Chapter 190: Ascending the Steps
"What's inside the Zhou Garden? Treasure?"
"There should be weapons or cultivation manuals left behind by the peerless experts that Zhou Dufu defeated back in the day. Of course, the most important thing is that his own legacy might also be left in the Zhou Garden."
"Whatever we find inside the Zhou Garden, we get to keep for ourselves? No need to hand it over to the imperial court?"
"Rewarding based on merit is the basic principle. Of course, although the Zhou Garden is a fine place, venturing deep inside is extremely dangerous, especially with so many opponents of the same cultivation level. So the more significant meaning of the Zhou Garden is that it's the most suitable trial ground for young cultivators."
"Wouldn't those senior experts enter the Zhou Garden to snatch treasures?"
"Those rogue cultivators or the direct disciples of those old monsters might take the risk to enter, but they also have to consider the attitudes of the Five Saints. I doubt they'll go too far."
Many years ago, during the legendary battle in Luoyang, Zhou Dufu defeated Emperor Taizong of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and Emperor Taizong must have lost something to him. Even earlier, outside the Snow Old City, he defeated the Demon Lord who was once hailed as the strongest. The immensely powerful Heavenly Net in the Demon Lord's hand was severely damaged, causing its ranking on the Hundred Weapons List to keep falling, until it could only be used to cover up an assassination attempt in the National Teaching Academy.
From this, one can see just how great, how profound, and how concrete Zhou Dufu's influence on this continent was. In his lifetime, he defeated countless peerless experts. If the weapons or cultivation methods of those peerless experts were all inside the Zhou Garden, then that would be the greatest treasure.
Moreover, as Jin Yulu said, Zhou Dufu hasn't shown any trace of himself for several hundred years. Either he's dead, or he's shattered the void. Regardless of which case it is, his legacy might be left in the Zhou Garden.
The legacy of the continent's number one expert... just thinking about it makes one's mind reel, unable to find peace.
After listening to Jin Yulu's account, Chen Changsheng and the other two finally gained a real understanding of the matter. The gatehouse grew even quieter, the oil droplets gathering at the tip of the fang growing larger and larger.
With a Zhou Garden like this, who wouldn't want to enter?
In the past many years, the Zhou Garden opened on schedule, shaking the continent, but its exact location wasn't always discovered. This year, the Zhou Garden's location was finally confirmed again. That meant the Great Zhou Dynasty would definitely send many people into the Zhou Garden to explore, trying to find those real treasures.
What Qiu Shanjun did was merely find the gate to the Zhou Garden and obtain its key. The thick fog outside the Zhou Garden gradually dissipated, but the world inside remained mysterious.
However, this small world that opened once every ten years had extremely strict standards for the cultivation level of those who wished to enter—standards whose workings were difficult to understand. Only those at the Penetrating Obscurity realm could survive inside.
Tang Thirty-Six and Xuanyuan Po instinctively looked at Chen Changsheng. In the final battle of the Grand Examination, Chen Changsheng had inexplicably and successfully reached Penetrating Obscurity. So naturally, he was qualified to enter the Zhou Garden.
Chen Changsheng shook his head. He was certain that the number of young cultivators who could enter the Zhou Garden in the future would be far greater than now, because tomorrow was the day of enlightenment at the Heavenly Book Mausoleum.
"Prepare the medicine and crystals well tomorrow, and strive to achieve enlightenment and break through your realm at the Heavenly Book Mausoleum," he said, looking at Tang Thirty-Six and Xuanyuan Po. "Then we'll enter the Zhou Garden together."
Jin Yulu said, "His Highness will also enter the Heavenly Book Mausoleum tomorrow."
Chen Changsheng said, "Then the four of us will go together."
...
...
Actually, Chen Changsheng wasn't very concerned about the Zhou Garden matter, because it was too far off... Well, in terms of time, it wasn't that far, but his mind was on the present, on tonight.
Tonight, he had to enter the palace to do what he must do, and do it well. Only then would other things in the world—like treasures and legends—hold any meaning for him.
