Nightfall

Laughing out Loud

The war against the Tang Empire had lasted for months. As the Abbey Dean had been chopped down by Ning Que, something had begun to change. Such changes could be accidental, but some of them were inevitable.

On the Xiangwan Plain in the north, thousands from the Tang Army, who were fending off enemies, thought that they were doomed to die when they saw the dust rise from the south. It was the reinforcement they had been waiting for.

The situation suddenly changed. Thousands of the Northern Army Cavalry rushed toward the Golden Palace Army like an avalanche, decapitating countless enemies with their cold blades.

The war was over. The bloody meadow had refracted the sunshine red. Situ Yilan’s podao had been broken. She wiped the blood off her face and looked around the battlefield. Even though most of her subordinates had been killed, they finally won the battle.

The Verdant Canyon in the south had already been in the most perilous moment. Holding the iron sword, Jun Mo looked exhausted like a mountain in the late autumn which was peaceful and beautiful but was covered with yellow leaves.

The disciples of the Academy were all standing behind him. Looking at the dust rising up in the wilderness and hearing the sound of hooves, they were all in silence, waiting for the final moment.

Mu You reached out and held Jun Mo’s empty sleeve.

Fan Yue, who had been resisting the Abbey Dean’s Virtual Sword with the River and Mountain Sandbox, totteringly walked out of the iron tent at this moment.

They were brothers and sisters and they were supposed to live together and die together.

The Coalition Army of the West-Hill Palace had reached the front of the Verdant Canyon once again.

In the past seven days, they had stopped the West-Hill Divine Palace Coalition Army multiple times. Both them and the coalition had been tired of this.

This time should be different.

And this charge should be the last one.

At this moment, the Fourth Brother suddenly felt that the River and Mountain Sandbox in his hand became much lighter. Then he sensed that the Virtual Sword in the Sandbox had disappeared.

People in front of the Verdant Canyon had no idea what had happened in Chang’an. However, there was only one possibility for the Abbey Dean’s Virtual Sword’s disappearance: the Abbey Dean had been killed or abolished.

The Fourth Brother clearly knew about the preparation of the Academy in Chang’an and he also knew his brothers and sisters were trying their best to kill the Abbey Dean, but he never thought they could succeed.

Because he was good at deduction and no matter how he deducted it before, he never figured out how they were able to kill the Abbey Dean.

However, at this time, the Virtual Sword in the River and Mountain Sandbox had disappeared. Whether he believed or not, something must have happened in Chang’an.

He hoarsely muttered, “The Abbey Dean has lost.”

His voice was hoarse because he had suffered the Virtual Sword attack for days and also because he was uncontrollably excited and filled with disbelief.

Everybody from the Academy heard him.

Silence reigned.

Suddenly, Jun Mo raised his iron sword and pointed at the wilderness, laughing loudly.

Beigong Weiyang burst into laughter, plucking the strings wildly.

Ximen Buhuo rolled in the aisles, slapping with his vertical bamboo flute.

Sixth Brother grinned, clenching the hammer in his hand.

Wang Chi cracked a smile. The faded flowers on his sideburns looked more colorful.

Mu You was a lady, who didn’t need to be heroic. She didn’t laugh, but her eyes became misty.

The Coalition Army of the West-Hill Palace had arrived in front of them.

However, the disciples seemed not to see them at all. They were all in stitches.

The laughter echoed through the Verdant Canyon and spread along the mountains.

It didn’t matter if they lived or died after today, and whether they could keep the Verdant Canyon or not; as long as the Abbey Dean was defeated, Chang’an would be safe, and the Academy and the Tang Empire could keep the last hope.

What they had protected with their lives in front of the Verdant Canyon for seven days was this hope.

It was no longer a slim chance. It was within their grasp.

More precisely, it was in Fourth Brother’s hands.

Under his brothers and sister’s puzzled eyes, the Fourth Brother walked forward. Looking at the cavalry who surged as flowing molten iron and their sword light hiding in the sky, he lifted the River and Mountain Sandbox.

Fourth Brother became extremely pale and his cheeks instantly became emaciated.

He injected the River and Mountain Sandbox with all his Psyche Power.

It was filled with fine grains of sand.

There were rivers and mountains in the box and each sand represented a mountain peak or a bridge.

The yellow sand billowed in front of the Verdant Canyon, covering the sky and darkening the wilderness.

The West-Hill Divine Palace Cavalry entered the yellow sand and their eyes were blocked, losing their way.

Screams rang out among the yellow sand, as well as the impacting sounds.

A long time had passed, and the sand slowly rested.

It calmed down in front of the Verdant Canyon where many bodies of soldiers and horses were revealed.

The River and Mountain Sandbox could not change the fate of the Academy disciples.

Since the Divine Hall Coalition Army restarted a charge after a small recuperation.

At this moment, a Tang soldier walked out of the mountains.

He looked embarrassed, dirty and was covered with mud, disarmed in torn clothes which had been cut into pieces when he passed through the mountains.

He ran toward the disciples, totteringly and exhaustedly. Even so, he kept running while shouting.

His voice sounded hoarse as if he had not drunk water for days, but in the disciples’ ears, it sounded as clear as a spring.

“I’m Wang Wu, from the second group of the Southern Army Scouting Camp, under orders to support you!”

After that, he could not stand and heavily fell down to the ground, out of breath and unable to stand up.

Wang Chi walked by his side and quickly felt his pulse.

Jun Mo solemnly bowed to the most common soldier and said, “Thank you.”

An ordinary Tang soldier could not change anything, but for the Academy, his coming meant a lot.

The Academy was the Tangs’ Academy.

The Tang Empire was the Academy’s Tang Empire.

No one was fighting alone.

Then, another Tang soldier came out of the mountains.

Then more and more Tang soldiers showed up in the wilderness.

They supported each other and cheered for their companions.

They were exhausted. Once they walked out of the Verdant Canyon, they fell down on the ground and could not get up any more. Even if they could lift their weapons, they were unable to fight.

Some of them fell down and were never able to stand up anymore since they suddenly felt relief when they had gotten out of the mountains.

For the well-trained Tang soldiers, it was unbelievable.

More and more Tang soldiers reached the Verdant Canyon.

They had been walking for days without rest and sleep before they finally reached here.

The Southern Army had arrived, and that was enough.

Even though they were a tired troop.

No one dared to deny they were a mighty troop.

At this time, a gong sound came from the south of the wilderness.

The cavalrymen of the West-Hill Divine Palace Coalition Army looked at the Tang soldiers with complex emotions. Even though they were awed and grudging, they had to lift the reins, heading back to their camps.

The dark wind, coming from Ning Que’s podao, blew through the long street, hacked the Abbey Dean, throwing him into the lake like a dead fish. However, it didn’t stop and proceeded to the south.

There were two thousand cavalrymen outside the city who had no idea about what was happening inside Chang’an. They still dreamed about how to rob the rich when they entered the city.

There were only a few people in the West-Hill Divine Palace who were aware of the Abbey Dean’s plan, and Long Qing was one of them, who, in sense, was the Abbey Dean’s last disciple.

He thought that he had known what was happening inside Chang’an—he tried his best to reach here at any price, to cooperate with the Abbey Dean.

The Abbey Dean should have beaten the Academy and broken the God-stunning Array. With no real army to guard, the city of Chang’an was like a tied up prisoner in front of his 2,000 cavalrymen.

Thinking of this, he could not help laughing happily. His cavalry would be the first troop to conquer Chang’an as well as the last one who destroyed it.

As the prince of Yan, as well as the Divine Son of West-Hill, destroying Chang’an and eradicating the Tang Empire were his lifelong wishes. He had worked so hard; even his soul had suffered countless tests until he was black and blue.

There was one more thing he had to finish while he destroyed Chang’an—killing Ning Que, the opponent who had left him so many cruel memories in his life.

He had barely entered the peak of the Knowing Destiny State when he devoured all the Halfman Taoist’s cultivation with his Grey Eyes in the mountain behind the Zhishou Abbey, as well as many priests’ spirit power in the Wilderness. Even though he had known that Ning Que had been reached the same level as he had, he still believed that this time, he would win.

He had lost so many times: at the party in Chang’an, on the path in the Academy, on the snow cliff in the Wilderness, and outside the Red Lotus Temple. What made him angrier was that Ning Que was obviously inferior in all aspects, yet he had beaten him again and again.

If fate existed, if Haotian was watching them peacefully and lovingly, after inexplicably having lost for so many times, it should be his turn to win.

The more he paid, the sweeter the fruit he harvested—the thought of Ning Que kneeling down in pain on the ground after he entered the city—Long Qing looked at the majestic city and suddenly felt that all the pain he had suffered these years had turned into sweet memories.

