Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

The youth heard the voices coming from the forest and an expression of fear appeared on his face. Just as he prepared to leave, he realized that he was too slow.

In a rush of footsteps, ten-some youngsters rushed into the forest and surrounded the youth.

Seeing the youth's bruised face and dust-covered clothes, one of the youngsters showed an expression of contempt and ridicule. Most of the youngsters, on the other hand, began to get excited, their eyes beginning to glow. It seemed like they were intending to beat this youth into an even worse state.

Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong were also in the forest, but they remained undiscovered, screened as they were by several raspberry bushes.

When he saw the youth's miserable appearance, Chen Changsheng's complexion darkened.

When he heard the name of this youth and saw that those youngsters were wearing the academy uniform, his expression further darkened.

The youth used his sleeve to wipe the tears off his face and stammered out, "If you keep doing this, I'll report to the teacher."

"Didn't you already report it last month? And didn't you go just now?"

A young student taunted, "Which teacher would care about you?"

The youth drummed up his courage and said, "His Holiness the Pope has returned! He'll be coming to the Orthodox Academy!"

A few of the young students appeared affected by these words, their eyes showing unease, but this quickly transformed into viciousness.

A young student harshly rebuked, "You think that with His Holiness returned to the capital, you have a backer? What sort of mighty figure is His Holiness that he would care about these minor concerns? And besides, you're the son of a traitorous minister. You don't have the right to study here!"

A pained expression appeared on the youth's face. He managed to say, "Mother said that His Holiness the Pope let me study here!"

"Can the raving of your mother be trusted? You staying here can only add to the troubles of the Orthodox Academy. We want to drive you away for the Orthodox Academy's sake, and no one would be able to find any fault in us. You also shouldn't blame us for being ruthless. The only person you can blame is your foolish mother."

The young students began to close in around the youth, curses pouring out from their mouths.

Xu Yourong glanced at Chen Changsheng and said, "I'm going to take a stroll around."

After saying this, she left.

She knew that Chen Changsheng did not wish to see these things, nor did he wish anyone else to see them, even if that person was her.

This was a matter of the Orthodox Academy.

The Orthodox Academy belonged to him, to Luoluo, to Xuanyuan Po, to Tang Thirty-Six, and to Su Moyu.

A young student kicked at the youth.

There was a crack as a pebble flew through the air and accurately struck the student on the knee.

The young student bowled over in pain, hollering as he gripped his leg and rolled around.

The other students were deeply alarmed. As they helped their compatriot up, they looked around the forest and yelled, "Who is it?!"

The raspberry bushes rustled as a chill wind blew through them.

Chen Changsheng arrived on the scene. He looked at the youth called Xue Yejin and asked, "You are Divine General Xue's son?"

Hearing 'Divine General Xue' made the youth freeze for a few moments before he could nod.

The young students were all stunned.

On the night of the coup of the Mausoleum of Books, Xue Xingchuan was poisoned to death by Zhou Tong.

As the most powerful general of the Tianhai government, he could not even find peace in death. His body was exposed outside the city for ten-some days.

After three years, whenever Xue Xingchuan was mentioned, no one dared to call him Divine General Xue, or even Lord Xue.

The officers that he had personally raised and his veteran subordinates naturally had very difficult lives under the new government, arduously passing their days in Cong Province.

As for Madam Xue and his heir, who remained in the capital, they also lived very difficult lives. If the Li Palace had not occasionally dispatched people, Mo Yu had not paid a visit twice after her return to the capital with a royal decree, and Prince Chen Liu had not been aiding them in secret, they would have probably been driven out of the Road of Peace ages ago.

But it was very obvious that Young Master Xue was living a very difficult life in the Orthodox Academy as well.

The young students uneasily asked, "Who are you?"

Chen Changsheng ignored them, saying to Xue Yejin, "You should inform a teacher on these matters."

Xue Yejin felt wronged, his eyes reddening as he shakily said, "I did, but the teachers don't care, and then they beat me even worse."

