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

by Mao Ni

  A beautiful girl sat at the eastern position.

  This girl was fourteen or fifteen years old, her appearance like a painting, her pupils two dots of paint. She was so beautiful that she did not seem like a mortal.

  The three other people at the table knew that she was assuredly no mortal.

  Two years ago, the boss of this gambling den had planned to do harm against this girl who was back then even younger, gentler, and even more liable to incite in humans the desire to commit harm. He had died an extremely miserable death. The dealer had taken up the boss's position, precisely the middle-aged man sitting at the western position of the table.

  From that day onward, at certain intervals, this girl would come to this small village and play mahjong, not allowing anyone to step away from the table for two days and one night.

  The plainly adorned room would open once every several months and those who accompanied her in playing mahjong were always these three people, never once changing. These three people were all ordinary people, truly ordinary people who had never imagined that they would encounter such an unusual matter.

  It had taken them a very long time to progress from their initial fear and unease to a state where their hands would not shake when organizing their tiles. Now, they could even very naturally interact with this little fairy, no longer throwing games, but truly winning or losing after playing sincerely. They even dared to make the occasional grumble.

  To be able to play mahjong with such a beautiful fairy as this, just how great a blessing was this?

  And at times, they even really won money.

  The cry of a crane came from outside the window, and then the girl said, "I have a matter tonight, so I can't play anymore."

  The three were stunned, thinking, Just what's happened? You moved this session so far up in advance and now you're ending it? Do we still need that rule of two days and one night?

  The girl took out a few golden leaves and placed them on the table as compensation, then left.

  The three looked at each other in dismay. A middle-aged woman said worriedly, "I don't know what happened with the little lady, but she didn't seem very happy."

  * * *

  On a cliff outside the small village, Xu Yourong took the letter from the White Crane's leg and casually tore it open.

  Under the sky of starlight, the paper was illuminated clearly. The words of this letter were plain, the writing clean. It was not very long, but she read it for a very long time.

  She saw caution in the words and handwriting, but she saw no resentment, or even a speck of negative emotion.

  She found it very difficult to imagine how a youth could remain so calm after experiencing such insufferable days in the capital.

  She would certainly not have been able to do it.

  She recalled that he was only older than her by three days.

  She gazed in the direction of the capital and said, "If he's not a fake, and if he's not a gentleman, then he must be a true person."

  The White Crane cried, clearly disagreeing with her words. What it disagreed with was the word 'fake'.

  Xu Yourong felt rather helpless. "Just why do you like that guy? I don't remember what sort of person he was that he was so worthy of your favor."

  The White Crane let out two low cries, reminding her about the words 'gentleman' and 'true person' she had uttered just a moment ago.

  "Whether he's a gentleman or true person, he's not a person that one can spend endless years of cultivation with. That's too dull."

  She looked at the White Crane and said, "I certainly don't want to live a dull life."

  The White Crane slightly tilted its neck as if somewhat confused. Young Lady, if you don't want to marry Chen Changsheng, why did you write that letter, admitting to the world that you are engaged to him?

  Xu Yourong did not explain. She had her own way of thinking, and nobody—not her parents, her teacher, the Pope, or the Divine Empress—knew of it.

  Afterward, she opened up Shuang'er's letter and read, finding out what had happened at last night's Ivy Festival.

  She slightly raised her brows in surprise.

  Since the marriage contract had already been announced to the world, there could at least be a period of calm, right?

  But that guy was truly quite surprising.

  She then saw Shuang'er's description of the conversation she had with Chen Changsheng.

  She held her two hands behind her and once more gazed in silence in the direction of the capital.

  "I suddenly remember… when I was eleven, I once secretly wrote a letter and had you take it to Xining."

  The White Crane lightly poked her with its slender beak. That had been its final visit to Xining. No one in the Divine General of the East's estate knew of it.

  "In that letter, I seem to recall saying that I wouldn't marry him.

  "He didn't send back a reply opposing, so why is he being so stubborn now?"

  * * *

  What Chen Changsheng was stubborn about had never been the marriage. Besides his master and senior brother in Xining Village's old temple, the Black Dragon below the Imperial Palace was the only one to know of what he was truly stubborn about. Of course, he did not know that the middle-aged woman he had encountered by the pool also knew.

  For that matter, he had even abandoned his habit of early sleeping and rising. He spent the entire night in meditation, to draw down starlight for Purification. Although he seemed to make no progress, he would never cease his efforts until the final moment arrived.

  Early in the morning, he awoke in the library.

  Just like yesterday, he had been roused awake by noise.

  A massive boom came from the front of the Orthodox Academy.

  He pushed open the door of the library and walked over with Tang Thirty-Six and Xuanyuan Po.

  The gate of the Orthodox Academy had been destroyed.

  It had been destroyed by people.

  The academy gate that had been cleaned just a few months ago had been knocked over by a carriage.

  The ground covered in gravel and shards of wood seemed very pitiful.

  A horse lay on the wet ground, its spiritless eyes wide open as its four hooves faintly trembled.

  The dust gradually dispersed.

  Ten-odd cavalry appeared outside the gate.