The huge fire burned down the houses on the roadsides, reflecting on his silver mask. His eyes looked calm through the mask but his hands trembled.

At this moment, the raging fire in the village suddenly went out!

Looking at the village that suddenly became quiet, the smoke, the scorched earth and ruins as well as the silent wilderness, Long Qing frowned and a strange feeling arose in his heart.

Even the heaviest rain could not put off the fire in such an instant, not even the wildest wind.

Moreover, the clouds had dissipated, revealing the blue sky and leaving no trace of the rain. Even the air had stopped flowing.

What happened?

The cavalrymen around him had also noticed the unusual condition, blankly looking around.

Long Qing didn’t turn around because he was focusing on the other end of the road.

The straight and spacious state highway led directly to Chang’an and its end was at the Vermilion Bird Gate.

He seemed to see some black sand blowing from the distance.

He had no idea what it was but his heart sped up and shook slightly. He felt fear and his gut told him to run away.

“Spread out! Take shelter from the wind.”

Long Qing’s face turned pale. He began to shout at his soldiers. Then he lifted his rein, heading to the state highway, and ran to the ruined village.

The two thousand soldiers came from the Papal Cavalry of the Divine Hall and the Left King’s Palace, who had been Long Qing’s most loyal elites. Even though they didn’t know what had happened, when they heard Long Qing, they all lifted the reins and urged their horses to run to the wilderness beside the road.

As a powerhouse at the Knowing Destiny State, Long Qing was sensitive to danger, accurately and timely. The soldiers also showed their excellent military ethics and responded quickly.

However, the black wind coming from Chang’an had gone beyond humanity and could no longer be described by speed, instantly striking in front of them.

Wind is the flow of air which should be colorless. The wind ravaging the world was black because it had been mingled with many objects.

The dust, dirty snow, teapots, leftovers, iron pans, and black bricks were all whirled away by the wind and covered the sky, darkening the whole world.

The horrible thing was inside the black wind. Besides these sharp objects, a vast blade intent was also hiding in it. It was so sharp that even the wind seemed to be cut into pieces when it blew over.

Some cavalrymen, who hadn’t run into the wilderness, encountered it first. They screamed until they were cut into pieces and rolled up in the wind with their horses.

Even those who had spread to the wilderness were unable to get away from the black wind. They hid behind broken walls. The wind would cut the broken walls, and then cut them; They hid behind the mound. The mound would be winded away, and then they were blown away as well.

The black wind came as if the deepest and darkest night had fallen.

In the dark night, people could only hear the sounds of blades but could not find the man who wielded the weapon.

The cavalrymen cried out and died one by one.

Looking at the residences that had been ruined, Long Qing trembled.

Until the black wind arrived in front of him, he was finally able to see the details in it clearly. He saw some household items from the families in Chang’an and he also found some podao marks.

Then he figured out who did this.

He took out the dark, peaceful peach blossom from his chest and lifted it against the wind, screaming.

It was his natal peach blossom, containing the cultivation throughout his life.

However, even though the Abbey Dean had been inspired and entered the State of Pureness during the great danger, turning his flesh and blood into a red lotus, he was still hacked by the wind. Living was better than death. Let alone him.

The black peach blossom withered at a visible speed, with its petals falling off one by one.

A vast amount of tiny cuts appeared on his body.

The silver mask on his face cracked like a dry field and was peeled off.

After a long time, the black wind finally went away. No one knew where it went or whether it had just vanished. It might break the void and enter another space.

The wilderness in the south of the city returned to peace. What followed wasn’t the sunshine, it was a blood rain. More precisely, it was a bloody torrential rain.

The flesh of the soldiers and horses that had rolled up to the sky had fallen down to the ground as the black wind went away.

Pieces of flesh ranging in the tens of thousands hit the ground, creating booming sounds and splashing bloodflowers as well as frightening juices.

The two thousand soldiers who were going to attack Chang’an were all killed by the black wind. Most of them had turned into the pieces of flesh and the others were thrown up to the sky, later falling to their deaths.

The trees to the southeast of the state highway were covered with hanging pieces of bodies. A dozen black crows flew around them, cheerfully cawing as they were looking forward to the grand meal.

These black crows could not eat up all the flesh; the rest would turn into nutrients for the soil, since the soldiers had burned down the village and the trees earlier. It could be expected that some years later, they would grow lush and beautiful.

Long Qing was still alive.

He was watching Chang’an City.

His silver mask had been broken, revealing the old and new scars on his face. The once perfect face had been ruined like a scary ghost in the Underworld.

He suddenly laughed and then cried out.

He had suffered a lot in order to destroy the city and kill the man inside it, including selling his soul. However, before he was about to succeed, he found it was just a daydream of his.

The city looked so close, but it turned out to be so far away.

He easily failed even before he saw Ning Que in person.

The most painful thing for him was to not even be Ning Que’s target. He believed that Ning Que may not even not know of his coming, being so close to the city.

And still he lost.

He looked at Chang’an in the distance and cried out.

“Ning Que!”

Since Ning Que entered the Second floor of the Academy, people had been enjoying describing them as enemies. However, at this time, Ning Que indeed didn’t know Long Qing was out there.

He had no idea that Long Qing had been driven crazy by the black wind and of the two thousand soldiers who would have caused trouble, that had been hacked into blood and flesh.

His target was the Abbey Dean.

All the Tangs in Chang’an aimed at the Abbey Dean.

The black wind brought night to the world and blasted the Abbey Dean away as his podao’s came down.

The Vermilion Bird Avenue was quiet. Everyone, injured or uninjured, were all looking at Ning Que’s back.

Old Master Chao quiveringly asked, “Is he dead?”

People on the street were all brave, but they would never want to face a horrible enemy like the Abbey Dean.

Ning Que shook his head.

People were all silent.

Ning Que said, “Even if he hasn’t died, he is a cripple now.”

No one responded to his comment.

Leaning against the wet walls, Zhang Nianzu and Li Guangdi blankly looked at each other.

Old Master Chao paused and then said with a smile, “Don’t tease me.”

He walked towards the Eastern City on a crutch while shouting loudly, “It’s over. Go home and get the doctors here.”

Old Mrs. Chu laughed and handed the old blade to her little daughter-in-law.

They finally could confirm that the battle had ended.

Zhang Nianzu and Li Guangdi looked at each other and cackled delightedly.

The Tea Master chuckled.

Everyone burst out laughing.

Cheerful laughter gradually spread.

Laughter rang throughout Chang’an.

Yu Lian supported her Eldest Brother and walked to the street.

The Eldest Brother had been chased for seven days, and he had already depleted his Psyche Power. During the battle in the morning, they fought from the street to the sky. He was injured and fractured.

“Senior Brother, you looked taller than I expected.”

Looking at Eldest Brother’s toes and finding they were nearly touching the ground, she frowned.

She was confused and in pain.

Even if she was a Grandmaster of the Devil’s Doctrine, when falling down from the sky, holding Eldest Brother in her arms, she was badly injured and the pain was intolerable.

Blood emerged from her slender ankles and her bones had been smashed into pieces. Her every step was followed by bones stabbing into the flesh and hurt endlessly.

She had to stop, sweating on her forehead.

The Eldest Brother got off her to hold her in his arms instead, walking toward the curbside and coughing blood.

When they finally reached the curbside, he put her down and said carefully and slowly, “Junior sister, I’m not getting taller. You are getting shorter.”

Yu Lian nodded.

They sat on the broken threshold side by side.

The Eldest Brother looked toward the street and waved his hand.

Mo Shanshan didn’t see them. She was looking at the street.

In the steet, Ning Que lifted his head and asked, “Master, did you see it?”

A moment later, he added, “What about you? Sangsang?”

Ning Que slowly sat down.

Knife sounds rang throughout Chang’an; they were sounds of blades returning to their sheaths.

His body was sizzling and it was the array-returning sound.

A vast amount of Heaven and Earth’s Qi poured out of his body, returning to the streets in Chang’an.

He began to bleed, misting up with thunder.

These were disillusionment and rebirth.

Mo Shanshan walked to him and helped him up.

They also sat down on the broken threshold.

None of them wanted to talk. They just looked at the sky quietly.

As if enjoying the sight of a beautiful picture in the sky.

There weren’t any pictures in the sky.

There were only two lines of steam there, coming from the iron cutlass’ flame.

Steam formed clouds.

That was a character written with the cloud.

A big “human” character.

It was suspended there for a long time before it vanished.

As if it had never appeared.

****

Coming Home

The winter was cold and windy.

As the tension was released, the refugees were relocated. People living in the Southern City were working hard to rebuild their homeland.

Hundreds of Tang soldiers were passing by along the road. Judging from their armor and weapons, they were likely to be from the garrison troops. Seeing them, people would put down their tools and encourage them. Some of them would shout, “Come on, Chang’an is close.”

