"If I'm not mistaken, you should be…an ordinary person!"
"Yes, I haven't formally begun to cultivate."
"The Grand Examination…first rank of the first banner?"
"Yes, I can only take first place."
Tang Thirty-Six's questions were very direct and very pointed. Chen Changsheng's answers were very earnest and very calm. It was like they were discussing some very simple matter, like what combination of meat and vegetables for a meal would be most reasonable, not eating food that's too salty or too oily, or perhaps that one should go to sleep early so one can get up early and only in this way could one have a healthy body. After all, it was true that life was just eating, drinking, urinating, and dumping. And to treat heavy problems like they were light, to desire to transform from the vulgar to the elegant, was also a good attitude to have—the problem lay in the fact that to obtain the first rank of the first banner in the Grand Examination was really not any ordinary part of life's normal routine.
Because he must get first place, so he would get first place. Such light and refreshing words seemed so inevitable and right, but in reality, they didn't have any sort of basis to speak of. It was just like a child who didn't have the strength to truss a chicken saying that he would pull off the dragon whisker of the world's most supreme Golden Dragon and use it as a sword. This made for a fine fairy tale, but if it were said in the real world, it could only be treated as delusion.
That person would definitely be treated either as a madman or an idiot. Of course, they could also be a peerless genius.
A genius and an idiot were only separated by a single line. That line was possibility.
As for Chen Changsheng, this person who completely ignored the line and wholeheartedly believed in himself, just which side of the line did he fall on?
Tang Thirty-Six was very proud and very egotistic, but today, he felt like this calm and even somewhat wooden, naive and childish, kid had dealt a devastating blow to his pride and ego. Logically, the nonsensical words of an idiot were incapable of menacing a true genius like him, but the problem was this: when Chen Changsheng said such absurd words with such resolve in his eyes, he found it impossible to retort or ridicule. Deep within his heart, he felt like the impossible possibility could possibly actually exist!
Why was this? He had never encountered a person like Chen Changsheng before. His actions were upright and proper, so he was self-confident and thus forceful—as a result, it was impossible to find a way to respond to him. This was what it meant to be left speechless, so he had nothing to say. He felt so restrained that it felt like he was dealt internal injuries. If he knew that Chen Changsheng had caused Madam Xu of the Divine General's estate as well as that maid Shuang'er to also be left speechless, then perhaps he would have been greatly comforted and filled with empathy for them.
Only after drinking all of his tea and even inadvertently almost swallowing the tea leaves did Tang Thirty-Six finally awake from his shock. Seeing that Chen Changsheng's expression had not changed in the slightest, as if he had never even uttered those words, Tang Thirty-Six couldn't help but shake his head, thinking, this guy is far more interesting than I ever expected.
"Not even a year's worth of time…although I quite admire your ambition, from a rational perspective, there's no way I can be optimistic about you, so I can't give you any well wishes or anything of that sort. If I do, you might think me too much of a hypocrite. I can only warn you that the Divine General of the East's estate will not easily give up."
Tang Thirty-Six did not know what sort of grudge existed between Chen Changsheng and the Divine General of the East's estate. In his view, since the capital was still a model city of a capital under the jurisdiction of the Divine Empress, even if the Divine General of the East's estate worked in secret to thwart Chen Changsheng's future prospects, they wouldn't do anything too excessive.
After a moment of silence, Chen Changsheng replied, "I'll do my best to avoid them."
Tang Thirty-Six questioned, "Is it even possible to avoid them? Even Star Seizer didn't accept you."
Chen Changsheng replied, "This is also something that I don't understand."
Tang Thirty-Six explained, "The Divine General of the East's estate cannot influence Star Seizer Academy—Xu Shiji doesn't have the ability. I hear…someone in the palace said something, so I'm very curious, just what more secrets are there in that problem between you and the Divine General of the East's estate that it even involves the palace."
Only then did Chen Changsheng finally realize that his failure to be admitted into Star Seizer Academy actually had such a story behind it. He was flabbergasted, momentarily forgetting to speak. After a moment, he awoke from his daze, but his mood was actually somewhat improved—only in the face of such irresistible pressure could the Star Seizer Academy that he so respected do such a thing so unworthy of respect.
The problem he had to consider now was, just why was there this irresistible pressure?
