Nightfall

This sentence itself and the unspoken meaning hidden in the sentence were very bloody and cruel. However, Ning Que’s tone was calm as if it were only natural.

His expression was calm and he even had a trace of a smile. To him, there was nothing much to discuss regarding the matter of the Golden Palace. He would not accept any result other than their deaths.

Even Ye Hongyu felt cold at this moment.

Spring had just begun, the green buds on some trees could hardly be seen. Some trees already had tender young shoots. The sudden gust of cold wind on the street caused these shoots and some green leaves to fall.

Green leaves floated onto the ground from above, as their conversation finally arrived at the crux of the matter. Ye Hongyu raised the requests of the West-Hill Divine Palace which were in sharp opposition to the conditions that had previously been offered by Ning Que by Yanming Lake. The Divine Hall had requested for Qinghe County to remain independent and requested for a large amount of money from the Tang Empire as reparations for the war. The royal family also had to go to Peach Mountain to ask for forgiveness. As for the Golden Palace, they requested the pastures around Xiangwan Plain and also Helan City. As for the Yuelun, Yan, Jin, Qi, and Song Kingdoms, they also had their own requests which were relatively unimportant.

After a moment of silence, Ning Que asked, “What’s happening with Long Qing now?”

“Two thousand of his picked cavalry have perished. While he was lucky to have survived, he was severely injured and he is recuperating in the Divine Hall now. We don’t know when he will recover. Ye Hongyu did not like Long Qing much, and her expression remained stoic when he was mentioned. However, she did not understand why Ning Que would suddenly bring him up. She said, “While his cultivation state is higher than yours, you don’t need to be so vigilant against him.”

Ning Que said, “Asking about him does not mean I am wary of him.”

Ye Hongyu asked, “They why do you want to ask about him?”

“I once told him something, a few years ago in Chang’an,” Ning Que said. “Back then, I told him that he was really beautiful, and since this was so, he shouldn’t have dreams that are too grand.”

Ye Hongyu did not say anything.

Ning Que looked at her and smiled, “Everyone knows that the Tao Addict is the most beautiful woman in the world.”

“So I shouldn’t have dreams that are too grand?” Ye Hongyu asked. “No matter how strong your words are and how unwilling you are, you still have to accept these conditions in the end.”

Ning Que smiled and replied, “I don’t see any reason why I should agree.”

Ye Hongyu answered, “I don’t either. But someone told me that you will.”

Ning Que raised his eyebrow slightly and asked, “Who did? The Abbey Dean?”

Ye Hongyu did not answer his question. Instead, she turned and left the tree.

Ning Que did not follow her. He looked at the tender green leaves on the ground and his frown deepened. Ye Hongyu’s parting words had made him feel somewhat uneasy.

The negotiations between the West-Hill Divine Palace’s diplomatic corps and the Tang Empire continued in the side hall of the Imperial Palace. The views of both parties differed too greatly and they could not find a compromise.

When both parties could not come to a compromise, its was a waste of time to continue. However, this statement only applied to conversations at the dining table and not during negotiations. As such, both parties had to continue. Ning Que and Ye Hongyu continued watching the spring rain in the courtyard by the Yangming Lake. They conversed about random topics, testing each other’s patience and tried to determine each other’s limits.

Just then, Crown Prince Chong Ming finally ascended the throne in Chengjing City, officially becoming the new Emperor of the Yan Kingdom. He successfully conquered Long Qing’s faction and started to concentrate on internal affairs.

South Jin Kingdom also became calm, and under the powerful deterrent of the Sword Garret—especially under the control of Liu Bai, the Sword Sage—the royal family and the military, which had started to stir, became much more rational.

The West-Hill Divine Palace Coalition Army did not withdraw completely to their respective countries but continued to stay in Qinghe County with supplies provided by Qinghe’s various warlords. This was sufficient to serve as a deterrent to the Tang Empire.

After the western army of the Tang Empire withdrew to the Pamir Mountains, the Yuelun Kingdom, which suffered the disaster of an army shortage for the first time in countless years, finally recognized its own position. They went under the radar and it was as if they did not exist. The monks of the White Tower Temple started the process of electing a new Emperor while the Xuankong Temple kept silent.

The world seemed to have gotten rid of the threat of war, but no one had forgotten the north. After spending the winter in the Seven Stockaded Villages, the Golden Palace’s cavalry began to stir again through the spring festival.

The Tang Empire soldiers and civilians were all watching the north. Although they were alert, they were not as tense as they were at the beginning of the war, because with the passage of time, the Tang Empire’s strength gradually recovered.

Smoke from cooking fires rose in the wildlands of the Eastern Border. The armors of the Northern Army’s soldiers were brand new and their newly replaced weapons were very sophisticated. The convoy carrying grain supplies kept going back and forth on the roads extending in all directions in the Tang Empire. Mining workshops everywhere were in full swing. The curfew in Chang’an City was lifted and smiles gradually appeared on people’s faces.

In a negotiation, what both parties were competing in was patience and confidence in time. The Tang Empire had never lacked in these two aspects. And from the visible changes happening, it seemed as if they were winning.

Mo Shanshan was seated by the stream reading an ancient tome.