The soldiers would nod and move on. The applause would stop soon after. Since the imperial court was unable to increase the relief efforts, they had to help themselves out to pull through the winter. At least, they had to mend the houses.

Behind the Tang Army’s procession there were several carriages. People assumed they were southern officials and paid no attention to them. They would never believe that these people in the carriages had, in a sense, saved the country.

The sunshine shone through the gaps and fell on Jun Mo’s face—his pale face looked like white snow under the sunshine. He looked at the scorched village and kept silent. Nobody knew what he was thinking.

Mu You looked at his face and could not help becoming worried.

All of the Academy disciples had been injured in the Verdant Canyon. She was less injured but she had spent too much Psyche Power in maintaining the tactical array. She felt better after these days.

The rest of them were all in worse shapes and still could not get up after treatment. They all rested in the trailing horse carriages, hoping to recover.

Jun Mo was the one she worried the most since his injuries were the most severe. He had woken up after they left the Verdant Canyon. He seemed fine, but everyone was worried.

It was because he barely talked during the trip—he just sat by the window, watching the wilderness covered with snow or the burned villages.

Looking at his face and hair scattering on his back, Mu You rested her eyes on his empty sleeve and sighed silently in her heart.

The carriages did not enter Chang’an. They headed directly to the Academy.

The Tang Army who escorted them had left before they reached the meadow. The meadow was covered with snow and peach flowers, which hadn’t yet blossomed. The Academy was quiet and lonely.

There was no royalty, ministers and citizens welcoming them and they heard no gong sounds. Only a few people were waiting for them.

However, they didn’t care. They did not inform the people in Chang’an. Returning to the Academy was coming home.

There were only two people waiting for them on the meadow—the cute little servant, Xu Jialun and Ning Que, who was leaning on a crutch and covered in bandages.

The little servant cried out before he could say something.

He had been scared since Jun Mo left. He was so excited when he saw his young master come back safely until he found his empty sleeve.

He cried out loudly.

Jun Mo frowned and said, “Stop.”

Upon hearing this, the little servant tried to stop, but his tears were too much to be wiped off. Then he saw Jun Mo’s hair which made him break down once again.

“Young master, what happened to your hair?”

Staring at his empty sleeve and gray hair, Ning Que was speechless.

Jun Mo said with a straight face, “It is too dusty after the long trip.”

It sounded clumsy and adorable, but no one laughed.

The carriage was quiet.

“Why is the Academy so quiet?” Second Brother asked.

Ning Que answered, “Third Sister dismissed the instructors and students in advance, so some of them left. Most of them are working for the imperial court in Chang’an or joined the army.”

Jun Mo asked, “How are Elder Brother and Yu Lian?”

“They are disabled for now, but they look fine,” Ning Que answered.

The carriage drove through the ruined stone gate of the Academy and went deep inside.

The buildings and the Front Hall of the second floor had been destroyed. Even the paths to the old library and the back of the mountain were devastated. They could not find anyone to rebuild them for now.

Jun Mo grew silent as he was taking in the scene.

It was still as warm as spring in the back of the mountain.

The little servant and Tang Xiaotang carried the disciples into the hut and laid them on beds for their recovery. Some of them had woken up, but the rest were still unconscious.

There would be no vertical bamboo flute sounds, music, booming sounds, or brawls between Song Qian and the Eighth Brother temporarily. Probably they would never see their Master again.

The Eldest Brother and Yu Lian were both sitting in wheelchairs.

Jun Mo released Mu You’s hand and walked to the Eldest Brother, saluting. Then he turned to Yu Lian and said, “Xiong Chumo deserves to die. Why didn’t you kill him?”

Yu Lian answered, “He is more useful living than dead.”

Second Brother thought for a while and let it go.

Looking at his empty sleeve and gray hair, Eldest Brother comforted him and said, “Teacher told us, if something was unchangeable, we have to adapt.”

“I don’t care, but I feel sorry.”

He turned to the gloomy sky and said, “I have always admired my Youngest Uncle, who could fight against Heaven with his sword. After Teacher left in the Sishui River, I was expecting to follow him in the future. Now I may have no chance.”

Not everyone was able to understand him.

The Eldest Brother sighed. Then he said, “Pipi has left.”

In the back of the mountain, Jun Mo and Chen Pipi were the closest. When he heard this, he asked after a little silence, “Can the Abbey Dean recover?”

It was the most important issue for the Academy.

Jun Mo was asking Ning Que.

Everyone in the hut were looking at Ning Que.

On the Vermilion Bird Avenue that day, Ning Que had answered this question. Yet, he still thought for a long time before he answered, “No, he can’t.”

Hearing this answer, Second Brother finally relaxed. Even the wind had become warmer.

The powerful Abbey Dean had always been the rainy cloud over their hearts. Even though he failed, he was not beaten by Ning Que. He was beaten by the God-stunning Array.

In other words, he was defeated by the Master.

If they fought in some other place rather than Chang’an, neither the Eldest Brother nor Jun Mo, plus Yu Lian, would be unable to beat him.

As for Ning Que, he had no chance at all.

The waterfall sounded deafening, echoing throughout the hut.

Ning Que had always wondered how his Second Brother could sleep in this environment and how could they hear each other when they were talking in the yard.

He once asked his Second Brother about this and his answer was: if you could get used to it, you would hear nothing when your heart was at peace.

Dozens of days had passed, and after two wonderful and breathtaking battles, Jun Mo returned to his own small courtyard.

For the first time, he realized that it was noisy.

He knew it was because his heart was not calm enough.

He stood in front of the window, looking at the night sky and fell silent for a long time. Then he watched his empty sleeve and frowned.

He lost his right arm when he fought against Liu Bai.

His arm was not the problem. He could use his left hand and he was still invincible—the problem was his heart, which was another pair of shoes.

He clearly knew that he might never be able to reach the pinnacle of cultivation.

The Great Way existed, at the beginning of the main road.

The other side of the river brings us to the other end.

It was a fairer place above the Five States, where only the Headmaster and the Youngest Uncle could reach.

It was above the sky.

He was only a little inferior to Liu Bai in Sword Taoism, but he was younger and he had more potential. He should have been able to reach there.

However, now all hopes had been cut off.

This was the heaviest blow, even worse than death for a cultivator, which could drive people crazy. Even for a tough man like Jun Mo, his hair grayed.

Yet if someone asked him if this was worth it, he still refused to answer.

He never regretted.

How was it not worth it to have a fight with Liu Bai?

He just felt sorry for himself.

“If you can’t fight with Heaven, you can fight with people. It would also be interesting.”

Ning Que entered the yard and said, “The Abbey Dean has been ruined, but Eldest Brother and Third Sister are badly injured. They will be unable to recover in a short time. Both the country and the Academy need you.”

Jun Mo didn’t turn around. He said, “Don’t worry about me.”

“I have to,” said Ning Que.

Jun Mo turned around and said with a smile, “I will drop it.”

Ning Que suddenly felt that he wasn’t able to recognize the man standing in front of him after he turned around. There was something happening to him, something subtle.

Even he had taken his high hat off and he was smiling; he was the same proudest man in the world. He just looked less unamiable.

Ning Que was unfamiliar with this, so he didn’t know what to say.

Jun Mo continued, “I just haven’t adapted to it since I can’t hold my right hand with my left hand when I stand. It would look ugly when I make a salute.”

Mu You entered the room, holding a basin of hot water in her hands. She was surprised when she found Ning Que was inside the room, but she had no time to catch up before she served the Second Brother to clean up.

“It is so inconvenient to clean up and get dressed,” said Jun Mo.

“Seventh Sister will help you.” Ning Que answered.

“It’s not the same. There are always some inconvenient things.”

Ning Que smiled and said, “After you get married, everything will be convenient.”

No one was talking while only the waterfall was beating down. Mu You lowered her head and felt embarrassed. Jun Mo coughed and asked, “What else can I do for you?”

Feeling the embarrassment, Ning Que stopped smiling and said, “Actually, I have something to tell you.”

Jun Mo said, “Besides Eldest Brother and Yu Lian, only you can understand me, which means you did well in cultivation. Maybe your state is still unstable, but it will be fine.”

“That is not what I am going to talk about.”

Ning Que clapped and shouted, “Hey, you two, come in.”

Two young men entered the room, walking with sticks. Both of them were nervous—the one in expansive clothes looked around slyly, playing cool and tough; the other one in simple clothes kept his head down, trembling, and may have been unable to walk if he was alone.

Ning Que said to Second Brother, “They did well during the fight against the Abbey Dean. Judging from their recovery, they have a pretty good physical condition. I just don’t know if they have potential.”

