Chapter 34

Between the National Teaching Academy and the Hundred Grass Garden, there was only an old wall separating them, covered with green vines, and the wall's base was full of moss.

Jin Changshi and Li Nushi stepped on a ladder, climbed to the top of the wall, and eavesdropped on the movements in the distant library. With their profound realms, and the young prince not deliberately concealing himself, they could see everything that was happening clearly. When they saw the young prince make that gesture, they immediately fell from the wall, landing quite heavily.

The sound of a heavy object falling from the distant wall did not affect the library. Inside the quiet building, the black and shiny floor seemed to hold a still picture. In that picture, Luoluo tightly hugged Chen Changsheng's thigh, and Chen Changsheng stood like a statue, not daring to move at all.

"Let go, you must let go first."

Chen Changsheng was very nervous, his voice trembling. Although this little girl looked only about ten years old, she was still a girl, and being tightly hugged by her small hands was already an extremely awkward situation. He didn't dare to move and could only keep shouting.

"If I let go, Master will run away," Luoluo said seriously.

Chen Changsheng was helpless and quickly promised, "Don't worry, I absolutely won't run away. Let go first, and then we can talk."

Luoluo, being very obedient and trusting his words, released her hands and then pointed to the floor in front of her, indicating for him to sit down.

Chen Changsheng thought about the agility of this little girl's movements earlier and confirmed that he couldn't escape from her small hands. He sighed inwardly and sat down.

Seeing that he indeed didn't try to run away again, Luoluo was very satisfied.

The library was silent, and Chen Changsheng didn't know what to say, feeling a bit awkward. However, it was clear that Luoluo didn't feel the same way.

She sat in front of him, supporting her chin with her hands, looking at him intently with a smile.

The two were very close, and Chen Changsheng could see his own face in her bright black pupils, and he could feel her genuine joy—such pure joy that he was somehow infected by it, and a sense of happiness welled up from deep within him.

But he couldn't agree to her request just because of this joy or liking, as it was clearly unreasonable. He said seriously, "I'm just an ordinary person. You said earlier that I'm a Fixed Star, and I couldn't even complete the Bone Washing. You are already stronger than me, so how can you become my disciple?"

Luoluo still supported her chin, looking at him intently, as if she found him very handsome and couldn't get enough of looking at him. "Master, if you were just an ordinary person, how could you do those things? Besides, you are a good person."

Chen Changsheng didn't understand the connection between their discussion and whether he was a good person, and asked in confusion, "Then what?"

"Before I fainted last night, I saw Master holding a sword to block the collapsing sky, so Master is a good person."

Luoluo's smile suddenly had a different meaning. "But that wasn't the last thing I saw. The last thing I saw was the sky full of stars, real stars, and at that time... General Xue Xingchuan of the Heavenly Guard had not yet arrived."

Chen Changsheng realized that she had seen it and said helplessly, "So what?"

"Master, your sword can pierce through the mist, so it's not an ordinary sword. Therefore, you are not an ordinary person."

Luoluo's gaze moved down to the seemingly ordinary short sword at his waist.

Chen Changsheng looked out the window at the sky and suddenly exclaimed, "Ah!"

Luoluo followed his gaze out the window, a bit puzzled, wondering what was wrong.

"It's getting late."

Chen Changsheng pointed out the window and said, "I need to go eat first. Can we talk later?"

Luoluo's cheeks puffed up like a bun, very cute, and she looked like a little tiger, still very cute. She made a move as if to pounce.

Chen Changsheng's voice changed, "Don't touch me!"

Although they had only been together for a short time, Luoluo had already roughly understood his character and knew that pushing too hard wasn't good. Reluctantly, she retracted her hand and said to Chen Changsheng, who had quietly walked to the library door, "Master, just take me in."

On the floor, her skirt spread out like a flower, and she sat in the middle, looking pitiful and incredibly cute.

Chen Changsheng didn't dare to look back, or he would have softened. He waved his hands and ran away as if escaping.

...

...

After eating a bowl of rice with vegetables in Hundred Flowers Lane and wandering around the capital for half a day, Chen Changsheng returned to the National Teaching Academy, thinking that the strange little girl should have left. When he entered the library, he found no one, and he finally relaxed.

As night fell, thinking about the shameful amount of time he had wasted today, he quickly prepared and began to meditate, ready to draw starlight to cleanse his bones again. However, before he could close his eyes, he saw the hem of a skirt sway in the starlight, and the little girl walked in.

Chen Changsheng asked helplessly, "I already said it's impossible."

