Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

He realized that compared to yesterday, today's wind seemed to carry different scents. It was moister and also carried the smells of mud and fish, and that wasn't a bad thing. How can the canals be so clear? Because water comes flowing from the source. The canals around the Divine Path of the Mausoleum of Books were so spotlessly clear due to this principle. With the reopening of the Garden of Zhou, it should have begun to develop in a positive direction.

(TN: "How can the canals be so clear? Because water comes flowing from the source" is a line from a poem/song called 观书有感二首, which roughly translates to "Two Songs on Feelings from Reading Books", authored Zhu Xi, a famous scholar of the Song Dynasty.)

The group of monsters had gotten somewhat closer to the mausoleum. They still seemed like a dense mass, but from a distance, he could still perceive that there had been some sort of change.

Reaching the plain and gazing at the tens of thousands of monsters kneeling before him, Chen Changsheng was rather astonished. Yesterday, he had only brought a few medicines with him, so he had not imagined that the Mountain-toppling Fiend and the Monster Bull's injuries would recover so much. As for the other monsters, they also seemed much more vigorous.

Today, the Earth Monkey did not hide itself in the horn of the Mountain-toppling Fiend. Instead, it was hiding in the middle of the crowd of monsters, watching him from the distance. Its eyes seemed to roll around in their sockets. He didn't know what it was thinking, but it seemed to hold no murderous intent.

Chen Changsheng took some medicinal herbs and placed them on the ground before him.

Seeing this sight, the Monster Bull slowly nodded its head in gratitude, then raised its tail straight up like a flagpole.

The Mountain-toppling Fiend stood up and let out a harsh howl towards the vast plains. The group of monsters began to surge like the tide and then organize itself into groups, seeming very orderly and obedient. Even those monsters that were old enemies with each other and would usually fight each other to the death when meeting dared not move, even when they were squeezed right next to each other.

Chen Changsheng found this all rather unexpected. He blankly stared for a while before continuing his actions. It didn't take much time for a small mountain of medicinal herbs to be piled in front of him.

Staring at the small mountain of herbs, even though the Monster Bull and Mountain-toppling Fiend had once accompanied Zhou Dufu and seen much of the world, their eyes couldn't help but become a little lifeless. The Earth Monkey found it even more unbearable. It roughly pushed itself away from the dragon serpent and its forelegs incessantly pushed against the ground. Like a bolt of lightning, it plunged to the very front of the group of monsters, then fell at Chen Changsheng's feet with a plop.

It fell with exquisite care. Its forelegs were raised up high while its crippled lower half gently slapped against the ground. It raised up a small cloud of dust and seemed particularly respectful and lovable.

Last time, it had also kissed the ground at Chen Changsheng's feat, but that had been an act, a far cry from its current heartfelt sincerity.

This was because it had confirmed that Chen Changsheng really was willing to help these monsters. Even more importantly, he actually possessed the ability to help these monsters.

"All of you…split it up amongst yourselves, still according to yesterday's rules."

Chen Changsheng didn't know how to communicate with these monsters. After thinking it over, he said these words then headed towards the outskirts of the plain.

Behind him, the group of monsters that was like a tide bowed their heads to send him off.

He had already made a careful search of the Garden of Zhou yesterday. He did not repeat this today, instead going straight to the lake and mountains on the other side of the cold pool.

In the depths of the lake, he found the Night Pearl Luoluo had gifted him as well as the three thousand scriptures of the Daoist Canon that he had brought from Xining Village to the capital. Finally, he took out from the mud the box of silver ingots and treasure. As for the food he had brought for the Black Dragon to snack on, it had long since been completely eaten by the fish or other beings of the lake.

He brought these things to the shore and then took a glance at the sky. He began to place those books soaked by the lake water on the rocks to dry. He knew that this was a very bothersome task, requiring a great deal of time and patience, so he was in no rush. It was very difficult to open these soaked books, putting aside the sheer number of books. He continuously made his way along the shore, his movements seeming just like he was performing some grand ceremony.

A stretch of the rocky shore about a li long was covered in books. Under the sun, the water in the books began to gradually evaporate.

Chen Changsheng took this moment of rest to take out the treasure and silver from the box and wipe them clean with a handkerchief.

Suddenly, he saw a small object.

It was a bamboo dragonfly. It was already very old, and now because it had spent so long in the water, it had lost color. There were even a few places that were on the verge of rotting away.

Many years ago, when he still lived in Xining Village, he exchanged letters with a certain person. This bamboo dragonfly served as evidence of that, and it was also a part of his childhood memories.

Chen Changsheng gazed in silence at the bamboo dragonfly. Those books had not rotted away, but it was unable to endure. As expected, compared to materials, the span of time was even more important.

Nothing was able to endure the test of time.

That engagement had been ended. He and she from here on would have no more connection.

Upon realizing this, his mind became more relaxed, as if he had been relieved of a great burden.

But for some reason, he also felt like he had lost something, like there was an empty space in his heart.

……

……

The summer gradually retreated and autumn began to pervade the air. Winter was also no longer that far off.

The area in front of the gate of the Orthodox Academy became much more quiet. Very few matches took place there now, and the common people of the capital gradually lost interest. The awning across the street was finally taken down at the Star Autumn Festival. As for why it was taken down, it might have been because the weather had gotten colder and the sun less scorching, or perhaps some other reason.

On the other hand, the Orthodox Academy became much more active. Every day in the morning, one could hear the clear sounds of books being read. Only at mealtime could one hear the sounds of students beating on their lunchboxes. Of course, there was even more laughter and cheers.

