Chapter 84: Letting Go
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The sound of clamor was a collection of many voices.
Voices of discussion, voices of exclamation.
Between the Li Mountain Sword Sect and the National Academy, it was no longer the initial hostile relationship, just as Gou Han Shi had instructed his junior brothers before coming to Cold Mountain.
Not enemies, still opponents.
Even without hostility, they would still meet, meet again.
The Li Mountain Sword Sect easily repelled the various experts from Tianliang Commandery who came with hostile intent, and Gou Han Shi, displaying his Star Gathering realm, forced back Huaiyuan’s Zhong Hui without a word.
As the situation developed to this point, naturally, it came to the moment of his encounter with Chen Chang Sheng.
Nearly two years had passed since the final battle of the Grand Examination. In those two years, many things had happened. So, would the outcome of this battle change?
In the world, only Chen Chang Sheng and Gou Han Shi had thoroughly read the Daoist Canon. They possessed realms and talents that their peers could hardly reach. People wanted to know which of them was truly stronger.
Gou Han Shi had already succeeded in Star Gathering; Chen Chang Sheng had not. In principle, he could not be Gou Han Shi’s opponent. But everyone knew that the events at the National Academy gate last summer—crossing realms to defeat a Star Gathering cultivator, something unimaginable for ordinary practitioners—was not too difficult for him. Yet people could not fully favor Chen Chang Sheng either, because although Gou Han Shi had likely succeeded in Star Gathering not long ago, he was Gou Han Shi—just by that name, one could confirm he was no ordinary early Star Gathering cultivator.
Chen Chang Sheng stood up and walked toward the stone platform. Countless gazes followed his movement.
Gou Han Shi was also watching him, calm and serious.
Just then, from somewhere among the lakeside pavilions and towers, a clear note suddenly rang out.
This clear note arose from a zither string, flowing like water.
Then, a second zither sound followed, and after that, it never ceased.
It was a very elegant melody. Clearly, the person playing the zither was highly skilled in the study of music. The sound of the zither, with gentle presses of the fingertips, was extremely evocative. Yet, for some reason, at certain turning points in the melody, mistakes that even a beginner would not make appeared—obvious pauses and breaks.
“Who is playing the zither?”
Many people looked toward the small tower from which the zither sound came, pondering this question in their minds. Some people had a few more words in their thoughts.
Who dares to play the zither at this time?
The door of that small tower was closed. Some remembered that from a few days ago until today, the door of that small tower had never been opened. So there was actually someone inside.
The Old Man of Heavenly Secrets looked at that small tower and shook his head. He naturally knew who was in the small tower, but he hadn’t expected that the other party would ignore his advice and insist on entering the battle.
“It seems our match will have to wait for another time.”
Gou Han Shi said to Chen Chang Sheng on the stage. He had already recognized who was playing the zither.
Chen Chang Sheng also recognized it and said, “I hope it won’t be too long.”
There were many others who could recognize the zither sound. The murmurs rose and then gradually fell. Countless gazes turned toward the small tower, a faint excitement stirring.
The person playing the zither was Guan Bai.
The true leader of the younger generation of the Heavenly Dao Academy, his great name was Guan Bai.
Gou Han Shi indeed wanted to spar with Chen Chang Sheng, but upon hearing the zither sound, he had to yield.
The people present were indeed eager to see the contest between Gou Han Shi and Chen Chang Sheng, but they were even more eager to see the contest between Chen Chang Sheng and Guan Bai.
Because the continent had been waiting for this contest for an entire year.
Last summer, the gate of the National Academy was extremely lively. Guan Bai did not step into the arena; he only stood by the street and quietly looked at Chen Chang Sheng.
He didn’t say anything.
But many people in the capital knew.
He had given Chen Chang Sheng a year to grow.
After that, no trace of Guan Bai was seen again. This sword master of the Heavenly Dao Academy seemed to have vanished.
Now, it seemed that Guan Bai had been in seclusion, cultivating in preparation for this battle.
With a creak, the door of the distant small tower was slowly pushed open.
A man walked out of the small tower. His posture was very upright, his expression calm and peaceful, with no trace of travel dust on his temples.
