235 In Spring I Sleep, Unaware of the Dawn

The youth under the tree was Zhexiu. Chen Changsheng saw his pale face and theblood on the corner of his lips, and asked in confusion, “Why are you here?” Zhexiu indifferently said, “I am going with you to the Garden of Zhou.” Chen Changsheng did not think about this outcome. After a moment of silence,he replied, “It can be dangerous.” Still expressionless, Zhexiu said, “Which is why I’m going with you to theGarden of Zhou.” Chen Changsheng asked, “Why?” “Tang Tang has already paid me. So I’m going with you to guarantee yoursafety.” “You’re planning on being my bodyguard?” Chen Changsheng asked with a strangetone. “Yes.” Zhexiu paused, then continued, “Of course, if the Garden of Zhou is toodangerous, I will have to ask for more money afterwards.” Even up until now, Chen Changsheng was still not used to this wolf youth’smanner of thinking. Spreading his hands helplessly, he said, “But I don’t needa bodyguard.” Zhexiu glanced at him and said, “Although right now you’re at the upper levelof Ethereal Opening, if we e thrown together in the same forest, the one thatwould come out alive in the end would most definitely be me. If the GrandExamination did not have so many restrictions, not allowing me to be as fierce,even if Gou Hanshi was able to defeat me, he would not be able to kill me. Thenin the end, I would have been the one to kill him.” Hearing these words made Chen Changsheng somewhat uncomfortable, because heknew that those words were true. The next words Zhexiu said cause Chen Changsheng to make up his mind. “Inaddition, you still have to treat my illness.” Chen Changsheng thought about it, then he said, “Then… let’s go together.” Zhexiu very naturally took Chen Changsheng’s luggage, then he began walkingout of the forest. Chen Changsheng hurried after him and said with concern, “Being a bodyguard isfine, but how can I let you do such menial work?” Zhexiu showed no expression and paid him no attention. Chen Changsheng said, “Then I’ll pay you extra.” Zhexiu stopped his steps, thought it over, and said, “This is a complimentarygift.” These two did not like talking very much. Amongst their peers, they wereconsidered very uncommunicative. They walked out of the woods, without exchanging a word along the way. Jin Yulu and a carriage were waiting for them at the bridge. The carriage wheels rolled over the hard limestone pavement, clacking along asthey went. The new doors of the Orthodoxy Academy were pushed open from theinside. Xuanyuan Po ran out to meet them, his stalwart body was like a smallmountain. The ground trembled as he ran, causing the dust in the cracks of thestone steps to fly about. Chen Changsheng and Zhexiu stepped out of the carriage. Xuanyuan Po gave a hearty laugh. “Coming out so early. It seems to me that youcouldn’t get much out of the monoliths, huh?” Zhexiu creased his brows and looked at Chen Changsheng. Somewhat embarrassed, Chen Changsheng explained, “He speaks rather bluntly,but he doesn’t mean any harm.” “It’s not like I’m Tang Thirty-Six.” Xuanyuan Po unhappily said, then he tooknote of Zhexiu’s existence. Surprise, he said, “So it’s you?  Don’t tell methat you actually went to the Mausoleum of Books to demand payment? Didn’t Isay that there was no need to be in such a rush? When has my Orthodox Academyevery failed to pay up?” Jin Yulu at the side solemnly asked, “When will you be paying me? A gatekeeperalso has a family to raise.” The three youths turned to him, but they said nothing. Jin Yulu felt a little awkward. “I know, I know, comedy does not suit me.Please continue.” “Zhexiu did not come to ask for payment.” Chen Changsheng told Xuanyuan Po, but he did not know how to explain Zhexiu’spresence. After some thinking, he said, “He came to the Orthodox Academy totake a look around.” In the world of the demi-humans, Zhexiu’s name was very famous. Now thatXuanyuan Po knew that Zhexiu did not come to ask for money, he naturallyreturned to his mindset as a demi-human youth. His face full of admiration, hetold Zhexiu, “The old men in my tribe told me that when you were only three,you were able to kill demon snakes? Zhexiu ignored him. Xuanyuan Po followed him into the Orthodox Academy and