by Mao Ni
His shoes crushed through the snow and flattened the dead grass. As he steadied, he appeared rather bewildered. His room was on the second floor and was not too far from the ground. Even when he was just relying on the body strengthened through the broths and tempering of his teacher and senior, he would not be injured from jumping down, but it would never have been so easily, so agilely accomplished.
He fell silent, looking through his warm puffs of breath and the frigid lake through the forest. He wanted to try.
His knees slightly bent, then he put his strength into his waist, and jumped.
Whoosh!
A small hole appeared in the snow in front of the house. Snowflakes and bits of grass fluttered about.
Chen Changsheng's body had vanished.
Immediately after, he appeared several dozen zhang away by the lake.
A cold wind blew and fallen leaves stirred.
His expression was still somewhat bewildered, his complexion slightly pale.
He had never once imagined that he could ever be so fast.
All this had come from his strength, which had suddenly increased by leaps and bounds, and his body, which had suddenly toughened by leaps and bounds.
Where had this strength come from?
Was this truly a result of Purification?
It seemed that Purification was the only explanation, but it was an explanation he found very difficult to believe.
When he thought of that strange mental sensation he had felt when he had been washing off that dried blood, he inexplicably grew uneasy.
He jumped over the wall and departed the Orthodox Academy, borrowing the cover of the snowstorm to return once more to New North Bridge.
The snow was still coming down, the mantle on the ground still thick.
The footsteps of the two humans and two Snow Mastiffs had long since been concealed.
He looked around and confirmed that no one was paying attention, that the distant soldiers were in the middle of changing guards, and leapt into the abandoned well.
With a thump, his feet landed on solid ground, much to his astonishment.
He had already mentally prepared himself to fall for a very long time. He had not expected to hit the ground as soon as he jumped.
This abandoned well originally had no bottom. Beneath it should have been an almost abyssal darkness through which he could have fallen until he descended in front of the Black Dragon.
Now, the well had a bottom formed of firm yellow soil covered in a thin layer of snow.
He raised his head to the mouth of the well. A snowflake drifted down, causing his eyes to squint.
He crouched down and measured the thickness of the snow layer. He confirmed that this well had not even been sealed for half a day.
* * *
"You aren't doing this, right?"
Tang Thirty-Six snatched the kitchen knife from Chen Changsheng's hands and looked him in the eye.
In recent days, it had become Chen Changsheng's turn to cook. Tang Thirty-Six disliked his cooking, feeling that it was even more tasteless than Xuanyuan Po's. He had just been about to remind Chen Changsheng that when making pickled peppers and fried meat, putting in the pickled peppers was a requirement, when he happened to see Chen Changsheng prepared to bring the kitchen knife down on his own fingers.
Chen Changsheng knew that something had been misunderstood here and asked, "What sort of person do you think I am?"
What sort of person? Naturally the sort of person that can't take the pressure from the outside world anymore and thus attempts to harm themself in order to avoid any challenge. Or perhaps it was a person that can't take the pressure from the outside world anymore and has gone funny in the head, taking pleasure from wielding a knife at themself. Or perhaps it was one of those people that can't take pressure from the outside world, forgets the kindness their father and mother showed by raising them, and jumps from the upstairs window.
"You truly aren't one of those idiots, but I'm just worried that you're hardening your heart and want to cut off a finger to show your will."
Tang Thirty-Six offered him back the kitchen knife and said, "Geniuses like us who have obtained a perfect Purification won't produce such misunderstandings."
Cultivators who had succeeded in Purification would receive a huge boost to the toughness of their bodies. It wasn't that they couldn't use a kitchen knife to hack off one of their fingers, but it would be a much more difficult task.
"Perhaps Purification means you don't have to be afraid of kitchen knives, but I haven't seen you helping to cut the vegetables recently." Chen Changsheng took the kitchen knife and continued cutting white radishes.
