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

by Mao Ni

  Chen Changsheng, looking at her, suddenly felt that she was very heroic. After thinking it over, he said, "Then I might as well not ask."

  Curiosity was the hardest-to-scratch itch of all intelligent beings, the greatest temptation. For instance, she herself was very curious right now as to why Chen Changsheng did not continue to inquire. She had clearly just told him that as long as he asked, she would give him the full story.

  "Curiosity is sometimes not a good thing."

  "Ah?"

  Chen Changsheng sighed, then asked, "I'm your teacher, right?"

  Mystified, Luoluo answered, "Of course you are, Teacher."

  Chen Changsheng extended his hand to rub her head, smiling as he said, "A teacher has to have the look of a teacher. If the truth is too shocking, if your background is too shocking, how could we communicate in the future? And how could I preserve the absolute authority of the teacher?"

  "Oh…" Luoluo was caught completely off guard by this reasoning. After a momentary daze, she very carefully asked, "Teacher, could it be then that you're not afraid?"

  Chen Changsheng replied, "What's there to be afraid of? It's just that I've never encountered this sort of thing before and so I'm not that used to it."

  Luoluo was very happy to hear this. She rubbed her head against his palm like some adorable small beast and said with muffled words, "Teacher is the best."

  Perhaps because she felt that Chen Changsheng, from inside to outside, down to every strand of his hair, was good, Luoluo's already firm confidence in him now increased to an almost unimaginable degree, overflowing like the light of the morning sun. As a result, although he did not ask, she still wanted to say a few things.

  "Teacher, the amount of true essence in my body is not at all small," she said.

  Chen Changsheng thought of the condition of her pulse and confirmed that this was the case. This girl's soul was incredibly powerful. If she really did have that sort of background, then the true essence within her body would naturally not be small, countless times more than that of an ordinary person of the same age.

  "But I don't know how to use it," Luoluo explained, "My home naturally has many cultivation methods, but the greatest of these methods is only suitable for men…even if my blood awakens, I would only be able to use that method to cultivate to the upper level of Star Condensation at best. I can't enter the Divine Domain."

  Chen Changsheng was somewhat speechless, thinking, If you can cultivate to the upper level of Star Condensation, then you'd be one of the few such experts on the continent. Yet this student of mine actually isn't satisfied. From this, Chen Changsheng could tell how high the demands she placed on herself were and how shocking her background was.

  "If I can't be the strongest, then in the future I won't be able to inherit my father's scepter, and I'll have to be married off to his successor." Luoluo looked at him, much aggrieved, and said, "But I don't want to be married off."

  "So you want to learn the cultivation methods of humans to see if you can break this limit." Chen Changsheng thought this over, then said, "There's no problem. We'll definitely become the continent's most powerful master and disciple."

  Luoluo's eyes went wide. Although she had an almost blind trust in Chen Changsheng, even she somewhat didn't dare believe these words.

  Chen Changsheng thought of his own problems. Gazing out the window in the direction of the Lingyan Pavilion within the Imperial Palace, he felt somewhat rueful. The things he needed to do were just wishful thinking to anyone else, but he had to think and struggle in this way. Fate had not left him a second path to take.

  "Dare to think. Before your dreams are realized, never establish any limits on yourself, never give yourself any excuse to shrink back, or use any justification for failure. Only in this way do we have the chance to take those seemingly distant dreams and make them a genuine reality.

  "This, is precisely my first lesson to you."

  Chapter 38 – Instructing

  Words on ideals, dreams, and persistence were naturally very fitting for the contents of the first lesson, but a matter that could be understood with a couple of concise sentences was clearly not enough to encompass the contents of an entire lesson. Chen Changsheng eventually had to speak about truly useful things.

  He took from the bookshelf a book that summarized the meridians that had been approved by the Orthodoxy's Hall of Literary Glory. Flipping past those pages giving basic information, he went straight to the colorful diagram on the very last page. Pointing at the green and red lines drawn on the human body in the center of the diagram, he began to contrast this diagram to Luoluo's specific situation.

  Those lines represented the meridians of the human body and were extremely complex. The basic introduction calculated several dozen meridians, but if one examined even more carefully, that number would double. However, based on what Luoluo had said herself, her body simply did not have this many meridians.

  These were two completely different systems of meridians. One was complex and fragile, the other simple and resilient, thus allowing two species of intelligent beings to walk on two paths in completely opposite directions. It was impossible to conclude which path could go the farthest, and in known history, this competition still had no result.

  Chen Changsheng did not wonder about the peculiarities of this other form of life. He was only stunned by the miraculous workings of the creator, and he understood even more that if these two forms of life wished to cross that boundary in the middle and learn the cultivation methods of the other side, it would be an incredibly difficult task.

