Chapter 84 – A Conversation in the Night
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
The willows by the Luo River gently swayed in the darkness.
Luoluo opened her eyes wide and looked at Chen Changsheng, saying, "I am also very happy to know Teacher."
Tang Thirty-Six scratched his head, feeling that it was seemingly his turn to state his opinion. "Okay, I"m also very happy to know everyone."
Chen Changsheng spoke sincerely. In Xining Village"s old temple, when he decided to come to the capital, he had never imagined that he would encounter so many matters or get to know these people. An ordinary youth like him was actually able to become friends with the young master of the Wenshui Tang clan, a young genius of the Proclamation of Azure Sky. He was even able to become friends with the sole daughter of the White Emperor, the most revered demi-human princess.
"Don"t always treat yourself like some ordinary youth."
Tang Thirty-Six saw the look on his face and knew what he was thinking. "On the day of the Heavenly Dao Academy"s entrance exam, I was already very sure that you were no ordinary person, that you were a genius… Why was I so sure that you were a genius? Because even a genius like me wanted to become friends with you."
Chen Changsheng recalled that this fellow had said something similar back in the inn. He thought that Tang Thirty-Six was just praising himself, but Chen Changsheng was actually the one being praised.
Luoluo felt that Tang Thirty-Six spoke very reasonably. She had always felt that Chen Changsheng was the most talented person in the world.
"And you"re also Xu Yourong"s fiancé."
Tang Thirty-Six sighed, "Just with that alone, just who in the continent would dare call you an ordinary person?"
Luoluo clapped her small hands, her face br.i.m.m.i.n.g with admiration. "That"s right, that"s right."
Chen Changsheng froze, then turned to Tang Thirty-Six and said, "Why do I feel that this is the point that you really wanted to talk about?"
"What I want to say is that in the future, for such extraordinary matters as these, remember to tell us as soon as possible."
Tang Thirty-Six extended a hand to him and said, "Take it out and let"s see."
"What do you want to see?" Chen Changsheng didn"t understand what he meant.
"The marriage contract of course."
Tang Thirty-Six looked at him like an idiot as he added, "After all, that"s Xu Yourong"s marriage contract!"
After the marriage contract had been shown in the hall, Chen Changsheng had placed it back in his bosom. Seeing Tang Thirty-Six"s look of antic.i.p.ation, he found himself powerless to refuse, but thinking about Xu Yourong"s birth date, when taking out the marriage contract, he did not open it, indicating that it was only okay to look at the outside.
Tang Thirty-Six had no objections to this. He was already very content with touching Xu Yourong"s marriage contract, and even Luoluo came over in curiosity.
Tang Thirty-Six stroked the surface of the marriage contract, deeply moved. He sighed, "Xu Yourong, Xu Yourong…to think that even you would have this day."
Chen Changsheng put the marriage contract back in his bosom and asked in confusion, "Which day?"
Tang Thirty-Six replied, "The day she gets married."
Still confused, Chen Changsheng said, "Isn"t a girl getting married a very normal matter?"
Tang Thirty-Six replied, "A woman like Xu Yourong…she always gave off the feeling that she would never marry in her entire life."
Chen Changsheng was somewhat speechless, but then he recalled the name that would often appear alongside Xu Yourong. He asked, "Then…what about Qiushan Jun?"
Tang Thirty-Six felt that this fellow was thoroughly uninteresting. "Tonight was originally an extremely happy occasion, so why do you insist on bringing up such unhappy matters?"
Luoluo asked, "Even if she"s being married off, why should you be happy about that?"
Tang Thirty-Six sternly replied, "I"m being happy in place of all those youths on the Proclamation of Azure Sky who have been miserably suppressed by her presence."
Luoluo nodded, adding, "You"re also one of those youths."
Tang Thirty-Six felt rather embarra.s.sed. "And so what? In any case, she"s going to get married. When the time comes, would she still find it proper to go out fighting and killing every day?"