“You want them to enter the Academy, don’t you?” asked Jun Mo.

Ning Que answered, “If you are available, you can take one as your disciple and leave me the other one. But you have to teach them for a while because I am out of time.”

Jun Mo said, “Senior Brother has yet to name a successor.”

Ning Que said, “If he’s willing, I’ll find him one.”

The two teenagers were Zhang III and Li IV, who had been taught a lesson by their families after the battle. Thanks to their bad injuries, they hadn’t been beaten and Li IV’s family hadn’t returned to their hometown. They had been living in Zhang III’s house until the Chang’an Local Government took them to the Academy today.

The two teenagers had no idea about what had happened. They entered the Academy dazedly, then stepped directly onto the real Academy.

For the Tangs, the Academy was the most honorable place, but it wasn’t mysterious. On the other hand, the back of the Academy’s mountain was a totally different world, and every detail made it seem like a fairyland.

Entering the small courtyard where the sounds of the waterfall were echoing, and hearing the conversation between Ning Que and Jun Mo, they were aware of the lucky chance they had met and became more nervous. Even Zhang Nianzu didn’t dare to look around, praying silently.

Ning Que continued, “I know they should be tested, but I really like them and I am concerned about whether they have no potential like me.”

Jun Mo answered, “If you can cultivate, they certainly can. No one can’t be taught if the Academy wants to. If you want to keep them, then do it.”

Ning Que said a few words to the young ones before he left. The Seventh Sister sent him out and seemed to come across someone outside the gate.

The two teenagers were in a state of shock and happiness and were unable to notice Ning Que’s departure. They were both staring at the man standing in front of them and waiting.

At this moment, the big white goose strode into the yard, familiarly came to the house. After clumsily stepping over the high threshold, it sat beside Jun Mo’s feet and began reposing.

It was hurt when the Hierarch came to the Academy and hadn’t recovered yet, so it was too listless to notice that there were two strangers in their yard.

Even so, the two teenagers were still startled by the big white goose who acted like a human.

“The first thing you should learn is how to be calm.”

Jun Mo said to them, “Go and stand in the courtyard, no crutches, no bending. Stay awake until the next morning, then you pass.”

Ning Que was nearly pecked by the big white goose when they ran into each other. He angrily said, “Senior Sister, after you become the hostess of this yard, you should be strict with the big white goose. It is spoiled. I am disabled and it still dared to bite me.”

Mu You, who had been nervous, didn’t know how to respond when hearing this. She asked in a low voice, “Did you already know this?”

Ning Que answered with a smile, “We are not blind.”

Mu You twisted her handkerchief and whispered, “He started it.”

Ning Que said, “None of us will bother about it since Teacher is gone.”

Mu You asked cautiously, “He would not disagree, would he?”

Looking toward the bright moon in the night, Ning Que was somehow pissed off and said, “Who knows what kind of bullshit he would say.”

“What is bullshit?”

“That is… the shit of a bull.”

“Why would he like to say bullshit?”

“Because… he used to be close to the old yellow bull?”

“Youngest Brother, you are talking nonsense again.”

“Anyway, he was unreliable.”

“Hmm, he indeed had been a little unreliable.”

Mu You looked at the bright moon and smiled.

Then she turned to Ning Que and said, “Thank you.”

She knew that Ning Que took the two teenagers to the Academy as a way to distract his Senior Brother.

That was what she thanked him for.

Ning Que smiled back and said nothing.

The mountain behind the Academy was so huge that everyone could build their own small courtyard, which was either near the lake or near the mountain, including Tang Xiaotang. Since Song Qian and Eighth Brother liked to always play Go games under the pine tree while the scholar had been living in the library cavern, their houses were usually empty.

Because of Sangsang, Ning Que had been the only one who didn’t live in the mountain. He mostly lived in the Old Brush Pen Shop or in the house near Yanming Lake, and occasionally slept over in the mountain, but his house was always kept.

He walked slowly along the mountain path with his crutch, heading to his own yard in the dark night.

Sangsang was gone. The house near Yanming Lake had been ruined and the walls of the Old Brush Pen Shop had been destroyed. He had no reason to go back. The yard in the mountain would probably be his home in the future.

It was located behind the dense forest where Beigong and Ximen used to play music. It was near the lake, quiet and secluded in the night.

Someone was waiting for him in the room.

Leaning against the mud wall, Tang Xiaotang kicked it sometimes, lowering her head and looking at her old small leather boots.

Ning Que looked at her beautiful but sad face and asked, “What do you want to know?”

Tang Xiaotang looked up and asked, “Is Sangsang really dead?”

Sangsang had few good friends, but she was one of them.

Thinking of this, Ning Que suddenly felt pain somewhere in his body.

“Few people mentioned Sangsang in front of me since I came back. They probably felt sorry, like my Senior Brothers and Sisters, but most of them have forgotten her.

“And yes, she is dead.”

He said peacefully, as if he were describing a common thing.

Although that made it even more sorrowful.

Tang Xiaotang said, “She really was Haotian’s daughter.”

After a moment of silence, Ning Que answered, “Or you could say, she was Haotian.”

He thought of the traces left by Haotian in the God-stunning Array, the traces of Sangsang passing by in Chang’an, their home and past. He suddenly laughed and said, “I raised Haotian and married her. Am I legendary?”

Tang Xiaotang suddenly felt sorry for him and she did not know how to comfort him.

Because she felt sorry for herself as well.

Ning Que looked at her and said, “I know what you want to ask. Pipi has taken the Abbey Dean back to the Zhishou Abbey. I want to say, I owe him a lot. I owe him my life. If he needs me someday, I will try my best do do it.”

Tang Xiaotang found her answer and said, “Thank you, Youngest Uncle.”

They embraced in the chilly moonlight and gave each other warmth and courage.

Ning Que once believed he owed nothing to the world and was owed by it instead, until he lived in the City of Wei, then as he came to Chang’an and entered the Academy, he found he owed many people.

He owed Chen Pipi his life and he owed Mo Shanshan for her love.

Mo Shanshan didn’t live in the Academy. She preferred the hotel in Chang’an.

She came for the Academy and the Tang Empire from the Great River Kingdom, leaving her sect behind.

Ning Que didn’t know how to face her.

They had something, but they didn’t know what they should do.

Not all men and women were like his Second Brother and Seventh Sister.

Like him, who had a wife, but still slept alone.

He hoped everything would pass after a sleep, but he was unable to fall asleep.

He looked at the bright moon in the night.

When they left the City of Wei, the stars were as cold and white as today.

The wounds made by the Abbey Dean suddenly became more painful, as his heart.

There were a lot of people near the city gate. Thousands of Tang soldiers entered the city in succession. They were shabby, injured, and tired.

Countless people in Chang’an welcomed them, waving their hands and smiling warmly.

This was the first rotation since the war had begun. They were all rearranged back to various counties after withdrawing from the front line. Only a few could return to Chang’an.

The Tang Empire had displayed a perfect administration and amazing efficiency in the war. Since the conscription started, hundreds of thousands of former veterans had joined the front line and all kinds of resources had been delivered to every battle, which had given the Empire a break.

But because the bloody war was still ongoing, the ceremonies all over the country were solemn and simple, including the one happening in Chang’an. However, the Empress’s presence still attracted many people.

As the crowd melted away, a common carriage stopped along the state highway.

Everyone in the city was cautious because their country was at war. As soon as they noticed the carriage, they reported it to the City Patrol Department. They became even more curious when they saw the soldiers of the City Patrol Department leave after they questioned the people in the carriage.

A hand opened the curtain, and Ning Que looked through the window toward the frozen state highway until he saw someone coming.

Dozens of riders arrived. Judging from their weapons and horses, they must have been from the Valiant Cavalry Battalion, which was the real royal military and had a higher status than the Yulin Royal Guards. However, they looked more battered than the soldiers who had entered the city.

Ning Que looked at the man on the horse and said, “You looked strange in that armor.”

The man was dusty but still full of spirit. Hearing Ning Que, he said with a smile, “I’m a soldier, not a landlord in Chang’an anymore.”

The man was Chao Xiaoshu, who had led the Valiant Cavalry Battalion to support the Eastern Border from afar.

He jumped off the horse and could not help coughing before he spoke.

Ning Que said, “You should not ride a horse if you are injured.”

Then, Ning Que turned around to go inside the carriage.

Chao Xiaoshu smiled and turned around to say something to Liu Wu. Then, he went into the carriage after Ning Que and said, “You came here to meet with me. How can you enter the carriage before I do?”

Pointing at the bandage on his body, Ning Que said, “Seven holes have been poked into me by the Abbey Dean and I’ve lost most of my blood. I can’t stand outside for a long time.”

