Chapter 84: Nighttime Conversation
By the Luo River, the night willows swayed gently.
Luoluo opened her eyes wide and looked at Chen Changsheng, saying, "I am also very happy to have met you."
Tang Thirty-Six scratched his head, feeling that it was time for him to express his stance. "Alright, I'm also happy to have met everyone."
Chen Changsheng was speaking from the heart. Back when he decided to come to the capital from the old temple in Xining Town, how could he have imagined he would encounter so many things and meet so many people? That he, an ordinary youth, could actually come to know the young master of the Wenshui Tang family, a genius on the Azure Cloud Rankings, and even more so, the only daughter of the White Emperor, the most noble princess of the demon race on this continent.
"Don't always think of yourself as an ordinary youth."
Tang Thirty-Six, seeing his expression, knew what he was thinking. "On the day of the Heavenly Academy entrance exam, I was very certain that you were not an ordinary person, but a genius... Why was I so sure you were a genius? Because even a genius like me wanted to get close to you."
Chen Changsheng recalled that this fellow had said something similar back at the inn. It seemed like praise for him, but in truth, it was still self-praise.
Luoluo felt that Tang Thirty-Six made a lot of sense. She had always believed Chen Changsheng was the most talented person in the world.
"And you are Xu Yourong's fiancé."
Tang Thirty-Six looked at him with emotion. "Just based on that, who on this continent would dare to think you're an ordinary person?"
Luoluo clapped her little hands, her face full of admiration. "Yes, yes."
Chen Changsheng was momentarily stunned, then looked at Tang Thirty-Six and said, "I feel like that's the real point you wanted to make."
"The real point I want to make is that from now on, when something this amazing happens, you should remember to tell us immediately."
Tang Thirty-Six extended his hand toward him. "Let me see it."
"What do you want to see?" Chen Changsheng didn't understand his meaning.
"The marriage contract, of course."
Tang Thirty-Six looked at him as if he were an idiot. "That's Xu Yourong's marriage contract!"
After being announced in the hall, the marriage contract had returned to Chen Changsheng's embrace. Seeing the eager anticipation in Tang Thirty-Six's eyes, he couldn't bring himself to refuse. But thinking that the contract contained Xu Yourong's birth date and time, he took it out but didn't open it, indicating that just looking at the outside would be enough.
Tang Thirty-Six had no objection to this. Just being able to touch Xu Yourong's marriage contract was satisfying enough for him. Even Luoluo curiously leaned in.
Tang Thirty-Six stroked the surface of the contract with his hand, sighing with deep emotion. "Xu Yourong, Xu Yourong... I never thought you'd see this day."
Chen Changsheng put the contract back into his embrace and asked, puzzled, "What day?"
Tang Thirty-Six said, "The day you get married."
Chen Changsheng was confused. "Isn't it normal for a girl to get married?"
Tang Thirty-Six replied, "A woman like Xu Yourong... she always gave people the feeling she would never marry."
Chen Changsheng was speechless. Then, thinking of the name that often appeared alongside Xu Yourong, he asked, "Then... what about Qiushan Jun?"
Tang Thirty-Six found this fellow terribly dull. "Tonight was supposed to be extremely joyful. Why do you have to bring up unpleasant things?"
Luoluo asked, "Even if she marries, why are you happy?"
Tang Thirty-Six said seriously, "I'm happy on behalf of all those young people on the Azure Cloud Rankings who have been crushed by her all these years."
Luoluo nodded. "You're one of those young people."
Tang Thirty-Six looked a bit embarrassed. "So what? Anyway, she's getting married. Surely she won't still be running around fighting and killing all day?"
Luoluo said, "Why not? Who says a woman has to stay behind closed doors after marriage? Her Majesty the Saint wouldn't agree with you."
"As long as someone agrees with me."
Tang Thirty-Six looked at Chen Changsheng. "Keep your wife in line. Don't let her keep coming out to make us miserable."
Chen Changsheng smiled and said nothing.
...
...
When they returned to the National Academy, the night was already deep. Xuanyuan Po was woken up to open the door. Under the lantern light, the demon youth had his right arm in a sling and leaned on a crutch with his left hand. He looked like a veteran soldier just returned from the battlefield, indescribably desolate and pitiful, making one worry if he could even stand steady.
"Aren't you supposed to be treating his injuries? How is he getting worse?" Tang Thirty-Six asked Chen Changsheng in surprise.
Chen Changsheng looked helpless. "If you could get him to behave for two days, not wanting to punch every tree he sees or kick every rock, maybe his injuries would heal faster."
Xuanyuan Po rubbed his head sheepishly. "I won't do it again. Otherwise, missing the Ivy Banquet like tonight would be too much of a pity."
Jin Yulu knew that after everything that had happened tonight, His Highness would surely have things to discuss with Chen Changsheng and the others. He left a few words and drove the carriage back to the Hundred Herbs Garden.
The four of them walked from the gate toward the library. Xuanyuan Po asked a few questions about what happened at the Ivy Banquet that night. Before Luoluo could say anything, Tang Thirty-Six spoke up. "Yes, we won."
When he said this, his expression was calm, as if talking about something trivial. He waved his hand as if brushing away a speck of dust, exceptionally carefree.
Xuanyuan Po was a simple demon youth, hardly able to grasp such aesthetic flair. He asked honestly, "Won against who?"
"The Lishan Sword Sect challenged our National Academy, and we defeated them."
