Chapter 68: White Emperor as Surname, Part One
Having hunted geese all day, only to have one peck out your eye or slap your face—this saying didn't perfectly match the night's reality, but after Xu Yourong's letter and Tang Thirty-Six's two remarks, many people truly felt that way, as if their faces were burning with pain.
Xu Shiji's expression was extremely ugly. Of course, from the start of tonight's Green Vine Banquet, his face had never looked good. From a great distance, he stared at Chen Changsheng, flames of darkness burning in his eyes. At this moment, to salvage the Xu family's dignity and regain the Empress's trust, he had to do something—even if this was the imperial palace, he still wanted to kill Chen Changsheng.
No marriage contract, no white crane, no ancestral decree—nothing could serve as proof. As long as that youth died.
Among the palace attendants surrounding Chen Changsheng and Luoluo were his most loyal subordinates, even so-called death warriors. One of them gripped his sword hilt tightly, his expression as bewildered as his companions', but his eyes were fixed on the back of Chen Changsheng's neck. His gaze wasn't cold, to avoid arousing suspicion, but it was intensely focused.
If Xu Shiji narrowed his eyes and gave the signal, Chen Changsheng's neck might be severed by a swift blade—and that blade was indeed very fast.
But this bloody scene never unfolded, because just as Xu Shiji's intent stirred, two indifferent gazes fell upon him. One came from the Cardinal of the Teaching Council, that old man who often kept his eyes closed as if perpetually drowsy, yet always managed to open them at the most critical moments to say a few words, or simply to open them—opening one's eyes was an extremely simple action, faster than raising a hand, faster than drawing a blade. The other gaze that fell on Xu Shiji came from someone he least expected—Lady Moyu. Xu Shiji's expression shifted uncertainly, but in the end, he did nothing. If it had only been the Cardinal's warning, he might have risked a desperate strike, but Moyu's look made it impossible for him to make up his mind.
The atmosphere in the hall was now tense to the extreme, and awkward to the extreme, and thus silent to the extreme. After Tang Thirty-Six's mocking remarks, the Southerners were naturally furious but didn't know how to respond. Then, from somewhere among the scattered seats, a voice suddenly rang out.
"If the ancestors have decreed it, we should naturally respect it... but the marriage alliance between North and South is a matter of great importance. To resist the demons, what does a little personal sacrifice amount to?"
Judging by the seating position, the speaker was likely an ordinary scholar who had passed the preliminary imperial exams. No one knew why he said this—probably a young man who had read too many books and become rigid, thinking only of humanity's survival and future, and thus uttered such words.
As soon as he spoke, the entire hall fell silent, even quieter than before. Everyone remained mute, not in silent opposition, but because they knew this statement was utterly unreasonable, yet it was the last hope for this marriage to succeed. So they used silence to distance themselves, letting that passionate youth stand at the forefront.
Chen Changsheng looked toward him and saw the young man's expression was dazed and earnest, realizing he truly meant it. Thinking of this, he felt no anger, only a trace of sorrow—clearly, Emperor Taizong had led the allied forces of humans and demons to drive the demons back to Snow Old City, yet humans still couldn't shake the shadows of the past.
"Humans really are shameless."
Another voice rang out in the silent hall. These words seemed ordinary but were spoken from a high vantage point, or from a cold distance, offering a critique of all humanity. What made the humans in the hall even angrier was that, because of their earlier silence, they couldn't refute this statement.
This North-South marriage alliance had initially seemed like a grand event for the human world. Yet the Southerners had come to propose marriage while keeping Xu Yourong in the dark. If problems arose later, the Southern Sect and the Great Zhou court would likely cite parental decrees and matchmaker words. When Chen Changsheng suddenly appeared with the marriage contract, people only then thought to respect Xu Yourong's own opinion. And when the white crane gracefully arrived, bringing Xu Yourong's clear stance, someone still dared to speak of prioritizing all humanity's interests...
When you talk to these people about interests, they talk about ideals. When you talk about ideals, they talk about morality. When you talk about reason, they talk about the nation. In short, when they can't out-argue you, when they have no logic, they keep shifting ground until things go their way or as they imagine.
This was truly shameless.
The one who tore away the pretense and exposed everyone's shamelessness under the light of the night pearls was Luoluo.
She made no effort to hide her contempt and anger, looking at the people in the hall and saying, "Do you have any shame?"
The Southerners seated at the head of the hall were barely containing their fury. Guan Feibai, who had been holding back for a long time, suddenly stood up and shouted, "How dare you!"
Luoluo glanced at him, wanting to retort, but worried Chen Changsheng wouldn't like it, so she just snorted twice.
Chen Changsheng reached out and ruffled her hair, smiling as he said, "Why bother arguing with these people?"
Tang Thirty-Six shook his head beside him and said, "If we're going to fight, we can't lose at cursing first."
Chen Changsheng thought it over and said, "That makes sense, but I'm really not good at that."
