by Mao Ni
He walked over to the millstone and slowly crouched. He firmly gripped his hands on the millstone and took five slow and deep breaths. He poured all the strength in his body into his waist and his arms and with a grunt, exploded with strength!
The crowd in front of the slanted stone steps suddenly grew quiet. Those spectators that had just been chatting were so stunned that they forgot what they were about to say. With their mouths agape, they stared at this scene.
The millstone slowly rose up. Finally, Chen Changsheng raised it up to his chest, no more, no less, passing the assessment's standard by a single inch!
His face was somewhat red, but his expression was still calm. There were no signs of panic or anxiety in his eyes.
Boom! The scene erupted in applause. The spectators incessantly cheered the youth on, using the rhythm of their cheers to help the youth move his feet.
Chen Changsheng took one step forward. It was just one step, but his knees began to tremble.
To lift up the millstone was one thing, but to lift this weighty millstone and walk up those stone steps was another thing entirely.
His breathing became somewhat ragged and his face grew increasingly red.
He didn't make a single sound, but from his slightly bulging cheeks, it could be seen that he was forcefully clenching his teeth.
Step by step, he walked towards the stone steps.
Chen Changsheng truly had not undergone Purification. Logically, his flesh and bones were only at the level of an ordinary youth. It would even be proper that they were weaker than an ordinary youth's, given his childhood illness. But it was precisely because he was ill, and with a difficult-to-cure illness at that, that the three people in Xining Village's old temple, including Chen Changsheng, were concerned with his body first and foremost.
From the moment he could understand, he had been forced to recite the Three Thousand Scriptures of the Dao in the old temple. At the same time, that eccentric Daoist priest who was his master had begun digging up medicinal herbs and boiling them together so that he could bathe in it. Senior Yu Ren would take up thorns and wooden sticks and beat him so as to toughen his body. In these ten-odd years, the people he was most familiar with were these three people in the old temple and the smell that he was most familiar with was the smell of books, medicine, and wooden sticks.
After a long period of treating and beating, his illness had not been cured and it was impossible for him to obtain the innate divine strength of that demi-human youth, but his originally incomparably feeble body was at least no longer as weak as an ordinary person's. It could even be said that his body was slightly stronger than normal. Although he was only healthy and strong on the surface, it still made him very happy.
A youth that been ill since he was a child and then been enveloped by a dark shadow at the age of ten would certainly care more about his body than other people and pay more attention to the details. Thus, today at Star Seizer Academy, when he silently walked up to the millstone, he was only thinking about using his own strength to pass this assessment.
He wanted to lift up this heavy millstone to prove some things to himself and simultaneously express his gratitude to his master and senior.
One step, two steps, three steps, four steps.
Chen Changsheng's breathing grew heavier and heavier, his face more and more unsightly. The black hair bound tightly in a bun had long since been drenched in sweat, but the expression in his eyes was still calm and assured.
The cheers and encouragement from the two sides of the stone steps had already come to a stop. Everyone was looking at the bowed youth as he strenuously walked forward, trembling and swaying his way up the stone steps. They were very concerned and yet filled with admiration. There were several times when it seemed like that youth was about to fall, but he seemed to pull strength from some place and actually endured!
The military instructor at the top of the steps looked at Chen Changsheng, his eyes filled with admiration.
Seven steps, eight steps, nine steps.
Chen Changsheng's steps had become slower and slower.
The praise in the military instructor's eyes was growing ever higher. He was very surprised by the level this youth had shown; as a member of the military, he cared about the willpower and bravery that Chen Changsheng showed. He had already decided that even if Chen Changsheng could not bring the millstone to the top of the steps, he would still let him pass this preliminary examination. As for if it would affect the academy and the Great Zhou military's reputation…
The military instructor gazed at the nervous crowd and his heart felt a little more at ease. He thought to himself that it shouldn't be. It seemed that the vast majority of the crowd believed the same as he did.
An earnest and hardworking child was worthy of a special reward.
While he thought about these things, the military instructor became somewhat absentminded. He wasn't looking at the stone steps until at a certain point, he awoke from his stupor and realized that the faces of the crowd had abruptly changed.
He turned his head and saw that there was an extra person by his side.
It was an extremely exhausted youth, drenched in sweat.
The military instructor thought that he didn't have to make things difficult for himself anymore. He smiled and patted the youth on the shoulder.
Chen Changsheng had walked to the top of the steps.
That weighty millstone lay at his feet.
He had succeeded.
Chapter 9 – Did I Do Something Wrong?
