Nightfall

Ning Que used talismans to set up a Taoist enchantment in the rundown temple. He did not worry that the sound coming from the front of the temple would travel to the back. But even so, he still paid close attention to his volume and did not want the blind monk to hear it.

The monk Guan Hai said, “He had drifted from place to place after being exiled from Chang’an. Even though his cultivation state is still as before, he can no longer see, so his life has naturally been a little difficult. The year before last, he wandered to the Tile Mountain and was discovered by monks in the temple. He has been cultivating with me in Lanke Temple ever since.”

Ning Que looked at the back of the temple and thought that the father of the rogue monk had been killed by himself in the Western Wilderness. The Xuankong Temple had long since expelled him and would not care about his life or death. He must have lived a miserable life drifting from place to place over the years. However, Ning Que simply thought about it but did not feel any sympathy for the monk.

“It’s been hard on you, Senior Brother.” He looked at Monk Guan Hai and said, “I’m really sorry to ask you to talk about that.”

Monk Guan Hai sighed and said, “Even though he had committed many crimes in those days, he is now blind. In the temple, there are no disputes with the world. Why drag him into the matters of the mortal world and have him suffer?”

Ning Que said, “If he really cares not about the world, why would he leave the Tile Mountain with you?”

Monk Guan Hai looked at him and said, “I can understand how the Tangs feel. But if you really want to do something, why do it under someone else’s name? Why bother?”

Ning Que answered, “Yes, it is indeed pointless to ask you to bring him over. It is just an excuse. The Academy does not want to give Haotian Taoism any excuses to attack, and I need an excuse to convince myself to do some things.”

Monk Guan Hai sighed with emotion and said, “Not even Teacher could see which road you would take back then. Now I can’t help but worry.”

Ning Que said, “The master was called Qishan (alternate mountain), so why would he not think that I might take the alternate path?”

Ning Que entered Yangzhou City in the night. He arrived at the outside of the Chatelain’s Mansion and looked at the clumps of bamboos sticking out of the courtyard wall. He was silent for a while, and he bent his knees slightly back before jumping onto the wall. He stretched his right hand in a flash and held on to the rough bamboo, slipping quietly into the office like a piece of thin cloth.

Wang Jinglue had already left at this time and was probably making preparations by the Fuchun River. He was the only one who entered the Chatelain’s Mansion. He did not use any talismans nor held any blades, and had easily entered the deepest part of the mansion just using his incredible physical strength. Nobody could discover him.

According to cultivation states, he was now a powerhouse in the Knowing Destiny State. But his true strength laid in the body he had gained after cultivating in the Great Spirit and joining the Devil as well as his identity as a Divine Talisman Master.

In Qinghe County, there was no one other than the two aristocratic powerhouses in the Knowing Destiny State who posed a threat to him. This also meant that there was no one in Yangzhou City who could stop him from doing what he wanted.

After some time, he brought Zhong Da Jun out of the backyard. Zhong Da Jun was not unconscious but he could not speak. His face was pale and filled with terror.

Ning Que walked to the courtyard walls casually as if he was holding a bag of trash. He lifted his arms, and tossed Zhong Da Jun over the wall. There was a dull thud, and then, Ning Que jumped over the wall.

There was some blood on the street outside the wall. Zhong Da Jun’s face was even paler and his features were scrunched up in pain. Some of his bones had probably shattered but he still could not speak. Even at this time, he did not know who had silently infiltrated his home and restrained him.

Arriving at the rundown temple at Yangzhou City, Ning Que tossed Zhong Da Jun on the ground, then poured himself a bowl of herbal tea and drank it slowly. Zhong Da Jun discovered that he could move his limbs, but he did not attempt to try to run and instead clasped his hands at his chest which was hurting. Then, he spat out the blood that had been trapped at his throat for some time.

There were beads of sweat on his forehead due to pain and terror. His arm trembled as he wiped his sweat. He forced himself to calm down before he dared to see how his captor looked like.

Zhong Da Jun was a son of a prominent family in Qinghe River and had grown up wealthy. His life had been smooth-sailing and he had brought merit in the rebellion last year. He had both status and power. If asked if he had any regrets in life, he would say that it was a person called Ning Que who was once his peer in the Academy.

Naturally, he remembered Ning Que. He would recognize him even if Ning Que turned into ashes. How would he be able to forget the person who had brought unto him endless humiliation back then?

What made him feel even more ashamed was that he discovered that he could not hate Ning Que after seeing him after such a long time. He did not feel the pain in his body, and only fear and desperation.

Even if he had done well for himself in Yangzhou City, how could he compare with Mr. Thirteen of the Academy? The fight between Prince Long Qing and Ning Que may make a good conversation from another perspective, but if the world knew that he had been secretly jealous and hated Ning Que for years, theywould only laugh at him.

Just as Zhong Da Jun had thought with indignance and self-mockery, helplessness and despair in countless nights over the years, Ning Que had basically forgotten the little incidents that happened in the Academy back then. He did not know that Zhong Da Jun hated him, but he truly hated Zhong Da Jun.

Zhong Da Jun stood up with difficulty and looked at Ning Que’s back as he stood in front of the ruined Buddha statue. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something but not knowing what to say. Would it help to beg for mercy now?

Ning Que turned around.

Zhong Da Jun asked in a quivering voice, “What are you going to do?”