Luoluo, as if she hadn't heard him, said to herself, "Master, I moved all those things to your bedroom. There's only one building with a stove, so it must be where you live. The herbs are left to dry in the attic, and the rest are stored under your bed."

Chen Changsheng had already noticed that the night pearls and sword techniques on the floor had disappeared. He thought the little girl had taken them away, but who would have thought she had actually helped him store them in the building, leaving him at a loss for how to react.

"I need to practice."

He was very helpless and couldn't afford to waste more time, missing the opportunity to draw starlight at night. He closed his eyes tightly and began to meditate.

True to his nature, having grown up with the dullness of the Daoist scriptures, he actually managed to enter a meditative state despite the little girl's close scrutiny.

As the sky gradually turned white and roosters crowed in the residential areas, their sounds reached the National Teaching Academy.

Chen Changsheng opened his eyes, slowly waking up, and suddenly felt a weight and a slight soreness on his right shoulder.

He turned his head and was startled, then sighed.

The little girl was hugging his arm, her head resting on his shoulder, and she seemed to have been sleeping all night.

Chen Changsheng gently woke her, "Go home."

"No," Luoluo rubbed her eyes, looking a bit aggrieved.

Chen Changsheng sighed, "Why must you do this?"

"Last night, when Master drew starlight to cleanse your bones, I hugged Master and smelled for a long time... I confirmed that the scent is yours. It really smells good, and I feel comfortable around Master, like I've eaten the Longevity Fruit."

Luoluo's eyes became even brighter, like the Morning Star that the morning light couldn't obscure. She smiled a bit shyly and continued, "I haven't eaten the Longevity Fruit, but my mother told me about it."

Chen Changsheng was speechless, thinking that just because the scent was good, she wanted to be his student? Just to be able to smell him every day?

"My cultivation has encountered a very troublesome obstacle, and no one can solve it, not even the professors at the Heavenly Dao Academy and the Star Plucking Academy. But Master can solve it... The method of circulating true essence in the Zhongshan Wind and Rain Technique can only be done with the eight words you said the other night. That's the proof."

Luoluo looked at him seriously, "So, I must become your disciple."

The method of circulating true essence in the Zhongshan Wind and Rain Technique was related to the secret in Chen Changsheng's body, of course, but that wasn't the main reason he refused the little girl. "I don't have the qualifications to teach you, and I don't have the time. I need to study, I need to practice, and I have many important things to do."

Luoluo, who had watched him all day, naturally knew how much he valued time, even to the point of being overly cautious. She asked, "Master, why are you in such a hurry?"

Yes, his cherishing of time, even to the point of anxiety.

Chen Changsheng, seeing the genuine concern in the little girl's eyes, suddenly felt a warmth. He usually appeared very calm, and few people could see the anxiety hidden beneath that calm exterior. For some reason, he suddenly wanted to talk.

"I need to participate in the Imperial Examination, and... I must be the top scorer," he said seriously.

The early morning library was the quietest time, with no cicadas or birds chirping, and even the frogs and insects were sleeping.

After a long time, there was no mockery or surprised questioning.

Even Tang Sanshi would have shown some emotion upon hearing Chen Changsheng's goal.

But Luoluo's expression didn't change. She looked at Chen Changsheng seriously, waiting for him to continue.

Chen Changsheng asked, "Don't you think this goal is ridiculous? At least... surprising?"

"Ridiculous? Surprising? Why?"

Luoluo, hearing this question, was instead puzzled. "Of course, Master should be the top scorer in the Imperial Examination."

The library fell silent again, and a distant bird call could be heard, making it even quieter.

Chen Changsheng was stunned.

Her tone made him feel that if he didn't become the top scorer, that would be the strange thing.

He hadn't eaten the legendary Longevity Fruit, but he thought that even if he had eaten hundreds of them, he couldn't feel more refreshed and comfortable than from her words.

"Just, why must Master participate in the Imperial Examination?"

Luoluo, unaware of the comfort her reaction had brought Chen Changsheng, asked curiously, "Do you want to see the Heavenly Book Pavilion? I can take you there."

Chen Changsheng didn't pay attention to the last part of her sentence.

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked toward the nearby palace, toward the direction of the Lingyan Pavilion.

The top three scorers in the Imperial Examination could enter the Heavenly Book Pavilion to observe the steles and gain enlightenment, which was what he wanted.

But only the top scorer in the Imperial Examination had the opportunity to meditate in the Lingyan Pavilion for a night.

That was what he wanted the most.