Ze Tian Ji Chapter 89

Chapter 89 – Breaking the Curtain of the Rain

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

After saying the ‘curse’, Chen Changsheng felt as if he had been relieved of a great burden, but he realized that the mood around the academy gate had somehow gotten heavier, and this heaviness came from Tang Thirty-Six and Xuanyuan Po. The two had very strange expressions. This was especially the case for Tang Thirty-Six, whose eyes were filled with shock and who now seemed certain that Chen Changsheng was an idiot.

The young noble was also shocked to the extreme. He thought to himself, perhaps there are people in the capital willing to curse me, but who would dare insult my grandaunt? The horsemen had never expected such a thing to occur, and were so lost in shock that they forgot to be angry or curse. The gate of the Orthodox Academy descended into a bizarre silence.

Tang Thirty-Six walked to Chen Changsheng’s side and whispered, “Do you know who he is?”

Chen Changsheng replied, “I don’t know who he is, but he’s probably someone from the Tianhai clan.”

“You know he’s a part of the Tianhai clan, but you still cursed him this way?” Tang Thirty-Six sucked in a cold breath of air.

Chen Changsheng replied, “Weren’t you unafraid of the Tianhai clan? And you also said before that the Divine Empress and the Tianhai clan were not the same thing.”

Tang Thirty-Six stared at him in astonishment. After staring for a long time, he confirmed that Chen Changsheng really did not know. When he thought of how lucky or unlucky those words of his happened to be, he finally had to laugh, yet it wasn’t convenient to laugh, and so he choked it back down until his face was red. He looked to be in extreme pain.

“Just what’s going on?” Chen Changsheng asked in confusion.

Tang Thirty-Six patted him on the shoulder and said in a soothing tone, “The Tianhai clan truly is not the Divine Empress, but that person’s grandaunt…is precisely the Divine Empress.”

Chen Changsheng froze, utterly clueless as to how to respond. He naturally knew that the Divine Empress had the surname of Tianhai, but he had not imagined that the person he had randomly cursed at—to be more precise, the first person he had cursed in his entire life, and the first time his speech had ever used the word ‘grandaunt’—was actually the Divine Empress.

His expression was rather strange as if he wanted nothing more than for time to immediately reverse, but this was impossible, and he could not take back the words that had already left his mouth. All he could do was lower his head, stare at the raindrops splashing down by his shoes, and pretend that nothing had happened.

The young noble finally awoke from his stupor and looked at Chen Changsheng with an extremely weird gaze. Perhaps because he was shocked and furious to the extreme, the hint of a smile was on his lips. However, his voice was even colder than the autumn rain falling from the sky as he praised, “Truly an extraordinary youth.”

Someone who dared to insult the Divine Empress on the streets of the capital was truly quite extraordinary. An extraordinary person was naturally liable to end up dead.

……

……

This young noble was called Tianhai Shengxue. His grandfather was called Tianhai Youguo. His father was called Tianhai Chenwu.

Tianhai Youguo was the Divine Empress’s eldest brother.

And so the Divine Empress was his grandaunt.

The third generation of the Tianhai clan consisted of ten-some people, the most famous of them being the four brothers of the eldest branch. They were called the Four Sons of Tianhai, and of these four sons, one was in the Imperial Court, one was in the army, one was in business, and the last one…was playing around. Tianhai Shengxue was the son putting all his efforts into the army, and his cultivation was the strongest in all the third generation of the Tianhai clan. He had once been ranked twelfth on the Proclamation of Azure Sky, and he was presently one of the experts ranked on the Proclamation of Golden Distinction. He was a strong candidate for obtaining first rank of the first banner in next year’s Grand Examination.

Just yesterday, he had brought his entourage back from the frontlines in the north. After finding out about what had happened in the capital, especially about how his younger cousin Tianhai Ya’er had been crippled, he quietly waited for one night. When he was able to confirm that Princess Luoluo had left the Orthodox Academy to go to the Li Palace Academy, the first thing he did after getting out of bed was to go to the Orthodox Academy.