Chen Changsheng had successfully entered the formal entrance examination for the Star Seizer Academy. This time, it was not like the Heavenly Dao Academy where he had been greeted by ridicule and cold gazes. What awaited him were earnest hopes and warm, encouraging gazes. This made him feel very warm and very determined, putting him in an excellent state of mind.
When the various schools of the capital recruited students, they emphasized different things. The Heavenly Dao Academy stressed the teachings of the Orthodoxy and talent in cultivation. Star Seizer Academy did not care as much about cultivation. The Great Zhou Army had always believed that cultivation was something to worry about after entering the academy. They cared more about the military achievements of those examinees, as well as their sense of discipline. For this reason, the test for Star Seizer Academy did not have as many questions as that of the Heavenly Dao Academy, but the form of writing questions, and even one's name, was subject to an incredibly strict standard. In addition, the questions primarily emphasized battle simulations and battle analysis.
If Chen Changsheng could be said to have a talent, then his memorization of those many books from the time that he was a child could be said to be his greatest talent. Just like with the Heavenly Dao Academy test, the moment he opened up the scroll, he found the first question he saw to be very familiar. The Three Thousand Great Daos were all-encompassing—this could be said with certainty. The contents of the countless fields of study which were as numerous as the stars in the sky were all within them, so it was only a matter of course that those famous military strategies and those renowned battles from history were also included. As for the war between the humans and the demons, it was even more so described in exquisite detail. He remembered those things, so he naturally wouldn't answer incorrectly.
Chen Changsheng very smoothly concluded the examination and then went with his fellow test-takers to the front of the Military Discipline Building to await the announcement of the final round of results. Standing in front of a statue of a divine beast that represented the strict military discipline of the Great Zhou Army, he began to recall the contents of the test and confirmed to himself that there shouldn't be any difficulty entering the Star Seizer Academy. Relaxing somewhat, he looked at that sour-faced demi-human youth and then stood on his tiptoes to give the youth a few kind pats on the shoulder in consolation—it was clear to see that this demi-human youth with innately divine strength did not have too much understand
ing of the military strategies and battles of humans and had tested rather poorly.
The sun was about to set behind the mountains and its warm light illuminated the cold iron fence that lay between the divine beast and the Military Discipline Building. The light caused a marvelous and enchanting feeling to arise. As Chen Changsheng stood in the light and gazed at that stone wall which was still as empty as an open field, his face was brimming with happy smiles and expectations for the future.
But he did not know that soon after, he would still receive bitter disappointment.
* * *
"Why?"
That officer who had been in charge of supervising the millstone-lifting assessment as well as that other solemn-faced military instructor stood in front of a desk, asking the middle-aged general sitting behind it. This officer's face was abnormally ashen, making it blindingly obvious that he was just barely suppressing his anger.
The middle-aged general was expressionless, his eyebrows like two ink silkworms. Unangered and mighty, he listened to his subordinate’s indignant questions. He slightly wrinkled his brow and said, "Is this how you ask questions of your superior?"
The two military instructors halted at these words. One of them pointed out of the building at the setting sun and said, "Although we are the only ones that have seen that exam paper, many of our colleagues are paying close attention to that examinee called Chen Changsheng. Although my manners may be rude, if our colleagues were to find out about this conclusion, they would also have similar questions."
The middle-aged general asked, "In the end, he's a youth that hasn't even succeeded at Purification. Why do you care about him so much?"
That military instructor angrily took one step forward, stabbing his finger out at that exam paper on the table which had been kneaded around so much that it was basically waste paper. He said, "Sir, you have also seen that exam paper. Sir should clearly understand that in these past ten-odd years, in all the previous entrance examinations, there has never been such a perfect exam paper. Whether it's adherence to the writing format or analysis of battles, there is not a single gap, not a single miswritten character. Even his brushstrokes were exactly the right thickness. Yes, it is impossible for that child to become a heroic and powerful Divine General like Sir, but he can definitely become one of the finest staff officers!"
The middle-aged general silently contemplated this, and then said, "This order came from the palace. I have no need to explain it to you."
That military instructor was astonished by these words. After a while, he awoke from his daze and, his voice a little heavier, said, "But…I need to give that child an explanation."
The middle-aged general lifted his head and glanced at him. "Then have him come over. I will give him an explanation."
* * *
As he walked into the strict building and saw the candle burning on the table, Chen Changsheng was silent. The two fists hanging by his side gradually clenched tighter. His face was rather pale, perhaps out of exhaustion or anger, or maybe both. When he saw that the stone wall still did not have his name, he was truly incredibly furious, countless times more furious than yesterday when he had encountered those contemptuous and cold gazes in the Divine General's Estate.
