Ze Tian Ji Way Of Choices Chapter 120 – New North Bridge

Chapter 120 – New North Bridge

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

The breeze blew through the forest and chilled Chen Changsheng's body, waking him from his stupor. Only now did he realize how much of a risk it had been to ask the middle-aged woman about the Black Dragon, and only now did he feel fear over his actions. Just then, he heard the sound of Xuanyuan Po's angry roars from the distance. Most likely, Chen Changsheng's portion of the midnight snack had been eaten by Tang Thirty-Six. Smiling, he shook his head and stopped thinking about these problems, deciding to head back to the Orthodox Academy.

The word 'ice' left by the woman on the table was Chen Changsheng's only clue for finding the Black Dragon, and it also seemed like a sort of test. The Black Dragon was a Black Frost Dragon, a species that had always been a.s.sociated with ice and snow.

The problem was that ice was a very common object, especially in this period between autumn and winter. One could often see shards of ice in the ca.n.a.ls and rivers of the capital and against stone walls. Further north, ma.s.sive chunks of ice were probably already floating atop the rivers. Even at the height of the summer, the estates of the princes and n.o.bles contained icehouses holding significant quant.i.ties of ice.

To cultivators that walked the path of cold, ice was something that could be seen everywhere. They could prepare a pot of water, stick their hands in, and after a few moments, ice would appear in the pot. Places like the Li Palace even had arrays that were especially meant for producing ice for the use of the Pope and high-ranked priests.

Chen Changsheng had encountered a few problems, because ice in the capital…was far too commonplace.

In Xining Village during the deep winter, he and his senior brother would occasionally go to the stream in the mountain to pick out pieces of ice to play with. After coming to the capital, he had fewer chances to interact with ice. Now that he thought about it, the event involving ice that left the greatest impression on him was when he and Luoluo went strolling outside the Orthodox Academy and the two bought ice pops to eat.

He remembered very clearly that it had been midsummer and the streets had been packed with tourists. Almost all of them, whether they were young ladies or n.o.ble sons, servants or peddlers, had an ice pop in hand. In Xining Village and in the summers of other cities as described in the Daoist Canon, this was an extremely rare sight.

Both cultivators and arrays could easily create chunks of ice, but no one would ever use such ice to create something as low-value as ice pops. Even if all cultivators lowered themselves, if all arrays worked at full capacity, they would not be able to fulfill the needs of the entire capital for the whole summer.

He walked out of the Orthodox Academy and to the miscellaneous goods store by the well in Hundred Flowers Lane, asking about where they bought their ice pops during the summer. He followed this trail of clues all the way until he arrived at a desserts store in the New Morning Market. From there, he found an icehouse that was strictly administered by the Imperial Court.

The result of his investigations indicated that during the summer, the ice used by all the desserts stores in the capital was bought from this icehouse.

This icehouse was located in the Western Market and had a very small gate. In no way could one tell that the icehouse located beneath its courtyard was able to hold such vast quant.i.ties of ice.

Chen Changsheng had Tang Thirty-Six walk around and realized that this icehouse in the Western Market did not contain any sort of array. At the same time, he also made a few inquiries and confirmed that this icehouse was truly a natural icehouse. Apparently, it was connected to some cold vein running under the capital, so it could provide an unending stream of ice.

After thinking of every way to have Tang Thirty-Six hurry back to the Orthodox Academy, Chen Changsheng found a simple restaurant in the Western Market to sit down. With brush and paper, he began to seriously carry out calculations.

Naturally, he did not believe the so-called cold vein theory. Based on the knowledge in the 'Water Cla.s.sic' and the related laws of the Imperial Court, paired with the position of the icehouse as scouted out by Tang Thirty-Six, he used about an hour to get a rough estimate of the deepest point of the icehouse. There was no underground river there, and crucially…this was the origin of the cold.

Walking out of the Western Market, he walked according to the path traced out on the paper.

After quite some time, he realized that the noise around him had vanished. Raising his head in amazement, he saw a ma.s.sive wall before him. He was actually in front of the Imperial Palace!

As expected, he was in front of the Imperial Palace.

He saw the barely visible roofs beyond the palace wall and distinguished which ones were buildings. Then, using the position of the Orthodox Academy as a reference, he obtained a rough estimate of the Weiyang Palace's position. He closed his eyes. He began to walk in his own mind, replaying the events of the Ivy Festival. He walked into the abandoned garden, entered the cold pond, and then began to run. After running, he finally opened that door.

He opened his eyes and walked into a path to the left and behind him. Treading on a carpet of golden leaves, he reached his destination.

The golden autumn of the palace walls was as famous a sight as the ivy vines of the Li Palace. It was currently the best season and best time to view them, so although the weather was rather chilly, there were still many tourists.

