Chapter 40

Luo Luo returned to the Hundred Grass Garden. The clan members knew she was in an especially good mood today because she had been skipping all the way, her light steps as if treading on clouds, humming a little tune with a clear voice like a lark, and her eyebrows seemed to be flying high.

Jin Changshi and Li Nushi exchanged a glance and hurriedly followed her. They naturally knew the reason for the princess's good mood, but they couldn't help feeling a bit puzzled, as they couldn't see what had happened in the library. Was it really worth being so happy just because the apprenticeship was successful? What was so special about that young man from the National College?

Luo Luo simply freshened up, changed into a clean dress, and took a few sips of the cooled golden eyebrow tea from a servant. She walked back to the front hall, looked at the two of them, and said, "Ask your questions quickly. I need to go to bed early tonight because I have to get up early tomorrow to do my homework. I can't afford to delay."

Jin Changshi thought to himself, "When have you ever been so diligent with your studies?" Of course, he couldn't say this out loud. He smiled and said, "Arriving a bit late isn't a big deal. Would that young man dare to do anything to you, Your Highness?"

"That's my teacher. Don't call him 'that young man.' From now on, you should call him Mr. Chen."

Luo Luo thought about the serious look on her teacher's face while reading and practicing, and his almost strict appreciation of time. She looked at the two of them pitifully and said, "If I'm late for the morning class, the teacher will really be angry. I don't want to get hit with the teaching rod on the second day."

Jin Changshi was taken aback, almost unable to believe his ears. Could that young man actually dare to hit their princess with a whip! If the people on both sides of the Red River heard this, the capital city would be in an uproar!

He was about to give Chen Changsheng a good scolding, but suddenly felt his sleeve being tugged lightly by Li Nushi. He then noticed that the little princess wasn't actually upset; her pitiful look was mostly an act, and there was a hidden joy in her eyes!

Jin Changshi's expression was somewhat dazed. He couldn't understand what had happened these past few days. He couldn't figure out what special skills Chen Changsheng, or rather, Mr. Chen, had, that could make the little princess admire him so much!

"The teacher is not an ordinary person."

Luo Luo naturally knew what the clan members were thinking. She looked at Jin Changshi's bewildered face and Li Nushi's worried expression and said calmly.

Jin Changshi didn't want to speak, but Li Nushi, who was closer to her, couldn't help but mutter, "Even the bone-washing ritual didn't succeed... Isn't that as ordinary as it gets?"

Luo Luo said, "Do you think an ordinary person who can't even succeed in the bone-washing ritual could solve problems that even my father couldn't solve?"

Jin Changshi hesitated and said, "Or... is it just luck?"

Luo Luo thought about her experience in the afternoon and said proudly, "No, the teacher doesn't need luck."

Li Nushi asked, puzzled, "If... Mr. Chen is not an ordinary person, why did he enter the National College? What is he hiding?"

"Silently reading and practicing, not showing off, just being a fish in the stream that no one notices, waiting for the day when the fish leaps over the dragon gate, transforming into a true dragon, overlooking the entire continent, and becoming famous in the world..."

Luo Luo's eyes became brighter and her voice louder, "The teacher's thoughts are really cool!"

Jin Changshi smiled bitterly, thinking, "This is the real world, not a story." The princess seemed to have grown up a lot, but she was still a child.

The next morning at five o'clock, Luo Luo woke up on time—of course, if she followed her usual routine, the sleepy little girl would never get up. But the servants, following her orders, started banging gongs and drums in the courtyard from 4:15, so she couldn't help but wake up.

She put on her clothes, rubbed her eyes, and pushed open the door, muttering irritably, "So noisy!"

The servants, suppressing their fear and unease, continued to bang the gongs and drums, their faces pale. Hearing the princess's anger, they knelt down and begged for forgiveness.

"I was just saying it casually."

Luo Luo yawned and gestured for them to stand up, saying, "You did nothing wrong. You did well. Go to Mother Li and get your reward... according to the rules we set last night, if you can wake me up before five, you get a reward. If I don't wake up, you lose your monthly pay!"

The servants looked at each other, confirming that the princess wasn't really angry, and then stood up with lingering fear. They quickly brought various tools to help the princess wash and dress, and someone brought over a dozen sets of clothes, asking which one she should wear.

Luo Luo chose the simplest and most elegant dress, had a bowl of green rice porridge, and a piece of smoked meat sandwich. Then she opened the food box on the table, carefully checked it, nodded in satisfaction, and picked it up, heading towards the garden wall.

Pushing open the new wooden gate, she entered the National College.

On the other side of the wall, there was no wooden tub, and naturally, no bathing young man. The encounter from the previous day left a deep impression on Chen Changsheng. After dinner, the first thing he did was to move the wooden tub into the small building, and he didn't forget to install a lock on the building and a curtain on the toilet window.

