Nightfall

Looking at the Big Black Horse running away in terror, Ning Que suddenly understood one thing. Being the last and youngest student in the Academy, it was very likely that he would be the most spoilt student, but at the same time, he was the least powerful one.

He was uneasy because he didn’t know what the Headmaster of the Academy thought of him. And the scene he just witnessed reminded him of his own situation. He said in great anger, “Who owns this goose? What an evil creature! How dare you bully my horse!”

“Young master, it is my master’s goose.”

A scared voice sounded from the direction of the meadow and the little servant of Second Brother appeared.

Of course Ning Que knew that it was Second Brother who owned this goose. He only dared to vent his anger on the goose when Second Brother wasn’t around. But now his little servant had appeared, he wouldn’t dare to kick the goose even if he was as brave as Ye Hongyu.

He reached out his hand to stroke the little servant’s pink face. “I was just saying it. Don’t take it for real and there is no need to remember it,” said he.

The little servant widened his eyes and nodded heavily before he went to chase the goose.

The white goose chased the Big Black Horse to the lake.

The white wolf was hiding in the grass and pretending to be dead. Ascertained that those scary animals were not around anymore, he finally stood on his feet, shivering all the time. With his furry tail hidden between his legs, he ran back to Tang Xiaotang and didn’t want to leave her at all. He was so scared that his legs were shaking when he walked.

Tang Xiaotang held him in her arms.

The white wolf felt much safer, he pointed his head out and looked at the direction of the lake, where a white figure was chasing a black one. At this strange place, his noble identity of the Prince of Snowfield Direwolf and his talent weren’t anything. He was not powerful at all.

Ning Que didn’t know how similar his thought was to the thought of the wolf. If so, he might hug the wolf and cry with him.

…

…

Chen Pipi and Sangsang were waiting at the lake.

He was a little surprised when he realized who the girl following Ning Que was. It was she who crushed stones at the Southern Gate. Why did she come to the back of the mountain of the Academy?

“During the many years that I have spent in the Academy, your Sangsang and your Calligraphy Addict are the only two outsiders who came to the cliff platform in the Academy. And I wonder who this girl is. Is she also yours?”

“She is not mine. The Headmaster of the Academy asked her to come here.”

Chen Pipi became even more surprised after heard Ning Que’s answer. He looked at the girl carefully and frowned. Her clothes reminded him of Eldest Brother’s old gown, so he asked doubtfully, “The master took her in? Is she related to Eldest Brother?”

Ning Que walked to Sangsang and answered his ridiculous questions impatiently, “Stop guessing. You won’t be happy to know who she is.”

After looking carefully at this girl with a white dog in her arms, Chen Pipi liked her even more. He said with a smile, “Why should I be unhappy about her?”

Tang Xiaotang also looked over him. She remembered a conversation between Ning Que and Ye Hongyu on the mountain path in the Wilderness. They mentioned a very talented but also very impatient cultivator. She asked curiously, “Are you the fat young prodigy Ning Que once mentioned who already entered Knowing Destiny state?”

Chen Pipi nodded in pride. He was going to pat Ning Que on his shoulder as a praise, because Ning Que didn’t forget to tell others during his trip how talented he was. However, he remembered the girl said he was fat, and he became a little annoyed.

Ning Que said, looking at him, “It was Ye Hongyu who called you fat. You should go to argue with her if you don’t like it.”

“Never mind.”

The mention of Ye Hongyu made Chen Pipi uneasy. He decided quickly that it was not worth it to argue with her. As a clever guy, he figured out quickly that this girl should have been there when Ye Hongyue said that, because Ning Que had only met Ye Hongyu in the Wilderness. He asked in surprise, “So you two met each other in the Wilderness.”

Ning Que nodded.

Chen Pipi continued, “Then why didn’t you tell mw at the city gate?”

“Because I didn’t want you two to meet,” said Ning Que.

Chen Pipi looked at the reddish face of Tang Xiaotang and her clear eyes. He wondered how beautiful and long her hair would be if she undid her braids.

She was his type.

He remembered telling Ning Que about it. So he stared at Ning Que blamingly and thought. I have told you I like this kind of girl, but you didn’t introduce her to me. What an evil man.

Ning Que knew that he couldn’t hide her identity forever, because the master wanted her to stay in the Academy. He was silent for a while and then said scornfully, “She is Tang’s sister.”

Chen Pipi waved his hand and said, “Then what?”

Ning Que reminded him again, “Tang, it is the second tone. ”

Chen Pipi was still confused.

Ning Que sighed, “Tang, from the Devil’s Doctrine.”

It was not until then did Chen Pipi understood who she was. He pointed to her and was too shocked to say anything.

“You said that no girl was more powerful than you, and I said I wish all the girls you like have a very powerful brother. Now it seems like what I said have become true. And there is another thing I need to let you know. Ye Hongyu said once, that you are not powerful enough to fight with this girl.”

Ning Que patted him on the shoulder as a comfort.

