Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 915 – So Follow Our Hearts to Where They Are Comfortable

Pffft.

This was not the sound of laughter.

Blood burst out from Xu Yourong’s lips.

It all fell on Chen Changsheng’s body.

Chen Changsheng cut a rather sorry figure.

Xu Yourong opened her eyes and saw this sight. A moment’s thought was enough to guess at what had happened.

She used her sleeve to wipe the blood off her lips, revealing a naughty smile.

Chen Changsheng had no mind for himself. Seeing her pale face, he worriedly asked, “Are you okay?”

Xu Yourong knew of his obsession with cleanliness, and seeing him not care about it slightly moved her. Taking out a handkerchief, she carefully wiped the blood off his face.

“With the clotted blood removed, I’m fine.”

She faced the twilight and closed her eyes to meditate and treat her injuries, but Chen Changsheng had gotten the wrong impression.

Chen Changsheng felt somewhat embarrassed, but he was even more concerned, even after she said that she was fine.

Entering seclusion was an extremely important matter, but Xu Yourong had broken out of it today because of him. This was certain to have a massive influence on her cultivation.

Crucially, her Dao heart would be covered in an almost unremovable mark, and there was even a high chance that she would never have a chance to break through.

When he thought of this, Chen Changsheng felt even more depressed.

Xu Yourong knew what he was thinking. “Many cultivators who encounter situations like mine will have their Dao hearts sway as soon as they encounter defeat, leaving them with no chance of seeking the Divine. But you don’t have to worry about me, because I am more confident than anyone, and I am still very young.”

In cultivating the Dao, one cultivated the months and years. As the youngest cultivator in history to see that threshold, she still had many years to comprehend and savor. Most importantly, she was well aware of this fact, ensuring that she would not waste these years, that her Dao heart would not be affected.

Chen Changsheng’s mind was somewhat relieved upon hearing this.

The blood on his face had already been wiped off by Xu Yourong, and the remnants she missed were purified by the Phoenix flames born from the evening glow, but there was no way to clean the clothes. He very naturally took a clean set of clothes from the Vault Sheath and turned around to change his clothes. His movements were very practiced, as if he had gone through this process countless times.

Xu Yourong asked, “You usually keep a clean set of clothes with you? Why is it that you change them so proficiently?”

Chen Changsheng recalled the hole that had been punched through the wall of the Orthodox Academy and those eyes on the edge of the wooden basin, the little girl whose face was clearly blushing but was still pretending that she didn’t care. He suddenly felt a deep longing, but he didn’t dare mention this. He only brought up the matter of the cold pool in the deserted palace that was linked to the underground space beneath New North Bridge.

Xu Yourong had known of the story of New North Bridge since she was a child and was not surprised. She asked, “Just what’s going on with the little Black Dragon?”

She was referring to the murder of Bie Tianxin.

Although everyone knew that this was a scheme of the Great Western Continent, the question lay in the fact that before this scheme was exposed, Chen Changsheng had not agreed to have the little Black Dragon come out and provide evidence. Someone as intelligent as Xu Yourong was naturally able to guess that something had happened to the Black Dragon.

Chen Changsheng replied, “I can’t be sure right now, but she shouldn’t be in danger.”

Xu Yourong asked, “Does anything need to be done?”

Chen Changsheng shook his head. “Let’s a wait a while first.”

Xu Yourong said no more on the subject, instead asking, “Have you had a chance to walk around here?”

Chen Changsheng replied, “I saw the sights you mentioned in your letters, but I haven’t had the time to carefully look.”

Xu Yourong smiled. “I’ll take you around to look?”

Chen Changsheng replied, “Okay.”

The wind blew, the trees swayed, the scent of flowers wafted over. The White Crane broke through the twilight and landed in front of them.

With a clear cry, the White Crane took off with the two of them on its back. With incredible speed, it tore through the dusky light, passed through the clouds, and arrived at the summit. Seeing the plains and the Tong River in the twilight, as well as those inky mountain peaks, Chen Changsheng emotionally sighed, “The scenery you described in your letters from when we were little is truly amazing. Not a bit of it was exaggerated.”

Xu Yourong forcefully calmed herself. “Did I write you letters when I was little? Perhaps you’ve remembered wrongly. After all, I have written quite a few letters to you in the past few years.”

Chen Changsheng smiled. “The White Crane still remembers, so how can you forget?”

The White Crane lightly cried out as if agreeing.

A hint of annoyance appeared on Xu Yourong’s face. “I don’t know how you managed to trick it into trusting you. It doesn’t even listen to me anymore.”

Chen Changsheng took her hand and sat down on the most prominent rock by the cliff.

“Since I was small, this gray rock was where I liked to meditate and cultivate.”

“Yeah, you talked about it in the letter you sent when we were nine.”

“Hey, you really did remember wrongly.”

“I didn’t remember wrongly, because the descriptions of the scenes in your letter match up exactly with what I’m seeing.”

“I don’t want to talk with you anymore.”

“Fine, you said in the letter from three years ago that there are a lot of birds here, so why don’t I see any?”

“Do you want to see them? I can have a lot of birds come over to play.”

“Is that all birds coming to pay homage to the Phoenix?”

“That’s right.”

“Then forget it. It’s about to be dark, and they all need to rest. There’s no need to bother them.”

“That’s fine too.”

“But what about that pheasant?”

Chen Changsheng was naturally referring to that immature Golden-winged Great Peng from the Garden of Zhou.

“It likes to eat meat, so I sent it to the plains.”

“The plains?”

“It’s those plains that you gifted me.”

“Ah… if we have a chance, let’s go and see together.”

“See what?”

“If the monsters of the Garden of Zhou like it, they can live there. We… can also live there.”

“……”

“……”

Yesterday, he had rushed here from Fengyang City, his heart fraught with worry. Afterward, he encountered the two major incidents of the closing of South Stream Temple and the murder of Bie Tianxin, as well as the several terrifying battles that followed. Chen Changsheng was already thoroughly exhausted, and drowsiness was gradually beginning to assail him.

He and Xu Yourong sat on the rock by the cliff, leaning on each other, just like in the Garden of Zhou. They were extremely relaxed and comfortable, causing them to quickly close their eyes.

After some time, Xu Yourong suddenly opened her eyes.

She quietly stared at Chen Changsheng’s face, apparently wanting to find some other emotion besides exhaustion on his face, but her search turned up nothing.

He was still like in the past, clean from the inside out, not stirring up any dust and free of any distracting thoughts.

“Chen Changsheng, why did you stop replying to my letters after the age of ten?”

Xu Yourong whispered to him.

Chen Changsheng was already asleep, so he could not reply to her question.

Suddenly, Xu Yourong opened her eyes wide, a curious expression appearing on her face. Then she thought of something, and her face became somewhat nervous.

She looked around.

The birds suddenly ceased their chirping, the beasts lowered their heads, and even the White Crane twisted its neck to gaze at the distant mountains.

Xu Yourong lowered her head and kissed.

Yeah, it tastes like sticky rice cakes. It’s not bad.

At this moment, Chen Changsheng opened his eyes.

But he did not break away.