Chapter 34: Taking a Disciple (Part 2)
Ever since Master picked him up by that small stream, the words Chen Changsheng had heard most often were: "Your fate is not good." Especially on that night when he turned ten, when a strange fragrance emanated from his body, those five words had settled into his heart like an annotation.
If one wanted to change a bad fate, there were only two methods. One was to cultivate to the Divine Concealment realm, naturally escaping the cycle of fate—but the Divine Concealment realm existed only in legends. Even whether that once-unmatched lone warrior had ever entered the Divine Concealment realm was a question.
The second method was naturally to defy heaven and change fate. According to legend, and as his master had also told him, since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, there had only been three successful cases of defying heaven and changing fate. Those three individuals possessed unparalleled talent and world-shaking power. He was merely an ordinary person—how could he possibly achieve it?
Whether he could achieve it or not, it was ultimately something he had to do. So he had to participate in the Grand Examination, and he had to make the ranked list. Only then would he have the chance to enter the Lingyan Pavilion, which was strictly forbidden to anyone else, to look at the portraits of those people and see what they had left behind.
The Lingyan Pavilion housed the portraits of twenty-four meritorious officials from the Taizong era. Later, other famous ministers who died were also painted there. But what truly mattered were the original twenty-four portraits. Within those twenty-four paintings might be hidden the evidence and clues to the Great Zhou Dynasty's second successful defiance of heaven and change of fate.
Chen Changsheng awoke from his contemplation, withdrew his gaze from somewhere in the imperial palace back to the scene before him, and looked back at the young girl sitting on the floor.
He liked this child very much, but he could not accept her as a student. The young girl lived in the Hundred Herbs Garden, had been assassinated by demons the night before, and her origins were bound to be extraordinary. The most likely possibility was that she was one of those imperial descendants whom the Holy Maiden Empress had exiled to the outer provinces, only to be secretly brought back. How could he provoke such a figure?
Moreover, he didn't want to mislead someone else's child.
"I need to wash up and rest for a while. You go home first. Don't follow me."
Chen Changsheng said this, deliberately making his tone and expression colder. Without waiting for the girl to refuse, he left the library.
He only hoped she would back off when faced with difficulty. When night fell, he returned to the library and, seeing that the girl was not there, finally relaxed. He began to continue drawing starlight to refine his marrow, and in a meditative state, he unknowingly waited until dawn arrived—another night had passed.
All those starlight rays had entered his body, yet he still didn't know this. He only knew that his skin and hair had not changed at all, and his marrow refinement had made no progress. But he had grown accustomed to this. It was just that when he opened his eyes, he felt a certain emptiness in his right arm, a sense of unfamiliarity.
He was silent for a moment, then left the library and returned to the small building to bathe.
The hot water in the wooden tub released steam, slowly rising along the green vines on the wall, then being cut into countless wisps of smoke-like threads. He soaked in the hot water, leaning against the tub's edge with his eyes closed, feeling tired. The morning campus was so quiet that he felt something was missing.
Just like when he had opened his eyes earlier and realized something was missing from his right arm.
There was no clear, pleasant voice. No one clung to his arm with attachment.
In just a few days, he had grown accustomed to the presence of that young girl. Thinking of this, he felt somewhat embarrassed, his face growing hot. He realized that no matter how much he cultivated the Dao and sought peace of mind, pursuing the will of the heart, he still couldn't completely shake off vanity and the influence of other emotions.
He draped a wet towel over his face, not wanting the morning light to see his slightly flushed cheeks.
Suddenly, a loud crash erupted from the courtyard wall beside the wooden tub. Dust billowed, and bricks and stones collapsed.
Chen Changsheng pulled off the towel and stared in shock. Through the dust, he could vaguely see... a large hole had appeared in the wall.
The dust gradually settled. Luoluo walked through the large hole in the wall.
She turned her head and saw Chen Changsheng in the wooden tub. She was especially delighted and said, "I didn't miscalculate the position—it's right here!"
This wasn't said to Chen Changsheng but to the clan subordinates behind her who were carrying mason's tools.
In an instant, behind the quiet small building, beneath the old wall, the dense sound of construction began.
The busy people didn't look at the wooden tub at all, as if they couldn't see the youth inside.
Watching this bustling construction scene, Chen Changsheng felt the water in the tub rapidly cooling, and his body was also growing cold. He was so shocked he couldn't speak, his mouth slightly open like an idiot. He felt this scene was utterly absurd, and his presence within it was even more absurd.
Not long after, a brand-new wooden door appeared in the courtyard wall.
Those people retreated like a tide back into the Hundred Herbs Garden. The wooden door closed, and the National Teaching Academy was once again as quiet as before.