In these past few days, he had gone to New North Bridge twice and realized that the abandoned well truly had been sealed up. He could only teach himself how to grow accustomed to his changed body. Using a kitchen knife to hack at his own finger was something he had often done. Only by growing used to the toughness and strength of his body could he accurately use this toughness and strength, and rely on them to fight.
It was very normal for Tang Thirty-Six to be worried about him. After all, the Grand Examination was imminent.
Those people taking part in the Grand Examination had already arrived at the capital from various places of the continent. Countless gazes were looking toward the Orthodox Academy, looking toward… that Chen Changsheng who had declared that he would assuredly take first rank of the first banner. Although it was the archbishop that had declared this matter to the world and Chen Changsheng himself had never admitted to it, nobody cared about these details.
Xu Yourong's engagement, the Proclamation of Azure Sky, and this declaration had made Chen Changsheng extremely famous, pushing him to an extremely high status. The problem was, who would serve him? If not for Jin Yulu reclining on his chair, enjoying the snow and drinking hot tea, that dilapidated gate of the Orthodox Academy would already be leveled flat.
One could scarcely imagine the pressure Chen Changsheng was enduring.
"In truth, there's something I've never understood. If the conservative faction of the Orthodox Academy and those ministers still loyal to the Chen Imperial clan want to use the Orthodox Academy's revival to challenge the Divine Empress's authority, then compared to you who still haven't succeeded in Purification, aren't I a much better choice?" Tang Thirty-Six said as he took up a cabbage leaf, ladled some rice in, then placed a few peppers and pickled vegetables inside.
Chen Changsheng took the chopped radish and threw it into the bone broth that had already been stewing for quite some time, then said, "A minor character like me might be easier to control."
Tang Thirty-Six took a satisfied bite out of his cabbage wrap, his voice indistinct as he said, "I think it's about your engagement with Xu Yourong. That's more important."
The youths of the Orthodox Academy were well aware of each role that they played, otherwise Chen Changsheng wouldn't have used such a term as 'minor character'. But it was precisely this casual attitude that clearly indicated that they simply didn't care about any major characters and what they wanted. It had nothing to do with them, and they would just live their own lives, participate in their own Grand Examination, take their own first rank of the first banner.
Chen Changsheng did not tell Tang Thirty-Six about the changes within his body, nor about the star radiance converting into true essence. He found it impossible to imagine suffering through that terrible burning that was worse than death.
That snowy plain was like the age of twenty, a shadow that he could never escape, pressing down on him and making it difficult for him to breathe.
How could he ensure that this snowy plain would not be disturbed? The way was to not disturb it, to not enter Meditative Introspection or even think about it, to completely and utterly forget about it. But it was truly difficult to not think about it whatsoever, especially when he thought about how this snowy plain was completely formed of crystallized star radiance. If this were all converted i
nto true essence, how much would there be?
He sighed, "Being rich is truly a good feeling."
Tang Thirty-Six replied, "I don't feel anything."
Chen Changsheng replied, "That's because you grew up with far too much money."
"Perhaps." Tang Thirty-Six had to think for a few moments before admitting to this.
Chen Changsheng continued, "But the feeling of having money you are unable to spend is a truly unpleasant feeling."
Tang Thirty-Six said sympathetically, "Truly a child of the countryside. After the Grand Examination concludes, I'll teach you how to spend money."
* * *
The snowy plain was Chen Changsheng's ample savings, but it was also a terrifying pile of chaff. A single spark was enough to ignite it. The instant it turned into ashes, it would bring him away from this world.
In this situation, anyone with intelligence would shy away from adding oil or piling on grass, but not Chen Changsheng. He still spent every night in quiet meditation, drawing starlight into his body, his hands gripping the jade essence sent by Luoluo while a pile of crystals gifted by the Wenshui Tangs sat at his side. His attitude was absolutely fearless.
No one else knew of the situation with his body, so they would naturally feel rather differently about this sight. Tang Thirty-Six's admiration toward him was already at its peak, as he thought, Anyone who failed to succeed in Purification after such a long time would have given up, but this guy still persists. His will is truly astonishing.