Tang Xiaotang had no idea what the two were talking about. She was interested in Chen Pipi, the cultivation genius and she didn’t understand why Ye Hongyu said he was so useless that he even couldn’t beat her.

She introduced herself with a smile, “I am Tang Xiaotang.”

After being silent for a while, Chen Pipi said, “I am Chen Pipi.”

The name of Chen Pipi was familiar to her, she felt her brother had mentioned it before. After thinking for a while, she said happily, “I remember now. You are the Younger Brother of Ye Su.”

Chen Pipi didn’t talk for a while and then said, “Yes, I am. Taoist and Devil’s Doctrine are enemies. We are kind and you are evil. My temple is never a friend of the Front Gate of the Devil’s Doctrine. Considering all this, I should have killed you immediately. But don’t worry, I won’t, you are safe, because the master brought you to the Academy.”

But Tang Xiaotang was very excited. She looked at him and said in excitement, “Doesn’t matter. Let’s fight first. I have always wanted to fight with you.”

Her face reminded him of his miserable childhood in the temple and the girl who liked red dresses and fighting with him.

He was silent and angry.

Clear sound of flute drifted over from the mountains in the distance.

…

…

These mountains were really big.

Ning Que had been to some places during his long time of staying here. But he had never seen this straw hut before. This was where the students in the back of the mountain gathered and met the teacher today.

It was a very big hut, built on pillars. There were no walls around, so the air here was very refreshing. Luckily that this hut was located in a valley, so it was not chilly in the hut. But its remote location made people wonder where the straws on the roof were from.

There were bamboo chairs on the meadow in front of the hut. Sangsang and Tang Xiaotang were sitting on the chairs. The scared white wolf was hiding under a chair and the Big Black Horse was standing behind a chair, panting heavily. He ran to find his second master, Sangsang, as soon as he escaped from the goose’s chasing.

Sangsang sat on the chair with some flowers in her hand. She was dozing off.

Tang Xiaotang was kicking the stone in front of the chair and feeling very bored. She turned to Sangsang with a smile, “Hello, I am Tang Xiaotang.”

“Hello, I heard your name just then,” replied Sangsang.

Tang Xiaotang continued, “I come from the Wilderness and I will study in the Academy.”

Sangsang said softly after thinking for a while, “I am Sangsang, Ning Que’s handmaiden. I come from…”

She never knew what to say when others asked her about her hometown, should it be Min Mountain, City of Wei, or He Bei county, where Ning Que found her? But this time, she remembered that she knew she was born in Chang’an and this thought delighted her.

“I was born in Chang’an. And I am not going to study in the Academy. It was said that the West-Hill Divine Palace wanted me to study there, but I don’t want to go there either. So I have no idea why they called me here today.”

If it was other girls who heard that Sangsang said the West-Hill Divine Palace wanted to enroll her, they first wouldn’t believe her and then they might mock her. But Tang Xiaotang believed Sangsang without any hesitation, she said, “You are right. The West-Hill Divine Palace is nothing interesting.”

Then she reached her hand out and exclaimed, “We are friends now.”

Sangsang was not used to her hospitality, but after thinking for a while, she nodded seriously.

Loud debating sounded from the hut that had no walls.

Sangsang lowered head and looked at the flowers in her hands.

Tang Xiaotang looked at the direction of the hut and murmured, “The Academy really doesn’t enroll people of the Enlightenment Doctrine?”

…

…

The Headmaster of the Academy came back to the Academy.

Everyone came here.

Even scholars came here, leaning against the pillars and reading.

There were two hot debates happening here today. The first debate was when Chen Pipi opposed the decision of enrolling Tang Xiaotang into the Academy, and Second Brother disagreed with him. The second debate was when Ning Que apologized for overdrinking and his crazy behavior last night and tried to explain, but Second Brother stopped him.

But it was what happened next that shocked everyone.

The Headmaster of the Academy looked at Ning Que in the eye and said slowly, “I have never had a student like you. Although others helped you a lot, the result was you passed my hard examination. Anyway, you succeded, and I will admit that you are my student.”

Somehow, Ning Que got a bad feeling.

“You didn’t lose the face of the Academy during the trip to the Wilderness, especially in the fight of the two young people of the Judicial Department of the Divine Hall. But you are still too bold, and that is not what people of the Academy should be like.”

“In my view, you are still not quite mature. So I would like to postpone the official enrollment ceremony. In the next few days, you should reflect on your deeds. That is also a punishment for you.”

Ning Que asked, “Master, how should I reflect on myself?”

The Headmaster of the Academy said peacefully, “You are punished to be confined to the cliff and not allowed to go out until you truly understand.”

Everyone was shocked to hear the news. They looked at the master in surprise and had no idea why he would make such a decision.

They knew very well what going to the Back Cliff meant in the Academy.

They knew even better how hard it would be to leave the Back Cliff.

Why would the master punish Youngest Brother so hard?