Nightfall

Just as Quni Madi asked about it, everyone became quiet after his remark. Not everyone believed what Ning Que said, but none of them dared to doubt him. People believed in him not because he had a noble and holy reputation, but because he ranked thirteenth in the Back Mountain of the Academy and had a teacher named the Headmaster of Academy.

To the people of the world, West-Hill Divine Palace naturally was the most sacred and holiest place. While the Academy in the southern suburbs of the Tang capital Chang’an was the noblest place. The reason why the Tang Empire had invincible cavalries in the world, smooth domestic politics, and harmonious people was that the majority of the imperial court and all county magistrates had the Academy education background. The Academy alone was already a noble majestic place, let alone the Second floor of the Academy.

Those core disciples of the Headmaster of Academy lived on the Second floor and rarely showed up in the secular world, so they gradually became the legendary figures. But when they occasionally appeared, they could belittle princes and dwarfed officials, and even put themselves at the same level with bigwigs of Divine Hall. Who would have the courage to question such a character?

Mo Shanshan once said to her Brothers and Sisters while at a hot spring in the dark blue lake that reputation was the most powerless thing, for the power was the power itself just as the brush and ink were only the writing materials. Therefore, today in the tent, during the debate about the Horse Gang on the meadow, all the people actually tended to believe Black Ink Garden disciples, for Mo Shanshan was famous all over the world. But it was the Divine Hall and Yuelun Kingdom that went against her. So no one wanted to or dared not to believe her.

It was Ning Que who said the same words at this time. Behind him stood two unattainable peaks, the Headmaster of Academy and the Tang Empire. At this moment in the tent, the most powerful speaker was him.

The screams broke out at last, and the people in the tent who were horrified and speechless, looked at Ning Que. There was nothing but an exclamation of suppressed but irrepressible emotion, and then all voices disappeared again, and the tent reverted to its previously silent state, except for the sound of rapid breathing.

As for those who cultivated in all kinds of sects, the name “Ning Que” was definitely not new to them, although he had only entered the cultivation world with plentiful primordial Qi this spring.

Under the agreement of Judicial Department’s Great Divine Priest, Divine Hall had been advertising his name. So all the Haotian followers soon knew of the man named Ning Que who had helped another legendary man to behead a Yuelun Kingdom monk and a Sword Master of the South Jin Kingdom in Spring Breeze Pavilion of Chang’an City overnight. People all over the world knew of this man named Ning Que who had defeated the dazzling Prince Long Qing as perfect as the son of a god in a contest on the Second floor of the Academy.

What was even more shocking to the world was that everyone knew that this name “Ning Que” had appeared on the “Ri” book of the seven Tomes of Arcane. Although no one had seen that book and many people had their doubts about this, they all believed it was true since the news had spread under West-Hill Divine Palace’s agreement.

When Ning Que first entered the Second floor of the Academy, he had become a successor of Divine Talisman Master and even had the qualification to write his name on Tomes of Arcane. With such shocking experiences, how couldn’t he make the young cultivators of all sects in the tent shocked, reverent and envious?

Maybe because of the Spring Breeze Pavilion matter and those dead people involved in it, Sword Garret of South Jin Kongdom disciples and the monks of Yuelun Kingdom White Tower Temple showed a bit of hostility besides awe and admiration in their eyes.

In fact, Black Ink Garden disciples were the ones who were most shocked. Cat Girl’s face slightly flushed and stared at Ning Que. Her bright eyes were full of joy and incredible expressions. The girls tightly covered their lips so that they did not scream out of shock.

They thought that Ning Que was just an ordinary Academy student and they never expected that he would be a core disciple of the Headmaster of Academy. They could not believe their own ears as they thought of the time when they had met beside a hot spring and had killed enemies side by side in the Wilderness.

After Mo Shanshan heard that name, her gaze became fixated on Ning Que and her hands in her sleeves, that used to hold a brush as steadily as a beautiful mountain, slightly shook. There was still no expression in her dull round cheeks but only a touch of tiredness that suddenly appeared in her eyes and brows. She sent the little saber in her hands back to the Zhuo Zhihua’s waist.She sat back in her chair in silence, her wandering eyes bewildered. She did not glance at Ning Que anymore.

Ning Que did not notice the subtle mood changes of the girl at this time. After he sat next to General Shu Cheng, he did not say more but just quietly watched the Revelation Department Priest.

Because he did not look at Quni Madi, the noble Aunt looked increasingly gloomy.

The Revelation Department Priest did not see Quni Madi, either. He looked at the silver hair in front of his eyes and suddenly smiled, and then quickly made a decision. He looked at Ning Que and said, “Mr. Thirteen, how do we deal with this matter?”

On hearing himself being addressed as”Mr. Thirteen”, Ning Que was slightly startled, for he thought the bigwig of Divine Hall had long been aware of his identity at the frontier fortress of North of Yan Kingdom. Suddenly Ning Que remembered something and understood why the bigwig addressed him this way.

Once upon a time, there was a mountain, an Academy in the mountain, a Headmaster in the Academy, and the Headmaster was the tallest one… This passage might only be a jingle to the earthly people, but an undoubted truth for bigwigs in the cultivation world, especially the people like the Divine Hall Priest who knew a lot of historical secrets.

Of course, the sentence that the Headmaster was the tallest one did not mean he was tall in height, although he was indeed tall. It not only meant his high status in moral, articles and ideological state, but also referred to his high seniority.

