Nightfall

The opening of the second floor was very important to Ning Que. No matter whether he could grasp the opportunity or not, at least it was right before his eyes. To many people, the ability to face important events with grace was a quality to be admired.

Having faced many tribulations in life, Ning Que was able to do this to a certain extent. Other than forcing himself to stay calm when facing important events, he had to do one of the most important preparation work for it. That was, he had to take Sangsang with him.

The sun was barely up and Chang’an was still enveloped in darkness. He brought Sangsang with him on the horse carriage and left the Vermilion Bird Gate. When they arrived at the Academy under the southern mountain, it was early dawn. The meadows around the Academy which were usually quiet were bustling today.

The Yulin Royal Guards who were wearing their armor were patrolling the place carefully. There were many officials from the Ministry of Rites seated beneath a temporarily erected canopy. Some men wearing official robes of Tang stood under the tree afar expressionlessly. While it was unknown which office they were from, they all exuded a dangerous aura.

Ning Que thought of the Academy’s entrance exam from a year ago as he watched the bustling yet dignified affair. He realized that the security was about that of the entrance exam. This was when he finally understood one thing.

The opening of the Second floor was not only an important affair in his life. It was the same for the entire city of Chang’an. Furthermore, Prince Long Qing from the Judicial Department of the Divine Hall was about to enter the Second floor. This affected the already complicated relationship between Tang, the West-Hill Divine Palace, and the Yan Kingdom. This was yet another important affair that the world had their eyes fixed on.

Sangsang was unable to enter the Academy due to the strict security and poor luck this time. As such, she could only wait at the meadow outside the Academy’s stone doors.

There was still half a day away from the opening of the Second floor. Ning Que had deliberately turned up earlier, not because he wanted to wait on the grounds of the Academy in the sun like a stupid tourist. He walked into the familiar Academy, followed the path across the bamboo forest, circled the lake twice, entered the old library and bid the instructor who had just woken up a good morning. Following that, he lifted his robes and made his way upstairs.

He did not know if it was too early or if there was another reason, but Professor Yu’s slender figure had yet to appear at the desk beside the eastern windows. Ning Que paused for a moment before walking to the desk by the western windows, wet his ink stone, and took a deep breath before writing freely without much thought. After he had ascertained that his mental state was indeed clear and quiet, he set down the brush and left.

He walked past the dense forest behind the lake. The view before his eyes expanded. The tender grass looked like a soft carpet of green under the morning light. Anyone who had seen it would feel like removing their robes and rolling on it for a while.

This was one of the most remote places in the Academy. Very few students other than Ning Que had come here in the past six months. Even if there were people, they would just sit at the edges of the meadow to star gaze or go on dates. They would not walk through the meadow and enter the belly of the dense forest.

Ning Que walked between the trees on the high and treacherous grounds. He held out a palm and caressed the smooth tree trunks. Lifting his head, he watched the sparse branches. His brows lifted slightly, but he remained silent.

“What did you do today?” The voice of the female professor rang out in the forest.

“Your student greets you.”

Ning Que looked at the nearing figure and bowed. He straightened up and considered seriously for a moment before he answered, “I had a bowl of chicken noodle soup with pickled radish strips in the morning. After that, I took a horse carriage to the Academy. I stood outside the doors for a while before leaving my things at Classroom Three. Then, I walked around the lake two and a half times and visited the lecturer at the old library. I wanted to go upstairs to ask you something, but you were not there. So, I wrote a piece of calligraphy and came here.”

The female professor stood before him. You could never guess her age from her face. She did not ask what Ning Que wanted to ask her, but after a moment of silence, she smiled and said, “It is a pity that you were not able to calm your heart down after doing so many things.”

Ning Que nodded and answered honestly, “I know I don’t really have much of a chance. But I still have thoughts that I might get lucky. However, it is hard to calm down once I have these thoughts. Is there anything that you can teach me?”

