Nightfall

Ning Que was startled as he looked at Tang Xiaotang who stood in the thicket. He sighed and asked, “Are you a ghost? Why do you follow me wherever I go? It’s useless no matter how fast I run.”

Tang Xiaotang had not even had time to react to his mean tone when the snow-white puppy rushed out from behind her and growled at Ning Que, displaying his sharp teeth. However, it still remembered how it had been tortured by Ning Que on the mountain path in the Wilderness, and only dared to growl at him from beside its owner. It did not dare to go near Ning Que at all.

“You run really fast. I almost thought that you were one of us from the Enlightenment Doctrine.” Tang Xiaotang said, “But you will never be as fast as me.”

Ning Que said helplessly, “My dear miss, why are you following me around?”

Tang Xiaotang said, “My brother told me to enter the Academy and become a student of the Headmaster.”

Ning Que stood still for a moment before he could ascertain that he did not hear wrongly. He had the urge to torch down the winter grass by the path before him. He said, “You and your brother are indeed both mad. You want to become a student of the Headmaster? Do you not know that he is the true leader of the Central Plains?… Alright, since he doesn’t appear often, he is at least a spiritual leader. Even if he did not get rid of you through some powerful means when he sees that you are from the Devil’s Doctrine, would he accept you as a disciple?”

Tang Xiaotang said confusedly, “My brother said that the Academy does not discriminate.”

Ning Que said, “Anyway, my advice is for you to give up. I cannot take you to the back of the mountain of the Academy. Furthermore, I am the most favored Youngest Brother now. Why would I want a junior sister?”

With that, he turned around and walked down the slope towards the Academy. However, Tang Xiaotang and the Little White Dog followed him no matter how fast he walked.

Tang Xiaotang laughed as she said behind him, “If the Headmaster knew that you were so shameless, he might not like you. He might even kick you out. Wouldn’t it be just nice for me to take up your spot?”

Ning Que thought to himself that he was willing to do anything in this life. He was used to sucking up to people. He thought of the generals in the City of Wei, and Master Yan Se. He had even managed to make Eldest Brother happy, how would the Headmaster of the Academy be able to escape from his grasp?

“Can we still, can we still meet? I have prayed before Buddha for a thousand years…”

At this moment, a song suddenly sounded from under the sloped stone path. The singer’s voice was not wonderful. It wasn’t hoarse, but had an odd whimsical feel to it. The lyrics, coupled with an out-of-tune melody made it sound like someone speaking, making it even more ludicrous and funny.

Tang Xiaotang turned around to look at it curiously.

The melody was foreign to Ning Que, but he seemed to have heard the lyrics somewhere. He suddenly grew alert, “How would anyone else other than himself know of this song?”

Looking down the stone trail, he saw a tall old man wearing a dark-colored fox coat. He walked up a slope with a painted meal box in his hand. Was it not the man on the balcony of the Building of Pines and Cranes last night?

…

…

Ning Que’s head hurt as he looked at the old man. He thought of the wooden rod that had hit him, and a cold smile appeared on the corners of his lips. He prepared to stop the man and give him a good beating.

As the saying goes, “Getting revenge means using your fists to return the beating the rod gave.” This was what it meant.

Ning Que knew that he was a good fighter even when drunk. The old man was not an ordinary rich man from Chang’an, as he was able to knock him unconscious with his rod. He naturally grew alert, and the Great Spirit in his body swirled. His hands grasped at empty air, as if he was holding a knife. He was ready for battle within seconds.

Suddenly, he noticed from the side of his eyes that the little white dog had hidden behind Tang Xiaotang’s boots. Its ears were prickled upright, and it was making little noises of fear. His heart flipped slightly.

He knew that the little white dog was not really a dog but a snow wolf from the Wilderness. Even though the little wolf was afraid of him, it had never shown any signs of submission. Why would it behave like so now? Could it be that the old man had made it feel fearful subconsciously?

Ning Que had many dangerous encounters as he killed on the Min Mountain in the grassland. His reaction time was trained to be so fast that it was beyond that of an ordinary person. This little detail was like a spark landing on a pile of dry grass, and it burst into flames in his mind as he thought of a certain possibility.

This was the Academy.

The tall old man wearing fox fur was very strong.

As he thought of the possibility, Ning Que’s heart began to beat furiously before turning cold. He then began to tremble due to the shock.

At the most crucial moment, he perfectly displayed his ability to control his emotions and body.

He looked at the old man walking up the stairs and did not reveal any other emotions on his face. The cold smile that had been on his lips blossomed like a flower, as if it had been met by the brilliant sun rays. The Great Spirit in him melted away into nothingness like snow in spring. His hands that had been grasping at a hilt rose before his chest in a fist. He bowed slightly and said warmly, “I never thought that I would meet this Sir again.”

