Chapter 608: The Downtrodden
Someone looked at the pawnshop owner who was spitting as he spoke and shouted angrily, "Which eye of yours saw that?"
The pawnshop owner looked at him with a contemptuous gaze and said, "My brother-in-law's nephew studies at the National Academy. With so many disciples of Southern Stream Sect living inside, how could they not see it? It's not just him—many people saw it clearly. The Holy Maiden and Chen Changsheng were standing by the window upstairs, chatting."
The street fell into complete silence.
On a beautiful night with shining stars, a young man and woman stood by the window, their silhouettes cast against the light—it was a lovely scene.
Yet no one was willing to applaud such a scene.
No one knew how long it took before the crowd finally came to their senses. Shocked, they were filled with confusion. Since last year, rumors had been spreading that Chen Changsheng had forcibly broken off his engagement with the Xu family. Although it seemed he had changed his mind after the Battle of Naihe Bridge... had the Holy Maiden forgiven him so easily? Was she really going to live in the National Academy like this, and was she actually preparing to marry him? Then what would become of the Xu family's honor? Wouldn't Xu Shiji, the Eastern Garrison Divine General known for his cold and harsh demeanor, become a laughingstock?
At dawn, Tang Thirty-Six, Xuan Yuan Po, and Su Moyu, accompanied by the disciples of Southern Stream Sect, entered the small building to retrieve their luggage, preparing to move to the eastern side of the National Academy. Zhe Xiu wouldn't do such a thing; his somewhat shabby luggage was carried in Xuan Yuan Po's hands.
They stood before the tightly closed door, holding their luggage, looking somewhat downtrodden and pitiful.
"You have to at least save him some face. After all, this is the National Academy, and he's the Dean," Tang Thirty-Six shouted toward the closed door. "Even if you're doing this for his safety, you're going too far. Why surround this place with Southern Stream Sect's sword formation and drive us away? This is the capital, not Cold Mountain. Even the Demon Lord wouldn't dare come here."
This room was Chen Changsheng's residence, but he was speaking to Xu Yourong.
A night had passed, and both the Southern Stream Sect disciples and the teachers and students of the National Academy knew she hadn't left the room.
The door remained tightly shut, neither pushed open nor any sound coming from within.
Xu Yourong sat at the desk by the window, watching Chen Changsheng sleeping soundly on the bed. From time to time, she reached out her fingertips to gently smooth away the frown on his brow caused by pain.
The Tong Bow was held in her left hand, emitting a faint aura that formed a barrier, ensuring that outside noises wouldn't disturb Chen Changsheng's rest.
But she could hear Tang Thirty-Six's words.
She knew that bringing the Southern Stream Sect disciples back to the capital so suddenly would inevitably spark much discussion and shock, but she didn't care.
She had the Southern Stream Sect's sword formation surround this small building and even wanted to drive Tang Thirty-Six and the others away. It seemed somewhat heartless, but given Chen Changsheng's current condition, if he wanted true safety, it was best not to see anyone. Separating him from Tang Thirty-Six and the others was good for both sides.
Seeing the door still tightly shut, Tang Thirty-Six grew annoyed and turned to walk downstairs.
Leaving the small building, stepping onto the lawn, and passing through the hidden but unactivated sword intents, they suddenly saw a middle-aged man standing under a green tree by the lake.
That middle-aged man had thick eyebrows as dark as ink, a cold expression, and an air of intense killing intent. As his clothes swayed in the morning breeze, a faint, extremely faint scent of blood emanated from him.
Ye Xiaolian and over a dozen Southern Stream Sect female disciples stood in front of this middle-aged man, their expressions somewhat tense, but they couldn't do anything about him.
Because he was the Sect Master's biological father, the Eastern Garrison Divine General Xu Shiji.
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"Back in the capital, yet you don't return to the mansion but stay here instead? You've truly disgraced the Xu family!"
Xu Shiji looked at the undeniable weariness in his daughter's delicate and beautiful features, but instead of feeling any pity, he felt uncomfortable. Before leaving the mansion, he had planned to speak as gently as possible when they met, but his voice couldn't help turning cold, full of chill, as if he were reprimanding her.
The lawn by the lake was quiet. The cloth barrier blocked prying eyes from afar, but the Southern Stream Sect disciples all heard this remark and felt displeased.
Even if you were the Holy Maiden's father, how could you speak to her in such a tone?
Some of the younger female disciples, like Ye Xiaolian, regarded Xu Yourong as divine and inviolable. Stirred emotionally, sword intent and hostility began to arise within them.
Feeling that hostility and sword intent, and seeing his daughter standing silently by the lake, Xu Shiji's anger surged even more. He roared, "Are you really going to commit patricide?!"
Xu Yourong turned around and looked at her father, saying, "Father, what are you talking about?"
Her voice was very calm, very light, very faint, so this explanation didn't sound like an explanation at all, and certainly not like an admission of fault.
Xu Shiji's face grew even darker as he recalled many things from the past.
When she was very young, Xu Yourong had been raised personally by the Grand Preceptor; her parents had no say in the matter. At age five, when the True Phoenix bloodline within her awakened, the Holy Empress had taken her into the palace. Coincidentally, the Holy Maiden had come to the capital to visit the mausoleum and ease her mind, so she became the student of two saints. From then on, it was even less Xu Shiji's place to educate her.
