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Way of Choices: Book I - Youths We Were, Schoolmates

Page 4

by Mao Ni


  * * *

  Chen Changsheng was very confused by what had happened today. He came to end the engagement, so how did it end up this way? He was even more confused because, even though the Divine General's estate certainly had many methods of disposing of this engagement, why had the seemingly shrewd Madam Xu chosen the stupidest method?

  There were many things he could not understand, so he no longer thought about them. It was just that, when he thought about those overbearing words Madam Xu had said to him at the reception, he could only become very curious about the young lady of the Xu Estate. Just what did she look like? Was she beautiful? Of course, if she grew up in such an estate, presumably her temperament would not be too gentle and kind…

  The Divine General's estate was massive, even larger than the entirety of Xining Village. As there was no servant to guide the way, he naturally got lost. By the time he realized this fact, he was outside a quiet and beautiful forest. When he thought about those stories recorded in books that described how some destitute son-in-law was murdered in the dark by his shameless father-in-law, he became somewhat uneasy, and yet, it was because of thoughts like these that he found it rather dull.

  Just then, he sensed a gaze resting upon his body. He turned his head and saw a girl at the head of the stone steps by the trees, standing under a stone arch. He realized he had not gotten lost, but had been deliberately guided here by someone else.

  That girl looked to be thirteen or fourteen years old. Her clothes were gorgeous and any random set of the jewelry on her body would be worth more than everything he owned. She had a beautiful appearance, and when she grew just a little bit older, she would definitely become a lovely beauty. As her black eyes spun around, she seemed very cute. It was just that this gaze was exceptionally brazen and scorchingly harsh as it sized him up from head to toe.

  Chen Changsheng was a little stunned. He thought to himself, Could this be the young lady of the Xu Estate?

  He had spent his childhood incessantly studying scriptures and so possessed superb patience. He allowed her to continue sizing him up, not asking any questions.

  Finally, that girl said her first sentence.

  "Can even Daoist priests get married?"

  Chen Changsheng noticed her gaze was on his Daoist topknot, so he explained, "I'm not a Daoist priest. Even though I'm wearing a Daoist robe and have my hair tied up in a Daoist topknot, that's just my everyday habit. It doesn't mean that I'm actually a Daoist priest."

  The girl walked up to him and asked him with a stern expression, "Are you a normal person?"

  Chen Changsheng stared blankly at her, then realized what she meant by 'normal person.' He responded, "Yes, I haven't cultivated yet."

  The girl took no notice of the fact that he had said he hadn't cultivated yet, not that he did not know how to cultivate. She stared into his eyes and very seriously asked, "Are you and the young lady really engaged?"

  After hearing these words, Chen Changsheng realized that this girl was not the young lady of the Xu Estate like he had imagined. He relaxed slightly, but for some reason, he was actually a tiny bit disappointed.

  "My lady is?"

  "I am called Shuang'er, and I am the young lady's personal maid."

  Chen Changsheng could never have imagined there existed a maid that could wear such magnificent clothes. Coupled with the fact that there was absolutely no one else around, he finally had a clearer understanding of the status this maid and her young lady had in the Divine General's estate.

  "I really am engaged to the young lady of your family."

  That maid called Shuang'er sincerely said to him, "Do not say these words again in the future."

  "Why?" Chen Changsheng sincerely asked her.

  Shuang'er looked at his appearance and felt annoyed for some reason. "You are only a normal person, so how could you possibly be with my family's young lady? Quickly turn the marriage contract into something good; otherwise, it will do you no good later on."

  Chen Changsheng looked back at her and sincerely asked, "Why?"

  It was still that one word.

  Shuang'er looked at this youth's upright appearance and suddenly began to somewhat empathize with him. "If you want to live, you should never mention this engagement to anyone, or no one will be able to safeguard your life."

  She felt she was sincerely thinking the best for this poor youth from the countryside; although the young lady could not possibly marry him, there had once been an engagement between the two of them. The young lady also knew of this person's preconditions, and so it was only right that he be allowed to live. It had never even occurred to her that when these words fell to his ears, they would seem just like a shameless threat.

  Chen Changsheng silently thought, Would the Divine General's estate really dispatch an assassin against me? The books and dramas he had read all had similar stories, but now that the Divine Empress sat on the throne, who would dare do this sort of thing in the capital?

  He replied, "If the Divine General's estate wanted me dead, then the Madam would not simply have let me go. If I did not see wrong, that old nanny is likely a very formidable figure. Anyway, it's not like many people saw me. If they just killed me and buried me under the flowers to serve as fertilizer, who would know? Since I'm still alive, it's only right to think that there should be no problems."

  Shuang'er grimly laughed, "Countless pairs of eyes are fixated on the Divine General's estate, so within the estate, you're actually rather safe. But if you were to leave the estate and continue to speak such drivel, just how long do you think you will be able to live?"

