Chapter 232: Wild Geese Cry (Part 1)
Chen Changsheng rubbed his eyes, which were stinging slightly from the sunset’s glare, and stood up from the threshold. “I’m not waiting for anything,” he said.
Gou Hanshi replied, “Although you say you want to walk a path no one has taken before, and in your own words, that method is somewhat clumsy, you’ve also said it should be feasible. Logically, you shouldn’t still be unable to decipher the first Heavenly Book Stele, because I know your comprehension is far stronger than most people imagine.”
As the only two in the world who dared claim to have thoroughly read the Daoist Canon, they were naturally rivals—from the Ivy Banquet to the Grand Examination, competing as they advanced. But precisely because they were rivals, they truly understood each other. He watched Chen Changsheng, an ordinary youth who couldn’t cultivate, break through to the Penetrating State in just a few months during that rain at the Academy. Without exceptional comprehension, how could that be possible?
After thinking it over, Chen Changsheng said, “I feel the method we discussed the night before last isn’t right.”
Gou Hanshi raised an eyebrow slightly. “Where is it wrong?”
Chen Changsheng said, “I can’t pinpoint exactly where. If I follow the approach of interpreting the stele’s changing patterns, I should be able to solve the Heavenly Book Stele. But something feels off, like something’s missing. If I keep interpreting without fully understanding, it’s hard to convince myself, because my cultivation follows the principle of following my heart.”
Gou Hanshi asked, “Are you thinking of devising a completely new method to decipher the stele?”
Chen Changsheng said, “I’ve considered it, but I haven’t made up my mind yet.”
Gou Hanshi frowned, thinking that changing course midway was a major taboo in stele interpretation. “You know this is a dangerous idea.”
Chen Changsheng understood his meaning. If he kept hesitating like this, the hope of deciphering those Heavenly Book Steles would only dwindle.
He thought seriously for a long time, then said, “If I really can’t solve it, then so be it.”
“No matter how you think, don’t let your thoughts become twisted,” Gou Hanshi said, then walked into the house.
Chen Changsheng watched his back and said, “The egg custard still needs a bit more time; don’t lift the lid too soon.”
He meant nothing else by this, but Gou Hanshi sensed a deeper implication, thinking that perhaps his waiting now had some justification.
A little later, Zhe Xiu also returned to the thatched cottage. Of the seven people staying there, only he and Chen Changsheng had yet to succeed in deciphering a stele. Looking at the courtyard, which seemed much quieter than the previous night, a trace of self-loathing appeared on his face. He asked Chen Changsheng, “Why am I always failing? Is there something wrong with my talent?”
Chen Changsheng thought to himself that a wolf-clan youth with no sect or formal training, who had made many demons fear him in the brutal snowfields and could steadily defeat young experts like Guan Feibai on the Azure Cloud List—his bloodline talent was anything but flawed; it was almost absurdly strong.
“It has nothing to do with talent,” Chen Changsheng said.
“Then what is it? Diligence? Focus?”
“It’s none of those things. It’s just…” Chen Changsheng looked at him seriously and said, “You’ve read too little.”
Zhe Xiu got a bit angry. He had grown up wandering the snowfields, with little chance to study.
Chen Changsheng took out Xun Mei’s notes from his chest and handed them to him. “Even if you’ve read little, the real problem is that I’ve observed you, and you really don’t like reading. You only looked through the senior’s notes twice, and last night you even fell asleep while reading. How can that work?”
Zhe Xiu’s face turned pale—not from injury, but from irritation. He took the notes and went straight into the thatched cottage.
At five in the morning on the second day, Chen Changsheng opened his eyes, spent five breaths calming his mind, then got up. He found Tang Thirty-Six sprawled out beside him, snoring like thunder. Stepping outside, he saw that Qi Jian and the others were also fast asleep, realizing they must have returned from the Heavenly Book Mausoleum late the previous night.
After washing up, he started boiling water and cooking breakfast, just like the previous two days. Then he swept the courtyard and repaired the broken fence. Even after Tang Thirty-Six and the others finished breakfast and went to the Heavenly Book Mausoleum to observe the steles, he showed no intention of leaving. There was no anxiety on his face; in fact, he seemed to be enjoying this life.
When the courtyard was empty, he sat back down on the threshold, opened Xun Mei’s notes, and began reading again. Gradually, he became absorbed, and his insights grew.
For the entire day, aside from cooking and cleaning, he never left the threshold—and naturally, he didn’t glance at the Zhaoping Stele once.
As evening fell, Tang Thirty-Six and the others returned to the thatched cottage one by one. After dinner, they gathered around the table to discuss the inscriptions on the second Heavenly Book Stele, the atmosphere lively.
Chen Changsheng called Zhe Xiu into the inner room, took out a copper needle from his needle case, and began treating him. This was still the preliminary stage of mapping the deformed meridians; solving the problem that had plagued Zhe Xiu for over a decade wouldn’t happen overnight.
After a long while, the others at the table noticed two people were missing. Qi Jian glanced at the closed door of the inner room, a look of pity on his youthful face. Gou Hanshi frowned and shook his head; even he was starting to find it strange.
Not wanting to disturb the two in the inner room, the discussion at the table stopped.
Suddenly, Tang Thirty-Six stood up, pushed open the door, and said to Chen Changsheng, “Three more people passed today.”
Chen Changsheng was focused on twisting the copper needle between his fingers, speaking softly to Zhe Xiu, and didn’t respond.
Day after day passed. By the time the candidates of this year’s Grand Examination entered the Heavenly Book Mausoleum, it was already the seventh day.
