Nightfall

The stream bank did not flatten from the explosion. However, the fish in the stream died, and they flopped over, exposing their white bellies and floating on the turbid water. Sixth Brother looked at the stream in shock. He suddenly said, “This is much better than the Primordial Thirteen Arrows. It can be used by any Talisman Master. However, we have to be more careful with the crafting, as it’d be difficult for the masters at the crafters’ to make them. Besides, most Talisman Masters are physically weak, and they’d find it difficult to get close to the city walls on the battlefield.”

“These small iron kettles that can explode will be highly successful in attacking the city. If it goes according to what you said, the Tang army will sweep the world as long as we have more Talisman Masters who are as physically strong as our Youngest Brother.”

Fourth Brother muttered to himself, the paleness on his face retreating. There was still a trace of shock in his usually calm eyes as well as a few extremely complicated emotions.

“Master Yan Se had indeed had a unique foresight. I always thought that your potential in Talisman Taoism was impressive, but not as good as the Calligraphy Addict. However, when I think back to your Talisman Arrows, I now understand why Master Yan Se thought so highly of you. Youngest Brother, your imagination is limitless.”

He suddenly bowed deeply to Ning Que.

Ning Que was startled, and quickly avoided him.

Fourth Brother straightened up and looked into Ning Que’s eyes. He said solemnly, “Talisman Masters may seem strong to those from the secular world, but they are often limited in battles. However, what you’ve thought of today will allow all the Talisman Masters access to a close combat weapon. I want to thank you on behalf of all the other Talisman Masters in the world.”

“Don’t spread a word about it for the time being. We have to keep it a secret.”

Fourth Brother muttered to himself, “I have to go and ask Teacher about this. It’s too dangerous. Too dangerous.”

There were numerous dead fish by the stream and it looked like a mess.

Ning Que walked to the metal board and tried to pry out the shards of the iron kettle embedded in it. However, he was unable to even with his strength. He said to himself in surprise, “This is illogical.”

According to his design and calculations, the Fire Fu would burn in the iron kettle, but due to the lack of air in the kettle, even if it could successfully explode, the results would not be as strong as what they had right now.

That was why he felt it illogical.

He suddenly recalled that he had imbued a gust of Great Spirit in the iron kettle when he triggered the Fu paper.

The Great Spirit was essentially pure Qi of Heaven and Earth. When a talisman crafted by a Talisman Master was weak, giving the Fu paper a boost with pure Qi of Heaven and Earth could increase the powers of the talisman.

This was something he had thought of when he sat by Yanming Lake after he accepted the challenge of Lanke Temple’s monk Guan Hai.

He had imbued the Great Spirit in the little iron kettle previously. It was equivalent to pumping liquid oxygen into the little iron kettle. This would help the Fire Fu burn and cause the explosion to become stronger.

Could other Talisman Masters other than himself do this? Ning Que thought about it by the stream. If he really used this on the battlefield, then the Talisman Masters’ control over the Qi of Heaven and Earth had to be strong enough. In other words, this required the Talisman Masters’ states to be very high.

There weren’t many Talisman Masters in the world, and a few among them were in the upper Seethrough State. Thus, it was just a dream to use the little iron kettle to turn tides in the wars of the world.

But it could at least turn around battles.

…

…

There was a loud gong by the stream, startling those in the back of the mountain of the Academy.

The first to arrive by the stream was not a person, but the proud white goose.

The big white goose looked at the turbid waters and the floating dead fish. It seemed to be upset about the death of its pets. It lengthened its neck and rushed at the three people on the bank and honked at them, looking very angry.

Fourth and Sixth brother stood behind Ning Que and remained calm.

Ning Que thought to himself resentfully that they cared more about their Senior Brother than their Younger Brother.

He did not want to fight against the goose by the stream. Had a at the goose, and you would know how powerful it was in combat, and it wouldn’t even be honorable if he defeated it. He hurried to comfort it, saying, “I’m sorry for your loss… I will buy two baskets of fish and pour them into the stream so they can accompany you. Wooden Fish, don’t be angry. Their sacrifice was necessary for the advancement of science.”

Second Brother’s big white goose was called Wooden Fish.

Nobody in the back of the mountain knew why Second Brother had named it so, since there wasn’t anyone in the Academy who cultivated in Buddhism. According to Seventh Sister’s analysis, it could be that Second Brother had a habit of waving his rod to teach the big white goose a lesson. It looked like one hitting a wooden fish, so it was how the name came about.

Seventh Sister could make wild conjectures, but the other Senior Brothers did not dare to verify it with Second Brother. The arrogant white goose had never been like a beast of the Buddhism Sect that would not retaliate if it was hit on the head or accepted any grievances. In fact, the goose was prepared to hop over the stream to fight against Ning Que no matter how Ning Que tried to comfort it.

Fortunately, Second Brother arrived, and the big white goose shook its tail around resentfully before leaving.

Eldest Brother had also arrived. He looked at the stream for a long while with a confused expression. He asked Ning Que, “Teacher was taking a noon nap before he got awakened by the ruckus. He wanted me to find out what was happening.”