“I am but just an average person who entered the Seethrough state.” The female professor flicked away hair that had been blown on her face and smiled, “There is nothing I can teach someone like you with grand ideas.”

Ning Que smiled and scratched his head awkwardly.

There’s no need to have strict metal calmness at all time. Even though you are well educated, you are but still a lad. It is impossible for you to sit at the eastern windows every day, copying calligraphy for years like me.

The female professor said softly, “There are many things in the world that don’t depend on your ability, but whether you are willing to imagine. If you don’t even dare to imagine and are controlled by self-doubt, then you are a weak person. I just want to know how strongly you want to enter the Second floor.”

Ning Que was about to say something, but the words spoken by the professor next shook him to the core.

If you give up on entering the Second floor today, I can introduce you to a teacher who is on par with Liu Bai.

…

…

There was a pregnant pause as Ning Que looked at the female professor and realized that she had said that as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. It was like someone saying they’d give you a bowl of spicy noodles if you didn’t want to eat a savory crepe. There was no hint of any boasting, but there was undeniable truth in her words.

However… Liu Bai from the South Jin Kingdom was the Sage of Sword. He was recognized as the strongest swordsman in the world, and she was going to introduce him to a teacher on par with him? Where would one find someone like that in the world? And where did the female professor find him or her?

Ning Que was shocked speechless. He did not know why, but he trusted her promise. However, he did not know why his answer was no when he finally managed to get his mouth to open.

“I think I… will still give it a try. I’d like to see if I can enter the Second floor.”

There was an interesting spark of laughter in the female professor’s eyes as she asked, “Why?”

Ning Que hesitated for a moment before answering, “I do not know why either, I just feel that I won’t be able to rest until I give it a try. After all, I have toiled over this for so long and have put in so much effort into it.”

“Is that all?” The female professor looked into his eyes.

Ning Que scratched his head awkwardly and answered, “Because I do want to check out the Second floor.”

The female professor looked at the awkward expression on his face and laughed out loud. She said, “Wanting is the crux of the matter. You can achieve anything as long as you want it. A person’s desire, or should we say, ambition, is the most beautiful thing in the world. Being able to persevere in your choice is the right decision.”

“I’ve told you, these trees are like swords stuck into the ground. If you can uproot these trees, they will become swords that can pierce the heavens. A person’s perseverance is also known as his ego and your ego is the sword in your hands.”

“It is such a pity.” She turned and walked towards the forest of swords, leaving behind only a sigh.

Ning Que did not understand what she meant and thought nervously to himself. [Did she mean that while his will was strong, it was a pity he was not Prince Long Qing’s opponent?]

As he watched the slender figure that was about to disappear into the forest, he asked, “Teacher, did you mean it when you said you’d introduce me to a teacher if I didn’t enter the Second floor?”

The female professor did not turn around, but answered calmly, “It is true.”

Ning Que raised his palm to his forehead and smiled, “Is it too late to regret?”

The female professor answered with a tilt to her mouth, “I already gave you a chance.”

…

…

Thoughts, perseverance, ego, ambition, sword.

The female professor’s words were like layers of gauze. He could not decipher the true meaning of her words. However, Ning Que did understand some things somewhat. The female professor must have seen his nature if she had said something like that to him. Ever since he fled Chang’an when he was four, Ning Que had relied on his mental strength to sustain him and he was able to gradually prosper from it.

As he thought about what Chen Pipi had said solemnly about “staying true to himself”, and “doing the extreme”, Ning Que realized that what the female professor had said was just about the same. As he ruminated over it, he could guess what the exam ahead of him would be about even though he did not know how he would be tested on.

“This should be something I am good at.”

Ning Que fisted his hand tightly and walked through the lake and quiet lanes before he reached the front of the Academy which was bustling with activity.

It was not clear when so many people had turned up before the Academy. The professors and doctors who usually spent their time studying their own topics had all moved various seats outside. They held hot cups of teas while discussing fervently what will happen on the Second floor today. Some had even placed bets.

