by Mao Ni
The curtain of rain became a curtain of hail, layer after layer of rain becoming layer after layer of defense! Jin Yulu appeared several zhang away from the old man, several dozen beads of frozen rain knocked away by his arrival. They shot off in all directions, boring deep holes in the walls of the lane!
When Jin Yulu's figure appeared, his two hands had already come out of his sleeves. He stared at the thin elder protected by the curtains of icy rain, his eyes narrowing. His pupils also constricted, emanating a terrifyingly cold black light.
Chachachacha! Countless chafing noises could be heard in the rain pouring over Hundred Flowers Lane, and countless lights flashed. Those lights curved, appeared and disappeared, and were extremely sharp. If someone were able to see them clearly, perhaps they might associate them with the claws of monsters.
The thin old man had used his deep reserves of true essence to lay down a most formidable defense. The curtain of rain frozen into ice truly could place the greatest limitations on Jin Yulu's terrifying speed, but it could not lower the speed at which Jin Yulu could wave his hands, and the most powerful defense would not be able to withstand a ceaseless and unbroken assault.
In a few moments, only a few drops of water from the rain were falling to the ground, and Jin Yulu had waved his hand at the curtain of rain several hundred times. Of course, neither Tang Thirty-Six nor Chen Changsheng, nor even the horsemen fallen in the rain, could see this sight. This was what it meant to be a true expert.
With several rips, the heavy curtain of rain was torn apart. As the rainwater trembled, Jin Yulu's body blurred. He appeared in front of the tall elder and sent a fist flying toward him. The elder shouted and raised his two thin palms like blades raised to block, firmly receiving the blow!
With a thump, countless waves were formed and rain was sent flying in all directions. A crack came from the academy wall as several fissures appeared on it.
Tianhai Shengxue, protected behind the thin elder, did not receive the direct impact, but his mind received a heavy jolt. He groaned and his complexion grew even paler.
The tall elder had borne the full brunt, all the terrifying might of Jin Yulu's fist. His face was even paler, a trickle of blood flowed from his lips, and his two legs trembled.
Jin Yulu expressionlessly gazed at him, but did not continue his assault. Instead, he placed his hands back in his sleeves and turned back toward the academy.
The posture he took when walking and his hands tucked in his sleeves made him no longer seem like a rich old man or one of the newly rich, but like an old peasant.
This battle between experts had begun very quickly and ended even more quickly, faster than any of the spectators could have imagined. This was because Jin Yulu was too fast, fast to an absurd level, even faster than those immortal birds that were famed for their speed. He might have even been the fastest in the entire continent!
"Wasn't an old peasant like you supposed to be farming on the eastern slopes? How did you end up here!"
The elder demanded of Jin Yulu's slightly stooped back.
After fighting, they could talk, and it was even with an old acquaintance from many years ago. Jin Yulu did not turn around. He continued walking forward with his hands tucked in his sleeves, saying, "Fei Dian, weren't you sweeping snow in the north? How did you end up here?"
Tang Thirty-Six's complexion slightly changed upon hearing Fei Dian's name, while the depths of the street seemed to undergo some unrest.
This tall and thin elder was actually Fei Dian!
Fei Dian was one of the most senior and most powerful of the Great Zhou's Divine Generals. He was a veteran general who had taken part in that war of the past and had made many contributions. Even Xue Xingchuan, Divine General of the Heavens, the most impressive of the present-day Divine Generals, would treat him with courtesy and respect.
No one had expected that this sort of important personage would appear outside the Orthodox Academy in the early morning to secretly act as Tianhai Shengxue's escort.
And no one had expected that this sort of expert would actually so cleanly lose to this middle-aged man.
Everyone in the Great Zhou Army knew that Fei Dian cultivated in the Chilling Eagle Style. This style specialized in being swift and forceful, yet this middle-aged man had turned out to be both faster and stronger than him.
Those in the lane who did not know of the middle-aged man's identity were too astonished for words. They thought to themselves, Just who is this man?
