tallest building

Chapter 146 Victory Finally

Gong Chang'an calmly stepped onto the field, clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, and then bent down to pick up a football.

First, he weighed it in his hand and patted it, then tossed it into the air.

Those watching from the sidelines thought to themselves that the child was quite clever; none of the things on the field were of any use to him, but this game of Cuju (ancient Chinese football) was quite suitable.

Ultimately, anyone can kick a ball a couple of times in Cuju (ancient Chinese football). Without extraordinary skills, how can one win?

But then they saw Gong Chang'an perform a set of flower balls with effortless grace.

The ball seemed to understand his thoughts, following his every move, but never straying far from his side.

The crowd was dazzled by the sight and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

No one expected that such a small child would have such great abilities.

Finally, Gong Chang'an placed the cuju ball on his toes and asked the teachers, "I am too young to handle these long weapons. May I show you the one I carry with me?"

"Oh, you're carrying a weapon?" the round-faced teacher asked. "In that case, why don't you show it to us?"

To be honest, his fancy ball-shaped outfit had already won over the teachers, but they just didn't say it out loud.

Gong Chang'an took out his small throwing knives, glanced at the target, and then threw several knives with both hands.

With a whooshing sound, the throwing knives all struck the bullseye without missing a single one.

"Wow! What superb skills!" Ye Guanghan exclaimed, clapping his hands in admiration. "Young man, you're truly remarkable!"

The others looked at each other, and Xiao Manlang sighed, "Compared to this child, we've all lived in vain."

"Could this child be Nezha? He's been practicing kung fu since he was in the womb." Lü Song was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped.

“Gong Chang’an,” the phoenix-eyed master reached out and pulled Gong Chang’an in front of him, “From this day forward, you will be my last disciple.”

"Thank you for your appreciation, Master. I wonder how I should address you?" Gong Chang'an was also excited, but he tried his best to appear calm.

"Zhuge Qianqiu." The scholar with phoenix eyes smiled slightly, his snow-white beard fluttering gently in the evening breeze, like a banished immortal descending to earth.

The others felt a mix of emotions. They had been called outstanding individuals since childhood and inevitably had a high opinion of themselves. But today they finally understood what it meant to be outdone by others and to have a higher level of understanding.

As dusk approached, the sky darkened.

Everyone waited anxiously for the lights in the courtyard to come on.

"They're coming out! They're coming out!" Someone who had been keeping an eye on the front hall door immediately moved forward when they saw someone come out.

"Looks like he's going to be eliminated," someone said. "Just wait and see."

The four eliminated people walked down the steps and returned to the crowd.

Everyone couldn't help but feel sorry for them, since they had already made it to the final round.

"Brother Xiao, though you lost, you still deserve credit. You've done a great job." The friend who accompanied Xiao Manlang patted him on the shoulder and draped a coat over his shoulders.

"Yes, yes, those who can make it to the final stage are already one in a million. They are many times better than us ordinary people."

Many people nearby echoed his sentiment.

This made the few who were not selected feel much better, but they still had regrets in their hearts, which may take a long time to wear down.

"Look! Look! The selected people have been announced!" The most exciting moment had finally arrived. Mr. Hua Ying walked at the front and announced to everyone: "The three disciples selected by the Sanjing Academy in this selection process are Ye Guanghan, Ding Ling, and Gong Chang'an."

"Wow!!!" A wave of cheers immediately erupted from the audience.

It was impossible to tell who was shouting or what they were shouting; it seemed like everyone was shouting, creating a chaotic yet incredibly powerful atmosphere.

Ye Guanghan and Ding Ling stood at the front, their eyes welling up with tears amidst the cheers of the crowd.

Being selected for the Sanjing Academy is even more glorious than passing the imperial examination; it can be said that a large part of one's life's wish has been fulfilled.

When Master Zhuge appeared before everyone, holding Gong Chang'an's hand, the cheers seemed to be suppressed by an invisible hand.

At this moment, lanterns were lit on both sides. In the candlelight, the tall and imposing Zhuge Fuzi, dressed in black with white eyebrows and hair, stood out. Beside him, Gong Chang'an had bright, black eyes and a spirited demeanor.

The old man and the young boy were like Venus and a celestial child descended to earth, utterly devoid of any worldly concerns.

Finally, someone realized what was happening and excitedly shouted, "This is incredible! Master Zhuge has taken on a disciple!"

"This must be the last disciple of the sect, I've said it before!"

"My God, this child must be a reincarnation of a prodigy!"

"The Gong family's ancestral graves are well-preserved! A few days ago, they produced two Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), and now they have produced a disciple of the Sanjing Academy, who is also the last disciple of Master Zhuge. Truly, they are producing a great number of talented people!"

Gong Chang'an's younger brothers were so excited they were practically jumping, shouting, and yelling. Several attendants kept a close eye on Feng Tianzhu, fearing he might have a breakdown from the excitement.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, please don't get too agitated," the attendant urged. "Please calm down, calm down, calm down."

"Quickly! Get the medicine for me." Feng Tianzhu himself felt his heart pounding wildly, as if it was about to jump out of his chest. "Right now, I only feel numbness in my hands and feet."

The attendant was so frightened that he hurriedly took out the medicine and gave it to him. It was prepared for him by a medicine monk from the Western Regions.

It is said that taking the medicine in advance when you sense something is wrong can effectively reduce the severity of an attack.

"Brother Feng, how do you feel? Is it alright?" Although Qiao Ziyu was about the same age as them, he was more mature and meticulous. After all, he was the one who persuaded Feng Tianzhu to come. If he angered Feng Tianzhu and he had a relapse, it would be embarrassing for Qiao Ziyu.

He was relieved to see Feng Tianzhu's complexion gradually return to normal.

"Hey, where's Lord Zhu? He was just here a moment ago." Xu Mang turned around and realized Zhu Hui was gone. "He's been waiting this long, why didn't he wait a little longer?"

"It seems Lord Zhu went that way." The attendant pointed to a patch of dark, indistinct trees in the distance.

"What's he doing over there? Maybe he needs to pee?" Feng Tianzhu asked after catching his breath.

“Lord Zhu seems to have an upset stomach,” the attendant said. “I see he’s hunched over and covering his mouth as if he’s about to vomit.”

"My God, could it be that the noodle soup made him sick?" Xu Mang stared wide-eyed. "Everyone says he doesn't usually eat much meat, but there were shredded meat in that noodle soup."

Zhu Hui was poor but upright. Although he held a high official position, he saved as much money as possible on food, clothing and daily necessities, and used the money he saved to help the poor.

The attendant was not mistaken; Zhu Hui did indeed leave hunched over and covering his mouth, but it wasn't because he had an upset stomach; rather, he was overly emotional.

He staggered out of the crowd and finally hid in a secluded grove of trees, where he hugged a tree and wept bitterly.

His tears flowed freely, like a river bursting its banks. But he dared not cry out, only suppressing his sobs.

Through his teary eyes, he looked at the lanterns that lit up in the distance.

Beneath that lantern, hidden by the figures of others, lay the hope he would dedicate the rest of his life to protecting.