Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chen Chang Sheng walks in a very peculiar fashion. Its uniqueness was due to the fact that his walking manner was very robot-like. He always did things systematically which included walking. He would always raise his legs a certain height, bend at a constant angle, and walk the same distance with each step. He looked straight forward and only looked at the places near him. He kept his chest up not too pretentiously straighten up but to naturally look like a green pine tree. His dark hair was tied up tightly, which was no longer tied with a Taoist hair clasp, but instead casually tied with a fabric cloth, which showed meticulosity. His cloths were also very common. Because they were probably washed many times, they had turned white and were extremely clean. Even on the surface of his shoes, there wasn’t any dirt which was very cultured of him. As he walked, a short sword tied on his waist moved slightly back and forward. This sword, like him, was also very common.

A few days ago, he kept this short sword in the inn. Today was his first time taking it with him. The common sword symbolized an uncommon meaning. During his conversation with the mid-aged lady, he learned that if Dong Yu General’s Mansion really wanted to continue to do anything, this short sword was his preparation. Yet this short sword was like his personality, very regular and common, extremely unnoticable. It could not be compared to the legendary “Frozen”, “Two Ends,” “Thorn”. It wouldn’t even compare to the weapons possessed by people walking on the sidewalk. So how could it help him?

Outside of the inn, he unsurprisingly saw the carriage from the Dong Yu General’s Mansion. Under the sunny sunshine, the bloody phoenix label on the wheel became much clearer as if it were burning. The warhorse that possessed noble bloodline of unicorn, headed up arrogantly and looked down on him.

Walking pass that carriage, he held the handle of his short sword but after a while he loosened his hand. After a long time, he finally arrived at the destination. He was somewhat surprised that his destination was actually so close to the Royal Palace. Standing by the street corner, he could clearly see the lofty royal buildings, and it seemed that he could even smell the scent of the palaces’ history.

Walking into the Hundred Blossom Street, his confusion intensified. Would a place so close to the Royal Palace actually hide a school? Then why was it so deserted? Finally at the end of street, he saw the entrance door to the school. The walls on two sides were covered by ivies and sunlight passed through leaving an extremely diluted and mottled shadow. There wasn’t a name sign.

Was the school here? He wanted to ask someone but the street was very quiet. Unlike the crowded streets outside of the Heavenly Academy and Startaker Academy, the street had no one around. He stood for a long while but still no one passed by. The only thing he could see around him was the broken school entrance door. This place was close to the Royal Palace, but it looked like a wasteland that no one would bother to ask.

He walked to the wall beside the entrance door and pulled the dense ivy branches away. He eventually saw a word carved on the wall. That word was “Guo”(nation). The previously vivid paint in the deeply carved word had already faded away due to years of erosion. Even the wall’s surface itself had a signal of exfoliation.

Thinking about the name of the school, Chen Chang Sheng was slightly surprised. The words carved on the wall confirmed that the school he was looking for was really here. He couldn’t help but feel even more confused. The previous schools his master chose for him were the most famous and excellent schools in the continent, why was this school so deserted and quiet?

When he was thinking, his hands still held the ivy. He then pulled it down again and saw the second word. It was the word “jiao”(teach). He did not have time to feel depressed. He pulled the ivy that no one had taken care of for many years and slided down quickly. He then shook the dirt to fly up from the ground.

Chen Chang Sheng walked back a several steps to prevent himself from touching the dirt.

The ivies fell and the dirt gradually settled. Shortly the wall that had not seen the sky for many years had finally appeared in front of people again.

On the old wall four words were carved.

“The Traditional Academy.”(name unsettled)

The words deeply carved into the stone did not have much paint on it. Instead there were only stacked dirts and the dead leaves that fell from the ivies last year. The corners of the words were even eroded harshly by wind and rain. If people didn’t look carefully enough, they wouldn’t have seen the words that were carved.

Staring at the wall, Chen Chang Sheng remained silent for a long time. He felt somewhat sad and frustrated. He who solely concentrated on the way of xiu xing would rarely show any emotions like now. Yes, now he just wanted to turn around and leave — such a shabby school, even if he got in, how would it help his life?

He looked up at the sky, ascertaining that there was still some time. He decided to take a look at this shabby school. If it was not good, then he would go to the last school on the roster

His hand touched the door and lightly pushed.

“Zhi Ya.”

After many years, the Traditional Academy’s entrance door was finally opened up again.

…………………………………..

The carriage from Dong Yu General’s mansion stopped by outside of the Hundred Blossom Street. The arrogant white horse slightly lifted up his head and felt really bored. Inside the wagon, the mid aged lady’s feeling was not as calm as the horse’s. She felt heavily confused. She whispered to herself, “Why did he come here?”

She understood clearly that the school located at the end of the Hundred Blossom Street had already fallen, but she also knew that this youngster seemed to be very good at bringing people surprises. She didn’t dare to neglect his actions. She pointed her finger lightly toward a direction indicating to the white horse to pull the wagon in, but at that moment, another carriage was driven across from the sideway blocking the front.

The Hundred Blossom Street was very narrow. It could only fit one carriage at a time. Now that the carriage brutally blocked in the front, the carriage from the General’s Mansion obviously couldn’t enter. The mid aged lady frowned slightly and felt somewhat unhappy. But because she knew that this place was really close to the Royal Palace so she did not yell at the opponent to move away immediately.

However, while the mid-aged lady didn’t even get angry, the white horse could no longer bare it. It possessed unicorn’s bloodline, how could it permit a little black donkey to block its way? He trotted up angrily and was about to shout and scare the other off, but the animal in front of the wagon slowly turned its head and gave it a glance.

