Chapter 577: A Night Like a Honey Date
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"If something really happens in the capital in the future, what will you do?"
Xu Yourong walked to the window, crossed her arms over her chest, and gazed at the scattered stars reflected in the lake outside. Her voice grew as faint as the water itself.
Chen Changsheng said, "I cultivate by following my heart's intent. If something comes, my heart will naturally move."
Xu Yourong did not turn around. After a moment of silence, she asked, "What if it's me who comes?"
Chen Changsheng thought it over very seriously, but found he could not envision that scene. No matter what conclusion he reached in advance, he said, "I don't know."
The dozen or so small buildings the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had built by the lakeside were extremely refined, especially the one Chen Changsheng was staying in. Opening the window revealed the lake, and outside the window was a wooden plank path. Following the path down led to the shallow water at the lake's edge. Beneath the starlight, several black fish were swimming in the shallows.
Xu Yourong walked down the wooden plank path, took off her shoes and socks on the lowest wooden platform, and stepped into the clear, shallow water.
Those black fish were not at all afraid of people. Instead of fleeing in fright, they gathered around, slowly circling her snow-white bare feet. The scene was beautiful.
Chen Changsheng watched her standing in the lake water and felt that her silhouette seemed somewhat lonely. Then he grew puzzled. Logically speaking, she was the Southern Saintess. Neither the Heavenly Mechanism Old Man nor Mao Qiuyu should have hidden this matter from her. So why was it that even tonight, she still could not confirm that the middle-aged scholar was the Demon Lord?
The earlier conversation had diluted many emotions. He did not want things to continue like this, so he voiced his confusion.
"When the Demon Lord broke out of the Cold Mountain Heavenly Stone Formation, the Heavenly Mechanism Old Man was severely injured and hadn't recovered yet, so I didn't see him."
"And Dean Mao?"
"He is the Pope's right hand. How could he give me too much convenience?"
It ultimately came down to faction issues. Chen Changsheng thought that Linghai Zhiwang, as a representative of the new faction of the National Religion, must have already pledged allegiance to Her Holiness the Empress. Why hadn't he told her either?
He didn't ask this question, but Xu Yourong knew what he was thinking.
She reached her hand into the lake water to tease the small fish, saying casually, "He and Tianhai Chengwu asked Xiao De to deal with you. I wasn't happy about it, so I ignored him."
Hearing that she was unhappy because of this matter, Chen Changsheng was very pleased. He also walked down the wooden plank path outside the window and stepped into the shallow water by the lake.
The slightly cool lake water gently rose and fell, and the fine silver sand felt very comfortable underfoot.
"The Dao Canon says the Heavenly Lake is formed by hot springs. Why is this water a bit cold?"
"The water in the center of the lake is much hotter. I heard the water at the two hottest hot spring outlets can boil eggs."
"That sounds interesting. Want to find a chance to try it?"
"Just because it can boil eggs?"
"Mm. It feels very convenient and easy."
"Do you know how to cook?"
"I do... Didn't you eat my cooking in the Garden of Zhou?"
"Mm... Then I should probably learn to cook too."
"The cafeteria at the National Academy is pretty good."
"The chef at Cheng Hu Lou is naturally extraordinary, but I can't exactly come back to the capital from Nanxi Zhai every day to eat."
"Did the white crane come this time? Want to ask what it thinks?"
"The white crane has always liked you very much. If it knew you had such thoughts, it would probably change its mind."
"I was just saying it casually."
"Ah, just saying it casually."
"Ah, I'm serious."
He and she stood side by side in the lake water beneath the small building, gazing at the stars in the night sky, chatting casually, and then gradually fell silent.
They were quiet for a long time without speaking.
Unlike the silence in the room earlier, this silence was beautiful.
Because his shoulder lightly touched hers. Sometimes they would separate slightly, only to lean together again.
No one knew who was leaning toward whom.
After who knows how long, probably tired from standing, they sat down on the lowest wooden platform.
Xu Yourong took a small cloth pouch from her sleeve and pulled something out.
Chen Changsheng didn't notice. Pointing at a pitch-black stone in the lake, he asked, "Is that a Heavenly Stone?"
Xu Yourong's voice was a bit unclear. "Yes."
Chen Changsheng turned to look at her and asked, "How is the enlightenment of those stones going?"
They also had stones, and they were far more important than the Heavenly Stones in Cold Mountain, because those stones were the Heavenly Book Monoliths.
He had come to the Stone Boiling Conference not to gain insight from the Heavenly Stones, but just to see her.
But who would have thought that the ten-thousand-mile journey would be safe, only for him to encounter such a major event upon entering Cold Mountain?
"No progress for now. We'll take it slowly."
Xu Yourong leaned back slightly, supporting herself with her hands on the wooden platform, her bare feet gently patting the lake surface. She looked very cute.
"I'm a bit anxious... after seeing the Demon Lord."
Thinking of the bloody scene he had witnessed on the mountain path, a tremor of fear stirred in Chen Changsheng's heart.
Xu Yourong understood his feelings and said, "Encountering such an unparalleled powerhouse and surviving is bound to bring some benefit."
Chen Changsheng hummed in agreement and said, "I just didn't expect the Demon Lord to be so terrifying. The gap is too great."
Back in Xunyang City, Zhu Luo's attacks had mostly been blocked by Wang Po.
But this time in Cold Mountain, facing the Demon Lord, Liu Qing and Xiao De had almost no power to fight back.
Xu Yourong said, "The Demon Lord is certainly far stronger than Zhu Luo, but there's another key point: Wang Po is also much stronger than Liu Qing and Xiao De."
