Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 521 – Mind Still in a Mess

This was the first time after the beginning of this battle on the Bridge of Helplessness that the two had spoken.

It was also the first conversation between ‘Chen Changsheng’ and ‘Xu Yourong’.

Xu Yourong had said, “I lost.”

Chen Changsheng had said, “Can you say that again?”

If the person saying this had been Tang Thirty-Six, then these words would have assuredly been imbued with a derisive scorn intent on doing harm, and Xu Yourong would assuredly have used her Heavenly Phoenix true blood to burn this bridge to ashes. However, she knew of Chen Changsheng’s temperament and knew that he had guessed upon something and was rather nervous. As a result, she was not angry, instead giving a silent smile.

The white gauze obscured her face and also her smile. It was only possible to vaguely feel the scent flowing through the air.

Suddenly, the wind and snow stirred and the white gauze hanging from Xu Yourong’s curtained hat lifted up.

This battle had been crisscrossed by sword intent, especially from the frightening power of the Sword of Great Light. Her dress and hat had the protection of true essence, but the white gauze was not so lucky.

The white gauze drifting in the breeze was cut apart and slowly drifted to the ground.

The misfortune of the white gauze was Chen Changsheng’s fortune.

Because he finally saw her face.

It was a face beautiful beyond compare, an appearance like a painting, skin that seemed so tender that it could be broken by a gust of wind, so pale that it was whiter than snow.

She truly was very beautiful, beautiful enough to seize the morale of the entire army, to deprive the world of light.

But to Chen Changsheng, this face was a stranger’s.

Just as he was assailed by regret, he saw her eyes.

It was a sublime pair of phoenix eyes, blazing with the radiance of countless stars, their beauty dazzling to the eyes.

However, he opened his own eyes wide and stared into hers, diving all the way into their deepest depths.

Here, there were no stars, no light, no divinity, no responsibility, only the bare mountain after a fresh rain.

At the moment, this pair of moving eyes contained many words, and much amusement as well.

He definitely recognized this pair of eyes. He could never forget this pair of eyes, and had believed that he would never be able to see these eyes again, until now, in this moment of tranquility after this battle of rain and snow on the Bridge of Helplessness, when the breeze brushed away the white gauze covering his opponent’s face…

A while ago, as he sat in front of the Mausoleum of Zhou, he had vividly experienced what it meant for sorrow to surge forward like a tide.

Now, he finally understood that the phrase ‘like being struck by a thunderbolt’ written in books was not exaggerated, but a real sensation.

In the slightly gloomy snowy sky, an invisible thunderbolt seemed to form and directly strike him.

His body grew incomparably rigid and incapable of speech. The hands gripping the swords were ice-cold, but his body was blazing like an inferno.

With great difficulty, he dragged his eye away from hers. In an incredibly stupid fashion, he turned around and stared upstream at the endless white sky and the waters of the Luo River.

After a while, he turned around and looked at her, opening his mouth as if ready to say something. In the end, however, nothing came out. With no other choice, he turned back to stare at the uninhabited upper reaches of the Luo River. He was worried that if he continued to look at her, his already faintly trembling legs might completely give out.

Seeing his awkward and comical appearance, the amusement in Xu Yourong’s eyes intensified. She covered her mouth and chuckled, flowers blooming in her eyes.

She walked up to the edge of the bridge and stood at his side. Gazing upstream, she calmly asked, “Is there anything nice to see?”

“You…can you not say anything to me right now? I’m in a bit of a mess at the moment.”

Chen Changsheng’s face was a little red. This wasn’t because of the lingering power of the Rhino Horn Finger, nor was it because of the cold weather, but because he was nervous.

As he gazed at the Luo River and smelled the faint fragrance coming from his side, he felt flustered and didn’t even dare glance to his side.

Before the match, he had also been very nervous, so he had looked under the bridge at the snow falling into the Luo River. By seeing the moving and unmoving unite as one, he was able to calm his mind.

But now, no matter how he looked at the snow falling into the Luo River, he found it impossible to calm down.

Xu Yourong gently pushed her hair behind her ear. Gazing at his profile and not wishing for him to be too hard-pressed, she withdrew her smile and calmly asked, “With your last technique, why did you not act according to position of the Three Stars Constellation like you did at the very beginning, but instead suddenly brought your sword level with your brow?”

As expected, when discussing swords, Chen Changsheng calmed down a little. He mumbled, “I guessed.”

When Su Li had passed the Intellectual Sword down to him, he said it very clearly, there are many times where one just has to guess. This statement seemed rather unreasonable, but with her talent, Xu Yourong could naturally understand. Originally, she had not planned to tease him, but she couldn’t help herself, “Then why haven’t you been able to guess who I am?”

She spoke very calmly, but if one listened carefully, there was a faint meaning within.

Chen Changsheng had already gone stupid. His head lowered, he found it simply impossible to speak.

Xu Yourong said nothing more. Quietly standing at his side, she watched as the snow fell into the Luo River.

……

……

From the moment the battle started, the two banks of the Luo River were filled with cheers and commentary that reached to the skies. When the fog of snow met with the mist of rain and the temple sword and Stainless Sword burst forth with the brightest colors, the cheers and commentary reached their peak. The common people could not understand this match, but the awe-inspiring scene on the Bridge of Helplessness was already enough to move them.

This battle that had been the focus of all had finally concluded, but the cheers and commentary continued because the common people could not tell just who had obtained the final victory.

“In my view, it should be Little Principal Chen. In the end, didn’t the Holy Maiden back down first?”

“Both of them were injured, and Little Principal Chen’s injuries are heavier. For what reason can you say the Holy Maiden lost?”

“But can’t you see that in the end, both of the swords are in Little Principal Chen’s hands?”

“And what does that mean? The Holy Maiden didn’t even use her strongest techniques. Did you see the legendary Phoenix blood, huh?”

“Don’t tell me you can confirm that Little Principal Chen used his full strength?”

From the front of the river bank quickly came the news that Xu Yourong had conceded to Chen Changsheng’s sword.

The two banks of the Luo River were momentarily peaceful as the crowd gradually digested this fact.

“Eh…quickly, look at the bridge!”

Countless gazes shifted to the distant Bridge of Helplessness and saw Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong standing side by side at that place. They even seemed to be softly chatting about something. After a moment, they stopped talking and calmly stood there, letting the drifting snow fall upon them. Because they were rather far from the crowd, they looked almost like they were leaning against each other.

The noise of discussion on the two banks of the Luo River gradually faded away, leaving only an eerie silence. The crowd stared at the scene on the Bridge of Helplessness with quite some astonishment. Just a moment ago, they were wielding swords and fighting each other, and now they were standing side by side and viewing the scenery? What was going on here?

“The Holy Maiden…this was showing mercy, huh?”

Amongst the common people spectating, very few supported Chen Changsheng, and even these people remained silent, because they could see that this battle had been marvelous beyond compare, but it was very obvious that neither side had intentions of making it one of life-or-death. The crowds could not understand those wondrous sword techniques displayed in the rain and snow, but now when they saw the scene on the bridge, they faintly sensed a certain implication within.

The scene on the Bridge of Helplessness was very beautiful. Standing together, they were so harmonious, so calm, that the crowd could not bear to break it by making some noise. Only after a very long time had passed did the crowds on both banks of the Luo River gradually begin to sigh, each one of them having the same meaning.

“Why must such a pair of immortal companions point their swords at each other?”