Nightfall

Master Yan Se had once said that Chang’an was a big tactical array and also a talisman. And a talisman was an essay. Ning Que looked at the City of Chang’an before him. His eyes landed on the comparatively red light which was south of the stone groove, and he thought that this was probably the seal that one would use to imprint the essay.

The bright red light was the painting of a Vermilion Bird. As Ning Que’s gaze landed on it, the light distorted slightly, as if it had sensed something.

In that moment, Ning Que vaguely understood how to activate the big tactical array in Chang’an. It was so simple that he felt alert and uneasy.

After leaving the shabby two-story wooden building, Ning Que and the Emperor crossed the imperial gardens, where they were greeted by the respectful gazes of the eunuchs and palace maids. They continued on to the imperial study.

It was silent inside the study.

Ning Que held the array eye pestle wrapped in cloth. It felt heavy in his hands, and after a moment, he spoke. “I am worried that I cannot do it.”

The Emperor looked at him and said, “You are Master Yan Se’s only disciple. The Headmaster of the Academy has agreed that you represent the Academy entering the human realm. Who besides you can take it, if you don’t?”

Ning Que said, “Am I really to become the Nation Master in the future? Second Brother and Master had come to an agreement that I am only his disciple in cultivating talismans. I am not a member of the Southern Gate Temple.”

“Does the Tang Nation Master have to be a Taoist from the Southern Gate Temple? It’s true that his has been the case for centuries for the sake of the West-Hill Divine Palace. But that doesn’t make it a fixed rule. And don’t forget, you are a disciple of Master Yan Se. The West-Hill Divine Palace cannot find fault with your status.”

The Emperor said, “Your tone suggests that you do not want to be the Nation Master.”

Ning Que replied, “The West-Hill Divine Palace wants to take Sangsang back to succeed the position of Great Divine Priest of Light. I feel that something is off about this. And now, I’m going to be the Nation Master of Tang, which makes me even more suspicious. ”

He said bitterly, “Now that I think about that, I would rather sell calligraphy in the Old Brush Pen Shop.”

“Qingshan is happy being the Nation Master and he doesn’t look like he’s going to die soon. Whether you will take over the position as Nation Master will be decided in the future, so you don’t need to worry about it now.”

The Emperor changed the subject suddenly and said, “Talking about selling calligraphy. Ning Que, your calligraphy hasn’t been seen in the market for a few days. Come, come, since you are in the palace today, write some for me.”

Ning Que glanced at the Emperor and thought about how he was forced to give some calligraphy works to the Emperor for free every time he came to the palace, and if Sangsang knew about it, she would be totally heart broken.

However, the Emperor chose his brushes, ground his ink and served him personally. Any calligrapher would find it hard to refuse with this kind of treatment.

He sighed helplessly and walked to the table.

There was a knock on the door of the imperial study.

The Empress entered slowly, holding a plate of food.

Ning Que bowed slightly and retreated to the side.

“Eat something first.”

The Empress smiled and pulled the Emperor to the tea table. She placed a bowl of yogurt in his hands and walked to Ning Que’s side. She rolled up her sleeves and held up the ink stick, “Let me grind the ink.”

Ning Que thought to himself that he wasn’t a free-spirited person like Li Taibai. Even though the Empress was buxom, she wasn’t a fast woman like Yang Yuhuan, and what was this? He refused her at once politely.

The Empress smiled gently and said to him in a mocking tone, “You don’t mind it when His Majesty grinds your ink, but you do not dare to let me do it. Does this mean that in your eyes, I am scarier than the Emperor?”

The Emperor laughed out loud and pointed at Ning Que. He said, “She often grinds my ink when I write calligraphy. I shall let you enjoy such treatment today.”

What kind of treatment? The treatment only an Emperor should have?

Ning Que smiled bitterly and did not refuse again. He stood by the table and waited calmly. He thought of what the Empress had said and felt that it was a little odd.

He did think that the Empress was scarier than His Majesty.

The Saintess of Diabolism had managed to become the Empress of the Tang Empire, the strongest nation in this world that was shone upon by Haotian Divine Light. This was odd and terrifying no matter how he looked at it.

Furthermore, the Empress was Xia Hou’s own younger sister.

Ning Que looked at the silhouette of the Empress and was silent.

…

…

The Emperor had stayed in the imperial study because he wanted to admire the calligraphy of Ning Que.

The Empress and Ning Que left the imperial study and headed to the imperial gardens.

The Empress stopped beneath a cherry-apple tree. She waved her hands and signaled for the palace maids to leave before turning to look at Ning Que.

Ning Que knew that the Emperor had made an excuse to leave him and the Empress alone. Of course, it was not some absurd reason, it had something to do with the great general in Tuyang City. However, he did not understand why the Empress would do this personally. Wasn’t she worried that others would find out?

This is because he did not understand the relationship between the Emperor and Empress. Or perhaps, one could say that he had never believed that a relationship like that of a regular husband and wife could exist in the palace.

The Empress was beautiful, charming and gentle. Her beauty outshone that of the cherry-apple tree.

Ning Que thought that she indeed deserved the title of Saintess of Diabolism. She was indeed beautiful.

