Chapter 25: They Have All Arrived
Guan Bai was the greatest pride of the Heavenly Academy in recent years, comparable to the status of Autumn Mountain Lord within the Li Mountain Sword Sect, and was known as the Great Name Guan Bai.
This young expert, possessing extraordinary talent in cultivation, had suffered a heavy blow several years ago when his arm was severed by Endless Azure.
Just when many thought he would sink into despair, no one expected him to crawl out of the abyss of hopelessness with resilience. Through relentless training, he restored his realm and strength. Coupled with years of arduous battles against powerful demons in the north, his sword path cultivation continuously advanced, directly breaking through the threshold of the upper Star Gathering realm. On the Carefree List, his position was nearing the top-ranked Liang Wangsun and Little De.
If Chen Changsheng chose Guan Bai as the Archbishop of the Hall of Heroes, whether in terms of virtue, merit, the background of the Heavenly Academy, or his legendary experiences, he would gain the broadest support. Even if someone wanted to question him, it would be difficult to voice it outright.
"Unexpected choices are often good choices."
Tang Thirty-Six frowned slightly and said, "The only problem is that his seniority is still too shallow, and... he is Zhuang Zhihuan's student. Having a student manage his teacher feels a bit strange, and I think Guan Bai himself would find it hard to accept."
Chen Changsheng said, "He should return for this Grand Court Examination. I'll try to persuade him when the time comes."
Back in the day, during the Cold Mountain Stone-Boiling Assembly, Guan Bai had fought against him. Chen Changsheng was severely injured and returned to the capital, indirectly triggering the earth-shattering events that followed. Guan Bai, on the other hand, went to Embrace Snow Pass, persisting for three years in the icy wasteland confronting the demons.
During those three years, Chen Changsheng was also in the snowy ranges of the north but never crossed paths with Guan Bai.
The room suddenly fell silent.
Because of the name Embrace Snow Pass and the thought of Guan Bai on the Carefree List, Chen Changsheng and Tang Thirty-Six were reminded of someone.
Xiao Zhang had been hunted across the land by experts and assassins from the Great Zhou military and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, eventually forced northward. It was said that a bloody battle occurred at Embrace Snow Pass, after which he vanished into the snowy plains. No one knew if he was still alive, and if so, what he was doing.
Thinking of the iron chain over the gorge, the domineering figure descending from the sky, the white paper rustling in the river wind, the city filled with the scent of tea, and the tea merchants who had sacrificed themselves without hesitation, Chen Changsheng and Tang Thirty-Six remained silent for a long time.
"Let's talk about serious matters."
Tang Thirty-Six disliked this oppressive atmosphere and said, "When will you give me the questions?"
Chen Changsheng looked bewildered, not understanding what he meant.
Tang Thirty-Six glanced outside the hall and lowered his voice, saying, "Not the written exam, the martial exam."
Chen Changsheng was stunned for a moment before realizing, his eyes widening as he said, "You want me to leak the questions?"
Seeing his clear, bright, and untainted eyes, Tang Thirty-Six felt a pang of shame, then inexplicable irritation.
"Don't forget that you're also the dean of the National Academy! What's wrong with getting some benefits for the students? Back then, if it weren't for Priest Xin rushing over to leak the questions to us, with your rigid and inflexible mind, could you have thought of borrowing a crane from Xu Yourong to cross Qujiang?"
If it were any other time, Chen Changsheng might have looked at him seriously and asked, "Is this what they call shame turning into anger?" But today, he said nothing, because in those words, he heard the name Priest Xin, which once again reminded him of that county town filled with the scent of tea.
Chen Changsheng walked to the window, looked out at the hall, and remained silent.
Priest Xin was dead, Archbishop Melisandre was long dead, and Uncle Master of the Doctrine was also dead.
This detached palace now belonged to him, but it felt unfamiliar because those he once knew were no longer there.
The detached palace was now somewhat desolate, but its will was more unified. Yet even so, it still couldn't confront the Great Zhou court head-on.