Chen Changsheng and the others naturally would not think this.
"After so many years, Jin Yulu, you still rely on your strength and speed to eat."
Fei Dian looked at his back and mocked.
Only now did those people in the lane know of Jin Yulu's identity. Still, they were too astonished for words.
It was only after the final night of the Ivy Festival that many people realized that Jin Yulu had been living with Princess Luoluo in the capital this entire time. After several hundred years, this valiant demi-human general who had even received the complete appreciation of Emperor Taizong had become a living legend. Since it was him, it was naturally not a surprise for the battle to end this way.
Fei Dian could be even faster, but he still would not be faster than him.
Jin Yulu's speed was in the top five of the entire continent.
Hearing Fei Dian's words, Jin Yulu still did not turn around. "Seven hundred years ago, you said the same thing. Seven hundred years have passed, and you're still saying it… What you're best at is strength and speed, but in both aspects you're no match for me; what can you do about it?"
Those descendants of noble clans who truly had potential would always have experts keeping watch, ensuring that they could peacefully mature from young geniuses into true experts. For instance, when Tang Thirty-Six came from Wenshui to the capital, Vice Principal Zhuang was responsible for his care, so his clan had not sent anyone over. However, no one in his clan had ever thought that he might leave the Heavenly Dao Academy.
Fei Dian had had a good relationship with the Tianhai clan for three hundred years. He was responsible for defending Snowhold Pass on the northern frontier, and so when the Tianhai clan sent Tianhai Shengxue to Snowhold Pass for tempering, Fei Dian took on the role of caretaker. He fulfilled this role at Snowhold Pass, and he fulfilled this role after returning to the capital.
Tianhai Shengxue had come this morning to the Orthodox Academy to establish his prestige. Without saying anything, Fei Dian had secretly followed him, as he knew that there was no way this matter would be as simple as imagined. Just as expected, the three students of the Orthodox Academy were very unusual, and at the final moment, Jin Yulu had made a surprise appearance!
"If I did not recall incorrectly, you should be at the Li Palace Academy right now."
Fei Dian took the handkerchief offered by Tianhai Shengxue and lightly wiped the blood from the corner of his lips.
By this point, Jin Yulu had already reached the gate of the Orthodox Academy. Taking the handkerchief offered by Chen Changsheng, he lightly wiped the rain from his face. He turned around and said to Fei Dian, "And just why do I need to be at the Li Palace Academy?"
"Her Highness Princess Luoluo is at the Li Palace Academy. This is the will of His Holiness, and also the will of the Empress."
Separated by several dozen zhang, Fei Dian narrowed his eyes and spoke.
Jin Yulu laughed, then asked, "And what does any of that have to do with you?"
Fei Dian slightly frowned. "You should be well aware that His Majesty the White Emperor turned Her Highness over to the Empress to take care of. The Empress's words are the words of His Majesty the White Emperor, so even Her Highness Luoluo must obey. As a subject, are you defying the decree of His Majesty the White Emperor?"
"The White Emperor's decree… I stopped listening to those several hundred years ago. I remember that you were also there, or did you forget?"
Jin Yulu's smile faded as he impassively said, "
From the day His Majesty began to send out those absurd orders, I ceased to be His Majesty's subject. His Majesty's words have no effect on me. Her Highness must obey the words of the Divine Empress because the Empress is her elder, because the White Emperor ordered it. I do not need to obey the Divine Empress's words because I am not a subject of the Great Zhou, and the Empress is not my elder either. Moreover, the White Emperor no longer has the power to order me around.
"I am Her Highness's Guardian; I only obey Her Highness's words.
"Her Highness wanted me to come to the Orthodox Academy and take a look, so I came to take a look.
"Is there a problem with that?"
Fei Dian looked at him with a rather complex expression. He knew that the absurd orders of the White Emperor that Jin Yulu spoke of referred to the execution of the Mount Li disciples for tardiness. At the time, this matter had caused a vicious argument within the army, dividing it into two factions and almost shaking the alliance between the humans and demi-humans.