As for the Hundred Herb Garden separated from the Orthodox Academy by a wall, it went through the most intense changes. It was just that people rarely entered it, so these changes were not discovered. The countless fruit trees and herbal gardens within were all picked clean until one day, a eunuch from the palace was ordered to find an herb.

This was an extremely precious herb. It was said that it possessed miraculous effects with regards to regenerating flesh. If mixed with the proper herbs and refined into a pill, it could even regrow bones. The reason the palace was in a rush to find this herb was that a pimple had grown on the Princess of Ping's face. She was so angry that she couldn't even eat, especially when she heard that Xu Yourong was on the verge of returning to the capital.

The eunuch failed to find the herb. He looked at the Hundred Herb Garden that was clearly much more desolate and withered away than before, his face pale to the extreme. He thought to himself, this year's autumn is really rather fierce, isn't it?

The medicinal herbs and spirit fruits of the Hundred Herb Garden had naturally been swept through by the autumn wind known as Chen Changsheng.

In these past few days, he lived out his life as calmly and studiously as he had lived the past sixteen years: reading, cultivating, practicing the sword, and then experiencing his sixteenth birthday.

A little different from the past few years was that on the third day after his birthday, he did not remember the person that was celebrating their birthday on that day.

He also very studiously researched the string of stone pearls, wanting to comprehend something from these Heavenly Tome Monoliths. However, for the moment, he had not discovered anything.

His cultivation was gradually growing more stable, growing ever closer to the peak of Ethereal Opening, but the problems with his body never improved. That shadow before him continued to quietly watch him.

With his research and guidance, a formal breakthrough was made with the problem of Luoluo's meridians. Cultivating in human techniques would no longer pose too much of a problem for her. Importantly, with the resolution of this problem, as long as her blood was stimulated once more, then she would have a high chance of breaking through the demi-human imperial household's greatest obstruction. As a female, she would be able to learn the tyrannical techniques of the White Emperor.

For the demi-humans, it didn't even need to be asked to know how important it was. It was said that upon the news being relayed to the demi-humans, the tribes along the eight hundred li of the Red River rejoiced for three days and nights. Moreover, White Emperor City sent out a diplomatic mission to deliver to Chen Changsheng a huge set of gifts impossible for any normal person to obtain.

As he was able to resolve Luoluo's problem, he was naturally able to resolve Xuanyuan Po's problem. After his right arm was completely recovered, the bear youth began to cultivate the Heavenly Thunder Bringer and his strength advanced by leaps and bounds. His two iron fists were able to attract thunder and lightning, tyrannical beyond compare. Jin Yulu had come over to the Orthodox Academy just to take a look and was full of admiration. He decided on the spot that upon returning to White Emperor City, he would bestow a generous reward on the bear tribe.

Xuanyuan Po was so moved that tears poured from his eyes. He would no longer have to feel ashamed that he could eat blue lobster in the capital every day while his elders and fellow villagers back home could only live arduous lives of hunting in the mountains.

Chen Changsheng was also very happy for him, but he failed to recognize the other piece of information in Jin Yulu's words.

Zhexiu's injuries were also gradually recovering. Different from other patients who would lie in bed and rely on time to heal their wounds, although he seemed to lie unmoving on the bed, he was at every moment using his true essence to charge at his blocked and wounded meridians. This was a pain that only he could stand, and the only thing Chen Changsheng could do to assist was apply metal needles to somewhat alleviate the pain.

Just as Zhexiu had said before, pain was the force best able to stimulate vitality. One autumn's day, without assistance from anyone else, he was able to get out of bed. Using half the night, he was able to go downstairs and reach the lake shore, then let loose a cold and harsh howl towards the star-filled sky.

Everyone in the Orthodox Academy was roused from their sleep. Chen Changsheng and Tang Thirty-Six rushed to the lake. Seeing Zhexiu's lanky body, they were filled with some indescribable emotion and couldn't speak. Zhexiu had completely recovered, and he had even used the opportunity to open up the seventeen Qi channels that were unique to the bodies of the human–demi-human hybrids. As long as he was given sufficient time to stabilize, his strength would inevitably rise to a frightening level.

The entire capital heard this howl.

The principal alley of the Northern Military Department was silent as a grave. Zhou Tong, who seemed to have just begun recovering from a serious illness, glanced in the direction of the Orthodox Academy, his expression indifferent, as if he couldn't care less.

Zhou Tong had recently been very busy. He was busy with matters of the Imperial Court, communicating with people in the south and preparing to welcome a massive change with the new year. Yes, many people had already sensed that an undercurrent was surging forward such that the entire temple had become very quiet. However, this wasn't a bad thing. On the contrary, it brought a sort of hope.

The confluence of north and south really did seem on the verge of being put on the agenda.

No one understood why this was the case.

Su Li was still at Mount Li.

Mount Li was still in the south.

Why had so many people determined that regardless of whether Su Li was at Mount Li or not, he would not put a stop to this project?

The war with the demons was the greatest concern of the humans and demi-humans. No other matter was worthy of being discussed at the same level. The confluence of north and south was, without question, a most important component of this concern.

Whether it was the capital, the south, or White Emperor City, they all had to make their corresponding preparations for this matter.

The capital and the south had to consider how power should be divided between the two sides. White Emperor City had to consider something somewhat simpler. That Saint couple only needed to ensure that their blood could continue to rule over the demi-human domain. The continued stability of the two shores of the Red River was the greatest contribution towards the alliance between the humans and demi-humans. As a result, when the demi-humans’ diplomatic mission arrived at the capital, besides bringing Chen Changsheng and the Orthodox Academy countless presents and rewards, they had one even more important mission: to bring Princess Luoluo home.