Ze Tian Ji

Edited by: Michyrr

Guan Bai was the greatest pride of the Heavenly Dao Academy in these last few years, his status on par with Qiushan Jun’s in the Mount Li Sword Sect. He was known as Famous Name Guan Bai.

This extremely talented young expert had suffered a heavy blow several years ago—one of his arms had been cut off by Wuqiong Bi.

But when everyone believed that he was about to wither away, he blew away their expectations by determinedly climbing from the abyss of despair. With diligent and strenuous cultivation, he regained his former strength, and coupled with his arduous battle in the north against demon experts over the last few years, his cultivation in the sword incessantly advanced. He charged through the threshold of the upper level of Star Condensation and his position on the Proclamation of Liberation was fast approaching Liang Wangsun and Xiaode.

If Chen Changsheng chose Guan Bai to be Archbishop of the Hall of Illustrious Persons, such a moral person with such sterling achievements, legendary experience, and a background in the Heavenly Dao Academy would receive widespread support. Even if someone did want to question Chen Changsheng, it would be difficult to directly voice their concerns.

"The surprising choice is often a rather excellent choice."

Tang Thirty-Six creased his brow and said, "The only problem is that his experience is a little shallow, and also... he’s Zhuang Zhihuan’s student. To have the student manage the teacher is a rather strange feeling, and I think that even Guan Bai himself would find it hard to bear."

Chen Changsheng said, "He’s probably coming back for this Grand Examination. When the time comes, I’ll try my best to convince him."

In the Boiling Stone Summit on Mount Han, Guan Bai had fought with Chen Changsheng, and Chen Changsheng had returned to the capital with serious injuries, indirectly leading to those events that shook the world. Guan Bai, on the other hand, had gone to Snowhold Pass, defending against the demons in that world of snow and ice for three years.

In these three years, Chen Changsheng had also been in the mountains of the north, but he had never gone to meet Guan Bai.

The room suddenly fell silent.

Because Snowhold Pass and the Proclamation of Liberation that Guan Bai was on had made Chen Changsheng and Tang Thirty-Six recall a person.

Xiao Zhang had been pursued across the world by the assassins from the Great Zhou Army and the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets, and had ultimately been forced into the north. It was said that the two sides had engaged in a bloody battle at Snowhold Pass, after which Xiao Zhang vanished into the snowy plains. No one knew whether he was still alive, and what he would do if so.

As they thought about that chain over the river, the tyrannical figure descending from the skies, the piece of paper flapping in the wind, the aroma of tea engulfing the entire city, and those tea merchants who were heedless of death, Chen Changsheng and Tang Thirty-Six remained quiet for a very long time.

"Let’s talk about a few proper matters."

Tang Thirty-Six did not like this sort of oppressive mood. "When will you give the questions to me?"

Chen Changsheng was very confused and did not understand what he meant.

Tang Thirty-Six glanced outside the hall and then whispered, "The literary test isn’t necessary. I only need the martial test."

Chen Changsheng blankly stared for quite some time before he finally got it. Opening his eyes wide, he asked, "You want me to leak the questions?"

Seeing those bright and clear eyes, free of impurity, Tang Thirty-Six felt somewhat ashamed, and then inexplicably angry.

"Don’t forget that you’re also the Principal of the Orthodox Academy! What’s wrong with seeking an advantage for the students? If it wasn’t for Priest Xin back then specifically coming over to leak the questions to us, would that rigid and inflexible brain of yours be able to think about borrowing Xu Yourong’s crane to cross the Qu River?"

Normally, Chen Changsheng might have responded by very earnestly saying, "Is this what it means to get angry from embarrassment?" But he did not say it today, because he had heard Priest Xin’s name, which had once more made him recall that city brimming with the aroma of tea.

Chen Changsheng walked to the window and silently looked out.

Priest Xin was dead, Archbishop Mei Lisha had died long ago, and his martial uncle the Pope was also dead.

This Li Palace was now his, but it was also foreign to him, because all those people he was familiar with were no longer here.

The Li Palace now was rather cold and cheerless, but its will was even more united. Yet this was still not enough to directly confront the Great Zhou Imperial Court.

