Chapter 243: Outside the Zhou Garden, Wind and Rain Approach (Part 2)
Are you Chen Changsheng? He is Chen Changsheng? Who is Chen Changsheng? Ever since the Green Vine Banquet, or more precisely, ever since the news of his engagement to Xu Yourong spread across the entire continent, these had been the three sentences Chen Changsheng heard most often. As time passed, this situation showed no sign of improvement; instead, it only worsened as his reputation grew, to the point where sometimes even he himself was almost unsure who he truly was.
Human curiosity is not much different from that of a cat. Even the Holy Empress could not silence the mouths of the world. From the initial nervousness and restraint upon hearing those discussions and seeing those gazes, to a slight sense of resistance, Chen Changsheng had now fallen into a state of silent numbness. However, he could not handle this situation as usual this time, because the person asking the question was none other than Zhu Luo, the Solitary Drinker Under the Moon, a senior expert whom even the Li Palace had to treat with utmost respect.
He walked a few steps forward and bowed solemnly and orderly toward the thatched cottage outside the forest in the distance.
Outside the quiet evening forest, there was a slight stir. Countless gazes turned and landed on him.
Chen Changsheng’s expression was calm, but how could he truly be calm? Thinking back to the scene when he entered Wenshui City, and recalling the deliberate flattery or cold indifference of certain people along the way, he felt quite helpless. He couldn’t help but think that being a celebrity was hardly a blessing. How had Xu Yourong managed to endure all these years?
Compared to the commotion and excitement in the capital and Wenshui City, the crowd outside the evening forest quickly quieted down, because it was Zhu Luo who was questioning Chen Changsheng now—who would dare to disturb?
The Eight Winds and Rains were the top-tier experts of the human world, not inferior to the Five Saints in terms of strength and realm. Although the opening of the Zhou Garden was an important event, having Zhu Luo alone to oversee it was more than sufficient. With one of the world’s supreme experts watching, unless the Demon Lord or the Black Robe came in person, no problems would arise.
Zhu Luo did not look at Chen Changsheng. Instead, he gazed at the snowy peaks behind the forest. His long hair, draped over his shoulders, seemed to burn together with the distant peaks, giving him an exceptionally wild aura.
“Has Merisa gone senile? To actually let a child like you become the dean of the National Academy?”
Hearing these words, the area outside the forest grew even quieter. Many people looked at Chen Changsheng, their eyes filled with all sorts of emotions—sympathy and pity, naturally, but also mockery and schadenfreude.
Although he had achieved the feat of summoning the starlight of the Mausoleum of Books that night, Chen Changsheng was only fifteen years old. At such an age to become the dean of the National Academy had inevitably drawn countless discussions and criticisms from the world. However, no one dared to openly question the decision of His Holiness the Pope.
Although Zhu Luo was one of the Eight Winds and Rains, it was not appropriate for him to challenge the Pope’s will in public. That was why he mentioned Merisa. Of course, everyone knew who he was really referring to.
Merisa was the Archbishop of the Sacred Hall, one of the six giants of the State Church, and his status was roughly equivalent to Zhu Luo’s. Zhu Luo’s sarcastic remarks could hardly be considered a provocation against the State Church or bullying the weak.
Priest Xin walked over to Chen Changsheng and whispered a few words. Only then did Chen Changsheng learn that Zhu Luo, as the head of the second great family of Tianliang Commandery, had been closely allied with the Chen imperial family, which also originated from Tianliang Commandery, for centuries. Because the Holy Empress was in power and suppressing the imperial clan, this supreme expert had always had a poor relationship with the capital and was extremely cold toward the Li Palace. Instead, he was very close to the old forces of the State Church represented by Merisa, and was even an old friend of Merisa’s. Logically, he should have shown favor to Chen Changsheng.
Why, then, was this supreme expert making things difficult for him?
Chen Changsheng thought about it very seriously before understanding that Zhu Luo’s sarcasm was directed at the Archbishop, not at him. In terms of age, seniority, or strength, in Zhu Luo’s eyes, he was naturally just a child.
In the eyes of the world, the National Academy had long since declined. Chen Changsheng becoming its dean was merely a title in name. After all, didn’t that academy deep in Baihua Lane now have only two or three students? But for a senior expert like Zhu Luo, the significance of the National Academy was far greater. Back in the day, under the leadership of that former dean, the National Academy had truly enjoyed boundless glory, to the extent that even the Lishan Sword Sect in recent years could not fully compare. Thinking that such an academy had been entrusted to a youth like Chen Changsheng, Zhu Luo naturally felt some emotion, or perhaps discomfort. A great figure like him could not possibly imagine that his casual remark would bring such immense pressure to Chen Changsheng or raise such expectations among the onlookers.
Outside the evening forest, it was silent. People watched Chen Changsheng, wondering how he would respond to Zhu Luo’s challenge—whether with mockery or pity, few were worried about him. Just then, Chen Changsheng recalled the words the Pope had said to him during the Grand Examination’s ranking ceremony: Bow your head, and you may bear the crown.
So he slightly bowed, then lowered his head.
He performed another bow toward Zhu Luo under the thatched cottage, said nothing, turned around, and walked back to the carriage.
