Chapter 116: The Declaration
Xu Yourong—this name was known throughout the world, yet no one felt more complex emotions upon hearing it than Chen Changsheng.
Back in the old temple in Xining Town, when he first saw this name on the marriage contract, he was still very young, not quite sensible, but already knew what shyness meant. Naturally, he had conjured many imaginings of the future and of her—what would a little girl with such a name look like? Did she have long flowing hair and a gentle, beautiful heart?
Later, due to the twists of fate, he stopped thinking about this betrothal, and the name gradually faded from his mind—until he arrived in the capital. Amidst all the events that unfolded, this name brought him much humiliation and hardship, making him begin to loathe it. That was at the inn. It made him angry, that was in the abandoned garden. Yet at the most critical moment in Weiyang Palace, this name appeared by his side.
He understood clearly that her agreement to their betrothal in her letter was certainly not as simple as it seemed on the surface; there must be hidden circumstances. Perhaps this fiancé of hers was truly just an excuse. But at least at that moment, she had helped him. And so, the name was no longer so detestable, though it could never inspire any fond feelings in him.
The cold mockery he had endured this morning and earlier on the Sacred Path were all tied to this name. His life could no longer escape the pressure—or rather, the shadow—that this name brought.
Was he supposed to thank her? No. Right now, all he thought about was the Grand Examination. In this struggle to change his fate, if he could surpass her and crush every emotion this name evoked, he would certainly welcome it—even though almost everyone believed it impossible.
Luo Luo has already drawn close to you. How far am I still from you?
Chen Changsheng withdrew his gaze from Qingxian Hall, looking toward the distant south, silently pondering.
The voices from Xuanjiao Hall fell silent. The autumn temporary revision of the Azure Cloud Rankings had concluded entirely. Yet the crowd on both sides of the Sacred Path did not disperse, and the teachers from several academies did not urge their students to return to class.
—Chen Changsheng was still standing on the Sacred Path.
Everyone in the capital knew that the National Academy had only four students. Yet on today’s new Azure Cloud Rankings, three of them had made the list. The highest, Her Highness Luo Luo, had leaped directly from ninth to second place. Whether measured by the ratio of enrolled students to those ranked, or by their positions on the list, the National Academy was unquestionably the biggest winner of this Azure Cloud Rankings. None of the Ivy Academies—like the Heavenly Dao Academy or the Ancestral Sacrifice Institute—could compare. Even the Huai Academy, Nanxi Zhai, and even the Longevity Sect, which had been riding a wave of popularity in recent years, could not match the National Academy’s glory.
Everyone looked at Chen Changsheng.
He was the National Academy’s first student. Before he appeared, the National Academy was a desolate graveyard, on the verge of vanishing from history because it had failed to recruit students for years. But after he appeared, the National Academy re-emerged before the world, and a silent transformation began.
Yes, this youth could not even succeed in marrow cleansing, could not cultivate, and was utterly unqualified to enter the Azure Cloud Rankings. But the Heaven Observatory had made it perfectly clear in their commentary—what did they mean by "opportunity" and "enlightened teacher"? The National Academy’s current glory was all because of him!
Was such a youth truly the useless waste everyone had mocked earlier? As Gou Hanshi had said that morning, if he was a toad, then what were the students present? Would such a person live off a woman? Did he need to borrow Her Highness Luo Luo’s influence and that marriage contract to stand in this world?
Earlier, Su Moyu had said he was not truly strong. So how should strength be defined?
Tang Thirty-Six looked at the crowd from the Ancestral Sacrifice Institute, fixing his gaze on the student who had mocked the National Academy most fiercely that morning, and sneered, "People without vision, even if they climb to the topmost level of the Heavenly Book Mausoleum, won’t recognize a single word."
That student’s face turned pale.
"...That’s what you call a proverb, or a saying."
Tang Thirty-Six looked at the crowd, his expression flat as he continued. The target of his words was clear. Ever since the Ivy Banquet, many in the capital had mocked Chen Changsheng as a toad lusting after swan meat. That morning, someone had brought it up again, even joking that it was about to become a proverb.
Silence fell along the Sacred Path.
Just then, Chen Changsheng suddenly spoke.
"You just said what it means to be truly strong..."
As he said this, he looked at Su Moyu. The students from the attached academy of the Li Palace changed expressions, thinking he was about to mock Su Moyu as Tang Thirty-Six had mocked them.
But contrary to everyone’s expectations, he did not do so. He said, "What you said actually makes sense. I can make my companions stronger, but if I don’t want to drag them down, I truly must become stronger myself. I hope that by the time of the Grand Examination, I will have grown a bit stronger. We’ll meet again then."
With these words, he clasped his hands to Su Moyu in a salute, then turned and walked forward along the Sacred Path.
Su Moyu watched his retreating back, a hint of respect appearing in his expression. He clasped his hands in return and said, "See you at the Grand Examination."
Seeing that no one on either side of the Sacred Path dared to speak, Tang Thirty-Six felt an indescribable exhilaration. He burst into laughter and said, "It won’t be easy to see him at the Grand Examination, you know, because he’s going to take..."
Chen Changsheng did not turn back. He said, "Xuan Yuan, stop him."