The most critical issue was that his master, Shang Xingzhou, held immense prestige within the state religion.
If the day of battle truly came, even if no one defected on the spot, at least a third of the detached palace's clergy would choose silence or retreat.
Spring was gradually emerging, and the green vines on the stone walls of the detached palace began to show their emerald and alluring forms.
Looking at those stone walls, thinking of the scene before he entered the National Academy back then, Chen Changsheng felt a surge of emotion.
In a sense, from birth to the moment he entered the National Academy, his entire life had been arranged by Shang Xingzhou.
His feelings toward Shang Xingzhou were complex.
He believed Shang Xingzhou felt the same toward him.
He had thought that the matter at White Emperor City might be a turning point.
Since Shang Xingzhou had tacitly allowed him to return to the capital, whether it was war or peace between master and disciple, there should have been some explanation.
But who could have guessed that Shang Xingzhou had gone to Luoyang...
You don't even want to see me once?
A crane's cry snapped Chen Changsheng out of his reverie.
Against the tender green vines and the azure sky, a few bright red streaks flashed by.
Those were red cranes delivering messages.
"What happened?"
Tang Thirty-Six walked to his side, watching the red cranes landing in various parts of the capital, and suddenly felt a sense of unease.
Not long after, Hu Sanshi'er approached and said, "The participants in the Grand Court Examination have arrived."
Hearing this, Tang Thirty-Six's unease didn't dissipate; it only grew.
The Grand Court Examination was indeed a grand event, but why would both the detached palace and the court urgently dispatch red cranes to relay the news?
"Who exactly has arrived?"
"The information I've received isn't complete."
Hu Sanshi'er glanced at Chen Changsheng and continued, "It seems quite a few have arrived."
Not long after, Linghai Zhiwang hurried in from outside the detached palace and said, "They have all arrived."
As cold and proud as he was, his voice trembled slightly when he uttered those three words.
It wasn't fear, of course, but excitement.
...
...
The scholars participating in the Grand Court Examination had gathered in the capital from all over the continent, many of them from the south.
The southern cultivation sects were numerous, the aristocratic families had deep foundations, and experts emerged in endless streams. In recent years, with the rise of the Li Mountain Sword Sect and the Huai Academy, the cultivation of the younger generation had far surpassed the northern forces represented by the Ivy Academies. But what shook the capital this year wasn't the pressure brought by the southern scholars, but the sheer number and fame of their accompanying teachers!
The Li Mountain Sword Sect had only two disciples participating in the Grand Court Examination, but over a dozen people accompanied them. This was a stark contrast to the sparse scene back when Gou Hanshi and others participated on their own. Moreover, among these dozen or so were renowned young sword path geniuses like Gou Hanshi, Guan Feibai, Liang Banhu, and Bai Cai. The rest were even more terrifying—all upper Star Gathering realm elders of the Sword Hall!
The Southern Creek Retreat had only one disciple participating in the Grand Court Examination, but all the disciples from the Saintess Peak had come.
Hundreds of young girls in white robes fluttered about, leaving the people of the capital utterly stunned.
Then there was the chief of Cijian Temple, the new sect master of the Sun Scorching Sect, and experts from over thirty southern sects entering the capital one after another.
The old lady of the Muzhe family and the head of the Wu family had returned to the capital for the first time since the incident at the Heavenly Book Mausoleum three years ago.
In a mountain outside the capital, someone even spotted the carriage of the Autumn Mountain family.
Linghai Zhiwang's words were very accurate.
Every southern expert that the world could recall, except for the sect master of the Li Mountain Sword Sect and those elders who had secluded themselves for years, had arrived.
No one knew that two Taoist nuns of indeterminate age had quietly entered the capital and taken up residence in the former mansion of Prince Louyang.
But people knew that Wang Po had arrived, carrying his blade.
Because a crack had suddenly appeared on the Luo River.
The green trees outside the imperial palace had turned yellow overnight, as if they had become ginkgo trees.