continued, “I heardthat when you were seven, you could kill demons?” Zhexiu continued to ignored him. Xuanyuan Po’s enthusiasm was not dampened. “It looks like you’re not goingback to the snowy plains just yet. It would be great if you joined our OrthodoxAcademy instead.” Zhexiu stopped. Chen Changsheng also stopped and looked at Zhexiu. Zhexiu seemed to think it over, then said to Xuanyuan Po, “If I stay around ablack bear like you, I’m afraid I’ll become an idiot.” (TL: Black bear (狗熊) can also mean coward.) They were both demi-humans, so Zhexiu could naturally tell what Xuanyuan Po’strue body was. Xuanyuan Po’s expression suddenly became very grave. He very seriously said,“Take off that first character (狗), or else I will be very angry.” Zhexiu replied, “Fine, black bear.” Xuanyuan Po flew into a rage and blurted, “How could a person like you be justas troublesome as Tang Thirty-Six!?” Chen Changsheng returned to the small building, washed his face and rinsed hismouth, then he went straight to bed. Last night, he had gone without any rest,so he was extremely tired. Now his mind had also calmed down, no longer in sucha frenzy, only leaving behind satisfaction and warmth. All this mean that thesleep that he had was especially sound, such that even when someone came in, hecould not tell that it had happened. Mo Yu sat the edge of the bed, gazing at the youth’s clean and delicateappearance. She slightly raised her brows, muttered some words, and took awhiff of the renewed scent. For some reason, her mood became much morepleasant. She lifted up a corner of Chen Changsheng’s bedding, then in she went. She very quickly fell asleep. Even as she dreamed, her smiling face was like aflower. If the eunuchs in the Imperial Palace or the chancellors of the Imperial Courthad seen her appearance, they would most assuredly have thought that they wereseeing things. Outside the window came the pitter-patter of spring rain. Mo Yu opened hereyes and woke up. As she languidly stretched her waist, she turned around andrealized that Chen Changsheng was snugly positioned by her waist, sound asleep.Only now did she become a little embarrassed, and two blushes of red appearedon her elegant face. She quickly got up and left, disappearing into the springrain outside the window. Not much time had passed, then the door to the room was pushed open and Luoluoentered. Seeing the soundly sleeping Chen Changsheng, she happily rushed over. Justwhen she was about to pounce onto the bed, she smelled the faint aroma ofmakeup. She wrinkled her thin eyebrows, then moved close to Chen Changsheng’s neck andcarefully smelled it. Suddenly, she became angry and stamped her feet on theground, causing the pearl-like raindrops in her hair to fall onto the floor. Even though she was angry enough to stamp her feet on the floor, she did notreally stamp her feet, because she did not want to wake up Chen Changsheng. Looking out the window at the spring rain, she hatefully cursed, “Mo Yu, youshameless woman!” She closed the window, blocking the soft and gentle spring rain and windoutside. Thus, the small building became whole. Now, there would be no moreshameless women who would come to disturb her teacher’s rest. Only now couldshe relax. She brought a stool over to the side of the bed, then sat down andlooked at Chen Changsheng’s face with a beaming smile. She did not say anythingor do anything, she just quietly watched him. She was satisfied with just that. Chen Changsheng woke up and realized that his left arm was being held tightly.Hearing the gentle and relaxed breathing, without opening his eyes, he knew whoit was and smiled. His arm was held for quite some time, which was always a bitexhausting. That crisp smell was a very familiar odor. How could he not knowwho it was? Opening his eyes, he saw that it really was Luoluo sitting by the bed. He didnot know how long she had been there, but she probably got tired from sittingfor so long. Just like in the past, her two hands were customarily holding hisarm, hanging over his body. Only that she still sat in a stool, making herposition somewhat awkward. Of course, it was very cute. With a trembling of her eyelashes, Luoluo woke up. Somewhat muddleheaded, sherubbed her