What was this? Was it disregard? A slight stir rippled through the crowd once more. They thought Chen Changsheng had surely offended Zhu Luo deeply. Everyone in the world knew that among all the peak experts on the continent, Zhu Luo had the coldest and harshest temperament. How would he teach Chen Changsheng a lesson?
Contrary to everyone’s expectations, Zhu Luo did not get angry, nor did he say anything more. He picked up his wineskin with two fingers, brought it to his lips, took a long drink, and then gazed silently at the stars gradually appearing over the mountain.
His words were directed at the Li Palace, at Merisa, and at the Pope. They were a clear expression of his dissatisfaction, but they were not meant for Chen Changsheng.
Naturally, Chen Changsheng did not need to answer.
Not answering was the best answer.
Priest Xin wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at Chen Changsheng, asking in a low voice, “Should we enter the city to rest?”
Chen Changsheng shook his head and said, “We won’t enter Hanqiu City. We’ll just wait in the carriage.”
……
……
The seemingly endless night passed without incident. With the arrival of dawn, people continued to arrive from the official road, while even more came from Hanqiu City to the gathering site.
Merisa arrived at the site, escorted by dozens of priests. Only then did Chen Changsheng learn that this year’s opening of the Zhou Garden was being presided over by the elder himself. He just didn’t know when he had arrived or why he hadn’t traveled with their group. The cultivators from other sects and academies reacted differently upon seeing this Archbishop. Some, recalling Zhu Luo’s words from the previous night, subconsciously looked toward the thatched cottage.
The gentle spring breeze wove through and around the thatched cottage, stirring thin sleeves. Zhu Luo, with his eyes closed, half-leaned against the railing, as if he had drunk himself into a stupor and had no desire to wake.
Merisa looked in that direction, shook his head with a smile, and then signaled for the garden entry ceremony to begin.
Every ten years, the Zhou Garden opened for a hundred days. After a hundred days, everyone had to leave, or else they would be torn to pieces by the shifting spatial currents within the garden. This was an iron law proven many times over the years. The Zhou Garden might contain the legacy of Zhou Dufu, as well as the legacies of many experts who had once fallen to his hand—this, too, was a proven fact.
Entering the Zhou Garden could be considered an adventure or a trial. The rules set by the human world were very simple: no matter who picked up any treasure or technique within the garden, as long as they successfully brought it out, it would belong to the cultivator’s sect or academy. Within the garden, people could snatch from each other, and aside from the strict prohibition against killing competitors, no means were restricted.
Some had once questioned whether such rules were too brutal and bloody. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, entrusted by the saints to formulate the rules, explained that if one could not face bleak encounters and flowing blood within the Zhou Garden, then when facing the cold-blooded and murderous demon experts in the future, they would die anyway. So why waste resources? If humanity wanted to survive on this continent, they had to be ruthless toward the young people who would bear the future’s heavy responsibilities.
The priest explaining the rules issued stern warnings to the cultivators entering the garden, while more priests distributed items to those registered to enter. Inside the cloth bags were two things: one was a water clock for measuring time, and the other was a gray fuse.
Some didn’t understand why a specialized water clock was needed to measure time. Even if the sun and stars within the Zhou Garden couldn’t calculate the real world’s dates, as cultivators in the Penetrating Obscurity realm, they surely wouldn’t miscount the days. As for the gray fuse’s purpose, it was very clear: if someone encountered an insurmountable danger within the garden, felt their gains were sufficient, or dared not venture deeper, they only needed to light this gray fuse to be directly teleported to the garden’s entrance.
Zhu Luo was guarding outside the Zhou Garden. In the human world, there was no moon, so he could only drink alone under the stars. But no matter how drunk he became, the moment people saw him, they were safe.
Chen Changsheng listened to the priest explaining the rules and took the cloth bag that Priest Xin handed him, but his mind was elsewhere. His gaze moved back and forth among the crowd outside the forest, and he was slightly nervous.
That senior sister from Holy Maiden Peak had traveled with him from the capital to Hanqiu City, along with Ye Xiaolian. Now, the two of them stood with several women, presumably fellow disciples from Holy Maiden Peak. He looked very carefully but didn’t find anyone who looked like her. He had never seen her, but he had heard she was extremely beautiful, so he thought he should be able to recognize her at a glance.
Had Xu Yourong come or not? If she had, where was she now?
The morning light grew stronger, but the fog showed no signs of dissipating. Between the forest and the peaks, the mist instead became thicker. The morning sun’s rays refracted and scattered through it, forming all sorts of strange lines.
Suddenly, a cry of surprise rose from the crowd.
People looked toward the mist, where a small bridge faintly appeared. Beneath the bridge was flowing water. They saw a winding corridor, and at the corner, an old plum tree stood, quiet and beautiful—a garden.
Was this the Zhou Garden?
This quiet garden in the mist seemed illusory, yet it was real.
Like a mirage.
The moment the Zhou Garden appeared, Zhu Luo opened his eyes.
He looked at the quiet garden in the mist beyond the mountain forest, a complex emotion surging in his eyes as he recalled many things.
His hand fell on the railing, patting it repeatedly.
Merisa also opened his eyes and said slowly, “Go now. Don’t be greedy and forget the time.”
……
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(Three chapters today; this is the first. Although I will definitely write them, it will be especially slow because a toothache isn’t a disease… Aiming for the second chapter to be out before half past twelve.)