"If you want to learn, I'll teach you," Tang Thirty-Six said, looking at him. Then he turned to face the Southern delegation's seats, his gaze landing on Guan Feibai, and cursed, "I'm talking about you! Even a little girl knows you're shameless—don't you feel it yourselves? How dare you? How dare your mother!"
Guan Feibai was furious to the extreme, his gaze icy cold.
Just then, the white crane gently touched Chen Changsheng's palm with its beak.
Chen Changsheng was slightly startled and looked at it. Though years had passed since they last met, they had once had dealings, and he vaguely understood its meaning—which was certainly also her meaning. He thought it over; since tonight's goal had been achieved, it was indeed best to leave early, or else it would make... some people very troubled.
"Let's go," he said to Luoluo and Tang Thirty-Six.
"Go?"
Elder Xiaosong of Lishan looked at them, his expression cold as he said, "Do you three little brats think you can just walk away?"
Hearing this, Luoluo's slender brows arched slightly. Chen Changsheng wanted to take her and Tang Thirty-Six away, just to give the Southern delegation a way out, but to outsiders, it still seemed like they were backing down first. She was already uncomfortable with that, and now the other side seemed unwilling to let it go—how could she show weakness?
"You old thing, do you dare to stop us?"
Elder Xiaosong's face grew even uglier, every wrinkle radiating hostility. At his level, one step from sagehood, he had sensed from the first moment he noticed Luoluo that she wasn't human. Because of a certain past incident, he had never had any goodwill toward the demon race—more accurately, he was filled with disgust.
With his status and position, why would he care about a little demon like her? What did it matter if he casually destroyed her?
Xiaosong said coldly, "Let's set aside other matters. Earlier, you little girl spoke rudely to me. I suppose I must teach you a lesson on behalf of your elders at home."
Hearing the words "elders at home," Luoluo's brows shot up, and she said angrily, "Who do you think you are, to speak so arrogantly!"
Back on the first night of the Green Vine Banquet, she had said almost identical words to the instructor of the Heavenly Academy.
On the third night of the Green Vine Banquet, she said them again. But Xiaosong was an elder of Lishan, far more honored than the Heavenly Academy, yet in her eyes, what difference was there between them?
Xiaosong had originally thought that, being in the Great Zhou imperial palace, he should show some face to the Zhou people, especially since disturbing Her Holiness the Empress would be most unwise. But after repeated humiliation tonight, especially this little girl showing him no respect, he could no longer control his temper and let out a furious roar!
The light of the night pearls in the hall flickered. Elder Xiaosong remained in place, his sword still in its sheath, but an extremely sharp sword intent had already left its scabbard and shot toward Luoluo!
Although Luoluo had proven her strength on the first night of the Green Vine Banquet, she was still a young girl. Even she, let alone Qiu Shanjun, could not be a match for Xiaosong, who was one step from sagehood. Faced with such powerful sword intent, how could she defend herself?
Xiaosong was clearly still cautious, so the sword intent was restrained and not violent—it probably wouldn't threaten Luoluo's life, but injury was inevitable.
Only then could he vent tonight's resentment and leave these juniors with a sufficiently deep lesson.
He thought he had been lenient enough, but he didn't realize that some people simply couldn't be harmed.
"No!" Prince Chenliu's face turned pale as he shouted in alarm.
Moyu's expression sharpened, her willow-leaf brows rising like swords as she cried, "Stop!"
Xiaosong's cultivation level was too high; they couldn't stop him, only hope he would hear their shouts and rein in his horse before the cliff.
The only one in the hall who could match Xiaosong was Mao Qiuyu, the Dean of the Heavenly Academy. Only he could block Xiaosong.
Mao Qiuyu's cloth robe fluttered lightly as he stared at the sword intent tearing through the air, his eyes like those of a celestial god, mist and rain swirling within them.
Prince Chenliu, Moyu, and Mao Qiuyu were the fastest to react to Xiaosong's attack in the hall, but not the first to react.
The first to react was Chen Changsheng.
No one noticed when he had stepped in front of Luoluo.
Like that night, like another night.
From the moment Luoluo became his disciple, he truly saw her as his student, and he had to protect her safety.
This was responsibility, and then it became instinct.
Chen Changsheng appeared before that fierce sword intent.
Xiaosong watched him expressionlessly. Since he couldn't kill anyone in the Great Zhou imperial palace and only wanted to wound someone to establish his authority, severely injuring this youth would be even better.
If this sword crippled the youth, would Xu Yourong still marry him in the future?
Of course, if the youth was unlucky enough to die, that might be the best outcome.
Mao Qiuyu had already prepared to act.
His sleeves gently brushed, as if about to dance in the breeze.
But the next moment, his sleeves suddenly froze.
Not because he wanted to watch Chen Changsheng die, but because someone else had already acted first.
A figure burst from the shadows in the corner of the hall, charging into the center!
This figure was unimaginably fast, its momentum as fierce as fire, causing a piercing screech in the air!
The joy of books lies in sharing—[ ]—Er Jiu