Chapter 239 – The Cinnabar Birthmark Between Her Eyebrows (Part Two) (1/2)
Chapter 239 - The Cinnabar Birthmark Between Her Eyebrows (Part Two)
Chen Changsheng really was very angry.
Right before the Grand Examination, he had succeeded in Purification, and had even achieved perfect Purification. Although he had been unconscious for the entire ordeal and could not recall what had truly happened, he knew that it definitely had something to do with the Black Dragon.
He had lived and was able to obtain the first rank of the First Banner in the Grand Examination. He had been able to enter the Mausoleum of Books to view the monoliths and comprehend the monoliths. He was able to bathe the entire capital in starlight. All of this had been bestowed upon him by the Black Dragon.
To him, the Black Dragon was even more important than the person that saved had his life. When he saw the wound between its eyes which still seemed to be bleeding, when he faintly made out the white bone, deep in the wound, when he imagined the pain it had suffered, he could not help but be moved.
Yes, it was as the Pope had said in the Li Palace, that legendary Black Dragon was an evil dragon. However, even if it had committed such monstrous crimes against the capital, and several hundred years of imprisonment underground was not enough to atone for its crimes, how could such abuse be allowed?
The Black Dragon calmly floated in the air, listening to Chen Changsheng’s angry question. Its eyes were incredibly serene. There was no pain or fear. It did not grow angry with him, nor was it deeply moved, only holding detachment and disregard.
Under its indifferent gaze, Chen Changsheng felt like an idiot. For some reason, he felt quite embarrassed. Could he have misunderstood something?
After a long time, he felt it was necessary to break the silence. He asked with some hesitation, “…this is the first time since that day that I’ve come to see you. Are you alright?”
The Black Dragon did not answer, nor did it give any other sort of response.
As he had said, although Chen Changsheng was not clear on what had happened that day he first attempted Meditative Introspection, he knew that it could only have been with the aid of the Black Dragon that he was able to escape calamity.
“I don’t know how to thank you, so I brought some things that you would normally like to eat.”
He placed the entire roast lamb that he had ordered on the floor in front of the Black Dragon. Its fragrant aroma and heat spread forth, only to be immediately frozen by the air.
“You should first quickly eat the lamb. We can take our time with the rest.”
He suggested this as he saw the congealing oil on the lamb leg.
He continued to take out more food. Roast chicken, roast deer tail, roast goose, beef hotpot with pickled vegetables, cask-soaked tofu, phoenix fruit…in a short time, the floor was densely packed with dozens of dishes.
The Black Dragon’s eyes seemed to gleam, but it still remained unmoving and unspeaking.
Chen Changsheng thought that it was somewhat strange. It was true that in the past few times he had come to this underground space, besides teaching him dragon language, the Black Dragon very rarely talked with him However, it had never been as quiet as it was tonight, perhaps due to disdain, or perhaps it found speaking to be very strenuous.
“What’s wrong? Are you angry because I haven’t come to see you in so long?”
He looked at the Black Dragon and explained, “After that night, I woke up in the Orthodox Academy. Apparently someone must have brought me back. I realized that I had succeeded in Purification and wanted to find you, but found out that someone had filled in the well…I think it was probably the person that brought me to the Orthodox Academy. Afterwards, I was busy preparing for the Grand Examination, and then this past month I was in the Mausoleum of Books viewing the Heavenly Tome Monoliths, so I really didn’t have the time to come and visit.”
In truth, he did not need to explain this much. However, he still wanted to explain.
His eyes were extremely clear and his expression was very sincere.
Perhaps it was for this reason that the Black Dragon’s whiskers lightly floated up. Amidst the brilliance of the night pearls, it waved twice. This signified that it would, in a short while, enjoy his offerings.
Chen Changsheng was content with this and began to chat with the Black Dragon.
“I really have to thank you. Without you, there would have been no way for me to obtain the first place of the First banner in the Grand Examination.”
He narrated the events of the Grand Examination, then described how at the announcement of rankings, the Pope himself had personally crowned him with the garland of thistles. He did not mention what had happened in the Pavilion of Ascending Mist, but he did describe in fine detail the sights he had seen in the Mausoleum of Books, as well as the events that had occurred in the monolith huts.
“I have seen many rubbings of the monolith inscriptions, but before I entered the Mausoleum of Books, I always had this sort of fantasy. I thought that maybe those inexplicable Heavenly Tome Monoliths were written in dragon language.”
Chen Changsheng smiled at the Black Dragon. “When I was small, I studied the dragon language, then I was taught by you for a few days. If the monolith inscriptions were really written in dragon language, then I would have had an advantage over the rest.”
The Black Dragon’s eyes were filled with ridicule and disdain.
Somewhat embarrassed, he laughed and said, “Only when I entered the mausoleum and looked at those inscriptions did I finally realize that I was overthinking it.”
This was a rather embarrassing matter, but his laughter was filled with joy.
He gradually brought his laughter under control, before he said a few words to the Black Dragon very sincerely. As he said these words, his expression was extremely solemn, even somewhat grave.
“After viewing the Heavenly Tome Monoliths for over twenty days, I saw all seventeen monoliths of the front mausoleum on the very last day. At the very end, I realized a secret…the stars can move.”
In the Li Palace, in front the Pope, he had not even mentioned this matter.
However, the Black Dragon viewed Chen Changsheng’s trust as being beneath its contempt, even to the extent that it saw his solemnity and graveness as so laughable that the ridicule and disdain in its eyes increased.
Chen Changsheng stared blankly, and only after a while did he come to.
Of all living beings in the world, dragons could fly the highest. They could break through the clouds and soar above the nine heavens. As for Black Frost Dragons, this supreme clan of royal dragons, legends said that once they were fully grown, they could fly freely through the galaxies. Even if the Black Dragon had been unable to fly amongst the stars itself, how could it not know that the stars could move?
He had seen it as going against common sense, even so much as a new discovery contrary to the truth, but to the Black Dragon, this was probably a very common knowledge. When he so gravely told the Black Dragon that the stars could move, it was like seriously telling the fish that it was calm under water, or telling the birds that clouds were made of water vapor…
“It seems like I overthought things once again.”
He looked at the Black Dragon helplessly and was at a loss. “In this case, it should be that many people should know about it, so why is it that no one has ever brought it up before?”
The Black Dragon still paid him no attention.