Chapter 218: Examining the Stele by Night (Part 2)
When the middle-aged man arrived, a scholar from the Locust Academy immediately resumed his arrogant demeanor, introducing him to the people around the stele hut: "This is our Locust Academy's uncle-master, Ji Jin. He has served the Dao at the Mausoleum of Heavenly Books for over twenty years now."
Hearing this, the young examinees were greatly surprised and stepped forward one after another to pay their respects. They knew that Ji Jin had been a famous gifted scholar from the southern regions in his youth, exceptionally talented—none had expected him to become a stele attendant.
This uncle-master of the Locust Academy, named Ji Jin, paid no attention whatsoever to the greetings and respects offered by these juniors. He walked straight up to Gou Hanshi and Chen Changsheng, and his gaze, especially when fixed on Chen Changsheng, was exceptionally cold.
"To take its form and refine true essence, to take its intent and move the spirit, to take its momentum and simulate sword techniques—only these three methods in the world are the orthodox solutions. All other solutions, no matter how strange or bizarre they may appear, are developed from these foundations. If you truly dare to discard them all and use none, I would very much like to know what solutions you still have available. In years past, countless people who prided themselves on their intelligence always believed that their predecessors were merely mediocre and that they could easily surpass them. Where do those people understand that harboring such unrealistic thoughts has already led them onto a path of death!"
He stared at Chen Changsheng, his voice and expression severe: "Don't think that just because you took first place in the Grand Examination, you have the right to look down on the sages of previous generations! How many first-place winners of the Grand Examination have there been at the Mausoleum of Heavenly Books? And who among them dared to be as arrogant as you! Wake up as soon as possible, or you will absolutely smash your head against a wall here!"
All around the stele hut was silent, only this man's cold and oppressive voice ceaselessly ringing out. In the eyes of that senior sister from Holy Maiden Peak, the two examinees from Star Academy, and the other young people, Senior Ji Jin was a stele attendant deeply respected by cultivators, with an understanding of the Heavenly Book Steles far surpassing those outside the mausoleum. His words were somewhat overly harsh, but they did carry reason. Although Chen Changsheng and Gou Hanshi had thoroughly read the Daoist canon and could be considered profoundly learned, they were still young, especially in the field of the Heavenly Book Steles. Faced with this severe yet substantive criticism, what else could they do but humbly accept instruction?
However, as time passed, the atmosphere in front of the stele hut grew increasingly tense.
Because Chen Changsheng and Gou Hanshi had not spoken, but they also clearly showed no intention of admitting fault.
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The building of the Teaching Pivot Department was unremarkable, completely obscured by the dozens of tall redwoods surrounding it. Only the night sky could not be blocked, so the dozens of stone steps were illuminated by starlight, as if covered in a layer of snow.
His Eminence, the Archbishop Merisa, stood by the window, gazing at the white stone steps. The right hand he held behind his back gently toyed with a branch of winter plum blossoms. Though it was now early spring, for some reason, winter plums were still blooming.
"Her Majesty's heart is broad enough to embrace the world, so she can afford not to care about the National Academy or how far that child Chen Changsheng will develop... Of course, the main reason is still that Her Majesty is too powerful. Even if that child encounters one stroke of luck after another, in Her Majesty's eyes, he is nothing more than an ant—one she can crush whenever she wishes. But there are many others who are not as powerful as Her Majesty, and naturally, they cannot possess the same breadth of heart. So they will fear, they will dread the events of those years—for instance, that the National Academy might seek to overturn its case."
A faint trace of mockery appeared on Merisa's aged face as he continued: "Whether it's the people of the Tianhai family or those dogs before Her Majesty's throne who have bitten many to death, with His Holiness the Pope's declaration, the fear in their hearts grows stronger and stronger, and their vigilance toward the National Academy and Chen Changsheng naturally increases. They certainly don't want to watch him continue to shine. Since they find it inconvenient to act themselves, it's only normal for them to call upon the southerners with whom they've maintained good relations for years. I just didn't expect that a figure like Ji Jin would also be willing to stoop to this."