The Empress looked at him quietly and said, “Has His Majesty told you?”

Ning Que said after a short moment of silence, “I do not understand what you mean.”

The Empress said calmly, “General Xiahou.”

Ning Que nodded.

The Empress said, “You should know about my true identity now.”

Ning Que shook his head, and confusion could be seen on his face.

The Queen smirked and said, “You’re such a naughty child. I do not understand why the Headmaster of the Academy would take you as a student.”

Ning Que smiled and said, “Alot of people have asked that question.”

The smile on the Empress faded, and she looked at him calmly and proudly. She said emotionlessly, “Xia Hou is my big brother. I was once the saintess of the Devil’s Doctrine.”

Ning Que had already found out this so-called secret of the Tang Empire in Tuyang City when he heard the conversation between Second Brother and Xia Hou. However, he did not expect that the Empress would acknowledge it blatantly without any cover.

That was why he was extremely shocked.

The Empress looked at him and said, “I am very curious about what happened between you and Xia Hou. He is ruthless, and enjoys killing, especially on the battlefield. However, he is not the idiot that His Majesty and you believe that he is. He knows very well that it is not in his favor to kill the disciple of the Headmaster of Academy.”

Ning Que spoke after a bout of silence, “Two years ago at the Northern Mountain Road on Min Mountain, when General Xia Hou’s subordinates attempted to kill Princess Li Yu, I was there.”

The Empress parted the begonia branches before her and walked into the imperial gardens with her hands behind her back.

Ning Que followed her and looked at her back with appreciation.

When they arrived by the calm lake and stood before the flowering trees, the Empress said, “He did this behind my back. I even suspect that it was the Divine Hall that used his name to do it.”

She turned around and looked at Ning Que quietly. Then she said, “You are a cultivator now. You should know that if it was me or General Xia Hou who had actually ordered the attack, you and Li Yu would have not survived.”

Ning Que thought of the two cultivators in the upper Seethrough State beside Xia Hou and agreed silently. He said, “If this incident was arranged by the Divine Hall, Your Majesty would not be able to find any evidence since they belong to General Xia Hou anyway.”

The Empress smiled and replied, “Perhaps I might not be able to convince Lee Yu, but I guess that you, at least, would change your mind about what happened at the Northern Mountain Road two years ago.”

Ning Que said, “Lin Ling wanted to kill me in the Wilderness.”

He knew that the Empress would definitely know who Lin Ling was. She would also know about the incident, where they were ambushed by the Horse Gang, so he did not need to explain too much.

The Empress said, “I still don’t think that the incident with the Horse Gang has anything to do with Xia Hou.”

Ning Que replied, “I agree with Your Majesty. I don’t think that Lin Ling informed General Xia Hou before doing it. But after the incident, Xia Hou admitted that he had attempted to kill me again north of Hulan Sea.”

The Empress said, “Lin Ling would not do anything that would harm the interests of Xia Hou. He would not attempt to kill you unless he knew that only either you or Xia Hou would survive.”

Ning Que shook his head after a moment of silence. He said, “I used to only be an ordinary soldier in the City of Wei. I had never seen General Xia Hou, and he had never seen me. We have no other grudges besides these two incidents.”

The Empress looked into his eyes and asked, “Are there no other grudges?”

Ning Que replied, “Yes.”

The Empress bent her knees slightly and bowed.

Ning Que was greatly shocked and moved away to avoid her bow. He asked hurriedly, “Your Majesty, what is this for?”

“What happened before has already been handled by Mr. First. Besides that, if there is really no other grudge, can Mr. Thirteen allow him to retire peacefully for my sake.”

The Empress remained in a half-bent bow before the flowering trees in a demure manner.

…

…

Walking on the crowded Vermilion Bird Avenue, Ning Que looked outwardly calm, but his emotions rippled violently. The God-stunning Array that the Emperor had brought him to see and the bow that the Empress had given him were all pressures that he could not bear.

The Empress had even mentioned Mistress Jian in the imperial gardens. Ning Que only remembered the rumors in Chang’an then, and remembered that the two women were as close as sisters.

All these did not affect his emotions.

What had truly affected his emotions were other things.

The war in the northern Wilderness was at a stalemate. The Tang army did not care about victory, and problems had arisen within the West-Hill Divine Palace. It seemed that they might just call for a truce and resume the war in the future.

This meant that Xia Hou would return in autumn.

Ning Que had long known that Xia Hou was from a Desolate Man tribe. He naturally understood why the Northeast Border Military was so gentle in this war.

Xia Hou was not as gentle as he was being now toward other enemies.

Ning Que was no longer afraid of Xia Hou due to the support from the Academy. However, he did not know what to do after Xia Hou’s return.

His Majesty had tried to give him hints in the palace, and the Empress had personally asked for a favor. They had done this not because they were afraid that he, a cultivator in the Seethrough Realm, could stir up any trouble. They just did not want to involve the Academy in this matter and stir up even more trouble about Xia Hou’s retirement.

The Academy respected the law of the Tang Empire and the Headmaster of the Academy prohibited all students from interfering in any court matters. Eldest Brother had allowed Xia Hou to retire and it seemed that Ning Que’s revenge was at its end unless he used the last method.