(TL: I swore I thought the horse wasn’t that arrogant or maybe i read it wrong but whoa that one arrogant ass horse bc of his blood O.o)

It was not a black donkey, but a black goat. Its hair was as slippery as silk and apparently it was not a regular animal.

The most surprising thing was its look, so deep and cold, like some legendary being above the cloud.

If the white horse was noble because of its unicorn bloodline, then this black goat’s elegance was entirely originated from itself. In front of the black goat, the white horse was like an easily irritated mischievous child and the goat was like one of the royal family standing high above the masses.

That black goat turned around and gave him a glance.

The white horse was about to shout angrily but after seeing the black goat’s cold and indifferent look, it immediately became quiet. Its eyes showed fear. His front hoof suddenly lost energy and could no longer support its heavy body. The white horse heavily fell on the ground. Its entire body was shaking and it did not dare to stand up. It was as if the white horse was submitting itself to the rule of the black goat.

The mid-aged lady rushed out of the wagon. Seeing the white horse kneeling on the ground, she felt dumbfounded and could not say a word. This horse was the only son of the General’s mount and was extremely arrogant all the time but now it had become a coward. When she turned and saw the black goat, she suddenly remembered something. When she looked towards the green carriage again, she felt extremely horrified.

She kneeled down as fast as she could and made a salute to the green carriage. Her face was pale and she didn’t dare to speak at all.

An old voice came out of the green carriage.

“I want to go in first, Does Hua Nanny have any problem?”

Hearing this sound, the mid-aged lady felt slightly calmer. The person who came was not that girl, but the girl’s nanny. As to why the nanny knew her last name was Hua, she did not have to think at all. Of course, she would know everything.

Inside the green carriage was also a nanny, but compared to her, a nanny in the General’s Mansion, that nanny must be the most famous one in the capital. Even Zhou Tong, who scared off the royal family members, officials, and the Generals, had to smile to this nanny if he met her, so why did she matter so much?

“Nanny must be joking. I did not recognize you before, so I did not show enough respect. I hope nanny will accept my apology.”

The mid-aged lady spoke with a slightly shaken voice. She felt lucky that she did not criticize the carriage before, but even so she still did not dare to hide her previous disrespectful thoughts. Because according to legend in front of that black goat, any concealment was seeking death. Moreover she knew that only if she apologized would the nanny feel satisfied.

If Dong Yu General‘s Mansion had not been closely related to that girl, she wouldn’t even dare to explain right now, but instead chop off her hand as an apology.

The nanny inside the green carriage asked, “Are you stalking that youngster?”

The mid-aged lady did not dare to look up and carefully replied “yes.” Until now she was sure that the girl in the palace had always known about these things.

That nanny said, “You don’t have to today.”

The mid-aged lady felt a bit surprised. With her head down, she asked with a shaking voice, “Can nanny explain please?”

The nanny’s voice contained no emotion: “Do I have to explain everything to you?”

The mid-aged lady bowed down as an apology and did not dare to say a word.

That black goal glanced at her before it turned back and pulled that green carriage to the end of the Hundred Blossom Street.

It wasn’t until after a really long time did the mid-aged lady dare to look up. Although she lifted her face off the ground, her face still looked pale.

The nanny in the green carriage, indeed did not have to explain anything to others. Even if the opponent was the General’s Mansion.

Because she was Mo Yu’s nanny.

………………………………..

Glory from the distant past can be seen faintly from the construction that the school had but it lacked traces of humans and was all broken down.

Chen Chang Sheng stood by the lake. He looked at the extremely long wild grasses under his feet and had nothing to say. The reason why he decided to come in and take a look previously was because he remembered reading the records of this school in the Scrolls of Way. It could be named using “the Tradition” as its prefix. The school had a long history. It used to be an extremely strong and cultivated countless outstanding students. However…..why would it become so rundown now?

The water in the lake was flowing silently. The buildings were old and no one was here.

He had many questions to ask but he did not know who to ask.

At this moment, a sound came from behind him.

He turned back and saw a black goat.

The black goat gave people a weird feeling.

If common people were in his situation inside a quiet environment and saw such a black goat, most would subconsciously feel scared or at least they would jump away, but Chen Chang Sheng didn’t. He really like this black goat. This black goat was very clean just like him. He picked some grass from the side of the lake, took out a handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe the water on the grass, and delivered it to the black goat.

The black goat looked at him silently. It turned its head and appeared confused. It was as if it didn’t know what Chen Chang Sheng wanted to do.

No one had fed this black goat grass before.

Even people like prince Chen Liu or the Prince didn’t dare to feed it grass.

Everyone in the palace knew that it only ate the fruits Mo Yu picked by hand.

“Eat. It doesn’t have water so you won’t get diarrhea.”

Chen Chang Sheng looked at this black goat and shook the grass in hand and said seriously.

The black goat understood what this youngster meant. Its look changed a bit as if it just saw an idiot.

How would Chen Chang Sheng know? So he continued to put the green grass up.

The black goat felt a bit annoyed but for no reason, it kind of liked this youngster’s smell.

It hesitated for a while but eventually stepped up and bent down its head a bit. It took several grass from Chen Chang Sheng’s hand and slowly began to eat.

Under the tree not so far away, an old lady who had a yellow poplar cane in her hand was looking at the scene. The wrinkles on her face were slightly shaking just like the grass touched by the wind.

Even when she saw the previous queen smother the prince, she had not felt this much shock.