As he took a look at his face, Chao Xiaoshu could not find any traces of youth. Thinking of the news he had heard, he said, “I thought that you died.”

Ning Que said, “I thought you died too.”

Then they smiled together.

Ning Que added, “Why did you think I was dead?”

Chao Xiaoshu answered, “I remembered that you said your story was not the same as the one in the storybook before you killed Xia Hou. With that being the case, when you met the Abbey Dean, you should have been killed.”

Ning Que said, “When I heard that you had gone to be a hero, leaving your wife and child behind, I thought that you would be killed, because a hero such as this must die to bring glory to himself.”

Chao Xiaoshu said after a while, “Many people died.”

Ning Que opened the window and looked back at the heavy carriages behind him.

He saw the remains of the soldiers of the Valiant Cavalry Battalion. Having been blown by the wind for so many days in the cold winter, the horsehides on their bodies had warped and turned blue.

“Hundreds of cavalrymen set out, but only a few dozen of you came back. Many people indeed have died.

“It is a pyrrhic victory on the Eastern Border,” said Ning Que.

Chao Xiaoshu said, “Compared to the Northern Army, who faces the Golden Palace alone, we are disqualified to complain. However, the border is empty and the soldiers recruited from the counties have really suffered a lot.”

Ning Que said, “I thought you would come earlier.”

Chao Xiaoshu said, “I had been chasing Long Qing to Chentang County until I found the problem was fixed by you for no reason. Then I went back to the Eastern Border. If the Academy had not protected Chang’an, and the West-Hill Divine Palace Coalition Army had not been stalled in Verdant Canyon for seven days, and the Gushan Commandery and the Northeast Border Military had been unable to reorganize, I would not have come back.”

Ning Que said, “It takes time.”

Chao Xiaoshu looked at his bandages and said, “When can you recover?”

The question sounded simple, as if he was just acting concerned, but Ning Que knew that it was not that simple because he spoke about his injury at this moment.

“I don’t know.” He knew what Chao Xiaoshu was going to ask, so he continued, “As for my brothers and sisters, I don’t know either, so you should leave us alone.”

Chao Xiaoshu slightly frowned and asked, “Why so slow?”

Ning Que answered, “It’s not easy to hurt us, and it’s not easy for us to heal as well.”

As long as he thought of his severely injured brothers and sisters and the Third Sister, who was sitting in a wheelchair, he could not help keeping a serious look on his face. If the powerhouses of Haotian Taoism were to infiltrate Chang’an, they would be in big trouble.

Because they had entered the city from the east gate, they would have to pass through Eastern City.

When the carriage passed by the Old Brush Pen Shop, Ning Que saw it through the window and recalled plenty of memories about it.

Chao Xiaoshu sighed and said, “Since the spring of the 13th year of Tianqi, when you and Sangsang came to Chang’an, to the late winter of the 18th year, five years have passed, but it seems like it has been 10 years.”

Looking at the Old Brush Pen Shop and the shops next to it, Chao Xiaoshu remembered that spring rain in the 13th year, the killing, and the noodles without egg, and he smiled.

Ning Que stared at him and suddenly said, “In fact, we don’t know each other very well.”

Chao Xiaoshu said, “True, we’ve only seen each other a few times.”

“Don’t you think it is weird?”

“20 years ago, I met the dead emperor, who was still the Crown Prince, in the House of Red Sleeves for the first time, and we had a fight. After that, we drank together, and since then, I’ve become Second Brother Chao.

“A bowl of wine was a life… so was a bowl of noodles.”

He added, “Chang’an is such an interesting place because many things like that happen every day. The people living here are enjoying it and there is nothing strange.”

Ning Que thought it over, and replied, “Indeed.”

Chao Xiaoshu did not go back home. Instead, he went to the palace.

Seeing Chao Xiaoshu enter the palace following a eunuch, Ning Que turned toward the imperial study alone.

He had experienced many important turns during his tough life and been to many significant places. The imperial study in the Imperial Palace was one of them.

He wrote the famous calligraphy work there. That was the first time he met the dead emperor. He had a long conversation with Li Yu there and he killed her brother the next day.

He put his crutch in front of the bookshelf and slowly moved to the desk, opened up some paper, and began writing.

He kept writing and writing.

The dead emperor loved his writings, but he had been unwilling to give him any. Even when he had to, he felt like his heart was being cut. Now, he wished he had written more for him to make him happy.

He was willing to write now, but His Majesty could not see it.

The imperial study was very quiet, the only thing that could be heard was the sound of the brush gliding over the paper. All of sudden, he heard someone reprimanding sternly.

Ning Que was stunned.

The imperial study was close to the Front Hall, so the sound must have come from there.

For a second, he thought that he had heard His Majesty lambasting some moron.

As he had said in the carriage, he was not familiar with Chao Xiaoshu, but they could watch each other’s back.

He was not very familiar with His Majesty either, but His Majesty dared to give Chang’an, and the future of the Li Royal Family, to him. He had to complete the job with his life.

Because this was Chang’an, and things like this happened all the time.

His trust did not start with the calligraphy work. It started because he heard His Majesty lambaste a moron in the imperial study. He liked to call people moron, it made him happy.

But His Majesty was dead, and no one would call anyone a moron in the Imperial Palace.

He shook his head and continued writing.

Suddenly, his right hand began to feel numb.

That was because he heard the sound from the Front Hall again.

And this time, he heard it clearly.

There was someone calling people morons.

It was the Empress.

Ning Que laughed and felt so happy.

In the depths of the palace, a huge map marked with complicated lines and annotations was illuminated by dozens of bright candles so people could see it clearly.

A middle-aged officer of the Military Ministry, pointing at the map with a long wooden rod, was explaining to everyone in the hall. It was obvious, however, that not all of them were willing to listen.

The Empress felt a little tired. She took up a cup of tea and drank it slowly.

She looked so peaceful and graceful that the generals and ministers were unable to remember when she had called them morons upon learning that they had trouble transporting grain to the Western Army.

Chao Xiaoshu stood quietly in the corner and said nothing, but he also could not help thinking of His Majesty, who had once called people morons in this same room.

Some people were alive and returned home, and some people had died and they also returned home—maybe they had never left. That was very good.-

****

A Later Story

The long red wooden rod kept moving on the map, like a torch that was going to light the map and set fire to the entire Tang Empire.

After they had a great victory on the highlands, the Western Army did not stop to recuperate or return. They went directly to Chaoyang City across the Pamir Mountains.

General Shu Cheng had led his army into the depths of Yuelun alone. If they could conquer Chaoyang City and capture the royal family of Yuelun, they would be a great help to the Tang Empire.

Long Qing and his 2,000 cavalrymen had been mauled heavily outside Chang’an, which was a great shock to the Wilderness Cavalrymen. They had no effective military command and were unable to threaten the rest of the Northeast Border Military or the Tang Army. The situation on the Eastern Border had become stable and it was time to counterattack.

The real threats existed in the south and the north. The Northern Army had been complemented with new military strength and the Gushan Commandery was free to support the Eastern Border, but the Golden Palace had been preparing for the invasion for decades. They drained to the south like fire and thunder and started brutal wars. The Tang Army could only passively defend and was unable to eliminate the palace’s main force or counterattack.

The situation in the Verdant Canyon in the south was abhorrent as well. The main force of the West-Hill Divine Palace Coalition Army mostly came from the South Jin Kingdom and their true strength was even greater than that. Whether they assaulted the Verdant Canyon or they took the road in the Eastern Border in the north, they would give Chang’an a lot of pressure and probably change the whole war.

However, it was surprising that the West-Hill Divine Palace Coalition Army was much weaker than the Tang had expected and it seemed that they were not planning to turn to the north.

The palace was quiet, and all of the ministers and generals were thinking hard.

“What the hell is the Divine Hall thinking?”

Zeng Jing said, “Maybe they want to conserve their forces until both we and the Golden Palace have suffered greatly?”

The Empress pointed at a letter on the desk and said, “They want to negotiate.”

The letter was bright yellow, which was the color that could only be used by the West-Hill Divine Palace and royals.

Everyone was stunned when they heard the Empress. None of them could figure out why the West-Hill Divine Palace wanted to negotiate at this moment.

The room fell silent again.

Even facing the entire world, they were fearless, but they were no longer young and they could also consider problems in a peaceful way—as long as they calmed down. And once they did so, they had to admit that there was a huge gap between the Tang Empire and the human world.

Even though the Tang Empire was the strongest country in the world, they still could not compare with the entire world in terms of population, resources, or territory.

Especially after the Northeast Border Military was eliminated in the Yan Kingdom and the navy of Qinghe County had defeated in Great Lake, the Tang military force had suffered heavy losses. Although the Academy and the imperial court had been trying to alleviate the crisis, no one could tell how long they would be able to hold on in the face of the Golden Palace as well as the West-Hill Divine Palace Coalition Army.

