Chapter 73: A Resentment Hard to Quell
Besides the stone wall in front of the Heavenly Book Mausoleum, what did the rankings selected by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion—such as the Azure Cloud List and the Gold Touch List—value most? Naturally, it was the battles between the strong on those lists. Anyone who made it onto the list, regardless of their status or background, would have combat experience, at least once.
Chen Changsheng had no such experience and asked, “Then how do we fight? Who fights?”
Luo Luo’s eyes grew even brighter. Her right hand gripped the handle of the Rainfall Whip at her waist as she stepped forward and said, “When the teacher has matters, the disciple handles the labor.”
Tang Thirty-Six, unwilling to let her seize this opportunity, said, “I’m the newcomer… let me show what I can do.”
On the current continent, the Mount Li Sword Sect held a special status because their younger generation was exceptionally strong. Tang Thirty-Six was indeed a prodigy, but he still couldn’t compare to them. Not to mention Gou Hanshi, even the other three young disciples of Mount Li were seen as easily capable of defeating him.
The Seven Laws of the Divine Kingdom, all from Mount Li… their rankings on the Azure Cloud List were far above Tang Thirty-Six’s.
Yet Tang Thirty-Six seemed not to consider this at all. He looked at Gou Hanshi, his eyes growing brighter with excitement.
The word “fear” had never been in his dictionary. He had originally planned to challenge Zhuang Huanyu, ranked tenth on the Azure Cloud List, on the second night of the Ivy Feast, but the academy had opposed it. Tonight, having just decided to join the National Academy, he encountered the chance to battle one of the Seven Laws of the Divine Kingdom—how could he miss it?
Yes, this was a good opportunity.
“If I recall correctly, the third night of this year’s Ivy Feast… should be the literary examination.”
Gou Hanshi didn’t look at Tang Thirty-Six. Instead, he gazed calmly at Chen Changsheng and said, “Since Her Highness has taken you as her teacher, you must have extraordinary qualities, and your knowledge must be profound. However, I’ve heard you failed to succeed in marrow cleansing. So, I think the literary examination would be an excellent choice.”
He didn’t fully articulate his meaning, but everyone understood.
As the other party in this marriage proposal—whether as the second or third party—Autumn Mountain Lord had not arrived. As his most trusted fellow disciple, Gou Hanshi’s intended target, nominally the National Academy, was in reality Chen Changsheng.
The Mount Li Sword Sect’s challenge to the National Academy was his challenge to Chen Changsheng.
The hall was very quiet. Gou Hanshi’s words sounded reasonable, fully demonstrating the Mount Li Sword Sect’s sympathy for the weak and pursuit of fairness. Since you failed at marrow cleansing, and the third night of the Ivy Feast happens to be the literary examination, what reason do you have not to participate?
But in truth, this proposal held no sympathy, let alone fairness.
Gou Hanshi had thoroughly read the Daoist canon and was learned across the north and south. Not only the young scholars in the hall, but even the old priests in the imperial palace who had spent their lives dealing with the Daoist canon couldn’t surpass him in a literary examination. This was a widely acknowledged fact across the continent. In terms of cultivation realm, Gou Hanshi was still young and insignificant compared to seniors who had trained for centuries. But when it came to the breadth of his knowledge, he was truly the strongest.
For him to compete with Chen Changsheng in a literary examination—where was the fairness? This was pure bullying, a ruthless and cold crushing of the weak by the strong.
Luo Luo’s gaze sharpened. She stared at Gou Hanshi with a very hostile expression and shouted, “Absurd!”
Gou Hanshi’s expression remained unchanged. He first bowed to her, then said, “May I ask Your Highness, what is absurd about it?”
Tang Thirty-Six sneered and said, “The entire continent knows you’ve read the Daoist canon and are exceptionally learned. Where would one find someone to match you? And you want to compete with that guy in these areas? Aren’t you ashamed? Isn’t your proposal absurd?”
Gou Hanshi looked at him calmly and said, “I am also an ordinary person. I don’t have a better memory or more talent than others. My family was poor when I was young, and I couldn’t start reading from birth. The only thing I know is hard study. Reading is my cultivation, and knowledge is my ability, just as strength is the ability of tigers and leopards. I represent Mount Li in challenging the National Academy. Should I abandon my own ability? I use my ability to walk in this world—why should I feel ashamed? I defeat my opponents with my ability—where is the absurdity?”
“Fallacy,” Tang Thirty-Six said. “I’m best at sleeping. So if I challenge you to see who can sleep longer, would you agree?”
Gou Hanshi smiled and said, “If the rules of the Ivy Feast included a sleeping contest, I’d have no problem competing with you.”
Tang Thirty-Six was stumped by this retort. After a long pause, he sneered, “Then how do we do the literary examination? Is the Archbishop going to set the exam on the spot? Why bother with that? Since we all missed the second night of the Ivy Feast, why not just fight directly?”
Gou Hanshi said calmly, “If you insist, I have no objection… You can decide the method and the opponent.”
The people in the hall were slightly surprised. Tang Thirty-Six hadn’t expected Gou Hanshi’s change in attitude either.
With Gou Hanshi’s words, Guan Feibai and the other two young Mount Li disciples stood up expressionlessly and walked behind him.
Seeing this scene, everyone realized they had misunderstood Gou Hanshi earlier.
The so-called literary examination was indeed a sure-win situation for Mount Li. But if they wanted a martial contest, Chen Changsheng had even less chance.
