Chapter 200: The Heavenly Book Mausoleum
South of the capital city, there was a river. On the northern bank of the river ran a straight road. Standing by the roadside and looking south, one could see a lush, verdant expanse of gardens. Deep within those gardens, a green hill was faintly visible. That green hill was the legendary Heavenly Book Mausoleum. The carriage procession stopped on the road. The examinees lifted the carriage curtains and gazed at that green hill, expressions of longing on their faces.
In his first days after arriving in the capital, Chen Changsheng had stayed at the Plum Garden Inn outside the Heavenly Book Mausoleum. He still kept a room there. He had gazed at the Heavenly Book Mausoleum from afar many times, so he was not as excited as those other examinees, especially those of a similar age who had come from the south.
The Ivy of the Palace of Departure, the Bridge of Helplessness, and the Heavenly Book Mausoleum were all famous sites in the capital. The Heavenly Book Mausoleum, in particular, was a place every tourist wished to visit. Like the Palace of Departure, it was a bustling place. On both sides of the official road along the river, shops lined the way, and vendors hawked their wares incessantly. Though it was still early morning, the crowds were already thick as woven threads. On the main street slightly to the north, one could also see many government offices and the resident agencies of various academies and sects.
The carriage procession did not linger long on the official road. Led by officials and priests, it crossed a wide wooden bridge over the river and arrived at the Green Garden outside the Heavenly Book Mausoleum. It did not stop there either, but directly passed through the sacred path between the verdant ancient cypresses. Under the gaze of one hundred and eight statues of former sages, it continued towards that green hill.
There were already many tourists in the outer garden of the Heavenly Book Mausoleum, as well as many capital residents walking their birds or strolling. Seeing this procession heading directly towards the Heavenly Book Mausoleum, people quickly guessed the identities of those in the carriages, knowing they must be the top three ranked examinees of this year's Grand Examination. Envy showed on their faces.
The ancient trees cast deep shade, blocking the morning sun, making the place seem exceptionally secluded and serene. The deeper one went, the quieter it became, until only the sound of wheels grinding against the bluestone of the sacred path could be heard. The examinees looked through the carriage windows at the scenery on both sides, gazing at the green hill in the distance that was clearly getting closer yet still impossible to see clearly. Their hearts grew increasingly tense.
At the end of the dim sacred path was a stone gate. The carriage procession stopped before the gate. The officials and priests responsible for the specific arrangements of this year's stele viewing at the Heavenly Book Mausoleum took the relevant documents and walked to the gate to liaise with the imperial guards of the mausoleum. The examinees alighted from their carriages one after another and lined up, waiting to enter.
It wasn't long before the heavy stone gate slowly opened. The examinees felt a slight tremor beneath their feet and were quite shocked, wondering just how heavy this seemingly unremarkable stone gate must be to make the ground shake. What kind of formation was used to open such a heavy gate so casually?
Accompanied by a low, rumbling sound, the heavy stone gate stopped moving. The green hill appeared fully in everyone's sight.
The Heavenly Book Mausoleum thus appeared before the people's eyes.
"Mausoleum" generally refers to a tomb. Only the tombs of emperors or sages are worthy of being called mausoleums.
The Heavenly Book Mausoleum really did look like a tomb. Its base was extremely square and upright, but countless green trees grew upon it, making it look like a green mountain. Because of the cover of those green trees, the examinees could not see the legendary stone steles, nor did they know where the Heavenly Books were hidden. But they knew the Heavenly Books were within. For a moment, the sacred path became exceptionally quiet. Everyone's face showed a devout expression.
Chen Changsheng's state of mind was somewhat troubled. His thoughts were chaotic and hard to settle. Naturally, he couldn't be as excited as when he first entered the capital and glimpsed this green hill from afar at the inn. But truly arriving before the Heavenly Book Mausoleum still evoked a nameless feeling of awe. Looking at the green trees on the mausoleum, he was very quiet.
The capital had always been the center of the continent.
Regardless of dynastic changes, continuous war, or times of peace and prosperity, this was the center. The southern sects and aristocratic families also believed this. Even the demon race in White Emperor City, or even the humans far away in Great Western Continent, acknowledged this. This was because the main altar of the national religion, the Palace of Departure, was here. And the reason the Palace of Departure was here was because the Heavenly Book Mausoleum was here.
Countless tens of thousands of years ago, countless meteors came from beyond the realm, and the Heavenly Books descended upon the world. That was a blessing bestowed upon this continent by the heavens. From that day on, human wisdom was awakened by the Heavenly Books. Humans learned to use fire, learned to make and use tools, learned to tie knots to record events, and invented writing. Only then did civilization emerge, until people began to explore the secrets of nature, began to question the relationship between themselves and heaven and earth, began to gaze at the starry sky, began to draw starlight to wash their marrow, and officially embarked on the path of cultivation. The source of all of this was this green hill.
What is the Heavenly Book Mausoleum? The "mausoleum" here does not mean tomb, but means peace.
The Heavenly Books emerged, and the four directions were at peace. The place where the Heavenly Books were was the Heavenly Book Mausoleum. The place where the Heavenly Book Mausoleum was located was the center of the world. A human dynasty had to establish its capital in the capital to be considered orthodox. The southern sects had contended with the northerners for many years, effectively governing themselves, but they still had to acknowledge the Great Zhou Dynasty as their sovereign. This was also the reason.
During the waiting process, the secluded garden gradually became noisy. Many tourists and capital residents had followed the procession here. On ordinary days, they wouldn't be able to get close to the Heavenly Book Mausoleum before being stopped by soldiers. Today was a special occasion, so they had the chance to approach the main gate of the Heavenly Book Mausoleum. Looking at those young people preparing to enter the mausoleum, their faces were full of envy and longing.
