Chapitre 53: Attending the Feast

If the food really was too salty, then one needed to drink water, not compose oneself—it was just a short sentence, only ten words, yet Chen Changsheng had already made a mess of it. Of course, the food was not very salty at all, but his mind truly did require some time to compose itself so as to not continue being so messy.

He walked to the lake and stood under the great banyan tree. His feet tread on the slightly bent branches, his two hands propped against his waist. He looked in the distance, beyond the academy's walls, thinking that the farther the better, but he didn't know if he should look in the direction of Xining Village or in the direction of the south.

After a moment, he took from his waist a small item made of bamboo and placed it in his bosom, telling himself in the future to no longer bring it out. Back when he was staying at the inn, he had removed this bamboo item and placed it in the depths of his luggage, but for some reason, he had taken it out again.

The southern diplomatic mission was coming to the capital to propose. Xu Yourong was going to be engaged to Qiushan Jun, and even if she should not be married off in such a short time span, she would still be married off in the end.

Chen Changsheng had always believed that something like love posed no interest to him and that he had no opinion about Xu Yourong. He had come to the capital to end the engagement and even now still thought this way, so he did not understand why, after hearing of this matter, he felt so upset, even somewhat sad.

These sorts of emotions were very alien to him. He didn't like them, so he was displeased.

Perhaps it wasn't because she was going to get married off but for some other reason?

Chen Changsheng consoled himself this way, and then he thought of a reason that he could convince himself with: he and Xu Yourong had an engagement. Lawfully and reasonably, he was her fiancé, she was his fiancée. Without having formally ended the engagement, for his fiancée to marry someone else was naturally not correct.

It was only right that he be unhappy.

Yes, it was precisely because of this fact.

The Divine General of the East's estate and Xu Yourong had been too disrespectful with him over this matter, so he was very angry.

He silently said to himself.

Tang Thirty-Six walked to the lake shore and stood beside him, saying, "Has the problem between you and the Divine General of the East's estate been resolved? It truly is rather troublesome. The Divine Empress has always trusted Xu Shiji, and if Xu Yourong is married off to Qiushan Jun, there will be no one in all of the Great Zhou that can shake his position."

Luoluo worriedly gazed at his profile, asking, "Teacher, are you okay?"

Chen Changsheng's reaction just a moment ago had been very strange, which naturally could not escape the gazes of Luoluo and Tang Thirty-Six. Moreover, they both knew that a grudge existed between Chen Changsheng and the Divine General of the East's estate. It was just that they could never possibly have imagined that he was Xu Yourong's fiancé, so they naturally could not comfort or soothe him.

Just as Shuang'er had said in the Divine General of the East's estate, the entire world believed Xu Yourong and Qiushan Jun to be a match made in heaven—even Luoluo and Tang Thirty-Six thought this way. Not a single person could imagine that a person like Chen Changsheng also existed.

"It's nothing, I just feel rather nervous for some reason." Chen Changsheng turned to the two of them and said, "I hear that the sects of the south have a lot of geniuses, so I don't know what the situation will be in next year's Grand Examination."

Tang Thirty-Six knew of Chen Changsheng's goal in participating in the Grand Examination and he felt it was right to be nervous. He commented, "Holy Maiden Peak, Mount Li…these sects of the south are naturally formidable, and if the young experts of the Divine Kingdom's Seven Laws participate in the Grand Examination, it truly won't be easy to defeat them."

Chen Changsheng asked, "I hear that Zhuang Huanyu was ranked tenth on the Proclamation of Azure Sky because he obtained victory over one of the Divine Kingdom's Seven Laws?"

"He defeated Qi Jian, the youngest and also weakest of the Divine Kingdom's Seven Laws."

When mentioning the Divine Kingdom's Seven Laws, even the proud Tang Thirty-Six put on a solemn expression. "This time, the Divine Kingdom's Seven Laws will be sending four people to attend the Ivy Festival. Presumably, they will also participate in the Grand Examination. The leader should be Gou Hanshi."

"And…what about Qiushan Jun?" Chen Changsheng asked.

"The proposal is naturally being managed by his elders and assisted by his fellow disciples. How could Qiushan Jun come to the capital? As for whether he will participate in next year's Grand Examination, that's not too clear. But you shouldn't underestimate Gou Hanshi, as he's truly an outstanding person."

Tang Thirty-Six was a very proud person. It had nothing to do with his thirty-sixth rank on the Proclamation of Azure Sky, it was purely a problem of his personality. His only thought upon entering the Heavenly Dao Academy was to step on the tenth-ranked Zhuang Huanyu. Although there might have been other reasons, this was proof enough that he didn't think much of Zhuang Huanyu.

The people that he did regard highly were few in number, like Xu Yourong, Qiushan Jun, or that wolf cub in the north, and also that mysterious girl ranked in front of Zhuang Huanyu. And there was also the weirdo that was Chen Changsheng. Now that he was admitting that this person called Gou Hanshi was an outstanding person, this person truly must be very outstanding.

"He's the second of the Divine Kingdom's Seven Laws, only beneath Qiushan Jun."

Luoluo knew that Chen Changsheng did not have much understanding of the cultivation world, so she explained, "I hear that this person's knowledge is broad and deep, that he's well-versed in the Daoist Canon. Amongst the young generation of Mount Li's disciples, and even amongst the disciples of other sects, he has an extremely high status. He's essentially the brains of the Seven Laws."

Chen Changsheng asked, "So just where is he outstanding?"

Tang Thirty-Six was rather speechless, asking incredulously, "To be well-versed in the Daoist Canon, isn't that outstanding enough?"

