Careful Calculations

By now, they had walked into the second courtyard. The main buildings of the academy were all here, each grander and more solemn than a government office, even featuring an exquisite halberd gate. Sun Fuling said that Panlong City had expended great effort building the academy precisely so that every student who entered would understand the weight of knowledge. "At this hour, I didn't expect the academy to still have so many people." Previously, the academy closed promptly at dusk. Later, after Panlong City reached a trade agreement with the burrow spiders, fluorescent spores from the Ghost Needle Stone Forest were brought into the academy as well. From then on, the academy offered evening classes. As it turned out, most of the students who enrolled were adults; they worked by day and hurried to the academy at night to listen to lectures. Thus, beneath the night sky, the academy remained brightly lit, with teachers and students coming and going in an endless stream. Sun Fuling smiled. "This is nothing. I've heard that the academy in Beijia's imperial capital draws scholars from all eight directions. Every day, sages and worthies give lectures, conduct studies, and hold debates, and the place bustles from dawn to dusk. I would truly love to visit and see it for myself." Lingxu City was world-famous; every day of every year, talented scholars arrived, drawn by its reputation to study and seek knowledge from the worthy. He Lingchuan gave a chuckle. "A grand reputation often exceeds reality." Then again, during his time in Lingxu City, he had been constantly occupied with schemes and intrigue. Aside from touring three or four scenic spots and visiting places of pleasure and indulgence, he hadn't had the chance to observe the capital with an open mind. Master Sun's words reminded him: having gone through so much trouble to enter the premier city under heaven, how could he leave empty-handed? Having stood for six hundred years, Lingxu City surely possessed numerous merits alongside its accumulated ills, or it could never have drawn a steady stream of talent from across the realm. Sun Fuling said sternly, "Never disparage an enemy's strengths." Belittling an adversary's strengths would not make you any stronger; it would only make you blinder. He Lingchuan muttered ruefully, "You're right, Master." Past the Bell and Drum Towers lay the third courtyard, the administrative quarters of the academy, where unauthorized visitors were forbidden. Stepping inside, the air suddenly grew quiet. Sun Fuling guided him into an instructors' office and said, "The council hall is straight ahead. I'll go fetch the Headmaster; wait here for me." With that, she passed through the corridor behind them and stepped briskly outside. Beside it was the ancestral courtyard, which contained a lotus pond, cedar trees, and various sculptures. Among them was a sculpture of a wide-mouthed monkey covering one ear with a hand, grinning at onlookers with a missing front tooth. Fluorescent spores hung from the tree branches in the courtyard, casting a soft glow over the monkey carving. The moment He Lingchuan saw it, it looked familiar. Looking closer, he suddenly remembered: When he had entered the ancient city ruins in the Panlong Desert with Sun Fuping, Nian Songyu, and the others, he had seen this very monkey sculpture! Back then, he had thought the monkey was grinning wretchedly and even kicked it, which had left a deep impression. So that was it—the place where he had stood back then was Shumin Academy! This scene of ringing recitations and serene, untroubled days would, a hundred-odd years later, leave behind only desolate yellow sands and the whistling wind. He Lingchuan let out a long breath and looked up at the night sky. The Tianluo Star was right there, twinkling down at him. Before long, Sun Fuling returned, followed by a scholar wearing a tall cap—none other than Xu Shichu, the Headmaster of Shumin Academy. He Lingchuan had attended his public lecture at the Hall of Immortal Inquiries, so he stepped forward, cupping his hands. "Headmaster Xu!" "It's you!" Xu Shichu paused when he saw him, then smiled. "We've met... hmm, at... at..." "The Hall of Immortal Inquiries." "Right, right, at the Hall of Immortal Inquiries! You even asked me about Juju!" Xu Shichu nodded repeatedly. "Plenty of youngsters like wielding swords and spears, but few can devote their minds to seeking the Dao. Little Sun said you had something to ask me?" Sun Fuling chimed in, "You two go ahead and talk. I still have an evening class to teach, so I'll take my leave first." "Go on, go on." Xu Shichu waved a hand. Sun Fuling flashed a smile at He Lingchuan and turned to leave. He Lingchuan didn't beat around the bush and asked directly, "May I ask Headmaster Xu, can the trajectory of the Tianluo Star be calculated?" "The Tianluo Star?" Xu Shichu paused in surprise and looked up at the night sky. "Huh, why is the Tianluo Star out tonight?" "If one wanted to calculate its trajectory in real time, is there any method?" "It has always been a hidden star. So long as it stays concealed in the night sky, there is no way," Xu Shichu said, shaking his head. "The number of times the Tianluo Star has appeared can be counted on one hand. From the texts I have read, research on it has never been thorough." Since it was difficult to observe, no statistical records could be made, making study nearly impossible. Hearing this, He Lingchuan's heart sank. If the sky route wouldn't work, would he have to find a way to infiltrate Zhaixing Tower? There was likely a teleportation array there leading straight to the core of the Spirit Gathering Grand Formation, but infiltrating right under the noses of celestial gods and Duyun Emissaries would probably be a beyond-five-star difficulty, wouldn't it? "What if the Tianluo Star in the night sky stays lit continuously?" He Lingchuan thought for a moment. "Could you calculate its bearing and distance relative to the Nine Stars of the Big Dipper?" "Relative to the Nine Stars of the Big Dipper?" Xu Shichu smiled. "What's so hard about that? It's just a matter of calculation. However, if your frame of reference is the Nine Stars of the Big Dipper, that would mean shifting the