bookbashuk Chapter 1 The First Night
Chapter 1 The First Night
As dawn broke, the azure light spread across the wasteland. There was no morning dew, no smog, only the parched and cracked earth after a night of bitter cold.
A tall man stood on a stone tablet, waiting for someone to arrive.
The tall man only came to his senses when a young man in a short-sleeved shirt stepped across the endless darkness and approached.
The tall man looked at the young man and asked with a puzzled expression, "Where are you from? What's your name?"
After walking through the wilderness for most of the day, the tall man was the first person Su Yu had met since arriving in this world, so Su Yu answered him warmly, "My name is Su Yu, I come from... the south. May I ask your name? Where is this place?"
The tall man replied, "I am the Master, and this is the Tang Dynasty."
Master?
The Tang Dynasty?
If Heaven had not given birth to Confucius, the world would have remained in perpetual darkness.
Su Yu was stunned. For a moment, many things came to mind, raising many questions.
Death is not the end, but the beginning of another journey.
Su Yu transmigrated.
The Master lived for a long time, yet he did not age. He had sharp eyes and a kind face, and with just one glance, he seemed to see through the truth of the world.
Su Yu remained silent, so the teacher looked up at the sky and couldn't help but burst into laughter. He raised the old book in his hand, pointed at the heavens, and asked:
"What's the use of flying so high?"
"You're completely blind. Someone broke in, and you didn't even notice."
"Now that I've found your trail, it's no use hiding anymore. One day, I will find you and defeat you!"
"I will run away, but I won't run away forever."
"One day, I will turn around and hold you in my hands!"
"Ha ha ha ha……"
"That feels great, so great!"
Su Yu looked up, but there was no blue sky or white clouds.
A mountain breeze blew by.
A strange tremor ran through my heart, and in the blink of an eye, there was no trace of the Master.
The surrounding area was no longer a desert, but a flat dirt road. Two more words appeared on the stone that the Master had just stepped on: "Great Tang".
Concealing the strange events that had just occurred, Su Yu began to ponder some questions.
"The Master has left."
"This is the world of Ever Night."
"The old book in the Master's hand is suspected to be the legendary Heavenly Book Ming Scroll."
"And have I missed the great opportunity to become a disciple of the Master?"
"Did the Master just speak with the Heavenly Emperor?"
"Does Master wish to challenge Haotian to a duel?"
"Haotian, have you found me yet?"
Su Yu had many questions in his mind. Although this world was dominated by powerful beings like Haotian and the Master, he did not intend to stand still and wait for fate to arrive. He wanted to follow the main road forward to find traces of this new world.
The air was exceptionally fresh, and a thin mist swirled in the valley, creating a scene reminiscent of a fairyland.
The sun rises.
Sunlight filters through the leaves and falls onto the mountain path.
The number of pedestrians on the road gradually increased, including high-ranking officials driving carriages, scholars carrying luggage, and foreigners dressed in strange clothes.
These people are like persistent migratory birds, their thoughts soaring towards the endless mountain peaks before them.
Su Yu, dressed in a light blue short-sleeved shirt and gray casual pants, stood out even more from the foreigners, appearing completely out of place in this world.
Along the way, people cast strange glances at him, and few were willing to talk to him.
However, Su Yu didn't care. Relying on his thick skin from his previous life selling products, he successfully struck up a conversation with some of them and learned the time and place.
In the spring of the eighth year of the Tianqi reign, thirty li outside Chang'an, the entrance examination for the academy was about to begin.
The opening of the academy is an auspicious day.
The greatest opportunity in human history lies here.
As a time traveler, Su Yu definitely had to join in the fun and hopefully get to know the people in the academy.
A clear, girlish voice came from a carriage the same size as Su Yu's, asking, "Sir, where are you from? Why are you dressed so strangely?"
Su Yu turned her head and saw a small head peeking out from the carriage.
She's a very cute little girl. She would be even cuter if she removed her light makeup and hair accessories.
Su Yu had answered this question many times before and had prepared a backup plan, so he replied directly, "I am from Tang, from the south. This outfit was given to me by an old gentleman."
The girl said "Oh," and she envied Su Yu's clothes. They looked thin and breathable, unlike hers, which were very thick and warm in the morning but became hot and sweaty by noon. Even when sitting in the carriage, she felt sticky.