Chen Changsheng was puzzled, thinking that Liu Qing was a peak Star Gathering assassin and Xiao De was a top-five expert on the Carefree List. Even though Wang Po was number one on the Carefree List, how could he be said to be that much stronger?
"Wang Po is an extraordinary person. He can't be judged by common sense," Xu Yourong said seriously.
Chen Changsheng couldn't rationally accept the fact that Wang Po was stronger than Liu Qing and Xiao De combined, but emotionally, he was very willing to believe it.
"Besides the Demon Lord, are there any other formidable people on the demon side?"
"The Demon Marshal. I hear he's very strong. Then there are the Demon Generals. You should have seen them on the Snow Plain."
Chen Changsheng thought of the mountain-like shadows he had seen in the distance on the demon territory's Snow Plain and shook his head instinctively.
With his current level of cultivation, he was far from being able to fight against such powerful enemies.
"If you never leave the capital, it's really hard to realize there are so many powerful people in the world."
"You're very powerful too. At least when the Demon Lord was your age, he definitely couldn't beat you."
"I think... that sentence could also apply to you."
"That was my intention."
"..."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Chen Changsheng wanted to say that her voice was very pleasant to hear, sweet and soft, as if she were holding a honey date in her mouth. (Note 1)
With a *pfft*, Xu Yourong spat something into the lake water. The object slowly sank in the water, attracting the small black fish to peck at it.
The lake water was very clear. Chen Changsheng looked closely and realized she had spat out a date pit.
The small black fish, finding it wasn't food, swam away in boredom. Xu Yourong found it amusing, kicked her feet, and laughed happily.
"Hey..." Watching this scene, Chen Changsheng couldn't help scratching his head.
Only then did Xu Yourong come to her senses. This wasn't an empty, secluded peak, nor was it a card table in a small town.
A young man was sitting beside her.
Her face felt a little hot. Instinctively, she took the snack pouch from her sleeve and handed it to him, saying softly, "Do you want some?"
Now that the date pit was out of her mouth, her voice was still soft, but this time because she was a bit embarrassed.
She lowered her head and didn't look at Chen Changsheng at all.
Chen Changsheng looked at her long eyelashes, her fair, tender skin, and her rosy lips, and for a moment, he was stunned.
He thought to himself, why could he only think of such dull adjectives? (Note 2)
He took the pouch from her hand, pulled out a snack, didn't even look at what it was, and tossed it into his mouth.
"What's wrong?" Xu Yourong looked up and glanced at him.
Chen Changsheng was a very honest person. He looked at her seriously and said, "You're really beautiful."
Xu Yourong blushed slightly and lowered her head. After a moment, she lifted it again and looked at him, asking, "Am I more beautiful now, or was I more beautiful in the Garden of Zhou?"
Like all young girls, even if she was a Saintess, at a time like this, she would still ask some foolish questions.
Of course, the "foolish" here refers to her asking the question, not that the question itself was easy to answer.
When Xu Yourong entered the Garden of Zhou, she had used the identity of a disciple of the Qingyao Thirteen Divisions and had disguised herself, so her appearance was ordinary.
Now, she was the most beautiful young woman recognized by the entire world.
But if Chen Changsheng honestly said she was more beautiful now, that would definitely be wrong.
In fact, this was like that eternal question about the Falling River—hard to answer and hiding more complex tests and dangers.
This question had no correct answer. Whether Chen Changsheng's reply satisfied her depended entirely on her mood at the moment.
Chen Changsheng was not good at lying. The wonderful thing was that he had once seriously thought about this question and had long since reached a conclusion.
"Both are beautiful. Different kinds of beautiful."
He looked at Xu Yourong and said this very seriously.
This was what he truly felt. The truth.
Xu Yourong was very happy to hear it.
Seeing her happy, he was also happy.
If only they could sit like this forever. A lake before them, mountains behind them, and a brilliant starry sky above.
You, right by my side.
But could they be together forever?
A cloud drifted from somewhere, covering a patch of stars in the southern sky, casting a shadow over the lake.
A shadow also fell over Chen Changsheng's heart.
"There's something I've been hiding from you."
"You said that before."
"Did I?"
"Mm."
"I forgot... Do you want to know?"
"Everyone should have their own secrets. I have them too, and I don't want you to know mine. So."
"Hey, I suddenly realize I really want to tell you that secret."
"Just because you want to know my secret?"
"Yes."
"Chen Changsheng, you're not some gossipy market woman. Why are you so interested in prying into other people's private matters?"
"Mm... Maybe it's because I cultivate by following my heart's intent?"
...
...
A man and woman deeply in love could repeat the same sentence three hundred times and never get tired of it.
Because for them, the act of speaking itself wasn't important. What mattered was speaking to each other.
However, for the listeners, hearing such similar words over and over was an extremely unbearable thing. The sweeter the words, the more so.
Tang Thirty-Six was feeling very uncomfortable right now. He felt he had eaten too much at dinner and wanted to throw up. (Note 3) There was a single path on the mountain side of the small building. He was sitting cross-legged there right now, the Wenshui Sword lying horizontally across his knees, a wild grass stem in his mouth, his face full of indignation. He thought to himself, what a fine pair of adulterers.
...
...
(Note 1: I forget which novel I read this description in. I think it's really good, but I can't remember the source. Note 2: Dull adjectives—this is mainly referring to me. Note 3: I'm not sure if Tang Thirty-Six would find it annoying. I'm really worried that everyone might find it annoying, but I really do enjoy writing romance... The shallow water, white sand, and small building—this is naturally the Maldives. The dates, of course, refer to a honeymoon. Let's have a sweet moment. See you all tomorrow.)