  If Luoluo's race was able to easily learn the cultivation methods of humans, then she would assuredly not be learning the Wind and Rain Sword of Mount Zhong, rather she would be learning the secrets of the Mount Li Sword Style that she had gifted to Chen Changsheng yesterday. The Mount Li Sword Style was one of the strongest martial arts of the human world. For her race to learn it would naturally be as difficult as climbing up to the sky, so they might as well settle for second best.

  All human cultivation methods were constructed from two parts: technique forms and methods of circulating true essence. To use the Wind and Rain Sword as an example, merely having a grasp of the sword manual was far from enough. One also needed a grasp of the true essence circulation methods used in this sword style, and only then could one display the sword style's true might.

  Luoluo's body simply did not have the meridians possessed by humans, so how could she grasp these methods? She understood what it meant when the sword manual said to circulate and casually let true essence flow through her Rao meridian, but the problem was that she had no Rao meridian, so no matter how strong her soul was, where was she going to let it flow through?

  "Only on that night, when I acted accorded to Teacher's words and attempted to move true essence, did I realize that I could control the Wind and Rain Sword like a human. Was this an imitation or…was this a method for me to match my true essence with the sword manual?" Luoluo was very studious and asked him seriously.

  Chen Changsheng pondered this question, but did not answer her question immediately. He turned and exited the library, picking out a branch on the lake shore that had been severed from its tree by the fight from that night. Taking out his dagger, he peeled all the bark off the branch, transforming it into a slim and slightly white stick. He did not forget to use a rock from the lake to round off the end of the branch.

  He returned to the library and said, "If you're not willing, just speak."

  Luoluo gazed at the thin wooden stick in his hands, her eyes open wide. She thought to herself, I just acknowledged him as my teacher; could it be that now I have to suffer the rod? Could it be that Teacher is a person that believes in education through the rod? But it had not been easy to make Chen Changsheng acknowledge her as his student, so she was unwilling to utter the three words ‘I'm not willing.’ Thus, she forcefully nodded her head.

  Chen Changsheng raised the thin stick in his hands and poin
ted at a certain place in her chest through her clothes, saying, "Bring your true essence to this place."

  Humans had a so-called Qi Sea in their elixir field[23], but he didn't know if Luoluo had one. It wasn't very convenient for him to ask about the secrets of her bodies, but seeing Luoluo's expression, he felt that there shouldn't be any problem. After a moment, he asked, "What do you feel?"

  Luoluo earnestly sensed the feeling coming from the place that stick was touching and said, "It's somewhat hot."

  “When weak, Yang Fire can also be expressed externally. Since you have this feeling, then in my view, this place doesn't have too different of a use from the Rao meridian."

  While speaking, Chen Changsheng was also taking notes.

  On that night, he had spoken only one remark and had allowed Luoluo to successfully move her true essence and truly control the Wind and Rain Sword of Mount Zhong for the first time, but it was only one technique and luck had been involved. What he needed to do now was break through the limits of the human meridians and construct another system, which was naturally extremely difficult.

  This was definitely not a one-day affair.

  If he had not memorized the Daoist Canon ever since he was a child, if his long illness had not made him a doctor, and if his meridians were not so different from others, there might not even be a possibility of success.

  After finishing his notes, he raised his head once more, thought, and then extended the thin stick to lightly poke at a place on Luoluo's neck. Of course, it was still through her clothes.

  "Carefully, a little slower. What do you feel?"

  "Somewhat cold."

  "Mm. What about here?"

  The wooden stick fell on Luoluo's body, pointing and then directing—instructing.

  Chen Changsheng would receive feedback, record it on his notes, and then continue.

  Time quickly passed under this directing and conversing.

  At twilight, Chen Changsheng's arm felt somewhat sore. He placed the stick down and gazed out the window. He saw only yellow roof tiles and red walls, but he suddenly smiled.

  Using half a day, he had come up with a certain possibility, found a possible path; a path within Luoluo's body.

  "Try?" He pulled his gaze away from the sight of the capital under the setting sun and turned to Luoluo, taking his dagger from his waist and offering it to her.

  Luoluo received the dagger and took in a deep breath. Her eyes became abnormally bright, and then she closed her eyes and remained silent for a very long time.

  In that second in which the setting sun was swallowed by the city walls, she opened her eyes and let out a soft shout.

  This shout was very crisp without the slightest impurity. It was transparent as spring water or the spring breeze.

  With this clear shout, the dagger in her hands floated up from her waist level like a poplar flower, gently drifting up until it seemed to reach the ninth heaven.

  Countless sword shadows appeared like the rain, unstoppable sword intent like the wind.

  This was wind and rain.

  The Wind and Rain Sword.

  Without human meridians, it was impossible to use the true essence circulation methods described in the Wind and Rain Sword of Mount Zhong, but the sword that was ultimately displayed was actually the true Wind and Rain Sword of Mount Zhong. This meant that the true essence circulation method used by the wielder could almost completely imitate the true essence circulation method used by humans.