Deacon Xin had found the situation suspicious after his conversation with Chen Changsheng at the stone gate of the Mausoleum of Heavenly Books during the day. After investigating the circumstances, he had hurried over to report. He had been standing there all along, and upon hearing these words, his heart trembled slightly, and the fleshy lines on his face quivered as well. Shocked, he asked, "Who would dare to cause trouble inside the Mausoleum of Heavenly Books?"
"Contemplating the steles and comprehending the Dao at the Mausoleum of Heavenly Books—the most crucial element is one's state of mind. Those people don't need to make a move against Chen Changsheng directly. They only need to disrupt his state of mind to affect his cultivation. You must understand that the experience of entering the Mausoleum of Heavenly Books for the first time to observe the steles is irreplaceable and irreversible for a person's cultivation."
Merisa's eyes gradually narrowed, his expression turning cold as he said, "Even if we don't talk about the long term, just for the present—if Chen Changsheng's cultivation is affected and he cannot gain enough improvement inside the Mausoleum of Heavenly Books, even if he enters the Zhou Garden a month later, he won't gain anything. On the contrary, he will be in great danger."
Only then did Deacon Xin understand that the seemingly insignificant hostility and mockery directed at Chen Changsheng by certain people inside the Mausoleum of Heavenly Books concealed such peril. He drew in a sharp breath and said with slight urgency, "I will immediately send word in and ask Mr. Nian Guang to keep an eye on Ji Jin and the others."
"Nian Guang... he doesn't necessarily like Chen Changsheng either."
Merisa frowned slightly, a hint of bitterness in his voice. "If he hadn't been pushed too hard by the National Academy back then, how would he, the most outstanding student of the Ancestral Temple, have been willing to spend his entire life in the Mausoleum of Heavenly Books?"
Deacon Xin asked uneasily, "Then what should we do?"
Merisa said, "Still send word to Nian Guang, but I think, in the end, Chen Changsheng will have to resolve this matter himself. Actually... I am truly a little curious. That child spent a day in the Lingyan Pavilion, a day as a tourist, and another day cooking. Now, before the Heavenly Book Steles, what can he see?"
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In the magnificent mansion, music and laughter filled the air everywhere. This was not the main residence of the Tianhai family, but Tianhai Shengxue's own home, so there were no elders to interfere.
Tomorrow, Tianhai Shengxue would set off again to return to Yongxue Pass. The sons of nobles and officials in the capital who were on good terms with him had all come here to see him off. At the banquet, it was inevitable that they would mention the recently concluded Grand Examination and the batch of young people who had just entered the Mausoleum of Heavenly Books. At first, those noble sons, thinking of Tianhai Shengxue's strange withdrawal from the Grand Examination, spoke with some caution. But after several rounds of wine, as the drunkenness grew heavier, people could no longer control themselves, and their conversations were filled with mockery and contempt for Chen Changsheng and even the Li Palace.
Tianhai Shengxue said nothing, only listening with a smile. Halfway through the banquet, he excused himself to the son of Prime Minister Yuwen Jing beside him and rose to walk toward the rear residence. In the rear residence, someone was waiting for him. That person was younger than him, with a more noble status and bloodline, but ordinarily, he would never invite that person to his banquets, and would even avoid meeting him as much as possible.
"These people in my family are already going crazy. Do you think I'm crazy too?" Tianhai Shengxue looked at Prince Chenliu with a slight frown. "Your worry that Chen Changsheng will be suppressed inside the Mausoleum of Heavenly Books is completely unnecessary. Her Majesty hasn't spoken, and His Holiness the Pope has made his stance clear. Who would dare to touch him? He hasn't offended Zhou Tong."
Prince Chenliu's handsome brows and eyes were filled with worry as he said, "You're wrong. Someone inside the Mausoleum of Heavenly Books is trying to influence Chen Changsheng's stele contemplation, and Zhou Tong is really waiting for him outside the mausoleum."
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