Without discussing the distant and mysterious Great Western Continent, the Central Continent had many high places that ordinary people were not allowed to approach, such as the mountain gates of various major sects of the south or that snowy city in the north…and when the Great Zhou led the humans in obtaining the ultimate victory against the demons, the Imperial Palace in the capital of the Great Zhou became the most extraordinary of these places.
The legends said that the Imperial Palace had countless Ethereal Opening experts acting as servants. The legends said that the old chief eunuch in the Imperial Palace was a Star Condensation expert. The legends said that the Imperial Palace contained a sedan chair made of bamboo. The legends even said that the Imperial Palace even contained a being of unparalleled might, a supreme dragon that had been loyal for one thousand years!
In his previous fourteen years of existence, Chen Changsheng had become greatly acquainted with the Great Zhou Imperial Palace through books, but he had never imagined that in this life, he would form a connection with such a lofty and enigmatic place. As he thought of Tang Thirty-Six's words, he fell silent, unable to understand why.
"The Divine Empress has countless dogs that kneel before her curtain and Xu Shiji is one of the more ferocious ones, but even he cannot invite the people within the palace to pressure Star Seizer Academy. Even if he could, there's no need for him to pay such an enormous price. Then, without needing to pay such a great price, the nobles within the palace acted voluntarily…"
Speaking up to here, Tang Thirty-Six felt that his previously fuzzy conjectures had suddenly become much more distinct, but when he thought of Chen Changsheng's still young face, he once more felt that his thoughts were somewhat disorderly—could it be that this guy who didn't even know how to treat someone to a meal could really…have some connection with that Phoenix?
He really wished to ask Chen Changsheng just what was going on here, but based on what he had experienced today, he had a keen understanding of Chen Changsheng's personality. Tang Thirty-Six knew that as long as Chen Changsheng was not willing to speak, then he would never speak no matter what happened. As a result, he only said, "…The Divine General of the East's estate's most important person has always been her. You must understand this point."
As he spoke, he stared into Chen Changsheng's eyes.
Chen Changsheng said nothing for a very long time, then suddenly asked, "She…just what sort of person is she?"
Tang Thirty-Six's expression did not change, but his mind was already surging with world-shaking waves. Through Chen Changsheng's question as well as the subtle changes in expression as he spoke, Tang Thirty-Six could be very sure that there was definitely a problem between Chen Changsheng and that Phoenix, he just didn't know what sort of problem it was.
"It's very difficult to describe what sort of person she is. Whether in the rumors or descriptions of others, there's nothing too special about her personality."
Upon saying this, Tang Thirty-Six realized that she was really was very difficult to describe. Only when he looked at Chen Changsheng's eyes did he suddenly understand.
"She…is very similar to you.
"She is also a person that makes others speechless.
"Of course, the reason you make others speechless is that your attitude is far too calm, your tone of voice too annoying, making others so depressed that they want to spit up blood…according to the rumors, she doesn't speak very much, and she rarely appears before the common people, but she's just like you. The two of you both make others so depressed that they want to spit up blood."
Chen Changsheng was somewhat doubtful and confused.
"She doesn't need to speak, doesn't need to jeer, doesn't need to disdain, doesn't need to look down from up high…she only needs to exist, just needs to stand there, and that's enough for many people to get depressed and want to spit out blood. I admit, I'm also included amongst those people. Possessing the blood of the Heavenly Phoenix, when she was very young, she awakened on her own. Her cultivation was incomparably smooth, and her powers of comprehension were extremely strong, her willpower also extremely strong, everything about her was strong…don't you feel that this sort of person is too excessive? Even a genius like me would feel despair in front of her. This sort of person that makes others speechless is truly repulsive."
Tang Thirty-Six glanced at him and then continued, "You and she are both friends in making others speechless, it's just that your methods are completely different. She's really…too special. In truth, many people think that basically only Qiushan Jun could be as calm as usual when facing such a girl, I suppose?"
After saying this and seeing that Chen Changsheng had nothing much to say, he bid farewell and left the inn. After the blue-clothed youth left, Chen Changsheng cleaned the table until it was spotless and then, in a rare sight, he didn't take a bath nor did he read a book. Instead, he walked out to the courtyard, moved a bamboo chair under a tree, then, separated by sparse petals and gradually fattening leaves, he gazed up expressionlessly at the beautiful night of stars.
