# Chapter 503: Time Has Soaked the Past to Rot
He noticed that compared to yesterday, today's wind seemed to carry some different scents—slightly more humid, with a faint smell of mud. That wasn't a bad thing. As the saying goes, "How can the channel be so clear? Only because there is living water from the source." The channel water beneath the Divine Path of the Heavenly Book Mausoleum was as clear as nothingness for this very reason. The re-opening of the Zhou Garden should develop in a positive direction.
The beast horde had drawn closer to the Zhou Mausoleum again. They still looked like a dark, oppressive mass, but from a distance, one could detect certain changes.
Standing on the grassland, looking at the tens of thousands of demon beasts kneeling before him, Chen Changsheng was somewhat surprised. Yesterday he had only brought in some medicinal herbs, yet unexpectedly, the injuries of the Mountain-Toppling Tusks and the Jian Beasts had already improved significantly. The other demon beasts also seemed much more spirited.
The Tu Sun today was not hiding among the coiled horns of the Mountain-Toppling Tusks but instead lurked within the beast horde, watching him from afar. Its eyes rolled around, no one knew what it was thinking, but no hostility could be seen.
Chen Changsheng took out the medicinal herbs and placed them on the ground before him.
Seeing this scene, the Jian Beast slowly nodded to express its gratitude, then raised its tail upright like a flagpole.
The Mountain-Toppling Tusk stood up and let out a sharp howl toward the vast grassland behind it. The demon beast horde surged like a tide, then began to form ranks on their own, displaying remarkable discipline and obedience. Even those mortal enemies who would normally fight to the death upon meeting now dared not make any move, even when pressed together.
Chen Changsheng hadn't expected this. After a moment of surprise, he continued his work. Before long, the ground before him was piled high with medicinal herbs, forming a veritable small mountain.
Seeing that mountain of medicinal herbs, even the Jian Beast and the Mountain-Toppling Tusk—who had witnessed many great sights when following Zhou Dufu back in the day—couldn't help but stare in dazed astonishment. The Tu Sun was even worse off. It rudely shoved aside the Flood Serpent beside it, its forelimbs frantically scraping the ground as it shot like lightning to the very front of the beast horde, then flopped down with a thud at Chen Changsheng's feet.
Its fall was quite deliberate. Its forelimbs were raised high, while its mutilated lower half gently patted the ground, stirring up faint dust, making it appear exceptionally docile and obedient.
Last time, it had also kissed the ground beneath Chen Changsheng's feet, but that was an act, nowhere near as sincere as now.
Because it had confirmed that Chen Changsheng truly wanted to help these demon beasts, and more importantly, he actually had the ability to do so.
"You... distribute them among yourselves, following the same rules as yesterday."
Chen Changsheng didn't know how to deal with these demon beasts. After thinking for a moment, he said this, then walked toward the edge of the grassland.
The beast horde behind him lowered themselves like a receding tide, seeing him off.
Yesterday he had already carefully searched the Zhou Garden. Today he didn't repeat that process but instead went directly to the lake and mountain near the Cold Pool.
In the depths of the lake, he found the luminous pearl that Luoluo had given him, as well as the three thousand Daoist scriptures he had brought from the old temple in Xining Town to the capital. Finally, he dug out from the mud the chest that had held banknotes and treasures. As for the food he had originally brought for the Black Dragon to eat along the way, it had long been devoured clean by the fish or other creatures in the lake.
Carrying these things back to the shore, he glanced at the sky and began laying out the lake-soaked books one by one on the rocks to dry. He knew this was a troublesome task requiring much time and patience, so he wasn't in a hurry. The wet pages were hard to open, let alone so many books. He kept moving among the rocks along the shore, as if performing some grand ritual.
Books were scattered everywhere along the rocky shore, stretching about a li. The water stains flowing from the books gradually evaporated under the sunlight.
Taking a break, Chen Changsheng picked out the banknotes and jewelry from the chest one by one, wiping each clean with a handkerchief.
Suddenly, he spotted a small object.
It was a bamboo dragonfly. Already very old, it had turned white from being soaked in water for too long, and some parts were nearly rotted away.
This was a memento from years ago, when he was still in Xining Town, corresponding with someone. It was also a memory of childhood.
Looking at the bamboo dragonfly, Chen Changsheng fell silent for a while. The books hadn't rotted yet, but it couldn't hold on. Indeed, compared to material, time was still the more important factor.
Nothing could withstand the test of time.
That marriage contract had already been dissolved. From now on, there was no longer any connection between him and her.
Thinking of this, his mood became very light, as if a great weight had been lifted.
But somehow, he also felt as if he had lost something, leaving an emptiness in his heart.
...
...
Midsummer was gradually receding, autumn deepening, and winter was not far off.
The area outside the gate of the National Academy had grown much quieter. Fights rarely occurred anymore. The capital's citizens, who had come to watch the excitement, gradually lost interest. The awning across the street had finally been taken down during the Star Autumn Festival. Whether that was because the weather had turned cool and the sun was no longer scorching, or for other reasons, no one knew.
Inside the National Academy, however, it had become much livelier. Starting early each morning, the sound of reading could be heard. At mealtimes, the clatter of students knocking their bowls could be heard, and of course, even more laughter and cheerful voices.
