Nightfall

The Abbey Dean looked at the Hierarch and asked indifferently, “You want to know why I came back? … You probably won’t believe it, but I came back because Haotian needs my help.”

The Hierarch kept quiet. He thought, It was you who chose to enter the State of Purity in the City of Chang’an and cut your connection with Haotian. That was why she paralyzed you. Haotian is almighty and omniscient. Why would she need help from an ordinary man, particularly from you, a wastrel?

The Abbey Dean could read his mind and smiled, “Haotian did not need my help previously and that was why I kept my distance in the Zhishou Abbey. However, she had left the Peach Mountain. It means she could not handle certain things here. Therefore I have to come back and try to help. At least I can deal with something that’s less convenient for her.”

The Hierarch still did not understand.

The Abbey Dean was as calm as the tranquil lake in the Abbey. He continued, “Faith is a simple thing. If you cling onto it even after it abandons you, your faith is genuine.”

…

…

Ning Que and Sangsang walked out of the abyss and strolled among the rolling mountains. The azure sky was covered by heavy clouds, and the violent snowstorm stirred bouts of dust that blocked their sight.

They kept walking and finally came to a rugged mountain trail when the snowstorm came to an end. Then they heard a happy neigh from ahead.

With thundering clops and repeated neighing, the big black horse bolted towards them. He wagged his head and tail while he was galloping and seemed extremely happy.

Coming in front of Ning Que, the big black horse realized that Sangsang was also there. He recollected its manner, lowered his head and walked toward Sangsang, wagging slightly to please her.

“You worthless thing.” Ning Que smiled at him, then found their big black umbrella and the arrow case both on his back. He was surprised and wondered how the horse had made it.

He patted the horse’s neck and said approvingly, “Now we are ready.”

With Ning Que, Sangsang, the big black horse and their belongings together, it was exactly what when they were on exile, except for the carriage that was left in Chang’an.

Sangsang did not pay any attention to the obsequious big black horse or to Ning Que’s comments. She held her hands behind her back and continued to walk along the snowy mountain trail.

The hidden rough trail was very long. The trail must had been neglected for years and few people had trodden on it. However, it did not bother them. Sangsang’s flowery green dress swayed in the wind. Ning Que continued to use the stick as a crutch. The big black horse carried their belongings and followed passively.

After a couple of hours, they finally walked out of the barren mountains and came to a fork. Ning Que looked at the snow-capped mountains and asked, “Which way?”

Sangsang replied emotionlessly, “It was you who played ugly to get me out of Peach Mountain. You wanted to bring me to the human world and here we are. Does it really matter which way we go next?

Ning Que looked at her black hair drifting by her cheeks and said, “Since you followed me out of Peach Mountain, I suppose you are interested in touring around the world of the mortals again. So, is there any place you’d like to visit?”

Sangsang said, “I already said it was your call.”

Ning Que thought for a while and suggested, “How about the Song Kingdom? It’s not far from here.”

The big black horse heard his suggestion and lowered his head further. My master, you should try hiding your tricks in front of my mistress. Don’t you think you are making a fool of yourself?

Sangsang said, “You want to take me to tour around the human world, try delicious dishes, and see beautiful sceneries like your Headmaster once did? That won’t work for me.”

Ning Que was embarrassed. His hands shifted awkwardly on the stick. “I just thought that restaurant was good.”

Sangsang killed the suggestion. “I’ve been to that restaurant. Come up with another one.”

Ning Que continued, “How about Linkang? Someone teaches there. He has different ideas from the teachings of West Hill. You might find that interesting.”

Sangsang killed it again. “I never cared about how human beings interpret my will.”

Ning Que replied, “That’s abstruse.”

Sangsang said, “I am Heaven’s Rules.”

Ning Que understood and continued. “Then shall we go back to City of Wei?”

Sangsang replied after a moment of silence, “You actually want me to go back to Chang’an.”

Ning Que confessed, “I wasn’t sure if you want to.”

Sangsang replied, “Not now.”

Ning Que proposed a few other places but Sangsang rejected them all.

He thought of their conversation in the abyss previously and said desperately, “You asked me to lead, yet you disagree with every place I propose. It’s your call after all.”

Sangsang asked, “You’ve proposed the east, the west and the north. Why not to the south?”

Ning Que did not know how to answer that. To the south of the mountains of Divine Halls of West-Hill was the famous Great River. Beyond that river was the Great River Kingdom…

Sangsang looked at him and questioned indifferently again, “Why not to the Great River Kingdom?”

Ning Que said, “That place is far from prosperity. It’s just a remote village. There’s nothing special to see or anyone interesting to meet, so I didn’t think of that.”

Sangsang said, “But there is someone we both know.”

Ning Que pretended to be ignorant. “There are lots of people we both know in this world.”

Sangsang asked, “What exactly are you scared of?”

Ning Que did not reply.

