said, "Who doesn't know that Miss Xie only has eyes for Commander Chen?"

The young assistant who had been rapped on the head quickly smiled and said, "Indeed, the two of them are truly a perfect match."

As the shopkeeper listened to these words, he looked at the white lantern hanging in front of the shop and felt a wave of sorrow.

……

……

"Want to eat honey dates?"

The horse carriage slowly passed by the shop. Xie Nandu frowned and shook her head, saying, "There are still plenty in the courtyard."

Chen Chao said, "Those honey dates have been stored for too long, they don't taste as good anymore."

Xie Nandu shook her head and did not say anything.

On the other hand, Chen Chao jumped out of the carriage. But before he could reach the shop on South Street, he saw a familiar figure.

It was a young girl burning with enthusiasm.

The Myriad Heaven Palace's Saintess, Zhu Xia.

"Chen Chao!"

She looked at Chen Chao from a distance and yelled, "I've been looking for you all day!"

Chen Chao was also quite surprised to see this young girl here. Indeed, he did not expect it.

"Buying honey dates?"

Chen Chao looked into her eyes and noticed a hint of farewell emotion in them.

Zhu Xia looked at Chen Chao and said with reluctance, "I'm leaving."

Although the passing of the Empress was a significant event for the Great Liang Dynasty, it was not the same for them foreign cultivators. Some of them might stay, but others would definitely leave.

Such as the Saintess of the Myriad Heaven Palace, she was about to leave.

Chen Chao frowned and said, "Not staying back to play for a few more days?"

Zhu Xia frowned and said worriedly, "I also want to stay, but something extremely important happened on the mountain, and I can't stay anymore. But there are so many delicious things in the Divine Capital that I haven't tried. When I buy everything and bring it back, some of it can't be kept for long either. How annoying!"

The young girl before him really adorable. Even if she was genuinely angry and annoyed, she was so cute.

"After the Myriad Willow Convention ended, I wanted to bid farewell to you and Big Sister Xie. But I didn't find you guys over there, nor did I find you when I returned to the academy. Where did you two go?"

Zhu Xia furrowed her eyebrows slightly, feeling somewhat unhappy.

Of course, Chen Chao could not tell her the truth. After thinking for a moment, he said, "She's in the carriage."

Zhu Xia then noticed that there was still a horse carriage parked over there.

When she walked over, Xie Nandu just happened to come out of the cabin as well.

The two of them stood next to the carriage. Zhu Xia held Xie Nandu's hand and said rather dejectedly, "Big Sister Xie, I'm leaving."

Xie Nandu smiled at this young girl, saying, "Visit the Divine Capital again in the future."

Zhu Xia pouted and said, "Master said there are important matters to attend to on this trip back to the mountain, so it's unlikely that I'll be able to come in the near future. But I really can't bear to part with you guys."

As a foreign cultivator, Zhu Xia was greatly different from other cultivators. After coming to the Divine Capital, she had genuinely fallen in love with everything here, especially the food in the Divine Capital, which greatly stimulated her spirits.

It was irresistible.

Xie Nandu said softly, "If it's destined, we'll meet again. Since you're leaving, buy more things before you go. I'll accompany you."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xia immediately became excited and beckoned to Chen Chao, filled with joy.

……

……

In the small pavilion in the center of the lake, the Dean was playing chess with the old man from the Myriad Heaven Palace.

Although the Divine Capital seemed peaceful at the moment, in reality, the true prominent figures were all staring at the imperial city. However, these two individuals seemed completely unconcerned and were still playing chess.

"Brother Daoist, after this parting, will we meet again?"

The Dean placed a chess piece down and sighed with some emotion.

The old man sighed and said, "If we can't meet, then we can't meet. If it weren't for my lifespan approaching its end, why would I come to the academy to see you?"

The Dean said, "Brother Daoist, your words truly make one feel rather sad."

Nepenthe cultivators were already the most powerful existences in the world, but even such characters had a lifespan of merely a few hundred years. In the end, they would also turn into dust.

The old man had been cultivating for a long time and was now nearing the end of his life.

"I'm leaving soon. There are some things I'd really like to clarify before I leave."

The old man stared at the Dean, remaining silent for a long time before solemnly saying, "She has been gone for many years. But before she left, she still wanted a resolution, or rather, an answer."

