Nightfall

Ning Que was quiet because he was disappointed and angry. Sangsang had always been quiet. She became more quiet because ever since they left the dwelling of the savages, there was nothing but vast wilderness along their way. They were getting further away from human habitation and further away from the human world, although in different ways.

They crossed the Wilderness via the same route they used to take. When summer came, the black carriage arrived at the Morass. They sensed the smell of rot and damp and saw the fog. If it was in the past, then Ning Que would have been worried about the invisible dangers hidden in the marsh and fog. However, he couldn’t care less now because he knew that Haotian was right here in the carriage. It was also because he knew who the master of the Morass was.

The black carriage entered the fog, glowing with warmth. The glow came from Sangsang’s body. It was not blazing but very firm. No matter how thick and moist the fog became, it could never stop the light from glowing and spreading out. In a blink of eye the fog around the carriage was cleared out. Blue sky appeared above and everything in the Morass was unveiled.

There was slush everywhere. The water seemed very shallow with green moss floating on top. Numerous deep lagoons hid underneath. No ordinary human beings could get out alive from the Morass.

This was nothing for Ning Que and Sangsang. The black carriage was as light as a feather. The wheels rolled across the water without making any ripple or catching a single piece of moss.

The poisonous serpents in the ponds and the monsters in the poplar forest were peeping at their carriage from afar. Though they could not sense Haotian’s Divine Power due to their lack of intelligence, they instinctively felt the fear and did not dare to come close. The big black horse was still vigilant as it did not want to be bitten by any of the creatures.

Ning Que’s blade suddenly started burning and a scarlet flame ran out of the sheath. It turned into a scarlet Vermillion Bird posing in front of the carriage and was whistling harshly toward somewhere afar in the fog.

The Vermilion Bird was the killing talisman of the God-Stunning Array. Serpents or monsters would have never awake it. There must be a much more powerful enemy. It continued to whistle to something in the fog afar and seemed very anxious.

After entering the Morass, it had been safe and quiet. Ning Que felt like being an ass in the lion’s skin, but now he could not refrain from worrying as the Vermilion Bird became so anxious.

Sangsang was not anxious at all but she found the Vermilion Bird’s whistling annoying and piercing. She reached out through the blue curtain and got hold of its neck. The whistling was stopped abruptly.

The Vermilion Bird was a Divine Talisman on top of the Knowing Destiny State. It had overcome its fear in the battle in Chang’an and became even more proud and confident after attacking the Abbey Dean. It would never surrender to such a defeat, but being held in Sangsang’s hand, it did not dare to struggle, and looked pitiful with its eyes darting around.

Clattering sounds appeared from deep inside the fog. Only after a short while did the clattering become sharper and quaked the entire marsh like a storm.

Ning Que was looking to that direction wearily but suddenly felt relaxed upon hearing thundering clatters. It was because he knew who was approaching.

Without the fog, everything in the Morass was distinctly visible. When the fog afar was dispersed by a black shadow, a crowd of countless wild horses rushed out and clattered intensively towards them.

In front of the crowd, there were eight rarely seen steeds pulling an extremely shabby carriage. Inside the carriage sat a swarthy lazy donkey with snow white lips.

There came Gaga.

Lazy as it was, it should have been lying idly in its imperial carriage and come after the crowd. Carrying on the Academy’s tradition of being gluttons, it should have been indulging itself in a feast of those juicy yellow fruits and paid no attention to whatever happened out there in the world.

However, Gaga looked very different today. It paid no attention to the basket of fruits in its carriage and its forehoofs had smashed the rotten wood shafts in front of the carriage. With flaming eyes, it led the combative crowd of wild horse.

Sangsang lifted the curtain and stepped to the front of the carriage and looked at the horrifying group of wild horses approaching. Then she reached out and caught a bout of roaring wind while her blue dress swung in the wind.

Then she waved her hand. It did not disturb the clouds but formed a storm in the Morass. The stagnant water in the lagoon splashed out and scatter the moss around.

The crowd of wild horses was startled by the Sublime Heavenly Power and could no longer listen to orders. They became chaotic. The eight steeds were blown down by the wind and fell in the marsh, with mud all over their bodies.

The shabby carriage felt onto the ground and was smashed into pieces. The basket of yellow fruits was crushed into juice and mash and the black donkey was thrown out into the air.

Heehaw! Heehaw! Its furious crying resounded throughout Heaven and Earth. With its shadow shrinking rapidly, the furious black donkey fell from the sky and towards Sangsang’s head.

Sangsang looked above and reached out her right hand again.

