Chapter 55: The Virtuous One, the Roadblock Bandit
No one could see his expression at this moment—whether it was indignation, resentment, or a blank face.
Time had truly changed too many things.
In this short span of one year, Zhong Hui's cultivation had soared, and he was now ranked fourth on the Golden List.
Yet, his former competitor was no longer on the same level.
This wasn't about cultivation realm, but about status and position.
Even if their strength were similar, would Zhong Hui dare to show any disrespect to Chen Changsheng?
The mountain path remained silent.
Countless gazes fell upon Chen Changsheng.
He didn't speak, so Zhong Hui had to maintain his bowing posture.
A hint of mockery curled at the corner of Tang Thirty-Six's lips, ready to say something.
Zhe Xiu shook his head.
Time passed slowly. The steward from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion furrowed his brow slightly. No one dared to criticize Chen Changsheng, but inwardly, many must have harbored doubts.
Chen Changsheng wasn't deliberately humiliating Zhong Hui; he simply hadn't reacted, hadn't expected the other to bow to him.
Even after witnessing the tide of believers prostrating outside the town at the mountain's base, he still lacked the self-awareness of a future Pope.
Suddenly, sharp intakes of breath echoed along the mountain path.
Because Chen Changsheng moved.
He clasped his hands, bowed, and returned the greeting to Zhong Hui with flawless propriety, not a trace of disrespect.
Given his current status, when Zhong Hui bowed to him with such reverence, he need only say a faint "Rise."
But he returned the greeting earnestly, using the etiquette of equals.
The frozen atmosphere instantly thawed. People looked at Chen Changsheng, moved and silently praising him.
All were pleased, except Tang Thirty-Six. In a voice only Chen Changsheng and Zhe Xiu could hear, he said, "Is this what happens when you read too much?"
Chen Changsheng looked at him and asked, "What do you mean?"
Tang Thirty-Six said, "You turn into someone like Gou Hanshi."
Chen Changsheng said, "Thank you."
In his view, becoming someone like Gou Hanshi was certainly a compliment.
Tang Thirty-Six sneered, "Hypocrite."
Chen Changsheng was taken aback, then shook his head helplessly and continued forward along the mountain path.
The hundred or so cultivators entering the Cold Mountain naturally fell in behind him; no one dared to walk ahead.
The procession on the path now looked somewhat imposing, but they hadn't gone far before stopping again.
This time, it wasn't because an old acquaintance with a story involving Chen Changsheng appeared on the path, but because someone had deliberately blocked the way in the middle.
Chen Changsheng didn't know that person, but many others did.
Ranked fifth on the Carefree List, the youngest general of the Yao race, and hailed as the strongest talent on both sides of the Red River in a century, second only to Princess Luoluo.
This Yao race powerhouse had a very cute name—Xiao De.
But everyone who knew him knew that this Yao race powerhouse was anything but cute; he was terrifying.
"You're Chen Changsheng?" Xiao De said, looking at him. The black hair at his temples fluttered high, and his gaze carried a natural harshness.
Even with Chen Changsheng's patience, far surpassing ordinary people, he was tired of this question, so he merely nodded without speaking.
But in Xiao De's eyes, Chen Changsheng's silence was an insult.
Or perhaps, he had been waiting for Chen Changsheng to insult him, to have an excuse to explode.
"I'm going to beat you to death," he said to Chen Changsheng with utter seriousness.
A sudden flash of yellowish-brown light surged in his clear, clean pupils, and a terrifyingly powerful aura emanated from him.
Chen Changsheng was puzzled, because it was obvious this Yao race powerhouse was targeting him specifically. Of course, the man couldn't actually kill him; he was deliberately speaking such violent, unreasonable words and acting so crudely just to humiliate him.
The problem was, because of Luoluo, his relationship with the Yao race had always been good. Last autumn, he had even received a reward from the White Emperor's City.
Everyone on the mountain path was watching the scene unfold. As Chen Changsheng thought, everyone knew this Yao race powerhouse couldn't really kill Chen Changsheng, but that didn't mean he lacked the ability—it was only because Chen Changsheng's identity was special.
Even if Chen Changsheng's talent was astonishing, and even ordinary Star-Gathering initial-stage cultivators were no match for him, compared to a top-five expert on the Carefree List, there was still a vast gap. Xiao De was someone who could face Wang Po and Xiao Zhang head-on.
"Don't understand?" Tang Thirty-Six asked him.
Chen Changsheng nodded.
"On both sides of the Red River, countless young experts want to marry Princess Luoluo. In terms of cultivation talent, realm strength, and family background, Xiao De has always been the most promising candidate. That is, barring any accidents, in a few years, he would have married Princess Luoluo. And if Princess Luoluo couldn't inherit the White Emperor's techniques, he would become the ruler of the Yao domain. All of that turned to nothing because of you."