He sighed and said, "So many centuries have passed, but your personality is still so tough, your momentum still so strong."
Jin Yulu expressionlessly said, "Back then, I was responsible for military law and killed countless people. I did not listen to the White Emperor's words and Emperor Taizong had no means of getting ahold of me. Why? Because I was not wrong, so for what reason should I not be tough? Why should my momentum not be strong?"
Hundred Flowers Lane was quiet, the only sound that of rain striking against the gray flagstones.
Whether it was the ten-some people in front of the Orthodox Academy's gate or the more numerous people hiding in the depths of Hundred Flowers Lane, nobody spoke.
Chapter 91 – The Academy Gate and the Hearts of the People
Jin Yulu was dressed like a rich old man, and the way he kept his hands in his sleeves made him seem like an old peasant. There did not seem to be anything unusual about him, until he said those words.
People reacted differently to these words, with Chen Changsheng having the most intense response, especially to that final line: "Because I was not wrong, so for what reason should I not be tough? Why should my momentum not be strong?"
When he first entered the capital, he had once said similar words at the Divine General of the East's estate, in front of the Temple Seminary.
Because of the response from the outside world, he had always been somewhat worried if he stood out too much from the masses. To put it a different way, might those things he persisted on not seem too stubborn, too sour and bitter, in the eyes of others, or be regarded as a very strange thing? Only when he heard Jin Yulu's words did he finally realize that there were actually many people like him in this world.
This made him somewhat happy.
* * *
"Could it possibly be that Senior will stand guard over the Orthodox Academy forever?"
Tianhai Shengxue walked out from behind Fei Dian with a cold gaze fixed on Jin Yulu.
Jin Yulu calmly replied, "And why can't I?"
Tianhai Shengxue replied, "Senior is the Guardian of the Red River; do you not need to attend to Her Highness's everyday life? Do you not need to care for Her Highness's safety?"
Jin Yulu slightly squinted his eyes. "You people of Zhou say that the Li Palace is the safest place, which is why Her Highness moved out of the Hundred Herb Garden and went there… This being the case, Her Highness's safety is naturally the responsibility of you people of Zhou, so what do I need to worry about?"
In order for the Tianhai clan to move against the Orthodox Academy, they had first used this excuse to have Luoluo leave the Orthodox Academy.
Now, however, Jin Yulu was using this reason to say that he didn't need to be at the Li Palace and could remain for the long term at the Orthodox Academy.
Tianhai Shengxue could not find another reason.
Just then, several carriages drove through the rain into Hundred Flowers Lane.
Tianhai Shengxue had chosen the early hours of the morning to bring his subordinates to the Orthodox Academy because he was keenly aware that some people in the capital were protecting the Orthodox Academy. He wanted to take advantage of this bout of morning rain and crush the Orthodox Academy flat with the force of a thunderclap before those people had a chance to respond.
He had not expected these three youths of the Orthodox Academy to put up such a tough resistance, and he had not expected Jin Yulu to appear. With the passing of time, those spies hidden in Hundred Flowers Lane had reported back to their masters, and those people had naturally hurried over.
These carriages had come in spite of the rain, and it was obvious that they had come in great haste.
When Prince Chen Liu got out of the carriage at the very front, one of the buttons on his front lapel had even been tied incorrectly, so it could be imagined how hastily he had departed.
A middle-aged man of slender build held up an umbrella and sheltered him as he walked to the gate of the Orthodox Academy.
Prince Chen Liu looked over the scene and knew what had happened. Frowning at Tianhai Shengxue, he ordered, "Go back."
In terms of seniority, Prince Chen Liu and Tianhai Shengxue were of the same generation, and Tianhai Shengxue was even a bit older than Prince Chen Liu. However, Prince Chen Liu was still a member of the Chen Imperial clan, and more importantly, the Divine Empress treated him much better than she did her nephew and grandnephews in the Tianhai clan, so the tone with which he spoke to Tianhai Shengxue was not very courteous.