  They had beautiful clothes and vigorous horses.

  The horses were of unusual stock.

  These horsemen all had cold expressions. It was clear that they were not ordinary people.

  A young horseman looked at the shattered gate and expressionlessly asked, "Is there any need to keep this broken-down academy around?"

  Chapter 88 – The Counterattack of the Youths from the Orthodox Academy

  The horseman was about twenty years old, his appearance fine and delicate yet carrying a cold and noble aura. When he spoke and his gaze fell upon the shattered gate of the Orthodox Academy, it was like he did not even see the figures of Chen Changsheng and the others, making him seem arrogant to the extreme.

  Chen Changsheng and the others had come in a hurry. Tang Thirty-Six was tying his hair in a bun, but when he saw the scene before him, he couldn't help but stop. After hearing the words of that young horseman, he squinted his eyes, glanced behind him, then turned and headed back into the Orthodox Academy without speaking a single word.

  Xuanyuan Po did not see those horsemen, only that dying warhorse collapsed in the puddles of water. He was a demi-human youth and so recovered from injuries extremely quickly. His right arm still needed treatment from Chen Changsheng, but his left leg was already better, so he did not require crutches to slowly walk over to it.

  Chen Changsheng alone stood at the gate of the Orthodox Academy to look at those horsemen as well as that cold and arrogant young noble.

  Forcing open a gate was the most violent of methods, only used in the most insoluble of grudges. He did not recognize this young noble, but he could guess why he had come. He slowly clenched his
fists and then remembered that he had forgotten his dagger in the house.

  Xuanyuan Po squatted down next to the warhorse, watching as this once-imposing creature took its final gasps in the rainwater, and seeing the bloody foam on its lips. His eyes gradually turned cold.

  An early morning drizzle began to fall once more, rain falling into the puddles and producing tiny splashes. As it fell on the horse's body, it seemed very cold. Xuanyuan Po lowered his head and felt the horse's gradually cooling body. He extended his right hand and placed it on the horse's neck, then squeezed.

  With a dull crack, the rain continued to fall, and the warhorse closed its eyes, finally obtaining freedom.

  Xuanyuan Po stood up and looked at the mounted young noble, asking, "To break our gate, you could have used a rock to smash it, or a tree to batter it down, but why did you have it pull a carriage to crash into it? Because you think it's valiant this way? No, it just makes you look even more shameless."

  The young noble ignored him. Although this demi-human youth assuredly also had something to do with that matter, he was not the primary goal today. He looked down upon Chen Changsheng and coldly said, "You are Chen Changsheng?"

  Chen Changsheng did not reply because a gust of wind had just blown past him.

  This gust descended together with the morning light in the drizzle, sweeping toward those ten-some horsemen!

  It was Tang Thirty-Six. Just like Chen Changsheng, he had left his sword in the house. Seeing the sight at the gate, he had returned without a word to the Orthodox Academy, not out of fear or to search for reinforcements, but to get his sword.

  Only with sword in hand could he kill his enemies.

  Without any words, Tang Thirty-Six charged out of the Orthodox Academy, wielding his sword, attacking the young noble and his horsemen!

  A cold light glimmered on the Wenshui Sword. In the slight gloom of the morning, a sun suddenly appeared, its red rays of light emanating in all directions, carrying no warmth, but a bleak aura!

  Hanging Sunset!

  Just how infuriating was it to have the academy gate intentionally crashed to pieces by someone?

  Tang Thirty-Six was very angry, so he struck with his most powerful Three Forms of Wenshui!

  The academy gate that was somewhat dim in the drizzle suddenly became as bright as day.

  The young noble slightly raised his brows, his mount retreating several steps back.

  Two horsemen appeared in front of him. With a flip of their wrists, two long spears made of essence iron appeared in the rain to meet Tang Thirty-Six's sword.

  Only the most powerful Northern Army of the Great Zhou would be equipped with this sort of spear.

  Seeing these two spears rise up through the rain, Tang Thirty-Six realized that these ten-some horsemen with their beautiful clothes and vigorous horses, though looking like knights-errant of the capital, were actually professional troops returning from the north. But he did not care about these things. The Wenshui Sword, with its awe-inspiring aura of blood and murder, continued forward.

  Wherever the edge of the sword passed, the rain would hiss into steam!

  Two deafening clashes exploded in the rain!

  Bang! Bang!

  The two spears became four pieces that flew off into the rain. As they heavily crashed to the ground, they sent rain flying, shattered flagstones, and wrecked the outer wall of a building. The broken ends of the spear faintly glowed red and the rain falling upon them instantly turned to vapor!

  With a groan, the two horsemen were knocked from their mounts and fell in the rainwater. Two distinct sword slashes were visible on their abdomens, with blood gurgling out!

  This was the true might of Hanging Sunset of the Three Forms of Wenshui!

  On the night when he had been fighting Qi Jian in front of Weiyang Palace, they had been competing over victory and defeat, not life and death. In addition, with Chen Changsheng on the side instructing him, Tang Thirty-Six had felt somewhat tied down, not able to act as wantonly as he pleased. In contrast, this morning, he was brimming with rage and had truly released all his strength.