After hearing Tang Thirty-Six's explanation, Chen Changsheng looked at the Yao race expert on the path and felt a different sensation.
"You changed the meridians in Princess Luoluo's body, which also changed the rules of the Yao domain that have stood for tens of thousands of years. Whether from that perspective or your relationship with Princess Luoluo, if I were Xiao De, I'd have plenty of reason to kill you."
Having said this, Tang Thirty-Six walked forward and stood before Xiao De.
Xiao De's body wasn't particularly tall or burly; he looked much thinner than Xuan Yuan Po, yet he gave off an impression of immense weight and mass.
That feeling was the pressure released by a true expert.
Tang Thirty-Six's expression was very serious. He knew better than anyone on the path that if this Yao race expert went mad, he really would dare to kill Chen Changsheng. And the problem was, from any angle, this Yao race expert had every reason to go mad.
"You know who I am," he said to Xiao De.
Xiao De squinted slightly, the yellowish-brown ferocity in his deep pupils gradually fading, and his voice rose slightly. "The young master of the Tang clan."
"Since you recognize me, then we can talk. Your tribes have done business for countless years, so you should know that we Tangs are standard businessmen."
"What business do you want to discuss?"
"You want to marry Princess Luoluo?"
"Everyone on both sides of the Red River, even the beasts in the deep mountains, knows that," Xiao De said to him seriously. "Don't you dare tell me that because he's Princess Luoluo's teacher, I should treat him well if I want to marry her—maybe he'll even put in a good word for me at a critical moment."
Tang Thirty-Six was stunned, then sighed and said, "Who said you Yao race have no brains?"
Xiao De smiled and said, "Probably said by brainless humans."
Tang Thirty-Six said, "So this business can't be done?"
"Because this was never business; it was fraud," Xiao De said, looking at him with a half-smile. "Given our friendly relations, I naturally can't blame you. But tell me, what reason do I have not to be angry with him? What's wrong with me wanting to beat him to death?"
Tang Thirty-Six said, "Who's the one committing fraud? When wisdom is needed, you're smarter and calmer than anyone. When you need to play the furious, rough brute, you show that side. If we're talking business, which version of you am I supposed to negotiate with?"
"No matter which version of me you negotiate with, you have to offer terms first."
Xiao De dropped his smile and said to him expressionlessly, "Both sides of the Red River, the ancient Yao domain, countless subjects—I've lost all this. How much can you compensate me?"
Just as Tang Thirty-Six was about to speak, Chen Changsheng's voice rang out, calm and firm.
"Both sides of the Red River, the ancient Yao domain, countless subjects… these were never yours. You never had them, so how can you speak of loss?"
He stepped in front of Tang Thirty-Six and looked at Xiao De, saying, "I don't understand the business talk between you two, but I only know that whether doing business or discussing matters, you shouldn't use things that were never yours to demand corresponding benefits."
As he said this, he stared into Xiao De's eyes, making his meaning very clear, and showed no sign of backing down—the eight-hundred-li Red River was never yours, Luoluo was never yours. Even if you're a powerhouse on the Carefree List, what right do you have to come before me, reason with me, talk business, and demand compensation?
The mountain path fell into a dead silence, not a sound to be heard.
If the earlier silence when meeting Zhong Hui was more about awkward tension, this silence was far more unsettling.
Because Chen Changsheng was facing a powerhouse on the Carefree List. He had caused that powerhouse to lose too many benefits, far more than Zhong Hui had lost. And even with the Wenshui Tang clan as a buffer, that powerhouse didn't seem ready to lower his compensation demands, while Chen Changsheng showed an unusually rare stubbornness.
Xiao De suddenly laughed, a somewhat manic laugh, the yellowish-brown luster in his eyes becoming the brightest point on a rippling wave.
Then he squinted, looking at Chen Changsheng, and said, "It seems you don't believe I dare to beat you to death."
Chen Changsheng said, "I don't think you can beat me to death."
The question and answer actually referred to different things.
In Xiao De's view, even if the whole world acknowledged that Chen Changsheng's cultivation talent far exceeded ordinary people—entering the peak of Penetrating Obscurity at sixteen, defeating many Star-Gathering initial-stage experts in the capital, and even besting Xu Yourong on the Bridge of Helplessness—he himself still only needed to extend a pinky finger to crush him.
But Chen Changsheng was the Pope's designated successor… so Xiao De had said "dare."
Chen Changsheng said "can"—he was certainly no match for a top-five expert on the Carefree List, but he didn't believe the other could easily defeat him.
This confidence of his naturally had its sources: the countless swords in the Hidden Edge, the five stone beads in his hand, the blade techniques learned in the Mausoleum of Books, and many more. But others didn't know, not even Tang Thirty-Six knew the full extent of his hidden strength, so hearing this statement felt somewhat strange.
This was an insult to a powerhouse on the Carefree List.