Among the Southern delegation, the Mount Li Sword Sect had few members. Besides Elder Xiao Songgong, there were only four young people.
The Four Laws of the Seven Laws of the Divine Kingdom.
Just then, Chen Changsheng’s voice rang out again.
He looked at Gou Hanshi and said, “I agree with your point. Whatever is gained through cultivation is one’s own ability, like the strength from food eaten. Using it for anything is our freedom. Coincidentally… I’m also an ordinary person, and as it happens, I’ve also read some books.”
Both ordinary people, both having read some books—truly a coincidence, perfect for a comparison.
“In the end, resentment is hard to quell.”
The Archbishop smiled at Chen Changsheng with a faint, meaningful look.
Then he looked outside the hall.
The autumn wind was cool. The lanterns of the Seventh Night of the Seventh Month were among the people, not in the palace, making it even colder.
The old man tightened his clothes and said, “If this battle doesn’t happen, Autumn Mountain Lord will surely be resentful when he learns of it. Tang Thirty-Six couldn’t participate in the first two nights of the Ivy Feast, so he’s also resentful. You Southerners also missed the first two nights. So, let’s fight. But it’s late, so make it quick.”
…
…
The palace gates opened. The light of night pearls scattered into the darkness, brightly illuminating the square before the hall.
Outside the palace, the streets of the capital were still lively. In the distance, someone was releasing eternal lanterns, and in the southwest corner, a tree of fire was burning.
Hundreds of people stood on the stone steps before the hall, watching the two factions standing on the east and west sides of the square. Their expressions varied—some indifferent, some gloating, some secretly worried—but none showed tension.
In past Ivy Feasts, the covert struggles between the capital’s academies never ceased, often leading to intense scenes. This year, the first night ended abruptly because Luo Luo crippled Tianhai Yae’er. The second night had no thrilling stories either. On the third night, everyone thought the highlight would be the Southern delegation’s marriage proposal, and indeed a grand drama unfolded. But only now, at this very moment, had the true battle finally arrived.
Unfortunately, this battle was already decided before it began, so there was naturally no tension.
Gou Hanshi wouldn’t personally participate in the fight. His cultivation level had already surpassed his peers by a wide margin. Like Autumn Mountain Lord, he had left the Azure Cloud List and entered the Gold Touch List. Fighting either Luo Luo or Tang Thirty-Six would seem like bullying the weak.
His earlier proposal for a literary examination with Chen Changsheng also considered this. A literary contest only involved words, not disturbing heaven and earth. There would be victory or defeat, but no casualties.
This contest between the National Academy and the Mount Li Sword Sect would have its method and opponent chosen by the National Academy. The Mount Li Sword Sect appeared generous, but in reality, it made little difference. The Mount Li disciples who came to the capital were all members of the Seven Laws of the Divine Kingdom. For the National Academy, defeating any of them was extremely difficult.
“I originally wanted to pick the Fourth Law… I knew this guy before.”
Tang Thirty-Six pointed at Chen Changsheng and said to Luo Luo, “But since tonight is a battle between academy and sect, I can’t follow my whims. The Fourth Law is the strongest, so naturally, I have to leave him to you. I’ll try to pick that guy named Qijian.”
Luo Luo said, “I have no objection.”
Chen Changsheng thought for a moment and said, “That doesn’t give us much chance of winning.”
Tang Thirty-Six sneered at him and said, “I’d like to use the ancient method of horse racing—sacrificing the inferior to match the superior… But the problem is you’re too weak to even go out. So I have to try to win two consecutive matches to keep you from making a fool of yourself.”
Luo Luo, however, had strong confidence in Chen Changsheng, though she didn’t know where it came from.
Just then, the Mount Li Sword Sect members stepped forward.
At the front was a young boy with a childish face and a thin frame, looking underdeveloped, even smaller than Luo Luo.
This was Qijian, the last and weakest of the Seven Laws of the Divine Kingdom.
Qijian was the Mount Li Sword Sect leader’s youngest disciple, quite young, but he had once ranked in the top ten of the Azure Cloud List. Only last year, at some gathering, he lost to Zhuang Huanyu by half a move and fell to eleventh place. Still, no one dared underestimate him.
Because he was truly young.
His Mount Li sword robe was loose, flapping in the night wind, looking somewhat endearing.
Tang Thirty-Six watched this scene and sighed, “How can I bring myself to hit him?”
Chen Changsheng sighed and said, “It’s like you could beat him.”
Tang Thirty-Six was annoyed and glared at him.
Chen Changsheng smiled and said nothing.
Tang Thirty-Six fell silent for a moment, then said, “If we manage to win these two matches by luck, this guy won’t have to go out. If I lose, Luo Luo, you should just forfeit too. Lose two matches in a row, and this guy won’t have to fight.”
Chen Changsheng noticed he used the word “luck.”
Though fearless, it didn’t mean his blood was boiling recklessly.
Tang Thirty-Six was well aware of the opponent’s strength.
Luo Luo didn’t understand why, if he lost, she should also forfeit.
Was it more important for the teacher not to fight than for the National Academy to lose?
“Yes, the National Academy is just a few sparrows like us. Is losing to the Mount Li Sword Sect shameful? Well, it is a bit shameful, but that doesn’t matter. As long as you don’t go out… If you don’t go out, they can’t salvage their lost face today.”
Tang Thirty-Six looked across the square at the calm figure in the night and sneered, “Let them stew!”
With that, he gripped his sword hilt and walked toward the opposite side.