Second Brother said respectfully, “The back of the Academy is usually like this when the teacher and Senior Brother were traveling. It had been so since Youngest Brother joined us.”

Ning Que thought to himself that it sounded like a complaint.

Fourth Brother nodded and said, “We are testing iron kettle that Youngest Brother invented.”

Ning Que explained the iron kettle to the two Senior Brothers.

Sixth Senior Brother brought out two iron kettles from the smithy and placed them in the hands of the two Senior Brothers.

Eldest Brother looked at the iron kettle engraved with flowers. He praised, “Youngest Brother used space to constrain the fire, used the power of the fire to cause a kickback reaction and used the theory of firecrackers in a talisman battle. His design is indeed ingenious and interesting. However… any burning object will need air, and the same goes for Fu Fire. That is why we can’t use Fire Fus in the depths of the ocean. But I wonder why Youngest Brother’s Fire Fu could burn so vibrantly.”

Ning Que was thoroughly impressed when he heard this. He now understood why Eldest Brother led the Academy. Even though knowledge about burning was simple to him, he had not expected Eldest Brother to be so familiar with it that could even instantly think of other problems associated with it.

Eldest Brother might be slow in anything, but his wits were fast.

…

…

Ning Que explained the method he used to Eldest Brother in private. He told him about the Great Spirit.

Eldest Brother ruminated over it in silence before coming to the same conclusion as he had.

Cultivators who could use the iron kettle would definitely be able to use more powerful methods than the iron kettle. Those iron kettles were more suitable for Ning Que in his current state.

However, Eldest Brother did not think that Ning Que’s idea was useless. He seemed to have guessed Ning Que’s intentions of making these iron kettles.

Eldest Brother did not say it out loud. Instead, he sighed, and left the stream.

Ning Que stood by the stream and thought in silence before leaving.

…

…

In the meadows, Second Brother’s little servant was feeding the wolves, horse, goose and the old yellow bull. He was in charge of taking care of these beasts at the back of the mountain.

The precious food such as Solomon’s seal that Ning Que used to feed the Big Black Horse came from Sixth Brother. He only found out later that these were all brought back by Eleventh Brother when he was tasting the flower and grass at the back of the mountain.

Ning Que would become jealous of the food and treatment that the animals got whenever he thought of that.

After speaking with the little servant and finding out Second Brother’s plans for the afternoon, Ning Que ascertained that Second Brother would not be at the mid-lake pavilion later in the afternoon. Then, Ning Que played with the Big Black Horse which looked resentful. They cantered around on the meadows for a while, and then, Ning Que headed to the mid-lake pavilion stealthily.

Seventh Sister was embroidering flowers at the mid-lake pavilion. The light on the lake reflected onto her face, making her look ethereal.

Ning Que sat beside her and said cheekily, “Senior Sister, Second Brother isn’t around, why do you have to pretend to be demure and elegant?”

Lifting her head and glaring at him, Seventh Sister said, “When have I ever pretended?”

Ning Que replied in good fun, “Did you not hear that ruckus by the stream earlier today?”

Seventh Sister said, “Do you think that I am the scholar who can be selectively deaf?”

“Then why didn’t you come and join us?”

“I do not like joining trouble.”

“Look, you’re pretending.”

“Dare you say it again?”

“Every time something happens at the back of the academy, Senior Sister will be the first one to arrive there. You are really my warmhearted and kind Senior Sister.”

Seventh Sister said sarcastically, “I wonder what kind of oddity you have invented again. I didn’t feel like watching. It is more important to guard my pavilion.”

Ning Que had destroyed the mid-lake pavilion when he tried out the Talisman Arrows last time.

Ning Que said, “Speaking of which, I have found something fun recently.”

Seventh Sister’s eyes were tired from embroidering flowers, and she was sick of pretending to be demure. Her eyes brightened when she heard Ning Que’s words and asked, “What fun? Did you find it at the market?”

Ning Que shook his head, and took out the blueprints for the houses by Yanming Lake. He placed it on her embroidery and said, “I bought a large house a few days back.”

Seventh Sister looked at the lines of the lake and said, “It is indeed good to stay by the lake.”

Ning Que replied, “The lake is the left eye of the God-stunning Array.”

Senior Sister was shocked. She looked up at him and did not say anything.

Ning Que pointed at Yanming Lake on the paper and said, “I want to borrow the left eye of the God-stunning Array and set a tactical array on the houses by the lake. But you know that your Younger Brother isn’t very smart at these kinds of things.”

“You managed to plant the array flags lopsidedly back then. You are not just dumb. You are an idiot.”

Seventh Sister corrected.

Ning Que asked, “Senior Sister, are you interested?”

Seventh Sister’s eyes grew brighter. She had long been entranced by the paper and did not even look at him. She said, “Setting an array is much more interesting than embroidering flowers.”

Ning Que wrung his hands nervously, saying, “Can you get this done in a hundred days?”

Seventh Sister said, “What kind of array do you want? To kill or to defend?”

Ning Que replied, “Is there a kind of array that can cast my Psyche Power to all ends of the lake?”

Seventh Sister waved her hands and said, “That’s simple. I just need ten days.”

…