From a rational point of view, a negotiation would be the best result they could expect. However, under these circumstances, they would surely suffer a great deal and the Coalition Army would surely request that they cede territory and pay indemnities.

For a thousand years, the Tang Empire won every battle and they never surrendered, let alone negotiated. Could not they keep their ancestors’ pride anymore? Who dared to negotiate and sign that document, taking the risk of losing his reputation?

That was why they all remained silent.

The Empress said, “You have to decide quickly. We must discuss this negotiation and it must happen soon. Because waiting one day will lead to many people’s deaths.”

In the imperial study, when the Empress saw the calligraphy on the desk, she was reminded of something. She said, “Did you hear that?”

Ning Que threw a brush into a bowl of water and wiped his hand. He said, “Since the Divine Hall wants to discuss it, then discuss it. But either way, we can’t suffer any losses.”

The Empress said, “They’ve gained the upper hand, so if we don’t lose something, they won’t agree to it. If we are going to have a discussion, we must prepare for it.”

Ning Que shook his head and said, “First of all, we should understand why the Divine Hall suddenly wants to negotiate. They haven’t actually had a fight so far.”

The Empress asked, “In your opinion, why do they want to talk?”

There was a pot of hot tea on the desk and a set of exquisite tea-things on the bookshelf. Ning Que took out two of the tea-things and filled them with the hot tea, leaving one for the Empress and drinking up the other one himself. Then, he took all the stuff out of the box and put it on the tea tray.

The tea tray was broad and wide.

Ning Que picked up the biggest teapot and said, “We can now confirm that the Abbey Dean is disabled.

“And so is the Hierarch.”

He took a small teaspoon from the tea tray and held a few cups with one hand. He continued, “The Great Divine Priest of Revelation, Master Qi Mei, and Ye Su all lost.”

Finally, he slightly knocked the tea container and said, “Liu Bai hacked off my Second Brother’s right arm and got stabbed in his chest, so he will be unable to do anything for a long time.”

Reviewing the war that had lasted for months, Ning Que found that even though the soldiers and normal people had all taken part in the war, the battles between the Academy and Haotian Taoism had played an important role.

The Eldest Brother held back the Abbey Dean for seven days, seriously injured Master Qi Mei in the Pamir Mountains and the Great Divine Priest of Revelation in the Verdant Canyon. The Second Brother beat Ye Su first, then he hurt Liu Bai, and stopped the West-Hill Divine Palace Army in front of the Verdant Canyon with his companions. And the Third Sister disabled the Hierarch of the West-Hill Divine Palace and fought against the Abbey Dean with the Eldest Brother from earth to heaven.

Besides the God-stunning Array left by the Headmaster and the character written by Ning Que, the Eldest Brother, Second Brother, and Third Sister were the people who had changed the war.

“The Academy really has suffered a great loss, but Haotian Taoism has lost more than we have. I even expected for them to do this a little sooner.”

Ning Que looked at her and said, “We both need time to heal. So you don’t need to worry about the attitude of the Academy. Do what you need to do.”

The Empress said, “You are right. We have time.”

Ning Que looked at the moon and said, “Not exactly.”

The room was quiet. The Empress turned to the moon in the sky, looking at it with Ning Que. They both knew that the key to final victory was on that moon.

The Empress retracted her gaze and turned to him. She asked, “What’s the Academy’s opinion?”

“My brothers and sisters don’t know about political affairs, so they have no opinion to pass on to you. But I do have something I need to remind you about.”

“What is it?”

“If you can, withdraw General Shu Cheng from the Pamir Mountains as soon as possible.”

Upon hearing this, the Empress lifted her eyebrows and said, “They are going to break through Chaoyang City and subjugate the Yuelun in half a month. Why should I order them to give up?”

“They can’t enter Chaoyang City.”

Ning Que thought of the high peak in the Wilderness as well as the yellow temples amid the mountains, and said, “Both the Academy and Haotian Taoism have suffered a lot, thus, I don’t want anyone like the Chief Preaching Monk to come to Chang’an.”

The Empress was a member of the Devil’s Doctrine and knew very well about the legendary figures in the cultivation world. As soon as she heard Ning Que, she understood what he was talking about and could not agree more.

She said, “The Military Ministry had a plan: the Western Army would leave the Yuelun Kingdom aside and enter the Wilderness from the north of the Pamir Mountains. They would then try to locate the Chanyu’s position before the main force of the Golden went south.”

Ning Que thought of the swamp called “Quagmire” and said, “It’s too risky, so you’d better drop it. The best way is to withdraw the Western Army and turn to the Seven Stockaded Villages.”

The Empress said, “I agree. If we have to negotiate with the Divine Hall, they will request that the Academy participates. Who will be going, you or Mr. First?”

“The Academy can’t participate, or at least, I can’t.”

Looking at the scattered cups on the desk, he said, “If the Academy does, we will regret it in the future. And if I were to sign on the paper, how could I kill people after regretting it?”

Chao Xiaoshu had been waiting for Ning Que in the duty room to leave the palace together.

Suddenly, snow began falling from the sky, covering the ground in a short time. It was a little slippery. Chao Xiaoshu said, “Let’s have a drink and wait for the snow to stop.”

Ning Que nodded.

There was a soup shop on the corner, which was full of people. As the war subsided, people’s normal lives had recovered. However, they were not as noisy as they had been before.

When the shop owner saw these new customers coming, he set tables outside the building and asked them if they minded.

Chao Xiaoshu and Ning Que did not care about that, so they ate their hot mutton soup in the light snow.

Chao Xiaoshu picked up a cup and asked, “What are you going to do with Li Yu?”

Ning Que was putting coriander into Chao Xiaoshu’s bowl while he heard this. He was stunned. Then he said in his usual tone, “That’s up to the Empress or the imperial court.”

Chao Xiaoshu said, “But I am asking you.”

Ning Que put down his chopsticks and said while looking at him, “I don’t remember you two being close.”

“She is His Majesty’s favorite daughter.”

Then he picked up the dish of condiments and poured all of them into Ning Que’s bowl.

****

The Bean-like Light in the House, Laughing on a Crutch

Some of the houses close to the Vermilion Bird Avenue were impacted by the battle. You could see some people repairing the houses in the snowy night.

Ning Que seemed like he didn’t hear what Chao Xiaoshu said. He looked toward the houses for a long time and said, “Many people died that day.”

Chao Xiaoshu stopped talking and started to scoop up mutton bits from the pot of soup.

Ning Que poured some wine into his bowl and said, “What do you think about the peace talks?”

Chao Xiaoshu said, “It’s not appropriate for me to speak about matters of the Royal Court.”

Ning Que said, “The war is in a lull now. But it’s hard to tell if this is beneficial to the Tang Empire. Too much blood has been shed. It will take some time for them to catch their breath. Since we didn’t lose the battle, we can have peaceful talks without suffering more losses.”

Chao Xiaoshu said, “Let’s eat first.”

The pot of soup smelled good, partially subduing the wine’s aroma. After all, it was a time of war. Chao Xiaoshu and Ning Que both liked this steamed food, but there was no way to bring it from the north.

They ate their meal in silence, being sure to not drink too much. Chao Xiaoshu waited until they were almost finished eating to start speaking again.

“Too many things were involved in this battle. All of the Tang people are working hard. It looks like people have forgotten about Li Yu. But you should know, neither the king’s court nor the Tang people have forgotten her.”

He looked at Ning Que and said, “The Academy has much authority. Her Majesty always finds a way. Due to the invasion, all of the people are of one heart. Even her most loyal subordinates have also chosen to remain calm. But if the war ends or is temporarily put on hold, the conflict will eventually arise again.”

Ning Que said, “The people in the Royal Court aren’t fools. Her Majesty showed her ability to manage the country. There’s no reason for them to keep supporting Li Yu.”

Chao Xiaoshu said, “It seems like you’ve forgotten one thing: Everyone in the world now knows that Her Majesty is from the Devil’s Doctrine. Although the Tang people have never obeyed the West-Hill Divine Palace, their belief in Haotian might not fade away in a short time. People have a natural hatred towards the Devil’s Doctrine.”

Ning Que said, “What exactly do you mean?”

Chao Xiaoshu answered him, “That depends on how the Academy and the imperial court will deal with her.”

“If everything is peaceful, she will be imprisoned in the Princess’ palace.”

Ning Que looked at Chao Xiaoshu in the eye and said, “If there are only a few signs of unrest, I will kill her in the shortest possible amount of time.”

Chao Xiaoshu looked at him and said, “You were very close to her before. Everyone in Chang’an knows that. I never would have expected you could be so cold to her.”

Ning Que said, “Like I said, many people have died on this street.”

