Chapter 504: Only After Separation Does One Understand
The leaves of the great banyan tree had already fallen in great numbers. Standing on its branches and gazing into the distance, both the Li Palace and the Mausoleum of Books were equally clear, as if right before one's eyes.
"I really didn't expect it," Chen Changsheng said, looking at Luoluo beside him. After a long silence, he spoke again, "I didn't expect it."
"Coming to the capital back then was actually Mother's idea. She just wanted to see if His Holiness the Pope or Her Majesty the Saintess could find a way to solve my meridian problem. Otherwise, in the future, I wouldn't be able to cultivate the White Emperor clan's techniques, couldn't inherit the throne, and might even have to marry someone I didn't want to. But Mother definitely didn't expect that the Pope and Saintess couldn't solve the problem, but you, Master, did."
Luoluo lifted her head, looking up at him with admiration, and said, "Master, you're truly remarkable."
"I've just liked thinking about meridian problems since I was young..."
Chen Changsheng recalled that he had already explained this issue last year, so he fell silent.
He truly hadn't expected Luoluo to leave, even though her departure was only natural—she had come to the capital to study, or rather, to seek treatment. Now that she had learned how to cultivate human techniques, seen the possibility of inheriting the White Emperor's legacy, and been cured of her illness, it was only right that she return to White Emperor City. She was the Red River Princess, and billions of subjects awaited her care there.
But it had all happened too suddenly, without any prior warning. When they met in the palace or the Li Palace, she had never mentioned it.
Well, those were just excuses. Even if it hadn't been sudden, he still would have been reluctant to let her go, because he truly was.
The dusk was thick, and the lake and trees of the National Academy seemed to be ablaze. Luoluo walked toward the academy's exit, then suddenly stopped, turned around, and gently leaned into his embrace.
Chen Changsheng understood her feelings, because his were the same. He reached out and ruffled her hair. Over the past nearly two years, they had often sat side by side, held hands, or she had rested her head against his chest. Because they were so familiar, it didn't feel unusual, and in his eyes, she was just a little girl—like a younger sister or a daughter...
"Master, there's something I've been lying to you about."
Luoluo looked up at him, her eyes blinking, and said, "Actually, I'm not twelve. I'm the same age as you, Master."
Chen Changsheng was stunned, not knowing what to say. As for his hands, he had no idea where to put them, feeling that anywhere would be wrong.
"You... how could you lie to people?"
"Master, you're just too dense to see it, and you blame me?" Luoluo widened her eyes, looking at him seriously.
Chen Changsheng was speechless.
The National Academy rang with laughter like silver bells.
Giggle, giggle, giggle.
Luoluo left, returning to White Emperor City to face the challenges she had to confront.
Her laughter echoed through the great banyan tree and across the lake of the National Academy for many years.
Long after, when the students of the National Academy mentioned this legendary demon clan princess—their vice dean whom they had never met—they would sigh with infinite emotion, while Tang Thirty-Six harbored endless resentment. What had he said back when he was recruiting new students?
...
...
Luoluo was gone, but the number of people coming and going from the National Academy only increased.
Priests from the Ecclesiastical Office came to teach, Priest Xin would run over whenever he had nothing to do, and Mao Qiuyu occasionally went to sit at the teahouse outside the academy.
The most frequent visitor to the National Academy was Prince Chenliu. Time could change many things, including one's view of others, because time was the only standard for testing truth and human hearts. Through interactions and companionship, whether it was Chen Changsheng, Xuanyuan Po, or even the cold-tempered Zheshe, all felt this young prince's genuine intent to protect the National Academy, and they grew closer.
But time couldn't change everything. For instance, a stone in a latrine was always hard and stinky. Tang Thirty-Six still disliked Prince Chenliu, not even bothering with pretense. Every time Prince Chenliu visited the academy, he would throw out a few sarcastic remarks and then leave. Today was no different. No matter how good Prince Chenliu's composure was, embarrassment showed on his face.
Chen Changsheng felt a bit awkward. He apologized twice on Tang Thirty-Six's behalf and then went to find him, wanting to ask why he acted this way. But when he found Tang Thirty-Six deep in the woods of the National Academy, he forgot what he had come to ask, because it wasn't really a big deal, and what Tang Thirty-Six was doing at that moment was very strange.
Tang Thirty-Six wasn't punching trees like Xuanyuan Po, nor was he burying himself under leaves to lie still for seven days and nights like Zheshe. He was crouched by a tree, forcefully stuffing something into a hole. Chen Changsheng could see clearly that what he was stuffing into the tree hole was a sword—and not an ordinary one at that. It was a famous sword he had only asked Chen Changsheng for last night.
"What are you doing?" Chen Changsheng asked in surprise.
Without turning his head, Tang Thirty-Six said, "I told you, I'm planning to hide all your swords and let people find them later."
Chen Changsheng asked incredulously, "Lately, you've been asking me for a sword every two days... and I've never seen you return any. Have you been hiding them all?"
Tang Thirty-Six smoothed the edges of the tree hole, did some crude camouflage, looked it over with satisfaction, stood up, and said to him, "What else? You think I'd sell your crappy swords to buy wine?"
Chen Changsheng was speechless. "Those are my swords. Give them back right now."
"I've only asked you for a little over a hundred swords. Why are you so worked up?"
"I didn't know you were going to hide them. I thought you wanted to borrow their sword intent to learn sword techniques, so I specially picked the best ones for you..."
"So what? Look at you being so stingy. They're just a few crappy swords. I've given you plenty of silver over these two years."
"This isn't about silver... Even if you wanted them, you should have told me first. If I'd known you were going to waste them like this, I never would have given them to you."
"See? I knew you wouldn't give them to me if you knew, so why would I tell you the reason first? You think I'm Xuanyuan Po? I'm not stupid!"
"I don't care. You'd better find those swords right now."
"I don't care either. Hiding swords is exhausting, and finding them again is a hassle. Besides, the latrine stinks."
"You... you hid my swords in the latrine?!"
"Pretend you didn't hear that. I'm too lazy to look for them anyway."
"Then I'll do it myself. Tell me where you hid them."
"Since they're hidden... of course I can't tell you. You have to find them yourself. If you can, then you're impressive."
"Please don't use the word 'impressive.'"
"Luoluo pulled out a big radish."
"You... don't bring that up anymore."
"Being as dumb as you, you're not even worth a radish."
"I'm asking you about the swords."
"Hide and seek is fun."
"...Did I do something wrong?"
"Anyway, my advice is, even if you become Pope someday, don't go to White Emperor City."
"Why?"
"I'm afraid the White Emperor will swallow you whole."
"..."
"Honestly, even though you're a bit dumb, as they say, a fool has fool's luck. Otherwise, if you really married Luoluo, it would be like marrying a tigress. How would you get by in the future?"
...
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(I know this last bit of dialogue is a bit rambling and gossipy, but I spent a long time editing it and really couldn't bear to delete it, because I like it. Just like Luoluo, I like her as much as everyone else, so of course she won't just disappear like this. We'll see each other often in the future. We're not those poor students of the National Academy.)