  Chen Changsheng pondered this for a moment, then said, "I don't understand."

  Shuang'er explained, "If you were to let people know that you and the young lady were engaged, what would the Longevity Sect think? And what about the Qiushan clan? Even if this were the capital of the gods, if those people wanted to kill you, no one would be able to stop them."

  Chen Changsheng asked, "The Longevity Sect and Qiushan family? What are these places?"

  Shuang'er looked at him like he was an idiot. "You know absolutely nothing?"

  Chen Changsheng was puzzled and inquired, "What should I know?"

  There were some matters this young Daoist boy from Xining Village did not know, but the entire world knew. For instance, that the Great Zhou Dynasty was currently in the Zhengtong era or that the Divine General of the East Xu Shiji was deeply trusted by the Divine Empress, and that his father had been the previous dynasty's Grand Minister and his current status came mostly from his daughter.

  Xu Shiji only had one daughter, Xu Yourong, and she was the reincarnation of the Heavenly Phoenix. She possessed an unimaginable latent talent and at a tender age succeeded at Purification. When she was twelve, she traveled south to Holy Maiden Peak to study the Heavenly Tome Monoliths. It was rumored she had already broken into the upper level of Meditation. Her reputation had spread throughout the world, and she received the adoration and respect of all. She was reckoned to be the sole candidate for the next Holy Maiden of the Divine Faith of Light.

  Whether it was in experience, bloodline, teachers, or background, she was in every aspect a nigh perfect young girl. Her admirers were naturally countless, and it was even rumored that the legendary bloodthirsty young demon prince was one of her most zealous worshippers. Yet whenever the topic of discussion turned to where Xu Yourong's blossoms might eventually fall, the people would often suggest only one name. It was a similarly dazzling and brilliant name.

  Qiushan Jun.

  The Qiushan clan was the greatest clan of the south. This generation of the Qiushan clan had produced a young child with shocking talent and absolute brilliance. He was called Qiushan Jun and it was said that he was the reincarnation of the Divine Dragon. He was the eldest disciple of the Longevity Sect and the head of the Divine Kingdom's Seven Laws. He cultivated under the guidance of the sect elders of the south. This year, he was eighteen years old and had already been acknowledged as
the person on the Eastern Continent most likely to be the greatest expert in the coming centuries.

  The Divine Dragon and the Heavenly Phoenix, Qiushan Jun and Xu Yourong, were brother and sister, sharing the same sects and teachers. They were truly this generation’s most dazzling objects. It was simply impossible to find a third youth who was equal to them.

  The entire world knew that Qiushan Jun had always loved Xu Yourong and had been waiting for her to grow older. The seniors and disciples of the Longevity Sect, the Great Zhou Dynasty, and the people of the Qiushan clan all felt this was a match made in heaven. Mo Yu of the Great Zhou Imperial Palace even once said that the Divine Empress thought highly of this famous story.

  And yet, there suddenly appeared a young Daoist boy with a marriage contract who had come to the general's estate.

  He said he was Xu Yourong's fiancée.

  If this matter were to get out…

  Perhaps the entire continent would be stupefied.

  The flower garden was quiet. Some bamboo leaves were blown by the wind past the stone arch.

  "Now you know." Shuang'er looked at Chen Changsheng and said, "You are just a normal person, cut off from the young lady's world by a vast river of stars. You will never be able to cross it. For your own good, it's best if you completely forget the matter."

  Chen Changsheng had truly not imagined that the girl he was engaged to was actually such an extraordinary figure. He thought about this, then asked, "Why did the Madam not tell me this?"

  Shuang'er answered, "Because the Madam was afraid that after you learned of it, you would come up with more requests."

  He lifted his head and asked, "Why did you tell me this?"

  Shuang'er replied, "Because the young lady sent me a letter mentioning you. The young lady is a kind-hearted person. Although she won't marry you, she also isn't willing to let you die without knowing what's going on. In addition…I feel that you should be a smart person. After learning these things, you should know yourself well enough to make the only right decision."

  Chen Changsheng replied, "I understand."

  With these words, he began to walk to the other side of the stone arch, treading upon the bamboo leaves and making them rustle.

  Shuang'er was at a loss. She thought to herself, Just what is he doing?

  Chen Changsheng suddenly stopped and turned back.

  Shuang'er exhaled and her petite hand gently rested against her chest, waiting for his decision.

  Chen Changsheng looked at her and asked, "I want to leave; which way should I go?"

  Chapter 3 – This is a Crude Name, But…

  It took a while for Shuang'er to come to her senses.

  She could see this Daoist youth was not deliberately teasing or playing with her, but rather had truly not taken her words to heart. Seeing the youth's calm and serious expression, she began to get angry for some reason.

  She hatefully declared, "You will die."

  Chen Changsheng opened his eyes wide and replied, "Everyone will die."

  Shuang'er retorted, "You know that this is not my meaning."

