When the incense burned out, there was a metal clang indicating that this round of examinations had come to a close. Chen Changsheng walked out of the building with the rest of the prospective students, paying no attention to the peculiar gazes thrown in his direction. Following the directions, he proceeded towards a stone plaza behind the lake, where the results would be announced, waiting for dusk when the final examination would conclude.
The majority of the other students remained in the front of the building, exchanging answers with each other or complaining about the test's difficulty. When he arrived at that place behind the lake, the stone plaza was very quiet. Standing by the lake was only the blue-clothed youth who had previously released that great light. He thought that geniuses would inevitably be proud and aloof, so he didn't walk forward. Unexpectedly, the youth approached him instead.
"I am called Tang Thirty-Six," the blue-clothed youth said.
Chen Changsheng was rather astonished. He didn't think that this youth would come over and take the initiative to chat. He tidied up his clothes and said courteously, "My surname is Chen (陈), written with 'ear' (耳) and 'east' (东), Chen Changsheng."
Tang Thirty-Six stared blankly at him, as if he hadn't expected this youth's name to be so crude. Even the master of a wealthy family in the countryside would not give his son such a name. After a moment of silence, he said, "This name is actually sincere and honest; it's not right for me to say it's lacking."
Chen Changsheng thought, your way of speaking is also actually rather sincere, only your name is also very strange.
"I am called Chen Changsheng….because when I was small, I was sick. Master hoped that I would live until I was one hundred. What about you? Why are you called Tang Thirty-Six? It can't be that you're the thirty-sixth child in your family? How can your family have so many people? Where is your home? With so many brothers and sisters, won't it be too noisy when you're studying?"
Tang Thirty-Six was struck dumb.
To directly inquire about the origins of one's name was a very discourteous thing to do. Moreover, he had a very chilly face which strangers did not like to approach. Those people who did not know the origins of his name, no matter how curious they were, would still restrain themselves in front of him, not daring to ask him directly. This youth had just so casually asked him this question, and then had even added more questions on top of it.
In fact, Chen Changsheng's thinking was very simple. In this capital that he wasn't familiar with, in this Heavenly Dao Academy full of cold looks and ridicule, this person who was clearly a genius had taken the initiative to come forward and introduce himself, so it was only right and proper that he give back even more enthusiasm and kindness. At the very least, he should take initiative to exchange pleasantries and chat about something.
Ever since he was a child, he had lived together with his master and senior brother. Master rarely said anything, and Senior couldn't even speak, so he simply had no clue how exchanging pleasantries should go. He seemed somewhat stiff and awkward, and although he wanted to relay his kind intention to this youth, it was very easy to cause misunderstanding, just like yesterday in the Divine General's estate.
Yet what was interesting was that not only was Tang Thirty-Six not unhappy, but on the contrary, he found Chen Changsheng very honest and very sincere. The thing Tang Thirty-Six most wanted to do throughout his life was to be a true person, but all the people he encountered were either mediocre people or sham believers. To suddenly encounter a person like Chen Changsheng made him feel very satisfied.
"In my clan, there truly are many people of the same generation as me, but we all study in our own homes, so it's not noisy. The reason I'm called Tang Thirty-Six is not because I'm the thirty-sixth child in my family, but because last year when I turned fifteen and first entered the Proclamation of Azure Sky, I was placed thirty-sixth. I thought it was very humiliating, especially when compared to that girl and that wolf cub…so I changed my name to Tang Thirty-Six to always remind myself that my current cultivation and strength are not adequate. Yeah, it seems I've answered all your questions. Yes, I've answered them all."
The conversation above was the first social interaction Chen Changsheng had since he left Xining and came to the bustling capital. At the same time, it was also the first social interaction Tang Thirty-Six had after he left Wenshui and came to the capital. At the time, Chen Changsheng was fourteen years old and Tang Thirty-Six was just about to turn sixteen, so they were both somewhat confused and inexperienced in the aspect of socializing. This conversation was undoubtedly rather choppy, interesting and amusing, but many years in the future, history would prove that this social interaction was a rousing success. It could even be said that after the treaty signed between Emperor Taizong and the chief of the demons, this was the most successful and most important social interaction in history.
"How many questions did you answer?"
Tang Thirty-Six asked. He truly was rather interested in this answer, because even though he felt Chen Changsheng was just an ordinary person…in reality, he probably wasn't an ordinary person. When he saw how pale Chen Changsheng's face was, he realized that his question was inappropriate. Those problems had been like an ocean. Even a genius like him had felt somewhat strained. It was obvious that Chen Changsheng had severely consumed his mental strength. Looking at the circumstances, the final result would probably not be any good.
"There were some questions on cultivation that I really couldn't answer. Spiritual sense, true essence, and also the burning sun of Star Condensation…"
Chen Changsheng very honestly answered. In his heart, he felt rather lucky. He had studied the Daoist Canon since he was a child, so those seemingly complex academic questions weren't very difficult at all for him. Instead, it was those questions on cultivation that he really couldn't answer. Fortunately, this was only an exam for prospective students after all, so there were not many questions in that field.
As Tang Thirty-Six listened, he felt that something was a bit off. These were the questions that he couldn't answer…could it be that this kid actually answered all the other questions? He took note of the fact that on the other side of the lake, a teacher carrying a thick examination paper was quickly walking off to some place. That teacher's mood seemed to have been severely shaken, and he almost fell over as he climbed the stone steps. He couldn't help but be a little startled. When associating this with the words Chen Changsheng had just said, he couldn't help but get an idea that even he found hard to believe. Could it be that this fellow really wanted to give everyone a shock?