Chen Changsheng thought of what he had heard earlier and confirmed that this really was the case, but… why was this the case?

"If the teachers do not care, you should find somebody that manages the teachers, like Vice Principal Su."

Over the last few years, without him, Luoluo, Tang Thirty-Six, or Zhexiu in the capital, the Orthodox Academy was under the complete management of Su Moyu alone.

Su Moyu was now the Vice Principal of the Orthodox Academy.

Xue Yejin felt even more wronged at these words, thinking to himself, I'm just an ordinary student. It's not like I can meet Principal Su whenever I want.

Chen Changsheng said, "You should tell these things to your mother. Your mother will naturally be able to see him."

Xue Yejin replied, "As a son, how can I worry my mother?"

Chen Changsheng was very pleased by this response. He smiled and said, "Then follow me. I'll bring you to see him."

This said, he walked with Xue Yejin out of the forest.

The ten-some young students wanted to stop him, but they realized that their feet couldn't move, and they did not dare run after the pair.

In their view, though this person seemed not much older than them, he had a serene nobility that could not be overlooked.

The Orthodox Academy was not a place one could enter and exit as one pleased. They were sure that there was no such student amongst them, nor was there any young teacher.

Just who was this person?

A possibility suddenly came to mind.

The student who had had his knee injured by a pebble had been helped up by his comrades and was barely managing to stand. His legs now abruptly went soft and he plopped on the ground.

The other students instantly turned ghastly pale, their faces whiter even than the snow.

……

……

Deep within a building in the western part of the Orthodox Academy.

Su Moyu glanced at the teacher in front of him, emotions of disgust and anger flashing in his eyes. He managed to eventually suppress them, turning to the window and saying, "In a little while, an academy meeting will be held. Those students will be reprimanded and punished according to the academy's rules."

The teacher lowered his head as he continuously wiped the sweat from his face. Occasionally, he would raise his head to take a glance at the window.

A young man was standing by the window.

It turned out that the Pope really was this young. It turned out that the Pope really was on good terms with the Xue Estate.

Everyone in the capital knew about Chen Changsheng's involvement in Xue Xingchuan's funeral, but many people believed that it had just been a momentary whim.

The teacher felt deep regret.

Chen Changsheng turned around to look at Su Moyu. His expression was unchanged, but he was mentally a little surprised.

Su Moyu's punishment was a little light, but it was still understandable. He had never wanted his appearance to make this teacher and those students endure an even greater penalty. But he was perplexed at how this sort of thing could happen in the Orthodox Academy under Su Moyu's calm, upright, stern, and meticulous care.

Su Moyu should have been well aware that Xue Xingchuan's son had entered the Orthodox Academy to study and that this had been arranged by him.

And when discussing the type of punishment to be given, Su Moyu seemed to be facing some sort of difficulty.

This place was the Orthodox Academy. What could be difficult about punishing a teacher and ten-some students?

Chen Changsheng turned to the teacher and suddenly found him rather familiar.

And then, he recalled an old matter.

Three years ago, the Orthodox Academy was surrounded by heavy cavalry. The disciples of South Stream Temple and Su Moyu guarded the gate. Both sides were at a deadlock, and the situation was extremely tense.

Just when Eunuch Lin was preparing to break through the gate, ten-some students and several teachers left the Orthodox Academy through the rear gate.

At the time, Su Moyu had noted down the names of those students and teachers, and Chen Changsheng had also seen this list.

If he was remembering correctly, the teacher in front of him now was one of those people.

This person had returned to the Orthodox Academy?

Had all those teachers and students returned to the Orthodox Academy?

Just what had happened in the Orthodox Academy?

Chen Changsheng turned to Su Moyu and asked, "Who let him come back?"

Su Moyu knew that he had already recognized the teacher. He sighed and prepared to explain.

"Mei Chuan, Education Overseer of the Orthodox Academy, pays respects to His Holiness the Pope."

A voice came from outside the room.

Chen Changsheng turned to Su Moyu.

Su Moyu nodded, an expression of mixed emotions on his face.