Chapter 54

On the night of the Qixi Festival, the ancient capital of Kyoto was very beautiful. The lights in the streets and alleys reflected the stars in the night sky, creating a charming scene. The fireworks from the distant imperial palace, shooting into the night sky, made it hard to distinguish whether they were lights from the human world or stars in the sky. Everywhere was a sea of light, with no trace of darkness.

The rivers in Kyoto were even more brilliantly lit. Whether it was the merchant ships or the flower boats, they were all brightly lit. Countless small lantern boats floated slowly downstream, almost covering the famous Luo River. Many young men and women stood on the stone slabs by the riverbank, watching the lantern boats they had released. Some silently made wishes, while others clapped their hands in joy. Their innocent faces and elegant clothes were illuminated by the lanterns, making them look radiant.

This was the Qixi Festival. Chen Changsheng stood on a stone bridge, looking at the young couples, and at the youth and budding love flowing silently between the river and the lantern boats. He remained silent, and Luo Luo, who had been very happy, also became quiet because of his silence.

The Qingteng Banquet had been postponed for many days due to the participation of the Southern delegation, and it was finally held tonight. During these days, Chen Changsheng and Luo Luo had been practicing and studying at the National Teaching Academy, still ignoring the outside world. Chen Changsheng was somewhat frustrated that he still hadn't succeeded in cleansing his bone marrow, while Luo Luo, under his guidance, had made remarkable progress.

It was already difficult to make progress when one had reached a high level, let alone to soar to the heavens. If those who knew Luo Luo's true identity and strength found out that she could improve at this speed, they would certainly be amazed by Chen Changsheng.

Luo Luo felt that Mr. Chen was a celestial being, not only because of her rapid improvement but also because Xuanyuan Po's injuries were visibly healing. Chen Changsheng had accomplished many things that others could not, so she did not lose her respect for him despite becoming closer to him. Instead, she admired him even more.

The lantern boats in the river below the bridge floated away like fireflies, their dim light reflecting on Chen Changsheng's face, making it look somewhat uncertain. She looked at his profile and suddenly asked, "Mr. Chen, what kind of wife do you plan to find in the future?"

On this beautiful Qixi night, the entire human world, including Kyoto, was immersed in love. Countless young men and women, whether shy or brave, were venturing into the completely unfamiliar realm of love. It was natural for Luo Luo to think about such questions when she saw those scenes.

Chen Changsheng thought for a moment and said, "I haven't thought about these things."

Luo Luo thought to herself that if he really hadn't thought about it, why did he need to think before answering?

...

...

Weiyang Palace was one of the main halls in the imperial palace complex of the Great Zhou Dynasty. It was usually used for state banquets or festival ceremonies. The palace was grand, and tonight, as the main venue for the Qingteng Banquet, it was decorated like a palace of crystal.

Chen Changsheng and Luo Luo arrived outside Weiyang Palace, presented their invitations, and had their identities verified. They were then led into the deep palace by a eunuch. From a distance, they could see the soft light emanating from the palace, which he recognized as the light of night pearls.

How many night pearls would it take to illuminate the entire hall? Chen Changsheng thought to himself, feeling quite amazed, but he did not show any emotion on his face. He was also nervous inside, but he did not let it show.

Without a doubt, the Great Zhou Imperial Palace was the center of the human world. Neither the Palace of the Church, the Holy Maiden Peak in the South, nor the Lishan Sword Sect could compare to this palace complex. If there was a place that could be compared, it would be the Demon Palace in Snow Elder City.

Walking through the Great Zhou Imperial Palace, feeling the solemn and majestic aura emanating from every stone and tile, was a completely different experience from seeing the palace from the National Teaching Academy. No matter how steady and mature Chen Changsheng was, he was still a boy not yet fifteen, and he could not help but feel some nervousness.

Luo Luo was not nervous at all, still as graceful and quick-footed as usual. She did not need the eunuch to guide her; she would tug at Chen Changsheng's sleeve or look at him to tell him what to do and what to pay attention to.

Noticing this, Chen Changsheng asked in a low voice, "Do you often come here?"

Luo Luo replied, "At the beginning, when I was in Kyoto, I lived here."

Chen Changsheng knew that she had an extraordinary background, but he was still surprised to hear this.

Following the long stone steps of Weiyang Palace, the two of them walked up.

Entering the hall, they were greeted by many dazzling night pearls. Although none of them could compare to the one Luo Luo had given Chen Changsheng, the sheer number of them was still quite impressive.

Night pearls were not oil lamps or tallow candles; even a strong night wind would not affect their light. Therefore, the light in the hall was soft and bright, clearly illuminating the seams between the golden bricks on the ground and the beautiful painted details on the beams and pillars.

There was no wind at all.

Weiyang Palace's main hall must have had some kind of array, as even the autumn wind could not enter.