He was Guan Bai, but he was very different from the Guan Bai of before, and very different from the Guan Bai in the memories of those who knew him.
The Guan Bai of before was always on a journey, covered in traveler’s dust, his sharpness pressing upon others.
Anyone who saw Guan Bai would feel as if a sword light had lit up in their eyes, and might even be hurt by the sword intent emanating from him, causing pain and tears.
The Guan Bai now was still like the long sword hanging at his waist, quietly sheathed, revealing no edge at all.
The midday sun fell on the stone platform by the lake, slightly scorching, exceptionally bright.
Guan Bai walked over slowly.
The scene was silent. Hundreds of gazes followed his movement. The crowd gradually parted, making way for him.
Suddenly, there was a slight commotion in the crowd, followed by rising exclamations. No one knew what they had seen, but they were especially shocked.
Tang Thirty-Six stood up and looked in that direction, his expression immediately freezing.
Chen Chang Sheng had already seen it, his expression very solemn.
The lake breeze gently brushed, sleeves lightly fluttering.
Guan Bai’s sleeves fluttered gently, occasionally being rolled up.
His right arm… was actually broken!
…
…
A clamor arose, a true clamor, with exclamations unceasing. Everyone thought that during this year, Guan Bai, like in previous years, had continued his journey, or gone incognito to the northern battlefield to fight enemies, or cultivated in seclusion to prepare for battle. Who could have imagined that when he appeared before the world again, he would be missing an arm!
Even more shocking was that he had lost his right arm.
In the past, many people considered Guan Bai the most likely sword genius to enter the top ten of the Carefree List, much younger than Wang Po’s generation.
Now, he didn’t even have his right hand to hold a sword… Would the former sword genius fall from grace?
Amidst the shocked gazes, Guan Bai arrived at the scene. After bowing to the Old Man of Heavenly Secrets and Xu You Rong, he naturally came to the stage where the National Education members were.
After all, he was a member of the Heavenly Dao Academy, and thus a member of the National Education.
He bowed to the King of Linghai and Mao Qiu Yu.
Clearly, the King of Linghai and Mao Qiu Yu knew about his broken arm. The King of Linghai said, “Just do your best.”
Mao Qiu Yu, as the former dean of the Heavenly Dao Academy, naturally had more complex emotions. He looked at Guan Bai, wanting to speak but stopping, and finally just said with emotion, “You’ve come.”
Guan Bai responded, “It had to come eventually.”
Then he looked at Chen Chang Sheng, bowing calmly and meticulously.
Chen Chang Sheng did not avoid it; he accepted this bow, then returned it.
Guan Bai quietly looked at him, also not avoiding it, and accepted this bow.
A faint, barely visible light appeared in his eyes, clear and stern, like an autumn day in the high sky.
“Everyone is waiting. Come on,” he said to Chen Chang Sheng.
After saying this, that sword light faded deep into his pupils, no longer visible.
Chen Chang Sheng looked at his empty sleeve and said, “I don’t think this is right.”
Guan Bai said, “In this past year, no miracle has happened to you again. I have also learned the left-handed sword. It’s fair, just right for a decisive battle.”
Chen Chang Sheng was silent for a moment, then asked, “Why can’t you let go?”
“No one has let go as thoroughly as I have,” Guan Bai said with a smile.
His hand was already gone; where was there still a need to let go? But some things, after all, could not be let go.
His smile gradually faded. He looked at Chen Chang Sheng and said calmly, “No matter how unworthy Huan Yu was, he was still my junior brother.”
Yes, there were many things that could not be let go.
Although Liang Xiao Xiao had colluded with the demons, his crime was unforgivable, but Gou Han Shi and the other disciples of the Li Mountain Sword Sect would still miss him.
Just as Zhe Xiu had said, if Tang Thirty-Six ever did something truly heinous in the future, Chen Chang Sheng still couldn’t bring himself to despise him.
Matters of gratitude and resentment were inherently unresolvable and incomprehensible.
…
…
(Things are mostly taken care of, but… it seems I’ve caught a bout of laziness. I’ll try my best to recover soon.)