Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)
chapter-422

Chapter 422 You Are Chen Changsheng?

Zhu Luo’s voice was very angry and very severe. It was very difficult to prefix the word ‘severe’, but if one were to discuss the most fitting term, then nothing would be better than the word ‘blood’, just like how the cuckoo called so much that it began to cry blood.[Note] It was just that this description did not match with his identity. Of course, if one associated this with his current enemy, that the target of his denouncement was the Holy Maiden of the south, then perhaps they would understand a bit more.

“In any case, you have violated the oath made by the Saints back then!”

Zhu Luo’s enraged accusation echoed through the deathly silence of Xunyang City. This silence was completely different from that of Guan Xingke. When the people heard this accusation, the vast majority of them had no idea what this oath of the Saints was. They could only think of a statement enshrined in the highest laws of every country.

The rough meaning of this statement was this: heaven makes no distinction between north and south, the earth pays no regard to east and west. As long as they were within the united realm consisting of the human world and the land along the two shores of the Red River, those experts that had stepped into the Divine Domain were not allowed to argue with each other, much less engage in battle. Only if that Divine Domain expert had done something completely against the general interest of the alliance would conflict be allowed—this was the so-called oath of the Saints.

Considering it from the perspective of the humans and demi-humans uniting against the demons, this oath was undoubtedly very reasonable and also most necessary. The Holy Maiden’s attacks against Zhu Luo and Guan Xingke were the firmest violation of this oath.

“Then what about you two? The entire world knows that although my senior brother is not one of the Saints nor one of the Eight Storms, his cultivation has long since stepped into the Divine Domain. For what reason can you attack him?”

The Holy Maiden gazed in the direction of the city gate and said, “Wang Po is one of the five young people that is most likely to step into the Divine Domain, and you would actually selfishly wish to kill him? Could this not be a violation of the oath we Saints made that year?”

Her expression and tone were both very serene, yet they naturally emitted a dignified and holy aura.

Zhu Luo furiously shouted back, “Wang Po is unaware of the big picture. As his senior, how is it selfish that I discipline him?”

The Holy Maiden calmly continued, “The Zhu clan of Tianliang County wants to endure throughout the ages, so how could you let Wang Po of Tianliang continue to mature? If you insist on concealing your own selfish motives, then perhaps it means you aren’t even willing to face your true self.”

Zhu Luo was exceedingly angry and was preparing to refute this, when the Holy Maiden continued, “All oaths are words from the heart. For the Pope and Senior Brother Mei’s sake, I will not kill you today. Go.”

Hearing these words, Zhu Luo’s anger assaulted his heart and his injuries suddenly broke out, causing blood to flow out of him at an even faster rate. Guan Xingke, who had remained silent the entire time, saw this miserable scene, and then suddenly aimed a supercilious look at the dark clouds above Xunyang City.

This supercilious look was not friendly. It was loathing, it was disdain, and it was especially anger. Those low-hanging clouds suddenly seemed ready to part, and one could even make out the distant radiance of a few stars in the night sky!

The starlight erupted, shrouding all of Xunyang City, descending upon the soaked streets like the frost of an autumn day. A somber atmosphere pervaded the city.

Separated by ten-odd li, the Holy Maiden gazed at Guan Xingke over by the city gate, lifted her right hand, and pointed.

There was a shattering sound followed by countless more shattering sounds.

It was like the sound of some expert specializing in area attacks using a staff to break tens of thousands of porcelain vases at once.

It was also like the sound of the seas of consciousness of countless cultivators snapping—

Incomparably crisp, purifying the heart and moving the soul.

Crackcrackcrackcrack!

The snowflakes descending from the sky broke. The frost just congealing on the surface of the puddles broke.

In the ten-odd li between the Holy Maiden and the city gate, everything broke.

Guan Xingke’s bamboo hat also broke into shreds. His lips, too, broke and began to bleed.

