Chapter 95

Chen Changsheng understood her meaning—if things were different from the rumors, Xu Yourong did not want to marry Qiushan Jun, or perhaps she did not want to marry anyone at all. Her engagement was the best excuse to reject Qiushan Jun and anyone else, effectively silencing the world's endless gossip.

That marriage contract would be her best reason, and he would be the unbreakable archway behind her.

Yes, this explanation best fit the current situation and perfectly echoed the message Xu Yourong had specially sent through Shuang—“Don’t misunderstand.” However, Chen Changsheng did not agree with Moyu’s statement, not because of any logic, but because what she said was somewhat unpleasant.

“It seems the relationship between you and Miss Xu is not as good as I imagined.”

“This has nothing to do with the closeness of our relationship. The demon race has been recuperating in the north for hundreds of years. The human world needs to maintain an alliance with the demon race and ensure internal unity. The union of the north and south is a very important matter. Xu Yourong’s engagement to Qiushan Jun, in essence, cannot change this trend, but it is a symbol—a symbol watched by the entire continent. Her thoughts and actions are very irrational.”

“But since you can’t do anything about her, you deliberately said these words to provoke me?”

“Do you think this isn’t the truth?”

“Any fact must be confirmed after it happens.”

Chen Changsheng thought about the words he had said in the abandoned garden. He could not be blamed for not wanting to waste anyone’s youth and life, but he had encountered too many things in the capital, so he could not easily trust. At least some things had to be said in person to count.

“To have me voluntarily dissolve this engagement is not difficult. Let Miss Xu come and talk to me herself.”

He looked at Moyu and said, “They say she has the demeanor of a Heavenly Phoenix, but at least in this matter, I haven’t seen it.”

Moyu suddenly said, “Actually, I’m very annoyed.”

Chen Changsheng said, “This matter is also very troubling for me.”

Moyu’s black hair gradually scattered, her fine eyebrows like swords, staring at him, “If I could, I would rather kill you with one finger.”

At her age, she was already a powerful Star Gatherer, trusted by the Empress, and in the Great Zhou Dynasty, she was second only to the Empress and above ten thousand others, a truly remarkable figure. Being forced to handle this engagement and having to act with restraint due to certain reasons made her very frustrated.

Chen Changsheng sensed the danger. Only then did he remember that the beautiful woman in front of him was not an ordinary person. He stared into her eyes and asked, “Do you think the Empress knows about your visit to the National Academy today and the actions of the Tianhai family?”

Moyu sneered twice but did not speak. She could deeply earn the Empress’s trust and climb to the peak of power in just a few years, not only because of her own abilities but mainly because she could understand the Empress’s intentions.

There were many things the Empress could not openly express or even reveal her intentions. Moyu would silently begin to work on them in secret, handling them perfectly for the Empress.

Like this engagement involving the union of the north and south.

Moyu had never made a mistake in this regard. She knew exactly what the Empress wanted.

“The Grand Bishop of the Church and the old men in the Cathedral and elsewhere—these once glorious figures of the National Religion, who seem to protect the National Academy, are actually just using you. Can’t you see that?”

“I was arranged to study at the National Academy by you.”

Chen Changsheng looked into her eyes and said, “If the old figures in the National Religion were really using me and succeeded, the Empress’s anger would first fall on you before it fell on me. Is it because of this fear that you are so eager for me to break the engagement to gain merit?”

Moyu’s expression changed slightly, unsure if he had hit a nerve. Then she laughed contemptuously, “The Empress’s trust in me is known throughout the continent. Do you think a few insipid words from a child like you can influence anything?”

Chen Changsheng said, “Yes, you arranged for me to enter the National Academy by chance. The Empress may not suspect you of having other thoughts, but she will remember this. A casual decision of yours has challenged her dignity. Now, the Empress still likes and trusts you, so there’s no problem. But one day, if the Empress no longer likes or trusts you, this matter will bring you a lot of trouble.”

Moyu’s fine eyebrows arched, her sword-like intent growing stronger.

“The current situation at the National Academy is indeed tense, but the situation you face is not much better.”

Chen Changsheng said, “As I said in the abandoned garden, I will not voluntarily break the engagement unless she comes to talk to me. In this matter, you will not gain any initiative or control. Please go back and think of other methods.”

Moyu found his words interesting, her fine eyebrows gradually smoothing, her voice fading, “Are you telling me to leave, you child?”