The Hundred Herbs Garden, separated from the National Academy by just one wall, had actually undergone the most dramatic changes. But because few people went in to look, it went unnoticed. Countless fruit trees and medicinal herbs in the garden had become completely bare. Until one day, a eunuch from the palace came on orders to find a particular medicinal herb.
—That herb was extremely precious, said to have miraculous effects in regenerating flesh. If properly paired and refined into a pill, it could even regrow bone from nothing. The palace was urgently seeking this herb because Her Highness the Princess of Peace had developed a pimple on her face, which had so infuriated her that she couldn't eat. Especially after hearing that Xu Yourong would soon return to the capital.
The eunuch couldn't find the herb. Looking at the obviously withered Hundred Herbs Garden, his face turned deathly pale. He thought to himself, wasn't this year's autumn wind a bit too harsh?
The medicinal herbs and spiritual fruits of the Hundred Herbs Garden had, of course, been taken by Chen Changsheng's "autumn wind."
During these days, just as he had for the past sixteen years, he lived calmly and earnestly—studying, cultivating, practicing the sword—and then celebrated his sixteenth birthday.
Slightly different from previous years, on the third day after his birthday, he didn't remember that it was someone else's birthday too.
He also studied the string of stone beads very seriously, hoping to gain some insight from those Heavenly Book Steles, but so far, he had found nothing.
His realm and strength were becoming increasingly stable, drawing closer to the peak of the Tongyou realm. Yet his physical problems showed no improvement whatsoever. That shadow still silently watched him from ahead.
Under his research and guidance, Luoluo's meridian problem had achieved a breakthrough. Cultivating human techniques no longer posed significant difficulties. Most importantly, after solving this problem, as long as her bloodline was reawakened, it meant she could very likely break through the obstacle that had plagued the demon race imperial family for years—learning the White Emperor's domineering techniques as a female.
How important this was to the demon race went without saying. It was said that when the news reached the demon race, the tribes along both sides of the eight-hundred-li Red River celebrated wildly for three days and three nights. Word also came that the White Emperor City had dispatched an envoy, bringing the National Academy and Chen Changsheng a massive quantity of gifts beyond ordinary imagination.
Being able to solve Luoluo's problem naturally meant he could also solve Xuanyuan Po's. After his right arm injury fully healed, the bear tribe youth began cultivating the Heavenly Thunder Draw, and his strength advanced by leaps and bounds. His iron fists, crackling with thunder and lightning, were truly unmatched in their dominance. Jin Yulu had specially come to the National Academy to observe once, and was very gratified. He decided on the spot that after returning to White Emperor City, he would request generous rewards for the bear tribe.
Xuanyuan Po was moved to tears. He no longer had to feel ashamed that while he ate blue lobsters every day in the human capital, his folks back home could only hunt in the mountains and live a hard life.
Chen Changsheng was very happy for him too, not noticing any other implications in Jin Yulu's words.
Zhe Xiu's injuries were also gradually healing. Unlike other patients who lay in bed resting, letting time heal their wounds, he lay motionless on his bed, but in reality, he was constantly using true qi to impact his injured, blocked, and severed meridians. The pain was something only he could understand. What Chen Changsheng could do was only use golden needles to help him slightly alleviate the suffering.
Just as he had once said, pain was the most direct and powerful means of stimulating life force. One night in late autumn, he got out of bed without anyone's help, then spent half the night walking from upstairs to the lakeshore. There, he let out a cold, fierce wolf howl toward the star-filled night sky.
Everyone in the National Academy was jolted awake. Chen Changsheng and Tang Thirty-Six rushed to the lakeshore, looking at his emaciated figure, filled with indescribable emotion, unable to speak. Zhe Xiu's injuries had fully healed, and he had even taken the opportunity to break through the seventeen unique qi apertures in the demon-human body. As long as he had enough time to stabilize and feel his new state, his realm and strength would inevitably rise to a terrifying level.
The entire capital heard that wolf howl.
The North Soldier and Horse Office Alley was as silent as a dead place. Zhou Tong, as if just recovering from a serious illness, raised his head and glanced in the direction of the National Academy. His expression was indifferent, utterly unconcerned.
Zhou Tong had been very busy lately. He was busy handling court affairs, busy contacting certain people in the south, preparing for the great upheaval next year. Yes, many had already sensed that an undercurrent was slowly stirring, causing the capital to grow much quieter. But that wasn't a bad thing; on the contrary, it carried a certain hope.
The unification of north and south truly seemed about to be put on the agenda.
No one understood why.
Su Li was still on Li Mountain.
Li Mountain was still in the Tiannan region.
Why were so many people already certain that neither Su Li nor Li Mountain would prevent this?
The war against the demon race was the greatest matter for both humans and the demon race. Nothing else could compare. The unification of north and south was, without a doubt, the most important component of this great matter.
Whether it was the capital, Tiannan, or White Emperor City, all had to make corresponding preparations for this.
The capital and Tiannan needed to consider the distribution of power between them. What White Emperor City needed to consider was relatively simple. As long as that sage couple could ensure their bloodline continued to rule the demon domain and maintain stability along both sides of the Red River, that would be their greatest contribution to the human-demon race alliance. Thus, when the White Emperor City envoy arrived in the capital, bringing countless gifts and honors to the National Academy and Chen Changsheng, they also had an even more important task: to take Her Highness Luoluo back home.