According to Haotian hierarch Lord’s and Lanke Temple Elder’s childhood memories, the Headmaster of Academy had lived for at least one hundred years. And according to the self-deprecating words the Headmaster of Academy had said, living for a longer time would always be more advantageous, such as seniority. Therefore, in this world, no one had the same seniority with the Headmaster of Academy.

Even those who were contemporary with the Headmaster’s disciples had already died. So when Master Yan Se had talked to Second Brother Jun Mo that day in the Back Mountain of the Academy, they had had such a dispute on seniority. Therefore, whether Divine Hall or the real bigwigs of Buddhism Sect, they never called those disciples in the Back Mountain of the Academy with traditional seniority appellations.

The Academy itself also had this problem, as there was a big generation gap between the forecourt and the Back Mountain. In order to avoid such an unspeakable embarrassment, they formed an appellation habit. The forecourt instructors called those in the Back Mountain according to their age, such as Mr. First and Mr. Second. This habit gradually spread outside the Academy. Because the people in the Back Mountain basically did not show up in the secular world, a lot of people gradually forgot it. Probably only the bigwigs of Divine Hall still remembered this rule.

Therefore, Ning Que was Mr. Thirteen.

Whether in Military camps, or in the world of cultivation strongmen.

…

…

Ning Que was not a typical Tang. However, he had joined the army since adolescence. Although now he was no longer the little soldier of a border town, he still retained a lot of habits in this respect. What disgusted him the most in his life, were those jerks who did not help companies but robbed military exploits. Ning Que knew that cavalrymen of Divine Hall had robbed Blue Water Battalion’s military exploits at Dongsheng Stockaded Village. After he went into the Wilderness and experienced that bloody battle, he did not have any good impression of cavalrymen of Divine Hall. Since he was Mr. Thirteen, he had inevitably developed a temper. So when he clearly knew what kind of answer the Revelation Department Priest wanted to hear, he still did not do as the Priest wished.

The Revelation Department Priest fell into silence.

As an important figure in Divine Hall, he should certainly defend the people of Divine Hall. However, in recent years, there were two celebrities, Tao Addict and Longqing, who came from the Judicial Department that was experiencing a rapid expansion. In addition, Light Department had to keep a low profile owing to a secret matter. So the whole Judicial Department had become extremely arrogant. As the Revelation Department Priest, he had been dissatisfied with its arrogance for a long time. Today Ning Que took the Academy’s reputation as a guarantee. So he followed his own meaning and was fearless of being criticized as detrimental to the dignity of Divine Hall and was not afraid of the censures of Tao Addict and other people afterward because it could be regarded as maintaining the Divine Hall’s reputation of brightness and fairness.

Since he was determined, he looked at Ning Que and said with a smile, “The commander of cavalrymen of Divine Hall, Chen Bachi will accept 40 beatings of thorn sticks and will report to the Judicial Department god for deposition. His cavalries will be punished with hard labor for six months after going back to The Peach Mountain. What do you think of it?”

This penalty did not include Quni Madi, Flower Addict and Revelation Institute disciples. But it was also natural, for he could not make any rash decision even if he was the Revelation Department Priest.

Ning Que knew that it was impossible for him to ask for more. So he gently nodded with a mild expression and naturally did not forget to praise the bright side of Divine Hall. At this time he did not show the shyness of the Headmaster’s disciples.

General Shu Cheng softly touched his beard and showed his agreement. So this incident had a final conclusion. At the time of deliberation, there was no one who went to ask for Quni Madi’s opinion.

Quni Madi sat beside the Revelation Department priest. Her old face looked dark and grim and her old hands tightly holding onto chair rails kept shaking. She was naturally not afraid of anything but could almost not suppress her inner anger.

Upon hearing the 40 beatings of thorn sticks, the commander of cavalrymen of Divine Hall, Chen Bachi’s face instantly became very pale.

A thorn stick was a special punishment tool inside Divine Hall. With dark pine wood as a pillar, it was wrapped with miscellaneous steel thorns.There was a rumor that many years ago the first Great Divine Priest of Judgment understood the meaning of Haotian after having carried this thorn stick on his back for twenty years. As a subordinate of Judicial Department, he certainly knew this legend and was aware of how many sufferings such a thorn stick would cause.

In the past years, he had followed Prince Long Qing to supervise around and arrest the Devil’s Doctrine survivors, renegades and betrayers. He had used a thorn stick to beat those wretched people and made it worse than death for them. He had seen those blood cuts and messy twisted flesh like linen ropes on their backs. But he never expected that he would have a similar treatment today.

He was a master in the state of Seethrough and had a very important position in the Judicial Department. However, as Divine Hall had a strict hierarchy and the Revelation Department Priest had made such a decision, he dared not to resist or express his objection and protest. He only tightly bit his teeth and allowed the Divine Hall steward to drag him out.

A cultivator in Seethrough was very powerful, but his body was no different from that of ordinary people. Soon after a heavy muffled beating sounded outside the tent, the commander of cavalrymen of Divine Hall, Chen Bachi, finally could not help uttering a miserable painful howl. He wanted to bite his teeth so as not to cry out and shame the Judicial Department, but he could not resist that kind of severe pain under the Judicial Department’s thorn stick, even if he had gritted his own teeth.

The people in the tent heard the muffled sounds as the thorn stick beat his back, the miserable howlings and even faint hissing sound as the thorn stick’s fine steel wire hook tore out his flesh. They could not help but have slight chills running inside their bodies.

Upon hearing these sounds, Great River Kingdom girls tightly bit their lips and thought of those dead Younger Brothers under the meadow. They finally felt relieved a bit after having been gloomy for a long time. They could not help looking toward Ning Que and their eyes were full of gratitude.