Chapter 471: The One Who Departs in Sorrow
Luo Luo absolutely had no idea what gift Chen Changsheng was referring to, but that didn’t stop her mood from improving slightly—since the teacher said he would give her a special gift, it proved that in his heart, she was more important than Tang Thirty-Six, Xuanyuan Po, and Zhe Xiu combined. In the teacher’s heart, she definitely wasn’t just a student… right?
Thinking of the Heavenly Book Monument in the Garden of Zhou, Chen Changsheng recalled that important matter and asked Luo Luo how her investigation was going. These past few days, he had also asked the priests of the Li Palace to help search, but there was still no news. He could only place his final hope on her.
Luo Luo lowered her head, seeming reluctant to speak.
Chen Changsheng felt his lips go dry, his voice slightly astringent as he asked, “No news from the Xiu Ling Tribe either?”
Luo Luo raised her head, meeting his anxious, probing gaze. She bit her lip, gathered her courage, and said, “The Xiu Ling Tribe members still on the continent are scattered across the grasslands. It’s very hard to confirm completely, but what can be determined is that there is no young lady like the one you described who left the Garden of Zhou.”
Chen Changsheng stared at the fish swimming in the lake and fell silent for a long time.
Luo Luo felt sad, but she forced a smile onto her small face. “Teacher, don’t panic. I’ll have people check again.”
Chen Changsheng didn’t hear her words. He murmured, staring at the lake’s surface, “At the time, I clearly saw her riding the roc into the mountains. It wasn’t far from the forest by the shore. Even though she was badly injured…”
Then he fell silent.
She hadn’t made it out of the Garden of Zhou.
She couldn’t have left the Garden of Zhou like he did.
She should still be inside the Garden of Zhou now.
Maybe alive, but more likely, she was already dead.
That was the end.
If only life could be like their first meeting, with her sleeping quietly on the pile of reeds—how wonderful that would be, because there would always be a time to wake up.
Chen Changsheng was very sad. This was the first time he had truly experienced this feeling. Although he had felt something similar before when he occasionally thought that girl might no longer be around, it was like grass beneath a rock that hadn’t yet managed to push through the hard surface. And when he walked before the Black Dragon in the Tong Palace, he had felt something similar too, but even though both were partings, they were different.
Parting from this world, the world parting from him.
That was probably what this separation was like.
Then he remembered that he had once promised her he would do something.
“In a couple of days, I’ll go to the Eastern Divine General’s Mansion to break off the engagement.”
Luo Luo looked up in surprise, thinking that since the teacher had entered the capital, he had already gone to the general’s mansion twice to break off the engagement without success. Last time, Xu Shiji had made it clear that if he still wanted to break it off, he would have to do it in front of Xu Yourong… Xu Yourong would be returning to the capital in a few days. Why was the teacher in such a hurry? Couldn’t he wait?
“I promised her… I would break the engagement.”
Chen Changsheng stared unblinkingly at the fish in the lake. “Since it’s confirmed she’s gone, I have to do it even more, and I need to do it quickly. Otherwise, I’m afraid she’ll think I was lying to her.”
…
…
Luo Luo sat in the carriage, looking at the courtyard wall outside the window, her small face pale.
No one understood how much courage it had taken for her to tell Chen Changsheng that news just now.
Because she knew very well that with Chen Changsheng’s temperament, once he learned that news, she would have no hope at all.
Sure enough, Chen Changsheng immediately decided to go to the Eastern Divine General’s Mansion to break off the engagement.
His fiancée had no hope.
Let alone the fact that she was just his student.
Outside the carriage, Jin Yulü seemed to sense something and sighed.
That soft sigh, tinged with pity, made Luo Luo start to cry.
She let down the curtain and sobbed sadly, thinking, you people don’t understand anything.
Those who leave always become more important in people’s hearts.
Those who leave forever will occupy a place in people’s hearts that can never be replaced.
She understood this truth. When she was five years old, after her beloved grandmother had fallen into an eternal sleep by the Red River, she had understood it.
She knew she could never defeat that girl she had never met, because that girl had already left.
Perhaps only by leaving could one truly be remembered.
Luo Luo raised her head, wiped the tears from her face, and lifted the carriage curtain again to gaze at the green trees of the National Academy gradually receding into the distance.
She knew it was time for her to leave.
Teacher, I will make sure you remember me.
She thought stubbornly.
…
…
Tang Thirty-Six noticed that Chen Changsheng’s mood was off today and asked, “Are you okay?”
Chen Changsheng hung the wet clothes from the bucket onto the clothesline and said, “I’m fine.”
He didn’t want to worry his friend, and he always felt that the memories of the Garden of Zhou belonged only to him and her, so he changed the subject: “Prince Chenliu wanted to come to the National Academy just now. Why did you refuse?”
Tang Thirty-Six raised an eyebrow and said with a hint of sarcasm, “Oh? I’m not the dean of the National Academy. Do I even have the right to refuse?”
Chen Changsheng carried the bucket toward the small building and said as he passed him, “You didn’t say anything, but your face looked as ugly as…”
He had meant to say “as if someone had died,” but changed it as the words left his mouth.
“…as if something major had happened.”
“My face is so handsome. Even if I put on a sour expression for him, how ugly could it possibly be?”