Well, there was now an extra door, and one extra person.
"This makes it much more convenient to come over every day. No need to take a carriage."
Luoluo placed her hands on her hips, looking at the door with great satisfaction.
Silence. No one answered her.
She turned to look and saw Chen Changsheng, like a frozen quail, gripping the wooden tub with both hands, looking quite amusing.
Luoluo said seriously, "Master, please continue. Don't mind me."
Suddenly, Chen Changsheng's expression became extremely grave, with infinite terror in his eyes.
He looked at the azure sky behind her and said in a trembling voice, "Dragon?!"
Luoluo was startled and turned to look. The sky was a pure blue—where was there any dragon?
Just then, she heard the sound of splashing water behind her.
She turned to see Chen Changsheng, at lightning speed, pulling on an outer robe, vaulting out of the tub, and sprinting toward the forest. As he ran, water dripped everywhere. He looked utterly disheveled—like a drowned dog, or even more like a stray cur.
Watching this scene, Luoluo couldn't help but laugh out loud. She waved at his retreating back and shouted, "Master, you'll always come back."
Chen Changsheng's figure disappeared at the edge of the forest.
The smile on Luoluo's face gradually faded, replaced by a hint of sadness. She sighed softly, "Master, why won't you accept me?"
...
...
Chen Changsheng was drenched, his black hair loose, not even wearing shoes on his feet. He felt utterly miserable but didn't dare return to the National Teaching Academy to change clothes. In all of the capital city, he couldn't find a place to go, because he was too ashamed to face anyone and couldn't find anyone to help him.
The inn outside the Heavenly Book Mausoleum was still available, but walking there from the north of the city was too far. He didn't want to be arrested by the City Patrol for improper attire, offending the imperial city's appearance. In the end, he had no choice but to go to the relatively closer Heavenly Dao Academy.
He successfully attracted the attention and ridicule of the Heavenly Dao Academy students. He had no choice but to pretend he couldn't see or hear them, until he finally found Tang Thirty-Six's residence. Without hesitation, he kicked the door open and said solemnly, "Lend me a set of clean clothes. I owe you a favor."
Tang Thirty-Six looked at his appearance, first stunned, then burst into loud laughter. But the time gap between the two reactions was a bit wide, making him seem somewhat dull, or slow to react. Still, to Chen Changsheng, that laughter was as grating as ever.
"A rare guest... truly a rare guest... What happened to you?"
"Although I never like wearing other people's clothes, I have no choice now. So, please hurry."
Chen Changsheng's tone was very serious.
Tang Thirty-Six could sense that if he delayed any longer, this guy might really get angry. Suppressing his laughter with effort, he got up and found him a set of clean clothes, tossing over two towels as well. "Dry your hair and feet. Don't worry, they're new towels."
"Thank you."
Chen Changsheng tidied himself up as quickly as possible, then let out a long sigh of relief. He looked around and realized that this guy really was a genius ranked thirty-sixth on the Azure Cloud List. Even in a place like the Heavenly Dao Academy, he had his own separate small building. But looking at the floor covered in crumpled paper balls, leftover meals from who knows how many days ago, and clutter scattered everywhere on the tables, chairs, and bed, he found that although the building was large, there was no place for him to sit.
"Sit down," Tang Thirty-Six said, completely unaware of his current distress.
"Sit where?" Chen Changsheng asked very seriously.
Tang Thirty-Six then remembered that this guy had some quirks. Helplessly, he stood up and said, "Come on, let's go eat."
As they walked along the Heavenly Dao Academy's paths toward the exit, Chen Changsheng once again drew many gazes. But this time, it wasn't because of his disheveled appearance, but because he was walking side by side with Tang Thirty-Six. The Heavenly Dao Academy students were surprised, wondering who this youth was, that he could chat and laugh with the famously aloof and arrogant Tang Thirty-Six.
They sat down in a very elegant eatery outside the Heavenly Dao Academy. Tang Thirty-Six suddenly remembered something, frowned, and looked at him seriously. "I went to the inn once and saw the note you left... Did you really enter the National Teaching Academy?"
Chen Changsheng nodded and asked, "What have you been doing these days?"
Actually, he wanted to ask Tang Thirty-Six why, knowing he had entered the National Teaching Academy, he hadn't come to find him. After all, in the capital, this was the only person he knew. Although he had always believed that enduring loneliness could accomplish many things, if he could avoid being lonely, that was also good.
But with his temperament, it was really hard to ask directly.
