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

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Way of Choices: Book II - Youths We Were, Schoolmates, Part 2 Page 29

by Mao Ni


  In the short span of a day, several conflicts centering on the Orthodox Academy and Chen Changsheng between the new and conservative powers of the Great Zhou occurred. Although it could not be considered a bloodbath, it had been an eye for an eye. For a moment, the atmosphere in the capital became extremely tense, and many people recalled the days from ten-some years ago.

  Fortunately, the scope and level of the conflicts had been strictly controlled. Both the new and conservative factions had been rather cool-headed or wise, as the Divine Empress and the Pope had not once made their positions clear. The entire capital entered a faint standoff. As the cause of this matter, the Orthodox Academy took on an even greater symbolic meaning.

  Could this academy continue to stay open? In which direction would Chen Changsheng's fate proceed? Would the marriage contract be torn apart by powerful personages using the excuse of popular will? In the end, these questions could only await the judgment of the Divine Empress and the Pope.

  * * *

  "Emperor Xian ascended to the throne four hundred years ago. His body was wracked with illness and he was fond of the four arts of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. He had no patience for the complexities of ruling the government, so the Empress began to act on memorials in her husband's place[19], taking care of matters of state. Based on this, she had already reigned for two-hundred-some years. The politics of the court were completely in her grasp, and she appointed most of the Divine Generals and ministers. If not for this, how could the Empress have ascended to the throne as Divine Empress after the death of Emperor Xian? The Imperial clansmen could be as infuriated as they wished, the ministers could find it impossible to accept, but after a massacre, they would all be as docile as sheep.

  "The Divine Empress is naturally very outstanding, but as for how she's outstanding, I really don't know. I only know that even someone as arrogant and impudent as my grandfather has spent these past few years secluding himself in Wenshui. He curses the Tianhai clan as dogshit, but whether in public or private, in the hall or in his room, he doesn't dare to speak ill of the Divine Empress.

  "As for the Great Zhou as a whole, it ultimately depends on the Divine Empress's attitude and the health of her esteemed body. In the end, though, what happens afterward must be considered, so just who should the imperial throne of the Great Zhou Dynasty be passed on to? The Empress can rely on her supreme prestige to awe the ministers of the court, and even His Holiness has to keep his silence, but if the imperial throne is not returned to the Chen Imperial clan at the end? Then not even the most outstanding Tianhai Chenwu or the shrewdest Tianhai Chenwen would have the ability to suppress the opposition. But if the imperial throne is returned to the Chen Imperial clan, after the Divine Empress departs, the Tianhai clan will assuredly be purged. In the end, she still carries the surname of Tianhai, so how could she bear seeing such a sight?

  "Thus, the Empress must also be very hesitant. The conflict between the new and conservative factions is precisely because both sides see a chance in the Empress's hesitation, and they also see danger. Very unfortunately, our Orthodox Academy has become a symbol of their confrontation. His Holiness, by bringing Luoluo to the Li Palace Academy, is already expressing a sort of position. If the Divine Empress holds the same position, then the Orthodox Academy will be in danger. Let alone Princess Luoluo, if the Divine Empress truly wants to kill someone, not even the White Emperor can protect them."

  Finally, Tang Thirty-Six said to Chen Changsheng, "If I were you, the first thing I would do is to think of a way of finding the Divine Empress and then prostrate myself before her, cling to her leg, bitterly account about how I was wronged, and then request her esteemed self to carry out justice."

  Chen Changsheng thought over these words for a very long time, then asked, "So, just how would I be able to find her esteemed self?"

  Tang Thirty-Six fell silent, then he suddenly cried angrily out the window, "Is the food still not done yet?"

  Chapter 99 – Cultivation Is Above Life and Death

  Xuanyuan Po carried a tray of food into the library. Now, with the Hundred Herb Garden empty of people, no one was left to send over food, leaving the Orthodox Academy to begin doing its own cooking. In these first few days, the one so unfortunate to draw the short stick of cooking duty was this demi-human youth.