On the fifth day, Zhe Xiu finally passed the Zhaoping Stele—perhaps because he had been reading every night.
But Chen Changsheng still hadn’t succeeded in deciphering a stele. With this, he set a new record.
Before, he had held a brilliant record in the cultivation world: one of the youngest to reach the Penetrating State.
Now, this record was far less glorious.
Among all the top scorers in the Grand Examination’s history, he had taken the longest to decipher the first Heavenly Book Stele—and it might take even longer.
In the blink of an eye, the time in the mausoleum reached the tenth day.
After five in the morning, Chen Changsheng finally left the thatched cottage and arrived before the stele pavilion. He stood silently in front of the black stone stele, lost in thought.
As the morning light grew stronger, observers entered the Heavenly Book Mausoleum one by one. When they saw him sitting cross-legged under the tree, they were first surprised, then a mix of emotions arose.
In their eyes, there was sympathy, pity, mockery, and schadenfreude.
Some kept their distance, walking into the stele pavilion. Others deliberately brushed past him, their steps especially light, before disappearing before the stele with the breeze that curled around the eaves.
After breakfast, the people from the thatched cottage also arrived.
Seeing this scene, Guan Feibai frowned but said nothing, touched the stele, and left.
Tang Thirty-Six stood in front of him and asked, “Want me to keep you company?”
Chen Changsheng looked up at him seriously and said, “Inside the Heavenly Book Mausoleum, even the briefest moments are precious. You should cherish them.”
Tang Thirty-Six was speechless, thinking, you’ve been a tourist and a cook here for ten days, and you still have the nerve to say that?
Zhe Xiu said nothing, simply sitting down beside Chen Changsheng.
Chen Changsheng also remained silent.
The morning breeze gently stirred the treetops, and green leaves fell onto the eaves.
“Thank you. The time is about right,” Chen Changsheng said sincerely.
Zhe Xiu stood up and walked into the stele pavilion.
By “about right,” he didn’t mean he saw hope of deciphering the stele, but that Zhe Xiu had accompanied him long enough.
At noon on the twelfth day, the spring sun was a bit harsh. Chen Changsheng sat in the stele pavilion, using the eaves for shade.
A light breeze stirred, and two young men appeared before the pavilion. One was Guo En, a distinguished disciple of the Cijian Temple under the Southern Holy Maiden Peak, who had placed third in the Grand Examination two years ago. The other was Mu Nu, once the strongest student at the Heavenly Academy before Zhuang Huanyu, who had been observing steles in the mausoleum for over four years.
Both had been genius youths on the Azure Cloud List. As time passed and they observed the steles longer, they broke through to the Penetrating State and had now entered the Golden List. The northern and southern sects had always been at odds, and these two, already famous outside the mausoleum, had started as bitter enemies but now had a fairly good relationship.
“You’re Chen Changsheng?” Mu Nu asked, expressionless.
More than ten days ago, when Zhong Hui succeeded in deciphering a stele, these two were present, but Chen Changsheng didn’t recognize them. He only knew they were likely previous years’ observers. “Yes. Do you have any advice?”
Mu Nu’s lips twitched slightly, a half-smile on his face, but he didn’t answer.
Guo En looked at Chen Changsheng, shook his head, and sighed. “My sect wrote to me, saying this year’s Grand Examination produced an extraordinary figure. But now it seems that was an exaggeration.”
Mu Nu said, “Not necessarily. Breaking through to the Penetrating State at fifteen is indeed remarkable. But initial cultivation is like a sharp blade splitting bamboo, while later stagnation is like sand and gravel blocking progress. History has seen too many of this type. You must understand that the Heavenly Book Mausoleum is the true test. This person can’t even pass the Zhaoping Stele; he’s probably one of those types. Truly regrettable and pitiable.”
They spoke as if Chen Changsheng weren’t there, or as if they didn’t care about his reaction at all.
Chen Changsheng was silent for a moment, then sat back down before the stele.
Guo En and Mu Nu smiled, turned, and walked shoulder to shoulder down the mausoleum path, continuing their conversation.
“What kind of person is Xu Yourong? How could she marry him?”
“This is the hope for the revival of the National Academy? How ridiculous.”
Whether intentional or not, their voices were very clear, constantly reaching Chen Changsheng’s ears.
Then, laughter echoed from the mountain path.
Chen Changsheng stared quietly at the stele, as if completely unaffected.
Spring deepened.
In the sky, hundreds of snow geese returned from distant lands.
They came from the warm Western Continent, crossing the sea, heading to the Heavenly Pillar Peak to spend the long summer.
Their cries were weary but still clear.
From the forests around the stele pavilion, sparrows began to chirp, as if mocking the snow geese for seeking hardship, foolish and clumsy.
Chen Changsheng looked up at the two beautiful white lines in the azure sky, recalling the days when he rode a crane chasing flocks of snow geese on the mountain behind Xining Town, and he smiled.
(I think this chapter is well written. Of course, tomorrow will be even better. I haven’t asked for monthly votes in months. Today is the first day of November, and I sincerely call upon you all: please cast your guaranteed monthly votes for “Ze Tian Ji.” The reason I dare ask for votes is that I won’t have any trips this month. I’m itching to write! I can’t guarantee how many chapters per day, but I can guarantee that this month’s updates will exceed 150,000 words. Finally, allow me to warmly recommend my good friend and old friend, Sheng Ji, and his new book on Chuangshi Chinese website, “Zhan Sheng Wu Di,” book number: 43-10. Link below: uttn:/cuaut.nn.cbk43-10utmI)