He once more heard the names of Xu Yourong and Qiushan Jun. His expression did not change, but it was truthfully difficult for his emotions to not be affected. After all, he was just a fourteen-year-old youth. This somewhat sour and somewhat melancholy emotion was one that he had been far removed from in the past, but after entering the capital, he had already experienced it twice.
His four successive failures in entering academies were all because of the Divine General of the East's estate, so he was very angry. The Imperial Palace suppressing Star Seizer Academy's opinion was not because of the Divine General of the East's estate, but necessarily because of her, and this made him even angrier. Coupled with his current sour and melancholy mood, he realized that he was getting more and more annoyed by this girl called Xu Yourong.
Back in the temple, when he was small, he had once said to his senior brother that perhaps he might hate somebody, but it was very difficult for him to learn how to find somebody annoying.
Now, it turned out that he was beginning to find this little girl annoying.
Yes, even if she was the true maiden of the Heavenly Phoenix that made the geniuses and youths of the sects and snowy cities speechless, in Chen Changsheng's mind, she was a little girl.
He remembered extremely clearly, she was born on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, three days younger than he was.
Even if it were just one day, she would still be younger, let alone the fact that it was three days.
That girl called Xu Yourong really did annoy others.
Chen Changsheng's mood grew worse and worse as he thought, how could Teacher have arranged such a marriage? He rose up from the chair, removed from his belt a little thing made of bamboo, and placed it in a box in the deepest part of his luggage. Then, he washed his face and hands. After washing himself clean, his mood finally improved.
The box contained a marriage contract. That little thing made of bamboo had been sent to him from the capital when he was eleven years old. He remembered the White Crane that had delivered the item, remembered the letter that had accompanied it, remembered the words within the letter, and he also remembered very clearly that after that day, the White Crane never came back.
...
...
Tonight.
A White Crane descended onto the summit of the Holy Maiden Peak of the south.
Under the night profuse with stars, a young girl sat by a cliff.
In the present world, the Orthodoxy upheld the radiance of the Heavenly Tomes, unifying all under its beliefs. Because the Mausoleum of Books was located in the capital, its pulpit was also naturally based in the capital. Before the Great Zhou, the Popes had all been people of Shang. After the Shang fell and the Zhou was established, every Pope afterwards was necessarily a person of Zhou. This dynasty of the Central Plains which had been founded in the capital had on its own been very powerful, and with the additional protection of the Orthodoxy, it naturally became the center of the human world.
When comparing the Great Shang of the past to the Great Zhou that replaced it, there were far more powers on the southern part of the continent during the Great Zhou. The various sects and kingdoms all ruled their own regions and while they were rather loosely consolidated, the number of experts they possessed was not at all small. It even faintly exceeded the number of experts possessed by the Great Zhou. Amongst these powers, Holy Maiden Peak's South Stream Temple, the Longevity Sect, and the Qiushan clan were the most powerful.
After the bitter war between the humans and demons concluded, the powers of the south that had similarly made many sacrifices naturally wished to obtain statuses that they felt they should have. They believed that the Mausoleum of Books should be a sacred object held in common by the entire human world, not under the sole grasp of the Great Zhou. Similarly, the authority to interpret the Heavenly Tomes should not purely be for the Pope, who represented the Orthodoxy.
For this reason, the southern powers engaged in an unremitting struggle with all three emperors of the Great Zhou over the process and even name of the Grand Examination. Even the Orthodoxy splintered off a southern faction—although the southern faction was still under the Orthodoxy, it only revered the Pope as a spiritual leader, whereas day-to-day matters were handled by the Holy Maiden.
The Holy Maidens of the southern faction were naturally all supreme experts of surpassing cultivation. However, because the successive Holy Maidens had to balance the numerous powers of the south and did not have a powerful army backing them, their power and status was in reality inferior to that of the Pope in the north. But the Holy Maidens were still the most respected of the great figures of the south. Spiritually, they were equals with the Pope and could treat each other informally.
Because of the special status possessed by the Holy Maiden of the southern factions, the successive Holy Maidens had always been women of the south, a tradition unbroken for several thousand years. This lasted all the way until the present, when finally, a possible exception appeared.
The Holy Maidens of the south had all originated from South Stream Temple, and this was also why the mountain on which this temple had resided for countless years was called Holy Maiden Peak. At present, South Stream Temple had only one successor.
