Chapter 249: Green Smoke Sends a Warning
Along the way, Zhuang Huanyu had stayed in his own carriage, rarely showing himself. It was unclear whether he was deliberately avoiding Chen Changsheng. Chen Changsheng paid this man no mind; he didn't even know that Zhuang Huanyu had also left the Mausoleum of Books and come to Hanqiu City, until he entered the Zhou Garden. But he was very clear on why Zhuang Huanyu had appeared now, and why he was staring at him.
He was the Dean of the National Academy. Whether it was the attitude of the Li Palace, or the instructions from the Chief Instructor before entering the garden, the cultivators of the Northern Sect should take him as their lead. Handling matters naturally required fairness. The problem was, at this very moment, what exactly constituted fairness?
He took a step forward, but was blocked by Zhexiu.
A hint of mockery appeared in Zhuang Huanyu's eyes.
Zhexiu's face remained expressionless as he said slowly, "This matter doesn't need your involvement."
It wasn't that Chen Changsheng couldn't handle it, but that someone else would.
The murderous sword intent from the distant forest earlier didn't belong to Zhuang Huanyu; it belonged to another.
The master and disciple from the Qingxu Temple were well aware of this, which was why they were so eager to leave.
Just then, that murderous sword intent arrived at the riverbank, directly tearing through the woods on the shore and slashing ferociously toward the Qingxu Temple master.
The Qingxu Temple master's expression shifted sharply. With a fierce shout, he gripped his sword horizontally before his chest.
A crisp clang of impact rang out.
A violent blast of air surged across the riverbank, and the water churned wildly, exposing the cobblestones beneath.
Only then did everyone see the sword that had flown out from the forest.
The sword seemed about to be blocked by the Qingxu Temple master's blade, but it suddenly blazed with brilliant light, its power surging further, as if it could cleave the entire river in two.
With a thunderous roar, the water in the river was shaken into the air, countless cobblestones clattering and rolling everywhere, while dust and smoke billowed across the riverbank.
The Qingxu Temple master let out a muffled groan, his chest struck as if by a heavy blow. His knees buckled slightly, and he flew backward like a broken kite, his feet dragging two clear furrows across the ground.
He didn't stop until he had retreated over ten zhang. His face was deathly pale, a distinct sword scar had appeared on his chest, and blood seeped from the corners of his mouth.
The water that had been shaken into the sky then fell, splashing noisily. The Qingxu Temple master was drenched through, looking utterly disheveled.
The young Daoist hurriedly ran across the river toward him.
"What a domineering Mountain Ghost Splitting Rock."
Chen Changsheng watched this scene, silently thinking back to the Ivy Banquet, when Qijian had used this Lishan sword technique against Tang Thirty-Six. But at that time, Qijian hadn't yet reached Tongyou; compared to the Mountain Ghost Splitting Rock this person had just unleashed, it was a completely different concept.
He and Zhexiu turned to look into the forest, where Liang Xiaoxiao and Qijian emerged.
"Where do you think you're going?"
The river began to flow again, but the sound of the water couldn't drown out Liang Xiaoxiao's cold voice.
On the opposite bank, the Qingxu Temple master and disciple, supporting each other, were preparing to leave. Both were at the middle stage of Tongyou, but Lishan's swordsmanship far surpassed that of Qingxu Temple. How could an obscure Qingxu Temple master compare with the Seven Laws of the Divine Kingdom? There was no choice but to concede defeat.
Hearing this, the Qingxu Temple master turned to look, his pale face showing anger as he asked, "What do you want?"
Liang Xiaoxiao said expressionlessly, "Leave the item behind."
The Qingxu Temple master gritted his teeth and tossed the broken artifact in his hand over.
Liang Xiaoxiao still showed no intention of letting them leave, continuing, "Then come over and apologize."
The Qingxu Temple master shouted, "Don't go too far! Don't think you can bully others just because Lishan is powerful!"
As he said this, he looked at Chen Changsheng. The rules of the Zhou Garden were such: the master and disciple from Holy Maiden Peak couldn't defeat him, so the artifact naturally belonged to him; he couldn't defeat Liang Xiaoxiao, so he couldn't keep the artifact. He didn't see why he needed to apologize to these southerners.
Liang Xiaoxiao, as if ignoring his meaning, caught the artifact and unhesitatingly handed it to that Senior Sister Tong from Holy Maiden Peak.
On the Southern Continent, the advantage lay in the mutual support between the Longevity Sect and Holy Maiden Peak, which had preserved their relative independence for so many years under the might of the Zhou Dynasty and the National Religion. Disciples of the two great sects usually addressed each other as fellow disciples, almost like members of the same school.
Liang Xiaoxiao gripped his sword and continued walking toward the opposite bank.
Chen Changsheng said, "His injuries are severe. He can't fight anymore."
These words didn't explicitly say "that's enough," but that was exactly what they meant.
Liang Xiaoxiao stopped, turned to look at Chen Changsheng, his gaze turning cold. The Lishan Sword Sect and the National Academy had countless tangled conflicts, and unlike Gou Hanshi and others who had shared meals with Chen Changsheng under the same roof, Liang Xiaoxiao found Chen Changsheng utterly detestable.
Zhexiu still stood in front of Chen Changsheng, his face blank.
Though he was now at the initial stage of Tongyou, a full level below Liang Xiaoxiao, his face showed no fear, not even tension.