Hearing him admit to entering the National Teaching Academy, Tang Thirty-Six's expression grew somewhat grave. But seeing him change the subject, thinking this guy didn't want to talk about his sorrows, he said, "The Green Vine Banquet is about to open. Although I'm not afraid of anyone, I still need to make some preparations."
Chen Changsheng wondered, what was the Green Vine Banquet?
Tang Thirty-Six continued, "Speaking of which, how did you end up like this? When I was aiming for the top three on the Grand Examination list, I was struggling every day. Since your goal is the ranked list, how do you have the mood to have a water fight? Or... did something happen?"
"I really can't stay at the National Teaching Academy anymore."
Thinking about the past few days, about seeing that young girl whether he opened or closed his eyes, whether bathing or reading, Chen Changsheng felt somewhat dejected. For him, this was an extremely rare emotion.
Tang Thirty-Six thought he was suffering from endless coldness and contempt at the National Teaching Academy, and felt some sympathy. He patted him on the shoulder and said, "If it's really unbearable, leave that place. I... I'll write a letter and let you study in Wenshui."
Chen Changsheng sighed.
Seeing his gloomy expression, Tang Thirty-Six felt displeased. He thought, back when you were ruthlessly rejected by both the Heavenly Dao Academy and the Star Picking Academy, you were so calm and composed—that's why I valued you. Why are you like this now? Could it be that the National Teaching Academy really is a cursed place?
"Have a drink, sleep it off, and you'll be fine."
He had the owner bring two jugs of extremely strong liquor and pushed one in front of Chen Changsheng.
Chen Changsheng looked at the wine jug with some curiosity, then honestly said, "I've never drunk before."
Tang Thirty-Six broke the seal for him and said, "Drink it today, and then you'll have drunk."
Chen Changsheng had things on his mind, and Tang Thirty-Six did too. To be honest, the two youths weren't really that familiar with each other, didn't know much about each other, and naturally had little to talk about. So they just silently drank their wine bowls—what they call melancholy drinking.
Melancholy drinking is the easiest way to get drunk, especially for someone like Chen Changsheng, a first-time drinker who was enjoying it.
Of course, Tang Thirty-Six's tolerance wasn't much better.
"A genius like me, why would I have time to attend some Green Vine Banquet? But those idiot capital students actually dared to doubt this young master's strength..."
Tang Thirty-Six looked coldly at the students in Heavenly Dao Academy uniforms outside the railing and sneered, "This time, I'm definitely going to slap those people in the face!"
Chen Changsheng held his wine bowl with both hands, his eyes slightly squinted, clearly already tipsy. He slurred, "Green Vine Banquet... what is it?... Can... can we get some good food?... Is there wine?"
...
...
The capital had six academies with the longest history and the most respect: the Heavenly Dao Academy, the Star Picking Academy, the Ancestral Temple... The vicissitudes of history were all reflected in the green vines outside the gates of these six academies, so they were called the Six Green Vine Academies. Only students from the Six Green Vine Academies could directly participate in the Grand Examination without taking the preparatory exam. This shows the status of these six academies.
The Grand Examination preparatory exam was usually held in summer. The Six Green Vine Academies didn't need to take the preparatory exam, but they didn't want their students to miss an opportunity to sharpen themselves. So after the preparatory exam results were announced, the six academies would invite students who had passed the preparatory exam, along with their own students, to participate in a grand banquet.
Because of the participation of students from the Six Green Vine Academies, this banquet was far more intense than the preparatory exam. History had also proven that the rankings from this banquet were very close to the final rankings of the Grand Examination. Thus, it gradually came to be seen as a barometer for the Grand Examination.
Of course, the rankings here definitely didn't include those scholars still in the south or those cultivation geniuses who wouldn't easily make a move.
This banquet was the Green Vine Banquet.
Given Tang Thirty-Six's temperament, he wouldn't deign to participate in the Green Vine Banquet. But his relationship with the vice dean of the Heavenly Dao Academy had been deliberately exposed some days ago, leading to quite a bit of gossip. Additionally, a few young experts from the Six Green Vine Academies who were also on the Azure Cloud List had shown disdain toward him, so he decided to attend.
For this reason, he had been in seclusion at the Heavenly Dao Academy, training hard. Even knowing Chen Changsheng had gone to the National Teaching Academy, he had no time to visit.
Chen Changsheng set down his wine bowl, covered his mouth with his hand, burped, apologized somewhat sheepishly, and then said, "I wish you success."
Since the Green Vine Banquet was a contest among so-called geniuses, it naturally had nothing to do with him.
That's what he thought, but he forgot that the National Teaching Academy, where he was now studying, was also one of the Six Green Vine Academies.
Of course, the whole world seemed to have forgotten that.