Chapter 138: Riding a Crane to the South of the River
A green river separated the two banks. All the examinees were south of the river, with only Chen Changsheng on the opposite bank, looking utterly alone. This scene, compared to the declaration that had spread across the entire continent, seemed even more tragic, or perhaps desolate. People watched him with sympathy, contempt, or indifference, waiting for him to end his Grand Examination. No one expected that what would come first was a clear, resonant crane call.
White clouds drifted over the early spring capital. Suddenly, a line emerged beneath the clouds, and at the very front of that line was a white crane.
Countless eyes followed the white crane as it flew across the sky, into the Morning Sun Garden, and landed before Chen Changsheng by the riverbank. Their expressions changed dramatically.
"No way?" Gou Hanshi thought, slightly stunned.
Guan Feibai took a few steps toward the shore, staring at the white crane on the opposite bank, exclaiming in shock, "No way?"
Qi Jian slightly opened his mouth, struggling to swallow the words "no way."
On the grassy bank by the river, many examinees watching this scene couldn't help but cry out in surprise: "No way?"
Huangfu Po lowered his head, feeling his face grow hot, because he found it somewhat embarrassing.
Tang Thirty-Six appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly he was very awkward, thinking, *Is it really necessary? Just to cross a river? Did he have to resort to such a tactic?*
Zhuang Huanyu sneered a few times but said nothing.
Su Moyu, who thought in the simplest terms, exclaimed in surprise, "Is that even allowed?"
The white crane descended from the sky, and the reactions of everyone present were shock and disbelief—except for Luoluo.
She looked at the opposite bank, her small hands clasped before her, her face full of admiration, and said, "Master is truly wise beyond measure."
These words drew everyone's attention.
If she weren't the White Emperor's Luoluo, if she weren't the unassailable Princess of the Demon race, she would definitely have been despised by everyone, even beaten up.
Even Huangfu Po and Tang Thirty-Six wouldn't have helped her.
This is wisdom?
Isn't this shamelessness?
How could it be that during the Grand Examination, this white crane flew in from ten thousand miles away in the south?
The National Academy must have known the topic of today's Grand Examination in advance.
Of course, without evidence, it couldn't be condemned.
People looked at the opposite bank, thinking, *Does Chen Changsheng really have the nerve to do this?*
To secure the top rank in the Grand Examination, Chen Changsheng was willing to do anything.
He walked up to the white crane, affectionately stroked its neck, said a few words, and then, under the stunned gaze of countless pairs of eyes on both sides of the Qu River, he turned over and mounted the crane.
The white crane gently flapped its wings and took off.
A wind rose from the riverbank, blowing grass clippings lightly into the air and stirring ripples on the green, oily river.
In a moment, Chen Changsheng was riding the crane into the sky, farther and farther from the ground. The Qu River looked like a belt made of jade.
The wind hit his face, slightly cold and a bit damp.
If someone inexperienced rode a white crane to such a height, they would inevitably feel flustered and afraid, but he didn't, because he had experience. His only experience with high-altitude flight was when he was a child, riding a white crane to the mist-shrouded peak behind Xining Town.
That white crane back then was the same one beneath him now.
Before he turned ten, every time the white crane came to Xining Town to deliver letters or gifts, he would ride it to play among the peaks or search for herbs.
But after he turned eleven, the white crane never went to Xining Town again, until a few days ago, when it reunited with him in the capital.
The slightly cold wind brushed his face. He squinted his eyes, not looking at the green river and the forest below, but gazing into the distance.
He loved the feeling of riding a crane through the sky—a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.
Now, Chen Changsheng's body was filled with a vast amount of true essence, though he couldn't use it. Still, he felt like a wealthy man, a noble son with a fortune he couldn't access, and the place he was heading to was the south bank of the Qu River. It truly gave him the sensation of "tying a hundred thousand strings of cash around his waist and riding a crane south of the river."
It was a pity that the Qu River was neither the Wangchuan nor the Red River. No matter how wide it was, it was limited—only a few dozen zhang across. And after all, this was the Grand Examination, not a leisurely journey. The white crane flew as slowly as possible, but it didn't take long before it landed on the grassy bank on the opposite side.
Chen Changsheng dismounted from the white crane and, as if addressing an elder, clasped his hands in thanks.
Luoluo greeted him, overjoyed, and looked at the white crane with some curiosity.
Her father, the White Emperor, said that white cranes had an immortal quality, and since they shared the surname "White," the White Emperor City had never used white cranes as mounts. She had seen many demon beasts since childhood but had rarely interacted with white cranes. The last time she saw one at the Green Vine Banquet, she had felt a desire to get close. Now, she looked at Chen Changsheng, asking with her eyes if she could touch it.
She knew this white crane wasn't her master's, but she believed it would eventually be his. As his student, this request wasn't too much.
After all, she was the Princess of the Demon race. The white crane was uncomfortable, or perhaps wary, of the aura she carried. Before Chen Changsheng could respond, it let out a clear cry, flapped its wings, and soared into the sky.
Chen Changsheng waved goodbye to it.
Luoluo felt a deep regret, but she was grateful that the white crane had helped her master cross the river today, so she also waved earnestly to express her thanks.
The crane's cry gradually faded and finally disappeared.
The grassy bank of the Qu River fell silent.