He destroyed the gate of the Orthodox Academy and what he wanted to do next was to have the Orthodox Academy close its doors. His goal in coming today had always been to go crazy.

He had not expected his successive attempts to go crazy to all be interrupted by the youths of the Orthodox Academy. The other side didn’t play according to the rules. Without even saying a word or even washing their faces, they carried their swords and gate boards and charged, heavily injuring four members of his entourage. And that final youth had actually…cursed his grandaunt in front of his face.

Tianhai Shengxue had a charming appearance, with extremely white skin. He had caused many girls to swoon in both the snowy plains of the north and the capital, and now, the morning rain falling upon his face made it seem even whiter, like white jade. But only those people truly familiar with him knew that this meant that his anger had reached its peak.

……

……

Luoluo had gone to the Li Palace Academy. This had been the first move made against the Orthodox Academy by several factions. Chen Changsheng and the others were very sure that they would soon face an enormous trouble. Yesterday, when they were standing under the banyan tree and looking at the streets of the capital over which a storm seemed ready to break out, they had already mentally prepared themselves. However, they had not expected that this first storm would be so sudden and fierce.

The stories in novels rarely developed in this sort of fashion. In those stories, the first to appear were always some unremarkable henchmen. After they were fended off by the righteous male main character, their stronger master would appear. However, this time, a general of the enemy had taken the stage at the very start.

“The climax came a bit too early…but it’s more exciting this way.”

Tang Thirty-Six raised the Wenshui Sword and stood in the rain before the stone steps. Suddenly he whispered a word to Chen Changsheng beside him.

“Run.”

With a real battle about to begin, the situation was completely different from the Ivy Festival last night. There was no meaning in Chen Changsheng’s lingering, or could he possibly still give instructions as he did during the Ivy Festival? Although they weren’t playing around with their lives in this battle, there were certain to be severe injuries. Just how could Chen Changsheng’s body and bones possibly endure them?

As for chances of victory…Tang Thirty-Six was very cool-headed and knew that this was impossible. With Tianhai Shengxue’s strength, even three of Tang Thirty-Six would be easily defeated. Then even if Chen Changsheng did not leave and the three of them worked together, they would not even be able to beat one of Tianhai Shengxue’s hands.

There were no footsteps, no shoes splashing in the puddles. He turned and saw that Chen Changsheng was still standing at his side. He couldn’t help but slightly frown and rebuke, “At this time, what need is there to pretend? You remaining here would just be a burden. Instead of helping us, you would only drag us down.”

Xuanyuan Po nodded, but said nothing.

“Don’t worry about me…I know that running is the best choice, but I really can’t move my legs.”

Chen Changsheng added, “Moreover, you guys aren’t running either, so it’s impossible for me to drag you down.”

Tang Thirty-Six thought his options over. Since it was impossible to convince this fellow, he decided to speak no more. Raising the Wenshui Sword, he began walking out the gate. As he trod on the stone steps, the puddles upon them splashed. At the same time, he slapped the Wenshui Sword on his waist a few times, creating a very crisp ring.

With each slap, beads of water left the sword and scattered.

After being washed in the rain, the Wenshui Sword gleamed like it was newly forged. In a little while, when it would be suffused with that sunset glow, it was sure to be extremely beautiful.

When retreating, it was truly difficult to move one’s legs, but he could move forward, and his footsteps were very light.

Chen Changsheng followed Tang Thirty-Six out of the Orthodox Academy’s gate.

Xuanyuan Po glanced at the wooden board of the academy gate in his hands, pondered, and decided to not let it go. Carrying it, he followed after them.

Outside the Orthodox Academy, ten-some horsemen returned from the north were waiting to spring into action.

The three youths were without fear.

“Burst right through them.”

