บท 38: The First Lesson
Chen Changsheng suddenly thought of a matter and said, "That's right, my name is Chen Changsheng."
"I know," Luoluo giggled in reply.
She naturally knew that her teacher was called Chen Changsheng. Although she had never doubted him, since she wanted to acknowledge him as her teacher, her clansmen living in the Hundred Herb Garden had long since used a variety of methods to thoroughly investigate Chen Changsheng's background. She knew that he came from a village called Xining, knew that he was acquainted with Tang Thirty-Six, and even knew how he had entered the Orthodox Academy, so she felt all the more certain that her teacher was assuredly no ordinary person.
She also thought of another matter and asked with concern, "Teacher, were my words to that overseer from the Heavenly Dao Academy too improper?"
Chen Changsheng thought this question over, then replied, "Yeah, it truly was a little overboard. 'What does it have to do with you' can actually be said as 'it's none of your business'."
After saying this, he began to laugh, and Luoluo also began to laugh, both very happily. She felt that being together with her teacher very easily made her happy and that this was truly a good thing. Then, she thought of that incident that occurred before the arrival of the Heavenly Dao Academy overseer.
"Why did someone from the Divine General of the East's estate come to find Teacher?"
"There are some matters."
Chen Changsheng didn't know how to answer. Seeing the girl's appearance, he asked, "You know of the Divine General of the East's estate?"
Luoluo replied, "It's the legendary Phoenix nest. It's impossible for me not to know."
The so-called Phoenix nest naturally had to do with Xu Yourong's innate blood.
Chen Changsheng asked, "You know Xu Yourong?"
"I would quite like to know her."
Luoluo said rather regretfully, "By the time I reached the capital, she had already gone to the south, so there was no opportunity for us to meet."
Chen Changsheng thought of Tang Thirty-Six's evaluation of Xu Yourong and advised, "Luoluo, I know that you are very strong, but don't think about comparing yourself to her. We don't have to compare which one of us is stronger, As long as we can each progress, that is what it means to truly be strong."
Luoluo understood that he had misunderstood something. Smiling, she said, "She's the reincarnation of the true Phoenix, a unique existence of this world. Even the people of my family admire her. Ever since I was small, she's always been held up as an example to encourage me, but I've really never thought of comparing myself to her. I hear that she's a very good person, other than the fact that her personality is somewhat bland. But she's much better than those Divine Kingdom's Seven Laws of the south. Truthfully, I just want to get to know her, to have her as a friend. Teacher, do you think she is good or not?"
After a moment of silence, Chen Changsheng replied, "She and I…our relationship isn't very good."
Luoluo was somewhat shocked by this statement, then she recalled something and said, "Teacher really does like to deceive people."
Somewhat slow to respond, Chen Changsheng asked, "How did I deceive anybody?"
"Teacher always says that you are an ordinary person."
"I am an ordinary person."
Luoluo covered her mouth as she laughed, then said, "An ordinary person…how can they have a bad relationship with her?"
Chen Changsheng was speechless, because her words were reasonable. If he was an ordinary person, how could he possibly develop a relationship with Xu Yourong who lived above the nine heavens? If there was no relationship, how could there possibly be a bad relationship?
Seeing his expression, Luoluo stopped laughing and seriously said, "Teacher, from this day forward, I won't like her anymore, nor will I want to be her friend."
Taken aback, Chen Changsheng asked, "And just why is that?"
"Because Teacher has a bad relationship with her, so she must not be a good person," Luoluo said as if it was only right and proper.
Chen Changsheng sighed, saying, "This is also too lacking in principles, isn't it?"
Luoluo replied, "Sir is my teacher, so it's only right that I listen to whatever you say. Isn't this a principle?"
As Chen Changsheng had nothing to say to this, he indicated that she should sit and then extend her hand.
Luoluo absolutely wished to acknowledge him as her teacher, because she had several very difficult-to-resolve questions about cultivation.
Every cultivation method had its corresponding method of circulating true essence. Only by having a complete grasp of it would one be able to fully display the true might of the cultivation method. Her problem was that it was impossible for her to circulate true essence through her body through the methods recorded in the books.
On the night the demon expert had attempted to assassinate her, Chen Changsheng had used his single remark as proof that he could resolve her problems, or at least have a possibility of doing so.
Once Chen Changsheng had written her name on the Orthodox Academy's register, he was responsible for her cultivation. He had a rough guess as to what her problem was, so for her first lesson, he would naturally have to start there. First of all, he had to confirm the true essence situation in her body.
The spring breeze blew in through the window, caressing the pages of the books and the hem of her dress. Chen Changsheng and Luoluo sat across from each other on the black and shiny floor. He closed his eyes for a few moments to calm his mind, then indicated that Luoluo should extend her right arm. After this, he raised his right hand and slowly placed it upon her wrist.
His action was very casual, but also precise. His forefinger and middle finger held together were like the forged edge of a sword, exuding a cold light. With extreme precision, it fell on her veins, yet in the instant that it truly fell, it was extremely gentle, like a falling leaf in the autumn, not letting the soil beneath it suffer the slightest fright.
Luoluo's eyes opened extremely wide. As she gazed at the fingers he had placed on her wrist, she was very surprised. She had lived a life of luxury ever since she was a child and had a broad experience. She couldn't even count the number of doctors she had seen, so she naturally understood how extraordinary this seemingly unremarkable act of taking her pulse was.
Could it be that Teacher is also a famous doctor?
As she was taken by astonishment at these things, Chen Changsheng was also very astonished. This was because he could clearly sense that this girl's pulse transmitted to his fingers was exceptionally vigorous, as distinct as the beating of a war drum. The problem…this beating was too packed together. How could a pulse be so fast!
His fingers were like raindrops jolted off the canvas of a drum and instantly drew back.
