Chapter 363: Full-Time Education (Part 2)
Chen Changsheng’s gaze pierced through the Black Willow Forest, landing on the Great Zhou iron cavalry scattered across the snowy plain, and he understood the meaning behind Su Li’s earlier words. *Besides the demons, the people who most want me dead on this continent are the Zhou. These iron cavalry, clearly searching for a target everywhere, are proof of that.* Yet he still felt there might be another possibility—perhaps these Great Zhou cavalry had come to rescue them?
“Why do you always like to think of the worst?” Su Li asked, a hint of mockery in his tone as he listened to Chen Changsheng’s question. “Because things always tend to develop according to people’s worst expectations.”
As if to prove his point, dozens of riders split off from the hundreds of cavalry and headed toward the Black Willow Forest, painting a black line across the monotonous snowfield. Reaching the forest’s edge, the riders drew weapons from their saddles and lowered their visors, their movements wary—no matter how you looked at it, these cavalry weren’t here to rescue anyone; they were here to kill.
The cavalry entered the forest, hooves thudding densely, occasionally accompanied by the snap of black willow branches breaking. Whether rescuing or killing, they had no need to conceal their tracks. And if the target they were searching for was truly as the intelligence suggested—a cripple—then what followed should be simple enough.
At some point, Chen Changsheng’s right hand had already rested on his sword hilt, ready to draw the short sword at any moment.
His body was truly strong now. Even after traversing ten thousand li of snowy plains, all fatigue and hidden injuries had vanished after a night’s sleep on the cold kang. His true essence was gradually recovering, and even the wounds he’d sustained in the Zhou Garden had healed considerably. He was confident he could defeat or even kill the dozens of cavalry entering the forest, even if they were undoubtedly elite soldiers who had succeeded in marrow cleansing. But he had no confidence in killing these riders silently without alerting the main cavalry force advancing eastward across the snowy plain. More critically, these cavalry were soldiers of the Great Zhou, and he was a Zhou citizen. He simply couldn’t bring himself to rise up and kill without any reason.
He didn’t know what to do. Silently, he stared at the indistinct shadows of the cavalry within the Black Willow Forest. As those shadows drew closer, his breathing grew faster, his tension mounting. His hand gripping the sword hilt turned whiter at the knuckles. If things continued like this, it wouldn’t be long before those cavalry spotted him and Su Li.
“Senior, let’s go.”
He finally made a decision, turned to signal Su Li to lean on him, and prepared to flee with Su Li on his back.
Since he couldn’t keep hiding and couldn’t draw his sword to kill, running was the only option. Fortunately, he now possessed unimaginable speed, and he believed the cavalry wouldn’t catch up quickly. As for the trouble that would arise once the Zhou army discovered their whereabouts, he couldn’t worry about that for now.
Su Li showed no intention of leaving. “Open the umbrella,” he said.
Chen Changsheng didn’t understand but took the yellow paper umbrella Su Li handed him and opened it. Following Su Li’s instructions, he channeled his true essence into the umbrella handle, simultaneously activating a mechanism on the ribs. A faint, barely perceptible aura cascaded down from the umbrella’s surface, like an intangible waterfall, shielding their surroundings. The cold wind couldn’t penetrate the umbrella, but snow began to fall from the sky, landing silently on the umbrella’s surface.
The dozens of cavalry reached the depths of the Black Willow Forest, stopping not far from them.
Chen Changsheng was tense. Staring at the riders a dozen zhang away, he could even make out the eye color of the leading cavalry commander.
Yet those dozens of riders seemed to see nothing, continuing to disperse through the Black Willow Forest.
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After an unknown amount of time, once he confirmed the cavalry had left the Black Willow Forest, Chen Changsheng suddenly relaxed. Only then did he realize that both hands gripping the umbrella handle and sword hilt had gone stiff from tension.
“Close the umbrella,” Su Li said.
He complied, folded the yellow paper umbrella, tied it to his waist, and prepared to leave.
“Don’t rush. Those cavalry are probably still waiting on the outskirts,” Su Li added.
Chen Changsheng didn’t question it. He sat back down in the snowdrift by the tree and looked at the yellow paper umbrella, sighing in admiration. “I never imagined this umbrella had such a wonderful use.”
Su Li’s lips curled slightly. “Don’t forget who I am.”
Chen Changsheng didn’t respond. He was genuinely a bit tired, and he knew that even if he didn’t reply, this narcissistic senior would find a way to continue the conversation himself.
Sure enough, Su Li’s brows arched as if about to take flight, and he said proudly, “This is a magical artifact I designed with that old man Tang. Using the Sky-Covering Sword as the core and countless rare materials as the body, even a Meditation Realm cultivator might not see through the illusion. You think these ordinary cavalry could see through my umbrella?”
Chen Changsheng hesitated, as if about to speak.
Su Li’s brows arched higher. “Spit it out if you have something to say.”
Chen Changsheng said, “Senior… this umbrella is mine.”
The Black Willow Forest fell silent, snow falling without a sound.
