The coachman drove the horse carriage and left. The sound of horse hooves gradually faded away.
Like spring leaving.
When the youth who was standing at the entrance of the courtyard saw this, he said with vicissitudes of emotion, "The disparity between people is really huge. When I was suffering in the Court of Judicial Review's prison, you were enjoying yourself in the academy. Not only is there a horse carriage to ride, but there's also such a figure to be your coachman."
Xie Nandu smiled slightly and said, "Senior Brother is a very nice person."
Wei Xu's reputation in the Divine Capital had always been pretty good. As one of the dean's disciples, the impression that he gave people had always been that of a gentleman. The students in the academy did not think too much about this scholar whom they could often see. Very few people would know that he was a cultivator who had one foot into Nepenthe Realm.
But, the truly important figures all knew that this scholar was not to be trifled with.
Not only was he the dean's student, but he was also surnamed Wei.[1. Do you remember? The top two families in the capital are the Xie Family and Wei Family.]
Chen Chao suddenly asked, "What kind of person is that legendary dean?"
Xie Nandu thought about it and said, "Teacher is naturally a very impressive person."
This sounded like a bunch of crap. However, Chen Chao did not retort, but agreed, "You're right."
No one would refute this in the Great Liang Dynasty.
Xie Nandu looked at Chen Chao and asked, "Could it be that you're still thinking of becoming Teacher's student?"
Chen Chao said naturally, "If there's such an opportunity, I naturally won't refuse it. That's the dean, do you know that it's some random Tom, Dick, or Harry, on the streets?"
Xie Nandu smiled, "Then you've lost your chance and can't be my little junior brother anymore."
Chen Chao was absorbed in thought and said, "I don't want to be a little junior brother either."
Xie Nandu glanced at Chen Chao, pushed open the courtyard door, and walked in.
Chen Chao followed behind and said, "I heard that in the academy, those students all stay in the school dormitory. But, you have a little courtyard in this beautiful scenic place. Indeed worthy of being the dean's final disciple."
Xie Nandu ignored him and just instructed Liu Ye, "Go and bring him the saber."
The time they knew each other was not long or short. She at least knew his personality.
Liu Ye answered and quickly walked inside.
Chen Chao said in amusement, "Your maidservant has a bad temper."
It was just that without waiting for Xie Nandu to respond, Chen Chao pointed at the stove placed in the courtyard and said in surprise, "Turns out that you're really roasting sweet potatoes in the Divine Capital!"
He was rather surprised, so his voice was not considered soft.
"Did you think that I was lying to you before?" Xie Nandu went to the chair in front of the stove and sat down. Just nice, Liu Ye walked out too. Chen Chao took that broken saber. Pressing on the saber hilt again after many days, this was genuine peace of mind.
Hanging it at his waist again, he felt rather energized.
Xie Nandu was a little irritated as she said, "Liu Ye's sweet potato roasting skill is decent, but it's not the taste that I want."
Hearing this, Liu Ye could not help but retort, "I'm not the roundworm in Miss' stomach either, how would I know what kind of taste Miss wants?"
She said this with some grievance. Liu Ye was completely unable to understand why roasted sweet potatoes would have a different taste.
Xie Nandu could only smile at this. She actually could not say clearly what kind of taste it was either. Before going to Tianqing County, she had never eaten roasted sweet potatoes before. The first time was the one that she bought from the bridge hawker. After that, regardless of whether was it roasted by Chen Chao or bought by him, she actually felt that the taste was the same. It was just that after leaving and coming to the Divine Capital, she could not have sweet potatoes that tasted like that anymore. Hence, she was rather unhappy.
Actually, she was curious too. Did she miss Tianqing County's sweet potatoes or something else?
"Just nice, try roasting one?" Xie Nandu blinked and looked a little mischievous. There was some excitement on her face and her eagerness was very obvious.
She rarely showed this kind of emotion, so it looked adorable.
Chen Chao did not refuse, so he lit the charcoal and began trying to roast sweet potatoes for the first time in the Divine Capital.
He would not expect that such a thing would happen many times in the future.
Xie Nandu glanced at Liu Ye, "Go and rest."
It was already the middle of the night now. She was merely an ordinary person and was long already sleepy.
Liu Ye opened her mouth, but she understood her missus' temperament too. She withdrew after a bow.
The moonlight in the sky was bright and clear. The South Lake outside the courtyard was sparkling. The youth in the courtyard was roasting sweet potatoes seriously.
"What to do now?"
Xie Nandu supported her forehead and said, "Can't go back to Tianqing County anymore."
Having caused such a big commotion, even if it was already resolved now, everyone knew that returning to Tianqing County again would undoubtedly be a road that led to death.
Chen Chao lifted his robes, revealing that waist token, and said helplessly, "I'm still Tianqing County's warden now. My fate isn't in my hands."
He was an official of the imperial court. In theory, the imperial court decided where he would go.
Xie Nandu said with a slight smile, "You have many choices, how is it just one?"
Chen Chao frowned and said, "Putting other things aside, I don't want to work for the Xie Family and call you missus."
"There's no need for that. Right now, the entire Divine Capital knows that we're friends. Your relationship with the Xie Family can't be severed. But there will be some minor trouble."
Xie Nandu looked at the sweet potato that was already exuding some aroma.
Chen Chao teased, "Speaking of which, I'm a hot property now?"
"Not just the Xie Family, the various major families in the Divine Capital, including the Heavenly Imperial Institution and Warden Office, they are probably all very interested in you."
Xie Nandu said, "Because there's a very important thing this year."
Chen Chao frowned and said, "Myriad Willow Convention."
Xie Nandu nodded and repeated softly, "Myriad Willow Convention."
Chen Chao nodded and said, "Like that huh."
Myriad Willow Convention, also known as the Myriad Willow Dao Convention. It was a grand gathering of young cultivators in the world.
At first, it was actually called Myriad Willow Dao Convention and it was held once every decade. Later, someone felt that this name did not sound nice, so he changed it to Myriad Willow Convention.
The various major sects did not object.
Over the years, this event had always been hosted by the various major sects in rotation. This year, it was the ten-year date again.
But this time, it was going to be held in the Divine Capital.
Chen Chao smiled and said, "The Great Liang Dynasty is also merely a sect to those foreign land sects."
Xie Nandu said, "The Myriad Willow Convention has been hosted more than ten times in these 200 over years. No Great Liang Dynasty cultivator had ever taken the top spot."
Chen Chao passed that baked sweet potato to her and said, "Careful, it's hot. Not only did we not win the top spot, our ranking these few times was too terrible to behold."
Xie Nandu gave an mhm. Blowing the sweet potato in her hand, she carefully peeled the skin. Looking at the golden flesh, she felt full of joy.
"Logically speaking, the Myriad Willow Convention has the same rules and our cultivators are also of the same realm. Why is it so terrible?" Chen Chao looked at the young girl who was eating a sweet potato in front of him and asked seriously.
Xie Nandu ate sweet potato in small mouthfuls. Hot vapor rose and that face looked quite satisfied.
Hearing this question, she thought for a long time before saying, "It's not just an issue of cultivation method."