perspective—no longer observing it from the ground where we stand, correct?" "Precisely!" Truly worthy of a headmaster, grasping the key point immediately. "It would be equivalent to standing on the Nine Stars of the Big Dipper to determine the distance and position of the Tianluo Star." "Then it will still take some calculation," Xu Shichu mused. "Taking the nine stars separately equates to nine different points of origin; each requires careful reckoning. In truth, the method is the same—substituting the Tianluo Star for any other star and applying the same formula would yield the answer. What practical use do you have in mind for this?" "While carrying out a mission, I encountered an array. The enemy arranged it based on the ten stars of the Big Dipper, using the Tianluo Star as the array core," He Lingchuan said solemnly. "To break the array, I need to locate the position of the Tianluo Star." "Quite ingenious. But how do you know when the Tianluo Star will stay lit?" He Lingchuan lowered his voice. "I can't say much, but General Red has a way." "All right, I understand." Once he brought out General Red as a shield, Xu Shichu predictably asked no further questions. He simply looked up at the stars again. "While it is shining now, I'll go try to deduce it. Factoring in the time to verify against errors... mhm, in a few days once I've derived the formula, I'll have Little Sun deliver it to you." He Lingchuan was overjoyed and bowed deeply to him. "Headmaster, your learning is truly vast as the five carts, profound and unfathomable!" Then he presented the gift. The moment Xu Shichu saw the cloud flake cakes and aged citrus tea, he laughed. "Did Little Sun tell you to buy these?" "Uh, yes." Sun Fuling had told him that Headmaster Xu was recently infatuated with new teas and couldn't help himself. "She certainly takes your matters to heart." Xu Shichu appraised him once more. Even a genteel, cultured old pedant was so fond of gossip? He Lingchuan puffed out his chest, but then immediately remembered something else. "Headmaster, I have one more question. If a defensive array was designed by celestial gods and can draw upon a massive amount of spiritual energy or profound crystals, is it possible for us to break it?" "Designed by celestial gods?" Xu Shichu laughed. "Compared to human designs, it's merely a bit more meticulous. But no matter how profound an array may be, its strength is ultimately finite." Xu Shichu continued, "In our current era, ancient grand arrays can hardly appear anymore. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth has waned; it cannot support the power they require." "If this array is of utmost importance, couldn't profound crystals make up the difference?" "Perhaps for a short time. But the materials used to construct arrays are far inferior to those of old, even if you possessed mountains of profound crystals. For instance, when the ancient immortal sect, the Piaomiao Sect, built its mountain-protecting grand array, it used savage dragon bones. Where could you find such material today?" Xu Shichu smiled. "Among the rare treasures of antiquity, how many remain today? Look across the realm—which of those arrays renowned throughout history still stands? "If celestial gods wish to construct an array in the mortal realm, they must follow the laws of the mortal realm," Xu Shichu added. "They might be able to destroy heaven and earth in their own world, but in the mortal realm, they too must reckon with practical realities. In my view, forging a supreme array with supreme materials is nothing special; using limited materials and manageable costs to create a stable, sustainable array—that is true mastery. Therefore, no array in the mortal realm can be called unbreakable." He Lingchuan said solemnly, "I have learned much!" Xu Shichu was very busy; having concluded their business, he said his farewells and departed. He Lingchuan leisurely strolled around the academy until Sun Fuling finished her class. By now, the bright moon hung high, and the night was deep. Before He Lingchuan even drew near, he heard another instructor say to Sun Fuling, "Master Sun, shall I walk you back?" A man, fairly tall, pale-faced, smiling with eager attentiveness. Before Sun Fuling could answer, He Lingchuan swooshed up beside her and thrust an oiled paper packet into her hands. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we go?" It felt warm to the touch. Sun Fuling looked down to see warm, snow-white fuling cake topped with a few plump red dates. "I asked Sister Pang for the piece with the most dates." Sun Fuling smiled. "Master Qian, see you tomorrow." She nodded to the instructor, turned, and walked out. The helpless Master Qian stood rooted to the spot. Seeing Master Qian staring straight at him, He Lingchuan waved goodbye, flashing a grin full of white teeth with an exaggerated smile. Little punk, you shouldn't have had such ideas in the first place! Master Qian could still hear him say to Sun Fuling, "Share a date with me?" "Get it yourself." Master Qian could also see the boy grab a huge piece of fuling cake and shove it into his mouth—truly an enormous piece! "..." Sun Fuling looked down. Only a third of the soft cake was left, with a single plump date sitting pitifully in the corner. "Why don't you eat the rest, too?" Master Qian realized that Master Sun, who was always aloof and kept her distance from everyone else— had lost her cool! ... The next day, before dawn had broken, He Lingchuan woke up. He was awakened by the soul-snatching mirror, which was screeching into his ear at top volume: "Hey, hey, hey, stop sleeping! How can someone your age sleep for so long?!" He Lingchuan shielded his forehead with an arm and slapped a hand down onto the mirror's face. "You'd better have a good reason!" Bleary-eyed, his morning grumpiness flared hot. "Look out the window, look at the sky!" The mirror was so excited its voice was slightly distorted. "It's shining! It's shining! The Tianluo Star won't stop shining!" Shining? Startled, He Lingchuan scrambled to his feet and pushed the door open to step outside. Dawn was nearing, and most stars had already faded, but the Big Dipper still held its ground across the night sky. He Lingchuan counted them: one to ten.