Chapter 504 – The Holy Maiden Returns to the Capital (1/2)
Chapter 504 - The Holy Maiden Returns to the Capital
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
The sound of wind, rain and studying, but today, one would only be able to hear the sound of studying at the Orthodox Academy. The just-fallen snowflakes had descended far too gently. It took a while before the students in the classrooms saw them, drawing a burst of elated gasps. The lecturers from the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education said a few words of rebuke, thus suppressing the faint uproar. Yet in the next moment, the sound of howling wind came through the window, making it impossible to maintain silence and calm in the classrooms as the young students all rushed towards the windows.
(TN: “The sound of wind, rain, and studying” is actually a reference to a famous line about the Donglin Academy: “风声雨声读书声，声声入耳；家事国事天下事，事事关心”, which translates to “The sound of wind, the sound of rain, the sound of studying, sound after sound enters one’s ear. The matters of home, the matters of state, the matters of the world, matter after matter is one’s concern.”)
The wind rolled up the thin mantle of snow that had just settled on the grass. A white crane slowly descended from the sky, almost seeming to dance in the sky. It was beautiful beyond compare.
”It's so beautiful!” the girls yelled excitedly as they gazed at this sight.
As the humans and demons surged in power, the monsters that had once wreaked devastation upon the continent had long been forced into the deep lakes and barren mountains. Correspondingly, the divine beasts and immortal birds also became harder to see. Normally, only those sects located deep within the mountains would be able to see them. The new students of the Orthodox Academy mostly originated from the counties and provinces. When compared to the much worldlier people of the capital, they very rarely saw these legendary immortal birds. But there were still some people who had lived in the capital for a very long time. When the transfer student from the Heavenly Dao Academy, Chu Wenbin, saw that white crane, he recalled something and said in shock, ”This…isn't this the White Crane of the Xu Estate?”
Upon hearing this, everyone by him grew quiet. Soon after, all the classrooms grew quiet. The students all stared at the White Crane, no longer daring to make any loud noises.
This White Crane was no ordinary white crane. Its appearance represented a name. To these students, that name was pure, holy and beautiful, forbidden to blaspheme.
Simultaneously, the students also knew just what this White Crane's return signified to their principal.
Just as expected, it didn't take long before a figure appeared before the students' eyes.
Chen Changsheng walked to the lawn by the lake and stood in front of the White Crane. The White Crane nodded its head at him and then inclined it towards those students at the nearby library and by the window. It seemed rather bewildered, as if it couldn't understand how such a massive change had occurred in the span of just a year.
He looked at the White Crane in silence, then finally asked, ”She…came back?”
……
……
Two streaks had entered the capital, one white and one gray. The white was the White Crane, but the gray was actually the Golden-winged Great Peng that Xu Yourong had brought out of the Garden of Zhou.
The reason it was gray was that the Great Peng had not fully matured. Its feathers had not taken color, let alone begin flowing with that golden color. It looked dark and gray and was also rather small. Just like Chen Changsheng's initial reaction towards it, it looked like a pheasant.
As they entered the capital, the White Crane only needed to cry out for those Red Falcons preparing to fly up to intercept to naturally let it pass. However, this young Peng not only did not follow the White Crane to the Orthodox Academy, but also seemed to grow rather interested in these birds of the ”same kind” as it that guarded the Imperial City. It made a rapid turn in the air, its wings aflutter, and eventually landed on the walls of the palace.
It was said that a Phoenix in dire straits was not the match of a pheasant. This young Peng really did seem like a pheasant, but, ultimately, a Phoenix was a Phoenix, a Golden Peng was a Golden Peng, so there was no way it could really have become a pheasant.
It folded its wings, raised its head and puffed out its chest, then began walking towards that flock of Red Falcons. It glanced to its left and right, its eyes indifferent and seeming exceptionally proud and unyielding.
The Red Falcons were the most powerful attack birds raised by the Great Zhou Army. They possessed an unimaginable speed and a naturally proud and valiant disposition. Even when confronting a foe far more powerful than they, they would show no fear. It was said that in the war of extermination with the demons a thousand years ago, the then-Demon Commander had raised a Sky Monster. In the end, at the cost of several dozen Red Falcons, it was pecked to death in the sky. Yet now as they looked at this rather small bird that looked just like a pheasant, their head feathers all went erect as they became incredibly vigilant. Even the Imperial Guards at their side could feel their fear. As for those Red Geese perched in the pavilion to the side, their reaction was even more extreme. They were so frightened that they fell paralyzed to the ground and were unable to stand back up.
What sort of bird was this? The Imperial Guards were quite confused. They warily watched, subconsciously tightening the grips on their spears.
At this moment, the Red Cloud Qilin, sitting by the palace walls and gazing off vacantly at the Black Goat, suddenly raised its head upwards.
In his room, Xue Xingchuan, who had been intently polishing his spear, seemed to sense this action and also gazed upwards.
On the palace wall, the young Peng suddenly stopped, because it had sensed a murderous intent.
It looked towards the ground, its gaze falling upon the Red Cloud Qilin. It felt that this would be a little troublesome.
Then he noticed the origin of that murderous intent and looked towards that room. It realized that this would be incredibly troublesome.
If the Golden Peng was fully matured, it would naturally have completely disregarded the Red Cloud Qilin's provocation, and it would also have not been afraid of Xue Xingchuan. Now, though, it could not.
When it saw that Black Goat on the lawn of the Imperial Palace, its gray feathers instantly puffed up a little, and it was overcome by an intense uneasiness.