Way of Choices: Book II - Youths We Were, Schoolmates, Part 2

by Mao Ni

  Thus, the entire world was very quiet, very beautiful, every person waiting.

  In the corner, Luoluo suddenly stood up.

  No one noticed her.

  Just then, a voice came from outside the hall.

  "I object."

  A youth walked in through the doors of the hall.

  His body was drenched, his hair a mess, his clothes torn up. All in all, it was a completely wretched figure.

  He looked around at the crowd within the hall, his eyes bright, his expression firm.

  The hall instantly turned silent.

  Chapter 65 – She is My Fiancée

  The voice was not deliberately raised or intentionally impassioned. It was a very calm and particularly clear voice that seemed to be speaking on some trivial matter. The two words it spoke were extremely distinct, so much so that even though everyone within the hall hoped to convince themselves that they had heard wrongly, they could find no reason to think so.

  Thus, those two words plunged the entirety of Weiyang Palace into silence.

  It was different from that beautiful and expectant silence from before. The silence now was true silence, bringing with it a bizarre atmosphere.

  In the next moment, the silence was shattered as the crowd erupted into a clamor.

  The countless voices almost jolted apart the roof of the great hall!

  A person objected?

  A person actually objected against this marriage!

  In the depths of the hall, Xu Shiji suddenly stood up and stared toward the door at Chen Changsheng, his complexion extremely nasty. Prince Chen Liu was somewhat startled, mystified as to what had just happened. Mo Yu also slowly stood up. Her face displayed no expression, but a layer of frost seemed to gradually form on her face.

  The reaction from the southern diplomatic mission was naturally even greater. The Qiushan clan head stared at the youth standing at the door but didn't know who he was. Only after forcing himself to take a few deep breaths was he able to suppress his fury. However, those youths in the group attending next year's Grand Examination had none of his sophistication. They could barely restrain their rage, especially Guan Feibai and the other two members from the Mount Li Sword Sect. They all had extremely frosty expressions, and stared at Chen Changsheng as if he was a corpse.

  Qiushan Jun was their most esteemed eldest brother. They knew how much importance their eldest brother viewed this marriage with, knew the level to which their eldest brother cared for and cherished Xu Yourong, but just when a beautiful companion was about to become a member of the family, the important moment when their eldest brother's desire was about to come true, somebody dared to make trouble!

  Wasn't this seeking death?

  At any other place, these three young experts of the Divine Kingdom's Seven Laws would have immediately sent out their chilling sword glows and killed Chen Changsheng. However, this was the Great Zhou Imperial Palace and they were southerners, so they could only endure it for the moment and wait for the Zhou people to handle the matter first.

  The handling came very quickly. Xu Shiji stared at Chen Changsheng with a gloomy look on his face and coldly shouted, "Where did this scoundrel come from! He dares to cause a ruckus within the palace! Somebody come and escort this person out!"

  After being transferred back to the capital from the frontlines, due to the trust the Divine Empress had in him, he and Xue Xingchuan jointly took charge of the Imperial City's defense, one on the inside and one on the outside. The Imperial Guards within the Imperial Palace were all his direct subordinates, so when they heard this call, ten-odd Imperial Guards surrounded Chen Changsheng.

  Xu Shiji stared at Chen Changsheng, his eyes extremely unkind, brimming with warning and an unconcealed killing intent—he would not give Chen Changsheng a single chance to speak. If he really was forced to that step, he would order those Imperial Guards to kill Chen Changsheng.

  Many people within the hall noticed his killing intent, but they didn't associate it with anything else. After all, he was Xu Yourong's father, and if they were in his place and someone dared to cause trouble at their daughter's engagement feast, they would probably also have the urge to kill that person.

  Those Imperial Guards did not take Chen Changsheng into custody, because someone stood in front of Chen Changsheng. At some point, Luoluo had left the Orthodox Academy's seating area. With the Falling Rain Whip in hand, she looked right past those Imperial Guards and stared deep into the hall at Mo Yu.

  Soon after, another person stood in front of Chen Changsheng.

  Tang Thirty-Six.