He carefully dodged a child with mud-stained hands, courteously bowed to an elder, detoured around a few trees, and came to a well.

He knew that this place was called New North Bridge, but this was the first time he realized that there was a well here.

He peered into the well and discovered that its bottom could not be seen. However, there was not even a hint of moisture, so this well was probably dry and abandoned.

He raised his head to glance upwards at the autumn, looked at the nearby crowd of tourists, and felt stunned and perturbed.

The Black Dragon was actually sealed under this place? The entrance was just placed in broad daylight like this?

New North Bridge was not a bridge, but the name of a place.

Why was this place called New North Bridge despite the clear lack of a bridge?

There was a very famous legend told in the capital about this matter.

It was said that many years ago, when the allied army of humans and demi-humans engaged in pitched battle with the demons on the Central Plains, a formidable evil dragon took advantage of the situation to make trouble wreaking havoc in the capital, devastating life and slaughtering the innocent. No one could control it, and just when the capital was in absolute chaos, w.a.n.g Zhice unexpectedly returned from the plains, sneaking into the capital. Together with the Divine Generals that remained to protect the capital, he defeated the evil dragon.

The evil dragon was still a member of the Dragon race, a divine being of the highest cla.s.s, so it was very difficult to thoroughly kill it. Moreover, it was also said that the blood of this evil dragon was that of the Dragon King. Even a legendary figure like w.a.n.g Zhice was worried over the possibility of inciting the fury of the Dragon race that had withdrawn from the world if he killed this evil dragon. He was also concerned that if he killed this dragon, the dragon might do its utmost at its last moment of life to bring a calamity on the capital. Thus, he decided to give the dragon a chance to live. w.a.n.g Zhice requested that the evil dragon accept being imprisoned by humanity as atonement for its crimes. He then promised the dragon that he would construct a new bridge over the place where it was imprisoned. If this bridge were to become old or be drowned by the Luo River, it would be released.

The lives of the Dragon race were long to an unimaginable degree. The evil dragon thought to itself, a new bridge turning old might take a few decades or at most a few centuries. In addition, with its understanding of the capital's drainage system and its innate abilities, it was very sure that a ma.s.sive wave would sweep through the Luo River every sixty years. As it was heavily injured and on the verge of death, it agreed to these conditions.

The evil dragon surrendered and the Great Zhou Imperial Court set up an enormously powerful seal outside the Imperial Palace, sealing the dragon underground, and yet…they never built a bridge on the surface.

The Luo River wound around the Imperial City, not once pa.s.sing through it. The so-called bridge was just a fake bridge.

w.a.n.g Zhice did one other thing. He changed the name of the place to New North Bridge.

This bridge would forever remain unflooded by the Luo River.

This bridge would forever be new.

This evil dragon would forever remain imprisoned.

(TN: New North Bridge is an actual place in Beijing, and a similar legend exists with regards to it.)

Chen Changsheng sat under the tree, his gaze on the book in his hands, yet he could not take in a single word.

Behind the tree, a father was recounting this legend to his child.

That father praised Immortal w.a.n.g's flawless plans, while children happily clapped their hands. A child asked, "If this is the case, then that evil dragon is right under our feet?"

The other children were all somewhat frightened at this question, but the adults all roared with laughter, saying, "A story is just a story; how could it be true?"

Chen Changsheng had also heard this legend, but he had never expected that this legend might actually be true.

He turned to the nearby abandoned well, his feelings more and more confused.

Upon hearing the legend of New North Bridge, people would always express loathing for the evil dragon's brutality and praise for w.a.n.g Zhice's intellect, but he felt that the dragon was extremely pitiful.

Of course, since the legend might be true, perhaps the dragon really did kill many innocents, necessitating w.a.n.g Zhice's scheme. He knew that his standpoint was rather unsteady for him to feel such emotions, but he had seen the dragon's current misery, and when he saw the beautiful autumn scenery on the surface and thought of the cold stone cavern down below, it was hard to not feel some sympathy.

During the day, there were many people at New North Bridge, and the distant palace walls were patrolled by Imperial Guards. Above the walls, a flying carriage would descend at set intervals. Occasionally, a fiery light could be seen in the distance, probably Xue Xingchuan mounted on his Red Cloud Qilin. Chen Changsheng knew that there was presently no way for him to head underground. He had to wait for a while.

He lowered his head and continued to read.

The falling leaves left their branches and fell on his shoulders, a dazzling yellow akin to leaves of gold.

As time pa.s.sed, the surrounding sounds gradually deadened, the twilight retreated, the darkness descended. He raised his head, confirmed that no one was paying him any attention, and walked to the well.

He knew that he could not display any hesitation, or else he might attract someone's attention.

So he jumped right in. The seemingly golden leaf drifted off his shoulder and fell on the edge of the well.

