You are Chen Chang Sheng? He is Chen Chang Sheng? Who is Chen Chang Sheng? Ever since the Ivy League gathering, or more accurately, ever since news of his engagement with Xu You Rong had spread throughout the continent, these were the three phrases that Chen Chang Sheng had heard the most. As time passed, this situation did not improve, but rather, as his reputation appeared more and more, there were times when even he himself almost didn't know who he was.
The curiosity of humans was not much different from that of cats. Even the Divine Empress had no way of stopping the mouths of the people of the world. From the very beginning, when he heard those discussions and saw those gazes, he was nervous and reserved, to the point where he was now numb to it all. However, he could not deal with it as usual, because the person who had asked this question was the Solitary Drunk under the Moon, Zhu Luo, a senior expert that even the Li Palace had to treat courteously.
He took a few steps forward and bowed towards the grass hut in the distance, dignified and orderly.
Outside the quiet Evening Forest, there was a slight disturbance. Countless gazes were cast over, falling upon his body.
Chen Chang Sheng's expression was calm, but how could he truly be calm? Thinking of the scene when he entered Wen Shui City, thinking of the deliberate flattery and cold gazes of those people, he felt very helpless. Inexplicably, being famous really wasn't a happy thing. Just how had Xu You Rong lived these past few years?
Compared to the uproar in the capital and Wen Shui City, the crowd outside the Evening Forest very quickly quieted down. This was because Zhu Luo was currently questioning Chen Chang Sheng, who would dare disturb him?
The Storms of the Eight Directions were the strongest experts of the human world. In terms of strength, they were not below the Five Saints. Although the opening of the Garden of Zhou was important, Zhu Luo alone was enough. With one of the strongest experts of the world watching, unless the Demon Lord or Black Robe personally came, there would not be any problems.
Zhu Luo did not look at Chen Chang Sheng, but at the snowy peaks behind the forest. His long hair that draped over his shoulders burned with the distant snowy peaks, giving off a particularly wild feeling.
"Has Mei Li Sha gone senile? He actually let a child like you become the principal of the Orthodox Academy. "
Hearing these words, the forest outside became even quieter. Many people looked at Chen Chang Sheng, their gazes filled with all sorts of emotions. There was sympathy and pity, but of course, there was also ridicule and schadenfreude.
Although he had the merit of summoning the starlight of the Mausoleum of Books that night, Chen Chang Sheng was still only fifteen years old. For him to become the principal of the Orthodox Academy at such a young age, for a moment, it was unknown how much discussion and censure the world had caused, but no one dared to publicly question the Pope's decision.
Although Zhu Luo was one of the Storms of the Eight Directions, it was still inconvenient for him to publicly challenge the will of the Pope, so he spoke of Mei Lisha. Of course, everyone knew who he was truly speaking of.
Mei Lisha was an archbishop of the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education, one of the Orthodoxy's Six Prefects. His status was just about the same as Zhu Luo's. Zhu Luo's taunting words could not be considered as provoking the Orthodoxy, nor was he bullying the weak.
Officer Xin walked to Chen Chang Sheng's side and softly said a few words. Only now did Chen Chang Sheng know that Zhu Luo, as the head of the second aristocratic family of Tianliang County, had been close to the Chen Imperial Family that originated from Tianliang County for several hundred years. Because the Divine Empress was in power and had suppressed the Imperial Family, this peerless expert had always had a bad relationship with the Capital and had an extremely cold relationship with the Li Palace. On the contrary, he was very close to the Orthodoxy's old power that Mei Lisha represented, and was even an old friend of Mei Lisha. Logically speaking, he should be taking care of Chen Chang Sheng.
Why did this peerless expert speak out to make things difficult for him?
Chen Chang Sheng very seriously thought about it, only then did he understand that Zhu Luo was mocking His Eminence, not him. Whether it was age or strength, in Zhu Luo's eyes, he was obviously a child.
In the eyes of the common people, Orthodox Academy had long since declined, Chen Chang Sheng being its principal was only an empty title, did he not see that the academy deep within the Hundred Blossom Lane only had two or three students? But for a senior expert like Zhu Luo, the significance of Orthodox Academy was far from this, thinking back to the years when Orthodox Academy was under the leadership of that principal, it could be said to be infinitely glorious, even the recent Li Shan Sword Sect couldn't completely compare. Thinking that such an academy had actually allowed a youth like Chen Chang Sheng to become its principal, Zhu Luo would naturally feel somewhat regretful, or perhaps, uncomfortable. For an important figure like him, he naturally couldn't imagine how much pressure his casual words would bring to Chen Chang Sheng, nor what kind of expectations it would bring to those spectators.
Outside the forest was a scene of silence, everyone looked at Chen Chang Sheng, wanting to know how he would answer Zhu Luo's question, whether it was mockery or pity, there were very few people who were worried about him. At this moment, Chen Chang Sheng thought of the words that His Holiness had said to him during the Grand Examination – lower your head, then you can bear the crown.
Therefore, he slightly bowed, then lowered his head.
He once again bowed towards Zhu Luo under the grass hut, without saying anything, turned around and returned to the carriage.
What was this? Was this disregard? A slight uproar once again arose amongst the crowd, thinking that Chen Chang Sheng had probably greatly offended Zhu Luo this time, everyone knew that amongst all the peak experts of the continent, Zhu Luo's personality was the coldest and most severe, how would he teach Chen Chang Sheng a lesson?