…

…

The Headmaster walked up the slope with a meal box.

He looked at Ning Que in front of him interestedly but did not say anything.

Ning Que looked at the Headmaster calmly. One could not see anything different about his expression or his posture. Only he knew that his body that had been suppressed was fighting an intense battle with his strong will where the Headmaster was not looking.

Beads of sweat appeared on his back, soaking through the back of his shirt.

He had to use his will to forcefully suppress the fear and reaction of his body. So even though his expression was calm and his eyes were warm and sweet, he had already used most of his strength. His soles hurt, his calves and stomach hurt like they were tearing. He could cramp up any time.

The Headmaster suddenly spoke. He said, “I am just an ordinary old man, you don’t have to be so respectful.”

Ning Que objected vehemently, “Who would dare to say that you are an ordinary old man?”

The Headmaster leaned forwards slightly and looked at him from above. His hair prickled as the Headmaster watched him. Then, the old man smiled and said, “Someone told me last night that I was a pitiful old man.”

Ning Que thought that the situation was going downhill, but wanted to make one last attempt. He smiled forcefully, “I spoke nonsense after drinking last night. Someone like you, sir, would not blame me for this.”

The Headmaster sighed, “I am on the brink of death and have decided to take on one last student. I haven’t even died, and my student has already called me an old ghost of a teacher. Why do I even bother?”

Ning Que felt as if he had been struck by lightning, but was determined to play the idiot and pretend that he did not understand.

The Headmaster looked at him and smiled. He said, “Your ability to pretend to be dumb is world-class. But your back is wet, and your feet are about to break the stone beneath them into smithereens. Why are you still pretending?”

When the Headmaster pointed that out, Ning Que turned into a broken wine jug. He did not have the energy to push on. Instead, he fell to the ground with an exclamation and rubbed his cramping calves and soles furiously.

The Headmaster watched him as he sat on the ground and sighed. He shook his head and continued upwards with his meal box.

The sigh was soft, but sounded like thunder to Ning Que’s ears. He wondered if the Headmaster was extremely disappointed with him. What should he do?

He had finally entered the back of the mountain of the Academy after encountering many challenges and facing death numerous times in this life. His current life began thanks to this teacher that he had never once met. Would he just watch it as it disappeared before his eyes?

Ning Que leapt from the ground as if he had been poked in the butt. He limped forward and followed behind the Headmaster respectfully. He reached out for the meal box, wanting to help the old man carry it.

The Headmaster did not hand the meal box to him. Instead, he looked at Tang Xiaotang who stood in the thicket confusedly and waved her over. Then, he passed the meal box to her.

Tang Xiaotang finally emerged from her daze. She knew who the old man was from Ning Que’s expression and their conversation. She took over the heavy meal box and smiled at Ning Que. Bringing along the little white wolf, she followed the Headmaster into the Academy exuberantly.

Ning Que was extremely dejected as he saw the Headmaster’s wide and tall back.

He had thought that he was the youngest student of the Second floor of the Academy and would be able to make the Headmaster happy with his shamelessness and sweet tongue. He would then be a favored student in the Academy. However, who would have thought that the old man on the balcony of the Building of Pines and Cranes who did not look decent no matter which angle you looked from, and that the old man he had laughed at was his teacher?

And looking at the situation now, the Headmaster might really accept Tang Xiaotang into the Second floor of the Academy. Wouldn’t that mean that his position as the youngest and the most protected would be gone?

…

…

They reached the cliff platform of the back of the mountain after passing through the fog.

The Headmaster had gone somewhere.

Tang Xiaotang stood under a gingko tree and was admiring the beautiful scenery of the back of the mountain of the Academy.

Ning Que walked to her side and did not speak.

The little white wolf ran around in the meadows below the slope. It was very excited and ran very fast as it had never seen such verdant soft meadows in the Wilderness; it looked like a white bolt of lightning.

Suddenly, a black lightning bolt appeared and surpassed the little white wolf in an instant. It was like a black cloud that loomed over its entirety.

It was the Big Black Horse.

The little white wolf was scared silly by the Big Black Horse whose hooves were like giant trees. It curled up into a ball, not daring to move as it listened to the clopping hooves.

Ning Que laughed coldly, and was about to boast about his horse to Tang Xiaotang.

However, he really couldn’t laugh today. The smile that appeared on his lips fell into an annoyed expression the next moment once more.

The striking Big Black Horse was in actuality an escapee.

A large white goose tottered through the meadows chasing after it. Its movements were funny, but were speedy. Its long neck looked extremely like the crown on a certain someone’s head and it looked extremely proud.

The Big Black Horse squawked in horror at the sight of the big white goose. Its hooves flew as he sprinted through the meadow panting and looking extremely aggrieved.

…