  Earlier, when both Chen Changsheng and Luoluo had just left the hall, Tang Thirty-Six had just arrived at Weiyang Palace, so he had not seen the two of them. Moreover, all his attention had been on the Fourth Law of the Divine Kingdom's Seven Laws, Guan Feibai. Only after Luoluo returned to Weiyang Palace and he still failed to see any sign of Chen Changsheng did he begin to feel that something was strange.

  He didn't know why Chen Changsheng wanted to object to the engagement between the Xu Estate and the Qiushan clan; he only knew that Chen Changsheng had a grudge with the Xu Estate. But regardless, he was too lazy to think about these questions. Since someone wanted to oppose Chen Changsheng, he naturally had to stand up.

  Xu Shiji's expression became even gloomier. Staring at Luoluo and Tang Thirty-Six, he said, "I don't care who you two are or what your background is, but tonight, this general is going to arrest this criminal, and if anyone dares obstruct me, don't blame me for being merciless."

  "Criminal?" An elderly voice, rather at a loss, came from Xu Shiji's side.

  The speaker was the Archbishop of the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education.

  The elder had just opened his eyes and truly seemed at a loss, like he had just woken up.

  He looked all around and then asked Xu Shiji, "Where's the criminal?"

  He clearly knew the answer and yet still asked, causing Xu Shiji to have an extremely ugly expression.

  The archbishop followed the gazes of the crowd toward the hall's doors. Seeing Chen Changsheng, he seemed to finally understand. "This little fellow is a student of the Orthodox Academy. I personally signed and issued the register, so I can't be wrong. Even if he's now somewhat late, he can't be considered a criminal, no?"

  The Imperial Guards at the door turned to Xu Shiji.

  Xu Shiji's face was even uglier. He had finally confirmed where the archbishop stood.

  Prince Chen Liu was somewhat helpless, explaining to the archbishop, "Just a moment ago, he was saying that he objected to this marriage."

  The archbishop looked at the people in the hall and smiled. "Since we have this step of asking the world, we naturally have to allow people to object. If we don't allow people to object, what need was there for His Highness to ask? If even laws do not need to be respected, then if you want to make an engagement, make an engagement—is there any need to come to my Great Zhou to propose?"

  From a purely logical standpoint, these words could not be refuted.

  Consequently, the people of the southern diplomatic mission only grew more furious. Many people aimed angry gazes at the archbishop, but the elder closed his eyes once more as if continuing his sleep, simply not caring for those gazes that were either as sharp as swords or cold as ice.

  The archbishop continued to close his eyes and rest, but his words had set the tone for this matter. At least on the surface, these words represented the stance of the Orthodoxy.

  There were not many people who had the right to question these words. Mo Yu was naturally one of them, but she did nothing. She slowly sat back down, her expression rather surprised. Just a moment ago, she had noticed that when Chen Changsheng had walked in through the doors, the Black Goat had simultaneously vanished back into the darkness outside the palace.

  She naturally knew what the Black Goat signified.

  The Black Goat had brought Chen Changsheng to Weiyang Palace. What did this mean?

  Prince Chen Liu
had not expected her to maintain silence and couldn't help but be surprised.

  Just then, Mount Li Elder Xiao Songgong stood up and asked, "Your Highness, just what is going on here?"

  This marriage between Xu Yourong and Qiushan Jun had long since ceased being a simple marriage alliance between the Divine General of the East's estate and the Qiushan clan. Before tonight, the Great Zhou Imperial Court and the various factions and sects of the south had engaged in many negotiations. Only when all sides had agreed did the southern diplomatic mission come to propose.

  The so-called marriage proposal was out of respect for etiquette and laws, a necessary procedure, and so no person had imagined that anything out of the ordinary would occur. Xiao Songgong's question naturally had a basis. As this was the Great Zhou Imperial Palace, as the two sides had already reached an agreement, it was only right that the people of Zhou give an explanation.

