Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 916 – The Divine Matters of Eating, Drinking, Man and Woman

From the closest possible distance, Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong looked into each other’s eyes, seeing themselves reflected in them.

All was quiet, with not a single noise.

After some time, the two finally parted.

“I’m a little hungry,” Xu Yourong said very seriously to him.

Chen Changsheng’s voice was somewhat shaky as he asked, “What do you want to eat?”

The White Crane once more soared through the sky, breaking through the clouds and landing in the small village near the Tong River.

Xu Yourong brought him to a very unremarkable residence, where she was ecstatically welcomed by a middle-aged woman.

Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong had a craving for the beef ribs of Fortune Peace Road.

The middle-aged woman replied, “I certainly don’t know how to cook the food northerners eat, but I just got my hands on three fish today, so why don’t I make you two a pot of Fish with Tofu?”

Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong exchanged a glance. They didn’t expect that what they had regretfully missed back then would be made up for today.

……

……

Tender fish paired with even more tender tofu created a most indescribably delicious texture, and the addition of spicy red sauce made one just want to shout in praise.

Just like in Fortune Peace Road, Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong first dined quietly for a long span of time. Only after their appetites were somewhat satisfied did they begin to chat.

A variety of side dishes were arranged around the fish pot, looking very pretty, so it was rather abrupt when Xu Yourong suddenly added a plate of sticky rice cake.

“It looks like you really do like sweets.”

Chen Changsheng recalled the candied dates she had brought with her to the Heaven Lake on Mount Han.

Xu Yourong didn’t respond to his words, but her face blushed, perhaps because of the spice or because she was hot.

They engaged in a comprehensive analysis of the events of the last few days.

The Imperial Court’s way of thinking was blatantly obvious now, a fact which Chen Changsheng had been mentally prepared to accept for quite some time. However, he was still saddened by the death of Priest Xin.

Priest Xin could be said to have been the earliest witness to the rebirth of the Orthodox Academy from its ruins, but no one could have expected that he had another identity. There was also the matter of the Great Western Continent’s scheme. Though it had been exposed, anyone could tell that it wasn’t over. Bie Yanghong and Wuqiong Bi had gone to White Emperor City, but it was hard to say how they would end up.

“The White Emperor should have been heavily wounded in his battle with the Demon Lord. He’s spent the last few years in seclusion to recover from his injuries, so White Emperor City is essentially in Madam Mu’s hands.”

Xu Yourong looked at him, making no attempts to conceal her concern, because she knew why the little Black Dragon had gone to White Emperor City.

“When the demi-humans established their country, the Black Frost Dragon tribe contributed a great deal of strength. Zhizhi should be safe there.”

Chen Changsheng said, “I’m just a little worried about Senior Bie Yanghong.”

Xu Yourong recalled Bie Yanghong’s and Wuqiong Bi’s desolate figures as they strode into the clouds during the day, and also fell quiet.

The world was still not at peace. Even two experts of the Divine Domain had to encounter such sorrowful matters, so who could possibly remain uninvolved?

And this wasn’t even considering that Chen Changsheng was the Pope while Xu Yourong was the Holy Maiden. For the moment, retiring to the plains seemed an impossibility.

Chen Changsheng said, “Now that we’re talking about it, the person that I should thank the most for today is Qiushan Jun.”

Xu Yourong replied, “Senior Brother is truly an extraordinary person.”

She said this with a very calm expression, her tone natural and tinged with a sense of intimacy and trust.

A normal young man would have been rather displeased to hear this.

Chen Changsheng was not an ordinary young man, but he still felt a little uncomfortable.

But there was nothing that he could say, because Qiushan Jun’s deed today was truly deserving of his gratitude.

Moreover, in Sloping Cliff Horse Farm, he had personally seen and experienced that Qiushan Jun truly was an extraordinary person.

After hearing the story of Sloping Cliff Horse Farm from Chen Changsheng, Xu Yourong was rather shocked and speechless, thinking to herself, your and Senior Brother’s eyesights are really too simple…

“When I was drinking wine with him by the stream, he mentioned that he likes a girl.”

Chen Changsheng glanced at Xu Yourong while he casually said this.

Xu Yourong calmly replied, “You’ve always had many girls at your side.”

This was true.

The earliest was Luoluo leaping over the wall between the Orthodox Academy and the Hundred Herb Garden to implore Chen Changsheng to become her teacher, and then there was the little Black Dragon that saved him with her true blood and later acted as his protector. There was also Mo Yu, that craver of the aroma on his pillow and bedsheets, who would sneak into the Orthodox Academy night after night. And now there was the little Demon Princess Nanke who had her hand perpetually grasping his clothes.

Chen Changsheng didn’t know how to explain, so he could only lower his head and eat, intending to take a piece of sticky rice cake.

Xu Yourong did not let him try.

He confusedly asked why.

Xu Yourong was a little ashamed and didn’t know how to explain, so she could only put all the sticky rice cakes onto her own plate.

Chen Changsheng thought that she was very angry. He felt that it wasn’t easy to explain the rest of those girls, but there was another matter that he could clearly explain.

“When I was ten, I found out that I had an incurable illness and that I wouldn’t live past the age of twenty… so I didn’t return your letters.”

Xu Yourong realized that he hadn’t been sleeping earlier and had heard her question loud and clear. She felt even more ashamed and lowered her head in silence.

Chen Changsheng looked at her and very earnestly said, “Don’t get angry at me about this.”

He and Xu Yourong were of the same age, their birthdays separated by only three days.

When they were six, an engagement had been made between them.

What sort of person was Xu Yourong? At the age of five, she awakened to the blood of the Heavenly Phoenix, and she was personally raised by both the Divine Empress and the Holy Maiden.

Although she had only been six and a half at the time, let alone her grandfather the Grand Minister, even the Divine Empress would have to ask her opinion before marrying her off.

From the day she knew that she was engaged, she became very curious about the other party and sent the White Crane to deliver her letter to Xining.

Upon receiving her letter, Chen Changsheng sent one back, a process that continued until it came to a stop at the age of ten.

They had never been strangers.

But when the letters stopped, Xu Yourong began to hate that little Daoist and became reluctant to remember those times.

Now, the matters from when they were young, like the bamboo dragonfly, could be slowly remembered.

“When you asked me who I was in the first letter, wasn’t the tone really terrible?”

“How was it terrible? I was truly very curious.”

“But in the last letter, you scolded me quite viciously.”

“Who made you not reply to my letters?”

“I didn’t want to drag you down, and you didn’t actually love me back then.”

“Mm, but it really was love.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that from then to now, I’ve always loved you.”

“The same for me.”

“Where do you plan to go next?”

“Mount Li.”

Xu Yourong’s expression turned a little solemn as she inquisitively asked, “You want to find Senior Brother?”

Chen Changsheng pondered this question, then replied, “I want to find a senior brother.”

This was a sarcastic remark, and if Xu Yourong were not so intelligent, she would have found it very difficult to so quickly understand it. (TN: I’m not too sure what the joke is here, but I believe it’s because he’s going to Mount Li so that Zhexiu can meet Qi Jian, at which point Zhexiu would be a ‘senior brother’?)

She seriously asked, “Then what of White Emperor City?”

Chen Changsheng recalled Zhexiu’s current state and said, “Every matter has its own priority. I’ll consider other matters after taking care of this one.”