Song of Adolescence

Chapter 268 Who Awakes from a Grand Dream

"Shifu, I have placed first on the Fine Jade List for five consecutive years. Does that mean I’m now renowned under Heaven?"

"Fine Jade List? That’s merely a plaything to encourage children."

"Then, what do I have to do to be considered renowned under Heaven?"

"To be renowned under Heaven, you have to become an ultimate expert under Heaven. Get onto the Ultimate Experts List."

"Ultimate Experts List? Fine, I’ll get on it."

"You’re only twenty-two years old, and you want to get onto the Ultimate Experts List?"

"When I left Qiandong City, they didn\'t think I could rank first on the Fine Jade List either."

"As expected of my disciple. Disciples of I, Li Changsheng, must have aspirations."

"What I have is not aspirations. I’m just making a declaration, shifu. Aspirations are useless. Just do it."

It was the most beautiful season in Snow Moon City. The sky was filled with camellia blossoms. Baili Dongjun and his master, Li Changsheng, stood on the city wall, looking at this magnificent scene and having a leisurely chat. Then, in the distance, a man wearing a hat and riding a maroon horse slowly rode towards Snow Moon City. He was an envoy of Bai Xiao Hall.

The martial world’s disputes resolved, the Golden Lists decided martial fame.

"Here comes your sixth first-ranking. It’d be a heroic tale."

"It\'s just a heroic tale."

All the Snow Moon City disciples crawled out of their nests. In the past, Snow Moon City was just a martial city with a very elegant name. Although they hosted a few legendary fighters in their city, they couldn’t be compared at the same level as Unrivaled City, Lei Clan Fort, or others. But, in the past few years, their disciple, Baili Dongjun, was ranked first on the Fine Jade List, putting pressure on the disciples of Tang Clan, Lei Clan Fort, and Unrivaled City and making them feel ashamed.

"Will little Baili get the top ranking again this year?"

"Will Snow Moon City have any other disciples on the list this year?"

"Where’s the citymaster? Will the citymaster get a chance to get into the second tier of the Ultimate Experts List this year?"

The envoy holding the Golden Lists raised his head and looked at Baili Dongjun and Li Changsheng on the top of the city wall.

Li Changsheng smiled slightly. "Go ahead."

Baili Dongjun leapt, stepping over the camellia blossoms as they floated down. He accepted the Golden Lists from the envoy and pulled it sideways with a swift tug. The long golden scroll was unfurled in an instant, and all the disciples stared at the Golden Lists. They read the names on the list one by one, but they never saw their own names.

"Fine Jade List top rank, Tang Clan, Tang Lianyue."

"What about Baili! Where’s Baili!"

"Ultimate… Ultimate Experts List!"

"Ultimate Experts List fourth tier, no… Ultimate Experts List third tier, third tier! Snow Moon City, Baili Dongjun!"

"Ultimate Experts List third tier? The first time he makes it into the Ultimate Experts List and he’s gone straight into the third tier?"

Baili Dongjun tugged his hand back, and retrieved the Golden Lists. He raised his head and looked at his master, Li Changsheng. "Shifu, I’m now renowned under Heaven."

Li Changsheng shook his head. "This shifu was just playing you. Over the last few years, there aren’t many people left in the martial world who are more famous than you. Since the day you stepped into Diaolou Mansion, the entire martial world was already talking about you."

Baili Dongjun shook his head. "But, I had an agreement with someone. On the day that I become renowned under Heaven, she will come look for me."

Li Changsheng looked into the distance and said mildly, "Looks like she’s here."

Baili Dongjun whipped his head around and saw a fine carriage drawn by a white horse coming closer as it passed through the midst of falling flowers and leaves. The Bai Xiao Hall envoy turned his head, gently shook his whip, and moved aside to give way. Not just him, but everyone moved aside unconsciously to give way.

They didn\'t know who was in the carriage, but they simply felt that they should get out of the way at this time.

Because Baili Dongjun was staring at the carriage the whole time, and nobody had ever seen such an expression on Baili Dongjun’s face. This peerless youth who always despised worldly conventions, who was always drunk and seemed to care for nothing in the world, was at this moment, looking as if his eyes had been lit by sparks.

The carriage slowly came to a stop.

The attendant holding the reins stood up and pulled aside the white curtain. Everyone stretched their necks to see who could be sitting inside.

Baili Dongjun stood there, suddenly feeling a little at a loss. He rubbed his hands nervously, while his eyes became a little evasive.

A woman walked out of the carriage, stepped lightly on a camellia blossom, and straightened her back. She smiled slightly.

Her magnificence was incomparable.

She walked forward slowly step by step, until she walked right in front of Baili Dongjun.

Baili Dongjun finally withdrew his evasive gaze and looked at the woman in front of him.

It was just like the first time they met. Except compared to ten years ago, she looked even more beautiful.

"It’s… it’s been a long time," Baili Dongjun actually stuttered a little.

"It’s been a long time." The woman returned a beatific smile.

"You’re… more beautiful than before," Baili Dongjun said.

The woman raised her head. "You’re a lot taller than before too."

"I’ve already entered the Ultimate Experts List and fulfilled our agreement."

"So I’ve also come to fulfill the agreement and see you."

"Mm."

Now that they’ve met, then what?

Neither of them seemed to have thought about these questions.

All the Snow Moon City disciples, the Bai Xiao Hall envoy, and Citymaster Li Changsheng were watching them.

What else could they do?

"I heard that your wine brewing skills are the best under Heaven. I’d like to try your wine."

"All right. Do you want to try the twelve ultimate cups of Sangluo, Xinfeng, Zhuyu, Songlao, Chang\'an, Tusu, Yuanzheng, Guihua, Dukang, Songhua, Shengwen, and Banruo? Or the Seven Cups of Starry Night Wine, Tianshu, Tianxuan, Tianji, Tianquan, Yuheng, Kaiyang, Yaoguang?[2] They’re all brewed and ready to drink." Once he started talking about wine, Baili Dongjun was no longer as wooden as he was earlier.

"Since I\'m here in this city, I want to drink Wind Flower Snow Moon."

Baili Dongjun looked up at the sky, nodded and smiled. "The moon is right tonight. You can drink it."

"Wind Flower Snow Moon, all four together?"

"We’re just missing the snow on Cangshan. Come with me to pick." Baili Dongjun reached out and gave his hand to the woman. Holding her, he leaped in the direction of Cangshan, leaving behind the group of dazed Snow Moon City disciples.

"By the way, jiejie. What\'s your name? I forgot to ask ten years ago."

"My name is Yue Yao."

On the top of the city wall, Li Changsheng watched the two of them disappearing into the distance and muttered, "Daughter of the Emperor of Northern Que?"

"Shifu, shifu." Tang Lian saw the still sleeping Baili Dongjun muttering to himself and thought he was about to wake up. He couldn’t help trying to call him.

But Baili Dongjun’s eyes remained close and his brows relaxed, as if he was dreaming of something beautiful.

In his dream, that was the second time they met.

After this meeting, Baili Dongjun would always feel a little upset whenever he recalled it. He wondered why the first thing he said to her was so pathetic. Why he was already in the third tier of the Ultimate Experts List, yet he was still as nervous as a child. But when he remembered the end, he would always smile to himself.

No reunion could have been so perfect.

Because he realised that even if he’d prepared himself after so many years, what he felt at the beginning had never changed.

This was great.

This was their true first meeting.

In this grand dream, who would want to become aware? Who would be willing to wake up?