  The starlight poured in through the windows of the library. It was very light and mild, just like the food he had cooked today.

  At noon, Jin Yulu had tried some. He told them that in the future, they would not have to wait for him to begin eating.

  Tang Thirty-Six placed down his chopsticks and looked at Xuanyuan Po very seriously, asking, "Did you forget to add salt again?"

  Chen Changsheng chuckled at him and said, "Just as you often say, you changed the subject too roughly."

  Tang Thirty-Six's expression did not change. "That's because your demands are too excessive."

  After consuming their tasteless dinner, the three began to walk around the Orthodox Academy's lake. They could faintly see the lights from the newly built room by the academy gate, accompanied by the fragrant scent of roast chicken and the smell of alcohol.

  Smelling these fragrances, Tang Thirty-Six found himself quite envious of Jin Yulu's dinner. He proposed that from tomorrow onward, they would always eat out. In any case, neither he nor Chen Changsheng were lacking in money, and it wasn't like Xuanyuan Po was going to eat so much as to bankrupt them. Xuanyuan Po was rather moved at this suggestion, but Chen Changsheng clearly expressed his opposition. Food taken to go was always very oily and salty, and was not at all good for one's health. Although the food Xuanyuan Po cooked had no taste, it was not lacking in nutrition.

  Tang Thirty-Six and Xuanyuan Po had already grown used to Chen Changsheng's strict and even harsh way of living. Besides shaking their heads in regret, they were too lazy to struggle with him. The three continued their walk around the lake, all the way until the night deepened and the surface of the lake glimmered with the light of countless stars.

  The branches of the great banyan tree extended over the lake. They gently swayed in the breeze, looking as if they wanted to pluck the stars from the sky.

  When Chen Changsheng saw this scene, he was reminded of Luoluo.

  They had only been separated for two days, but he was already beginning to deeply miss her. Was she happy in the Li Palace Academy? Who was she studying cultivation with? Had the true Qi obstruction in the second left arm meridian been broken through? Was she… also thinking of this lake and the great banyan tree on its shores?

  Tang Thirty-Six and Xuanyuan Po smelled the fragrances coming from the little house by the gate and were also reminded of Luoluo.

  Without Luoluo, there was no one in the Hundred Herb Garden, no vast assortment of delicacies and gourmet foods, no pretty girls. They would not be able to see the princess cause others to be disappointed and frustrated. To confront so many troubles was truly very troublesome. Just when will you come back? Quickly come back, your teacher truly won't be able to hold on for much longer.

  * * *

  After their walk concluded, Tang Thirty-Six was prepared to stroll around the streets, but then he saw Chen Changsheng walk into the library and sit on the floor, actually preparing to begin meditating for cultivation. Xuanyuan Po also began to practice his strength against several trees on the shore, so Tang Thirty-Six couldn't help but feel somewhat ashamed.

  He fell into thought, then followed Chen Changsheng into the library and sat across from him. He closed his eyes, calmed his breathing, and casually placed his hands on his knees, their palms turned up toward the starry sky. He also began to meditate.

  After quite some time had passed, he opened his eyes. He calmly perceived the flow of true essence through his meridians. Using his spiritual sense as sight, he carefully examined the situation within his internal palace. This was Meditative Introspection, and as this introspection continued, a faint luster appeared over his eyes.

  For Med
itative Introspection to show a response on his body was proof that he had already cultivated to the upper level of Meditation. As someone who was able to cultivation to the upper level of Meditation at the age of sixteen, he would inevitably have been nurtured and had great importance placed on him by the Heavenly Dao Academy or the Mount Li Sword Sect, or any other sect. Now, however, he could only cultivate by himself in the Orthodox Academy.

  Tang Thirty-Six would naturally not regret this. It was just that the lack of a teacher's instruction would inevitably have some influence on his cultivation progress. Moreover, it had severely weakened his confidence in breaking through.

