Chapter 33: You Help Me Return the Umbrella to Him
Chen Changsheng found the Sword Pool and brought out many swords. This matter had not yet spread widely, but it was no longer a secret.
However, Xu Yourong had been recuperating in seclusion and did not know about it. Yet everyone assumed she naturally knew. If Gou Hanshi had spoken of it at this point, she might have guessed some things in advance. But in truth... when she knew had never been important.
This passage was rather convoluted, but the principle it conveyed was actually quite simple.
As with all stories or real lives, people always encounter one problem or another. Some problems make you drink poison and throw yourself into a grave; others make you laugh through tears and bring about a beautiful marriage. Ultimately, the ending of a story or a life has little to do with those problems. What matters is how you solve them.
When Xu Yourong reached the rear peak of Mount Li, her teacher was attempting to solve a problem. As the leader of the Southern Sect, standing in opposition to the Pope, the problem she had to solve was naturally a major one.
This problem was called the Union of North and South.
If humanity wanted to completely defeat the demons, or at least eliminate their threat entirely, true unification was necessary—or, as it had been called for the past two hundred years, the Union of North and South.
The Zhou Dynasty constantly dreamed of truly conquering the South, but even the wise and mighty Emperor Taizong had only managed to make the Southern sects and clans nominally acknowledge the orthodox status of the capital. After Her Holiness the Empress assumed actual governance, this was also what she most wanted to achieve, but she had not succeeded either. Over a decade ago, the Prince of Liang's manor conspired with the Longevity Sect, intending to use the South to attack the North. In hindsight, it seemed more like a joke, but it also showed that the Union of North and South was an inevitable trend.
In the centuries before that, the Union of North and South had failed for very complex reasons. But in the last two hundred years, the entire continent, including the demons, knew that the reason why the collective will and forceful push of the three saints—Her Holiness Tianhai, the Pope, and the Southern Saintess—could not advance the Union of North and South even one step was fundamentally due to the existence of one person.
Because Su Li did not agree.
Why, after Su Li's bloody battle with the demon elites on the demon snowfields, did he immediately face the shameless pursuit of the human world? Why did the saints and the Eight Winds and Rains, willing to damage their reputations, try to kill him in Xunyang City? Was it because he had killed too many people? Of course not. It was because only with Su Li dead could the great undertaking of the Union of North and South truly be realized.
"I don't want you to become a second Zhou Dufu," the Saintess said, looking at Su Li softly. "If you find the Zhou people's faces too shameless, just turn a blind eye and be done with it."
Su Li shook his head and said, "You've never understood why I oppose this matter."
"When have you ever truly opened your heart to me?" the Saintess asked, smiling as she looked into his eyes.
Xu Yourong knew that her teacher and Su Li were aware of her arrival. But while elders could act as freely as the clear wind and bright stars, she could not bear to listen further. She stepped forward to pay her respects.
Su Li pointed at her and said to the Saintess, "If you have time, solve your disciple's problem first."
Xu Yourong's expression tightened slightly. She wondered what problem she had.
Su Li continued, "Her problem is far more troublesome than the Union of North and South. Even I don't know what to do."
The Saintess raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "What problem?"
Su Li said, "Of course, it's the great matter of life. Qiu Shan Jun and that idiot Chen Changsheng—even I can't tell who's better. Who exactly is she going to marry?"
The Saintess chided him gently, "What nonsense are you spouting in front of your junior?"
Xu Yourong really couldn't accept... this kind of scene. She sighed inwardly, yet felt that Senior Su Li's words seemed to lean slightly closer to Chen Changsheng.
"I won't marry anyone," she said. "After I return to the capital, I will break off the engagement."
Su Li's brow twitched slightly, as if it were about to fly into the night mist of Mount Li like a sword, but in the end, he said nothing.
The Saintess looked at her with some pity. Xu Yourong had never told anyone what happened in the Zhou Garden, not even her. But what kind of person was the Saintess? A glance a few days ago had told her that her female disciple had encountered an emotional obstacle. So she dropped the topic of the marriage contract and instead said, "When you go to the capital, take my place and retrieve something from the Li Palace."
Xu Yourong said, "Yes, Master. But may I ask what it is?"
The Saintess said, "The Sword Pool of the Zhou Garden has seen the light of day again. Chen Changsheng is willing to return those swords to the various sects and mountain gates. The Zhai Sword is among them, but it is temporarily stored in the Li Palace."
The Zhai Sword was the personal sword of the Southern Saintess. Many years ago, it was taken from Saintess Peak by Zhou Dufu and had since vanished without a trace.
Hearing this news, Xu Yourong was very surprised, and then she felt something was off.
Yes, very off...
Su Li suddenly asked, "When are you going to the capital?"
Xu Yourong snapped back to reality and replied, "It should be after the Winter Solstice."
Su Li said, "Since you're going to the capital, help me return something to Chen Changsheng. It just so happens you two know each other."
Xu Yourong instinctively resisted and said, "I don't know him."
"You stubborn girl, you're no different from your master."
Su Li said, "Tianhai and your master raised only one of you, and Old Man Yin has only this one junior. You two will have to fight eventually. You can avoid the engagement by not meeting, but can you avoid a fight by not meeting?"
Xu Yourong knew this was true. After returning to the capital, setting aside the Green Vine Banquet and the Grand Court Exam, given the current situation, a battle between her and Chen Changsheng was inevitable.
"What is it?"
"An umbrella."
Su Li pulled out a yellow paper umbrella from somewhere and tossed it to Xu Yourong.
This was once his most treasured umbrella, containing the sword he most wanted to find, and representing a period of time.
So on the snowfield, even though he bickered with Chen Changsheng like a child, he couldn't bear to give it away.
But now, he casually threw the umbrella out.
The Saintess's expression shifted slightly, and her voice trembled as she asked, "You've really... agreed?"
Su Li said, "Still considering it. But... if there really is a chance to go see another world, it would certainly be better than smelling the stench in this swamp."
The Saintess said no more, quietly looking at him, filled with comfort and emotion.
If Xu Yourong had seen this scene, she would have felt very helpless. But she didn't.
Because she was looking at the umbrella in her hand, that old umbrella.
Of course she recognized this umbrella.
She had held this umbrella.
She had raised this umbrella.
From the grasslands to the Zhou Mausoleum.
The journey was no less than a thousand miles, spanning several seasons.
Back then, she was on his back, and the umbrella was in her hand.
This umbrella had shielded her and him from rain and snow, blocked wind and frost, warded off dust and smoke, and guided their way.
Return... to Chen Changsheng... Sword Pool... Zhai Sword... him.
Her face instantly turned as white as snow.
She was somewhat dazed.
She was very disoriented.
What was all this about?
(The next chapter should be out around half past ten?)
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