Nightfall

To cultivators, every danger was an opportunity. The greater the danger, the more likely it would help them break through the realm. Master Huang Yang had received enlightenment as he pendulated between life and death when he met with the Horse Gang in the Western Wilderness. The Abbey Dean entered the legendary State of Pureness in Chang’an before thousands of blades. These were all proof to that statement.

Ning Que was naturally taking a risk in leaving Chang’an. But he had to come, and he had also wanted to master the ‘people’ talisman through this journey.

The colors of the lake and nature, the different types of people in the ship cabin, thinking without eating or sleeping had given him some vague insights, but he was not able to put it into his cultivation.

After two days and a night, the passenger ship docked at a pier on the South Jin Kingdom. The people on the ship brought their body odors with them, and carried their luggage up ashore. They walked through the streets where vendors called their wares and disappeared into the crowd.

Since Wang Jinglue was not around, Ning Que, who carried his iron cutlass on his back and held the box carrying his iron arrows would not be able to enter the city. He left the state highway and climbed a mountain peak where few people visited. He found a mountain stream and took a bath. He caught an antelope, barbequed it and ate it. Then he slept soundly in a tree.

Several years ago, while he was still a teen, he had carried Sangsang on his back and lived in the Min Mountain. Now that he had the Great Spirit, he could kill a tiger with a casually thrown rock. Living in the wild might be difficult for an ordinary person, but was simple to him and he could live comfortably.

He traveled through the wildlands of the South Jin Kingdom, and before long, he saw the city in the distance. While it was not as grand as Chang’an, it was still a city that ranked highly in the world.

Ning Que became much more cautious. He made some modifications to his appearance, restrained his Psyche Power, and covered his Snow Mountain and Ocean of Qi with the Great Spirit before entering the state highway.

He waited for half a day on the state highway and found the traveling team from the prince’s residence. He quietly placed his blade and arrows onto the carriage and then followed the team far into the city.

He was being very cautious not because this was the capital of the South Jin Kingdom, Linkang City and that there were many highly skilled people in the city. It was also not because there was a tactical array on the city walls. It was because there was a lonely mountain not far from South Jin Kingdom’s capital.

The Sword Garret was in that mountain. Ning Que was confident in his cultivation state and abilities. But he did not think that he could withstand the onslaught of Liu Bai’s sword for even a moment.

He followed the carts into Linkang City and stayed in a quiet place. He retrieved the iron cutlass and arrows from the carriage. The whole process was simple and no one discovered him.

He planned to stay in Linkang City for two days according to the original plan, to experience the place. He wanted to see if it’d be of any help to his cultivation before leaving.

Since he was returning to the mortal world to find a Lucky Chance, he had to feel the aura and strength of the world, and he naturally had to make contact with ordinary people. As such, he went straight to the Eastern City. Like Chang’an, the eastern city of LinkangCity was where the poorest people lived. The poorest people were the most ordinary people because poverty was the norm in the world.

He had prepared himself mentally before entering the Eastern City of Linkang. However, when he crossed the straight and prosperous royal street and entered the small lane, he still found that his preparations were inadequate. He thought that he was used to poverty having stayed in the Eastern City of Chang’an for many years. Linkang was also the capital of South Jin Kingdom, so he had not expected the poverty to be beyond his imagination.

The streets were already very narrow, and the awning set up haphazardly by the residents occupied most of the area, making it extremely crowded. It was difficult for anyone to walk between them without having to dodge the protruding iron sheets. One also had to guard against the urine that people inside the shelter would splash out.

Ning Que stepped on the old bricks in the sewage and made his way through the dirty air and the noisy scolding sounds. Suddenly, he smelled a greasy smell coming from the side and turned his head to see a ragged woman with a piece of meat in her hand wiping a hot iron pan.

Several little boys, shirtless and covered in mud, stood by the iron pan and waited, tightly holding the chipped bowls in their hands with light in their eyes.

The sound of someone using the toilet emerged from the bathroom at the side which was separated by a cloth. After a while, the old cloth was lifted up and a girl holding her pants walked out. There was not any shyness on her face, and only anger as she yelled at the boys, “Is this for you? Don’t even dare think about it!”

Ning Que looked at the scene, and remained silent for a moment. Then, he continued walking on the neglected street. He saw scenes that were sadder and darker than the one before. He had not experienced life like this since he left the City of Wei. He would never see something like this in Chang’an.

He walked slowly because of the narrow streets and because he wanted to see more. He squatted not far from a well on the street corner and watched the women wash clothes. He found that they did not use soap powder, and even the washing hammer lying beside them was seldom used. They just rubbed the clothes incessantly with their white hands, damaged by the water.

Chatters rang out behind him. He got up to let the people pass. The girl whom he saw earlier walked over with a rice bowl in her hands. The bowl was more complete than the others and there was still color on the porcelain. There was steamed rice in the bowl, with a layer of green vegetables and two pieces of lard.

The boys, who most likely were her younger brothers, followed behind her excitedly. They would occasionally raise their arms to wipe their noses and had surely been thinking about stealing food from that bowl later on.

Ning Que thought about it and followed.

In the deepest part of this dilapidated square city, there was one of the most dilapidated houses. The girl came to the house with her brothers and discovered that the house was already surrounded by children like them, with rice bowls in their hands.

