Nightfall

The scornful expression on the general’s face didn’t add some approachable feeling to him. Instead, Ning Que felt a heavy pressure. He said slowly, “I am not afraid. I am just unwilling to be questioned by you.”

“I totally agree with your opinion about the buildings without walls. Our country, the Tang Empire, will never collapse no matter what happens to it from the outside. The only thing that could destroy it must start from the inside. If you insist on questioning me, I am afraid others will think that the Military Ministry is trying to oppress the Academy.”

He said, “I know you have no intention of doing that, but we shouldn’t send this kind of misleading messages to our enemies. That is why I don’t want you to question me, but to be fair, you also can’t question me.”

“Ning Que, oh Ning Que.”

The mocking expression had disappeared on Xu Shi’s face. He said to Ning Que coldly, “I would praise your integrity if you didn’t deny your crime, but to shoulder it bravely. ”

Ning Que replied, “It is not bad to be a sweet talker either.”

“You are being too arrogant if you are determined to challenge the Military Ministry. Do you really think you are qualified to do that?”

“Although I don’t understand what your words mean,”

Ning Que continued, after a short break, “I really don’t know what it is that I am not qualified for. After all I am a core disciple of the Headmaster and I represent the Academy to enter the human world after my Youngest Uncle. ”

After staring at him for a long time, Xu Shi walked to the railing with his hands putting behind him. He oversaw Chang’an city, which was sitting beyond the forest and the meadow, and said, “You were also a soldier before. I think you know clearly what a soldier’s duty is. Do you really think that I don’t dare to kill you?”

As his words finished, a strong and cold aura was emitted from his stooped body, separating him from the surroundings.

The refreshing breeze in the attic suddenly stopped, giving a halt to the swaying of the tree branches and making the fallen leaves stop rolling among the grass.

From Ning Que’s view, all the movement outside the attic was halted and the landscape outside looked like a framed painting.

Even he became a part of the picture, unable to move anymore.

Only the old man was free, he was not in it.

The Qi of Heaven and Earth in the attic was under the control of the old man. It also stopped moving and lost all its vitality. If the old man wanted, he could kill anything here easily.

Under the humped body of the old man, there was the terrifying power. Ning Que fell silent, thinking to himself that the old man was not renowned for being the strongest person in the Military Ministry for nothing.

His state in cultivation was nearly higher than the Peak state of Martial Arts.

Ning Que knew that he could not fight against such powerful state, no matter what he did. Even the slightest movement of Xu Shi would send him to death, because his movement would summon the Qi of Heaven and Earth around to crush him to powder.

Sweat ran down his back, drenching his clothes and his umbrella on his back.

However, he still looked very calm.

In this landscape painting, only the man standing next to the railing was able to move.

It was lucky that the old man seemed to want to hear him saying something, so he didn’t control Ning Que’s mouth.

“I went to the Imperial Palace yesterday.”

Ning Que continued, “His Majesty led me to the little building.”

He knew that as the leader of the Military Ministry, Xu Shi knew very well what the building in the Palace meant. As expected, the court robe the man was wearing moved a little.

“Before I went to the General’s Mansion yesterday, I went to the Vermilion Bird Avenue first.”

Xu Shi cut in before he could finish his words, “The Vermilion Bird…accepted you as its master?”

Ning Que said, “Yes. So I think you know very well that I am in charge of keeping Chang’an safe now. If you are considering for Tang and executing your duty as a soldier, you need to protect me, rather than to kill me.”

Xu Shi stood next to the railing and looked into the distance with his hands behind him. After being silent for a long time, he murmured in pity and anger, “I just couldn’t stop it from falling into your hands.”

Ning Que did not say anything.

Xu Shi turned around and said expressionlessly, “The reason why I investigated you was that I didn’t agree with His Majesty’s decision of entrusting you with the Pestle of the Array Eye. And although I am an old friend of Yan Se, I think both he and the Headmaster made a mistake by trusting you so much.”

Ning Que didn’t realize that the leader of the Military Ministry was a close friend of his master. He was even more confused at the things that happened recently. “Why?” asked him.

“Because you are evil and cold, and I know clearly that if Tang really faced a life-or-death moment, you definitely would not risk your life to protect it,”

Xu Shi said slowly.

Ning Que was silent again. He had to admit that what Xu Shi had said about him was totally correct. He valued nothing more than his own life, yet yesterday when he was standing next to the Statue of the Vermilion Bird, he was excited and did promise to try his best to protect Chang’an and Tang Empire.

After a long time, he looked up and said seriously to Xu Shi, “But I can still promise you that at least I will try my best.”

“But how can I believe you?” asked Xu Shi.