Sangsang looked into his eyes and asked, “Are you afraid that I might kill her?”

Ning Que replied, “Why would you kill her?”

Sangsang said, “Haotian doesn’t need a reason to kill.”

Ning Que stared back at her and said after a moment of silence, “Are you jealous?”

Nothing changed in Sangsang’s expression. She said, “You are afraid that I might kill her because in your subconsciousness you wish I would be jealous. That doesn’t mean I actually have such low level emotions.”

Ning Que continued to stare at her and questioned, “But you are being jealous.”

Sangsang did not reply to that.

“Otherwise you wouldn’t have asked why I did not pick the Great River Kingdom.” Ning Que started laughing, as contented as the cat used to be in the Old Brush Pen Shop when it caught a mouse.

Sangsang smiled and said, “Then are we going to the Great River Kingdom?”

Ning Que said, “Can I oppose to that?”

Sangsang replied, “Yes. But I won’t take it.”

“Then let’s go,” said Ning Que.

The big black horse listened to their conversation and felt bored. However, when he realized that he was about to see the mistress that he liked the most, he became excited and worried.

He worried for same reason that worried Ning Que. Sangsang was back into the human world. Ning Que would love to see her acting like a real human again. If she were to experience any human emotions, no one knew what she would do with them because she was the almighty Haotian after all.

…

…

They kept walking towards the south along the mountain trail. The snow storm gradually disappeared and the bright sun shone over hills and fields. It was very warm in the south, even during late winter.

After they came to the hills, Sangsang left the trail and walked south. No matter how rough the terrain was, Sangsang strolled as if she was walking on flat grounds, but for Ning Que and the horse it was very frustrating. He could not stop complaining, Who said I am the leader?

One day, they heard some thundering sounds coming from the front of the hills and felt moist air. It reminded Ning Que of the waterfall at the Back Hill of the Academy and his Second Brother’s cozy courtyard. He wondered how massive that waterfall could be as they could hear it from such a distance.

Coming by the edge of the cliff, Ning Que realized that it was a massive river rather than a waterfall. The yellow river with plenty of water surged and roared through the black rocks and yellow fields. There was a huge drop in the valley that had made the surging yellow river into several wide falls. The water fell, thundered, and almost smashed the reefs beneath. This was the renowned Great River.

Standing in front of the yellow Great River and feeling the shivering of the rocks, Ning Que sensed the massive power that was carried in the river and was deeply shocked. Now he understood why the Great River could have helped the Great River Kingdom withstand the shrewd troops from the South Jin, and how Liu Bai reached his enlightenment with the river.

He recalled the previous autumn when that sword flew from the Sword Garret and arrived at Peach Mountain. When he was cleaning up the Divine Hall of Light, he found the ancient sword that was left by Liu Bai in a corner of the hall.

The Headmaster once used that sword to kill the Golden Dragon and Divine General. Liu Bai had integrated his spirit into that sword and challenged Haotian at Peach Mountain. That ancient sword had become the sword of the human world.

The sword was still there, but the people who had propelled it were all gone.

Looking at the surging yellow river and thinking of the predecessors, Ning Que felt a complex of emotions. When he turned to Sangsang, who standing beside him, he could not help but feel more complicated emotions and was left speechless.

Sangsang looked at a black reef by the river and said, “This was the place where Liu Bai reached enlightenment.”

Heading toward south and coming to the place where Liu Bai found enlightenment, Ning Que realized why Sangsang had taken him there. He looked at a loom sword cut on the black reef and pondered.

After a while of silence he reached out his right hand in the moist air and got hold of his iron blade in the thundering sounds. He tried to grasp some blade intent at the place where the predecessor had reached enlightenment.

Sangsang said, “You are a talisman master.”

Ning Que knew what she meant and replied, “I can draw Talismans with my blade.”

Sangsang said, “You look cheered up.”

Ning Que said, “Coming to this site and thinking about the predecessors, one has to be inspired somehow.”

Sangsang commented, “Human beings are always engaged in their useless emotions.”

Ning Que asked, “Why else did you take me here?”

Sangsang replied, “I took you here so that you could see even someone as strong as the Headmaster or powerful as Liu Bai was no match against me. You’d better give up.”

Upon hearing these words, Ning Que kept quiet for a long while.

He took her around the human world because he wanted to continue with what his Headmaster had tried — to humanize her. However what she had been thinking about was to make him into complete surrender.

“When Liu Bai started cultivation, he saw this yellow river.”

Ning Que continued, “When I started cultivation, I saw an ocean. This means as long as I keep practicing, I would eventually surpass Liu Bai and achieve what he had failed to achieve.”

Sangsang mocked him. “When you entered the Initial Awareness State, you saw the ocean because I was by your side that night. It does not mean you are talented in cultivation. Don’t overestimate yourself.”

Ning Que was annoyed and replied, “It’s none of your business.”

…