That girl was called Xu Yourong, the true reincarnation of the Heavenly Phoenix. Her talent in cultivating the Dao was without peer, and she was well-versed in the true meanings of the Daoist Canon. When she was twelve, she went to Holy Maiden Peak and was able to comprehend the genuine impressions of the Heavenly Tomes. All the elders of Holy Maiden Peak were shocked, and regarded her as a divine being. Ultimately, disregarding the fact that she was a person of Zhou, they announced to the world that they would be taking her in as the sole female disciple of South Stream Temple's inner sect. This signified that if nothing out of the ordinary were to occur, this girl called Xu Yourong would become the next Holy Maiden of the south, the religious leader that could stand on par with the Pope in the north!
...
...
The night was deep, with multitudinous stars filling the sky. They seemed as if they would never move and also like they were moving at each and every moment, so solemn and serene that they enchanted the heart. Faint fog drifted about the dark peak in silence when suddenly, a clear and bright crane cry rang through the clouds. After a moment, a White Crane broke through the night sky and descended.
In the darkness, the White Crane was rendered almost unreal by the illumination of the stars, almost like it was made of paper, free from the slightest filth. The crane's cry was transmitted throughout the spacious and serene cliffs, breaking through the clouds and flying through. Perhaps for this reason, or perhaps merely because the time had come, the night gradually began to wane and a hint of white appeared on the eastern horizon. Just like that, dawn light abruptly appeared in the world.
The young girl sitting by the cliff untied the silk bag from the White Crane's body, took out the letter within, casually opened it, then began to calmly read. As she read the letter, her picturesquely slender brows would occasionally rise, but most of the time, she was very calm. Her bright eyes which reflected the slightly warm dawn light were like lakes. A hint of childishness still hung about her appearance, but no ignorance.
The dawn light gradually flourished. The south was very humid, so the fog also descended once more. When the rays of light, dispersed by the moisture, fell upon her face, they made it seem even gentler. Thus, although her features did not become more distinct, they did become more beautiful, so beautiful that she seemed suffused with a faint divinity.
...
...
"That guy is very strange. He kept saying over and over that he wanted to end the engagement, yet for some inexplicable reason, he decided not to. I really don't know what he's playing at. I originally thought that it was because he felt embarrassed, so he deliberately said it, but afterwards, I felt that this was wrong, because when he said those words, he was very cool-headed without the slightest hint of anger.
"Nanny watched him for several days. I hear that this guy will wake up promptly before dawn at five every morning. He does everything strictly according to the rules, like some sort of blockhead. Moreover, he's obsessed with cleanliness, and whenever I hear about it, I always recall that sinister pervert you once told me told about, Young Lady, that makes people tremble in fear. Fine, Young Lady, I must admit, that guy is actually not ugly. When I was speaking with him, I found him quite lovable, making others want to get to know him. But that's even more frightening. After all, that was the first time I met him, don't you think?
"That guy probably did not tell anyone else about the engagement. I don't know whether it's because he's smart or he's stupid. But in any case, the family has been constantly sending people to keep an eye on him. Young Lady, I always feel that this guy is a sham, his schemes deep and his plots many. Given the present situation, if he continues to pester us this way, the master and madam are prepared to do something about it.
"Young Lady, I don't believe this guy's crimes are deserving of death, but when I think of that guy holding the marriage contract and looking at the estate with those cold eyes and self-assured appearance, I really hate him. And also…I hear that the Qiushan clan plans to come to the capital to propose next year. If that scoundrel were to make trouble at that time, what then?"
...
...
The girl sat by the cliff, quietly reading the letter. The clothes draped over her shoulders fluttered in the wind while her black hair drifted about like threads of silk. As they drifted across her profile, a sternness was added to her pleasing and young beauty.
After reading the letter, she fell silent for a while, then mumbled to herself, "He really came to the capital?"
As she read the letter, the White Crane quietly waited at her side. Even when crouching, it was still half the height of a human. Upon seeing her close up the letter, the White Crane turned and took up from somewhere a brush. The brush tip had been dipped wet with ink, full but not overflowing. Where this ink had been produced was unknown, but it carried a delicate fragrance.
The girl smiled and caressed the White Crane's smooth and slender neck. She took the brush and intended to write a reply, but she was momentarily at a loss as to what to write.
She had been very close to her grandfather as a child. If her grandfather had not passed away, perhaps she would not have left the capital when she was twelve and come to South Stream Temple to seek the Dao. Even the White Crane by her side had been left to her by her grandfather. If this were any other task left by her grandfather, she would definitely have complied, but…an engagement was absolutely out of the question.