The most critical problem was that his master Shang Xingzhou’s prestige in the Orthodoxy was too high.

If it really did come down to a war, though there would probably be no defections, at least a third of the Li Palace’s priests would choose to remain silent or retreat.

As spring began to pervade the air, the ivy growing on the stone walls of the Li Palace gradually began to reveal its alluring green.

The sight of these stone walls made him think back to his first look at the Orthodox Academy. Chen Changsheng felt somewhat emotional.

From a certain standpoint, from the moment he was born to the moment he entered the Orthodox Academy, his entire life had been planned out by Shang Xingzhou.

He had a very complicated attitude toward Shang Xingzhou.

Shang Xingzhou probably felt the same toward him.

He had originally believed that the events of White Emperor City could be a turning point.

Since he had been tacitly allowed to return to the capital, a discussion would be had between this master and disciple, whether it would end up in war or peace.

But who could have expected that Shang Xingzhou would go to Luoyang...

Master is not even willing to see me?

The cry of a goose broke Chen Changsheng out of his pensive mood.

Several garish red streaks flew over the tender green ivy and across the azure blue sky.

These were Red Geese, carrying messages.

"What’s happened?"

Tang Thirty-Six walked up to his side. As he saw those Red Geese landing in different parts of the capital, he suddenly felt uneasy.

In a short time, Hu Thirty-Two came by and said, "Everyone participating in the Grand Examination has arrived."

This news did not dispel the unease in Tang Thirty-Six’s heart. On the contrary, it worsened.

Although the Grand Examination was a grand affair, there was no need for the Li Palace and the Imperial Court to use so many Red Geese at the same time to send urgent messages.

"Just who has come?"

"The information I have received on my end is not complete."

Hu Thirty-Two glanced at Chen Changsheng and continued, "Quite a lot of people should have arrived."

Not long after, Linghai Zhiwang hurried in from outside the Li Palace and declared, "Everyone is here."

Even someone as proud and emotionless as him couldn’t stop his voice from trembling as he said this.

It naturally wasn’t fear, but excitement.

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The students taking part in the Grand Examination came in from all parts of the continent to the capital, with many of them coming from the south.

The south had many sects, its noble clans all had deep resources, and it had numerous experts and masters. Over the last few years, as the Mount Li Sword Sect and Scholartree Manor rose in prestige, the number of cultivators it contributed to the younger generation far exceeded that of the Ivy Academies, which represented the northern powers. However, the capital was quaking today not because of the pressure brought by the students of the south, but because too many teachers and elders had come with them, and all of them were of resounding reputation!

Only two disciples from the Mount Li Sword Sect were taking part in the Grand Examination, but they were accompanied by ten-some people. This was in stark contrast to the light and easygoing manner in which Gou Hanshi’s group had come to participate in the Grand Examination, and this current group of ten-some people also included the stunning young geniuses of the sword that were Gou Hanshi, Guan Feibai, Liang Banhu, and Bai Cai. As for the rest of the group, they were even more terrifying, as they were all upper level Star Condensation elders of the Sword Hall!

Only one disciple from South Stream Temple was taking part in the Grand Examination, but all the disciples of Holy Maiden Peak had come.

All the people of the capital were dumbstruck by the drifting white robes of the several hundred maidens.

The chief of Gentle Stream Monastery, the new Sect Master of the Blazing Sun Sect, and the experts of thirty-some other sects of the south had also entered the capital.

The Old Lady of the Mutuo clan and the head of the Wu clan, three years after the coup of the Mausoleum of Books, entered the capital once more.

On a certain mountain outside the capital, somebody had even seen the carriage of the Qiushan clan.

Linghai Zhiwang’s words were extremely accurate.

Every expert of the south that anyone could think of, other than the Mount Li Sword Sect Master and those other elders who had been secluded for many years, had come to the capital.

No one knew that two Daoist nuns of ambiguous age had silently entered the capital and were now residing in the Prince of Louyang’s old estate.

But people did know that Wang Po had come with his blade.

Because a crack had appeared on the Luo River.

In the space of a single night, the trees outside the Imperial Palace turned yellow as if transformed into ginkgo trees.