Nightfall

“This night snow seems unfair to me, but it is actually unfair to Xia Hou.”

Looking at the snow on the other side of the lake, Ning Que shook his head and continued, “The array eye pestle was taken away by His Majesty. It definitely makes me unhappy, but it is fair. It seems unfair because my cultivation is not nearly as good as his. However, I’ve prepared for this battle for a total of fifteen years. He doesn’t know that there exists a man like me quietly keeping an eye on him, thus it makes the battle even.”

“As long as the battle is only between him and me, I acknowledge the fairness of it.”

Sangsang shrank into herself and tightly held the handle of the big black umbrella to make sure it would not be blown away by the heavy wind and snow. She whispered, “Young Master, are you worried that someone will stick their nose in?”

“After all, apart from being the general of the Empire, Xia Hou is a visiting professor of the Tao Sect. I always thought that someone would come to disturb the battle, and I felt something when I held the pestle earlier.”

Thinking of his fellow brothers in the Academy, Ning Que spoke: “I’m not worried, because we are in Chang’an as opposed to somewhere else. As long as the Academy stands right there, south of the city, no one will be able to interfere.”

Maybe there were a few forces intending to interfere with this battle, but most people were at the bank of Yanming Lake, quietly waiting for it to begin, like Ye Su who had left the Taoist temple.

The ideal place to watch a battle was, of course, from above. At this moment, Ye Su was above the wall of Chang’an, his white robe flowing with the night snow.

Most people thought that the West-Hill Divine Palace did not want to see the battle between Xia Hou and Ning Que happen. This was supported by the fact that a special envoy from the palace had raised objections to His Majesty. However, Ye Su coming to Chang’an on behalf of Haotian Tao Sect could ignore the palace’s attitude. Although he wanted to see Xia Hou safely retire from the court, he did not mind the battle happening.

Because in all the possibilities Ye Su had thought of, there were none where Ning Que could win this battle.

It would be nice if Xia Hou could win.

And it would be better if he could kill Ning Que, thus offending the Academy.

If so, he would have no chance of enjoying his old age in the Tang Empire after retirement, nor vacillating between the Tang Empire and Tao Sect. He would have no choice but to swear his allegiance to Haotian Taoism.

“Haotian Taoism sect’s idea sounds very nice, but you have to first make sure that Xia Hou will win.”

A voice came from the wall. He spoke at a very slow pace, but he could be heard clearly in the heavy snow, making people calm.

Walking up to Ye Su, Eldest Brother looked at the dark Yanming Lake below the wall.

Ye Su said, “We met this morning, and now you are here again.”

Eldest Brother said, “Yeah, I came to see.”

Ye Su asked, “To see what?”

Looking at Ye Su and smiling, Eldest Brother said, “Your sword style is pretty good, and only Liu Bai’s is equal to yours. No one can defeat you in Chang’an, thus I came to see you.”

Coming to see you meant coming to keep an eye on you.

Watching the snow dancing in the night, Ye Su said emotionlessly, “No one can defeat me in Chang’an, but the Academy is outside of Chang’an.”

Although the snow was very heavy on this night, many people still remained within it.

The Third Minister of Offerings from Qinghe County sat in the Winter Forest beside the eastern bank of Yanming Lake.

The snow fell, yet he seemed numb to its chilliness.

Considering the interests of the important clans and Her Highness of Qinghe County, he would not allow anyone to disturb this battle. However, he had felt a foreboding that something would go wrong, and that was why he came here.

In the snow, a monk slowly approached.

Although the forest was dark, the kapok kasaya and bamboo hat worn by the monk could be seen clearly, which made his showing-up very obvious.

Seeing the monk approaching in the snow, the Third Minister of Offerings frowned.

He had been a Grand Cultivator of Knowing Destiny State for many years, yet he could not figure out what kind of state the monk reached. It made him wary and hostile.

The battle between the strong was characterized by speed, there was no need for any formalities between each other. Putting his arm behind him, the Third Minister of Offerings held the hilt to draw out his sword.

When the sheath and the sword scraped each other, they made a sound similar to the pieces of snowflake falling on to the bed of snow. However, the sword was forced to halt its way out.

With his eyebrows raised and his hands shaking, the Third Minister of Offerings pulled out all the power inside his body.

However, rather than being drawn out, the sword gradually returned to its sheath.

The sound of the friction between the sword and the sheath was as quiet as the falling snow, making him uneasy.

The monk wearing a bamboo hat slowly walked toward him in the snow, being only a few feet away from him.

The Third Minister of Offerings tensed up, and his hands shook like dead branches bearing snow. Looking at the monk, his previously proud eyes only showed fear.

No Qi of Heaven and Earth changed in the forest, the monk just slowly approached. With no movement, he showed a Grand Cultivator from the Knowing Destiny State that he could not draw out his own sword before him.

Quietly amazed, the Third Minister of Offerings could not imagine which cultivator could possess such power. For a moment, he guessed the monk’s origins, and his pupils shrank.

