Nightfall

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.”