The young girl had developed a strong interest in Su Yu and couldn't help but ask, "My name is Xiaoyu, what's your name, sir?"
Su Yu replied, "I am Su Yu, Su as in 'resurrection' and Yu as in 'lush and verdant'."
Xiao Yu said, "Su Yu, Mr. Su's name is so beautiful. Is Mr. Su also a candidate going to the academy?"
Su Yu transmigrated to the world of Ever Night, and she definitely hoped to join the academy, because as long as she joined the academy, she would have the biggest background in the world.
"I regret to inform you that although I very much hope to become a student of the academy, I am not an applicant for the academy."
"I came to the academy to see what the most sacred school in the Tang Dynasty looked like."
The first person Su Yu met after arriving in this world was the Master, which is enough to show that he has a strong connection with the academy.
I only hope that the Master will make an exception and accept a disciple. Su Yu will most likely not need to participate in the academy's exams to become a disciple of the academy, or even directly ascend to the second floor of the academy.
If Su Yu were to take the exam, a rather complicated story might unfold. As a time traveler, Su Yu has no habit of writing calligraphy, and there is probably no ballpoint pen in this world that Su Yu would be accustomed to using.
If Yan Se, the number one divine talisman master of the Tang Dynasty, saw the words written by Su Yu, he would probably take the legendary eye-piercing pestle of the Divine Shock Array and smash open Su Yu's head to see what kind of paste was inside.
Upon hearing this, Xiaoyu said with regret, "What a pity! But Mr. Su, there's no need to be upset. I think you're a very interesting person, and you'll definitely have a chance to get into the academy next year."
Su Yu nodded. He didn't know the girl's identity, but he felt that the little girl was quite intelligent and would be very likable when she grew up.
"What is Little Fish doing at the academy?"
Xiao Yu said, "Like Mr. Su, I am visiting the most sacred school in the Tang Dynasty."
Su Yu and Xiao Yu looked at each other, then burst into laughter.
"We are truly destined to meet."
Xiaoyu felt that Su Yu, like her, still held the academy in high esteem. Remembering something, she asked Su Yu, "I heard that a young genius has come to Xiling. He not only wants to pass the academy's entrance exam, but also wants to climb to the second floor. Mr. Su, do you think he will succeed?"
Su Yu was taken aback, muttering to herself, "Chen Pi Pi, the top scholar in the sixth examination, is that him?"
Little Fish had sharp ears; she heard Su Yu's murmur and exclaimed, "Mr. Su, do you think this prodigy from Xiling is capable of passing all six imperial examinations with top honors? Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?"
"Even since the founding of our Great Tang Dynasty, very few people have been able to pass all six examinations at the same time."
Su Yu said, "I was just saying, Miss Xiaoyu, you don't need to take it seriously."
Xiao Yu said, "If this genius boy from Xiling can really pass all six subjects with top honors, maybe the teacher will make an exception and accept him as a disciple."
"To achieve the highest rank in all six subjects and become a disciple of the Master—if such a thing were to happen, it would be a slap in the face to all the scholars of the Tang Dynasty."
"However, that's impossible. It's too difficult to pass all six subjects at the highest level. Even the most outstanding geniuses in Xiling don't have the chance to pass all six subjects at the highest level at the same time."
Su Yu chuckled and said, "On the other hand, the fact that such a genius is willing to join the academy is enough to highlight the academy's sacredness and power."
Xiaoyu nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, I've always felt that the Tang Dynasty was the most powerful empire in the world."
He then looked north, quite indignantly saying, "If only the barbarians in the north could understand this and be more peaceful, and stop harassing the people on the borders of the Tang Dynasty."
These words, filled with concern for the country and its people, were hard to believe coming from a girl who looked only eleven or twelve years old, which surprised Su Yu.
In the eighth year of the Tianqi reign, the northern grasslands border of the Tang Dynasty was unstable, and news of the Golden Horde of the grasslands frequently came from the south to invade the Tang Dynasty.
Two years later, when relations between the grasslands and the Tang Dynasty completely broke down, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau observed the stars and made a prediction: "When the night sky is covered, the country will be in turmoil."