She found the Vermilion Bird’s whistling annoying so she stopped it by catching its neck. Now she found the donkey’s heehaw ugly and tried to do the same to it.

The black donkey had enjoyed his life in the Morass for years and became chubby and strong. Its neck was pretty stocky so it was hard to be caught with one hand. Falling down from high above, it become even more furious and had prepared for a good kick to Sangsang with its forehoofs. How could she reach to his neck first?

For Sangsang there was no need for reasoning or explanation. She could do anything she wanted, such as picking up a piece of could from the sky and getting hold of a bout of roaring wind. She could definitely catch that black donkey.

She got hold of the black donkey by its neck and lifted it up in front of her. No matter how furious Gaga was, it could no longer make a single sound. It goggled at her and kept kicking, which looked very funny.

“You are no match for her. Quit trying.”

Ning Que looked at the black donkey and tried to comfort him. He knew why Gaga was furious. It was his Youngest Uncle’s donkey. How could it be fond of Haotian?

The black donkey had traveled around the world with Ke Haoran and formed its solitary, upright, irritable and arrogant character. It was in no way like Ning Que’s big black horse who had inherited his impudence. His comforting did not work and it kept kicking its hoofs. I’ll give everything today for a kick on your face, you hussy!

Though it had no idea what hussy meant, it was sure that was a dirty word.

…

…

Despite of its pride, it could do nothing but surrender to this powerful enemy. Being the governor of the Morass, Gaga was still no match for Haotian. Although he inherited the pride from the Youngest Uncle, it also remembered the key technique the Academy had taught — to surrender when there was no chance of winning and plan for revenge later.

Countless wild horses occupied the marsh around them. They have never seen the sun and blue sky in the Morass before, so they all looked above and stayed unmoved, making themselves into a funny scene.

Only the black donkey knew it was because the wild horses did not dare to look at it being so wretched. It felt somehow pleased. When Ning Que provided it with some juice of the crashed fruits from the basket, it felt even more pleased. It wondered how it could have wasted its previous years without knowing such a wonderful way of consuming these fruits.

Ning Que tried hard to put its shabby carriage together and came to the donkey. He took out some plaster and applied on its pelada fur. Then he murmured something to it and Gaga nodded insincerely. However, he seemed satisfied and smiled to it.

Getting back to the carriage, he saw Sangsang’s clear bright eyes and realized that she had seen through all his plans. However, it did not bother him because she was bound to know everything and his plans could never be carried out unless he could conquer her.

Gaga sat back into the shabby carriage and led the group of wild horses toward the fog at the other end of the Morass. It could not avenge his master, but it had tried its best and thus had no regrets.

Why is it heartbreaking to see the old black donkey in that carriage? Watching the crowd of wild horse trotting off and the heartbreaking donkey in the dust, Ning Que pondered for a long while and asked, “The Youngest Uncle, what kind of person was he?”

Ke Haoran, the Youngest Uncle was a legend in the Back Hill of Academy and the human world. Ning Que received his legacy but did not know much about him even though he had heard a lot of stories about him.

What made him decide to draw his sword against Heaven? How did he die? What was he thinking at his last moment? What happened in the Wilderness back then?

No one, not even the Headmaster knew the answers to those questions, except for the Youngest Uncle who had passed away and Haotian who was standing right by his side. That was why Ning Que asked.

Sangsang said after a pause, “He was a maniac.”

Ke Haoran had been referred to as Maniac Ke by the common people. However, if even Haotian agreed that he was a maniac, then it should be considered as the greatest honor and pride for a human being.

…

…

Getting out of the Morass, they entered the West Wilderness. Ning Que and Sangsang kept going west. They traveled with no hurry, so when they finally arrived at the heart of the West Wilderness it was already autumn.

The autumn in the Central Plains was fresh, clear, and desolately charming. However, in the Wilderness it was nothing but chilling. A snow fall came right after some morning winds.

There were rolling hills in the deserted fields. A dead tree stood next to a hill with its frosting branches and it looked like a jade sculpture that was made by skillful craftsmen. They shivered in the snowstorm as if they were nodding to welcome some visiting friends.

Ning Que and Sangsang got out of the carriage and came to the dead tree. The branches suddenly shivered more violently and shook off the snow and frost. Then a hole was unveiled on the frozen and firm ground in front of the tree.

He bent down and collected the things from the hole, and headed back to the carriage. Sangsang followed. The hole in front of the dead tree disappeared immediately and the branches were re-covered by snow and frost. Everything seemed unchanged.

…