Chapter 247: The Young Academy Head
At first, he thought there was nothing to ask, but later he realized there were still countless questions with no answers. Facing the Pope's eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through everything in the world, Chen Changsheng remained silent for a long time. Although he was young, it didn't mean he was naive. He knew there were some questions he couldn't raise—like Xining Town, like his senior brother, like the state religion. So he could only ask about things that were permissible.
For instance, the Garden of Zhou?
Upon hearing his question, the Pope smiled slightly and said, "There are some very important things in the Garden of Zhou. You must ensure you obtain them, because on this journey, you represent the Li Palace."
Chen Changsheng asked directly, "Who will contend with me?"
This sounded somewhat arrogant, but in truth, it was quite practical. In the Great Zhou Dynasty, who would dare to contend with the Li Palace? In fact, he already had an answer in his heart; he just needed confirmation.
The Pope said, "The state religion is divided into the northern and southern factions. Since you represent the Li Palace in the Garden of Zhou, those who dare to contend with you, and inevitably will, are naturally the Southerners."
The Pope did not explicitly tell him what the important thing he must find in the Garden of Zhou was. He only said that when Chen Changsheng saw it, he would know it was what he was looking for. In truth, Chen Changsheng had already guessed what that thing was, but since the Pope hadn't stated it for certain reasons, he naturally didn't find it appropriate to bring it up.
Recalling what Luoluo had said that afternoon under the great banyan tree, he knew his opponents in the Garden of Zhou would likely be those powerful cultivators at the Penetrating Obscurity realm from Holy Maiden Peak, Everlasting Sect, and Huai Academy.
And that woman.
"Is Xu Yourong definitely entering the Garden of Zhou?" he asked.
The Pope seemed to understand his feelings and said with a smile, "On the very day you entered the Mausoleum of Books, news came from the south that Xu Yourong had broken through to the Penetrating Obscurity realm in a small town, even directly entering the upper realm. That is to say, her cultivation level is now exactly the same as yours. If you and she meet in the Garden of Zhou, it will certainly be very interesting."
Chen Changsheng was silent, thinking that if their levels were the same, he would definitely be no match for her. Because of this fact, he remained silent for a long time before continuing to ask, "What about Qiu Shanjun? According to worldly rumors, he is deeply devoted to Xu Yourong and takes great care of her. If Xu Yourong enters the Garden of Zhou, he should follow her, right?"
He tried his best to keep his tone calm and normal, but after all, he was a fifteen-year-old youth, so his tone was inevitably a bit strange, especially when he said the words "deeply devoted."
The Pope smelled the faint sourness drifting through the hall, and his smile grew even brighter. He said, "That's why I say this matter is very interesting. Qiu Shanjun succeeded in gathering stars ten days ago, so he cannot enter the Garden of Zhou. Therefore, no matter what you and Xu Yourong do inside the Garden of Zhou, he has no way to disturb you."
There was a mischievousness, even a hint of annoyance, in these words that was completely inconsistent with the Pope's status. Chen Changsheng was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses.
Suddenly, he understood the key point of the Pope's words, and a look of shock appeared on his face.
"Qiu Shanjun… succeeded in gathering stars?"
"When he was fighting with the powerful demon clan members for the key to the Garden of Zhou, he was severely injured. Instead, this brought him a stroke of fortune, and he took this opportunity to successfully break through."
Chen Changsheng was speechless. If he remembered correctly, Qiu Shanjun should now be less than twenty years old. He hadn't yet participated in the Grand Examination or entered the Mausoleum of Books, yet he had already gathered stars. Xu Yourong was three days younger than him, and she hadn't yet entered the Mausoleum of Books to observe the steles and comprehend the Dao, yet she had already become a true upper realm of Penetrating Obscurity.
He silently lamented, thinking, *This is what true geniuses are like.*
He cultivated by following his heart's desires, emphasizing a tranquil state of mind, and he truly had no romantic feelings for Xu Yourong. Yet, for some reason, whenever she and that man named Qiu Shanjun were mentioned, he always felt a bit awkward. What made him even more uncomfortable was that even though he had already created so many miracles, Qiu Shanjun always seemed to be one step ahead of him.
He had taken the top spot in the Grand Examination; Qiu Shanjun had obtained the key to the Garden of Zhou. He had entered the Mausoleum of Books, observed the steles, and entered the direct realm of Penetrating Obscurity; Qiu Shanjun had gathered stars without needing to look at the Heavenly Book Stele. Matters of national importance versus personal cultivation, needing external objects versus not needing them—no matter how you looked at it, the latter seemed stronger.
"I think you are stronger than Qiu Shanjun."
The Pope seemed to know what he was thinking and said with a smile, "Even if others don't think so, they wouldn't dare to say you are weaker than Qiu Shanjun."
Chen Changsheng shook his head and said, "I am not as good as him."
The Pope said calmly, "You are four years younger than him."