Her younger brother stood on tiptoe and looked at the rice bowls held in the hands of other children. He turned to her and shouted, “Elder sister, Zheng Lili’s family actually cooked Braised pork! Braised Pork!”

The little boy’s expression was unusually exaggerated, and he waved his hands around, his expression was one of incredulity and shock. It was as if he had seen the most ludicrous thing in the world.

The girl listened to her brother’s reports and her expression grew ugly. She pushed through the crowd and looked at the girl who was her age, but better dressed. She said loudly, “It’s my family’s turn to cook!”

Then, she looked at the children holding rice bowls outside the shabby house and glared at them. “It’s my family’s turn. If you dare fight with me, I’ll burn your houses in the night!”

There were more than ten children who had brought food to the house. Some of them were obviously older than her. When they heard her, they looked afraid and backed away subconsciously.

The girl who was her age was not afraid of her and even took two steps forward.

This was because there were five pieces of thick and oily braised pork in her bowl. This was why her face shone with pride, just like braised meat. She said, “Your family only has a few rotten pieces of leaves. How will teacher be full from that? If the teacher is hungry, how can he teach us?”

The girl’s brother who was standing at the side said softly, “That’s right sister. Why don’t we let teacher eat the braised pork and we split this bowl of steamed rice?”

The girl pushed the little boy away and walked up to the girl holding the bowl of braised pork.

She had never liked this companion of hers who was proud because her seventh sister had married a man who worked in a rice shop. When she saw the cheap ribbon on her head, she grew even angrier. She said, “Zheng Lili, you shameless wench, are you sending food to the teacher or trying to seduce a man?”

Zheng Lili was flushed with anger but was not good at scolding others. Her hands began to tremble, but she was afraid that the braised pork in the bowl would fall to the ground and did not dare to reach out to hit the other girl.

The girl looked at her and harrumphed. She looked up and puffed up her undeveloped chest, looking like a victorious hen. She held the vegetable rice and walked into the dilapidated house. When she reached the front of the house, her expression turned respectful and she said softly, “Teacher, food is here.”

There was a creak, and the door of the house was pushed opened from the inside. The sound made one feel as if the door might fall at any time.

A man walked out of the shabby house.

The man’s features were extremely clear. He wore a thin cloth shirt that did not have a collar. His black hair had been combed back casually into a bun. There was a chopstick inserted in it. His expression was calm and natural.

He looked at the children holding the rice bowl and at the hopeful expressions on their faces. He could not help but smile and said, “Go home and tell your parents, we have already arranged for each family to take their turns. If you insist on doing this, I have to leave this place.”

The children seemed to have heard the most terrible thing when the man said that he would leave the place. They quickly kept the bowls they raised high in the air and hugged them closely. They did not know what to do next. Every child naturally looked towards Zheng Lili because her family had sent braised pork with rice.

The man smiled lightly and took the vegetable rice from the girl right in front of the door. Then, he picked up his chopsticks from the windowsill, squatted by the door and began to eat.

The girl stood beside him, satisfied. She placed her little hands behind her, looking extremely proud.

The man looked at the children who still refused to go home. He said with a bitter smile, “What are you all still doing here? Eat the food in your bowls and we’ll start class in a while.”

When they heard this, the children looked at each other, and then cheered. They knew that the food they were holding was more delicious than the food they usually ate. They had long since wanted to eat it.

Only Zheng Lili did not eat the food in her bowl. She walked to the man and looked at him tearfully. She said, “Teacher, have a piece of meat, just eat a piece.”

The man smiled helplessly and reached out with his chopsticks for a piece of braised pork.

Zheng Lili smiled through her tears and ran home with the bowl of food. She still had a younger brother at home, and braised pork was a delicacy that she dared not eat alone secretly.

The man smiled and said, “We’ll have class in a while.”

“I won’t forget.” Zheng Lili said with a smile and then bounded away. She had a red hair tie in her hair, and it looked adorable as her hair bounced.

The girl standing behind the man held the corner of her skirts and pursed her lips. She was envious of the girl, but she had gone to the market to look at the red hair tie. It cost two pence and she could not afford it.

The man glanced at her and said softly, “Teacher will buy you one secretly.”

The girl smiled happily and nodded.

Ning Que stood outside the crowd.

He looked at the shabby house and at the children who went to send food. He looked at the man who walked out of the shabby house and was extremely shocked.

He had seen this man before. Then, the wind had blown at the Hulan Sea and several powerhouses had gathered. Not even Eldest Brother could overwhelm the brightness that this man gave out.

No matter where the man appeared, the West-Hill Divine Palace, the Front Gate of the Devil’s Doctrine, the Imperial Palace of the secular world or in the ancient temple of Lanke, he was just as proud. He was the World Wayfarer of Haotian Taoism, Ye Su.

However, he was now hiding in a dilapidated house in the east of Linkang City. He was so calm and ordinary as if he had lived here for many years.

What had happened?

Then, the crowd suddenly heard violent yelling and whipping.

A priest who was under the protection of more than 10 guards arrived at the old house. He looked at Ye Su who was holding his rice bowl and asked coldly, “Who allowed you to teach here?”