Chao Xiaoshu said, “I want to see her.”

Ning Que raised his eyebrow slightly and said, “What will you do when you see her?”

Chao Xiaoshu said, “I’ll just look. Or talk to her.”

“Though I don’t think it’s necessary to talk to her, but…”

Ning Que said, “I haven’t seen Xiao Man for a long time, either. So go on then.”

The streets at night were very quiet. The Princess’ palace, previously crowded to the brim, was now cold and quiet. Even the normal people who would occasionally pass by were not willing to look at the closed gate.

Ning Que knew there were a lot of hidden bodyguards in the surrounding streets at night. He still thought Li Yu was a fool. But this didn’t mean the mother and son in the Imperial Palace would drop their guard.

He and Chao Xiaoshu walked towards the Princess’ palace. The snow fell gently on the closed gate. It was silent inside the walls. The absence of light made it look like a tomb.

After General Xuanwei’s entire family was exterminated, his home also looked like a tomb. When Ning Que entered Chang’an, he went to the tomb and mourned a few times. He knew the house looked as fallen mansions usually did, so he wasn’t that surprised.

He stopped suddenly. The walking stick under his arm fell in the snow.

Chao Xiaoshu also stopped.

In what was a normal night, they both felt something abnormal. Because they heard something breathing slightly amongst the old trees behind the wall. Based on how quickly they were breathing, Ning Que and Chao Xiaoshu could tell the men in the trees were nervous.

Ning Que looked up at the snow falling in the night sky, The snowflakes looked really beautiful as they fell, but he was actually not looking at the snow. His eyes darted through the branches.

Between the branches, he saw sharp and cold arrows.

“It’s the crossbow arrow.”

He looked at Chao Xiaoshu and said with a smile, “It seems like it’s still the Shenhou crossbow.”

When he heard the words “Shenhou crossbow”, Chao Xiaoshu also laughed. He and Ning Que went into the Spring Breeze Pavilion a few years ago. They killed countless people on a rainy night. When they opened the gate, they saw the Shenhou crossbow.

Tonight, there was no rain. But there was snow.

After all these years, the Shenhou crossbows were aimed at them again. The two men’s expressions didn’t appear to be as serious as that year. Instead, they laughed. For they were not the same people they were years ago.

Chao Xiaoshu was no longer an emperor in the Jianghu world. By the lake of the Imperial Palace, he entered the Knowing Destiny State. He could escape from Liu Bai’s sword. There was already a space for him among the strongest cultivators in the world.

Ning Que had changed even more so. Even though the Old Brush Pen Shop was still his, he was no longer selling calligraphy for a living. The young man from the downtrodden border town was now a person from the Academy entering the human realm.

Even if there were hundreds of armored cavalries coming from the streets ready to attack, let alone Shenhou crossbows, Chao Xiaoshu and Ning Que would still be unworried.

They were very strong, even stronger when together. This was evident from what took place at the Spring Breeze Pavilion years ago. It was also made apparent years later in front of the Princess’ palace on that snowy night.

“I just want to know where they’re from,” Ning Que said.

Chao Xiaoshu said, “They should be from the Gushan Commandery’s red capes. The best of Hua Jia’s army. You may not know, but Hua Shanyue has already returned to Chang’an.”

Ning Que said, “Ask the world what love is, and it will make a man a fool.”

It was still dark when they entered the Princess’ palace. The only lights were from other houses’ lights reflecting off the snow onto the garden. They could barely see the old path among the dead flowers.

Ning Que had been to the Princess’ palace many times before. He led Chao Xiaoshu by the stone gate and into the house. They walked across the frozen lake, then saw the light beside the terrace.

There were many veils on the terrace. The light was dim. The woman sitting there seemed lonely. In this cold winter, nobody could understand why she would sit there in this cold wind.

Ning Que opened the veil, looked at Li Yu, and said, “It looks like you’ve been in a good mood lately. When you have a dream in your heart, you can get through any kind of bad day.”

Li Yu seemed to have lost some weight. But she still looked pretty. She ignored Ning Que, and bowed to Chao Xiaoshu who stood next to Ning Que. She said, “Thank you, Uncle Chao, for still remembering me.”

Chao Xiaoshu shook his head and didn’t say anything.

Ning Que walked towards her, using his walking stick. He gently rubbed the wick with his fingers to make the flame in the lamp brighter.

He looked at Li Yu and said, “Before, I always called you a fool behind your back. That’s because I had high standards for you. In reality, you are not a fool. And you should know that. Under the circumstances, you could either stay in this palace or die. The Tang Empire didn’t give you the option to choose a third way.”

Li Yu did not say anything, but looked at him silently.

Ning Que said, “Why would you do such a foolish thing?”

When she heard him say this, she laughed to herself a little.

“There’s no difference in being imprisoned and killed or being killed directly. I would rather choose the latter. And I can’t let Xiao Man follow me in this tomb for a lifetime.”

“That’s just an excuse.”

Ning Que’s tone was calm, but it seemed colder than the snow on the lake.

“If you were worried about Xiao Man, you could’ve sent someone to tell me. Due to our former relationship, I wouldn’t allow him to waste his whole life here. But you didn’t say anything. You still thought about yourself and how you could get out. But no matter what happened, you knew I wouldn’t let you escape from this palace.”

The cold night wind lifted the veil up and fell on Li Yu. She felt cold.

Chao Xiaoshu stood there silently.

Li Yu looked at Ning Que and asked, “Do you really hate me so much?”

Ning Que answered, “It has nothing to do with love or hate. You know I only consider things according to my best interest.”

When he finished saying this, he looked around the terrace and said, “Come out.”

There was a moment of silence.

After a while, voices were heard from all sides, including from under the terrace. There were dozens of men in capes who came out. Hua Shanyue was in the front, holding Xiao Man.

These people were outside for a while. They had endured a lot, but they still stood upright. It was apparent that they were soldiers. Then Ning Que noticed something: these men wore white capes, unlike how Chao Xiaoshu had described them earlier.

But then a gust of wind lifted the capes up and showed a red lining underneath.

Of course, Xiao Man had met Ning Que before, standing by his mother. He almost called out to him subconciously, but then he realized the atmosphere on the terrace wasn’t normal. So he decided not to speak.

Ning Que looked at him and smiled.

Then his smile faded as he looked at Hua Shanyue.

He didn’t know how this man and these people with red capes had entered the Princess’ palace. But he knew what these men wanted to do. And he absolutely could not allow them to do it.

“So quick believe a lovestruck fool could take you out of Chang’an. I really don’t know if I should be disappointed in you, or proud of my own judgement.”

Ning Que looked at Hua Shanyue, but he was talking to Li Yu.

Li Yu said, “I never believed he could take me out of Chang’an. But since he’s here, I cannot tell him to leave. You know, he’s the first guest this palace had these days.”

Ning Que said to Hua Shanyue, “Now, you are in charge of three states in the army. You are only three levels away from becoming a general. I heard you have won many wars in the north. But tonight, everything you’ve worked for will turn into smoke. Do you have any regrets?”

Hua Shanyue looked at the walking stick under Ning Que’s arm and said, “With some things, you will only know if you regret them or not after you’ve tried them. I heard you had a bad injury. Now that you’ve met me, it is you who should be feeling regret.”

Ning Que pointed at Chao Xiaoshu.

Hua Shanyue said, “I’ve heard the news that the gang leader was also gravely injured. The average person wouldn’t be able to tell that your cultivation is hurt, but according to a saying in the army, you are as weak as a rabbit.”

Ning Que looked at him and the dozens of red capes, then said, “If there was always this much wishful thinking, it would be so easy to go crazy.”

Hua Shanyue said, “There are 30 Shenhou crossbows pointed at you in the night. I can think about whatever I want.”

****

Broken Bows, Broken Knives, and Broken Dreams

Ning Que held onto his walking stick and looked at Hua Shanyue. He leaned half of his weight on the walking stick. His posture made him seem earnest in his gaze toward Hua Shanyue, almost as if he would look through him.

Hua Shanyue felt a little pain between his eyebrows. He felt like Ning Que’s eyes were like two sharp knives. So he leaned over to one side, holding Xiao Man’s hand.

As he leaned, he opened the view of the night sky for others. But in doing so, he blocked Li Yu’s sight.

Earlier when he said there were 30 Shenhou crossbows in the night, he wasn’t lying. As Hua Shanyue turned his body, a shrill sound suddenly pierced the quiet courtyard.

Snowflakes were pulverized as dozens of arrows were shot from the trees next to the wall, pointing at Ning Que on the terrace.

There wasn’t much snow falling in the courtyard, but now it seemed to accumulate more and more. There was a strange force on the snow, causing sharp lines to appear in it.