Tang Thirty-Six said, "Oh, I forgot to tell you something. I'm now a student of the National Academy too. You can call me Senior Brother Tang."
Xuanyuan Po wasn't particularly interested in this fellow suddenly becoming his classmate. Though he was simple and honest, he wasn't about to actually call him senior brother. But hearing him say the National Academy had defeated the Lishan Sword Sect, he couldn't help saying, "You woke me up in the middle of the night just to tell me this joke?"
"It's not a joke." Luoluo looked at him. "We really did defeat the Lishan Sword Sect."
Xuanyuan Po was stunned for a moment, still thinking it was a joke... but the person telling the joke was His Highness, so he didn't dare argue.
It wasn't until he sat down on the dark floor of the library that the demon youth realized they were telling the truth. Thinking about how two days ago, his foot had itched to kick that stone by the lake, shattering it and consequently breaking his foot bone, which led to him missing the Ivy Banquet, he was furious with himself. Missing the chance to see tonight's events was such a pity.
The long night stretched on, but the young people had no desire to sleep. The three who had attended the Ivy Banquet were extremely tired, yet their spirits remained high, each for their own reasons. Tang Thirty-Six because of freedom, Luoluo because of victory, Chen Changsheng because of vindication. In short, they wanted to keep talking, to prolong this joy a little longer.
Chen Changsheng took out his treasured roasted barley tea. "Drinking this tea late at night won't harm your spirit; in fact, it's good for the spleen and stomach."
Luoluo wouldn't let him do it himself. She took the tea and went to brew it.
Soon enough, the tea was ready.
"Even if you had gone, you'd only have been a spectator. If those southerners had pressured you into the arena, we'd at most have ended in a draw, because you would definitely have lost, and Chen Changsheng would definitely have lost too."
Tang Thirty-Six took the tea Luoluo handed him and said casually to Xuanyuan Po.
Then he remembered that this tea was brewed by Her Highness Luoluo and personally handed to him. Suddenly, the teacup in his hand felt scalding hot, and he nearly dropped it.
The demon princess herself had poured tea—even the ancestors in his family had probably never enjoyed such treatment.
This Chen Changsheng fellow was incredibly lucky. How could he just pick up a random female student who turned out to be the White Emperor's daughter?
As he thought about it, the way he looked at Chen Changsheng grew a bit strange.
Just then, Xuanyuan Po said enviously, "Even standing far away and watching your glory would have been wonderful."
Hearing this, Tang Thirty-Six grew even more annoyed. He set down his teacup and said, "Glory? Chen Changsheng took all of that for himself. The two of us were just puppets."
"When the teacher told you to retreat, didn't you retreat?"
Luoluo said, "You say you don't want to, but your body was pretty obedient."
Silence fell. The atmosphere grew awkward.
Tang Thirty-Six changed the subject somewhat stiffly. "Aren't you two really curious about that matter?"
"What matter?"
"Why I left the Heavenly Academy."
Chen Changsheng and Luoluo didn't respond. Xuanyuan Po lowered his head and drank his tea, making his stance clear.
Tang Thirty-Six was a bit annoyed. Ignoring them, he continued, "Zhuang Huanyu is Vice Dean Zhuang's son, from his first wife. Hmm, his mother died very early. He had a hard life in his hometown as a child... He only reunited with his father when he came to the capital. And many years ago, Vice Dean Zhuang and my mother... Anyway, you get it."
It wasn't a complicated family grudge story, not too melodramatic. He could be said to have been caught in the crossfire.
Chen Changsheng didn't respond. It involved someone else's private matters; knowing the gist was enough. He was more interested in the feud between General Jin and the Lishan elder, Xiao Songgong.
Hearing his question, Tang Thirty-Six looked at Luoluo and said, "A heroic figure like General Jin—how can he be reduced to a coachman or steward? Even if Your Highness's status is noble, this isn't right."
Luoluo said, "Uncle Jin is willing to handle trivial matters like finances. Even my father can't sway him. What can I do?"
The story between Jin Yulu and Xiao Songgong was similarly uncomplicated, just a bit more bloody.
Many years ago, during the great war with the demon race, Xiao Songgong of the Lishan Sword Sect and several of his fellow disciples were responsible for escorting supplies, all of which arrived late. By military law, they were to be executed. At the time, Xiao Songgong and his fellow disciples were promising young talents, comparable to the current Seven Laws of the Divine Kingdom. The southern generals in the allied forces pleaded desperately for their lives, but Jin Yulu, in charge of logistics, was adamant. He executed three of them, finally reaching the Lishan Sect's most valued disciple, Xiao Songgong. The Lishan Sect Leader begged the Great Zhou Emperor Taizong to intervene personally, and the White Emperor issued several imperial decrees before Jin Yulu was forced to relent.
For this matter, the Lishan Sect Leader gifted the complete Lishan Sword Technique to the White Emperor as thanks. But also because of this, after the war with the demon race ended, Jin Yulu resolutely refused the White Emperor's rewards and titles. He lived a simple life farming on the eastern slopes of the Wangchuan River, only returning to the White Emperor City's palace after Luoluo was born.
The stories of the past were all told. Now, they returned to the present.
The joyful night was about to pass. Tomorrow, dark clouds would gather.
The young people in the library began to think about the problems the National Academy would face next.
Chen Changsheng sighed. "I don't know what will happen tomorrow, but I think there will definitely be big trouble."