  Of course, the horsemen were all experts of the Great Zhou Northern Army. For Tang Thirty-Six's furious strike to cleave their spears and send his opponents into the rainwater also required him to pay a price. The hair which he had just tied with his hands was now loose, his black hair spilling over his shoulders, his face somewhat pale.

  He gripped the Wenshui Sword and stood in the rain, looking at the horsemen with an extremely arrogant look, not seeming injured at all.

  For just a moment, he had brought his true essence to its maximum, so that lava seemed to flow through his meridians, and the Wenshui Sword gave birth to a sun. The rain falling upon his black hair, his body, and his sword was all transformed into steam.

  It looked like he was standing in the steam.

  The young noble stared at Tang Thirty-Six, seeming to guess at who he was. His eyes slowly narrowed until they were like willow leaves, his gaze growing sharper. The cold words emerging from his thin and emotionless lips also became much sharper. "How bold, to actually dare…"

  He did not finish speaking, because Tang Thirty-Six yelled, "What are you still waiting for? Don't let him finish!"

  When he said 'What are you still waiting for', Xuanyuan Po had already raised up the corner of a large wooden board from the water.

  The gate of the Orthodox Academy had been built many years ago, but the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education had not changed it when performing repairs, as it was still sturdy enough. The academy gate had been about two people high and had the thickness of two palms. Earlier, if it had not been for that warhorse charging a carriage into the gate and paying with its life, it would have been very difficult to batter the gate apart.

  The academy gate had already been destroyed, but the plank of wood that had once been part of the gate and that Xuanyuan Po now raised up was still two people high, two palms thick. Raised up, it looked just like a fake mountain.

  Even a cultivator who had undergone a very thorough Purification would find it difficult to raise this piece of the academy gate with just their own strength.

  Xuanyuan Po's right arm was injured, but his left arm could still exert strength. Purely relying on his demi-human blood, he was able to raise up this wooden board.

  Several horsemen had noticed his movements. In order to protect the young noble, they had approached him.

  At this point, Tang Thirty-Six had finished speaking.

  With a bellow, Xuanyuan Po used his single arm to raise up the giant piece of wood and slammed it at the young noble!

  Boom! A massive explosion blasted through the morning rain as dust and water was sent flying.

  The ground in front of the Orthodox Academy slightly shook and the water puddled on the ground seemed about to leap up!

  Two groans!

  Two horsemen became black figures as they flew deep into the rain and heavily crashed to the ground.

  They were still clutching their spears, but their spears were already bent!

  The young noble's horse had very swiftly taken a few steps to the side, so he had not been struck by Xuanyuan Po. Naturally, he was not injured either. However, his clothes had been splashed by the filthy water and dust, and it was now very difficult for his cold countenance to maintain that lofty and noble air.

  His face became rather pale, and the right hand gripping the reins of his horse began to shake.

  Not out of fear, but anger.

  His gaze fell upon the three youths standing outside the gate of the Orthodox Academy.

  Tang Thirty-Six, holding his sword and standing in the steam.

  Xuanyuan Po, standing in the rain and holding a wooden board of the gate.

  Chen Changsheng, standing under the eaves of the gate, who had not attacked or even gotten his clothes wet.

  He was truly very angry.

  For the price of a warhorse, he had rammed to pieces the gate of this broken-down academ
y. He felt this to be very tough and unyielding, very appropriate for his identity and personality. After the people within this broken-down academy came out, he had intended to reprimand them, establish his prestige, and then go crazy.

  It turned out that let alone going crazy, he didn't even get to finish speaking his first sentence before four of his subordinates were heavily injured.

  He had destroyed the gate of the Orthodox Academy, but the other side had actually used this destroyed gate to put him in such a wretched position!

  The grandeur that would have resulted from his destroying the academy in the morning rain had suffered a major setback. This made him extremely uncomfortable, extremely angry!

  Everyone in the capital knew what sort of terrible result there would be when he got angry.

  At the peak of his anger, even Zhou Tong had to keep silent!

  He stared at the three youths in the rain as if they were already dead.

  "Very good, very good…"

  The young noble angrily smiled, a hint of scarlet appearing on his pale cheeks. It looked very unhealthy, and also somewhat sinister.

  * * *

  Before the young noble spoke again, Tang Thirty-Six said to Chen Changsheng, "In a little while when he speaks, don't let him finish."

  Xuanyuan Po also turned to Chen Changsheng. The two of them had already moved, so now it was this fellow's turn.

  Chen Changsheng looked at Tang Thirty-Six in confusion. "Why?"

  "Don't give him a chance to go crazy. Suffocate him to death!"

  "Just like your initial plan last night?"

  "Yes.

  "It's very important, because I'm not very happy, so he shouldn't think about being very happy either."

  Tang Thirty-Six looked at the already-ruined gate of the Orthodox Academy and spoke emotionlessly.

  Chen Changsheng turned to the destroyed gate in silence, coming to the realization that he also wasn't very happy.

  Just then, the young noble's voice could be heard in the drizzle. "Very good, very good…"