Tianhai Shengxue coldly glanced at him with an unspeakable scorn, yet he did not issue a word of protest.
Toward this member of the Imperial clan who had been able to live in the Imperial Palace for a long period of time, the youths of the Tianhai clan felt both admiration and resentment. It was not as if some people had not attempted to deal with him over these past few years, but after the Divine Empress displayed her thunderous wrath, no one dared to treat him with the slightest disrespect, at least on the surface.
The person to descend from the second carriage was Priest Xin.
Yesterday, the entire capital came to know of the fact that the Pope had called Princess Luoluo to the Li Palace Academy to study. With the Orthodox Academy's situation unstable, he felt his own heart begin to sway and become impossible to soothe. He anxiously thought, Was I wrong back then when I saw that recommendation letter and treated Chen Changsheng and the Orthodox Academy so well? For this reason, when he learned early in the morning of what was happening, he did not immediately head out, but went to the archbishop's residence first. He was worried that he would once more misunderstand the Pope's intentions.
The archbishop had laughed but said nothing, which made him extremely afraid. Could the archbishop's view be different from the Pope's? Could the archbishop really be preparing to overturn the verdict on that matter? Was he really prepared to stand opposite to the Pope? Was the Orthodoxy really about to split?
Priest Xin was very fearful, but he discovered that it was already too late to retreat, because all of the capital and all of the Li Palace knew that the Orthodox Academy had obtained a chance at rebirth and had been invited to attend the Ivy Festival through his arrangements. Who would believe that he was just the executor?
Right now, he could only stand on the Orthodox Academy's side, so he had to stand on the Orthodox Academy's side.
This sort of panic from being forced to choose a side would often make the chooser act with incredible courage as they had already put everything on the line. Consequently, Priest Xin displayed an attitude even more unyielding than Prince Chen Liu's, harshly reprimanding Tianhai Shengxue without the slightest concern for his dignity.
Tianhai Shengxue's face grew paler and paler, angrier and angrier.
But with both Prince Chen Liu and the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education arriving, he had lost the opportunity to flatten the Orthodox Academy.
Jin Yulu stood in front of the gate to the Orthodox Academy.
Crucially
, those three students of the Orthodox Academy had put on a somewhat surprising performance.
He stared at them and slightly perked his eyebrows. Then, he took the reins of his horse from one of his soldiers and shouted, "Let's go!"
"Go?"
It was the same word but in different tones, so they reflected two completely different meanings.
Tang Thirty-Six raised his sword and asked, "You think you can go just because you want to?"
In this morning's battle, the students of the Orthodox Academy had heavily injured four of Tianhai Shengxue's personal guards while Jin Yulu had completely crushed the rest, wounded Fei Dian, and given Tianhai Shengxue quite the fright. On the other hand, the Orthodox Academy had come away without a scratch, so no matter what, it looked like they were the ones with the advantage.
But Tang Thirty-Six was still not willing to let the matter drop. Prince Chen Liu slightly frowned at this young master of the Wenshui Tang clan. When he thought of how rudely and boorishly this youth had acted two nights ago at Weiyang Palace, he found himself rather displeased at this person's rash behavior that paid no mind to the general situation.
"We require an explanation."
The autumn rain was gradually lightening as Chen Changsheng took two steps forward and spoke, pointing behind him at the ruins of the gate.
Why did Tianhai Shengxue want to destroy the gate of the Orthodox Academy, and even annihilate the Orthodox Academy itself? Because he wanted to take vengeance for his cousin Tianhai Ya'er. Although he and Tianhai Ya'er were normally not very close, he was still a member of the Tianhai clan, yet he was crippled by the Orthodox Academy.
But that was a match of the Ivy Festival, a fair duel. Losing was losing, so what reason was there to take revenge? And if he wanted to take revenge, he should be seeking out Luoluo. Using the Orthodox Academy to vent his anger was not truly a reason that could be brought to the table.