# Chapter 377: A Simple Youth
Liang Hongzhuang's expression sharpened slightly, her finely drawn eyebrows arching upward—the youngest dean of the National Teaching Academy, the key figure being groomed by the National Church, the most favored junior of His Holiness the Pope and Bishop Melisande, so this was that youth. He knew Chen Changsheng, otherwise he couldn't have guessed, but there were some things he simply couldn't understand. For instance: Chen Changsheng had reached the upper level of Penetrating Obscurity at the tender age of sixteen—even his extremely distant cousin found it unbelievable, and Liang Hongzhuang himself was quite impressed—but he couldn't understand that sword strike of Chen Changsheng's.
Everyone knew that Chen Changsheng's talent lay in cultivation, in the perseverance, diligence, and comprehension hidden within the four words "thoroughly reading the Daoist canon." But his bloodline talent was very ordinary, utterly unable to compare with Qiushan Jun, Xu Yourong, or Her Highness Luoluo. So how could his sword strike transcend the boundary between the Penetrating Obscurity realm and the Gathering Stars realm, directly breaking through his star domain?
Had he already seen through his Dancing Garment before even drawing his sword? Liang Hongzhuang looked toward Su Li—a Gathering Stars realm star domain might seem perfect, but it was never truly flawless. Yet only a powerhouse of Su Li's level could see through it. But Su Li hadn't spoken at all earlier, and his gaze had been fixed on Chen Changsheng's sword, not on Liang Hongzhuang himself.
"What sword... is that exactly?"
Liang Hongzhuang looked at the short sword in Chen Changsheng's hand, his thin eyebrows arching even higher, becoming increasingly bewitching and indescribable. Chen Changsheng didn't know how to answer this question. When Su Li had taught him the sword technique, he'd made it very clear that this sword method should be categorized under the Wisdom Sword, but Chen Changsheng always felt there was some subtle difference.
At this moment, Su Li also raised a question. He looked at Chen Changsheng with an expression of confusion and doubt, asking: "Did you really guess?"
Chen Changsheng nodded and said honestly: "I just took a shot in the dark."
Su Li's eyes brightened slightly, as if seeing this youth for the first time. He continued asking: "Probability?"
Chen Changsheng calculated in his mind and said somewhat uncertainly: "Seven?"
Su Li's voice suddenly rose: "Seventy percent?"
Even with his unparalleled talent in the sword way, he found this answer too astonishing. Whether it was hundreds of years ago when he learned swordsmanship at Lishan, or when Qiushan Jun first began learning the Wisdom Sword under him, neither could have achieved this. It was impossible.
Yes, that's why it couldn't happen.
Chen Changsheng felt a bit embarrassed and said in a low voice: "I meant seven percent."
Su Li thought, that's more like it. Even so, Chen Changsheng's performance had already exceeded his calculations. He said with emotion: "Enough. At least you've moved beyond the realm of blind guessing and into the realm of informed guessing."
Chen Changsheng was a bit confused and asked: "What's the difference between blind guessing and informed guessing?"
Su Li said: "Informed guessing relies on evidence; blind guessing is just fumbling around. Of course they're different."
Chen Changsheng thought about the feeling he'd had the moment before he struck, and suddenly couldn't quite distinguish whether he had been informed guessing or blind guessing.
That sword strike of his had relied more on intuition than calculation.
Intuition, many times, was a reaction similar to instinct produced after massive amounts of calculation and practice.
He vaguely felt that his sword strike—his breaking of Liang Hongzhuang's Dancing Garment—had some extremely subtle differences from the Wisdom Sword that Su Li had taught him, but he didn't know what those differences were.
Liang Hongzhuang stood more than ten zhang away, watching their conversation, and suddenly laughed. His beautiful face, still bearing traces of makeup, was filled with mockery: "So you're just going to chat like this?"
Su Li looked at him and said: "You want to chat? Then join us."
Liang Hongzhuang was stunned. He hadn't expected to hear such a response. After a brief silence, he actually joined the conversation.
Because there were some things he wanted to say—to Chen Changsheng. As for Su Li, he had nothing to say to him.
He looked at Chen Changsheng and said: "Why did you appear in northern Tianliang Commandery? Why are you traveling with this demon? Why are you helping him?"
In the capital, what Chen Changsheng had heard and what he remembered of Su Li was mostly that he was a transcendent figure like Lishan's Little Martial Uncle. During this ten-thousand-li journey together, he'd discovered that this impression wasn't accurate, or rather, it was insufficient to describe him. Su Li himself had admitted to killing many people, but this was the first time Chen Changsheng had heard someone directly accuse Su Li of being a demon.
"Do you know how many people he's killed? Do you know how many times his sword has been washed in blood to become so sharp?" Liang Hongzhuang looked at Chen Changsheng with slight mockery. "He's killed so many people. He should have died long ago, yet he's still alive. The cycle of heaven's justice has been delayed, but now his death has finally arrived. And you want to protect him?"
Chen Changsheng didn't speak, because he didn't know what to say.
Liang Hongzhuang adjusted his Dancing Garment and walked over again, saying: "He's a Southerner, you're a Zhou. He's killed so many Zhou people. What reason do you have to help him?"
