Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Chen Changsheng began to understand. He said uncertainly, "The third sword really is rather difficult. Based off what Su Li said, even he couldn't learn it. But the other two swords…"

He was originally planning to say that when he was learning them, he didn't feel it to be difficult at all. However, upon seeing Tang Thirty-Six's complexion, he with great difficulty swallowed back down the second part of his statement. Tang Thirty-Six sneered, "The second sword is clearly a technique Su Li created to address the problem of your meridians, so how can we learn it? As for the first sword, it requires far too much calculation ability. Did you think anyone could do it?"

Chen Changsheng thought to himself, Lady Chujian's calculation ability is much stronger than mine.

Tang Thirty-Six looked at him and asked in an exceptionally serious tone, "Chen Changsheng…do you really not know that you're a genius?"

Chen Changsheng considered the question. My memory is rather good, and as for my calculation ability, it should have been greatly strengthened in the Mausoleum of Books. As for me being a genius… He shook his head.

Tang Thirty-Six asked, "When we first met at the Heavenly Dao Academy, what did I say to you?"

Chen Changsheng replied, "You said that I was a genius."

Tang Thirty-Six patted him on the shoulder, "Believe me, I've never evaluated a person wrongly."

Chen Changsheng thought about this but couldn't find a way to respond.

Tang Thirty-Six added, "Right, you have to teach me the True Sword of the Orthodoxy and Toppling Mountain Staff."

Puzzled, Chen Changsheng asked, "You're not even willing to glance at the secrets of the Mount Li Sword Style, so why do you want to learn those?"

"I'm a student of the Orthodox Academy, so it's only natural that I learn the sword styles of the Orthodox Academy. What would I do with the Mount Li Sword Style?" Tang Thirty-Six looked at Chen Changsheng as if he was an idiot, the fact that he had praised him as a genius just a few moments ago already forgotten. "In addition, since I plan to be the academy superintendent, if it came out that I didn't know these two sword styles, wouldn't I be making a fool of myself?"

In the past, the True Sword of the Orthodoxy was the basic sword style that every expert of the Orthodox Academy could use. It was by no means lacking in might, but it didn't have many techniques.

As for the Toppling Mountain Staff, it wasn't actually a sword style, but rather the staff style used in the past by the lecturers in charge of discipline to punish disobedient students.

Yes, Chen Changsheng would become Principal of the new Orthodox Academy and Tang Thirty-Six would become the new Orthodox Academy's first academy superintendent. The housekeeping supervisor for the new Orthodox Academy would be Xuanyuan Po. Zhexiu was still recovering, but his position had also been taken care of already. In the future, he would be responsible for teaching the students of the Orthodox Academy how to fight and the skill necessary to survive in the snowy plains of the land of demons. Of course, the Orthodox Academy still had a most exalted position left for Luoluo. It was the lifelong position as honorary Vice Principal, and the rules of the new academy clearly stated that the Orthodox Academy would no longer appoint anyone to the seat of Vice Principal.

On a certain day at the height of summer, the street outside Hundred Flowers Lane was densely packed with people, while within the lane, colored flags fluttered in the wind.

After twenty years, the Orthodox Academy finally formally reopened.

To many elders within the Orthodoxy, this was a grand occasion. It couldn't be counted how many old priests soaked the front of their gowns in tears.

To the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education, this was the greatest legacy left behind by the late archbishop and also his most cherished desire. Many priests and officials were filled with happiness as well as a dull sense of grief.

To the Imperial clan, this was the first time after so many years of silence that they were finally able to make their voice heard to the rest of the continent. Although Chen Changsheng and Tang Thirty-Six definitely did not think this way, this did not make them completely forget when Prince Chen Liu attended the ceremony that many eyes were watching them and that the Divine Empress would perhaps soon learn of this danger, causing them to stroke a tree in comfort and sigh with boundless regret.

To the one hundred new students of the Orthodox Academy, this was the beginning of their brand new lives and also their greatest opportunity.

To the Tianhai clan and the new faction of the Orthodoxy, this was a rather dangerous signal.

As for Mo Yu, this…was a joke.

"You being the principal is fine. In any case, it was His Holiness's sacred words that arbitrarily decided it. Princess Luoluo is also fine, since it's only in name anyway. But for Tang Tang, that guy who can't even supervise himself, to actually become academy superintendent? You don't think that he's most likely going to take the students to get completely drunk and then have them skip class every day? That black bear acting as housekeeping supervisor? You're not worried that even if Clear Lake Restaurant's head chef, for the sake of money, cooked a massive number of dishes, he would eat it all up?"

Mo Yu was laughing so hard that she was shaking. "And the most hilarious of all is Zhexiu! Teach students how to survive? When the time comes, he would bury the students in the snow and say 'if you come out before seven days, you fail!' Hey, I have to ask, just how many coffins have you guys prepared?"

This place was Chen Changsheng's room in the small building. He sat across from her, seeming rather exhausted. This exhaustion primarily had to do with the fact that there had been too many things to do today. Of course, it assuredly had something to do with her teasing him to her heart's content as well.

Mo Yu's visit to the Orthodox Academy today was naturally to get in on the fun and at the same time to see a comedy. She didn't make a formal appearance, instead waiting until everything had concluded before noiselessly appearing in his room. However, for some reason, she had clearly dressed herself in an extremely fine fashion before coming. She was even more exquisite and beautiful than usual, her beauty rather moving.