The well had no bottom, so there was also no mud, and it felt like he was dropping straight into the void. There was no light here, only darkness, and Chen Changsheng was falling ever faster into this darkness. When he jumped into the well, he covered his head with his hands, the bones toughened by the broths and beatings of his master and senior brother ensuring that his collision against the wall of the well did not do him any harm.

Upon falling into the darkness, he felt the wind howl past his face. He was not concerned about falling to his death, as he knew that the Black Dragon was certain to detect his arrival. Moreover, for some reason, the closer he got to the Black Dragon, the closer he approached the emotional state he was in on the night of the Ivy Festival. He lost his fear of many things, including death.

While his body was still in the air, he could hear the prolonged and distant breathing, and then he heard it come to a stop.

Two faint spheres of divine flame appeared in the darkness, its eyes.

The Black Dragon had awakened.

A finely crafted, seemingly solid cus.h.i.+on of air appeared under Chen Changsheng's body, helping him fall gently to the floor.

A ma.s.sive figure akin to a mountain range moved with a terrifying slowness towards him. The air of the cavern, squeezed by the enormous body, shrieked as it moved.

An extreme cold instantly enveloped his entire body. His eyelashes were coated in frost and seemed ready to drop off at any moment.

"It's me." He took out the Night Pearl and illuminated his face.

As he took out the Night Pearl, the several thousand Night Pearls in the dome of the dark cavern lit up in response.

The Black Dragon appeared once more before his eyes, its mountain range of a body undulating and extending into the darkness. Its head was as ma.s.sive as a palace hall, its scales like mirrors. Ice and frost twinkled on its dust-covered body, and it gave off an indescribable aura of a being that had endured the many tribulations of time. Its floating whiskers were like real, frozen lightning bolts.

This was the second time Chen Changsheng had seen the true appearance of the Black Dragon, but he was still stunned. It took a very long time for him to finally wake from his daze.

He put away the Night Pearl and greeted the Black Dragon. Thinking of the Black Dragon's age, he naturally gave the bow that a junior would give to a senior, saying, "Uncle Dragon, I've come to visit you."

When the Black Dragon saw that Chen Changsheng had really come, the two b.a.l.l.s of divine flame in its eyes continuously jumped about as if dancing. It seemed particularly happy, but when it heard this form of address, those b.a.l.l.s of flame instantly froze into clumps of ice.

Its terrifying might once more appeared in the cavern.

In terrible suffering, Chen Changsheng hurriedly raised his right hand and yelled, "I understand!"

The dragon's might slightly receded as the Black Dragon indifferently regarded him, awaiting his second greeting.

Chen Changsheng understood. It must be that the address of 'Uncle' was too homely. Moreover, based on how long dragons lived, even if the Black Dragon had been imprisoned for several centuries, it might still be a teenager, or still young at least. Moreover, it was probably just like that woman in Xining Village who never liked being referred to as 'wife', and instead preferred to be called 'sister'…

He greeted the Black Dragon, affectionately saying, "Big Brother Dragon, long time no see."

With a clap, the Black Dragon released its terrifying power, causing Chen Changsheng to crash against the ground and send ice flying everywhere.

The Black Dragon slowly flew above him, its whiskers dancing in the air like a tentacle probing out of an abyss. It was evident that it was beyond furious.

Lying on the ground, Chen Changsheng raised his right hand with great difficulty and implored, "Senior, Senior, don't be angry!"

The address of 'Senior' was perhaps not completely appropriate, but the Black Dragon reluctantly accepted it. Chen Changsheng sat himself on the snow-covered ground, still feeling fear over the earlier sight. He thought to himself, if I had addressed it as 'Zhizhi', would I have been instantly blown into chunks of ice on the ground by its terrifying dragon breath?

According to the promise he made on that night, Chen Changsheng had come to visit the Black Dragon to accompany it in speaking. However, the present scene of a human and dragon speechlessly gazing at each other made the atmosphere rather oppressive and awkward. The Black Dragon could understand human language, and Chen Changsheng understood some of the p.r.o.nunciation for Dragon language, but did not understand it, so how could the two communicate?

Suddenly, Chen Changsheng thought of the abandoned well in New North Bridge he had jumped into not too long ago. Pointing at that barely visible black dot on the roof, he asked, "Has it always been this way? After so many years, some people must have mistakenly fallen into the well; did all those people die? Or were they saved by you? If you saved them, where did those people go?"

This was truly the problem that he was most concerned about. Although he became rather sympathetic to the Black Dragon after listening to that legend and was deeply grateful to it for letting him leave alive, if…those people that fell into this cavern ultimately became its food, he refused to continue sitting in front of it.

He wasn't afraid that this Black Dragon might eat him, but he could not accept conversing with a Black Dragon that ate humans.

If you're interested in the story of the real-life New North Bridge, I've posted one version of the tale here.