Illuminating the world and bringing warmth alongside light that was needed by all life, while not piercing the eyes with its blazing brilliance; sunset really wasn’t all that different from twilight. With the latter only appearing slightly later, but remaining resplendent.
Chen Chang Sheng had only started cultivating after arriving at the Capital from Xi Ning Village; it could be seen that he had yet to step upon the mountain trail by the time the Sun had already sunk to the West, yet, in the end, he had surpassed many of those that started out before him; to the point of matching those like Gou Han Shi, being one of the first to reach the peak.
“So he’s first upon the First Banner this year?”
“Is it really that person named Chen Chang Sheng?”
“Could there be a mistake somewhere?”
The crowd outside of Li Palace watched the youth from Orthodox Academy that was walking over slowly on the divine avenue under the twilight; discussions abounded and their faces were full of bewilderment, for even more of them, they were too shocked for words.
At the Ivy League gathering, Chen Chang Sheng had become famous in the Capital due to his betrothal to Xu You Rong, making him a target of animosity and ridicule for the citizenry, to the point where an adage was specially targeted to him – a toad wishes to dine on the Phoenix, dreams of absurdity.
On the day the Proclamation of Azure Clouds was updated, His Eminence had made a declaration in place of Chen Chang Sheng, that he would take first upon the First Banner in the Grand Examination, no one took it seriously, conversely, it led to even more mockery and derision, no one believed he would really be able to achieve it, and they all awaited Chen Chang Sheng’s reaction on having achieved nothing by the end of the examination.
This year’s examination was very lively, the populace was only concerned with how they could satisfyingly release their disdain towards the delusional Chen Chang Sheng that dreams of absurdity.
Yet, who could have guessed, delusion had actually become reality, beyond dreams, the absurd had actually happened, that youth from Orthodox Academy that couldn’t cultivate just a few months ago had really managed to take first upon the First Banner.
That’s correct, this year’s first upon the First Banner wasn’t Gou Han Shi, or anyone from the Divine State’s Seven Laws, neither was it Tian Hai Sheng Xue, Zhe Xiu, Zhuang Huan Yu or a young scholar from Scholartree Manor.
It was Chen Chang Sheng.