Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 796 – The Starry Sky and Girls (II)

Chen Changsheng nodded and said, “I do, but I haven’t met her in a while.”

Luo Bu appeared very interested, asking, “She likes you?”

Chen Changsheng felt rather embarrassed as he softly grunted in affirmation.

Luo Bu slightly arched his brow and asked, “If you have a lover, why aren’t you seeing her?”

It was clear that he did not approve of Chen Changsheng’s way of doing things.

To him, the most difficult part was developing affection, but since they were already lovers, they had to always stay together. It was not allowed for them to separate.

Chen Changsheng thought this question over, then said, “It’s not convenient to meet, and also…she has a few rather important things to do.”

Luo Bu said no more. Taking a large gulp from the wine pot held in his fingers, he muttered, “Mutual affection…just what sort of feeling is that?”

Chen Changsheng did not hear this clearly and asked, “What?”

“Nothing, just drunken ramblings.”

Luo Bu gazed towards the plains at the end of the stream, seemingly seeing that peak which was shrouded in clouds throughout the year, and a faint sadness tinged his face.

From his first glance upon waking, the Luo Bu in Chen Changsheng’s eyes had always been elegant and yet indifferent, downtrodden but not unruly. However, he had never once seen Luo Bu like this.

This was a very faint sadness, yet his lush beard was unable to conceal it. Why did his young face appear so ravaged by time?

He truly wished to know Luo Bu’s story, to know just what he had experienced.

“I’m a person without a story.” Luo Bu very quickly broke out of this mood and offered the wine pot to Chen Changsheng as he indifferently continued, “Because I’ve lived too smooth a life. Other than a small trouble when I was small, I received everything that I wished for.”

Chen Changsheng thought inwardly, then why are you so sad?

“But there are many things in this world that have no relation to your own efforts, like the love between man and woman, or great matters that decide life or death. No matter how much you struggle or grow, you can never be sure of victory, as these two relationships require a response.”

Luo Bu pointed at the numberless stars above and said, “You can say to the starry sky that you don’t want to go back, but the starry sky won’t answer you. You will grow old, and then die. You can say to a girl ‘I love you’, but even if you’re the best of the best, she just doesn’t like you, but what can you do?”

The starry sky and girls would only quietly look back at the viewer, perhaps with pity or sympathy, but when would they ever change their mind?

A starry sky that could randomly change its hue, shape, and rules only existed in the oil paintings of Xuelao City.

Those girls who would implore or strive to be the girl that one loved might also be good girls, but regretfully, they were not the girl that he loved.

‘But what can you do?’

This flatly-said question filled Chen Changsheng with a deep anguish.

Perhaps it was because he had once prayed to those infinite stars above to pardon his life.

He somewhat clumsily patted Luo Bu on the shoulder. He wanted to comfort him, but didn’t know what to say.

The countless stars twinkled above.

The girl was in the distant south.

Thankfully, he said nothing.

.……

……

.……

……

This chat in the night was very pleasant, and so when Luo Bu returned to his study, he still remained in a fine mood.

In the past few years, he had played the part of teacher and elder in the sect, even when speaking with disciples of the same generation. Moreover, given his knowledge and experience, it was truly difficult to find someone other than Second Brother and Junior Sister that could let him chat so carefreely.

He had originally intended to investigate that person’s identity, but for the sake of this chat over alcohol, he would not care which faction that person belonged to.

It was just a little unfortunate that this fellow truly didn’t have much of a stomach for alcohol. He was far inferior to Junior Sister.

Indeed, just who could compare to Junior Sister?

He gazed at his already-emptied bookshelf in a daze for a long time, a bitter smile on his face.

He shook his head, dispelling these thoughts, and continued to pack up his study as he prepared to leave.

He was not lying to that fellow. He was truly prepared to leave and return to the mountain.

Just then, he saw that the secret marks on his desk were different from when he had left, and knew that someone had visited.

He took a letter from the secret compartment in the desk.

It was a letter from home.

The letter recounted a few recent major events in complete and meticulous detail, presenting a version of events even more complete than the highest level of documents in the Ministry of the Army.

His gaze slowly moved across the paper, his sword-like eyebrows gradually rising as if desiring to completely cut away the beard on his face.

His gaze turned colder and colder.

So it turned out that besides Ning Shiwei, Zhu Ye, and Tianhai Zhanyi, people from the Tang clan had also been there that night.

These people had unexpectedly all died, and it was surprisingly because they wanted to snatch away those mysterious Cinnabar Pills.

He was already very used to the behavior of those people in the Great Zhou Imperial Court, but he still felt this act to be very shameless. His lips perked into a scornful smile.

Dying after looking for trouble—was there anything wrong with that?

He continued reading.

And then, he saw the Demon Lord’s name.

His expression became rather solemn.

Finally, he saw Chen Changsheng’s name.

His expression turned abnormally solemn, his hand stiffening as it clenched the letter.

He raised his head to look out the window, perhaps looking towards the stream bank or that little room in which meat was always stewing.

He thought of the marks left on the cliff, of that unconscious fellow, thought of that conversation by the stream and several details of that conversation…

His complexion changed several times.

At the very beginning, it was a little red, but it did not seem like anger. Soon after, it became a little white, yet it did not seem like he had suffered a shock.

It was more like he had drunk too much alcohol.

Ultimately, all emotions became a slightly bitter smile, brimming with scorn towards himself.

……

……

To drink wine under the stars and talk of girls while drinking wine—this was something that young men had always enjoyed doing.

In the Orthodox Academy, when Tang Thirty-Six did these things, Chen Changsheng was not willing to accompany him. Only after tonight did he realize that it truly was very pleasant.

He thought, in a few days, when I go to Wenshui to see Tang Thirty-Six, should I bring a few bottles of good alcohol? It could also be considered a thank-you gift to the Tang Old Master for the umbrella.

Of course, chatting over wine and the act of drinking itself primarily depended on who one’s partner was.

Chen Changsheng felt that tonight’s conversation was very pleasant, even somewhat delightful. This was because his partner in conversation had been Luo Bu.

This made him recall those candlelit conversations with Gou Hanshi, Guan Feibai, and the others in that grass hut in the Mausoleum of Books.

Of course, this chat tonight had reminded him the most of a conversation with Xu Yourong in the snowy temple.

That snowy temple had been on the side of the White Grass Path.

The White Grass Path was in the Plains of the Unsetting Sun.

The Plains of the Unsetting Sun was a part of the Garden of Zhou.

Suddenly, Chen Changsheng came to his senses, purged of any effects from the alcohol.

A few days ago, just after he had awakened from his coma, he felt like he had forgotten something.

Now, he finally remembered.

There were still people in the Garden of Zhou.

He took the strong tea that Nanke had brought over and took a sip, asked her to keep watch for any activity, and then took the string of stone pearls from his wrist.

Of the five stone pearls, one of them was black.

His spiritual sense fell on the black pearl.

In the next moment, he felt a chilly wind on his face.

He was still at the highest point of the Mausoleum of Zhou.

He surveyed his surroundings. The plains had long since regained their former appearance, dyed in a pleasing green.

Suddenly, thunderous roars came from all around the Mausoleum of Zhou and a tide of monsters surged towards him.

In that year, he and that girl had seen a similar sight.