Chapter 33: Taking a Disciple (Part 1)
Between the National Teaching Academy and the Hundred Herbs Garden stood only an old wall, covered in climbing ivy, with moss thick at its base.
Secretary Jin and Secretary Li climbed a ladder, perched atop the wall, eavesdropping on the distant sounds from the Scripture Library. With their profound cultivation levels and the young Highness not deliberately hiding anything, they could clearly see what was happening there. When they witnessed the young Highness make that move, they immediately tumbled off the wall, landing hard.
The sound of heavy objects hitting the ground from the distant wall did not disturb the Scripture Library. In the quiet building, on the dark, gleaming floor, it was as if a frozen painting stood upright. Within that scene, Luoluo tightly embraced Chen Changsheng’s leg, while Chen Changsheng stood like a statue, not daring to move an inch.
“Let go, let go first.”
Chen Changsheng was very nervous, his voice trembling slightly. Although this little girl appeared to be only about ten years old, she was still a girl. Having her small hands tightly gripping his thigh was already extremely awkward. How could he dare to move? He could only keep shouting.
“If I let go, Master will run away,” Luoluo said very seriously.
Chen Changsheng felt helpless and quickly promised, “Don’t worry, I absolutely won’t run away. Let go first, then we can talk.”
Luoluo acted very obedient, seemingly trusting his words. She released her hands, then pointed to the floor in front of her, signaling him to sit down.
Chen Changsheng thought about how agile this little girl had been earlier, confirmed that he couldn’t escape from her small hands, silently sighed to himself, and sat down.
Seeing that he indeed hadn’t tried to slip away again, Luoluo was very pleased.
The Scripture Library was silent. Chen Changsheng didn’t know what to say and felt a bit awkward, but clearly, Luoluo didn’t feel that way.
She sat in front of him, propping her chin on her hands, watching him intently with a smile.
They were very close. Chen Changsheng could see his own face reflected in her bright black pupils and could sense her genuine joy—a pure, simple delight. For some reason, he found himself infected, and a feeling of happiness welled up from deep within him.
But he couldn’t agree to her request just because of happiness or liking. It seemed utterly unreasonable. He said seriously, “I really am just an ordinary person. You said it yourself earlier—I’ve only just fixed my destiny star, and I haven’t even succeeded in marrow cleansing. You’re already stronger than me. How can you want to take me as your master?”
Luoluo still propped her chin, watching him intently, as if she found him very pleasing to look at and couldn’t get enough: “Master, if you were just an ordinary person, how could you have done those things? Besides, you’re a good person.”
Chen Changsheng didn’t understand what their discussion had to do with being a good person or not, and asked puzzledly, “And then?”
“Last night, before I passed out, I saw you, Master, holding your sword, blocking the collapsing sky. So, Master is a good person.”
A different meaning suddenly appeared in Luoluo’s smile. “But actually, that wasn’t the last thing I saw. The last thing I saw was the sky full of stars—real stars. And at that time… Divine General Xue Xingchuan hadn’t arrived yet.”
Chen Changsheng realized she had seen it and felt somewhat resigned. He said, “So what?”
“Master, your sword could break through the smoke veil, so it’s naturally no ordinary sword. And you, naturally, are no ordinary person.”
Luoluo’s gaze dropped to the seemingly ordinary short sword at his waist.
Chen Changsheng looked out the window at the sky and suddenly exclaimed in surprise, “Ah!”
Luoluo followed his gaze out the window, puzzled, wondering what was wrong.
“It’s getting late.”
Chen Changsheng pointed out the window and said, “I need to go eat first. Can we talk another time?”
Luoluo’s cheeks puffed up like steamed buns, cute, and also like a little tiger, still cute.
She made a move as if to pounce.
Chen Changsheng’s voice changed slightly as he said, “Don’t use your hands!”
Although they had only spent a short time together, Luoluo had already roughly understood his personality. She knew pushing too hard wouldn’t be good. Reluctantly, she withdrew her hands and looked at Chen Changsheng, who had already silently reached the door of the Scripture Library, and said, “Master, just take me as your disciple, please.”
On the floor, her skirt spread out like a flower. She sat in the middle of the flower, pitiful and incredibly cute.
How could Chen Changsheng dare to look back? He would surely soften. He waved his hand repeatedly and fled as if escaping.
…
…
After eating a bowl of vegetable-soaked rice in Hundred Flowers Lane and wandering around the capital for half a day, guessing that the strange little girl should have left, Chen Changsheng finally returned to the National Teaching Academy. He entered the Scripture Library, saw that it was indeed empty, and finally relaxed.
As night fell, thinking about how he had shamelessly wasted so much time today, he prepared as quickly as possible, began to meditate, and planned to draw starlight for marrow cleansing again. But before he could close his eyes, he saw her skirt swaying slightly in the starlight as the little girl walked in.
Chen Changsheng asked helplessly, “I already told you, that’s impossible.”
Luoluo acted as if she hadn’t heard him and said on her own, “Master, I’ve moved all those things to your bedroom. Among those small buildings, only one has a stove—that should be where you live, right? I put the herbs in the attic to air out, and stored the rest under your bed.”