Chen Changsheng was stunned for a moment, then smiled happily.
The Pope continued, "As for Xu Yourong… after all, she is Xu Shiji's daughter."
Chen Changsheng was silent. Since Xu Shiji was the Holy Maiden Empress's dog, Xu Yourong naturally had to stand on the side of the Holy Maiden Empress and the Southerners. In other words, she had to stand opposite the state religion.
He thought of a very frightening question: "Does the Holy Maiden Empress know my background?"
The Pope nodded and said, "Mo Yu sent people to Xining Town long ago to verify your background. This matter couldn't be hidden forever. After the Grand Examination, I made it clear to the Holy Maiden Empress."
Chen Changsheng was silent for a moment before asking, "Will Her Majesty…"
"No, she won't." The Pope looked at him and smiled, saying, "If Her Majesty doesn't want to tear things apart, then she won't—at least on the surface, she won't make a move against you. Because that would be equivalent to pushing my Li Palace completely into the arms of her enemies. No one wants to face such a situation, not even her, the Heavenly Sea Holy Maiden Empress."
What is confidence and backing? This is it.
"The things in the Garden of Zhou are naturally important, but don't forget, the real enemy is always in the north. This time, the key to the Garden of Zhou has fallen into our hands, but the demon clan certainly won't give up so easily. If the Black Robe is still alive, he will definitely do something. Whether inside the Garden of Zhou or outside, until you return to the capital, you must be sufficiently cautious and careful."
"Thank you for your guidance, Your Holiness," Chen Changsheng said.
The Pope said, "Are you still going to call me Your Holiness?"
Chen Changsheng said, somewhat unaccustomed, "Yes, Master-Uncle."
The Pope smiled with satisfaction.
Before the conversation ended, Chen Changsheng made a request.
Earlier, the Pope had mentioned that on the last night of the Green Vine Banquet, he had asked Mo Yu to bring Chen Changsheng into the Tong Palace. So he should be very clear about what was beneath that cold pool.
"I want to see that black dragon," Chen Changsheng said to the Pope very sincerely.
The Pope hadn't expected that his only request would be this. He smiled and asked, "It sounds like you've already met that black dragon?"
Chen Changsheng briefly described his meeting with the black dragon at the bottom of the pool, but omitted many details. He didn't mention that he had once sat in meditation there and almost burned to death. He only said that he had promised the dragon that if it was willing to let him leave, he would find time to visit it. That was what he called a promise.
"Although it is an evil dragon, a promise is a promise." The Pope seemed very satisfied with his commitment to his word. He said, "Wang Zhice tricked it into being imprisoned at the bottom of the pool back then. It was indeed somewhat unkind."
Chen Changsheng asked, "Then how can I see it?"
"The well at North New Bridge has already been opened."
Having said this, the Pope took a wooden plaque from his bosom and handed it to him.
Chen Changsheng took the plaque and saw that it had four characters carved in relief: National Teaching Academy.
"This is…" Chen Changsheng looked at the wooden plaque, somewhat puzzled.
The Pope smiled and said, "This is the academy plaque of the National Teaching Academy."
Chen Changsheng still didn't understand.
The Pope said, "Only the head of the National Teaching Academy is qualified to hold this plaque."
Chen Changsheng still didn't understand, or rather, he vaguely understood but couldn't believe it.
The Pope looked at him and smiled, saying, "For our first formal meeting, I, as your master-uncle, should give you a meeting gift. Just digging open the well at North New Bridge seems too stingy. How about this plaque?"
Chen Changsheng didn't know what this plaque was like, what material it was made of, or how many years of history it had. He only knew that this plaque suddenly became very heavy.
"Coming from Xining to the capital and stumbling into the National Teaching Academy by chance—thinking about it now, isn't this a kind of omen? The National Teaching Academy was destroyed in your master's hands, so it should be reborn in yours."
The Pope looked at him and said with emotion.
Only then did Chen Changsheng realize that from the moment he accepted this plaque, he had become the newest head of the National Teaching Academy. But… what status did the head of the National Teaching Academy hold? Although the National Teaching Academy had been as dilapidated as a graveyard for the past ten years, it was still one of the six academies under the Green Vine in the capital. In the past, it had been the oldest academy, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Heavenly Dao Academy. And that afternoon, he had heard from Luoluo that last month, the Holy Hall Archbishop of the Zhechong Hall had passed away, and the head of the Heavenly Dao Academy, Mao Qiuyu, had been promoted to one of the six giants of the state religion.
He was just a fifteen-year-old youth, and yet he was to become the head of the National Teaching Academy? He suddenly felt that the academy plaque in his hand was not only heavy but also burning hot.
Not far out of the hall, he heard coughing from the roadside. Chen Changsheng looked over and saw that it was the Archbishop of the Religious Affairs Office, Melisandre. He quickly stepped forward to pay his respects.