The Dean sighed, his eyebrows furrowing slightly for the first time. He shook his head and said, "Since she has already passed away, she won't hear the answer no matter what. What's the point of talking about it?"

When speaking of this, the Dean seemed to recall a story from many years ago, and he appeared somewhat world-weary.

The old man lamented, "The Emperor and Empress of your Great Liang Dynasty are truly a model example. They met as youths and walked side by side until now. Now that one has departed, the other will probably have to silently grieve for many years."

The corners of the Dean's mouth twitched, "Brother Daoist, you don't have to make a dig at me like that..."

The old man smiled and said, "I'm merely seeking an answer. You, old man, haven't said anything all this while. Do you really want me to not have any explanation when I reach the underworld?"

"You know her personality. No matter what, there must be an answer, even if it's not a pleasant one."

The old man looked at the Dean, his eyes rather resolute at this moment. "If you don't give me this answer, I will definitely tear down the academy tonight."

His words were a blatant threat, but the Dean did not care. He was just somewhat saddened as he said, "At this point, I really don't want to fight with you, Brother Daoist. To end our final meeting like this is truly difficult to accept."

As he spoke, he suddenly placed a piece on the chessboard with a smile on his face. "Brother Daoist, you've lost this game."

The old man lowered his head and glanced at the chessboard, his expression somewhat unpleasant. However, he quickly said, "You know that's not what I care about!"

The Dean nodded, his smile widening. "But I care."

"... ..."

"Let's fight then. I'll tear down your academy before I leave."

The old man had already raised his hand, and the qi inside the pavilion began to surge, as if it would explode in the next moment.

This was a terrifying prospect.

The Dean sensed the old man's anger and quickly smiled, "Brother Daoist, there's no need for that!"

"That answer, was actually that I didn't want it. Even if I had to choose ten thousand times, I'd still choose the same."

The Dean sighed, "She was a good woman, but there are so many good women in this world. I have more women who love me. If I were to accept every woman, then wouldn't half of the women in this Divine Capital become my dao companions?"

He spoke sincerely, making people unable to discern a trace of falsehood.

The old man fell silent for a moment and whispered, "Old fogey, do you know that you're really shameless?!"

As the old man spoke, the accumulated anger instantly erupted, and the pavilion was on the verge of being torn apart by the surging qi.

This seemingly ordinary man in hemp robes was not an ordinary old man at all. He was a great sage of daoism, a true powerhouse.

A Nepenthe cultivator!

Fortunately, the man opposite him was also one.

The Dean waved his sleeve, dispersing the furious qi, and then gracefully left the pavilion. Arriving by the lakeside, he smiled and said, "Brother Daoist, have a safe journey."

The old man stood in the pavilion and was rather silent. In the brief confrontation just now, he had already exerted 70% to 80% of his strength, but it seemed that he still could not shake the Dean's body.

The Dean seemed to have advanced several steps in his cultivation realm.

……

……

By the lakeside, the Dean continued walking towards the distance, where Wei Xu was waiting.

When Wei Xu saw the Dean, he bowed.

The Dean took the cloth towel that he handed over, wiped the sweat off his forehead, and took a deep breath. "That was a close call, but we're good, we're good."

That move just now seemed mysterious, but in reality, it was far from ordinary.

Wei Xu smiled and said, "That senior's cultivation realm is already extremely high. How can he be so easy to deal with?"

The Dean shook his head. "There's nothing to fear. If it weren't for our past friendship, I'd have made that old guy lose face."

Wei Xu smiled without saying a word, only half-believing of what the Dean said.

The Dean looked at him and asked with a smile, "What about your junior sister? Did she go and find that young man again?"

Wei Xu pondered for a moment and whispered, "They entered the palace."

The Xie Family could send the two of them into the imperial city and deceive the eyes of most people, but obviously, they could not hide it from the Wei Family.

"Still wanted to meet her once."

The Dean sighed rather emotionally, "There are so many good women in the world, she was indeed one of the best."

Wei Xu remained silent. He had nothing more to say about that virtuous empress.

The Wei Family would not have any objections.

Perhaps this was the least objectionable matter in the world.

"In the future, your junior sister may become another. But whether she'll be the Empress, I don't know."

The Dean looked at Wei Xu, lost in thought.