Chapter 468: Blocking the Path Means Death
Chen Changsheng first saw Xu Shiji. That stern, cold face instantly reminded him of the silhouette in the carriage outside the Heavenly Academy last year, and only then did he notice the middle-aged man walking ahead of Xu Shiji. This man had a striking, heroic look about his brows and eyes, seeming somewhat familiar. Chen Changsheng didn’t know who he was, but from their positions—one ahead, one behind—he could guess that this man’s status and rank were extremely high.
He bowed to Xu Shiji, as was proper for a junior. He didn’t speak first, also out of courtesy, and besides, he truly didn’t know what to say to him. Although after the Grand Examination, Xu Shiji’s attitude toward him had clearly changed, even inviting him to the Eastern Divine General’s Mansion for an ordinary family dinner, that meal hadn’t ended too pleasantly.
—That marriage contract’s journey still hadn’t reached its destination.
As he straightened up, he noticed Tang Thirty-Six bowing to the other middle-aged man. This was a rare sight, because Tang Thirty-Six was someone who placed little value on formalities—more accurately, he despised the world’s tedious rituals. Even back when facing Archbishop Melisande, he hadn’t been this proper.
Tianhai Chengwu looked at Tang Thirty-Six and asked, “How is your grandfather?”
With the status of the Tianhai family head, there were few people in the entire world he needed to personally inquire about. Even the Wen Shui Tang family, only the old patriarch had that qualification.
Tang Thirty-Six smiled and replied, “He’s in excellent health. Letters from home say he still eats four bowls of rice per meal, and never misses his evening snack.”
As he spoke, he seemed obedient, very much like a well-mannered junior, without any of his usual arrogance.
Chen Changsheng was even more astonished, wondering who this middle-aged man really was.
Xu Shiji then said to him, “In a few days, Rong’er will return to the capital. Find time to come to the mansion for a meal.”
At these words, the corridor fell instantly silent.
Tianhai Chengwu looked at Xu Shiji, slowly narrowing his eyes.
Only then did Chen Changsheng realize… Xu Yourong was coming back to the capital. After a moment of silence, he looked at Xu Shiji and replied politely, “You know the National Academy has been quite busy lately. I’m not sure if I’ll have the time then.”
From the moment Xu Shiji spoke, Tang Thirty-Six’s gaze had been shifting between him and Tianhai Chengwu, trying to discern something.
Tianhai Chengwu suddenly laughed, then slowly let it fade. He looked at Chen Changsheng and said, “If you’re so busy, how do you have the leisure to come here and eat?”
With just that simple question, Chen Changsheng felt an immense pressure, especially the chill in the man’s voice, which seemed to freeze his Dao heart.
Just then, Tang Thirty-Six’s uniquely roguish voice rang out at the perfect moment: “I heard you especially enjoy dining at Clear Lake Tower?”
He was asking Tianhai Chengwu.
Tianhai Chengwu stared calmly at Chen Changsheng, ignoring him.
Tang Thirty-Six wasn’t embarrassed. He smiled and continued, “You know, the other day, during Chen Changsheng’s fight with Zhou Ziheng, I made quite a bit of silver. Scraped together here and there, I managed to buy this place. We’re here today to take over the building. Starting tomorrow, Clear Lake Tower will close for renovations. You might not be able to get your blue lobsters for a while.”
Tianhai Chengwu looked at him with a faintly mocking smile. “Childish temper.”
Tang Thirty-Six smiled back. “Just letting you know. In a few days, when the autumn air is crisp and the crabs are fat, this place might not be open yet. You might need to have your steward find another good spot.”
Tianhai Chengwu stared at him and said, “Over the years, fewer and fewer people dare to provoke me to my face. No wonder you’re Old Master Tang’s favorite grandson—your courage is truly exceptional.”
Tang Thirty-Six widened his eyes, feigning innocence. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
Tianhai Chengwu laughed, then sighed. “I only wanted to stir things up at the National Academy. Now it seems I’ll have to make you suffer a bit.”
With that, he walked forward.
The corridor wasn’t narrow, but it wasn’t wide either, especially with Xuan Yuan Po’s mountain-like frame blocking the way.
As Tianhai Chengwu walked forward, the three young men from the National Academy had to make way.
Xuan Yuan Po already sensed the tense, strange atmosphere. Seeing the man approach, he grew angry and prepared to meet him head-on.
But this wasn’t a childish squabble among bear tribe youths, nor a game between classmates at the National Academy.
Tang Thirty-Six’s expression tightened. Like lightning, he grabbed Xuan Yuan Po’s belt, his true essence surging, and forcibly shoved him toward the wall.
With a crash, Xuan Yuan Po smashed straight through the wall, dust rising slightly.
Chen Changsheng had already sensed something off about this middle-aged man. While Tang Thirty-Six turned to dodge, he had already stepped aside.
Tianhai Chengwu, hands clasped behind his back, walked past expressionlessly.
Xu Shiji glanced at Chen Changsheng and then followed.
“What’s wrong with you!” Xuan Yuan Po sat amid the rubble, both confused and angry, not understanding why Tang Thirty-Six had suddenly attacked him.
Then he noticed that Tang Thirty-Six and Chen Changsheng weren’t paying him any attention. He instinctively looked back and saw over a dozen tables behind him, all filled with people.
So the other side of that wall was the main hall of Clear Lake Tower.
By smashing through the wall, they had essentially entered the hall.