Hearing the words 'well-versed in the Daoist Canon', Chen Changsheng very naturally thought of his senior brother and himself and wondered, just what's so outstanding about that?But he also knew that if he were to say this aloud, Luoluo would probably not care, and Tang Thirty-Six would assuredly tease him as putting on airs, so he could only change the subject.

"Who else will be coming from the Divine Kingdom's Seven Laws?"

"The fourth-ranked Guan Feibai who also just so happens to be fourth-ranked on the Proclamation of Azure Sky. It's said that he's a very proud person."

When he mentioned this name, no admiration could be seen on Tang Thirty-Six's face, but his eyes seemed to blaze. "On this third night of the Ivy Festival, Zhuang Huanyu's target is assuredly him. I have to think of a method to snatch it away."

Chen Changsheng counted with his fingers, then said, "He's fourth, and you're thirty-sixth. There are thirty-two people between the two of you."

Tang Thirty-Six's complexion seemed to grow a little gloomy. "What do you mean?"

Chen Changsheng replied, "My meaning is that you shouldn't always think of getting fat in one bite, of wanting to run before you've learned how to walk. You should always do things in sequence, gradually progressing, proceeding in a systematic and orderly fashion. You absolutely cannot seek quick success and instant benefits. Those matters about pulling up plants by the roots to help them grow are not proper. There's also a saying…"

"Continue. You've got quite a lot of sayings," Tang Thirty-Six sneered.

Seeing the unpleasant expression on his face, Chen Changsheng smiled and stopped.

Tang Thirty-Six said, "If we calculate everything based on rank, what meaning is there in the Ivy Festival and the Grand Examination? With Xu Yourong's and Qiushan Jun's talent and blood, I naturally can't beat them, but though that wolf cub and that girl that can't be offended are not ranked higher than Guan Feibai, if you were to ask him, would he dare say that he was stronger than those two?"

Chen Changsheng thought to himself that this truly was very reasonable, but just who was that wolf cub who'd been mentioned several times now? And who was that girl that couldn't be offended?

Tang Thirty-Six recalled that sturdy and tall demi-human youth he had seen in the library and asked, "That guy also entered the Orthodox Academy?"

"Yeah, he no longer wants to remain in Star Seizer Academy."

"I heard that Star Seizer Academy's display on the first night was very disgusting. Besides that guy, not a single other person dared to stand up…but that guy was so heavily injured by Tianhai Ya'er that he really might be crippled. You're sure you want to pick him up?"

"I haven't even succeeded at Purification, so aren't I even more of a cripple?"

Tang Thirty-Six sneered, "What sort of cripple would dare say that they wanted to get first rank of the first banner in the Grand Examination?"

"My teacher will certainly get first rank of the first banner," Luoluo said as if it was only natural, the gaze she aimed at Chen Changsheng brimming with admiration.

Tang Thirty-Six was somewhat startled, asking, "What's going on here?"

He knew that Luoluo was not an ordinary person and he found her respectful display towards Chen Changsheng rather puzzling. Now, seeing her address Chen Changsheng as 'teacher' and her expression of near-worship, he was even more bewildered, not understanding just what was going on between the two of them.

Chen Changsheng didn't know how to explain.

Luoluo very generously introduced, "I am Teacher's student."

"Ah?"

Tang Thirty-Six was very surprised, looking at Chen Changsheng and asking, "Aren't you only fourteen?"

Chen Changsheng replied, "She insisted on taking me as a teacher—there was nothing I could do."

Tang Thirty-Six thought it over and then said, "But you do act like an old man, seeming much older than your actual age, so there's no harm in it."

Luoluo unhappily said, "Teacher is mature and steady, or do you think everyone is like you?"

Tang Thirty-Six did not want to argue with this girl. Patting his clothes, he prepared to leave. Before leaving, he asked, "Are you going to the last night?"

Luoluo thought to herself, with Teacher's personality, it should be like last night where he chose not to go.

Chen Changsheng pondered the question, finally saying, "It's fine to go and take a look."

...

Because the southern diplomatic mission needed to arrive, the final night of the Ivy Festival was delayed for quite a few days. In addition, its location had been moved from the Heavenly Dao Academy to Weiyang Palace. Weiyang Palace was part of the Imperial Palace. From this detail, one could see the importance with which the Imperial Court regarded this matter.

(TN: Weiyang Palace, literally translated as 'the Endless Palace', was a palace complex located in Chang'an, capital of the Tang Dynasty.)

If the southern diplomatic mission's proposal succeeded, the relationship between the humans of the north and south would grow closer. Xu Yourong might become the first Holy Maiden of the south in history to be born in the north, so the Great Zhou Dynasty's influence on the south would grow much more powerful. The Divine Empress would naturally be pleased at the proposal's success.

Logically speaking, there was no person or faction who could prevent this matter from occurring.

Even the demons that were least willing to see this marriage succeed were powerless to do anything.

In the entire world, only a select few people knew of the sole variable in this marriage.

This variable lay within the run-down Orthodox Academy.

It was a youth called Chen Changsheng.

In the early autumn, the night was as cool as water, but it was not cold.

Tonight, the capital was brightly lit by lanterns. It was the Double Seventh Festival.

Chen Changsheng and Luoluo exited the Orthodox Academy, emerging from the depths of Hundred Flowers Lane to mingle amongst the bustling and excited crowds.

The pair walked towards the nearby Weiyang Palace.

Even now, he still did not know what he was going for, what he should do when the southerners proposed to the Xu Estate.

He had not made a decision, he just wanted to go and see.

He simply had no idea what would occur tonight.

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