Ning Que asked, “Why can’t you believe me?”

“Because you are not worthy of my trust,” said Xu Shi.

Ning Que asked again, “What kind of people are worthy?”

Xu Shi answered, “Those who seem to be playful and careless, but actually know what justice and respect are, like your master, Yan Se.”

Ning Que shook his head, “My master is already dead. Although you have known him for more than ten years, I think you don’t know him well. He was never a fighter for justice and he didn’t know what respect is either. He just knew what responsibility was, but I know that as well.”

“You have got too much blood on your hands, so you are not qualified to hold that pestle,” said Xu Shi.

Ning Que replied, “Yesterday at the General’s Mansion, you asked where I was in the 14th year of Tianqi era when the censor Zhang Yiqi died, where I was when the old blacksmith died, and where I was when the tea master Yan Suqing died. And today you asked me where I was last night, when Huang and Yu died.”

Xu Shi looked at him coldly.

Ning Que continued calmly, “You have asked me where I was so many times. And today I also want to ask you the same question. Where were you when Xia Hou was slaughtering people of a whole village in Yan and burning hundreds of innocent people to death? And where were you when he was burying thirty thousand of alive soldiers after they had surrendered? And where were you when he was killing everyone in the Xuanwei General’s Mansion?”

Xu Shi looked as if he had suddenly become a lot older when he heard those questions.

The aura in the attic became less tense, and the view outside turned into life again.

Ning Que stepped forward and came to Xu Shi. He continued, “I did kill lots of people, and you probably didn’t kill anyone. But it does not mean that your hands are cleaner than mine.”

“You were right to say that I am not a good person, and I never cared about whether the world was unfair or ugly as long as it didn’t affect me. Maybe I am not qualified to hold the pestle, but not many people are qualified to question whether I am qualified.”

“At least you are not qualified to question me.”

“Xia Hou got away with such a big crime and those generals and captains involved in the slaughtering also did, because, according to the Imperial Court, there wasn’t any solid proof, and the law of Tang Empire reads that in such a case, he shouldn’t be questioned. But both of us know very well what the true reason was; he contributed for Tang during the war and his army was useful for the Empire.”

Ning Que said, “Since the Imperial Court follows the law of the Tang Empire strictly, you need to find proof before you ask me questions related to the murders. If you can’t, please don’t come and bother me.”

After being silent for a long time, Xu Shi said nonchalantly, “Than can you tell me, did you do it for justice, or for revenge?”

“I am never a fighter of justice.”

Ning Que replied, “And there is no personal grudge between me and Xia Hou. I hate him just because he was not polite to me in the Wilderness.”

“No one will buy it.” asked Xu Shi.

“As long as both the Headmaster and His Majesty are fine with it, I don’t think I need others to believe me.”

“You think His Majesty will spoil you like that forever?” asked Xu Shi.

Ning Que shook his head and said, “This is not about whether he spoils me. I believe even if he did know about the whole thing, His Majesty would still think I am correct.”

Suddenly he felt that he had said enough today.

So he turned and walked towards the staircase.

But at this time, Xu Shi sighed.

“You are really calm and I can see that you will become really excellent in the future. You would become even more excellent than Ke Haoran, but maybe you will also become more dangerous than him.”

Ning Que stopped when he heard those words. He remembered that His Majesty told him that Xu Shi never lost to any enemy at battlefields, but he had suffered great losses from his Youngest Uncle. Was Xu Shi really going to vent his anger towards his Youngest Uncle on him?

Ning Que turned around and finally became very annoyed.

“As the Defender-general of the State, you have my sincere respect, that was why I spent a long time explaining. But if your real intention was to get me and the law of Tang Empire was just an excuse, why do you even bother to say so much to me?”

“The law of Tang Empire is never an excuse, it is the basis of the Tang Empire. If in your view, it is just an excuse, I really can’t let things happen without controlling it.”

Xu Shi looked at him and said peacefully, “I have many ways to make you disappear without violating the law of Tang Empire.”

Ning Que replied, “And I look forward to that .”

Then he shook his head and said, “But don’t find more Buddhists to challenge me, I think you know it was not useful.”

Xu Shi asked, “You really think after you defeated Liu Yiqing, no one would dare to challenge you again?”

Ning Que answered, “At least some bigwigs like you would not challenge me anymore, because losing to me would be too embarrassing for you.”

At this time, a voice sounded out behind him.

“But it won’t be too embarrassing for me.”

Ning Que turned around and saw a fat man standing next to the staircase.

That man smiled and said, “I am Wang Jinglue.”

Ning Que turned to Xu Shi and said while shaking his head, “This is too lame.”