The students of the Academy had gathered even earlier today. While most of them did not even dare think of entering the Second floor, no one wanted to miss an event like this. They had gathered around all six students from the course of magic skills and tried to encourage them. Xie Chengyun from the South Jin Kingdom was the focus of this attention.

It was almost noon.

The Emperor of Tang, Lee Peiyan, and the princess, Lee Yu walked towards the Academy to the ritual music. Several court officials emerged from the meadow followed by envoys from various countries as well as several Taoists from the West-Hill Divine Palace.

The trees by the path down the middle of the meadow had already blossomed. The hues of pink were beautiful against the skies. The peach trees right in front of the front gates of the Academy was at its peak and it waved in the light spring breeze.

A young man in dark robes walked down the path. The beauty of the blossoming flowers dimmed beside his beautiful face. This man was Prince Long Qing from the Yan Kingdom.

All the officials under West-Hill’s Yutian Court’s Assistant Director, Mo Li, stood up along with the envoys from various countries. The students who were just bustling with noise moments ago went silent. Even the professors who were used to the opening ceremony of the Second floor could not help but sigh in admiration at the young prince walking beneath sunlight and blossoming flowers.

Ning Que watched the scene from a corner away from the crowd. Even after that day, no one would take an ordinary Academy student like him as an opponent of Prince Long Qing.

A professor from the Academy walked over.

Upon the entrance of the professor, everyone including the prince, princess and various other important figures from the West-Hill Divine Palace rose and bowed. This professor was a revered Divine Talisman Master who had been cultivating in the Academy. Everyone respected him, and furthermore, he was presiding over the opening ceremony of the Academy’s Second floor.

“Only one will enter the Second floor today.”

The professor said to the masses before him. It was unknown what talisman he had used, but his voice, which was musky with age, rang clearly but not overly loud in everyone’s ears.

“The exam is simple.”

He pointed at the hill covered in mists behind the Academy and said, “There is a path winding around the mountain. Whoever who wishes to enter the second floor should climb up the mountain. You may enter the Second floor if you reach the peak. If nobody can reach it, the person who reaches the highest spot will win.”

…

…

Are they judging one’s ability to enter the Second floor of the Academy by mountain climbing?

The people gathered in front of the Academy had looks of bewilderment on their faces. They thought that this was the most ludicrous method to determine one’s ability to enter the Second floor. But Prince Lee Peiyan and priest Moli remained stoic. They have seen the opening ceremonies of previous years and knew that while the Academy liked to play at being mysterious, they would never joke about it.

Everyone looked at the large mountain behind the Academy. The sun had already risen to the peak and its rays were scorching. However, it did nothing to dispel the mist on the mountain and no one could make out the features of the mountains clearly. They could only see that there was indeed a steep path beneath the fog.

It was at this point in time when many students suddenly thought that of the large mountain right behind the Academy. They had never paid much mind to it because it was so silent it was as if it did not exist.

The mountain was there. It had always been there. If so, why did they have to go see it now especially?

The path to the mountain laid behind the quiet alley of the Academy. It was a distance away from the fence near the Second floor. One could clearly see the foot of the mountain and the somewhat straight path up the mountain if they stood on the pavement near the fence.

All was silent. Nobody spoke.

As the seconds ticked by, no one made a move towards the mountain.

“It seems that I shall make the first move.”

A voice suddenly rang in the tense silence. It was too much surprise that the person who would lead the move towards the Second floor was not a student of the Academy or the devout disciple of the Haotian Taoism, Prince Long Qing, but a young monk.

The monk was about twenty. He was quite handsome and had on tattered but clean monk robes. He also wore a pair of straw slippers that were frayed. It looked as if he had walked through mountains and seas in them, but if you looked closely; his feet were completely clean with no trace of mud at all.

They were white and clean, like lotus flowers.