376 A Simple Youth

Liang Hongzhuang's expression grew slightly cold. The tips of his brows thathad been drawn incredibly thin rose up—the youngest Principal of the OrthodoxAcademy, the main object of the Orthodoxy's nurturing, the Pope's andArchbishop Mei Lisha's most cherished junior, was actually this youth. He knewof Chen Changsheng, or else he would not have been able to guess it at all. Itwas just that there were a few things he did not understand. For instance, atthe young age of sixteen, Chen Changsheng had reached the upper level ofEthereal Opening. Not even Liang Hongzhuang’s distantly related cousin, who hewas not very close with, thought this was possible. Liang Hongzhuang was alsofilled with admiration, but he did not understand Chen Changsheng's previousstrike. The whole world knew that Chen Changsheng's talent lay in cultivation, lay inthe willpower that arose from his erudition of the Daoist Canon. He wasdiligent and perceptive, but his innate talent was very ordinary. It wasabsolutely impossible for him to be brought up in the same conversation asQiushan Jun, Xu Yourong, and Princess Luoluo. Then how was ChenChangsheng’s strike able to surpass the gap between Ethereal Opening and StarCondensation and directly pierce through his Star Domain? Could it be that before he had even struck, he had already seen through hisdancing dress? Liang Hongzhuang turned to Su Li—the Star Domain of the StarCondensation realm seemed perfect, but in the end, it was not truly perfect.However, only a great expert at Su Li’s level would be able to see through it.However, Su Li never made a noise, and even his gaze had always been fixed onChen Changsheng's dagger, not on his own body. "You used… just what sort of sword did you use?" Liang Hongzhuang looked at the dagger in Chen Changsheng's hand, his slenderbrows flying up even higher, making him seem all the more indescribablyenchanting. Chen Changsheng did not know how to answer this question. When SuLi was teaching him the sword, he had very clearly said that this swordtechnique could be considered under the category of the Intellectual Sword, buthe had always vaguely felt that there was some sort of difference. At this time, Su Li asked a question. He looked at Chen Changsheng, his facefilled with confusion and suspicion, and asked, "Did you really guess?" Chen Changsheng nodded his head and honestly answered, "I just made a wildguess." Su Li's eyes slightly lit up, as if this was the first time he had set eyes onthis youth. He asked another question, "The probability?" Chen Changsheng made some mental calculations, then said uncertainly, "Seven?" Su Li's voice suddenly went higher. "Seventy percent?" Even his proud self who was a genius in the path of the sword felt that thisanswer was too astounding. Whether it was his past self that had learned thesword at the Mount Li for several centuries or Qiushan Jun when he had firstbeen teaching him the Intellectual Sword, neither of them would have been ableto accomplish this. This was an impossible matter. Yes, so it could not have happened. Chen Changsheng felt somewhat embarrassed, and whispered, "I was saying sevenpercent." Su Li felt that this was more like it. Although it was this way, ChenChangsheng's performance had already surpassed his reckoning. He sighedemotionally, "It's enough. At least you've left the land of wild guesses andcome to just guessing." Chen Changsheng was somewhat dazed. "What is the difference between a wildguess and a guess?" Su Li replied, "A guess requires something to lean on, while a wild guess isjust blindly grasping. Of course, they're different." Chen Changsheng remembered the feeling he had the instant before he hadattacked. He suddenly felt unsure about whether he had made a guess or a wildguess. His attack had mostly relied on intuition, not calculation. In many cases, intuition was an instinctual response arising from manycalculations and exercises. He faintly sensed that his strike, that strike that broke through LiangHongzhuang's dancing dress, was subtly different from the Intellectual Swordthat Su Li had taught him, but he did not know what this difference was. Liang Hongzhuang stood around a dozen zhang away, watching as the pair talked.He suddenly began to laugh, his elegant face covered with the remnants ofmakeup filled with ridicule. "You two are just chatting now!" Su Li looked at him and said, "Do you want to chat? Then let's do it together." Liang Hongzhuang stared blankly. He had not imagined that he would receivesuch an answer. After a moment of silent rumination, he actually joined in onthe conversation. Because he had something he wanted to say, something that he wanted to tellChen Changsheng. As for Su Li, he had nothing good to say to him. He looked at Chen Changsheng and said, "How is it that you appeared in thenorthern part of Tianliang County? Why have you been accompanying this devil?Why are you helping him?" In the capital, what Chen Changsheng heard of and the impression he formed ofSu Li was that the Junior Martial Uncle of Mount Li was a very unworldly andable person. During this journey of ten thousand li, he realized that thisimpression was not accurate, or perhaps it was more accurate to say that it wasnot sufficient. Su Li himself had admitted that he had killed many people, butthis was the first time Chen Changsheng had heard someone so straightforwardlydenounce Su Li as a devil. "Do you know how many people he's killed? How many times his sword was washedin blood so that it could be so sharp, do you know?" Liang Hongzhuang looked atChen Changsheng and scornfully said, "He's killed so many people, so he shouldhave died a long time ago, but he's managed to stay alive. The heavenly lawsmight operate in cycles, and yet his judgment has actually come late. Today,his appointed time of death has finally come, and yet you actually want toprotect him?" Chen Changsheng did not say anything, because he did not know what to say. Liang Hongzhuang used his hands to tidy up his attire. then once again