"From the principal to its superintendent, of the current people in charge of the Orthodox Academy, not a one of them is actually over the age of twenty…are you guys playing house?"

Mo Yu's laugh was even more joyous and the golden flower stuck in her hair shook even more intensely.

"Isn't this all because your faction forced us to?" Chen Changsheng didn't want to hear this sort of teasing anymore, so he changed the subject. "Why are you dressed so formally today? Was there an event at the Imperial Court?"

Mo Yu was a little taken aback. She usually dressed like this. What was different now?

Suddenly, she recalled that besides their first meeting in the Night Palace, the following meetings between her and Chen Changsheng had mostly been at night, and it was often because she wanted to sleep on his bed or was already sleeping on his bed. At those times, she would naturally not put on makeup or wear any fancy clothes. She would only come after taking a bath, revealing her plain face. Presumably, there truly was an extremely significant difference from her appearances of the past.

Upon thinking of this, she felt a little ashamed, but then she recalled that the last time she had come, Chen Changsheng had told her to bathe herself clean before sleeping on his bed, and then she couldn't help but get a little angry. She gave him a hateful glare, then flew through the window like the wind, vanishing into the forest.

Chen Changsheng thought in confusion, what Tang Thirty-Six said was reasonable, females really are the most difficult-to-understand thing in the world. I obviously didn't even say anything, so why did she suddenly become unhappy?

He had not lied to Mo Yu. The Orthodox Academy had thought to enroll new students mainly because the pressure exerted by the Tianhai clan and the new faction of the Orthodoxy had been too great, because there had been too many people wishing to challenge the Orthodox Academy. It was just that those words of Bie Tianxin accusing them of harboring evil motives and Tang Thirty-Six's subsequent promise from that day had already spread far and wide. As a result, many people, including the one hundred new students of the Orthodox Academy, were very curious to know just what the Orthodox Academy would do about it.

On the early morning of the next day, the challenges that had ceased for several days began once more. The common folk of the capital that had rested for several days quickly spread the news and came over with both their old and young. The gate of the Orthodox Academy once more became bustling beyond compare.

Last night, Chen Changsheng had prepared the list of opponents and had even given pointers to those new students that would go out to battle. He had expended far too much of his mental strength and so did not appear this time, remaining in the academy to rest.

Tang Thirty-Six brought out thirty-odd new students and stood before the gate of the Orthodox Academy. Leaving aside everything else, just the sight of those students all wearing orderly school uniforms made them seem very energetic and imposing.

By this time, the first challenger had already walked up. Clasping his hands, he said, "Please instruct me."

This person came from the Li Palace Academy, his level of cultivation at the initial level of Ethereal Opening.

He was very interested to know who the Orthodox Academy was prepared to send out against him. Of course, he was keenly aware that he was no match for Chen Changsheng and the rest of his group, but seeing the current state of affairs, it was blatantly obvious that the Orthodox Academy intended to send out new students. It was just that it was obvious that none of the students behind Tang Thirty-Six had successfully entered Ethereal Opening. On what basis could they come out and fight?

Tang Thirty-Six couldn't care less for what he or the spectators were thinking about. Looking at the list in his hands, he announced, "Chen Fugui, step forward."

As his voice rang out, a new student pushed his way past his schoolmates. This student was not that old, but his body was incredibly strong and sturdy, just like a smaller version of Xuanyuan Po.

Without any sloppiness whatsoever, Tang Thirty-Six pointed at the challenger from the Li Palace Academy and asked, "Can you beat him or not?"

The new student called Chen Fugui vigorously slapped his chest. "I have to fight him before I can know that."

"Bold." Tang Thirty-Six seemed to be praising him, but there was no sense of excitement on his face. He smoothly and cleanly declared, "Then go fight him."

"Okay!" that student called Chen Fugui yelled out. He leaped off the stone steps like a fierce tiger emerging from the mountains, rushing at the challenger from the Li Palace Academy.

The challenger was startled by this noise, thinking to himself, could it be that this is a hidden expert of the Orthodox Academy? As his mind shifted, he saw that student seeming to pounce upon him like a tiger, then suddenly associated this with that Princess Luoluo of the Orthodox Academy, which he then associated with the most frightening abilities of the White Emperor. His spiritual sense couldn't help but fall into disarray as he felt that this technique was extremely similar to that technique of legends. He subconsciously revealed a hint of cowardice.

Before a battle, one had to particularly make sure that their Qi was steady and that their mind was in order. His mind was now in a small panic, and so his Qi naturally followed suit. Inevitably, his movement became somewhat slowed. That new student's fist was about the size of an earthen bowl and already right in front of him. He was worried that this fist contained some sort of fierce technique and was afraid to firmly receive it. He swiftly retreated, but his sudden retreat was not enough to avoid the updraft from this student's fist. His face was struck by this wind, which felt rather raw and hot.

The pain from this heat made him completely sober up.

He astonishingly realized that although this student's fist style seemed very berserk, it clearly had only the form and none of the energy. Moreover, the true essence imbued in those two earthen-bowl-sized fists was pitiful! This was just a normal student who had just entered the initial level of Meditation. He had actually treated him as some powerful enemy and had almost suffered a loss! This challenger from the Li Palace grew furious, angry at himself for his foolishness as well as his opponent's weak momentum. With a cry, he sent his sword slashing down.

"Stop."

At this moment, a voice rang out, calm and forceful. It was like it had something important to say, at least something that was countless times more important than this match.

The challenger inadvertently halted his sword in the air and turned towards that voice.