Luoluo replied, "Why not? Who says that a woman can"t leave the house after getting married? The Divine Empress certainly won"t agree with your view."
"As long as a certain person agrees with my view, it"s fine."
Tang Thirty-Six turned to Chen Changsheng and advised, "Teach your wife well, don"t let her always come out to make trouble for the rest of us."
Chen Changsheng chuckled but said nothing.
By the time they returned to the Orthodox Academy, it was already very late at night. Xuanyuan Po was awakened by their shouts so that he could open the gate. Under the light of the lantern, it could be seen that the demi-human youth"s right arm was wrapped in bandages while his left hand was holding a walking stick. He looked like a soldier that had come back after being discharged from the army, with an indescribable misery and dejection hanging about him, a deep concern that he might not be able to stand steady.
"Weren"t you treating him? How come his condition is getting worse the more you treat him?" Tang Thirty-Six was somewhat astonished and turned to Chen Changsheng.
Chen Changsheng felt somewhat helpless. "If you can have him be well-behaved for two days, and not hit every tree he sees or kick every rock, perhaps he might recover faster."
Xuanyuan Po, rather embarra.s.sed, rubbed his head. "I won"t do it in the future, or else it"ll be like tonight where I missed the Ivy Festival. That"s far too sad."
Jin Yulu knew that with all the things that had happened tonight, the princess would a.s.suredly wish to speak with Chen Changsheng and the others. After saying a few words, he took the carriage and returned to the Hundred Herb Garden.
The four people moved from the gate towards the library. Xuanyuan Po asked about what happened during the Ivy Festival, but before Luoluo could say anything, Tang Thirty-Six said, "Yes, we won."
As he spoke, his expression was very serene as if speaking of some mere trifle. He waved his hand as if waving off some speck of dust, and he seemed very light and refreshing.
Xuanyuan Po was a simple and honest demi-human youth and found it very difficult to grasp this sort of aesthetic or demeanor. He sincerely asked, "Won against who?"
"The Mount Li Sword Sect wanted to challenge the Orthodox Academy, and thus we defeated them."
Tang Thirty-Six continued, "Right, I forgot to mention one thing. Right now, I"m also a student of the Orthodox Academy. You can address me as Senior Brother Tang."
Xuanyuan Po was not very interested in the fact that this fellow had suddenly become his schoolmate and although he was simple and honest, he would not so obediently call this fellow his senior brother. However, when he heard that the Orthodox Academy had defeated the Mount Li Sword Sect, he couldn"t help but grumble, "You wake me up in the middle of the night just to tell me this joke?"
"It"s not a joke, we really did defeat the Mount Li Sword Sect," Luoluo said.
Xuanyuan Po was flabbergasted. He still felt that this was a joke, but…the joker was the princess and he did not dare retort.
Only when they were seated on the pitch-black floor of the library did this demi-human youth finally understand that they were speaking the truth. When he thought of how a day ago, he felt his foot itch and wanted to kick a stone on the lake sh.o.r.e into pieces, thus breaking the bones in his feet and making it impossible for him to attend the Ivy Festival, he grew angry at himself. To not be able to see the events of tonight was truly too unfortunate.
It had been a seemingly endless night, yet these youths had no mind to sleep. The three youths that had attended the Ivy Festival were already exhausted to the extreme, yet their minds were still excited. Each one had their own reasons for this. For Tang Thirty-Six, it was because of freedom. For Luoluo, it was because of victory. For Chen Changsheng, it was because of proof. In brief, they all wished to continue chatting so as to have this happiness last just a little longer.
Chen Changsheng took out some roast barley tea that he had stored away and said, "To drink this type of tea late at night not only has no adverse effects, it"s also good for your spleen and stomach."
Luoluo would not permit him to labor. She took the tea and began to brew it.
In a short time, the tea was ready.
"Even if you went, you could only be a spectator. If you were compelled to take part by the words of those southerners, the best we could do would be a tie, because you would definitely lose, and Chen Changsheng would lose as well."
Tang Thirty-Six took the tea from Luoluo and casually remarked to Xuanyuan Po.