His heart, brimming with hostility and pride, in this instant, also finally broke. He no longer had any hesitation. Supporting Zhu Luo, he turned and began running out of the city towards that plain seemingly covered in the night, though no one knew what time of day it actually was. In a few seconds, he had vanished without a trace.

Xunyang City was incomparably quiet, as if there wasn’t a single person within.

Those normal people that didn’t have the ability to participate in this battle were all hiding in their own houses, on top of or within their kangs, behind their windows or in front of their fences. They were still frightened and anxious, even attempting to suppress their breaths.

Those cultivators that did have the ability to participate in this battle, those cultivators that wanted to kill Su Li, could also only follow in Zhu Luo and Guan Xingke’s footsteps and depart, including such experts as Liang Wangsun and Xue He.

Hua Jiefu took the priests in Xunyang City and began to isolate the streets ravaged by the storm, leaving a silent and deserted space for a conversation to take place—the people worthy of remaining at the scene, besides Su Li and the Holy Maiden of the south, were naturally those three who used their lives and unimaginable will to protect Su Li so that he could live up to this point.

This plan had its origins in the events of the Garden of Zhou, the brush was put to the paper on the snowy plains with the encirclement of the demons, and then it persisted from the military fort down to this cold-blooded killing in Xunyang City, where it all finally came to an end. This assassination of Su Li finally had its conclusion—Su Li had not died and those people that wanted to kill him had all failed.

From the military fort to Xunyang City, he had been accompanied by Chen Changsheng all the way. However, he was keenly aware that the person that was ultimately able to resolve this problem was that friend of his which the entire continent was unaware of.

Of course, the word ‘friend’ here was open to question.

Perhaps truly because this status was open to question, Su Li was somewhat embarrassed. He gazed at the Holy Maiden, giving off a low-key yet very natural feeling, and said, “How come you came so late?”

Anyone who had just rescued another and then heard such accusing words would get very angry, but not the Holy Maiden. On the contrary, she very serenely replied, “I was delayed by someone for a while.”

Serenity truly was a sort of strength, representing sincerity.

Su Li had felt this sort of strength many years ago, yet he still had no idea how to confront it. The so-called traveling the four seas and disregarding the affairs of the world was for the most part because he wanted to avoid this strength. Even now, he still had no idea how to directly face it, but he had at least learned how to change the subject.

“Who delayed you?”

The Holy Maiden did not directly answer his question, saying, “My disciple was heavily injured.”

It was then that a rather uncertain but certainly concerned and shocked voice rang out.

“Xu Yourong was injured? She…is she okay?”

The person who asked this question was naturally Chen Changsheng.

The Holy Maiden’s gaze rested on the youth’s body.

She did not smile, not even the lightest of smiles.

She was very calm, and thus very dignified, solemn, and terrifying.

She asked, “You are Chen Changsheng?”

Chen Changsheng suddenly understood where the problem lay.

He had a very hostile relationship with Xu Yourong, hostile in every way. He had once thought that if he were a relative of Xu Yourong’s, he would definitely have a very poor opinion of that youth called Chen Changsheng.

The Holy Maiden was Xu Yourong’s teacher, the person that most cherished and doted upon Xu Yourong.

However, he had just experienced a grand battle and asked himself about his own life and death. At this point, he absolutely could not back down.

He looked at the Holy Maiden and said very sincerely, “Yes, I am Chen Changsheng.”

[Note]: The first part of this paragraph is rather difficult to translate. The word ‘厉’ means ‘severe’ or ‘critical’ but when used in the term ‘凄厉’, it means sad or bitter. But in this case, it says that the most fitting word is ‘血’, blood, as in ‘血厉’, and compares this to a line about cuckoo birds crying blood. This saying refers to how, back in ancient China, the cuckoo bird during the spring and summer would call out all night long. Because the cuckoo’s beak was red, people mistook this as the cuckoo crying out so much that it was bleeding. ‘Cuckoos crying blood’ is a phrase meaning an extreme grief or sorrow.