He had extreme expectations of entering Star Seizer Academy and had extreme expectations for Star Seizer Academy. Now all his expectations, the moment he saw that list, completely turned into disappointment. The efforts he had paid for this seemed to have become a joke. Just why had all this happened?
He required an explanation.
The middle-aged general seated behind the table said he would give him an explanation, and he wanted to know what it would be.
"My apologies." The middle-aged general stood and stared coldly at him like a fierce beast staring down at a little white rabbit, but the two words he said were 'my apologies'.
"As a soldier of the Great Zhou, I must betray my own principles. My deepest apologies.
"My actions may harm the reputation of Star Seizer Academy. My deepest apologies.
"You have the ability and a future. You are but a child, but I must temporarily put a halt to your future. My apologies.
"I cannot tell you why this is. My apologies.
"But I believe that you will quickly find out the reason. I hope that you will be able to give me an opportunity to amend my mistakes."
After Chen Changsheng finished listening to these words, he remained silent, then turned and left.
* * *
The next day at five o'clock in the morning, Chen Changsheng woke up as promptly as he had woken up yesterday and as he had for the previous fourteen years of his life. He washed his face, rinsed his mouth, put on his clothes, cleared his heart, and then left the inn, continuing on his path of education.
Following the order of the list, he went to two other schools. The bitter experiences at the Heavenly Dao Academy and the Star Seizer Academy had naturally made him rather depressed and unhappy, but he was the person in the world that most valued time. He was not willing to waste his time on meaningless anger and depression, only on worthwhile subjects. This sort of appearance gave people the feeling that Chen Changsheng was a person undaunted by setbacks.
Yesterday's bitter experiences did not seem to affect him in any way. He assiduously prepared and prudently took the exam. Using the knowledge stored in his mind and his tenacious will, he was able to successfully take the entrance examinations for these two schools—from the moment he saw the contents of these tests, he believed that he could successfully pass—then without any sort of surprise, he failed to make the list.
After his two previous experiences, Chen Changsheng was no longer disappointed, or perhaps it could be said that he was already numb to it.
He keenly understood that there was definitely someone secretly targeting him. As for who…that answer was also extremely obvious.
At dusk, he walked out of the fourth school and finally saw that carriage from the Divine General's Estate, displaying that old and dull blood-red Phoenix crest which nevertheless was extremely disturbing. Of course, he only saw it because the carriage had been specifically parked in front of the school's gate precisely so that he could see it.
When Chen Changsheng saw that carriage, he knew the answer was about to be revealed.
Although he had already guessed at the answer, in the end, it was a rather different feeling from when he saw those exam papers.
The middle-aged woman emerged from the carriage and walked over to him.
"You are just a child…simply not worthy of making the Divine General's Estate do so many things."
The middle-aged woman walked up in front of him and said impassively, "But we still did all these things because we were very concerned that you were too young to fully recognize the situation. Thus, we very diligently displayed our power for you to see. You should be fully aware now that as long as we do not agree, there will never be a day in the Great Zhou Dynasty where you can stick out your head."
Chen Changsheng remembered her. In the Divine General's Estate, she had been the first person he met. He clasped his hands and bowed in greeting, then straightened his body and said nothing.
A strange expression flashed across the woman's eyes. She had not imagined that even in this situation, this youth would still be so calm, even remembering to bow to her. This sort of composure truly made one feel helpless, even uneasy, but she had to finish this task.
"What we want, you should clearly know…if you agree, everything that we have taken from you can be returned. Heavenly Dao Academy, Star Seizer Academy, Temple Seminary…you can choose whichever one you want. If you want to learn something, you can learn it. If you want to follow some teacher, you can follow. After you complete your studies, if you want to enter the army or enter the Orthodoxy or enter the court to become an official…all of this can be yours to choose."
The middle-aged women said with a solemn expression, "And if you do not agree, the experiences of the p
ast two days will be a scene that will repeat itself for the rest of your life."
Chen Changsheng continued to remain silent, saying nothing.
The middle-aged woman continued, "You are a smart person and should understand very well what you should choose."
Chen Changsheng looked at her and finally said one sentence: "Senior wrote in his notes that smart people don't live happy lives, so it's better to pretend to be confused."
The middle-aged woman chuckled, then said, "But you really are very obedient, very smart. You didn't tell the matter of the engagement to anybody…or else you would already be dead."
Chen Changsheng finally confirmed that in the past two days, someone from the Divine General of the East's Estate had always been following him.