Admiration was just admiration. He had already given up any hope that Chen Changsheng would take first rank of the first banner in the Grand Examination.
The most optimistic of people would think the same.
So Tang Thirty-Six… became abnormally diligent.
The assessment of the Proclamation of Azure Sky and Chen Changsheng's example were reasons enough for Tang Thirty-Six to be diligent, but there was an even more important reason. If Chen Changsheng could not take first rank of the first banner, he was doomed to become the laughingstock of the populace. As Chen Changsheng's friend and a student of the Orthodox Academy, Tang Thirty-Six had to do something.
Xuanyuan Po was similarly diligent. His right arm had recovered, and with Chen Changsheng's instruction, he was cultivating with a certain method. His strength was growing by leaps and bounds, his energy seemingly limitless. Thus, a great calamity was visited on the great banyan tree by the lake and the hard gray stones of the academy were constantly fractured like the ice on the lake.
This calm school life was disrupted one early morning by a carriage.
At the time, Tang Thirty-Six and Xuanyuan Po were bickering while Chen Changsheng was walking in the snow and mumbling to himself, seemingly reciting something.
Chapter 128 – Ten Thousand Strings of Cash Wrapped Around the Waist (II)
The following conversation took place by the lake.
Tang Thirty-Six could faintly see iron-like black hairs on Xuanyuan Po's right arm and asked, "Black bear?"
Xuanyuan Po glanced at him and knew that this question had been asked without malice. He replied, "Bear."
Tang Thirty-Six said, "Oh, it really is a black bear.”[29]
Xuanyuan Po seriously pondered the difference between a black bear and a bear, and confirmed that he was being made fun of. He noted, "Tang Thirty-Two, you are not a good person."
Tang Thirty-Six's face turned somewhat unsightly. "I said before, don't call me Tang Thirty-Two."
Xuanyuan Po was very stubborn. "Tang Thirty-Two, didn't you say that we should call you whatever rank of the Proclamation of Azure Sky you were?"
"That was for the sake of motivating myself."
Tang Thirty-Six explained, at the same time resolving himself to put everything on the line for the Grand Examination so that he could enter the top ten when the Proclamation of Azure Sky was next revised.
Xuanyuan Po said, "You also don't like the name Tang Tang."
Tang Thirty-Six explained, "It's too much like a girl's name."
Xuanyuan Po's gaze fell on Tang Thirty-Six's chest and said, "If you weren't too flat, a person with such a sharp and unkind mouth as yours would truly be easily mistaken for a woman."
After saying this, he carried the half of a tree that he had chopped down and walked to the kitchen, paying no more attention to Tang Thirty-Six.
This boring conversation had ultimately been won by the demi-human youth.
As they were conversing, Chen Changsheng was swiftly walking in the nearby snow.
He walked very quickly, his course followed by a cold wind. He was naturally not taking a stroll, nor was he walking off his meal. He was cultivating. Although he had inexplicably crossed the pass of Purification, and true essence had begun to flow through his body, the problem of his meridians had still not been addressed. Fortunately, he had long since made preparations for this, and the progress that Luoluo and Xuanyuan Po had made was proof that his thinking was correct.
The difficulty lay in the fact that the amount of true essence he possessed was truly too small, and he did not dare risk setting ablaze the snowy plain again right before the Grand Examination. If he wanted to attain any sort of accomplishment in it, he needed to think of another way, like fully using the wondrous changes that had occurred in his body: he now possessed a strength greater than that of an ordinary demi-human, possessed an unimaginable speed and toughness.
In the end, he decided to place his hopes onto movement techniques, so he decided to continue his research on the Yeshi Step.
