Chapter 798: The Starry Sky and the Maiden (Part 2)
Chen Changsheng nodded and said, "There is, but it's been a long time since we last met."
Luo Bu was intrigued and asked, "Does she like you?"
Chen Changsheng felt a bit embarrassed and hummed in affirmation.
Luo Bu raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "If you have feelings for each other, why not meet?"
Clearly, he didn't approve of Chen Changsheng's approach.
To him, the hardest thing in the world was to have a lover. Since there were feelings, of course they should be together forever, never to be separated for even a moment.
Chen Changsheng thought for a moment and said, "It's not convenient to meet, and... she has some important things to do."
Luo Bu said nothing more. He lifted the wine flask between his fingers and took a big gulp, muttering to himself, "Liking each other... what does that feel like?"
Chen Changsheng didn't catch it clearly and asked, "What?"
"Nothing, just drunken talk."
Luo Bu gazed at the wilderness at the end of the mountain stream, as if he could see that peak perpetually shrouded in mist and clouds. A faint trace of melancholy appeared between his brows.
From the first moment he woke up, Chen Changsheng had seen Luo Bu as carefree yet indifferent, unkempt yet unrestrained, but he had never seen him like this.
That trace of melancholy was faint, yet even his thick beard couldn't hide it. Why did such young brows carry so much weariness?
He really wanted to know Luo Bu's story, to know what he had been through.
"I am a man without a story." Luo Bu quickly shook off that mood, handed the wine flask to Chen Changsheng, and said calmly, "Because my life has been too smooth. Aside from one trouble in my childhood, there has never been anything I couldn't obtain."
Chen Changsheng thought to himself, then why are you so melancholy?
"But there are many things in this world that have nothing to do with your own efforts—like matters between men and women, or matters of life and death. No matter how hard you struggle and grow, you can't be sure of overcoming the other party, because these two kinds of relationships require a response."
Luo Bu pointed at the countless stars in the sky and said, "You tell the starry sky you don't want to go back, but the starry sky doesn't respond to you, so you'll grow old and then die. You tell a maiden, 'I like you,' but even if you're the best of the best, if she just doesn't like you, then what can you do?"
The starry sky and the maiden will only quietly watch you. They might pity or sympathize, but when have they ever changed their minds?
A starry sky that would casually change its colors, shapes, and rules could only be a painting in Snow Old City.
A maiden who would come to like you because of your desperate pleas or efforts might also be a good maiden, but unfortunately, she wouldn't be the maiden he liked.
So what could you do?
Such a plain sentence, yet it made Chen Changsheng feel very sad.
Perhaps it was because he had once begged the starry sky countless times for forgiveness in matters of life and death.
He awkwardly patted Luo Bu on the shoulder, wanting to comfort him, but didn't know what to say.
The countless stars hung above.
The maiden was far away in the south.
Thankfully, he said nothing at that moment.
...
...
This night's conversation went very pleasantly. When Luo Bu returned to his study, he still maintained that good mood.
In the past years, he had always played the role of a teacher within the mountain gate, even when facing disciples of the same generation. With his knowledge and insight, there really weren't many people he could talk to so freely, aside from his second junior brother and junior sister.
He had originally planned to find out that guy's identity, but on account of this night's drunken talk, he decided to let it go. No matter which faction he belonged to, let him be.
The only slight regret was that the guy's drinking capacity was too poor, far inferior to his junior sister's.
Yes, who could compare to his junior sister?
He looked at the bookshelf, now completely empty, and stared blankly for a long time. A bitter smile appeared on his face.
He shook his head, driving away all his thoughts, and continued tidying up the study, preparing for his departure.
He hadn't lied to that guy. He really was planning to leave and then return to the mountain.
Just then, he noticed that the secret mark on his desk had changed since he left, indicating that someone had been here.
He took a letter from the hidden drawer of the desk.
It was a letter from home.
The letter detailed some major recent events, very thorough and meticulous, even more complete than the highest-classified military documents.
His gaze slowly moved across the letter paper. His sword-like brows gradually rose, as if they were about to cut through the beard on his face.
His eyes also grew colder and colder.
So that night, besides Ning Ten Guards, Zhu Ye, and Tianhai Zhanyi, there were also people from the Tang family.
All of these people had died, all because they were trying to seize those mysterious cinnabar pills.
He had long been accustomed to the ways of the Great Zhou court's high officials, but he still found their methods shameless. A mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips.
They brought death upon themselves. What fault was there in that?
He continued reading the letter.
Then, he saw the Demon Lord's name.
His expression turned somewhat grave.
Finally, he saw Chen Changsheng's name.
His expression became extremely grave, and even the hand holding the letter paper stiffened.
He raised his head to look out the window, at either the streamside or that little hut where meat was always stewing.
He recalled the marks on the cliff that day, the unconscious guy, the conversation by the stream earlier, and certain details within that conversation...
His face changed color several times.
At first, it was slightly red, but it didn't seem like anger. Then, it turned slightly pale, but it didn't seem like shock.
He looked like a drunkard who had had too much to drink.
In the end, all his emotions turned into a faintly bitter smile, full of self-mockery.
...
...
Drinking under the starry sky, and talking about maidens while drinking—this was always the favorite thing for young men to do.
Back in the National Teaching Academy, when Tang Thirty-Six did these things, Chen Changsheng wasn't willing to join in. But after tonight, he realized it was indeed very pleasant.
He thought that when he went to Wenshui to see Tang Thirty-Six in a few days, maybe he should bring a few bottles of good wine, as a way to thank Old Master Tang for the gift of the umbrella?
Of course, conversation over wine, like the drinking itself, mainly depended on the person you were with.
Chen Changsheng felt that tonight's conversation was very pleasant, even somewhat exhilarating, because the person he was talking to was Luo Bu.
This reminded him of the time in the thatched cottage at the Heavenly Book Mausoleum, where he had talked through the night with Gou Hanshi, Guan Feibai, and the others.
Of course, the most similar to tonight was his conversation with Xu Yourong in that snow temple.
That snow temple was beside the White Grass Path.
The White Grass Path was in the Never-Setting Sun Grassland.
The Never-Setting Sun Grassland was part of the Zhou Garden.
Suddenly, Chen Changsheng jolted awake, all traces of drunkenness gone.
A few days ago, when he had just woken up from his coma, he had felt like he was forgetting something.
Now, he finally remembered.
There were still people in the Zhou Garden.
He took the strong tea that Nanke handed him and took a sip, asking her to keep an eye on the door, then removed the string of stone beads from his wrist.
One of the five stone beads was black in color.
His divine sense fell upon that black stone bead.
The next moment, he felt a faintly cold wind brushing against his face.
He was still at the highest point of the Zhou Mausoleum.
He looked out into the distance. The grassland had long since returned to its former state, a pleasing expanse of lush green.
Suddenly, thunderous roars erupted around the Zhou Mausoleum, and a tide of beasts surged toward him.
That year, the scene he and that maiden had seen was just like this.
...
...
(Only the starry sky and the maiden... and fine food and fine wine and novels and movies and scenery and the universe and truth and oneself cannot be let down.)