What was this?
Was this the Grand Examination or a child's game? To cross a river only a few dozen zhang wide, examinees from various sects and academies had used every means and skill at their disposal, and yet Chen Changsheng... had simply ridden a crane over!
The key point was that he had ridden *this* white crane!
Yes, this white crane was famous, and many recognized it, especially the young people from the south.
This was Xu Yourong's white crane.
Many noticed that after the white crane left, it flew south.
Holy Maiden Peak was in the south.
People looked at Chen Changsheng, their expressions extremely complex.
Especially the disciples of Holy Maiden Peak and the Longevity Sect—their faces were especially grim.
No one knew that this white crane had arrived in the capital a few days earlier and had been kept by Chen Changsheng.
People couldn't help but speculate: Had Xu Yourong sent the white crane from ten thousand miles away in the south, specifically to help her fiancé in the Grand Examination?
Luoluo clutched Chen Changsheng's sleeve, her small face full of joy, endlessly praising his wisdom.
Her praise was so sincere that even Chen Changsheng began to feel embarrassed.
Tang Thirty-Six patted him on the shoulder but said nothing.
Huangfu Po looked at him and shook his head, wanting to say this wasn't right, but then remembered that Chen Changsheng was practically his grandmaster, so he remained silent with a gloomy expression.
Su Moyu walked over and asked him again, "Is that even allowed?"
He asked very seriously, not with sarcasm, but genuinely inquiring whether Chen Changsheng's actions violated the rules.
This question was also on the minds of many examinees present.
A scholar from the Huai Academy approached the invigilator, speaking with a grave expression.
The examinees watched that spot, waiting for the final result.
After a while, the invigilator walked up to the National Academy group, looked at Chen Changsheng, and sighed, "This won't do."
Most of the priests from the Li Palace responsible for invigilation and related matters today came from the Religious Affairs Office, so they naturally favored the National Academy and Chen Changsheng in every detail—like tea, ink, and seat arrangements. But now, with countless eyes watching Chen Changsheng ride a crane across the river, there was no way to show favoritism.
Chen Changsheng, of course, had confidence before making such an arrangement.
"The rules don't say you can't cross the river this way."
He pointed to one of the examinees and said, "Earlier, he asked the examiner on the opposite bank if bringing his sect elder's mount and riding it over would count as passing. The examiner didn't object."
That disciple from the Longevity Sect's Purple Mist Cliff was stunned, thinking, *Did my question actually help you?* But under everyone's gaze, he couldn't deny that the conversation had taken place.
The invigilator was momentarily taken aback, then smiled and shook his head, saying nothing more.
Seeing this, some examinees naturally protested vehemently, but Gou Hanshi, Tianhai Shengxue, and Zhuang Huanyu all remained silent.
Su Moyu said, "Although... this is indeed a bit of a trick, it doesn't violate the rules. I have no objection."
As the representative student of the Li Palace Affiliated Academy, his words carried some weight among the students of the capital's academies. Combined with Zhuang Huanyu and the two students from the Star Picking Academy staying silent, the opposition gradually subsided. Only some young cultivators from the south continued to insist that the examiner disqualify Chen Changsheng.
"Huh? Where did those people go?"
Suddenly, someone noticed that Chen Changsheng and his group were no longer by the river.
People turned to look and saw that, at some point, the National Academy members had already left and were about to enter the sparse forest above the grassy bank.
A scholar from the Huai Academy stared at those figures and said coldly, "Truly shameless."
Chen Changsheng didn't think riding a crane across the river was particularly shameless. Of course, he didn't think it was something to be proud of either—like the "clever tricks" people often talk about, hard to judge with clear emotional labels. But the Grand Examination was too important to him, and his opponents were too strong. He had to use every advantage he could.
As long as he achieved his goal without harming others, others' opinions didn't affect him. He wanted the top rank in the Grand Examination, and his greatest advantage now was that no one knew his true level of strength—not even Luoluo. At the same time, with the help of the Religious Affairs Office, he had a very clear understanding of the other examinees' strength.
So when he saw that young man in the pavilion, he felt a surge of unease.
That young man was too mysterious, seeming unfathomably deep.
In the slightly cold spring breeze, the young man wore a thin garment with his sleeves rolled up, revealing his arms, as if unafraid of the cold.
According to the information provided by the Religious Affairs Office, this young man was an examinee from the Star Picking Academy, named Zhang Tingtao.
Chen Changsheng believed that wasn't his real name.
This young man hadn't even taken the written exam. He had been the fastest to cross the forest, the earliest to cross the Qu River, and once he entered the forest and stepped into the pavilion, he hadn't moved since.
Whether it was Gou Hanshi or Tianhai Shengxue crossing the river, or Luoluo, or Chen Changsheng riding the crane, no matter how lively it got on the grassy bank, he never came out of the pavilion.
This young man didn't even glance toward the river.
He stood alone in the pavilion, making the pavilion and the mountain feel lonely too.
Such a lonely person couldn't be named "Tingtao" (Listening to the Waves).
Listening to the waves by the shore might seem solitary and refined, but it still yearned for the clamor of the world.
"If I'm not mistaken, his real name should be Zhexiu."
Tang Thirty-Six looked at the young man in the pavilion, his expression very serious. "That's a wolf from the north."