eyes, then she realized that Chen Changsheng was looking at her. Shequickly sobered up, feeling somewhat bashful, and yet even more happy. Crisplyshe said, “Teacher.” “Good girl.” Chen Changsheng stroked her small face. The two left the small building and sat for a while in the library, waitingfor Xuanyuan Po and Zhexiu to come over so that Chen Changsheng could tell themwhat had happened in the Mausoleum of Books. At noon, Jin Yulu prepared lunch.After eating lunch, Chen Changsheng and Luoluo took a stroll through thegrounds of the Orthodox Academy. The spring rain was very light, so there wasno need for an umbrella. It was just when they climbed atop the great banyantree, and their feet were a bit wet. Luoluo gazed at the capital through the drizzle, then turned to ChenChangsheng and asked, “Does Teacher want to go to the Garden of Zhou?” They had been together in the Orthodox Academy for so long that Luoluo couldbe considered to be the only person in the world that most understood ChenChangsheng. She knew very well that if her teacher did not have some reason toleave the Mausoleum of Books, a person who valued time and opportunity as muchas her teacher would absolutely not depart from the mausoleum, from theHeavenly Tome Monoliths, with such ease. Chen Changsheng replied, “Yes.” Luoluo opened her eyes wide and asked, “Why?” Not waiting for an answer, she lowered her head to look at the ripples made bythe rain as they fell into the pond under the banyan tree. Then she softlysaid, “Is it because teacher’s young lady is also going to the Garden of Zhou?” Chen Changsheng was stumped for a few moments, then he realized that the younglady she spoke of was Xu Yourong. Although he had never thought about marryingXu Yourong, Luoluo’s method of address still made him feel rather embarrassed.He replied, “What does it have to do with her? Only people in Ethereal Openingcan enter the Garden of Zhou, and despite her shocking talent, she still hadnot managed that.” Last night, the Mausoleum of Books was bathed in starlight for an entirenight. Dozens of people had broken into Ethereal Opening. It could now beassumed that Xu Yourong, first place in the Proclamation of Azure Clouds, wastarnished in comparison. “Teacher’s young lady broke through into Ethereal Opening several days ago.” At some point, Luoluo realized something, and a naïve and vivacious expressionreturned to her face. She gave a big smile and said, “In her body flows theblood of the phoenix. Such a proud person, even if she did not care thatTeacher exceeded her, how could she lose out to all those other mediocrepeople?” Chen Changsheng was a little astonished. It took a bit of time before he wasable to digest this abrupt news. The very first thought he thought of was the fact that very soon, theProclamation of Azure Clouds would be changing its rankings. “Congratulations.” Chen Changsheng said to Luoluo as he smiled. Luoluo mumbled, “This isn’t anything to be happy about.” Xu Yourong had entered Ethereal Opening, so naturally she left theProclamation of Azure Clouds. Last night many, people entered Ethereal Opening.If they left the mausoleum, they would also leave the Proclamation of AzureClouds. The value of the first rank in the Proclamation of Azure Clouds had definitelydecreased a lot. Chen Changsheng extended his hand to listen to Luoluo’s pulse, then said, “Thedifference between demi-human blood vessels and human blood vessels is quitelarge, especially with the bloodline of the White Emperor. The innate talent inyour blood is too overbearingly strong, so even though you’re in the MeditationRealm, you can still defeat many opponents at Ethereal Opening. That’s why youshouldn’t worry so much. Though when the time comes, it will be somewhat moredifficult for you to enter Ethereal Opening.” Now that he thought about it, he could not help but wonder how exactly Zhexiubroke into Ethereal Opening last night and what sort of ordeal he went through. Luoluo suddenly looked at him and very seriously said, “Teacher, after you goto the Garden of Zhou and meet the young lady, you can’t become softhearted.” Chen Changsheng remembered that she had previously been discussing how XuYourong was going to the Garden of Zhou.