Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)
chapter-200

His whole body was clad with old armor, which was covered in dust. He had sat there guarding the mausoleum for hundreds of years.

Chen Changsheng looked at the pavilion from far away and looked at that legendary divine general. He stayed silent.

From time to time, the mountain wind would cause the water from the waterfall to drift into the pavilion, landing on the worn-out armor. The water could not wash off the dust on the armor, but instead it made the armor dirty faster. The person within the armor did not move, and he sat on the rock with his head down. He leaned on his sword as if he was sleeping.

In the past hundreds of years, the number one divine general of the continent, Han Qing had always held the mausoleum guard position. Without a question, it was an extremely great honor. However, no matter if it was storming or snowing, he would guard the mausoleum day and night. He would guard all the way until he became a part of the Mausoleum of Books itself. How lonely was such a lifestyle?

Seeing such a scene, Chen Changsheng very naturally thought up of Jin Yulu. After the gate of the Orthodox Academy was destroyed, Jin Yulu always sat on that bamboo chair, even though it was just an academy gate. However, when compared with this legendary divine general in the pavilion, only their sitting position was different. Afterwards, he thought of that huge war hundreds of years ago, and thought that perhaps Jin Yulu and this person really did know each other.

He did not leave, nor did he walk up. In between a dozen or so of the shallow canals, he stared quietly at the pavilion, and stayed silent for a long time. Afterall, he was still a fifteen year-old teenager, and only felt deeply moved occasionally. The complicated feelings in his heart did not last for too long, and instead felt more respect and surprise.

After an unknown amount of time, he bowed towards the pavilion before turning around and leaving. He continued to walk around the Mausoleum of Books.

The scenery within the Education Palace was actually even more beautiful than the scenery within the Mausoleum of Books, but that kind of beauty always had a fake feeling from being cut off from the rest of the world. Or perhaps it was because those azure skies and pure white clouds were too perfect. So after looking at them for a long time, it was very easy to tire of it, which urged people to keep far away from it.

Luoluo stood on the edge of the hall’s highest railing and looked at those silky, wispy clouds far away. Her pretty face revealed an expression of slight annoyance and said, “Why can’t I go to the Mausoleum of Books?”

Chen Changsheng and Tang Thirty-Six had both entered the Mausoleum of Books. After leaving the royal palace, Jin Yulu had arrived at the Education Palace to see her. After hearing what she had said, he replied in a distressed manner, “Princess, you obviously can enter the Mausoleum of Books. You can go whenever you want, but not now, because you…… don’t have a result for the Grand Examination?”

“Then, why can Zhexiu go in?” Luoluo turned around, and asked.

“Wofu Zhexiu is only a loner.” Jin Yulu looked at her and said with a serious expression, “The Zhou Dynasty focuses mainly on war merit, so ever since the Empress visited the Star Seizer Academy, everybody has been nice to him. However, he is still a loner. People will not be overly cautious with him, but they will also not overly focus their attention on him.”

“I hope Master can help that pitiful child.” Luoluo spoke slightly pitifully. She was even slightly younger than Zhexiu, but as the princess of the Fae race, all the Fae teenagers were children in her eyes. Also, she sympathized with him very deeply because of Zhexiu’s bloodline. She really hoped Chen Changsheng could help him.

Jin Yulu sighed and began saying, “Wofu Zhexiu’s problem is much harder to deal with than yours. If it weren’t for its difficulty, perhaps your mother would have already sent people to take him back to White Emperor City. How could she let him wander the snowy plains for all these years and rely on killing separate members of the Demon race to survive?”

Luoluo knew what Jin Yulu had spoken was the truth. She sighed gently and turned around to ask, “I can’t enter the Mausoleum of Books, but what about the Garden of Zhou?”

Only those who had reached the Ethereal Opening Realm could enter the Garden of Zhou. However, she believed that she could break through within a month, even though she did not enter the Mausoleum of Books to view the tablets.