She remembered that the young Daoist boy from Xining Village was surnamed Chen, yes?
She slightly creased her brow. As she recalled those things she heard when she was young, she realized that she really didn't have much of an impression of this young Daoist boy.
She remembered that her grandfather had specially requested the current Pope to bless this marriage contract with his signature. Only the male side could end the engagement. Recalling the words in Shuang'er's letter, her slender brows slightly perked up. She silently thought, was that young Daoist boy such a hypocrite and scoundrel? She remembered that when she was small, she didn't feel like he was that sort of person.
She knew that many people in the capital, her father included, ardently hoped that she would represent the Great Zhou in a marriage of unification with the south and would definitely not allow this young Daoist surnamed Chen to affect all of this. There was even a high chance that they would kill him. As her thoughts rested on this point, she felt that this young Daoist was truly very foolish and very stupid. Did he really think that he could rely on his petty tricks and small craftiness to obtain even greater benefits?
As she thought about this, she became rather displeased. This was quite a rare emotion for her, but she didn't know whether it was because this young Daoist didn't understand the concept of self-preservation or if it was because…that young Daoist really did make other people feel annoyed—fine, no matter what that young Daoist became, this engagement must definitely be ended.
But…don't harm him.
...
...
With a clear cry, the White Crane broke through the clouds, her two letters in tow. Sent off by the morning wind and with the morning light as its companion, it flew off towards the distant capital.
She placed the brush in a puddle to soak, stood up, and began making her way down the cliff, a jacket draped over her shoulders and her hands held behind her back.
Her appearance was still pure and childish, but her bearing was not ordinary. That was not to say that she was like Chen Changsheng, possessing a maturity and composure that far surpassed her age. Rather, she could be described as possessing an imposing manner. She was a young girl with a petite body, but when she stood on the cliff and was caressed by the morning wind, she gave off the impression of the fathomless depths of the sea or a lofty mountain that soared into the heavens.
Fathomless depths and lofty mountains were normally terms used to describe grandmasters that had lived for several hundred years.
She was only fourteen this year, but she could be matched with this description.
The morning wind continued to caress her, ruffling the jacket draped over her shoulder and the black hair hanging over her shoulder. Her hair drifted past her young and beautiful cheeks, carrying the hint of a smile with it.
She only needed five breaths' worth of time to completely forget about that letter, forget about all external things. Only tranquility remained, thus her smile.
With her one smile in the spring, all the flowers in the mountains bloomed.
Countless birds of all sorts flew up, their clear cries ringing out without end. There were even three Blue Luans amongst them.
(TN: The Blue Luan is a mythical bird related to the Phoenix.)
All the birds had come to pay homage.
(TN: The Phoenix is known as the king of birds in Chinese mythology.)
She was the sole young Phoenix of the human world.
She was the next Holy Maiden of the south.
She was first-ranked on the Proclamation of Azure Sky.
She was Xu Yourong.
She was still innocent, but not a mischievous sort of innocence, rather a guiltless one.
Her smile was brightly colored, and this wasn't a sort of emotion, but the radiance of spring.
She did not want to care about the people and matters of the world. Those things that people believed to be related to her truthfully had no relation to her at all, such as the engagement that she was on the verge of forgetting, or even Qiushan Jun.
She would admit that Senior Brother Qiushan Jun was truly very perfect, the ideal companion in the eyes of all, but what did that have to do with her?
All of it was very good, very good, but she wanted none of it.
Of course, that young Daoist didn't even need to be considered.
What she wanted to do was to look over this cliff, enjoy the snow, listen to the rain, pick herbs, and read, read, and read.
Books contained the Great Dao, and one book was enough to win against love countless times.
She had offered her heart and soul to the Dao; who could sway her mind?
...
...
Chen Changsheng departed the inn, heading towards the school that was second-to-last on the list his master had provided him.
He really wished to know just what sort of methods that Young Lady Xu would use to make him fail this time.
Of course, even if he failed once more, he would still not be swayed.
What he had done ever since he was a child was to watch the temple, sweep the snow, shelter from the rain, eat medicine, and read, read, and read again and again.
Books contained the Great Dao, and one book was enough to win against one thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers.
He had devoted his heart and soul to seek the Dao; who could hold fast his footsteps?
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