Just as he had told Chen Changsheng in the forest outside the Mausoleum of Books, if it had come to a life-or-death struggle during the Grand Examination, he wouldn't have feared even Gou Hanshi, let alone Liang Xiaoxiao, who ranked only third among the Seven Laws of the Divine Kingdom.
This was the confidence forged by witnessing countless life-and-death battles and slaughtering countless demons.
Qijian looked at Zhexiu, furrowed his brow, and walked over to Liang Xiaoxiao's side.
Liang Xiaoxiao looked at Chen Changsheng with a faint sneer and said, "You didn't speak earlier, but now you're pretending to be fair?"
Chen Changsheng thought for a moment but didn't explain what he had intended to do earlier.
Senior Sister Tong from Holy Maiden Peak didn't want the two sides to clash over her, so she softly tried to mediate.
Liang Xiaoxiao said nothing, but the mockery on his face grew thicker.
"Ever since the Mausoleum of Books, you've seemed to hold hostility toward me."
Chen Changsheng looked at him seriously and asked, "I don't understand why."
Liang Xiaoxiao acted as if he had heard an incredibly stupid question: "I am a disciple of the Lishan Sword Sect. Isn't it only natural for me to be hostile toward you?"
Chen Changsheng thought for a moment, then pointed at Zhuang Huanyu under the tree and said, "Then he's a student of the Heavenly Academy. Why is he always hostile toward me too?"
Liang Xiaoxiao replied, "Maybe you should consider whether, when the whole world holds hostility toward you, you've done something wrong yourself."
Chen Changsheng was silent for a while, then said, "I've seriously considered that question, and I've found that it's also possible that the world is wrong."
Qijian gently tugged at Liang Xiaoxiao's sleeve.
Liang Xiaoxiao's expression turned cold, and he said no more.
Chen Changsheng shook his head, waded across the river, and came to the side of the Qingxu Temple master and disciple.
Looking at the terrifying sword wound on the Qingxu Temple master's chest, he said, "The injury is too severe. You need to leave."
The young Daoist, thinking they had been in the Zhou Garden for less than half a day without gaining anything, showed reluctance on his face.
Chen Changsheng said, "Your master said it earlier too—this is the rule of the Zhou Garden."
The young Daoist looked at him indignantly and said, "You're a big shot in the National Religion. Why didn't you help us?"
Chen Changsheng didn't respond, continuing to take the Qingxu Temple master's pulse, his head lowered as he said, "You must hurry."
The Qingxu Temple master nodded weakly. With his experience and insight, he knew that although Chen Changsheng hadn't stepped in to help earlier, if he hadn't been present, those two young Lishan Sword Sect experts would have injured him far more severely.
He took out the gray thread guide he had received before entering the garden, trembling as he lit it.
Faint green smoke rose from the burning thread, drifting slowly over the river before gradually disappearing into the sky of the Zhou Garden.
Chen Changsheng could vaguely sense that this green smoke, merging into the sky, was causing the spatial barrier separating the Zhou Garden from the real world to react.
Logically, spatial techniques were the highest mysteries. A burning gray thread shouldn't be enough to transport a person dozens of li to the garden's gate. So these gray thread guides must be using the Zhou Garden's own rules, possibly even products of the garden itself from many years ago.
The river flowed slowly, and the wet riverbank began to dry again.
Though the young Daoist was still unwilling, he had no other choice. He knew that once his master left, he would have to follow, or else, with his level of cultivation and swordsmanship, he couldn't possibly contend with the experts in the garden.
Time passed slowly. The gray thread in the Qingxu Temple master's hand burned to the end.
The river still flowed, and the water plants still drifted.
Nothing happened.
The Qingxu Temple master still lay on the riverbank.
Chen Changsheng was startled and asked in confusion, "Has the gray thread guide failed?"
Zhexiu raised an eyebrow slightly and looked at the young Daoist.
The young Daoist was stunned for a moment before realizing he should light his own gray thread guide. His hands trembled from nervousness.
A moment later, the young Daoist's gray thread guide also burned out, but still, nothing happened.
He clutched the burnt end of the thread, his face turning pale.
The Qingxu Temple master's face grew even paler.
Liang Xiaoxiao's Mountain Ghost Splitting Rock had been too brutal. With just two strikes crossing, a terrifying sword wound had appeared on his chest, and blood was still flowing out. If he couldn't return to the garden gate in time to receive treatment from the National Religion's clergy, his life might truly be in danger.
"What's going on?"
The young Daoist asked in panic, instinctively looking around.
The forest by the river was eerily quiet, now suddenly seeming somewhat sinister.
The events on this side finally caught the attention of those on the opposite bank.
Qijian, Liang Xiaoxiao, and the master and disciple from Holy Maiden Peak came over, and even Zhuang Huanyu approached.
"Could there be a problem? My... my master, what about him? He's still bleeding. He won't die, will he?"
The young Daoist looked at Chen Changsheng, his face full of anxiety and hope.
Liang Xiaoxiao looked at the sword wound on the Qingxu Temple master's chest and frowned slightly.
The Tongyou realm cultivators who entered the Zhou Garden were all hopes for humanity's fight against the demons. How could the sages allow them to die casually? The rules set for entering the garden, though seemingly cruel and cold, were designed so that no matter how fierce the battle or treacherous the hearts, at the final moment, one could always use the gray thread guide to leave the Zhou Garden.
But now, the gray thread guide had failed.
Chen Changsheng took out his needle case, first simply stopping the bleeding for the Qingxu Temple master, then stood up and looked into the distance downstream.
(Just this chapter today. Three chapters tomorrow.)