walkedover, saying, "He's a southerner, while you are a person of Zhou. He's slain somany Zhou people, so what reason do you have to help him?" This did not seem like much of a problem, but if one were to carefully thinkabout it, it really was a big problem. On the snowy plains, Chen Changsheng had carried Su Li on his back as theyescaped. This could be considered repayment for Su Li's kindness in saving hislife. Moreover, it was only Su Li's ability that could help him return.However, after they had crossed the snowy plains, the kindness from saving hislife had all been paid off. They had already returned to the realm of the GreatZhou, so he could safely depart at any time—Mount Li was strong because Su Liwas strong, while a person of the Orthodoxy was strong because of theOrthodoxy. Right now, Su Li was a heavily injured lion that had fallen intodire straits. Meanwhile, so long as the Orthodoxy had not fallen intodestruction, with Chen Changsheng's identity as the Principal of the OrthodoxAcademy, as well as the rumors that he was cherished by the Pope and Mei Lisha,who would dare go against him? As long as he was willing to leave, regardlessof if it was Xue He, Liang Hongzhuang, or any other experts that would follow,they would all take the first opportunity to escort him back to the capital. No matter what angle one looked at it from, there was no reason for him tocontinue staying by Su Li's side. Chen Changsheng glanced at Su Li. Su Li had an indifferent expression, and he didn't say anything. This wasbecause this was also a question that he had wanted a clear answer to, it wasjust that he had never asked, so Chen Changsheng had naturally never answeredit. Now, Liang Hongzhuang had asked this question. He wanted to know just whatexactly Chen Changsheng's answer would be. Chen Changsheng silently pondered for a few moments, then replied, "I camefrom the Garden of Zhou and then inexplicably found myself in front of XuelaoCity." Liang Hongzhuang's eyebrows tilted upward. He had not imagined that such athing could occur. "In the Garden of Zhou, I thought that my death was imminent. When I left theGarden of Zhou and saw Xuelao City, I also felt my death was certain, andthen… Senior Su Li saved me. Moreover, I thought that Senior being besieged bythe demons was related to the plot I encountered in the Garden of Zhou… Fine,in truth, it's not that complicated… the reason is actually very simple. Seniorsaved me, so I naturally can't watch him die." Chen Changsheng very earnestlyexplained to Liang Hongzhuang. Su Li replied, "Ten thousand li over the snowy plains and Xue He's blade.Your debt has been paid off long ago." "Senior, you can't calculate this debt that way. To be more precise, somethinglike life is impossible to account for." Chen Changsheng had confirmed hisfeelings, so his sentences also began to flow more easily. "To Senior, all youdid was save my life, but to me, this life is my everything." Su Li and Liang Hongzhuang understood the meaning behind this sentence. It wasjust that after living in the world of cultivation for so many years, theirminds and bodies had become stained with dust, so they found it very difficultto accept this reason. Su Li shook his head. "I believe that you don't owe me anything more." Chen Changsheng replied, "I don't believe that." Su Li was a little at a loss. He clearly knew that Chen Changsheng was not aworshipper of his, and he also knew that they did not share any commoninterests, not to mention that there was nothing like some sort of friendshipbetween generations. Thus, he was very curious as to why ChenChangsheng had not left. It was only now that he found out that it had alwaysbeen such a simple reason. Of course, a person that insisted on such a reasonwas definitely not very simple. "To a bystander, it's just a life, but in reality, it's your everything… thenhow are you prepared to pay me back? It can't be that you're prepared to guardme for the rest of your life, working like an ox for me?" Su Li teased him, but his eyes were warm. Chen Changsheng was a little distressed. "I also don't think that's necessary,right?" Su Li laughed, and Liang Hongzhuang also laughed. One was out of gratitude,one was out of ridicule. The meanings of their laughs were completely different. "Even if you're really settling accounts, mutually saving each other should beenough to settle it. I also believe you've paid off your debt." Chen Changsheng turned to Liang Hongzhuang and said, "I want to pay back thekindness of saving my life, so I want to confirm that Senior is truly safe,that his life is taken care of before I depart. It's just like a sick persondrowning in the water. If you rescue him from the river but don't care thathe's about to die from his severe illness and take your leave, can that beconsidered saving him?" Liang Hongzhuang thought about it, then assented, "It makes sense." Chen Changsheng replied, "Many thanks… to your distinguished self forunderstanding." Seeing Liang Hongzhuang’s charming feminine appearance and the red dancingdress, he really did not know how to address this person. Liang Hongzhuang gazed back and calmly replied, "I want to avenge my father'sdeath, is that not also very reasonable?" Chen Changsheng silently thought about this, then nodded. Avenging his father was a reason that no one could refute, a most supremereason. "Since you insist on saving him, then I will have to kill you." Liang Hongzhuang continued, "Afterwards, if I receive the condemnation of HisHoliness, it will only be death. You know that I will not be afraid." Chen Changsheng knew that with regards to these sorts of avengers, they allhad firm resolves. The prestige of the Orthodoxy could not make them changetheir minds, so he replied, "I understand." Liang Hongzhuang's Qi grew increasingly swift and fierce. The silk-ribboneddancing dress that lightly floated in the mountain wind was no more, but theStar Domain had grown stronger and more stable in all aspects. He gazed impassively at Chen Changsheng and asked, "Do you have any lastwords?"