Eldest Brother sat beside her, holding a fishing pole. His cotton jacket quivered in the wind as he stayed motionless for a long time as if he had fallen asleep.

They were next to a mountain stream that came from the waterfall at the cliff.

Second Brother stood by the pool and looked at the waterfall solemnly. The big white goose floated in the pool, paddling with its red feet from time to time. Just like Second Brother, it looked at the waterfall solemnly but also with a mocking expression.

There were two sets of crutches by the pool and there were two teenagers under the waterfall.

Zhang Nianzu and Li Guangdi were squatting beneath the waterfall. They had yet to heal from their injuries completely. And as the strong bursts of icy cold water fell upon them, their faces paled and it looked as if they might fall anytime.

They had already fallen many times. But when they saw Mr. Second standing beside the pool and the annoying big white goose, they gritted their teeth and continued.

Behind the pool and into the mountains, through a narrow entrance, was the towering precipice at the back of the mountain. There was a wheelchair on the platform.

Yu Lian was seated on the wheelchair. She held a brush and paper in her hands and was writing Hairpin-style Small Regular Script. Although she did not have a desk, her handwriting was just as neat.

When her eyes tired, she would look at the floating clouds before the precipice and look at Chang’an City in the distance. Sometimes, she would look at the narrow stone path above the precipice.

That stone path led to the cliff cave where Ning Que had once cultivated in seclusion. It was very dangerous to walk on and should there be strong winds, there was a chance that one might fall into the abyss.

Tang Xiaotang was on the stone path at this time. What she had to do was to use the blood-colored huge blade in her hand to cut the rock wall and widen the ladder surface on the stone path.

This was a very meaningful work that was, of course, also very difficult. The rocks between the cliffs were very hard. Even though she had practiced in the skills of the Devil’s Doctrine since childhood and was very strong, the rocks were still very difficult to chisel.

What annoyed her most was that Yu Lian’s cutting off the rainbow during the war in Chang’an had resulted in the destruction of the blood-colored huge blade she was holding.

She had been chiseling on the cliff stone path for more than ten days, but she had only finished less than one-tenth of it. She looked up and could not see the end of the steep mountain path at all. The trellis in front of the cliff cave looked like a small black dot.

The little white wolf dozed off between the stone ladders at the top, listening to the sound of chipping stones from below, and felt a little agitated. It did not worry that it would be injured by the stone shards because according to the speed at which Tang Xiaotang had worked in the previous days, she would still take several days before she would reach where it was.

Song Qian and Eighth Brother were playing chess while covered in bandages.

Beigong plucked the zither’s string with one hand. It was the only hand he could move right now.

Wang Chi was brewing medicine in the courtyard, and the corner was filled with all kinds of flowers and herbs. Moments later, the old yellow bull arrived with a head full of wildflowers. Fourth Brother, Fan Yue, coughed as he discussed the God-stunning Array with Mu You as they poured over the map. Sixth Brother sighed repeatedly as he looked upon his furnace which had not been lit for many days.

The teachings were taught and those who educate educated. Those who were doomed to be tortured continued to be tortured. Scholars continued to read while those recuperating continued making progress. The back of the Academy’s mountain was calm and warm.

Suddenly, Eldest Brother opened his eyes.

He looked at the stream and slowly raised the fishing pole in his hands.

There was not a hook on the line. Eldest Brother never needed a hook to fish, not even a straight one.

But when he raised the pole, there were three fish on the line.

The three fish hung from the line. They struggled even though there was nothing trapping them. Yet, they could not free themselves no matter how they struggled. Their tails wriggled, flicking water onto the stream that reflected the sunlight. It was a beautiful sight.

Eldest Brother’s wrist turned slightly and the three fish were freed. They swam back into the stream.

He looked at the stream silently and suddenly said to Mo Shanshan, “You go on reading. If there’s anything you don’t understand… continue to read. Ask me when I return.”

Mo Shanshan’s expression was odd. She sensed that something had happened. She closed the book she was reading and walked up to Eldest Brother, saying, “I’ll go with you.”

Eldest Brother smiled at her gently and said, “It is not anything important. It’s just a little sudden.”

Eldest Brother left the edge of the stream in his wheelchair, leaving behind the mist gathered around the middle of the mountain.

His expression was unusually grave and he arrived quickly.

Yu Lian was even faster than him.

She was wearing a simple and elegant yellow dress as she sat in a wheelchair and looked in the direction of Chang’an City.

A cold breeze blew on the mountain path, rousing layers of yellow leaves that had gathered on the ground since autumn and raising the edges of her skirt.

Yu Lian said, “I didn’t expect that he’d really come.”

Eldest Brother said, “Teacher has left, they’d naturally come if they wished to. What I don’t understand is why they’d come.”

Yu Lian said, “I don’t understand either. It seems like we can only go and ask them directly.”

Eldest Brother said gently and firmly, “I am your Senior Brother. I should go and ask.”

Yu Lian answered, “Senior Brother, you’re really slow now, so only I can go.”

Someone had come to Chang’an.

Nobody knew who it was.

Eldest Brother and Yu Lian knew, so they would go to meet that person.

Their expressions were grave and stern, and were even more serious than when they faced the Abbey Dean.

Who exactly was that person?