Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 487 – Two Wildflowers Fill the Cliff (III)

Since Chen Changsheng arrived at the capital from Xining Village, the most important event he had experienced was not when he went to the Divine General of the East’s estate to end the engagement, nor was it when he met Luoluo at her time of need in the Orthodox Academy, and it wasn’t even when he met the Black Dragon in the depths of the Tong Palace. Although, at a certain level, those two meetings had changed his fate, what had truly brought about a change in his life was that meal in the Plum Garden Inn.

It was only upon meeting Tang Thirty-Six that he understood that the young should be frivolous and not like himself and Senior Yu Ren, clearly very young yet living like elders of many years with pure hearts and few desires. It was only upon meeting Tang Thirty-Six that he understood there were some matters in the world that should be fought for, and also some things that should be abandoned if they needed to be abandoned. In other words, he learned from Tang Thirty-Six how to live life a little less seriously.

Correspondingly, after coming from Wenshui to the capital, the most important event Tang Thirty-Six experienced was also meeting Chen Changsheng. From Chen Changsheng, he learned even more than Chen Changsheng learned from him.

Their temperaments agreed with each other. That didn’t mean they were completely alike. In fact, they were precisely the opposite of each other. One was active, the other quiet. One was like water, the other like fire. When put together, they mutually matched with each other and were truly able to display a power far beyond their ages.

Even more importantly, if Chen Changsheng and Tang Thirty-Six had not met, then the Ivy Festival might not have developed the way it did, the final result of the Grand Examination might have been very different, and the Orthodox Academy absolutely would not have reopened its doors and recruited new students. Chen Changsheng would have been unable to cope with the pressure applied by the Tianhai clan and the Orthodoxy’s new faction, and the entire story would have walked a completely different path.

One could even say that history itself would also change.

From a certain perspective, it was still Chen Changsheng, the young Daoist boy from the countryside, and Tang Thirty-Six, who was in the capital for the first time, meeting in the Heavenly Dao Academy that time that was truly important beyond measure!

“Perhaps you did it deliberately, perhaps you did it intentionally.”

Regardless, it wasn’t uninteresting.

Tang Thirty-Six stared into his eyes and continued, “You’ve never thought that I and Princess Luoluo are similar. In fact, I also bear a very heavy responsibility.”

Chen Changsheng believed that Luoluo already bore the heavy responsibility of the Demi-human race, so she shouldn’t bear the pressure of the conflict between two powerful forces of the human world. As a result, he didn’t let her return to the Orthodox Academy and even deliberately decreased the number of times they met. However, he had not thought about the fact that Tang Thirty-Six was the heir of the Wenshui clan. The many things he had done in the capital, in the eyes of some observant people, perhaps could be taken as the will of the Old Master of the Tang clan.

Upon hearing Tang Thirty-Six’s words, he suddenly understood. He was instantly filled with regret and wanted to say something.

Tang Thirty-Six raised his right hand, indicating that he shouldn’t speak so much nonsense. “But it doesn’t matter. I’m not an adult yet, so I can temporarily ignore these things.”

“A moment ago, you asked just what I wanted to do, why I wanted to help you? You’re incorrect. I’m not helping you, I’m helping myself. After all, I’m also a student of the Orthodox Academy, and this place isn’t the sole property of you, Chen Changsheng. What do I want to do? What I want is to be able, before I return to Wenshui and inherit the family business, to not think about the problem of the livelihood of several hundred thousand people, to not think about the problem of the continuation of my clan for another thousand generations. I don’t want to write about any of those problems. For myself, for us, I want to wantonly and joyfully play around!”

Tang Thirty-Six continued to gaze at Chen Changsheng as he spoke, “A few days ago, I said to you here, young people should live like young people. If you should laugh, laugh! If you should curse, curse! If you should…why isn’t Xuanyuan Po hitting trees today? Are the appetizers of Clear Lake Restaurant so tasty? In any case, in the future when you become the world’s most powerful person, when people bring up me, besides my identity as head of the Tang clan, they’ll also talk about how, several centuries ago, you and I allowed the Orthodox Academy to stand up once more. That thought fills me with joy.”

His fate was predetermined to be the head of the Wenshui Tang clan, the wealthiest man on the continent. This did not require struggle, did not require effort. So he cared even more about the future of the Orthodox Academy, because it was not some gift left behind by his ancestors, but a project they had worked on with their own hands.

All youths enjoyed speaking of struggle, but not all youths understood this reasoning.

“I know how to work hard.”

Chen Changsheng thought it over, then said, “For certain reasons, I was originally planning to work hard until I became the most powerful person in the world. This matter is something I can do incidentally.”

Tang Thirty-Six replied, “You’ve used the word ‘incidentally’ very well. I find it very admirable. It seems indifferent and particularly uncaring. In the future, when you become the world’s most powerful man, don’t forget this word.”

Chen Changsheng replied, “I will remember.”

Tang Thirty-Six extended his hand. “Deal.”

Chen Changsheng had never performed this sort of action before. He somewhat clumsily imitated Tang Thirty-Six in extending his hand.

Tang Thirty-Six very casually gripped the hand and then released it.

“Let’s go. The Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education sent news saying that the Orthodox Academy will have guests tomorrow. We have to prepare a little.”

“You’re the principal, this sort of thing is meant for you to do. I’m too lazy to care about it. Let me stick around for a little more.”

Tang Thirty-Six walked over to the great banyan tree by the lake. “In the past, you and Princess Luoluo always hogged this tree. Today, you have to let me enjoy it a little.”

Without saying anything, Chen Changsheng turned and left. After a moment, he heard a voice coming from the great banyan tree. Turning his head, he saw that Tang Thirty-Six was already standing on the tree branch.

The light of stars spilled down from the night sky, enveloping the great banyan tree and plating his clothes with a faint layer of the radiance of the stars. From a distance, he seemed like a very beautiful little silver man.

The plot of the Tianhai clan and the Orthodoxy’s new faction had encountered an unforeseen setback.

No one was able to tell whether this was a plot or a farce.

Under Chen Changsheng and Tang Thirty-Six’s seemingly mischievous, but truthfully quite tough and unyielding resistance, this offense which used the All-School Martial Exhibition as its origin had been forced to temporarily come to a stop before it was able to transform into a fierce storm. After Su Moyu disciplined that servant of the Bie family called Ye Xingqing, Bie Tianxin most likely realized that this was a warning from his father. Even after the last match concluded, he still did not appear.

The Orthodox Academy welcomed a momentary peace, and then it very quickly welcomed its first group of guests.

In the early morning, when the weather was still not too hot, the Orthodox Academy’s main gate completely opened, with the priests of the Li Palace arrayed outside. The new students who had just concluded their breakfast or had already begun their morning studies curiously looked over. News began to spread and the new students revealed tense and excited expressions on their faces. One by one, they made their way over to the main gate, curiously peering out. It didn’t take long before two carriages stopped in front of the gate. The Imperial Guards that had opened the way handed off their duties to the Orthodoxy cavalry. Palace maids walked before the two carriages and solemnly and respectfully supported the passengers off the carriages.

The visitors of the Orthodox Academy were Mo Yu and an old man.