A restaurant that should have been lively and noisy was now quieter than the imperial palace.
Countless gazes fell on the three of them.
Those who could afford to dine at Clear Lake Tower were no ordinary people—many were court officials, cathedral bishops, and at the very least, renowned young talents.
The National Academy was now famous in the capital, so they naturally recognized Chen Changsheng and the others. When the wall collapsed, many had caught a glimpse of Tianhai Chengwu’s profile, and some had even overheard the argument earlier.
No one knew exactly what had happened, but it was clear that Chen Changsheng and his group had clashed with that departing great figure.
And that wasn’t just any great figure—it was the head of the Tianhai family.
Neither the Silent Chancellor nor the Six Ministers, neither the Six Pillars of the State Religion nor the deans of the Ivy Academies, could match that man’s overwhelming power in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
And yet, Chen Changsheng and the others came out unscathed? That bear clan youth, Xuan Yuan Po, was a bit disheveled, but he wasn’t dead?
After such an incident, to end like this—how could the crowd in the hall not be shocked, not fall silent?
“Everyone, it’s nothing, nothing.”
Before the story’s manager could make his usual entrance, Tang Thirty-Six, with the self-awareness of Clear Lake Tower’s new owner, clasped his hands and smiled at the crowd. “Keep eating. I won’t be giving anyone free meals.”
With that, he led Chen Changsheng and Xuan Yuan Po upstairs. Just then, someone who had vaguely overheard the conversation in the corridor—clearly a busybody—stood up and asked, “Young Master Tang, is Clear Lake Tower really closing?”
Tang Thirty-Six stopped, turned on the stairs, and looked back at the crowd. “That’s right.”
The main hall erupted in murmurs. Another person asked, “Right when the crabs are getting fat—aren’t you trying to drive us crazy?”
Someone else chimed in, “Young Master Tang, even if you’re renovating, there must be a timeline. When will the grand reopening be?”
Tang Thirty-Six looked at them with a meaningful smile. “That mainly depends on when I have time to come and manage the business.”
At these words, and the implication behind them, the hall burst into uproar.
Everyone knew now that Tang Thirty-Six was a student of the National Academy. “When he has time” meant “when he feels like it,” and when he’d feel like it was when the National Academy was free of trouble.
Clear Lake Tower was the most profitable and expensive restaurant in the capital—earning a fortune daily couldn’t even describe its revenue. For Tang Thirty-Six to shut it down for so long, just to keep that Tianhai big shot from enjoying blue lobsters and autumn crabs, was a staggering waste of money. The crowd was left speechless, thinking, truly, only the Wen Shui Tang family’s sole grandson could be so willful.
…
…
The only table by the railing on the top floor had already been cleaned spotlessly. Over a dozen plates of fresh fruits and vegetables were laid out, along with three types of fine tea for casual enjoyment. Xuan Yuan Po, lacking such refined experience, looked at the precious porcelain from famous kilns and felt uneasy. So thin—what if he accidentally crushed it? So white—what if he dirtied it?
“This is way too reckless,” Chen Changsheng said, shaking his head at Tang Thirty-Six.
Tang Thirty-Six sneered. “That old man loves Clear Lake Tower’s blue lobsters. The problem is, he’s ruined my mood. Why should I let him have a good time?”
Chen Changsheng said, “That’s no reason to throw money away like it’s nothing.”
Tang Thirty-Six replied, “I’m quite wealthy.”
He said this calmly, without any hint of boasting—just an explanation. That left Chen Changsheng with nothing to say, and reminded him of last year at the Plum Garden Inn, when he first treated Tang Thirty-Six to a meal, and how Tang Thirty-Six had said that he and Xu Yourong were both friends who left him speechless. He couldn’t help but smile and shake his head.
“By the way, who… was that?” Only now did he remember this important question.
“Tianhai Chengwu, the current family head,” Tang Thirty-Six said. “The Saintess’s own nephew. In other words, if Her Majesty ever decides not to return the throne to the Chen imperial clan, he’s the most likely candidate to become the next emperor of Great Zhou.”
Only then did Chen Changsheng realize who that great figure was.
Xuan Yuan Po snapped out of his awe at the top floor’s luxurious decor, recalling what Tang Thirty-Six had done downstairs. He grumbled, “Why did you stop me? Were you scared of him?”
Tang Thirty-Six mocked him. “I wasn’t scared of him. I was scared you’d refuse to make way and get beaten to death on the spot!”
Xuan Yuan Po refused to accept this. “With how scrawny he looks, I could knock him over three times with ease.”
Tang Thirty-Six sneered. “One of the few Star Condensation peak experts in Great Zhou, and you think you could knock him over? Do you think he’s one of those trees by the lake, just waiting for you, you bear, to crash into?”
Xuan Yuan Po was stunned. He never imagined that ordinary-looking middle-aged man was a Star Condensation peak expert.
Chen Changsheng recalled the scene in the corridor, especially Tianhai Chengwu’s expression at the time. Suddenly, the lake breeze blowing in from outside felt bitterly cold, because a chill had risen in his heart—that Tianhai family head had truly harbored murderous intent.
…
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(Next chapter in the evening. Well, I’ve got some drafts saved now. Basically, before the 25th, I can guarantee two chapters a day—one in the afternoon, one in the evening. If I ever want to do a third, I’ll announce it at the end of the second chapter. That way, I won’t have to ramble every day and disrupt your reading. See you in the evening.)