  The wind and rain gradually descended in the remnants of the setting sun. As the night gradually approached, the old garden was peaceful.

  The library was silent.

  Luoluo's hand holding the dagger was shaking slightly.

  She turned to Chen Changsheng, her voice also somewhat shaky as she said, "Teacher, you truly are extraordinary."

  She was very shocked. She felt that her teacher was an immortal descended from the heaven. How else was it possible for him to teach her so many things in such a short amount of time?

  So shocking that he must be a celestial being.

  Chen Changsheng placed the thin stick down in front of his knees and began to happily laugh.

  In these past few days, no, in these past few years to be precise, he had always been thinking about the problem of how to cultivate when one's meridians were severed. In the past, because he had not cultivated, all his contemplations were in the void, blindly advancing forward in the darkness. Now, although he still did not have the slightest trace of true essence, he had a female student. This female student was outstanding, could perfectly realize all his hypotheses, and even proved all his conjectures right in the space of half a day.

  Luoluo said, "Thank you, Teacher, for your instruction."

  Chen Changsheng replied, "The same to you, the same to you."

  The twilight was not at all like blood, but like the fires of the stove in the wonton stand, sublimely warm.

  Chapter 39 – From the Hundred Herb Garden to the Orthodox Academy

  Luoluo returned to the Hundred Herb Garden. Her clansmen knew that her mood today was especially good because she was skipping the entire way back, her agile steps seeming to be treading upon the clouds; she was humming a small tune, her singing like that of a yellow oriole; her brows seemed ready to fly off her face.

  Guardian Jin and Guardian Li glanced at each other and hurriedly followed her. They naturally knew the reason for their princess's good mood, but they hadn't been able to see what was going on in the library. Inevitably, they had some questions. Was successfully acknowledging a teacher worth being so happy about? What was so good about that Orthodox Academy youth?

  Luoluo freshened herself up and changed into a clean dress. She accepted a cup of Jin Mei tea[24] from her maid and took a couple of sips, then returned to the front hall and said to those two guardians, "If you have something to ask, quickly ask it. I have to sleep early tonight so that I can wake up early tomorrow to attend class. I don't dare be late."

  Guardian Jin thought to himself, When did Princess become so diligent at attending class? Of course, unspoken criticisms naturally could not be voiced, so he said with a smile, "Arriving a little late won't be anything much, or would that youth dare act against Your Highness?"

  "That is my teacher, so don't go saying 'youth this,' 'youth that.' In the future…all of you have to call him Teacher Chen."

  Luoluo thought of the solemn aura her teacher gave off when reading and cultivating and also about how he almost harshly valued his time. She said with an extremely pathetic look to the pair, "If I'm late to morning class, Teacher will truly be angry. I don't want to suffer from Teacher's lash on only the second day."

  Guardian Jin was taken aback by these words, almost not daring to believe his ears! That youth dared to wield a whip against the princess! If this were heard by the people back in the eight hundred li of the Red River, it was highly likely that the capital would be overturned!

  Just as he was prepared to give Chen Changsheng a firm lecture, he suddenly felt Guardian Li almost imperceptibly pull on his sleeve. Only then did he notice that his little princess was not the least bit unhappy, her pathetic appearance all pretend, behind it an unconcealed happiness!

  Guardian Jin's expression became somewhat dazed. He simply could not comprehend what had happened in these past few days. He was utterly mystified as to what that youth called Chen Changsheng…fine, that Teacher Chen, besides bravery and kindheartedness, possessed to actually make his little princess adore and worship him so!

  "Teacher is not an ordinary person." Luoluo naturally understood what her clansmen were thinking, and, prompted by Guardian Jin's vacant expression and Guardian Li's concerned expression, made this statement.

  It was inconvenient for Guardian Jin to speak, while Guardian Li was somewhat closer to her and couldn't help but murmur, "Not even succeeded at Purification yet…he can't get more ordinary than that, can it?"

  Luoluo said, "The two of you feel that an ordinary pers
on that hasn't even succeeded at Purification can solve a problem that not even my father could solve?"

  Guardian Jin hesitated before finally saying, "Perhaps…it's luck?"

  Luoluo thought of her experience this afternoon and then proudly declared, "No, the thing Teacher needs the least is luck."

  Puzzled, Guardian Li asked, "Since…this Teacher Chen is not an ordinary person, why did he enter the Orthodox Academy? What is he hiding?"

  "Silently reading and cultivating, always remaining hidden and concealing, a fish that nobody cares about in a stream that is just waiting for a great storm. When the time comes, this fish will leap over the Dragon Gate and transform into a true dragon, overlooking the entire continent, its reputation ringing throughout the world…" Luoluo's eyes were getting brighter and brighter, her voice getting louder and louder. "Teacher's way of thinking is truly great!"