Did he come from the Xuankong Temple?

The monk was getting closer and closer, and the frozen Third Minister of Offerings could not help shaking from fear.

He gave a choked cry, his face becoming flushed. He spread his skinny five fingers to trace the sign of Qi of Heaven and Earth flowing in the forest, trying to escape the other’s control.

Raising his right palm in front of him with the index finger slightly bent, the monk drew out an Emblematic Gesture.

It suddenly snowed more heavily in the Winter Forest.

Tens of thousands of snowflakes seemed to fall on the Third Minister of Offerings in an instant.

Those snowflakes endowed with the supreme Buddha power from the Emblematic Gesture managed to fall into the clothes of Third Minister of Offerings, becoming countless invisible snow ropes which were bound to him.

The monk took a look at him, his eyes filled with grace and pity, and then he continued to step forward in the thick snow, passing him and walking to the lake outside the Winter Forest.

The Third Minister of Offerings desolately sitting cross-legged in the snow could not move at all, his cheeks becoming pale and his eyes filled with shame and terror.

He was an honored predecessor of Qinghe County, and he was arrogant to the extreme after reaching the Knowing Destiny State. He did not even show respect to the Academy, an Unknown Place.

Only after this snowy night, meeting a monk who he doesn’t know, he truly understood what someone legendary was. Even a Grand Cultivator in the Knowing Destiny State could not be arrogant in front of this monk.

The Third Minister of Offerings recalled that he had once boasted in the Princess’s Mansion that he would put the Academy and the Haotian Tao Sect against each other. Yet, he was completely trapped by the monk’s Emblematic Gesture now. He could not help feeling endlessly shameful, wishing to die.

On the high wall, Ye Su waved his hands to dispel any snowflakes within fifty feet, looking at the dark forest beside Yanming Lake. He said indifferently, “That idiot from Qinghe County was so stupid, he actually intended to step into this battle. How annoying.”

Eldest Brother smiled and did not say anything.

Ye Su said, “I wanted to kill the idiot originally. But I see that’s not necessary, since the mute taught him a lesson.”

Shaking his head, Eldest Brother said, “I can’t watch you violate the law of Tang.”

Listening to the words ‘the law of Tang’, Ye Su laughed slightly.

Looking at the bank of Yanming Lake and thinking of the monk walking through the winter forest to the bank, Eldest Brother said,” The battle between my Youngest Brother and General Xia Hou is regarded as a big event to many people, it is also the reason you came to Chang’an. But my only hope is that my Youngest Brother emerges safe and sound.”

Ye Su said, “You know that I came to Chang’an because of Ning Que and not because of this battle. The mute came for Ning Que as well.”

Although Eldest Brother was aware of the meaning behind Ye Su’s words, he kept silent.

Looking at Yanming Lake, Ye Su said, “All of us who appeared around the black line fifteen years ago are here, except Tang.”

Eldest Brother said, “Actually, Tang has come too. General Xia Hou’s injuries were dealt by him. Although he himself didn’t come, his fists came.”

Ye Su said, “It makes sense, but I don’t think that Ning Que has any chance of winning against Xia Hou even if he was injured before.”

“I know what you’re trying to say and what you’re worried about, but I won’t interfere with this battle out of respect for my Youngest Brother.”

Eldest Brother smiled with emotion, “Of course I know better, that Youngest Brother will cry and ask me not to respect him if he knew the Academy’s idea.”

Ye Su said, “Mr. Two stopped Xu Shi on the snow bridge, and what does that mean?”

Eldest Brother said, “It means fairness.”

Ye Su said, “Xia Hou is much stronger than Ning Que. Does the Academy think that is fair?”

Eldest Brother said, “My teacher once taught us that fairness is a matter of mind and it has nothing to do with strength. As long as both sides are willing to do so and accept the rules, then it is fair.”

Keeping silent for a long while, Ye Su thought of the words spoken by the Headmaster of Academy.

Looking at the night forest beside Yanming Lake, Ye Su then said with a slight frown, “If the mute wants to speak, few people in this world can stop him.”

Turning and looking at him, Ye Su asked, “When Jun Mo stops Xu Shi and you look to me, who’s going to stop him? I won’t stop him, and I can’t stop him once he speaks out. Do we need to bother the Headmaster of the Academy with such a small thing?”

Staring at the lake, Eldest Brother frowned and said nothing.

While the snow was dancing, the monk was walking through the forest toward Yanming Lake.

Fifteen years ago, the monk chewed his tongue with a smile before the black line, swallowing it into his belly, and since then, he never spoke again.

He once again set foot on to the mortal world this night, and no one knew if he would speak or what he would say. But people were sure that his voice would be as resonant as the thunder once he spoke.

Even Ye Su, a powerful successor of Zhishou Abbey was wary of hearing his first word if he spoke.

Who would talk with the monk?

Is there really a need for the Headmaster of the Academy to leave the mountain?

At this moment, a very thin snowflake fell from the sky over the night forest.

The snow was very thin and bright like a cicada’s wings.