Tianhai Shengxue impassively commanded, his right hand lightly raising his reins.

He knew that if he needed to strike down these three youths of the Orthodox Academy, he could do it alone.

But he knew that although it was early morning, there were already many people in the streets outside the Orthodox Academy.

Those people all wanted to see how the Tianhai clan would deal with the Orthodox Academy.

He wanted to directly crush, to smash the Orthodox Academy flat.

He wanted to prove to the entire continent that the dignity of the Tianhai clan was not easily challenged.

The rain suddenly intensified, the drops of rain descending from the sky becoming much larger. As they fell upon the gray stones of Hundred Flowers Lane, they created countless splashes of water.

The curtain of rain gradually thickened, obscuring the view of many spectators.

There was the stamp of a hoof, and then the hooves rumbled like thunder as ten-some black silhouettes shot towards the Orthodox Academy like arrows!

These warhorses were clearly of uncommon stock, carrying the blood of some monster. In such a short distance, they had actually managed to build to such a terrifying speed!

At this sight, Tang Thirty-Six thought to himself, I clearly just had a cup of hot tea when I went to get my sword, so why do I feel somewhat cold?

Raindrops fell on Xuanyuan Po’s face, soaking the youth’s whiskers and seeping into his lips, but he thought to himself, why do I still feel a bit dry?

This was because they were nervous, because they were afraid. Even though they were a proud young genius of the Proclamation of Azure Sky and a brave and daring demi-human youth, they had still never experienced true life-and-death battle.

Chen Changsheng’s expression did not change. Perhaps it was because he had always been standing on the edge between life and death?

……

……

Suddenly, a massive gale exploded in Hundred Flowers Lane, blowing the rain almost sideways!

A figure, moving with unimaginable speed, appeared on the scene. It instantly rushed in front of Chen Changsheng’s group and confronted Tianhai Shengxue and his horsemen!

With several terrifying cracks, ten-some pikes were chopped apart in the middle, and ten-some horsemen fell into the rainwater.

Nobody could tell clearly just what had happened.

Only after the sound of breaking spears had dissipated did several footsteps appear in the puddles on the stone, did a blank space appear in the heavy curtain of rain!

Just how fast were this person’s movement techniques?

Unobservable with one’s eyes, only leaving traces when passing through the rain!

Tianhai Shengxue’s pupils constricted as he felt an intense danger.

He had not expected that the Orthodox Academy would be concealing this sort of expert!

He did not retreat. He was well aware that he could never be as fast as his opponent.

With a roar, the spear in his hands stabbed into the rain in front of him!

The place where his spear stabbed was precisely the most forward of those blank spaces in the curtain of rain!

The true essence in his body poured out without end, coordinating with his tyrannical spear to shatter the curtain of rain before him!

Innumerable drops of rain formed thin threads that incessantly revolved around the tip of the spear!

A fist suddenly appeared in the air, right in front of the tip of the spear!

The moment this fist appeared, all the brilliance of this spear was completely snatched away.

Those threads of rain revolving around the spear began to crumble and disperse.

The fist broke through the rain and smashed against the tip of the spear!

The spear used by Tianhai Shengxue was certainly not ordinary. The tip of the spear had been personally forged by a master craftsman of the Imperial Court and was made with meteorite iron. It was abnormally tough, and on the battlefields of the northern plains, it had stabbed through the iron-like skin of countless demon soldiers. But before this fist…the tip of the spear bent!

An unimaginable strength traveled along the spear.

Blood began to flow from Tianhai Shengxue’s hands, making it impossible for him to hold on to the spear. With a buzz, the spear fiercely trembled, fell down and shot backwards towards him like a feathered arrow!

If this spear were to collide against his chest, if he didn’t die, he would certainly be heavily wounded!

And it was right at that moment that a hand appeared in the air.

It was a very thin hand.

This hand fell on Tianhai Shengxue’s shoulder.

……

……