Chen Changsheng said, “I dare not, I am asking you to leave.”

Moyu really laughed, finding it too unbelievable, “You actually dare to treat me like this?”

Chen Changsheng said, “Words that don’t resonate are many.”

In this conversation, he acted very much like an adult, but in fact, he was just a teenager. His confident and sharp words, combined with his still youthful face and stiff arm movements, made him look both cute and clumsy.

Only cuteness and clumsiness are real. So Moyu was truly angry. She could understand his words as a need for confrontation, but in the end, she realized that Chen Changsheng truly did not care about her and was not afraid of her.

Since serving the Empress, no one had dared to treat her like this, and no one had dared to ask her to leave—whether it was a prime minister, a noble of the Tianhai family, or a great figure of the National Religion, even the Pope had a bit of indulgence towards her. Chen Changsheng had done it.

“Are you really not afraid of death?” she said, biting her lip in hatred.

Because of her anger, she lost her composure, and she really looked like a straightforward young girl.

Chen Changsheng honestly said, “If you could kill me, I would have died by the Black Dragon Pond the other night. Since I didn’t die, it must be because of some reason you can’t kill me. So I’m afraid of death, but… I’m not afraid of you.”

The more real, the more hurtful, so this sentence was the most hurtful.

Moyu’s eyes grew colder.

“Indeed, I promised someone, so I can’t touch you… but there are many who want to harm you. Even with the engagement, you can’t marry Xu Yourong, and she can’t marry you, because she is the unique Phoenix of this continent, her status is incomparably sacred. Her engagement to Qiushan Jun is a tale of beauty that people have been discussing for years—everything related to her should be a legend in people’s minds. Now, you, an insignificant speck of mud, have appeared. Do you think people will agree?”

She looked at Chen Changsheng and said mockingly, “Do you know what you are doing? You are destroying everyone’s beautiful imagination or expectations. Those imaginations and expectations may be naive and ridiculous, but you have successfully made the whole world unhappy. Do you think the world will treat you well?”

Moyu left the National Academy, and Chen Changsheng, as the master of the National Academy, saw her off. He did not see her to the gate but to the deepest part of the academy, to the densest part of the forest, watching her disappear through the trees. He stood there for a long time.

In the forest, there was a wall, the wall between the National Academy and the Hundred Grass Garden. The wall extended deep into the mist and vines, where it faintly connected to a thick wall. The thick wall was covered with moss, and there was a door that had not been opened for a long time.

That was the city wall of the imperial city, and Moyu had returned to the palace through that door.

On ordinary days, standing by the lake or on the large banyan tree, he could see the buildings of the palace appearing and disappearing among the treetops. He knew the palace was not far, but until today, he did not know that the deepest part of the National Academy had this door, and the palace was so close.

Because of the Green Vine Banquet, he had entered the palace once. He remembered the middle-aged woman by the pond and, of course, the black dragon at the bottom of the Black Dragon Pond, which had been chained for countless years.

In the underground, he had promised the black dragon to visit it and talk to it when he had time. He had not forgotten his promise, but he did not know how to enter the palace. Seeing the old door covered with moss today, he suddenly realized there was a possibility.

But the palace was so large. Even if he took great risks to sneak in, how could he find that abandoned garden? That night, he could find the Weiyang Palace only because the black sheep led the way. Now, without the black sheep, he dared not act rashly.

The curse-like words Moyu left before leaving soon became reality.

After the autumn rain stopped, hundreds of young people gathered at the gate of the National Academy. There were students from the Heavenly Dao Academy, servants from the Qingyao Thirteen, students from the Capital Prefecture, and more ordinary people, a very mixed group, but they all had the same goal.

They surrounded the broken gate of the National Academy, their emotions running high, waving their arms, and shouting continuously.

“Let that Chen boy come out!”

“Wicked wolf, everyone should kill you!”

“What are you, trying to marry Xu Yourong?”

“Do you think you are Qiushan Jun?”

“Hand over the fake marriage contract!”

“Where did you come from, country bumpkin, get out of the capital!”

“A toad wanting to eat Phoenix meat, disgusting!”

The harsh shouts echoed in front of the National Academy’s gate, growing louder, and the words became more and more offensive. More and more people came to the gate of the National Academy, whether to join in the shouting or to watch the commotion…

In short, at this moment, the entire capital city had no goodwill towards the National Academy.

The black room set the wrong time, so I only crawled out at 9:30... The next chapter should be updated before 12:00.