Then he remembered that this tea had been brewed and personally delivered into his hands by Princess Luoluo. He instantly felt as if the tea in his cup was scalding hot and almost dropped it.
Even the old ancestors of his clan had probably not drunk tea personally poured by the demi-human princess.
Chen Changsheng was truly lucky. How had he managed to just randomly take a female student and have it turn out that she was the daughter of the White Emperor?
As he thought of all this, the gaze he aimed at Chen Changsheng became rather peculiar.
Just as he was doing all this, Xuanyuan Po said with envy, "To see all of you shine from a distance is also quite good."
Tang Thirty-Six got even angrier at these words. Putting down the tea cup, he said, "Shine? That was all taken up by Chen Changsheng himself. We were just two puppets."
"Teacher had you retreat, and didn"t you retreat?"
Luoluo concluded, "You say that you were unwilling, but your body seemed quite obedient."
An awkward silence settled over them.
Tang Thirty-Six rather crudely changed the subject. "Are you guys really not interested in that matter?"
"What matter?"
"Why I wanted to leave the Heavenly Dao Academy."
Chen Changsheng and Luoluo did not respond, while Xuanyuan Po showed his opinion by lowering his head to drink his tea.
Rather incensed, Tang Thirty-Six ignored them and continued, "Zhuang Huanyu is Vice Princ.i.p.al Zhuang"s son, born from his previous wife. Yeah, his mother is already dead, and when he was young, he lived a very bitter life… Later on, father and son reunited in the capital, and many years ago, Vice Princ.i.p.al Zhuang and my mother…well, you get the idea."
This was not a very complex drama involving familiar grudges and it wasn"t too melodramatic. Tang Thirty-Six could be considered as someone who was caught in the crossfire.
Chen Changsheng did not respond, as it involved the secrets of others, and he was fine knowing the rough outline. He was more interested in the grudge between Guardian Jin and Mount Li Elder Xiao Songgong.
Hearing him ask, Tang Thirty-Six also turned to Luoluo and said, "How can an outstanding hero like General Jin serve as a carriage driver or butler? No matter how esteemed Your Highness is, this matter is still improper."
Luoluo replied, "Uncle Jin is only willing to take up small concerns like managing money. Even Royal Father couldn"t persuade him otherwise, so what can I do?"
The story between Jin Yulu and Xiao Songgong was similarly not that complicated, but it carried a thicker scent of blood.
Many years ago, in that great war with the demons, the grain shipment that Xiao Songgong of the Mount Li Sword Sect and several of his fellow disciples were in charge of escorting arrived late. According to military law, they were all to be executed. At the time, Xiao Songgong and his fellow disciples were young talents with boundless potential, similar in status to the current Divine Kingdom"s Seven Laws. The southern generals in the allied army strenuously pleaded for mercy and the one in charge of logistics, Jin Yulu, staunchly refused. After three people were executed, it was finally the turn of Xiao Songgong, who was most valued by the Mount Li Sword Sect. At this point, the Sect Master of Mount Li earnestly requested for Great Zhou Emperor Taizong to personally step forward. It was only after the White Emperor sent several imperial decrees in a row that Jin Yulu was finally compelled to agree.
Because of this matter, the Sect Master of Mount Li sent the secrets of the Mount Li Sword Style to the White Emperor as a gift. However, it was also because of this matter that after the war with the demons concluded, Jin Yulu firmly refused to accept the White Emperor"s conferment of a n.o.ble t.i.tle, choosing instead to retire to the eastern banks of the River of Oblivion to live as a farmer. Only after Luoluo was born did he finally return to the Imperial Palace within White Emperor City.
The story of the past had been told and returned to the present.
The happy night was just about to pa.s.s. Tomorrow, the sky would be covered in dark clouds.
The youths within the library began to ponder those problems the Orthodox Academy would have to confront in the immediate future.
Chen Changsheng sighed, then said, "I don"t know what will happen tomorrow, but I think it will certainly be very troublesome."