The world's assessment of Xu Shiji wasn't high, but that mainly concerned his personal conduct—like his attitude toward the Tianhai family and his earlier stance on Chen Changsheng. No one denied his ability, which was certainly worthy of a Great Zhou Divine General. On the northern snow plains, he had earned many military merits. He governed his army strictly and ran his household like an army. Whether it was the deputy generals with special family backgrounds at Snow Pass or the old servants in the mansion, they all trembled before him, not daring to voice any opposition. Yet... he couldn't control his own daughter.
Because he wasn't qualified to.
This fact brought no pleasure to any father. But since the Xu family was to enjoy the glory and benefits brought by Xu Yourong, they had to bear all of this.
Still, he was her father, and she was his daughter. He thought she would at least show him some respect, as she had in years past.
But this morning by the lake at the National Academy, he realized that his thoughts were nothing but self-deception.
"What an unfilial daughter..."
Xu Shiji's voice was as cold as ice. His right hand trembled slightly, as if the next moment it would strike Xu Yourong's face.
Xu Yourong looked calmly at her father. Of course, she wouldn't fight back.
The eyes of the Southern Stream Sect disciples grew sharp, especially the young girls like Ye Xiaolian, who tightened their grips on their sword hilts.
Just then, a thin old man arrived on the scene. The Southern Stream Sect's sword formation was useless against this old man—not because he was powerful, but because he was the chief eunuch of the Great Zhou Imperial Palace, a trusted courtier deeply favored by the Holy Empress. Moreover, when he arrived, he held a royal decree high in his hand.
"Her Majesty says, don't let such a trivial matter affect the bond between father and daughter."
The chief eunuch looked at Xu Shiji expressionlessly and said.
The Holy Empress's words were clearly meant for both of them, but he only looked at Xu Shiji, making the meaning perfectly clear.
This was a warning.
Xu Shiji's face grew even uglier. Was such an act of defiance really a trivial matter?
Was she his daughter, or Her Majesty's daughter?
These thoughts could only remain in his mind. On the surface, he couldn't show anything, and he even had to force his expression to calm down.
He glanced at Xu Yourong, said nothing more, and turned to walk out of the National Academy.
His back looked somewhat downtrodden, like an old lion driven out of its pride.
Xu Yourong watched her father's retreating back, silent, lost in thought.
The chief eunuch turned to her, his demeanor instantly becoming several degrees more humble, and said in a low voice, "Her Majesty requests your presence at the palace."
Xu Yourong took the decree and said, "Wait for me a moment."
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"I don't know how to face her, and between the National Academy and her, I can't possibly side with her."
Chen Changsheng refused the idea of entering the palace with Xu Yourong. The "her" in this sentence naturally referred to the Holy Empress.
Xu Yourong said nothing. She too knew very well that bringing Chen Changsheng into the palace was an extremely risky move. She knew that the one who had the whole world in her heart, even more of a saint, looked down upon and disregarded worldly emotions with such condescension. The Holy Empress hadn't done anything to Chen Changsheng in the past two years, perhaps due to considerations regarding the Li Palace, or perhaps because she had never been certain. Now that various clues were pointing to that unresolved case from over a decade ago, no one could guarantee what would happen if she saw Chen Changsheng in the palace.
"Don't worry about me." Chen Changsheng looked at her expression and knew what she was thinking. He said, "You only used the Holy Light Technique once before entering the capital. Last night, the Teacher bathed me with holy water, adding another layer of protection. There shouldn't be any problems in the short term. Besides, won't the Southern Stream Sect's sword formation be outside?"
Xu Yourong said nothing more and left.
Standing by the window, watching her gradually receding figure, Chen Changsheng's expression grew heavy.
He knew his current condition better than anyone—better than her, better than the Pope.
His meridians had been completely burned and severed by starlight, beyond repair.
His soul had seeped into his flesh and blood along with his blood, with no way to eliminate it.
His injuries now seemed suppressed, but his vitality was constantly draining away.
His body and fate had long been riddled with holes, battered and broken.
If it were anyone else in such a situation, they would have long been utterly dejected, but he remained calm.
He walked straight down from the small building and headed toward the National Academy beyond the cloth barrier.
With Xu Yourong absent, the Southern Stream Sect disciples had no way to stop him from leaving. Though the sword formation was fearsome, how could it be used against him?
Outside the main building of the National Academy stood many statues, still bearing traces of the shocking upheaval from over a decade ago. The fountain had been repaired, but some stone beast statues remained damaged.
He looked at Su Moyu and said, "From now on, this place may have to be entrusted to you."
He turned to Tang Thirty-Six and said, "If possible, it would be best to postpone your return to Wenshui by a year."
Then he looked at Xuan Yuan Po and said, "Don't keep thinking your injuries are healed. You still need to persist in taking your medicine."
Finally, he looked at Zhe Xiu and said, "I can't continue treating you anymore, but I'll try to get the medical records out as soon as possible. Whatever you do, don't give up on treatment."
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(Note: The previous three days, I went on a trip to Yichun with four families of friends. The distance was indeed quite far, and it was tiring, but very enjoyable. I really recommend everyone to go out and play more. The beauty of rivers and mountains can't be truly appreciated in books. Though work is busy and life is tiring, never give up on enjoyment. As the old saying goes, life should be spent on beautiful things.)