  Chen Changsheng very earnestly replied, "Thank you for telling me these things."

  Shuang'er's face was extremely unsightly. "The Madam wanted to end the engagement. Your response was to get payback. What need was there to insist on getting angry and saying that you came to end the engagement? Could it be that you thought that this was the only way you could recover a little face? If that really was the case, then whatever, but why did you have to change your mind at the end? Such a fickle look is really not appealing."

  "In truth…I really came to end the engagement. It's not important whether you believe it or not. It's just that right now, I really don't want to end it anymore."

  "Why?"

  Chen Changsheng cocked his head as he pondered this question. A smile gradually appeared on his young and tender face, because he had found an answer that he could convince himself with. "Because…you never asked me for my name."

  Shuang'er did not understand.

  "From the moment I entered the estate until now, whether it was the Madam or you, none of you asked me for my name."

  Chen Changsheng looked at her and seriously said, "I am called Chen Changsheng[3]. I know that this name is very crude, but Master hoped that I could live forever. The intention was very good, so I've always used this name."

  While he was speaking, his eyes were very bright and his expression upright.

  Shuang'er abruptly felt that this seemingly normal Daoist boy seemed to be emitting a sort of light. It was probably from that serious temperament. She understood his reason, and she mysteriously felt a sense of shame.

  From the moment he entered the Divine General's estate until now, no one had asked him his name, but he had never shown any anger or seemed to suffer any humiliation. Whether he was talking to the Madam or Shuang'er, he always acted very courteously, not lacking in any aspect of etiquette, even to the extent that he felt rather stuffy. However, the wondrous thing was that those people who made him unhappy were even unhappier than he was in the end.

  It wasn't that he was specialized in making other people unhappy, but rather that he very earnestly did the things he thought should be done. No matter if it was ending the engagement or changing his mind, he felt it was all right and proper. He was absolutely certain, so much so that it made people feel like they couldn't object. Consequently, those people who he made unhappy would eventually become so depressed that it was very difficult for them to be happy again.

  Shuang'er had grown up in the Divine General's estate. Her status was exceptionally high because of her young lady. Even the Divine General and his Madam did not say any harsh words to her. She had never before encountered a person like Chen Changsheng and was unused to this sort of feeling. She subconsciously began to feel uneasy. Perhaps to convince Chen Changsheng or to convince herself, she strengthened the tone of her voice and spoke.

  "In the entire continent, only my young lady has the true blood of the Phoenix! She is unique!"

  "In my senior brother's notebook, there is a phrase which I've always felt to be very reasonable. Today, I will give it to you in the hopes that you will be able to seriously learn from it in the future. He said, ‘Every person in the world is unique.’"

  Chen Changsheng spoke sincerely to her.

  * * *

  At the end of the long street was a simple stone bridge. Under the bridge flowed not the Luo River, but an unremarkable little stream. Chen Changsheng walked onto the bridge and turned to look back at the general's estate. He saw countless quiet, but still bustling, great houses and beautiful gardens, the Xu Estate standing out amongst the rest as the most eye-catching and illustrious. He couldn't help but shake his head.

  On arriving in the capital, he had neither gone to any of those famous sights, nor was he in a rush to head to the Mausoleum of Books. Rather, he had freshened himself up a little by the Luo River and headed directly to the general's estate; he had wanted to end the engagement. He was in a rush. If he became wed to the young lady of the general's estate and if his illness could not be cured, was there any need to involve the other side? Even if it could be cured, it would most likely waste many years.

  He did not wish to waste the years of her youth, yet he had not imagined that, in the Xu Estate, he would encounter that arrogance, that contempt, and that ridicule. Now, as he thought about it, after he turned ten the temple no longer received gifts from the other side. The two sides had cut off relations, perhaps indicating that the other party had long had the intention of breaking the contract. He had come today to voluntarily annul the engagement, so it should have been achieved effortlessly, an affair which both sides should have been delighted to see. But he did not think he would encounter this sort of display, and as a result, he decided to change his mind on the spot.

  He had not cultivated and wasn't a Daoist priest, but he had studied the Daoist scriptures since he was a child and had been deeply influenc
ed by them. Combined with his gloomy future prospects, among the three thousand great Daos, he had chosen the one of following his heart. The so-called ‘following his heart’ was to do everything in a way that left him with a clear conscience. Journeying ten thousand li from afar to come to the capital and end the engagement was following his heart. To not end the engagement was also following his heart. The Divine General’s estate had been discourteous, so he did not want them to follow their hearts. If he allowed that, it would be difficult for him to be in accord with his heart's desire.

  Of course, even now, Chen Changsheng only wanted the Madam who concealed coldness behind a kind face and the maid who only looked at the sky to feel a little anxious. After a few days, he would return the marriage contract to the other side. Human life was beyond value. The young lady Xu's happiness was always more important than the cold reception and arrogant gazes he received. He still felt this way.

 

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