  Prince Chen Liu gave a bitter and silent smile, thinking, When the Divine Empress had me supervise tonight's matter, she truly didn't say anything. You come to me seeking an explanation, but who can I ask? His Eminence the archbishop has gone back to sleep and Principal Mao Qiuyu has lowered his head and is drinking. These old guys… are truly going too far.

  After racking his brains, he could only ask those involved. "This… what's the circumstance?"

  Prince Chen Liu gazed toward the door at Chen Changsheng, spreading his arms apart, looking very innocent.

  From this detail, it could be seen that he truly held some kindness toward Chen Changsheng, or else he would not have allowed him to give an explanation.

  "Just now when I was outside the hall, I heard Your Highness ask, 'Qiushan Jun desires to become husband and wife with Xu Yourong; does anyone object?'"

  Chen Changsheng paused here, then continued, "So I said, I object."

  This answer was not an answer, only a reaffirmation.

  He did not make his tone any more serious, yet when those two words appeared once more, they oppressed the mood in the hall even more.

  His stance was very clear: I object to the marriage of Xu Yourong and Qiushan Jun.

  * * *

  "Why do you object?"

  "For what reason do you object?"

  Two voices simultaneously rose up within the hall. One of these voices was Prince Chen Liu's. He creased his brow, somewhat puzzled and somewhat concerned. The other voice belonged to Elder Xiao Songgong. He arched his brow, extremely angry and incredibly unyielding.

  These two questions were questions that everyone in the hall wished to ask.

  Xu Yourong possessed the blood of the true Phoenix, Qiushan Jun the blood of the true Dragon. The two possessed a talent and potential rarely seen in a thousand years and had been selected by the human world as candidates to lead the resistance against the demons in the future. And they had even cultivated and studied together in the south, belonging to the same sect and interacting with each other at all times, so they could be considered childhood sweethearts. Let alone the fact that this marriage was critical to the unification of the northern and southern sects. In brief, there were countless reasons for them to be married, yet not a single reason could be found for why they should not.

  What was a pair of immortal companions? This young man and woman were regarded by the world as a pair of immortal companions.

  This utterly drenched youth with an almost unbearably wretched appearance actually objected to this marriage.

  Why? For what reason?

  Chen Changsheng used only one sentence to simultaneously answer both questions.

  "I have an engagement with Xu Yourong.

  "She is my fiancée, so she naturally can't be married off to anyone else."

  The hall was once more in the grip of a deathly stillness.

  Engagement?

  He said that Xu Yourong was his fiancée?

  Preposterous!

  The people within the hall were all too shocked to speak. They stared at Chen Changsheng, not daring to believe, thinking to themselves, This must be false!

  Xu Shiji stared at Chen Changsheng, his face a little pale, his two hands hanging by his side faintly trembling.

  He said it, this kid that should have died really… finally… said it!

  He was overcome with limitless regret. At the very start, he should have killed him, rendered him into ash, and then spread the ashes into the Luo River!

  After tonight, the Divine General of the East's estate would become a joke!

  The people of the southern diplomatic mission were as furious as Xu Shiji, but they simply didn't believe Chen Changsheng's words to be true. They just thought that this youth had been incited by some factions to intentionally cause trouble, to humiliate the Mount Li Sword Sect and all the southern sects.

  The Qiushan clan head had an extremely ugly complexion while the female disciples of Holy Maiden Peak frowned in silence. The anger of the youths of the Mount Li Sword Sect was written all over their faces. Guan Feibai was so furious that his face had gone somewhat pale, and his right hand already gripped the hilt of his sword!

  "Impudent! Where did such a shameless student come from that he dares humiliate my Mount Li!"

  Xiao Songgong suddenly turned around and looked to Mo Yu. "Why haven't you expelled this mad student from the palace! Just what do the people of Zhou want to do!"

  How could this youth be Xu Yourong's fiancé!

  Many people within the hall finally began to react, furiously rising up one after the other to incessantly hurl shouts of abuse at Chen Changsheng.

  Chapter 66 – The White Crane as Proof (I)

  "What proof do you have that what I say is false?" Chen Changsheng asked, gazing very seriously at the people in the hall, as he was very angry.