The fourth princess in the palace was thrust into the spotlight and regarded by the ministers as a sign of impending disaster.
The turmoil on the grasslands, instigated by certain individuals, became the beginning of a woman bringing disaster to the country.
Su Yu glanced at the north and shook his head, saying, "For the Tang Empire, the northern grassland barbarians are not much of a threat. After all, there are no powerful cultivators among the grassland barbarians. The real threat to the Tang Dynasty has always been in the south."
Xiao Yu's eyes lit up, and she became even more curious about Su Yu: "Mr. Su, do you think that the Southern Jin Dynasty is the real threat to the Tang Dynasty?"
"Liu Bai, the Sword Saint of the Southern Jin Sword Pavilion, is the number one cultivator in the human world. He is indeed very powerful."
"In our Great Tang Dynasty, the only person who could rival the Sword Saint is probably the legendary master of the academy."
Hearing the young girl compare Liu Bai to the teachers at the academy, Su Yu gently shook her head.
In Haotian's world, Master is the most powerful being in the human realm, far ahead of everyone else, and even the heavens have to be wary of him.
In this world, no one can compare to Confucius.
Liu Bai is the number one in the human world, the number one recorded in the Sun Scroll of the Heavenly Book, and the number one in the eyes of all mortals in the human world, but this does not include the unknowable land.
The little girl was very interesting and had a certain understanding of the world, so Su Yu simply spoke freely.
"The Southern Jin Sword Pavilion is indeed a very powerful force of cultivators. Sword Saint Liu Bai has ushered in a new era of sword cultivation."
"It's just that the Sword Saint's foundation is too shallow. The real threat to the Tang Dynasty is Xiling behind the Southern Jin Dynasty. There is a group of mysterious and powerful beings on Peach Mountain in Xiling. Those people have always coveted the land of the Tang Dynasty."
Upon hearing that Xiling was an enemy of the Tang Dynasty, Xiaoyu's expression changed, and he immediately interrupted, "Mr. Su, please be careful with your words."
"The Tang Dynasty and the Haotian Dao Sect have a very good relationship, and the abbot of the South Gate of the Haotian Dao Sect is the national teacher of our Tang Dynasty."
"There are also many followers of the Haotian Dao in the Tang Dynasty court. They are all the pillars of our Tang Dynasty."
Su Yu realized he had spoken out of turn and regretted saying so much. In this era, a mistake in speech can easily lead a person into a desperate situation.
This is Haotian's world, and Haotian is the nominal ruler of the human world. Moreover, Haotian has a group of extremely devout believers who are always protecting Haotian's interests.
Su Yu did not continue to refute, but simply followed Xiao Yu's lead and said that the Tang Dynasty and Xiling did indeed need to maintain a superficial harmony.
Maintaining harmony with Haotian's followers in Haotian's world is an important and normal thing.
In fact, the relationship between the Tang Dynasty and Xiling has always been tense, with Haotian seemingly ruling over all living beings on earth.
Under the guidance of Confucius, the Tang Dynasty had broken free from the rule of Heaven and formed a territory autonomously controlled by humankind.
There are some things Su Yu can't say, because if she did, she would be seen as heretical and unorthodox.
Xiaoyu looked at Su Yu curiously. She also thought Su Yu was right, but she was a princess of the Tang Dynasty. Even if she knew some things, there were some things that could never be said by her.
Sword Saint Liu Bai is universally recognized as the strongest person in the human world, a consensus held by all mortals and ordinary cultivators.
The Master has not walked in the mortal world for many years. Most likely, only the older generation of cultivators know of his existence. And the older the cultivator, the more they understand the Master's power.
Su Yu and Xiao Yu both knew that Su Yu was right at the beginning. He bypassed the military power of the Southern Jin and the sword saint Liu Bai who was at the pinnacle of cultivation, and said that Xiling was the real threat to the Tang Dynasty.
This is the biggest problem that the Tang Dynasty needs to face.
Xiling had always wanted to annex the Tang Dynasty, but the Tang Dynasty's free thought was impacting Xiling, so the relationship between the two sides could never be harmonious.
Su Yu and Xiao Yu looked at each other, neither of them revealing their true thoughts, but they saw a tacit understanding in each other's eyes.