He raised his head to look into her eyes. Seeing how calm and bright they were allowed him to confirm that her pulse was not quickened due to her excitement. After a moment of thought, he once more placed his two fingers on her wrist, once more surprised that the feeling transmitted through his fingers was the same as ever.
Luoluo's heartbeat was at least two times faster than normal!
If this were an ordinary person maintaining such a fast heartbeat, their face would definitely be flushed red and they would be dizzy and sweating. If this condition persisted for a little longer, they might even die from the rupturing of their blood vessels!
But…Luoluo did not have the slightest reaction. She seemed extremely normal, and her blood vessels also seemed very stable. Just why was this?
Chen Changsheng did not withdraw his fingers. With great focus, he observed her pulse and the condition of her veins. His brow creased more and more, until finally, after a very long time, he realized that not only was the pulse not getting slower with time, it was actually getting faster!
He raised his head once more to Luoluo's face and discovered that a few beads of sweat had emerged on the girl's temples and her breathing had grown somewhat more hurried. He knew that this time, she really was nervous.
Luoluo truly was very nervous. She had not expected that her teacher's very first action on her very first lesson would be to take her pulse. Only when Chen Changsheng's fingers rested on her wrist did she remember that problem, remember that her pulse was very different from an ordinary person's…what should she do?
Chen Changsheng pulled back his fingers and gazed at her in silence for a very long time. Finally, he asked, "Your pulse…has it always been like this?"
Luoluo lowered her head and softly affirmed, acting like a child that had done something wrong. "I've been like this ever since I was born."
Chen Changsheng remained silent as if he was pondering some extremely troublesome question.
He had vaguely guessed at Luoluo's background.
Any human would find it absolutely impossible to live with such a fast heartbeat for so long, let alone living until Luoluo's age.
There was only one explanation: Luoluo was not a human.
The spring breeze continued to blow through the window, ruffling the pages of the books, the hem of the girl's dress, and also her slightly moist hair on her temples.
The library was silent.
Luoluo lowered her head, seeming very pitiable.
Chen Changsheng looked at her, wanting to ask her something, but he didn't know how to ask.
Luoluo suddenly raised her head. Seeing how he so desperately wanted to say something, she plucked up her courage and said, "Teacher, just ask and I'll answer."
Chen Changsheng, looking at her, suddenly felt that she was very heroic. After thinking it over, he said, "Then I might as well not ask."
Luoluo opened her eyes wide and looked at him in astonishment. "Why, Teacher? Could it be…you're not interested?"
Curiosity was the hardest-to-scratch itch of all intelligent beings, the greatest temptation. For instance, she herself was very curious right now as to why Chen Changsheng did not continue to inquire. She had clearly just told him that as long as he asked, she would give him the full story.
"Curiosity is sometimes not a good thing."
"Ah?"
Chen Changsheng sighed, then asked, "I'm your teacher, right?"
Mystified, Luoluo answered, "Of course you are, Teacher."
Chen Changsheng extended his hand to rub her head, smiling as he said, "A teacher has to have the look of a teacher. If the truth is too shocking, if your background is too shocking, how could we communicate in the future? And how could I preserve the absolute authority of the teacher?"
"Oh…"
Luoluo was caught completely off guard by this reasoning. After a momentary daze, she very carefully asked, "Teacher, could it be then that you're not afraid?"
Chen Changsheng replied, "What's there to be afraid of? It's just that I've never encountered this sort of thing before and so I'm not that used to it."
Luoluo was very happy to hear this. She rubbed her head against his palm like some adorable small beast and said with muffled words, "Teacher is the best."
...
...
Perhaps because she felt that Chen Changsheng, from inside to outside, down to every strand of his hair, was good, Luoluo's already firm confidence in him now increased to an almost unimaginable degree, overflowing like the light of the morning sun. As a result, although he did not ask, she still wanted to say a few things.
"Teacher, the amount of true essence in my body is not at all small," she said.
Chen Changsheng thought of the condition of her pulse and confirmed that this was the case. This girl's soul was incredibly powerful. If she really did have that sort of background, then the true essence within her body would naturally not be small, countless times more than that of an ordinary person of the same age.
"But I don't know how to use it."
Luoluo explained, "My home naturally has many cultivation methods, but the greatest of these methods is only suitable for men…even if my blood awakens, I would only be able to use that method to cultivate to the upper level of Star Condensation at best. I can't enter the Divine Domain."
Chen Changsheng was somewhat speechless, thinking, if you can cultivate to the upper level of Star Condensation, then you'd be one of the few such experts on the continent. Yet this female student of mine actually isn't satisfied. From this, Chen Changsheng could tell how high the demands she placed on herself were, or how shocking her background was.
"If I can't be the strongest, then in the future I won't be able to inherit my father's scepter, and I'll have to be married off to his successor."
Luoluo looked at him, much aggrieved, and said, "But I don't want to be married off."
"So you want to learn the cultivation methods of humans to see if you can break this limit."
Chen Changsheng thought this over, then said, "There's no problem. We'll definitely become the continent's most powerful master and disciple."
Luoluo's eyes went wide. Although she had an almost blind trust in Chen Changsheng, even she somewhat didn't dare believe these words.
Chen Changsheng thought of his own problems. Gazing out the window in the direction of the Lingyan Pavilion within the Imperial Palace, he felt somewhat rueful. The things he needed to do were just wishful thinking to anyone else, but he had to think in this way, and struggle in this way. Fate had not left him a second path to take.
"Dare to think. Before your dreams are realized, never establish any limits yourself, never give yourself any excuse to shrink back, any justification for failure. Only in this way do we have the chance to take those seemingly distant dreams and make them into genuine reality.
"This, is precisely my first lesson to you."
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