  The woman from Holy Maiden Peak veiled in white slowly stood up and said to him, "I never heard from Martial Niece Yourong that she had a fiancé like you." She saw the angry expression of this youth and felt somewhat uneasy. Recalling the arrangements her senior sister had made in the last few months, she thought to herself, Could this youth be speaking the truth?

  "What do you have as proof?"

  Chen Changsheng replied, "I have a marriage contract for proof."

  Xiao Songgong's face was like a sheet of ice as he harshly rebuked, "Even if you took the Heavenly Tomes as proof, no one would believe your words!"

  "I believe."

  An extremely crisp voice rang through the hall. It was beautiful yet firm, like two pearls lightly striking each other.

  Luoluo gave a light hmph, then said, "My teacher is worthy enough to marry anyone."

  The hall was momentarily silent, everyone too amazed to speak. Did this girl from the Orthodox Academy know what she was saying? That youth was her teacher? Wasn't he just a piece of trash who hadn't even succeeded at Purification? How was it that in her mouth, Xu Yourong marrying him sounded like she would be marrying upward in status? Could he be even more outstanding than Qiushan Jun?

  Luoluo cared not for what these people thought. Turning to Chen Changsheng, she said admiringly, "Teacher, you're truly too awesome!"

  "I also believe." Tang Thirty-Six looked at the crowd in the hall and said, "This guy is a true monster. No matter what he does, I wouldn't find it strange. Let alone Xu Yourong's fiancé, even if he said he was the Demon Lord's son, I would believe him."

  Zhuang Huanyu, seeing the unpleasant expressions on the southerners, slightly creased his brow and yelled out, "Can't you be a little quieter!"

  Tang Thirty-Six's expression seemed to chill, but he ignored Zhuang Huanyu and turned to Chen Changsheng. "No wonder this guy is even more narcissistic than me. You were actually hiding a fiancée like this. This matter… is truly worthy of being proud of. It's truly admirable, admirable."

  Luoluo and Tang Thirty-Six had both spoken sincerely—they truly admired Chen Changsheng. However, in the eyes of the southern diplomatic mission, the trust and support they displayed toward Chen Changsheng was naturally a deliberate h
umiliation against them.

  Elder Xiao Songgong furiously roared, "In the south, my Mount Li is revered by all people. Before Emperor Taizu founded the dynasty, he personally wrote the characters 'Sect of a Thousand Generations' on its nameboard. Emperor Taizong once issued an imperial decree commending Mount Li as the teacher of all people! The present Divine Empress also respects my Mount Li! I did not expect that, tonight, a baby would slander my sect's seven millennia of outstanding reputation! It seems that the Great Zhou Imperial Court doesn't care about these children, so it seems that this elder will have to discipline them a little!"

  Although he could not be considered one of the few great elders of the Mount Li Sword Sect, he had great seniority, and his cultivation level was also extremely high, only one step from the Saint Realm. Tonight in Weiyang Palace, he and Principal of the Heavenly Dao Academy Mao Qiuyu were the strongest present.

  In his current rage, he released his power to its utmost, his slender cheeks flashing with green light, an incredibly majestic Qi surging from his wizened body. In an instant, it crossed several dozen zhang and reached the door of the hall, surrounding Chen Changsheng!

  One step from the Saint Realm, this was an incredibly terrifying level of cultivation. Let alone Chen Changsheng who had not even undergone Purification, even Zhuang Huanyu, the young expert ranked tenth on the Proclamation of Azure Sky, could not firmly stand before Elder Xiao Songgong's Qi. This had nothing to do with the discrepancy in cultivation, but with the natural might of an expert.

  Everyone believed that in the next moment, they would see Chen Changsheng kneel down to the ground, yet to everyone's surprise, besides his face growing somewhat more solemn, he had no reaction.

  Chen Changsheng had just endured the terrifying pressure of the Black Dragon in the underground cavern. Even the might of a dragon could not topple him, so how could Xiao Songgong's? This elder of the Mount Li Sword Sect could be even stronger, yet how could he compare to a fraction of the Black Dragon?