The Yeshi Step was a demon secret that was never transmitted to outsiders. He had gained some understanding of it through his reading of the Daoist Canon and could recite its several thousand positions. He had even taught Luoluo a simplified version of it that had shocked the entire audience during the fight with Guan Feibai. However, Guan Feibai's sword had not been carrying true essence at that time. If he wanted to defeat such cultivators during the Grand Examination, the simplified Yeshi Step was far from enough.
The snowy ground was covered all over in his footprints. While they were still not covered by the snow, they formed all sorts of patterns, some simple and others complex. If the clouds in the sky were to disperse and people were to gaze up at the starry sky, they would probably be able to find the connection between these patterns and the multitudes of stars.
It was right at this moment that a carriage from the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education entered the Orthodox Academy. Priest Xin had come to pay a visit.
Chen Changsheng and Tang Thirty-Six were somewhat surprised. The application procedures for the Grand Examination had been completed a long time ago, all of it handled by Priest Xin. The Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education had even secretly sent the information for all the other applicants to the Orthodox Academy. Logically speaking, everything that should be done had been done and the Grand Examination was about to begin. What was he coming to the Orthodox Academy for? Was he not afraid of provoking criticism?
Jin Yulu, holding his teapot, shook his head at the two youths, thinking to himself, Truly such good children, not even able to understand a matter like this.
Priest Xin's stated purpose was that there had been an omission in the application and Chen Changsheng needed to take out the register and seal to confirm things once more.
After this matter was settled, Priest Xin did not immediately leave.
Chen Changsheng had Xuanyuan Po bring up a cup of good tea to express their gratitude.
Priest Xin took the tea, but did not drink it. He walked out of the library and stood in the snow next to the lake, gazing at the shore on the other side. He suddenly said, "Reaching the other shore truly requires a supreme intelligence."
Upon finishing this melancholy statement, he returned the teacup to Xuanyuan Po's hands, smiled at the youths, then boarded his carriage and left the Orthodox Academy.
Chen Changsheng and the other two were truly quite confused, mystified as to what Priest Xin had intended with this sce
ne.
'Other shore[30]' was a phrase belonging to Buddhism, but the Buddhist faith had faded into nothingness ages ago and was rarely mentioned by others. Was this sentence of Priest Xin's a pure sigh of melancholy, or was there some deeper meaning?
"This guy, when did he suddenly take a liking to voicing his deepest thought?" Tang Thirty-Six asked.
Jin Yulu could no longer restrain himself, cursing, "Fool, you can't even tell that he's so obviously leaking the questions to the test?"
"Eh?" Xuanyuan Po gaped, thinking to himself, Where are the questions?
Chen Changsheng and Tang Thirty-Six glanced at each other, thinking, His Reverence's ways of doing things is truly unreliable. On such an important matter, couldn't he speak a little more clearly?
The Grand Examination was divided into a literary test, a martial test, and one-on-one matches. All the consideration the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education showed for the Orthodox Academy had basically been for Chen Changsheng's sake. Based on his specific circumstances, the literary test was not something worthy of concern, and the one-on-one matches relied on strength and had no questions. Thus, the question that Priest Xin had specifically come to divulge would most likely occur during the martial test.
"Crossing a lake?"
Tang Thirty-Six walked to the lake and stood on a rock that had been half-shattered by Xuanyuan Po, gazing at the other shore several dozen zhang away. Somewhat puzzled, he said, "This is very simple."
"It's pretty difficult for me to cross." Xuanyuan Po then turned around to Chen Changsheng and added, "But to throw a stone across to the other side is very simple."
Chen Changsheng understood what he meant, but did not reply. He fell silent for a while, then said, "I have to think about it."
* * *
The tree that Xuanyuan Po had hacked down was too thick and very difficult to chop into firewood. In a rare sight, Jin Yulu's interest was piqued. He took the half-tree and set it on fire, then suspended a black deer sent by Luoluo from the Li Palace over the fire. Roasting something like deer and eating it was a domineering act. As oil and fat streamed down from the roasting deer, the Orthodox Academy swiftly became engulfed in the fragrant scent of meat.