Back when they left the hot spring on the snowy ridge, they’d argued over this matter. Chen Changsheng had let it go because Su Li was badly injured, but now he couldn’t hold back anymore, believing the umbrella was rightfully his.
Su Li looked at him with a cold smile. “Do you know the origin of this umbrella?”
Chen Changsheng had heard some stories about the yellow paper umbrella from Zhe Xiu, and combined with what he’d seen in the Zhou Garden and on the snowy plain, he basically knew everything. He nodded.
But Su Li ignored him and recounted the umbrella’s story anyway, finally fixing his eyes on Chen Changsheng. “I found the sword, I designed the umbrella, and you say it’s yours?”
Chen Changsheng said, “But the materials were all gathered by Old Master Tang. Back then, Senior left this umbrella with the Tang clan of Wenshui, wasn’t it because you couldn’t afford to pay?”
Su Li’s expression grew cold. “Say that again.”
Chen Changsheng thought that saying “couldn’t afford to pay” was indeed a bit inaccurate, so he rephrased. “Wasn’t it because Senior defaulted on the debt that the yellow paper umbrella ended up with the Tang clan of Wenshui?”
Su Li laughed in anger. “I am the highest-ranking elder of Lishan, wandering the world, robbing houses and plundering, committing every evil—do you think I’m short on money?”
Chen Changsheng ignored the phrase “robbing houses and plundering, committing every evil” in his words and earnestly explained, “But you didn’t pay.”
Su Li found himself with nothing to say, so he fell silent.
The atmosphere grew awkward. Chen Changsheng stammered, stood up, climbed a black willow tree to observe the movements of the distant Great Zhou iron cavalry, and let the heat on his face dissipate in the wind.
After a while, he climbed down from the tree and said to Su Li, “Senior, those cavalry should have really withdrawn.”
Su Li ignored him.
Chen Changsheng said, “Senior, if these cavalry really came to hunt you down, do we still need to hide our tracks now? You don’t trust us Zhou, but there must be people you can trust. As you said earlier, some will come to kill you, and some will come to save you. Lishan is far away, but those who want to save you might be close.”
Su Li looked into his eyes and said, “The question is, are there more people who want to kill me or more who want to save me? Who is more urgent?”
Chen Changsheng hesitated. “Senior… aren’t you thinking too darkly of human nature?”
“Not human nature—human hearts. Human nature cannot be tested, and human hearts cannot be guessed. Wild love and hate, in the end, all come down to interests. Emperor Taizong was clearly a shameless man who killed his brother and forced his father, and Zhou Dufu was clearly a butcher who killed countless people. Why do ordinary people see a golden light around them? Because Emperor Taizong and Zhou Dufu brought them enough benefits. They drove the demons back to the Snow City, sparing the people of the Central Plains from war and slaughter, from being enslaved by alien races. Naturally, they became the focus of popular support.”
Su Li looked at him seriously and asked, “And me? I live in a peaceful era without war. Aside from killing a few demon generals, I haven’t done much. What have I done for the human world? What benefits have I brought to cultivators and the common people? Do I deserve them traveling thousands of li to help me? Just because my swordsmanship is unmatched and my bearing is extraordinary?”
What was meant to be a serious discussion or lesson turned sour with those last two sentences. Chen Changsheng had no idea how to respond. “What about the Southerners?” he asked.
In common understanding, Lishan’s Little Uncle, Su Li, was the strongest in the Southern world. It was precisely because of his existence that the South could retain its last shred of dignity and pride before the prosperous Great Zhou.
“Of course, there are many Southerners who thank me, but also many who hate me. As I said a few days ago, I’ve killed many people. Since I grew up in the South, most of those I killed were Southerners. They have relatives, classmates, disciples, descendants—how could they like me? Of course, even if there are many who hold grudges against me, they can’t be the majority, or I’d be a rat crossing the street, beaten by everyone. The problem is that years ago, I did something that disappointed the entire Southern world, so more and more people dislike me.”
“What was it?” Chen Changsheng asked curiously.
“Over a decade ago, the bloodbath at the National Academy—you should know about it.”
“I do.”
“Speaking of which, is Priest Ji really your master?”
“Senior… honestly, I’m not clear about that either.”
“Alright, back to the point. Anyway, after the National Academy case, the Pope was severely injured, the army fell into chaos, the court was in conflict, Zhou Tong killed indiscriminately, the capital was in turmoil, and your Zhou kingdom was a mess. From the Southerners’ perspective, this was undoubtedly the best opportunity. And I have to admit, the Longevity Sect was very strong back then, capable of contending with the Li Palace.”
“And then?”
“When the Southerners were about to strike after years of preparation, I went to the Longevity Sect for some matter and killed all the elders. So naturally, what they planned to do fell through.”
“Senior, hearing such secrets is indeed shocking, but I can’t shake the feeling that you’re praising yourself in a roundabout way.”
“Such a tragic story—what’s there to praise?”
Rarely, Su Li didn’t take the opportunity to continue praising himself. His expression was calm in a way that was unsettling.
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(See you tomorrow)