At dusk, as the twilight deepened, a carriage slowly stopped in front of the imperial palace. Tang Thirty-Six was the first to jump down, followed by Xuanyuan Po, whose landing made the ground tremble slightly. Then Chen Changsheng stepped out of the carriage.
The area in front of the imperial palace was crowded with people. Nearby were young disciples from various academies and sects; further away were commoners who had come to watch the excitement. The people of the capital were never deterred by time or weather in their pursuit of spectacle.
Seeing the three from the National Teaching Academy, especially Chen Changsheng, the murmurs of the crowd immediately grew louder, and the expressions of the young examinees shifted as well.
Tonight, all forty-two students from the three rankings of the Grand Examination would attend the grand feast hosted by Her Holiness the Saint Empress in the Bright Hall, celebrating with song, dance, and drink. Then they would stay overnight in the palace, and the next night proceed directly to the Heavenly Book Mausoleum.
Only Chen Changsheng, who had taken first place in the top ranking, could not attend this feast. Instead, he had to spend the night in solitary contemplation at the Lingyan Pavilion. This was the rule.
The murmurs of the crowd and the changes in the examinees' expressions stemmed from this. The Lingyan Pavilion was a sacred pavilion, a strictly forbidden area. Only when there was a grand sacrifice or a major state event would His Majesty enter the pavilion. Apart from that, only the top-ranked student of each year's Grand Examination could spend a night in solitary contemplation there. On the surface, this was naturally a rare honor, but in truth, no one considered it a good thing.
There were certainly no bedding in the Lingyan Pavilion. Spending the night in contemplation likely meant sitting cross-legged the entire time. Forget sleeping, even taking a short nap would be extremely difficult. After such a night of torment, one would inevitably be exhausted and drowsy at dawn. Entering the Heavenly Book Mausoleum to observe the steles and seek enlightenment would certainly be greatly affected.
No one understood why Emperor Taizong had established this rule back then. They could only attribute it to that great ruler's desire to strengthen the loyalty of each year's top-ranked student to the dynasty through such means.
However, as the years passed, this rule had become just a rule, forgotten by many until it was virtually ignored. Only for Chen Changsheng was this rule not so simple. It was the most important thing, the sole reason he had left Xining, come to the capital, entered the National Teaching Academy, participated in the Grand Examination, weathered so many storms, and faced so many dangers...
Under the gaze of countless eyes, he walked into the dim, cold palace gate.
Guided by a eunuch leader, he walked deeper and deeper into the labyrinthine palace. Passing by the Han Guang Hall, passing by the Abandoned Garden—places he had been before—he then saw the tall western palace wall and the green vines climbing it, knowing that beyond it lay the National Teaching Academy and the Hundred Herbs Garden.
The deeper he went into the palace, the quieter it became, even desolate. The occasional palace maids and eunuchs he had seen earlier were nowhere to be found. The sounds of ritual music from the distant Bright Hall grew fainter and fainter, as if from another world, until finally they vanished completely, leaving utter silence.
The eunuch leader had slipped away at some unknown time.
Only Chen Changsheng and a single tower remained.
That tall tower stood alone ahead. There was no mistaking it. This was the Lingyan Pavilion.
He didn't need guidance, nor would he get lost, because there was only one path leading to the Lingyan Pavilion.
The Lingyan Pavilion was very tall, and that path was very straight, composed of countless stone steps.
Night had already enveloped the capital, and the stars had returned to the mortal world.
Starlight scattered upon the stone steps, coating them with a faint halo. Looking up from below, the steps seemed to have no end, as if they were leading straight to the highest point of the night sky.
Without hesitation, Chen Changsheng followed the stone steps, walking toward the Lingyan Pavilion in the night sky. His steps were steady, yet not slow. His hands, hanging at his sides, were slightly clenched into fists, a sign of his tension and anticipation.
A night wind swept in, and his robes fluttered, rustling loudly.