Contrary to everyone's expectations, Zhu Luo didn't get angry, nor did he say anything more, using two fingers to pick up the wineskin, he brought it to his lips and took a long drink, then gazed at the gradually appearing stars upon the mountain, remaining silent.
His words were said to Li Palace, to Mei Li Sha, and also to His Holiness, the Pope, to clearly express his dissatisfaction, but it wasn't said to Chen Chang Sheng.
Chen Chang Sheng naturally didn't need to answer.
Not answering was the best answer.
Priest Xin wiped the sweat from his forehead, looked at Chen Chang Sheng and said in a low voice: "Enter the city to rest?"
Chen Chang Sheng shook his head and said: "I won't enter Hanqiu City, I'll just wait in the carriage."
… …
… …
The seemingly long night passed by uneventfully, following the arrival of the morning light, people continuously arrived from the official road, but even more people arrived from Hanqiu City.
Mei Li Sha, under the protection of several dozen priests, arrived. Only now did Chen Chang Sheng know that the person presiding over this year's opening of the Garden of Zhou was him, but he didn't know when he had arrived, or why he hadn't travelled together with them. The cultivators from the other sects and academies all had different reactions to this Archbishop, some people thought of Zhu Luo's words from last night and subconsciously looked towards the grass hut.
A light spring breeze passed through the grass hut, carrying with it the thin sleeves of clothes. Zhu Luo had his eyes closed, half leaning against the railing, as if he had already passed out from drunkenness and was unwilling to wake up.
Mei Li Sha looked in that direction, smiled and shook his head, then indicated that the ceremony to enter the garden should begin.
Every ten years, the Garden of Zhou would open once. It would open for a hundred days, and after a hundred days, everyone had to come out, or else they would be torn to pieces by the spatial turbulence in the Garden of Zhou. This was an iron law that had been proven many times over the years. The Garden of Zhou might contain Zhou Du Fu's legacy, but it also contained the legacies of many experts that had been defeated by him, this was also a proven fact.
Entering the Garden of Zhou could be said to be an adventure, but it could also be said to be a trial by fire. The rules set down by the human world were very simple, no matter what treasure or technique one picked up within the Garden of Zhou, as long as they could successfully bring it out of the Garden of Zhou, then it would belong to the sect or academy that the cultivator belonged to. Within the Garden of Zhou, one could steal from one another, but apart from killing one's competitors, there were no restrictions on using any other methods.
In the past, there had been people who questioned whether or not these rules were too cruel and bloody. The Pavilion of Divination, entrusted by the Saints to set down these rules, explained that if one could not directly face the bleak encounters and dripping blood within the Garden of Zhou, then in the future, when facing the cold and bloodthirsty demon experts, they would still die. So why waste resources? If the human race wanted to continue living on this continent, then they had to be a bit more ruthless towards the youths that would bear the heavy responsibility in the future.
The priests explaining the rules gave serious warnings to the cultivators that entered the Garden of Zhou, and even more priests were distributing items to the registered visitors. Inside the cloth bags were two items: one was a flowing water bottle that was used to calculate time, and the other was a gray string.
Some people did not understand why a special flowing water bottle was needed to calculate time. Even if the sun and stars in the Garden of Zhou could not calculate the time in the real world, as cultivators of Ethereal Opening, it was impossible for them to count the days incorrectly. As for the use of the gray string, it was very clear. If someone encountered an insurmountable danger in the Garden of Zhou, or if they felt that their harvest was already enough, or if they did not dare to continue exploring, they only needed to light the gray string and they would be directly transported to the gate of the Garden of Zhou.
Zhu Luo stood guard outside the Garden of Zhou — there was no moon in the human world, so he could only drink alone under the starry sky. However, no matter how drunk he was, as long as people saw him, they would be safe.
Chen Changsheng listened to the priests explain the rules and took the cloth bag that Priest Xin had handed over, but his mind was elsewhere. His gaze moved back and forth between the people outside the forest, and he felt slightly nervous.
That senior sister from Holy Maiden Peak had come with him from the capital to Hanqiu City, and accompanying her was Ye Xiaolian. At this moment, the two of them were standing together with several other girls, so they should be fellow disciples of Holy Maiden Peak. He very seriously looked around, but he did not find anyone that looked like her — he had never seen her before, but he had heard that she was extremely beautiful, so he should be able to recognize her with a single glance.
Had Xu Yourong come or not? If she had come, where was she now?
The morning light gradually flourished, but the fog showed no signs of dispersing. Between the forest and the mountain, the fog grew thicker and thicker, and the rays of the morning sun refracted and dispersed, forming all sorts of strange lines.
Suddenly, a cry of surprise came from the crowd.
The crowd looked into the fog and saw a small bridge faintly visible. Under the bridge was flowing water, and they saw a corridor. At the corner was an old plum tree, quiet and beautiful, a garden.
Was this the Garden of Zhou?
The tranquil garden in the fog seemed to be illusory, yet it was real.
It was like a mirage.
The moment the Garden of Zhou appeared, Zhu Luo opened his eyes.
He gazed at the quiet garden in the fog behind the forest, his eyes surging with complex emotions as he thought of many things.
His hand rested on the railing, and he tapped it lightly.
Mei Lisha also opened his eyes and slowly said, "Go, don't be greedy and forget the time."
… …
… …
(Today, there are three chapters. This is the first chapter. Although it will definitely be written, it will definitely be especially slow, because a toothache is not an illness … I will try to finish the second chapter before twelve thirty.)
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