  Just then, Chen Changsheng opened his eyes. Tang Thirty-Six looked at him and thought, You were able to teach Princess Luoluo, so what harm is there in my condescending to call upon you and ask for your instruction? While he was still thinking, his voice was already rising, asking several questions on cultivation that had stumped him for many days.

  Chen Changsheng seriously considered these questions for a very long time, then said, "…I don't understand."

  Tang Thirty-Six somewhat angrily said, "You managed to resolve the difficult question of how demi-humans should circulate true essence… If not for Princess Luoluo and Guardian Jin, I'd dare to wager that His Majesty the White Emperor would have already sent someone to seize you and bring you back to the Red River. And you say that you don't even understand my questions?"

  "The constitutions of demi-humans are unique, and Princess Luoluo is even more unique. It's precisely because it's unique that I can think of a few methods… this is because I've researched meridians for many years. But your questions involve specific methods of Meditative Introspection. I can't do Meditative Introspection, so where could I start?"

  Chen Changsheng looked at him and said, "I really don't think there's a need for you to be so rushed. At such a young age, you've already reached the upper level of Meditation, and the threshold of Ethereal Opening is right in front of you. As long as you continue cultivating, a day will come where you break through. It's best if you don't disorder your mind."

  "It has nothing to do with the Grand Examination."

  Tang Thirty-Six looked at the expression in his eyes and knew that Chen Changsheng had misunderstood something. He stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the uncountable stars in the night sky. After a moment of silence, he said, "Cultivation is to row a boat against the current of a river. The farther you travel, the harder it is to progress. For me to have reached the upper level of Meditation is already great no matter how you look at it, but… that threshold is too difficult to step over."

  Chen Changsheng said nothing.

  In Xining Village's old temple, he had no understanding of cultivation. Now, he had studied in the Orthodox Academy for half a year, and he knew what Tang Thirty-Six wanted to say. However, he had not even succeeded at Purification and was still extremely far from that day, so he had never truly thought about it.

  The more one progressed in cultivation, the more difficult and dangerous it became. The threshold between Meditative Introspection and Ethereal Opening was the first high mountain. Each following breakthrough in cultivation required ascending an ever more precipitous peak. And it was that first high peak where the most people collapsed, because it was in that period where cultivators had no experience.

  Countless eons ago, the Heavenly Tomes descended to the earth, opening the minds of humanity. Humans began to cultivate, and in the endless years, countless young geniuses appeared. In their youth or even childhood, they were able to easily succeed at Purification and move into Meditation, yet they ultimately fell before Ethereal Opening, their lives paid as the price of moving forward.

  Those young geniuses were once paid as much attention as Tang Thirty-Six, and perhaps were also names on the Proclamation of Azure Sky. Unable to cross that threshold, it did not take long after they died for them to be forgotten by the people of the continent and be replaced by new youths.

  Why was it that Qiushan Jun, Xu Yourong, Gou Hanshi, and Mo Yu and Tianhai Shengxue even earlier, were regarded as true geniuses, and were even viewed in a different light by their seniors? They were completely different from other cultivators because when they were very young, they had been able to break through into Ethereal Opening.

  These people had already surpassed that threshold which held both the highest failure and mortality rates. Although they still might fall from other lofty peaks in the long years of their cultivation, like the middle level of Star Condensation, and thus become a wisp of a soul, their chances of becoming true experts were already many times higher than other people's.

  Tang Thirty-Six did not want to die, and wanted even less to be forgotten. For the sake of breaking past Meditation, for the sake of obtaining victory in next year's Grand Examination, for the sake of advancing forward on the Proclamation of Azure Sky, he had journeyed far from his hometown to the capital, entering the Heavenly Dao Academy for study.

  Only truly powerful schools and sects like the Heavenly Dao Academy and the Mount Li Sword Sect had the deep resources that could increase the chances of success for their students and disciples.

