Chapter 501 – The Past, Soaked and Rotted by the Passage of Time (2/2)

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The summer gradually retreated and autumn began to pervade the air. Winter was also no longer that far off.

The area in front of the gate of the Orthodox Academy became much more quiet. Very few matches took place there now, and the common people of the capital gradually lost interest. The awning across the street was finally taken down at the Star Autumn Festival. As for why it was taken down, it might have been because the weather had gotten colder and the sun less scorching, or perhaps some other reason.

On the other hand, the Orthodox Academy became much more active. Every day in the morning, one could hear the clear sounds of books being read. Only at mealtime could one hear the sounds of students beating on their lunchboxes. Of course, there was even more laughter and cheers.

As for the Hundred Herb Garden separated from the Orthodox Academy by a wall, it went through the most intense changes. It was just that people rarely entered it, so these changes were not discovered. The countless fruit trees and herbal gardens within were all picked clean until one day, a eunuch from the palace was ordered to find an herb.

This was an extremely precious herb. It was said that it possessed miraculous effects with regards to regenerating flesh. If mixed with the proper herbs and refined into a pill, it could even regrow bones. The reason the palace was in a rush to find this herb was that a pimple had grown on the Princess of Ping's face. She was so angry that she couldn't even eat, especially when she heard that Xu Yourong was on the verge of returning to the capital.

The eunuch failed to find the herb. He looked at the Hundred Herb Garden that was clearly much more desolate and withered away than before, his face pale to the extreme. He thought to himself, this year's autumn is really rather fierce, isn't it?

The medicinal herbs and spirit fruits of the Hundred Herb Garden had naturally been swept through by the autumn wind known as Chen Changsheng.

In these past few days, he lived out his life as calmly and studiously as he had lived the past sixteen years: reading, cultivating, practicing the sword, and then experiencing his sixteenth birthday.

A little different from the past few years was that on the third day after his birthday, he did not remember the person that was celebrating their birthday on that day.

He also very studiously researched the string of stone pearls, wanting to comprehend something from these Heavenly Tome Monoliths. However, for the moment, he had not discovered anything.

His cultivation was gradually growing more stable, growing ever closer to the peak of Ethereal Opening, but the problems with his body never improved. That shadow before him continued to quietly watch him.

With his research and guidance, a formal breakthrough was made with the problem of Luoluo's meridians. Cultivating in human techniques would no longer pose too much of a problem for her. Importantly, with the resolution of this problem, as long as her blood was stimulated once more, then she would have a high chance of breaking through the demi-human imperial household's greatest obstruction. As a female, she would be able to learn the tyrannical techniques of the White Emperor.

For the demi-humans, it didn't even need to be asked to know how important it was. It was said that upon the news being relayed to the demi-humans, the tribes along the eight hundred li of the Red River rejoiced for three days and nights. Moreover, White Emperor City sent out a diplomatic mission to deliver to Chen Changsheng a huge set of gifts impossible for any normal person to obtain.

As he was able to resolve Luoluo's problem, he was naturally able to resolve Xuanyuan Po's problem. After his right arm was completely recovered, the bear youth began to cultivate the Heavenly Thunder Bringer and his strength advanced by leaps and bounds. His two iron fists were able to attract thunder and lightning, tyrannical beyond compare. Jin Yulu had come over to the Orthodox Academy just to take a look and was full of admiration. He decided on the spot that upon returning to White Emperor City, he would bestow a generous reward on the bear tribe.

Xuanyuan Po was so moved that tears poured from his eyes. He would no longer have to feel ashamed that he could eat blue lobster in the capital every day while his elders and fellow villagers back home could only live arduous lives of hunting in the mountains.

Chen Changsheng was also very happy for him, but he failed to recognize the other piece of information in Jin Yulu's words.

Zhexiu's injuries were also gradually recovering. Different from other patients who would lie in bed and rely on time to heal their wounds, although he seemed to lie unmoving on the bed, he was at every moment using his true essence to charge at his blocked and wounded meridians. This was a pain that only he could stand, and the only thing Chen Changsheng could do to assist was apply metal needles to somewhat alleviate the pain.

Just as Zhexiu had said before, pain was the force best able to stimulate vitality. One autumn's day, without assistance from anyone else, he was able to get out of bed. Using half the night, he was able to go downstairs and reach the lake shore, then let loose a cold and harsh howl towards the star-filled sky.

Everyone in the Orthodox Academy was roused from their sleep. Chen Changsheng and Tang Thirty-Six rushed to the lake. Seeing Zhexiu's lanky body, they were filled with some indescribable emotion and couldn't speak. Zhexiu had completely recovered, and he had even used the opportunity to open up the seventeen Qi channels that were unique to the bodies of the human–demi-human hybrids. As long as he was given sufficient time to stabilize, his strength would inevitably rise to a frightening level.

The entire capital heard this howl.

The principal alley of the Northern Military Department was silent as a grave. Zhou Tong, who seemed to have just begun recovering from a serious illness, glanced in the direction of the Orthodox Academy, his expression indifferent, as if he couldn't care less.

Zhou Tong had recently been very busy. He was busy with matters of the Imperial Court, communicating with people in the south and preparing to welcome a massive change with the new year. Yes, many people had already sensed that an undercurrent was surging forward such that the entire temple had become very quiet. However, this wasn't a bad thing. On the contrary, it brought a sort of hope.

The confluence of north and south really did seem on the verge of being put on the agenda.

No one understood why this was the case.

Su Li was still at Mount Li.

Mount Li was still in the south.

Why had so many people determined that regardless of whether Su Li was at Mount Li or not, he would not put a stop to this project?

The war with the demons was the greatest concern of the humans and demi-humans. No other matter was worthy of being discussed at the same level. The confluence of north and south was, without question, a most important component of this concern.

Whether it was the capital, the south, or White Emperor City, they all had to make their corresponding preparations for this matter.

The capital and the south had to consider how power should be divided between the two sides. White Emperor City had to consider something somewhat simpler. That Saint couple only needed to ensure that their blood could continue to rule over the demi-human domain. The continued stability of the two shores of the Red River was the greatest contribution towards the alliance between the humans and demi-humans. As a result, when the demi-humans’ diplomatic mission arrived at the capital, besides bringing Chen Changsheng and the Orthodox Academy countless presents and rewards, they had one even more important mission: to bring Princess Luoluo home.