Tang Thirty-Six took the washboard from his other hand and followed him, saying, “I just don’t like this guy. You know that.”
This was something Chen Changsheng had never understood. “Why, exactly?”
“I think this guy is too hypocritical,” Tang Thirty-Six said.
Chen Changsheng replied, “Without solid evidence, don’t judge motives.”
Tang Thirty-Six sneered. “Don’t you think that whether in speech or action, this guy gives everyone a feeling like a spring breeze brushing their face?”
Chen Changsheng was puzzled, thinking, isn’t that a compliment?
“He’s a man. What reason does he have to make us all feel like a spring breeze is blowing?” Tang Thirty-Six made his disdainful conclusion. “He must have an agenda, and a big one at that. Stay far away from him.”
Chen Changsheng thought about it and found the words somewhat reasonable. But for now, the imperial clan had been scattered to various commanderies, and apart from the National Church and Zhu Luo, they had no strong external support. It was understandable that Prince Chenliu would deliberately cultivate good relations with the National Academy.
As they spoke, the two entered the small building. After putting things away, Chen Changsheng went to Zhe Xiu’s room. Zhe Xiu’s injuries were gradually improving. Though he still couldn’t walk, he could move, so a few days ago they had moved him back to the small building. Chen Changsheng sat by the bed, carefully taking Zhe Xiu’s pulse, then took out his needle case and began treatment. It was a long time before he finished the day’s session.
Tang Thirty-Six watched Zhe Xiu’s still-pale face and asked worriedly, “When will he get better?”
Chen Changsheng shook his head. “That depends on his own vitality.”
Zhe Xiu opened his eyes and said flatly, “You don’t need to worry about that.”
Just then, Xuanyuan Po came into the room from the library carrying a thick stack of challenge letters.
“This is just the first batch. Brother Lu said there’s another huge pile at the Ecclesiastical Office. It looks like that Tianhai family head is really angry.”
Tang Thirty-Six said, “At his age and status, why does he still get angry like a child?”
The blue lobster from the Great Western Continent could only be eaten at Cheng Hu Restaurant in the entire capital. Now that Cheng Hu Restaurant was closed indefinitely, it was naturally hard to get anymore—having one’s favorite food suddenly become unavailable would make anyone unhappy. Xuanyuan Po imagined how he would feel if someone stopped him from roasting lamb legs across from the lake, and he understood, even sympathizing a little with that Tianhai family head.
Chen Changsheng was silent for a moment before saying, “All over a plate of lobster…”
Given the Tianhai family’s status in the human world, if that family head really went on a rampage, the National Academy wouldn’t be able to withstand it. From today onward, countless challenge letters would surely come fluttering in like snowflakes. No matter how well the three young men of the National Academy could fight, even if they won every match, how could they endure so many? Even if they weren’t beaten to death, they’d probably be exhausted to death. And even if they weren’t exhausted to death, they’d be sickened to death.
Looking at those challenge letters, he felt a tightness in his chest. Just as he had said yesterday on the big banyan tree, living like this day after day was really not the life he wanted.
The real trouble was that among these challenge letters, there was one that was very heavy—one that neither he nor Tang Thirty-Six could handle.
“Bie Tianxin. Formerly the strongest student of the Li Palace Affiliated Academy. Early Star Condensation realm. But… not the kind of early Star Condensation like Zhou Ziheng or the Gravekeeper. Back in the Ivy Banquet and the Grand Examination, he only lost to Guan Bai. In fact, many suspect he could have already reached the middle Star Condensation realm long ago, but because his family’s inherited techniques are too powerful and mysterious, he’s temporarily stuck here.”
“Inherited techniques? Wasn’t he a student of the Li Palace Affiliated Academy?”
“If your family is stronger than the Li Palace Affiliated Academy, what would you choose in the end?”
“Hmm… whose son is he?”
“His father is Bie Yanghong, and his mother is Wuqiong Bi.”
“Hmm… his family really is strong.”
Chen Changsheng didn’t remark on how strange those names were, because even someone as ignorant as he was had heard of them.
Those two names, like Zhu Luo and the Stargazer, signified the winds and rains of the world.
But this was the first time he learned that these two “Eight Winds and Rains” were actually husband and wife, and they even had a son.
Chen Changsheng sighed. “Even if we could win, it wouldn’t be easy to win.”
If he defeated the son, the parents might come knocking.
“Can you stop being as narcissistic as me?” Tang Thirty-Six said. “Where do you get the confidence that you can beat him?”
Chen Changsheng wanted to say that whether in the wilderness outside Xunyang City or recently in front of the National Academy gate, he had already defeated several early Star Condensation cultivators. But then he remembered Tang Thirty-Six saying that this early Star Condensation was not the ordinary kind.
“Bie Tianxin couldn’t beat Guan Bai back then, but that doesn’t mean his strength is inferior to Guan Bai’s. You can consider them on the same level.” Tang Thirty-Six looked into his eyes. “You’ve seen Guan Bai. How many chances do you think you have?”
Chen Changsheng recalled that scholar he had seen on the street that day and the sword intent he had felt. After a long silence, he said, “Not a single chance.”
Tang Thirty-Six said, “Then you have no chance of beating Bie Tianxin either.”
Zhe Xiu opened his eyes again from the bed and said, “I’ve fought him.”
The three of them looked over and asked in surprise, “Who won?”