  Now, he had withdrawn from the Heavenly Dao Academy and come to the Orthodox Academy which had only students and no teachers, so who could help him?

  Guardian Jin was admittedly powerful, but he cultivated in demi-human techniques and would find it very difficult to help him.

  After a very long silence, Chen Changsheng proposed, "If you trust me, I can research it and see if I can't find a way to help you."

  Tang Thirty-Six forced a smile as he asked, "You're prepared to treat me as an experiment?"

  "You're not willing to accept it?" Chen Changsheng said, smiling.

  Tang Thirty-Six replied, "I have a lot of courage."

  Chen Changsheng replied, "I feel that it's because you have a lot of trust in me."

  Tang Thirty-Six didn't know how to respond, so he said, "If I didn't remember wrong, you haven't even succeeded at Purification yet?"

  This matter didn't need to be remembered. He only needed a glance to know.

  The hands poking out of Chen Changsheng's sleeves and his hair were no different from an ordinary person's, so ordinary that they couldn't be any more ordinary. If he were to take a dull knife and cut at his wrist, it would assuredly leave a thin red line from which blood would soon come forth.

  "I also don't understand why."

  In this half a year, he had spent every night in meditation, drawing in starlight for Purification. There was clearly no problem with any of the steps he had taken, but he had not gained any sort of result. Even someone with as firm a resolve as him sometimes felt exhausted. As he looked at the profuse stars beyond the window, he shook his head and said, "Maybe it's really a problem of talent."

  After hearing all the details from Chen Changsheng regarding the drawing in of starlight for Purification, Tang Thirty-Six extended a hand and gripped Chen Changsheng's wrist. He closed his eyes and used his true essence to carefully perceive the state of Chen Changsheng's body. He realized that he could not sense the slightest bit of star radiance and couldn't help but be very puzzled.

  He had always believed that Chen Changsheng was a true genius. After learning of the engagement between Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong, he only grew more confident in this view. He could not understand how someone he had confirmed to be a genius would have a lack of talent in cultivation. How could he not even be able to succeed at Purification?

  "Perhaps it's a problem with your meridians."

  A voice came from the door of the library. Jin Yulu walked in and glanced at Chen Changsheng. "When we demi-humans cultivate, we also have to bathe in starlight, but because our meridians are different from humans, our methods are different. I don't know if your situation might be similar."

  After a pause, Chen Changsheng answered, "Yes, there is a problem with my meridians."

  Tang Thirty-Six felt somewhat perturbed. "Earlie
r, you spoke about talent."

  "You're born with your meridians, so they're naturally a sort of talent as well."

  Chen Changsheng did not explain too much, as it involved his greatest secret. If Tang Thirty-Six were to continue asking, he wouldn't know how to answer. He was well aware of the enormous pressure cast by that shadow, so he was not willing to let anyone else bear it with him.

  Jin Yulu calmly gazed at him, then suddenly said, "The Heavenly Dao has truly never been fair."

  Yes, the Dao of the heavens had always been both extremely fair and extremely unfair. 'Excessive harm and insufficient reparations' encapsulated it in its entirety.

  Chapter 100 – The Generation of Wildflowers Blooming Across the Mountain and Fields

  Demi-humans were born with robust bodies and did not need to go through Purification. Their meridians were unimpeded and simple, so they could directly draw in starlight and convert it into true essence. However, it was precisely for this reason that a flaw appeared: demi-humans simply could not use many of the powerful cultivation techniques developed by humans. Even if an occasional genius would appear and use a similar method to the one that Chen Changsheng taught to Luoluo, it could only be considered an imitation. When cultivating to the highest level, they would encounter many challenges.

  The meridians of humans were as complex as the sea of stars. True essence flowing amongst them could imitate the heavens and earth, could display countless masterly techniques. However, the constitution of humans was much weaker, requiring long periods of time drawing in starlight for Purification, and when breaking through, it was easy for them to die.

 

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