Melisandre looked at him, smiled, and gestured for him to walk together. He said slowly, "Is everything clear now?"
Chen Changsheng was silent for a moment before saying, "Almost everything is clear."
Melisandre looked up at the stars in the night sky, was silent for a moment, then said, "Do you know that I am very old?"
Before Chen Changsheng could respond, Melisandre continued calmly, "In the current state religion, only the Pope and I are the oldest. Being old is a very good thing; you can see many things. But being old is also a very bad thing, because you remember too many things, and living like that is somewhat hard."
"I can still clearly remember the events of the state religion back then. But strangely, I seem to have forgotten some things about what happened at the National Teaching Academy over ten years ago."
Melisandre coughed twice and continued, "I had a very good relationship with your master, so I was the first to discover your identity. At that time, I wasn't entirely sure of the Pope's intentions, so I waited a while before letting him know. Of course, your master's caution is also understandable."
Chen Changsheng still couldn't fully understand this matter, so he remained silent. The Li Palace was very quiet in the night. Walking along the stone paths between the halls, the brilliant lights beside the distant Sacred Way were faintly visible.
There was a question he hadn't dared to ask directly in front of the Pope. Now, he finally couldn't suppress the worry in his heart and said uneasily, "I'm a bit worried about my master."
"Mo Yu sent people to Xining Town long ago, but you don't need to worry. Back then, all the strong warriors of the Great Zhou Dynasty besieged the National Teaching Academy. Her Majesty and the Pope personally took action, and your master still managed to survive. How much more so now?"
Chen Changsheng looked at the old man's squinting eyes and said seriously, "Thank you for your care over the past year."
Melisandre squinted his eyes and smiled like an old fox. "Living in the capital is actually very easy, because it's very hard to die here. The people who live here all have a past, and they all cherish the past."
Chen Changsheng carefully pondered the meaning of these words.
Melisandre looked at him and said, "But once you leave the capital, it's no longer like this. Especially outside the borders of our Great Zhou, there are only harsh storms and dangers. You can only take care of yourself."
Chen Changsheng thought of what the Pope had said earlier and said uneasily, "Is the Black Robe… really still alive? What schemes will the demon clan arrange for the opening of the Garden of Zhou?"
Melisandre said, "Since the key to the Garden of Zhou is in human hands, no matter how unwilling the demon clan is, they can't seize the initiative. So you don't need to worry too much. On the contrary, don't forget that some people in our Great Zhou, though far inferior to the Black Robe in strategy, far surpass him in ruthlessness and shamelessness. You need to be wary of such people."
Chen Changsheng knew he was talking about Zhou Tong.
Arriving at the Sacred Way in front of the main hall, Melisandre stopped and said, "I'll see you off here."
Chen Changsheng bowed respectfully and said, "After I return from the Garden of Zhou, I will come to visit you again."
Melisandre shook his head and said, "Too low."
Chen Changsheng was slightly stunned, not understanding what these two words meant.
"Your bow is too low."
Melisandre looked at him and smiled, saying, "You are now the head of the National Teaching Academy. The only ones worthy of your full bow are the Pope and the Holy Maiden Empress. Apart from that, you don't need to bow to anyone."
Only then did Chen Changsheng remember that his identity had already changed.
The Archbishop of the Religious Affairs Office was now only of equal rank to him.
From the depths of the quiet Li Palace, a distant and bright bell sound suddenly rang out. The bell did not represent a signal to return home, but a very formal state religion edict. The content of this edict spread through the halls faster than the night wind, heading to the various counties and nations of the continent.
"From today onward, you no longer need to lower your head."
Melisandre looked at him and smiled, then turned and left.
Chen Changsheng stood by the Sacred Way, somewhat dazed, without any sense of reality.
Two bishops were waiting on the Sacred Way to escort him out of the palace. If they had been composed and polite when escorting him into the palace earlier, now they were full of deference.
The hierarchy of the state religion was very clear and strict, and the class divisions within the Li Palace had always been severe. He was no longer a new student of the National Teaching Academy, but its head. Naturally, he would receive different looks of awe.
The bright hanging lamps illuminated the straight Sacred Way.
Under the escort of the two bishops, Chen Changsheng walked along the Sacred Way toward the outside of the palace.
Along the way, the priests they encountered all stepped aside to the sides of the Sacred Way.
Earlier, when he had entered the Li Palace, he had seen a similar scene.
But back then, after the priests stepped aside, they only needed to watch him with their eyes. Now, they could not do so, because what was once a courtesy would now be discourteous. They needed to bow to Chen Changsheng.
Wherever the youth passed, hundreds of priests bowed in greeting, their expressions humble, their voices rising and falling.
"Greetings, Head Chen."
"Paying respects to Head Chen."
"Good day, Head Chen."
(Suddenly thought of the old dog, was silent for a long time. This chapter is four thousand words. That's all for today. See you tomorrow.)