In Xuan Yuan Po’s heart, Chen Changsheng was not only a classmate but also a teacher and a lifesaver. If one considered Her Highness’s position, he was even his grandmaster. Hearing this command, he did not hesitate for a moment. His palm, as large as a palm-leaf fan, covered Tang Thirty-Six’s entire face and, with a swift motion, hoisted him onto his shoulder.
"Mmph... mmph... mmph..."
With Tang Thirty-Six’s skill, he could easily have knocked Xuan Yuan Po down. But how could he bring himself to strike hard? With Xuan Yuan covering his mouth, he couldn’t speak, only grunting in frustration. He thought of how he couldn’t proclaim that powerful declaration to the world, and it pained him greatly.
Xuan Yuan Po, however, was not pained. He was overjoyed. Making it onto the Azure Cloud Rankings filled him with delight he didn’t know how to express. With all his energy and joy having no outlet, he ran faster and faster while carrying Tang Thirty-Six, occasionally slapping him on the back. Soon, they neared the main gate of the Li Palace.
Chen Changsheng smiled, then began to run as well. Jin Yulu followed with a smile.
The sunlight was warm and pleasant, the autumn air deep and rich. The Li Palace was quiet. Three youths ran in the twilight, occasionally shouting and laughing.
This scene was witnessed by many and would often be recalled years later.
No one noticed that above the long staircase, like a path of cultivation, beside the railing on the highest floor of Qingxian Hall, Luo Luo was watching them. The evening glow fell on her small face, and she smiled with boundless joy.
The youths of the National Academy had left. The crowd on both sides of the Sacred Path gradually dispersed. No sound could be heard except footsteps—not even discussion, because many were still in shock, and many were still deep in thought.
Those shocked by the National Academy’s glory on the Azure Cloud Rankings were mostly young students from various academies. Those still lost in thought were some teachers and many priests from the Li Palace. As adults, they thought more deeply than the youths, and so they were filled with confusion. In particular, the commentary issued by the Heaven Observatory alongside the Azure Cloud Rankings left them baffled.
—Not doubt, but a feeling that the Heaven Elder’s commentary on the three ranked members of the National Academy was somewhat peculiar.
For instance, Xuan Yuan Po had made the list without any battle, based solely on future expectations. This would surely invite endless debate, yet the Heaven Observatory seemed unconcerned. As for Tang Thirty-Six and Her Highness Luo Luo’s reasons for being ranked, the Heaven Observatory seemed deliberately intent on highlighting Chen Changsheng’s role through those remarks.
Some even vaguely sensed an almost unimaginable possibility.
—This autumn’s temporary revision of the Azure Cloud Rankings was certainly due to Her Highness Luo Luo’s astonishing leap in strength, but could it be that the Heaven Observatory also wanted the entire continent to know of Chen Changsheng’s existence?
If this were true, then why?
Just as the crowd was about to fully disperse, an aged voice rang out from among the trees.
"Do you want to know what Tang Tang was about to say at the end? He wanted to tell you..."
Hearing this, those preparing to leave stopped in their tracks.
The aged voice continued, "...that Chen Changsheng is the man destined to take first place in the Grand Examination."
A commotion erupted among the trees.
Chen Changsheng... was going to take first place in the Grand Examination?
People stared in shock toward the source of the voice.
Archbishop Merisa of the Pontifical Council, supported by Priest Xin, emerged from the depths of the autumn woods.
This old man, who had lived for who knows how many years, was already stooped. His face was covered with age spots, partially hidden by the wrinkles, but they could not conceal the relief and joy in his eyes.
That relief and joy were, of course, for Chen Changsheng.
Everyone immediately prostrated themselves in formal greeting, not daring the slightest negligence. Yet their faces still bore the shock and absurdity they had felt upon hearing the Archbishop’s words.
Even if the National Academy’s boundless glory on today’s Azure Cloud Rankings was all due to Chen Changsheng, as Su Moyu had said and Chen Changsheng himself admitted, the Grand Examination was ultimately something one had to face alone. Chen Changsheng had not yet succeeded in marrow cleansing—how could he handle the upcoming Grand Examination? No matter how one thought, there was no possibility of him entering the top three, let alone taking first place.
Priest Huo’s face was expressionless, but deep in his eyes, a trace of terror flickered. Some Li Palace priests and teachers exchanged glances, recognizing each other’s shock.
Their earlier confusion now seemed about to find an answer. Yes, some felt that the pressure on Chen Changsheng from his performance at the Ivy Banquet and his betrothal to Xu Yourong was not enough. The undercurrent that had been silently surging beneath the capital was about to break through the solid ground.
But what was all this for?
The Archbishop looked at the crowd and said, "There’s no reasoning behind it, and no reason is needed. Since he said he could take first place in the Grand Examination, I believe he can."
Everyone on both sides of the Sacred Path dared not rise.
Priest Huo and the Li Palace priests had also prostrated themselves.
Whether they believed it or not, since the Archbishop had spoken thus, they could only listen.
In the Archbishop’s presence, no one dared to question or challenge.
But this declaration—issued by the Archbishop on behalf of the National Academy and Chen Changsheng—would soon spread throughout the entire Li Palace, the entire capital, and the entire continent. By then, many would surely respond with disdain, contempt, mockery, and anger. And all of this would ultimately fall upon the National Academy and Chen Changsheng.
Still, the same question remained.
What was all this for?
(Another day has passed in the blink of an eye, and new recommendation tickets have been generated. Everyone, take a look and cast them quickly, lest you forget. What a pity that would be.)