Tourists and capital residents could freely enter and exit the outer garden of the Heavenly Book Mausoleum, but they had no way to enter the mausoleum itself.
It was said that countless years ago, the Heavenly Book Mausoleum was open. Anyone could enter the mausoleum to visit and stop before those stone steles. Every day, the mausoleum was packed to overflowing. The green mountain was covered by a sea of people, barely able to bear the burden. Several thousand years ago, an emperor once tried to control the world by controlling who could enter the Heavenly Book Mausoleum. He issued an edict stating that only those who submitted to him could enter. This act offended all the sects and academies of the continent. That emperor was quickly overthrown by the world's fury. Thus, the continent reached a consensus: the Heavenly Books were the common property of all people, and no one could monopolize them.
Although there were no reports of the Heavenly Book steles being damaged, based on certain considerations, the powerful figures of the continent decided to set some rules for entering and leaving the Heavenly Book Mausoleum. In the previous dynasty, only cultivators with special permission had the opportunity to enter, but the conditions were very vague. After the Great Zhou Dynasty was established, the rules for entering the Heavenly Book Mausoleum were simplified, or one could say strengthened. Only examinees who passed the Grand Examination and those with meritorious service were allowed to enter. And after allying with White Emperor City to fight against the demon race, the demon race and the people of Great Western Continent also obtained the same qualification. These so-called rules were actually compromises. Of course, because the Heavenly Book Mausoleum was located in the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the people living here naturally had some advantages. The southern sects and aristocratic families often complained bitterly whenever this matter was brought up.
The priests and officials escorted the young examinees to the stone gate and then stayed where they were, because they too were not qualified to enter the Heavenly Book Mausoleum. After the imperial guards finished checking the examinees' identities, they let them enter one by one. The ground trembled clearly again. Someone looked back and saw the stone gate slowly closing.
With a dull, soft sound, the Heavenly Book Mausoleum was once again cut off from the outside world.
Over forty young scholars looked at the Heavenly Book Mausoleum before them, their expressions varied. Some were nervous, some expectant, some silent, some eager to try. Everyone's eyes were wide open. Even now, standing before the Heavenly Book Mausoleum, they still couldn't see its true form clearly, because the green trees were too numerous. This scenery blocked too much scenery.
Just then, several men dressed in white robes appeared before them. These men had calm expressions, little emotion visible in their eyes and brows, and their voices were very calm, their speech very slow, as if they rarely had the opportunity to speak. Looking at them, Chen Changsheng naturally thought of that wolf clan youth named Zheshou.
Tang Thirty-Six said, "These people are the legendary Stele Attendants."
Chen Changsheng asked, "Stele Attendants?"
Tang Thirty-Six said, "Just like those Stele Interpreters on Southern Holy Maiden Peak, they spend their entire lives trying to decipher the secrets of the Heavenly Books. And they have sworn a blood oath, never to leave the Heavenly Book Mausoleum for their entire lives."
Chen Changsheng was somewhat shocked. He thought, spending one's entire long life within the Heavenly Book Mausoleum, wouldn't that be too lonely and austere? His gaze towards those men in white robes naturally held a bit more pity.
Tang Thirty-Six, seeing the expression on his face, said with slight mockery, "They willingly dedicate their lives to the Heavenly Book Mausoleum. Why would they need your sympathy? Besides, countless cultivators in the world would love to be like them, to have the opportunity to see the Heavenly Books at any time. They would be envious, not pitying."
Chen Changsheng still couldn't understand. He loved reading, loved exploring the true meaning of the Daoist scriptures. But shouldn't life be free and joyful? How could it be entirely devoted to this green mountain?
Those several Stele Attendants, perhaps because they had spent years studying within the Heavenly Book Mausoleum, were not very good at communicating with people. They left a few brief instructions, explaining some of the facilities around the mausoleum to the young scholars, and then prepared to turn and leave. One Stele Attendant remembered something and said, "The Zhou Garden will open in one month. Don't forget."
Having said this, the several Stele Attendants drifted away.
The scene was quiet. The young examinees looked at each other speechlessly, all feeling somewhat lost and at a loss.
Was that it? What were they supposed to do next?
"The Zhou Garden opens in one month. Just don't forget that."
Guan Feibai said expressionlessly to the southern sect disciples, then quickened his pace and followed Gou Hanshi into the green mountain.
The four disciples of Lishan Sword Sect left first. Taking them as an example, the examinees gradually dispersed. In front of others, their footsteps were still steady. Occasionally, some walked hastily, which was normal. But once they entered the mountain forest, the sound of countless bodies breaking through the air immediately rang out. They were actually using movement techniques.
Hearing these sounds from within the green mountain, Chen Changsheng was puzzled and asked, "Why is everyone in such a hurry?"
"Didn't you hear what Guan Feibai just said? The Zhou Garden opens in one month. If you want to go to the Zhou Garden, you need to break through to the Ethereal Illumination realm. One step slow means every step slow. Seeing the steles a moment later could mean falling decades behind your peers on the path of cultivation. Naturally, everyone is striving to be first."
Tang Thirty-Six looked at him and said, "The strange one is you. Why aren't you in a hurry?"
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(These past two days, I've been coordinating with the game adaptation of *The Legend of Mortal*, and I've been really swamped. I'm truly sorry. Today I noticed that *The Legend of Mortal*'s overall popularity has ranked first. As a book that has been open for a few months, with updates as consistent as this... this is all thanks to everyone. I am very grateful. In the last two months of this year, I absolutely will not go out. I will stay at home and write stories properly for everyone to read. I hope to add some joy to your lives. There will be two chapters tomorrow, and one the day after.)