“Even if princess is able to break through, His Majesty would definitely not allow you to enter the Garden of Zhou.”

Jin Yulu said, “Even if His Majesty gave you permission, the two Saints within the capital would not risk it.”

On the stone steps in front of the Education Board, officials and clergymen were bustling around without stopping. Some were going up, and some were coming down. They seemed like ants that were foraging in all directions. Currently, the sky had already darkened slightly, and the light of the setting sun reached the stone steps. This caused their shadows to elongate drastically. It was as if there was a fire on the stone steps, and the people were walking around within it.

The building’s innermost room was covered with plum blossoms. Inside, the Archbishop Mei Lisha suddenly opened his eyes and asked in a slightly exhausted manner, “What is that child doing?”

Minister Xin who was beside him began to speak, but stopped. He hesitated for a short time before saying, “He…… is moseying around. He seems to be enjoying the scenery.”

“Enjoying the scenery?”

Mei Lisha gazed at the glow of the burning sunset, and his misty eyes became clearer from the splendid light. He asked with a slightly weird expression, “Perhaps that is the only thing he has done from morning until now?”

“Yes.” Minister Xin was a little nervous and replied with a low voice, “He has already moseyed an entire circle around the Mausoleum of Books.”

Mei Lisha frowned slightly. The room was incomparably quiet, and the atmosphere immediately became especially constraining.

Just when Minister Xin thought that he would explode into a raging fury, instead he heard the sound of laughter.

The elderly man’s laugh was somewhat hoarse, but after listening to it, it was truly a cheerful and happy laugh without any other feelings.

“In the Mausoleum of Books, he does not view the Heavenly Tomes, but the scenery instead?”

Mei Lisha held onto the seat and slowly stood up. Afterwards, he walked to the window with the support of Minister Xin, and he gazed southwards at that green mountain, which seemed to burn in the setting sun. He smiled while shaking his head, but he remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, “I am very curious. What does he really want to do?”

In the Hall of Grand Clarity’s side hall, Mo Yu had just finished with handling state documents. She rubbed the space between her eyebrows tiresomely. While looking at the setting sun in front of the hall, she remembered that today was the first day when the Grand Examination examinees entered the Mausoleum of Books to view the tablets. She looked at the female official by her side and asked, “How is it?”

The female official relayed the process of having those young examinees leave the Imperial Palace to enter the Mausoleum of Books. She described everything in detail and did not forget to include any of the important information.

However, Mo Yu felt that something was missing and asked while frowning slightly, “What did Chen Changsheng do? Did he go and view the first few tablets?”

The female official had never thought that Lady Mo Yu would actually care so much about a single examinee. After being startled slightly, she quickly went to find the record and passed it over.

Mo Yu flipped open the record and glanced through it. Her expression changed suddenly, and her thin brows were slightly raised. With a cold expression, she said, “This guy, what exactly does he want to do? During such an important moment, he actually still wastes time.”

A similar report was sent to the Tianhai Clan at noon.

Of the Orthodoxy’s six figureheads, the three archbishops who stayed in the capital currently sat in the main hall of the Li Palace. After seeing the news from the Mausoleum of Books, they all did not know what to say.

Today, the entire capital had paid attention to Chen Changsheng’s actions within the Mausoleum of Books. He was first place in the first banner, and he had undergone his Ethereal Opening at such a young age. Furthermore, the Pope had already used certain methods twice to show benevolence and love to this teenager. Many people wanted to know that if he viewed the tablets in the Mausoleum of Books and attempted to comprehend the Dao, would he bring shock to the world again?

Chen Changsheng had done it. He had once again shocked the entire capital.

Throughout the whole day, he did not do anything at all. View the tablets and comprehend the Dao? He did not see a single stone tablet, and have not even properly entered the Mausoleum of Books. He only strolled a lap around the mausoleum. He saw a lot of scenery, and stared blanked many times, just like a true tourist, like the type of tourist that had the most time.