"The rest…you're sure you answered them all correctly?"
"I don't dare say for certain…there are two versions of 'The Grand Supreme Mantra for Clearing the Heart'. In the year the Orthodoxy was established, they released an edited version. Afterwards, everyone always used the edited version, but the era mentioned in the question was before the year fifteen-seventy-three, so I didn't know which version to use. In the end, I was forced to put down an answer for both versions. I'm just afraid that it will anger the teacher and lose points."
When Tang Thirty-Six heard these words, he couldn't help but fall silent.
He only knew one version for that question, and he had only answered for that version.
After a while, he looked at Chen Changsheng and said, "I always thought it was me and that other guy who were the most arrogant amongst this generation of youth. I didn't think that you would actually be more arrogant than me."
Chen Changsheng was puzzled. He thought to himself, just how am I arrogant?
...
...
The results were posted.
Chen Changsheng's name was actually not there.
Chen Changsheng silently stood in front of the list for a very long time.
The eyes that looked at him from the crowd were rather unkind, carrying a sense of ridicule and disdain. If Tang Thirty-Six were not at his side, many nasty words would probably have been said already.
"I don't understand," Chen Changsheng said.
Tang Thirty-Six also did not understand. He believed that this youth that could even make him feel close and sincere would not tell lies. Since he said that he had answered most of the questions correctly, he should have answered them correctly. Then even if he wasn't ranked at the very front, his score should have been more than enough to make the list.
Chen Changsheng sought out the teacher that had been responsible for the Sensory Stone assessment and said, "I would like to check my paper."
That teacher was tidying up some random miscellany and didn't look directly into that calm and resolute gaze. "Since you used the regulations to obtain the qualifications to take the exam, then you should also know…my Heavenly Dao Academy's exam papers can not be checked again. This acts as a sign of respect to the Heavenly Dao Academy. If you did not pass, then you did not pass."
Chen Changsheng gazed silently at him for a long time, then turned and left.
...
...
"Although he didn't say anything, you knew what he wanted to say…this sort of kid who's angry but won't say anything bad is truly amazing." Tang Thirty-Six looked to the other side of the lake at the back of the youth that was slowly fading away. He turned to some person and said mockingly, "For the Heavenly Dao Academy to not take this sort of talent is really amazing."
"You're older than him by two years, but you call him a kid. That's really interesting."
The Vice Principal of the Heavenly Dao Academy said, "Even more interesting is, how did you know what he wanted to say?"
"He wanted to say, you will definitely regret this…I know this because if I were to suffer such treatment, I would definitely say these words."
"The Heavenly Dao Academy will regret rejecting a normal student?"
"He is not a normal student. He is a genius like me."
The Vice Principal of the Heavenly Dao Academy was silent for a few moments, then said, "I saw that youth's exam paper. For him to be so erudite without Purification, he truly can be called a genius. Even compared to Wang Zhice back then, he's not too far off. If this were a normal situation, I absolutely would have recruited him into the academy and then personally instructed him. It's just a pity that it's not possible this time."
Tang Thirty-Six looked back at him and asked, "Why is it not possible?"
"Because someone paid a visit."
"Who?"
"The Divine General's estate."
"The present-day continent has one Dufu, Five Saints, the Storms of the Eight Directions, and the countless freaks on the Proclamation of Liberation, and that's not even mentioning the demon guys hidden out in the wilderness. Admittedly the thirty-eight Divine Generals are strong…but what sort of place is the Heavenly Dao Academy? Actually listening to the orders of the Divine General's estate?"
(TN: Dufu can also mean 'dictator' or 'sole ruler'.)
"Your father entrusted you to me, so I won't hide this from you, but you can't speak of it anywhere else…a mere Divine General's estate is naturally incapable of influencing my Heavenly Dao Academy, but that Divine General's estate is different, because it is the estate of the Divine General of the East. The master of that estate is called Xu Shiji."
"Xu Shiji…even if he's doted upon by the Divine Empress and his power is formidable, in the end, he's just a Divine General."
"But his family has a Phoenix…"
Once he heard the word 'Phoenix', the cold arrogance on Tang Thirty-Six's countenance was impossible to retain and instantly melted away. After a long period of silence, he mumbled, "…Chen Changsheng, that guy, actually managed to provoke that Phoenix? Just what sort of person is he?"
The Vice Principal calmly replied, "It's of no concern what sort of person he is, he's still only fourteen. Even if he were to be enlightened again, it would be too late. The world has too many geniuses, and so if he had even more potential, so what? Previously, I compared him to Wang Zhice. If he really does possess Wang Zhice's willpower and destiny, then what does it matter if he is or is not in the Heavenly Dao Academy?"
...
...
Chen Changsheng did not know that his failure had to do with the Xu Estate. He thought that he had most likely taken the place of some influential official's son and so had suffered under the tricks of some person. Although this was his first time wading into worldly affairs, he had seen in the Daoist Canon and the plays many unbearably dark and filthy cases of mutual deception, and so he could only remain silent. Besides remaining silent, what else could he currently do?
He left the Heavenly Dao Academy and went to the second school on the list. He still did not notice the carriage with the blood-red Phoenix crest following him in the distance.