This didn't seem like a question, but upon careful consideration, it actually was.
On the snowy plains, Chen Changsheng had carried Su Li on his back while fleeing. That could be considered repaying Su Li's life-saving grace. Moreover, only Su Li could help him return. But now, after crossing ten thousand li of snowy plains, any debt of life-saving grace had been repaid many times over. They had returned to Great Zhou territory. He could leave safely—Lishan was strong because of Su Li, while National Church members were strong because of the Church. Now Su Li was like a wounded lion in dire straits, and as long as the National Church hadn't fallen, with Chen Changsheng's status as dean of the National Teaching Academy and the rumored favor of His Holiness the Pope and Bishop Melisande, who would dare do anything to him? If he was willing to leave, whether Xue He, Liang Hongzhuang, or the other experts who would arrive later, they would all respectfully escort him back to the capital at the first opportunity.
From any perspective, there was no reason for him to continue standing by Su Li's side.
Chen Changsheng glanced at Su Li.
Su Li's expression was calm. He didn't speak, because this was also a question he had always wanted to understand. He just hadn't asked, and naturally Chen Changsheng hadn't answered.
Now Liang Hongzhuang had asked it, and he wanted to hear what Chen Changsheng's answer truly was.
Chen Changsheng was silent for a moment, then said: "I inexplicably ended up from the Zhou Garden in front of Snow Old City."
Liang Hongzhuang's eyebrows lifted slightly. He hadn't expected this.
"Inside the Zhou Garden, I thought I was doomed. When I left the Zhou Garden and saw Snow Old City, I also thought I was doomed. Then... Senior Su Li saved me. And I think that Senior being ambushed and surrounded by the demon race might also be related to the conspiracy I encountered in the Zhou Garden. Well... actually, it's not that complicated... The principle is actually very simple. Senior saved me, so naturally I can't just watch him die." Chen Changsheng looked at Liang Hongzhuang and explained earnestly.
Su Li said: "The ten-thousand-li snowy plains and Xue He's blade—your life has already been repaid."
"Senior, accounts can't be calculated that way. To be precise, matters of life and death can't be calculated at all." Chen Changsheng had clarified his intentions, and his words became smoother. "For you, it was just saving one life. For me, that one life is everything I have."
Su Li and Liang Hongzhuang understood the meaning of these words. But as people who had lived many years in the cultivation world, with bodies and minds stained by worldly dust, it was hard for them to accept this kind of reasoning.
Su Li shook his head and said: "I believe you no longer owe me anything."
Chen Changsheng said: "I don't think so."
Su Li was slightly startled. He knew very well that Chen Changsheng wasn't his admirer, nor did they share similar interests, let alone a friendship across generations. That was why he was curious about why Chen Changsheng had never left. Only now, at this very moment, did he understand—it was because of such a simple principle. Of course, being able to uphold such a principle made this person truly not simple.
"One life in the eyes of others is actually everything you have... So how do you plan to repay me? Are you going to stay by my side for the rest of your life, serving me like an ox or a horse?"
Su Li looked at him with slight mockery, but his eyes were somewhat gentle.
Chen Changsheng was slightly embarrassed and said: "It doesn't have to be that extreme, does it?"
Su Li laughed, and Liang Hongzhuang also laughed—one with relief, the other with mockery—their meanings different.
"Even if we really calculate accounts, saving each other once would cancel out, I still don't think it's been repaid."
Chen Changsheng looked toward Liang Hongzhuang and said: "I want to repay the life-saving grace, so I need to confirm that Senior is truly safe, that his life is not in danger, before I can leave. It's like a patient who is dying in the water—you pull him out of the river, but if you ignore his severe illness and leave him to die, how can you say you've saved him?"
Liang Hongzhuang thought for a moment and said: "That makes sense."
Chen Changsheng said: "Thank you... for understanding."
Looking at Liang Hongzhuang's beautiful, womanly face and red Dancing Garment, he really didn't know how to address him.
Liang Hongzhuang looked at him calmly and said: "I want to avenge my father's murder. Doesn't that also make perfect sense?"
Chen Changsheng was silent for a moment, then nodded.
The words "avenge my father's murder" were a principle that no one could refute. It was the highest principle.
"Since you insist on saving him, then I can only kill you."
Liang Hongzhuang said: "If His Holiness the Pope later punishes me, I'll just die. You know I'm not afraid of that."
Chen Changsheng knew that for such avengers, once they made up their minds, the authority of the National Church couldn't change their intentions. He said: "I understand."
Liang Hongzhuang's aura grew increasingly fierce. The Dancing Garment without its sash fluttered gently in the mountain wind. His star domain was even more stable and powerful than before.
He looked at Chen Changsheng expressionlessly and said: "Do you have any last words?"
Chen Changsheng said earnestly: "Please, sir, show mercy."
...
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(I'll be flying all day tomorrow, taking a plane, taking the opportunity—well, the "taking the opportunity" here is quite bittersweet—to take a day off. Also, wishing everyone a happy Little New Year. The last line of this chapter is the best.)