Chen Changsheng had already noticed that the night pearls and sword techniques on the floor had disappeared. He had thought the little girl had taken them away, but who would have guessed she had stored them in his small building for him? He had no idea how to react.
“I need to cultivate.”
He was very frustrated and really couldn’t bear to waste more time, missing the chance to draw starlight for marrow cleansing at night. So he simply pretended the little girl didn’t exist and tightly closed his eyes.
Suddenly, he smelled a very faint fragrance coming from the right side of his face.
He opened his eyes in slight surprise and saw that the little girl had already sat down beside him, less than a foot away. Any closer, and they would be touching.
He asked helplessly, “What exactly do you want?”
Luoluo’s eyes instantly brightened: “Master, I want to take you as my teacher!”
Chen Changsheng was speechless. He had to give up and closed his eyes, beginning to meditate.
Truly worthy of someone who had grown up with dry Taoist scriptures—under such close scrutiny from a little girl, he actually managed to enter a meditative state.
The sky gradually lightened. A rooster crowed among the residential houses, its sound drifting into the National Teaching Academy.
Chen Changsheng opened his eyes and slowly woke up. Suddenly, he felt a heaviness and numbness on his right shoulder.
He turned his head and was startled, then sighed.
The little girl was holding his arm, her head resting on his shoulder, sleeping soundly. It seemed she had slept like this all night.
Chen Changsheng gently woke her and said, “Go home.”
“No.” Luoluo rubbed her eyes, looking a bit aggrieved.
Chen Changsheng sighed and asked, “Why does it have to be like this?”
“Last night, while you were drawing starlight for marrow cleansing, Master, I held you and smelled you for a long time… I confirmed it. That scent is your scent. It really smells wonderful. Being by your side, Master, I feel comfortable, like I’ve eaten a longevity fruit.”
Luoluo recalled last night, her eyes growing even brighter, like the morning star that the dawn light couldn’t yet obscure. Then she smiled a little shyly and continued, “I’ve never eaten a longevity fruit, but I’ve heard my mother talk about them.”
Chen Changsheng was speechless again. Just because the scent was nice, she wanted to become his student? Just so she could smell his scent every day?
“My cultivation has hit a very troublesome obstacle. No one can solve it—not even the professors from the Heavenly Dao Academy or the Star Picking Academy. But you can solve it, Master… The method for circulating true essence in the Zhongshan Wind and Rain Technique can only be done using the eight words you said the night before last. That’s proof.”
Luoluo looked at him seriously and said, “So, I must take you as my teacher.”
Regarding the true essence circulation method of the Zhongshan Wind and Rain Technique, it was connected to the secrets within Chen Changsheng’s body. Of course, that wasn’t the main reason he refused this little girl: “I’m not qualified to teach you, and I don’t have time to teach you. I need to study, I need to cultivate. I have many important things to do.”
Luoluo had observed him all day and naturally knew he cherished time, even to an excessive degree. She asked, “Master, why are you in such a hurry?”
Yes, this cherishing of time even bordered on anxiety.
Chen Changsheng looked at the genuine concern in the little girl’s eyes and suddenly felt a warmth. He had always appeared very calm, and few people could see the anxiety and unease hidden beneath that calm exterior. For some reason, he suddenly felt like talking.
“I’m going to participate in the Grand Examination, and… I must take first place.” He looked at her seriously and said.
The early morning Scripture Library was at its quietest. There were no cicadas chirping or birds singing; even the frogs and insects were asleep.
A long time passed. There was no mockery, no surprised questioning.
Even Tang Thirty-Six would have some emotional reaction when he heard Chen Changsheng’s goal.
But Luoluo’s expression didn’t change at all. She looked seriously at Chen Changsheng, waiting for him to continue.
Chen Changsheng asked, “You… don’t think this goal is ridiculous? At least… a little surprising?”
“Ridiculous? Surprising? Why?”
Luoluo was puzzled by the question instead. She said, “Master is participating in the Grand Examination, of course you’ll take first place.”
The Scripture Library fell silent again. A distant bird chirped faintly, but it only made the silence deeper.
Chen Changsheng was stunned.
Her tone made him feel that if he didn’t take first place in the Grand Examination, that would be the strange thing.
He had never eaten the legendary longevity fruit, but he thought that even eating hundreds of them couldn’t make a person feel as comfortable as these words did.
“But, Master, why must you participate in the Grand Examination?”
Luoluo didn’t know how much comfort her reaction had brought Chen Changsheng. She asked curiously, “Do you want to see the Mausoleum of Books? I can take you there, Master.”
Chen Changsheng didn’t pay attention to the last part of her sentence.
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked toward the nearby imperial palace, toward the direction of the Lingyan Pavilion.
The top three in the Grand Examination could enter the Mausoleum of Books to view the steles and comprehend the Dao—that was what he wanted.
But in the Grand Examination, only first place offered the chance to meditate for one night in the Lingyan Pavilion.
That was what he wanted most.