The hall was filled with many seats. The students and teachers from the Star Plucking Academy, the Ancestral Worship Hall, the Heavenly Dao College, the Palace of the Church's affiliated school, and the Qingyao Thirteenth Bureau still occupied the best positions. The students who had passed the preliminary exams of the Great Imperial Examination were seated in scattered positions.

Many people had already arrived, and more were still coming. Clerics from the Church's Central Office and officials from the Ministry of Rites were announcing names at the entrance. Apart from their voices, the hall was extremely quiet. Occasionally, someone would stand up to greet friends and acquaintances, but most people were silent.

"National Teaching Academy."

As the cleric from the Church's Central Office announced the name, the hall suddenly became even quieter, and then, in the next moment, it was broken by whispers, discussions, and countless eyes turning to the entrance, focusing on the young couple.

Among the six Qingteng Academies, the National Teaching Academy was the least known, almost forgotten. In previous Qingteng Banquets, it didn't even have a seat. However, after the first night of this year's Qingteng Banquet, the academy was remembered by many and could no longer be forgotten.

Everyone looked at Chen Changsheng and Luo Luo at the entrance, not with curiosity or sympathy, but with caution and investigation. Most of the attention was on Luo Luo, with many people giving her a particularly serious and wary look.

After that night, many people had investigated the National Teaching Academy and learned about Chen Changsheng's background from the Church's Central Office, but no one could find out Luo Luo's identity. They only knew that this little girl had appeared at the Heavenly Dao College and the Star Plucking Academy, and that the Dean of the Heavenly Dao College, Mao Qiuyu, knew her background. Some people also found out that a court official had accompanied her, and that General Xue Xingchuan of the Divine General's Mansion had warned his descendants about her.

But could they force these important figures to reveal anything?

Luo Luo's background remained a mystery, but through these important figures, people at least confirmed that she had an extraordinary background. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for the National Teaching Academy and she herself to remain unharmed after dealing with the Tianhai family's little monster, while the Heavenly Dao College's Dean disappeared.

Of course, the reason Luo Luo had become the most notable figure in Kyoto in recent months was not only because of her mysterious background and her connection to the palace, but also because of the strength she displayed that night. At such a young age, she was so powerful that perhaps only Xu Yourong could surpass her. But Xu Yourong had the bloodline of a true phoenix, so where did this little girl come from?

Compared to Luo Luo, Chen Changsheng was still ignored by everyone because it was clear that this young man had not even succeeded in cleansing his bone marrow and was just an ordinary person. People did not understand why Luo Luo respected him so much, but they certainly would not treat him differently because of her respect.

A cleric from the Church's Central Office walked to the front of the hall and announced to the students and teachers of the six Qingteng Academies and those who had passed the preliminary exams of the Great Imperial Examination that the Southern delegation had arrived in the capital today and would stay at the Palace of the Church's affiliated school. After receiving the baptism and blessing from the Patriarch, they would enter the palace, but they would be a bit late.

Hearing this news, the people in the hall were somewhat displeased, but strangely, the atmosphere in the hall also relaxed. Clearly, the young geniuses led by Gou Hanshi from the Southern delegation had brought great pressure to the proud young people of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Since they still had to wait, they could not just sit idly. The announcements continued, and the teachers and students from the Heavenly Dao College and other schools stood up, greeting and bowing to teachers and students from other schools, discussing recent interesting events in Kyoto, and speculating about how Gou Hanshi might perform later. The atmosphere was lively.

The National Teaching Academy's seat was still in a corner, still cold and quiet, still ignored. However, while the National Teaching Academy was once truly forgotten by the world, now the world deliberately overlooked its existence. The difference, though subtle, was significant.

Of course, this deliberate oversight was mainly due to the arrival of the Southern delegation. Many people did not want any complications—two major forces in the Great Zhou Dynasty seemed to be using the National Teaching Academy to compete. If it were at another time, many people would have tried to probe Chen Changsheng and Luo Luo. But now, they did not, because something more important would happen in Weiyang Palace tonight, more important than the new students of the National Teaching Academy or even the potential competition between the two major forces.

The engagement tonight was the most important event in the human world at the moment.

Xu Yourong had the bloodline of a true phoenix, a once-in-a-thousand-years talent, and Qiu Shanjun had the bloodline of a dragon, also a shocking talent. Moreover, the Holy Maiden Peak and Lishan were important strongholds of the Southern Church, making them natural siblings. From any perspective, they were a perfect match.

The Great Zhou Dynasty also wanted this marriage to succeed—not because people liked to see perfect things become even more perfect, but because Xu Yourong would become the Holy Maiden of the Southern Church, the first Kyoto girl to hold this sacred position in history. Qiu Shanjun would become the guardian of the Southern Church's mountain gate. The unity of the Church and the people, both in the North and the South, would be strengthened, and the war against the demons would have a better chance of success.

The entire human world wanted Xu Yourong and Qiu Shanjun to get married.

Whoever opposed this marriage would be opposing the entire world.