Chapter 166: That Works Too
At a time like this, not having forgotten the boot he had dropped earlier naturally meant that Chen Changsheng had won.
Sure enough, Zhuang Huanyu did not appear next; instead, a priest from the Li Palace emerged and announced the result of this match.
Under the shocked gazes of the examinees, Chen Changsheng, carrying his boot and barefoot, slowly walked down the stone steps.
Tang Thirty-Six had already rushed to his side, supporting him while reaching out to take the new boot from his hand.
Chen Changsheng felt a bit embarrassed and said, "You're too kind."
Though he said that, he didn't refuse Tang Thirty-Six's help, because he was quite badly injured. Even after receiving Holy Light treatment in the Cleansing Dust Pavilion, he was still very weak.
Tang Thirty-Six sighed and said, "From today on, I probably only qualify to carry your shoes for you, so I'd better start sucking up now, right?"
This was a famous proverb from the Zhou dynasty.
Tang Thirty-Six sighed, feeling melancholy, but his eyes were full of joy.
Xuan Yuan Po and Luoluo also came over at this moment.
Inside the Cleansing Dust Pavilion.
Zhuang Huanyu lay on a stretcher, his right shoulder slightly collapsed, half his body covered in blood, his eyes closed, his pale lips trembling slightly, and his fists tightly clenched.
The room on the second floor was also very quiet. The important figures remained silent, unsure how to evaluate this match.
The Grand Examination had already seen many matches. Chen Changsheng and Zhuang Huanyu were not the strongest, nor was their match the most intense. If one were to talk about intensity or even brutality, it was still the silent battle between Zhe Xiu and Guan Feibai. Similarly, this match was not the most brilliant—that honor belonged to the Li Mountain sword duel between Qi Jian and Liang Banhu.
But this match had its twists and turns. Chen Changsheng had once again achieved Initial Illumination, breaking through on the spot while simultaneously shattering Zhuang Huanyu's incredibly stable performance, making it very worthy of reflection.
Outside the Cleansing Dust Pavilion, everyone's eyes were fixed on the forest edge, and there was complete silence.
People didn't know how Chen Changsheng had won, and many guesses arose, making them even more stunned.
Zhuang Huanyu was the pride of the Heavenly Academy and the strongest among all the academies in the capital. If even he couldn't stop Chen Changsheng's advance, could it be that the Bishop's proclamation at the Li Palace that day would truly come to pass? Was it really possible that Chen Changsheng could take the top spot in the Grand Examination?
The stream babbled softly, and the disciples of the Li Mountain Sword Sect by the bank were silent for a long time.
Guan Feibai looked at Chen Changsheng, who had been helped by Luoluo to sit under a white poplar tree, and said with emotion, "With such a reputation, he truly lives up to it."
"In terms of cultivation and combat, Chen Changsheng has no great reputation, nor any reputation for luck. That's what makes him even more remarkable."
Gou Hanshi silently thought, watching Chen Changsheng, who was resting with his eyes closed against the white poplar tree. A youth who couldn't cultivate or fight had grown to this level in just a few months. How much time and effort had he poured into it? Calling it a burning of his life wouldn't be an exaggeration. Was it worth it, just for the top spot in the Grand Examination?
The silence outside the Cleansing Dust Pavilion was broken by coughing from the forest edge.
Chen Changsheng leaned against the white poplar tree, coughing incessantly, looking extremely pained. With each cough, the sword wound on his chest split open again, oozing blood.
By relying on his indifference to death, he had barely defeated Zhuang Huanyu, but he had paid a heavy price. It was clear that before the Grand Examination ended, his injuries wouldn't heal.
Luoluo was flustered as she bandaged him, while Tang Thirty-Six, following his instructions, searched through the bag for medicine.
Xuan Yuan Po brought a large bowl of clear water, and Tang Thirty-Six also found the pills Chen Changsheng needed.
With the water, Chen Changsheng swallowed a large handful of pills, then wearily closed his eyes to continue regulating his breath.
Luoluo looked at his pale face, felt a pang of pity, and wanted to say something, but in the end, she said nothing.
Given Chen Changsheng's current injuries and condition, even if he didn't encounter Gou Hanshi later, any random examinee in the Grand Examination could easily defeat him.
But she couldn't bring herself to tell him to stop fighting.
Tang Thirty-Six and Xuan Yuan Po couldn't say it either.
Even earlier, in the Cleansing Dust Pavilion, the Li Palace priests, seeing his injuries, couldn't bear to persuade him to withdraw.
Yes, the reluctance here wasn't about not wanting to see him fight on while severely injured, but rather about not wanting to see him stop fighting after having come this far.
Chen Changsheng wouldn't stop fighting, and the Grand Examination matches wouldn't pause because of his injuries.
The matches continued. Gou Hanshi entered the Cleansing Dust Pavilion and, as in previous rounds, calmly defeated his opponent—the young lady from the Holy Maiden Peak—like spring rain nourishing the earth.
What made the National Academy members even more uneasy was that, even in the final stage, Gou Hanshi's opponent remained uninjured.
This perfect control represented absolute dominance. After Tianhai Shengxue withdrew, the gap in strength between Gou Hanshi and the other examinees was so vast it was almost despairing.
The National Academy could only pin its hopes on Zhe Xiu, who would appear next.
The wolf clan youth, ranked third on the Azure Cloud List, would, according to the earlier draw, face Gou Hanshi if he won this round. In fact, among the examinees present, only he and Luoluo could pose any threat to Gou Hanshi. Since Luoluo couldn't meet Gou Hanshi, he was the only choice.
Zhe Xiu's opponent in this round was a young military officer from the Star-Gazing Academy.
Instead of walking straight into the Cleansing Dust Pavilion, he headed toward the forest edge.
Seeing this, some examinees were surprised. Recalling that Tang Thirty-Six had gone to find Zhe Xiu earlier, they couldn't help but wonder what was going on.
Zhe Xiu walked to the forest edge, looked at Tang Thirty-Six expressionlessly, and said, "Pay up."
Hearing these two words, Luoluo and Xuan Yuan Po's expressions shifted slightly, confirming that what Tang Thirty-Six had said earlier was true.
Even Chen Changsheng opened his eyes.
So, the wolf clan youth, known for his cold-blooded solitude, was actually a money-grubber?
Tang Thirty-Six felt this particularly strongly and said angrily in a low voice, "You want money even for this kind of opponent?"
Zhe Xiu remained expressionless, even looking a bit dull, and asked, "Why not?"
"You're a sure win, aren't you?" Tang Thirty-Six said irritably. "If I don't give you money, can't you beat that guy?"
Zhe Xiu thought for a moment and said, "But you want me to fight Gou Hanshi."
Tang Thirty-Six said, "We'll negotiate the price for the next round."
Zhe Xiu shook his head and said, "To fight Gou Hanshi, I have to win this round first, so you have to pay for this one too."
Tang Thirty-Six stared at him like he was a monster, realized he wasn't going to change his mind, and had to give in. He pulled a banknote from his sleeve and handed it over.
Zhe Xiu looked at the banknote; the number on it pleased him greatly. So, he nodded, a rare gesture, and said, "I'll fight well."
With that, he left the forest edge and walked toward the Cleansing Dust Pavilion.
Luoluo stared wide-eyed at Tang Thirty-Six and asked, "That works too?"
Xuan Yuan Po watched Zhe Xiu's somewhat lonely back, drew in a sharp breath, and said, "That works too?"
(There were quite a few things to do today, so work started later. The next chapter will be even later. Those who need to get up tomorrow don't need to wait. I'll keep writing seriously.)