The National College was quietly undergoing changes.

Because now it wasn't just Chen Changsheng alone.

The National College now had two students.

...

...

Reading and then practicing.

This was still the main theme of the National College.

Except for not being able to bathe in the open air, and being able to sing loudly while using the toilet... Chen Changsheng felt the biggest change in his life was the significant improvement in his diet. From the second day after Luo Luo became his disciple, he started eating the breakfast, lunch, and dinner she brought from the Hundred Grass Garden.

He was very satisfied with the meals from the Hundred Grass Garden, whether it was the variety of dishes, the combination of vegetables and grains, the balanced nutrition, or the taste. He felt it exceeded his best expectations—his senior brothers at the old temple in Xining Town used to cook, and while the nutrition was fine, the taste was really average.

He was very satisfied with these meals and even more so with Luo Luo's performance. Essentially, these meals and the effort she put into them were her way of showing her respect and affection.

Luo Luo was very close to him, always wanting to be by his side. If he wasn't careful, the little girl would hug his arm, snuggle into his chest, and keep sniffing, like a cute little cat. If he hadn't firmly opposed it, she wouldn't even go back to the Hundred Grass Garden to sleep.

Chen Changsheng was only a fourteen-year-old boy and wasn't used to the respect and dependence Luo Luo showed. Although he still mistakenly thought she was only about ten years old, being so close to a girl was inevitably awkward, but the feeling was really good, good enough for him to endure it.

However, his practice still showed no progress. Many days had passed, and he had been trying to draw starlight to cleanse his bones, but his body showed no changes. Even with his strong will, he was starting to doubt himself, at least he felt his luck wasn't very good.

He didn't know that Luo Luo had once told her clan members that he was the person who needed luck the least.

Luo Luo's luck, on the other hand, was very good. If there was such a thing as destiny, her destiny was invincible and unstoppable!

From the night she met Chen Changsheng to the day she became his disciple, and now, just a few dozen days later, it was still early summer. Chen Changsheng had already found three true energy circulation routes for her, and she had mastered seventeen forms of the Zhongshan Wind and Rain Sword Technique!

As the heat of summer began, the preliminary exams for the Grand Imperial Examination also ended.

The streets and alleys of the capital city were bustling with activity. Countless students from all over the continent, some elated, some sad, some celebrating with drinks, and some drowning their sorrows, filled the taverns. Even before nightfall, the famous brothels were already lit up with colorful lights.

Chen Changsheng had been feeling a bit down recently due to his practice problems. He knew that being constantly tense wasn't good, and he needed to relax his mind. So, he finally left the National College and spent a precious half-day to see some sights. Interestingly, he didn't go to the palace to see the ivy, or to the Naihe Bridge to count the stones, but instead, he took Luo Luo to the entrance of the Hundred Flowers Alley, sat under the eaves by the well, and watched the street, lost in thought.

Luo Luo always obeyed him, never complaining about any decision he made. She believed that any decision he made was right, even if it seemed a bit absurd, there must be some deeper meaning she couldn't understand. But today, she finally became unhappy.

"Teacher..."

She sat on the stone steps, looking at the moss in the well, pouting and aimlessly kicking a small green leaf in front of her. She wanted to complain but didn't say anything. She felt that since they rarely went out, they should go further. Walking around with the teacher sounded very interesting.

"What's wrong?"

Chen Changsheng held two ice pops and said, "Don't you want to eat? If I eat both, I'll get a stomachache."

Luo Luo thought that the teacher still cared for her, so she became happy and took the ice pop from him, sitting next to him and watching the crowd on the street, lost in thought.

She licked the ice pop and asked, "Why is it so lively today?"

Chen Changsheng bit off a small piece of the ice pop and said, "When I bought the ice pops, I heard that the preliminary exams for the Grand Imperial Examination have ended."

Luo Luo opened her eyes wide, "Ah!"

Chen Changsheng turned to look at her and asked, "What's wrong? Is it too cold?"

Luo Luo looked at him, a bit uncertain, and said, "I feel like we forgot something."

Chen Changsheng started to recall seriously, his brows furrowing tighter and tighter, and then suddenly relaxed.

"I remember, we need to represent the National College at the Qingteng Banquet."

Yes, the preliminary exams for the Grand Imperial Examination had ended, and summer had arrived.

The Qingteng Banquet was about to be held.

Luo Luo asked, "Are we going?"

Chen Changsheng thought for a moment and said, "We should go."

Luo Luo asked, "But no one has come to notify us."

Chen Changsheng said, "If the Church Council forgot, we can just not go."

Luo Luo happily licked her ice pop and said, "Okay, I'll follow the teacher's lead."