After crossing the snow, the sharp arrowhead from the crossbow was like a head cut in half by a sharp knife. It was broken and fell. Then the crossbow arrow broke piece by piece. It was scattered in the air.

There were dozens of arrows. They couldn’t cross the snowstorm outside. They shattered into countless broken pieces. The snow scattered the pieces everywhere, like dead branches falling from a tree.

The fragments of the arrow fell on the snow and made a loud noise. The people inside and outside the terrace were shocked by this scene until they came to after hearing the sound.

There were two loud sounds. Many of the Tang Army soldiers shouted as they drew the swords. They swung their swords toward Ning Que’s head.

Ning Que leaned on his walking stick. He didn’t even look at the swords. He just kept looking at Hua Shanyue, quietly.

The pain between Hua Shanyue’s eyebrows kept getting worse and worse. His body and soul were both cold.

Before the Tang Army’s swords could reach Ning Que’s side, they fell down. The swords were cut in half by a sharp noise. Then the hands holding the swords were also cut.

Two distinct cut marks appeared on their chests and abdomens. The blood slowly came out of the cuts. The cuts gradually opened wider and wider. It was a horrible sight.

Even though Ning Que didn’t have a sword, he still made the two cuts on the Tang soldiers’ bodies. And even though the cuts were on their front sides, they felt the pain on their backs. The capes worn by the Tang soldiers were all torn in two and fell to the ground.

The cut halves of the capes rolled up as they hit the ground. Blood streaks were visible. It looked like a river of blood. The Tang soldiers couldn’t stand anymore and fell to their knees in the river of blood.

Hua Shanyue’s pupils were contracted to pinpoints, yet still looked calm. He asked Ning Que, “Is this the word?”

Ning Que looked at him, still holding onto his walking stick. He didn’t say a word. Then he straightened his posture slowly and loosened the horizontal piece of wood from the bottom of his walking stick. He looked as though he was preparing to draw a sword or write something.

These two scenes showed the power gap between the two sides. Everyone could see Ning Que’s actions and guess what he would do next.

Just then, Chao Xiaoshu grabbed Ning Que’s shoulder.

Ning Que wanted an explanation.

Chao Xiaoshu looked at the Tang Army on the ground and asked, “Did you just come back from the front lines?”

It was very quiet on the terrace. Nobody answered his question because nobody knew why he would ask this question.

Ning Que knew Chao Xiaoshu was talking to himself. He looked at the dew on the fallen Tang soldiers’ faces, remaining silent. His right hand grabbed his walking stick again, putting his weight on it.

He looked at Hua Shanyue and said, “Whatever you’re thinking, it’s wishful thinking.”

Hua Shanyue looked at his subordinates lying on the ground in their own blood. He was silent for awhile. Then he took his right hand back from covering Xiao Man’s eyes. Hua Shanyue said to Ning Que, “Thinking sometimes can be a ridiculous thing. You can kill me, but you cannot stop me from thinking.”

When he said these things, he went through a myriad of facial expressions: regret, self-deprication, unwillingness. He wanted to help Li Yu escape Chang’an, so he made a careful plan. However, who could’ve guessed two guests of this caliber would come in this kind of weather to disrupt the calm where the Princess lived?

The Princess’ house had been quiet for a long time. But tonight, it came alive again. The Bodyguard office and Chang’an Local Government sent a lot of people to the house. The front of the house was lit by many torches. People gathered on both sides of the street. They looked and judged all movements and sounds. They all said bad things. Only gossip and judgement.

The fight was tense. The Tang people were still in the front lines, but the nobles within the city of Chang’an were still causing so many problems. Nobody would show sympathy to the losers.

Hua Shanyue and over fifty Tang soldiers from the Gushan Commandery had their weapons taken away. They were then removed from the Princess’ Palace. The jail cells were waiting for them. As for what their ultimate punishment would be, nobody knew.

In hindsight, this rescue seemed to be wishful thinking. It seemed fair to say these people were out of their minds going on a mission like this. But in actuality, Hua Shanyue deserved to be called a leader of the Tang Army. He wasn’t as useless as he was shown to be. The plan he had made in advance was actually perfect.

Just when he had returned to Chang’an, he started fighting thunderously. He planned every part. If he could just take Li Yu out of the Princess’ Palace, no City Patrol Department or Bodyguard office could stop them from leaving Chang’an. And if he really took Li Yu back to the Gushan Commandery, who knew what would come of the Tang Empire?

Unfortunately, he had terrible luck. Nobody could have thought Chao Xiaoshu would go to see Li Yu. What’s more, Ning Que went to the Princess’ Palace with him.

The noise and gossip in the street outside the palace did not affect the quiet inside it.

Ning Que said to Chao Xiaoshu, “Do you still want to talk to her now?”

After a few moments of silence, he said, “We’ve seen her, so there’s no need to talk.”

“Then wait for me for a moment.”

Ning Que said, “I’ve just thought of something I would like to discuss with her.”

The terrace was quiet. The snow on the lake had gotten colder and thicker. Xiao Man was taken to bed by his servant. Tonight, he saw such a bloody scene. He didn’t know if he could fall asleep.

Ning Que put down his walking stick. It was a little difficult to sit at his desk. He reached out his hand to take the cold tea in front of Li Yu. He took two sips to soothe his throat and said, “Actually, I really don’t want to call you a fool.”

Li Yu looked at the tea and asked, “Are you tired of calling me a fool?”

Ning Que replied, “Stay in this garden quietly. Though the scenery is dull, it’s still better than death. You should understand this. Why can’t you give up fighting?”

“I’ve said it before: Between dying of old age or being killed, I prefer the latter. And Hua Shanyue showed no regard to his own life in trying to save mine. What else can I do? How could I tell you this?”

Li Yu looked at him and said sarcastically, “In the imperial study that night, you told me I would see your coldness eventually. Then you killed Hun Yuan in the palace. Will you now continue to show your coldness? If you want to kill me, you better be direct with it. Don’t use excuses like calling me a fool.”

Ning Que said, “I want to call you a fool not because of what happened tonight, but because you still seemed confident that I wouldn’t kill you.”

Li Yu said, “If you really wanted to kill me, you wouldn’t stay here and say these things to me.”

Ning Que shook his head and said, “It would be very simple to kill you. Not killing you is the hard part. But this kind of trouble is not what you’re thinking.”

Li Yu kept her gaze on Ning Que, but she didn’t say anything.

Ning Que looked at her beautiful face as if he had seen the maid holding Xiao Man listening to a fairy tale by the bonfire many years ago and said, “It seems that you have figured out many things lately.”

Li Yu kept her silence.

Ning Que continued, “There is nothing of value worth holding on to in this world. Whether it be Xiao Man’s birth, or your influence from your time in the grassland, neither will affect the decision the Empress and I have made.”

Li Yu stared at his eyes, her hands shaking in her sleeves. She knew Ning Que could read her thoughts and reasoning. She didn’t expect for him to remain so calm after finding these things out.

Now the whole world was fighting the Tang Empire, except for the West-Hill Divine Palace. Only the Golden Palace’s cavalry moving their way southward could threaten the Tang Empire. If they wanted to completely shut down this threat from the north, Xiao Man’s birth and her influence in the golden tent seemed to be of importance.

Because of these reasons, she knew the Academy and the imperial court would keep her.

“Actually, you’re not wrong. But the Academy and the imperial court wouldn’t likely do that. Especially when I found out you wanted to keep these as bargaining chips.”

Ning Que looked at her and said, “I can still eat a pig, if the butcher who slaughtered the pig is dead. If the Headmaster is gone, the Academy is still strong enough on its own. They are without enemies. I already had a plan for the vast Wilderness of the Golden Palace. It would be better if I had your help. But if not, I could still get the final victory.”

Li Yu looked at him with raised eyebrows and said, “Even if many people die?”

Ning Que said, “As long as those who die are not Tang people.”

Li Yu thought of some possibilities. She changed her expression slightly and sadly said, “It seems like the Tang Empire doesn’t need Xiao Man and me. Did you make a plan before the war started?”

Ning Que never thought she could’ve guessed what he had done to the Golden Palace just from a few sentences. He said, “It looks like you are no fool in this respect.”

Li Yu said wryly, “That means I’m still a fool in other respects.”

Ning Que replied, “Yes.”

The army left. The street in front of the Princess’ Palace eventually quieted down. The snow that had been trampled until it became muddy water could not return to its clean white look in a short time.

Ning Que and Chao Xiaoshu were walking on the street. They stepped on the muddied snow, making a crunching sound beneath their feet.

“Killing or not killing, you need to solve this problem eventually.” Chao Xiaoshu said, “After all, she’s the favorite daughter of the king. If we don’t have to kill her, it’s better not to kill her.”