Ning Que looked at him and did not say anything. His eyes were cold and devoid of any emotion.

Zhong Da Jun looked at Ning Que’s expression and knew that he would suffer greatly today and might even die. However, he did not understand why Ning Que would do it.

“Why?” He asked.

Ning Que did not say anything but only looked into his eyes quietly.

Zhong Da Jun could see from Ning Que’s eyes that he was about to kill him. He saw the blood in the Chatelain’s Mansion that day and saw the indignant eyes of the Tang officials who had died under blades and axes.

He started to tremble violently, and his desire to live overpowered his fear. He clenched his fists tightly in front of his chest and said raspily, “The Academy signed the agreement. You cannot kill me!”

Ning Que still did not say anything.

Zhong Da Jun knelt in front of Ning Que and spread out his hands. He defended himself desperately, “I was ordered to act, and I was just a nobody in Qinghe County. If you want to kill people and show them how powerful you are, it doesn’t make any sense to choose me. What’s more, if it was found out that you left Chang’an, the powerhouses from Haotian Taoism will come to kill you. Why would you take such a risk for a nobody like me?”

Ning Que looked at him silently, not saying anything.

Zhong Da Jun despaired and cried out in horror, “You had not yet signed the agreement when you killed the people in the Guildhall, but if you kill me now, you’re challenging the Divine Hall! The Divine Hall wants the loyalty of the world, would they allow something like this to happen? Do you want to start the war again? What do you intend to do?”

It was eerily silent in the dilapidated temple and only the sound of Zhong Da Jun’s yelling could be heard. His voice echoed between the broken Buddha statue and the dirty old curtain cloth. This strange feeling made him feel as if he was about to go mad. He beat the dusty ground desperately, reasoning in his hoarse voice why Ning Que could not kill him. He belittled himself, sounded regretful, and yelled and cursed crazily wanting only to save his own life.

“You’re trying to scare me, right?”

Zhong Da Jun looked at Ning Que, his face filled with tears and snot. He laughed dazedly like a madman and said, “You cannot kill me, so you’re trying to scare me into becoming crazy!”

He seemed to have caught on to the most important point in the matter and waved his arms around excitedly. He shouted, “I understand now! You’re trying to scare me! I, Zhong Da Jun, will not be scared!”

When he heard that, Ning Que smiled and left the rundown temple.

Zhong Da Jun was startled as he looked at the tightly shut temple doors. His arm was still in the air. He did not understand the situation right now. Why did Ning Que just leave like that?

At this moment, a voice rang from behind the temple. “Are you Zhong Da Jun?”

At the sound of his voice, a monk came out from behind the temple. He leaned on a bamboo stick and wore a cloth kasaya. His head was slightly tilted and his eyes deeply sunken, looking like a deep black hole.

Zhong Da Jun looked at the blind monk and answered subconsciously, “Indeed.”

The blind monk laughed when he heard his reply. His laughter was hoarse and yet loud and bright. It shattered against the four walls of the deteriorated temple, shaking the dust off the walls. Yet, it seemed evil.

Zhong Da Jun sensed that something was off and asked, “Who are you?”

The blind monk fell silent and then slowly answered, “I am Wudao the monk.”

Zhong Da Jun felt that the name was slightly familiar but had forgotten where he had heard this name.

Wu Dao walked up to Zhong Da Jun and scrunched up his eyes. He looked at the man he could not see and asked with an indifferent expression, “Have you stayed in Chang’an before?”

Zhong Da Jun grew more vigilant and answered cautiously, “I only stayed there for two years.”

The blind monk was the illegitimate child of a great Bhadanta in the Xuankong Temple. He was expelled from the Wilderness because of his bad conduct. After stepping into the mortal world, he incurred many debts of love and ruined many good women. He had once participated in the Academy’s entrance exam, and it was on that day that he met Ning Que and Sangsang.

He fell in love with Sangsang at first sight and wanted to be close to her. However, he was chased off by Master Yan Se and then, blinded by the Great Divine Priest of Light, and was thus handicapped.

He was a rogue monk in the mortal world and had no contact with the cultivation world, not knowing what happened in it. Growing weary he was blinded, he wandered around the world. He cultivated in seclusion at the Lanke Temple and eventually forgot the past. He was about to forget the stories Senior Brother Guan Hai told him and was about to forget how the girl looked like. But he had never forgotten the name that the man on the mountain path called himself.

The Academy’s, Zhong Da Jun.

He did not hear the entire conversation between Ning Que and Zhong Da Jun and only heard Zhong Da Jun’s final statement. He had thought that he was already far from the mortal world and did not love nor hate. However, today, in this rundown temple, he had heard the name and discovered that he still hated.

He hated that he was blind and that he had been so blind to have fallen for that girl. He hated that the girl was blind to be together with the man called Zhong Da Jun and hated that he had lost everything, while that man had everything.

“No wonder Senior Brother brought me here. He wanted me to see my heart for myself so that I can find true peace. I have to disappoint him. Because only by killing you can I attain true peace and get release from the abyss that is hatred.”

Wudao said seriously as he looked at Zhong Da Jun.

Zhong Da Jun looked at the monk’s blinded eyes and felt his body turn cold.

Wudao said calmly, “Please rest assured that I will use the most solemn attitude and kill you seriously.”

Zhong Da Jun had wanted to say something, but could only utter a terrified huff.

To be serious in whatever one was doing, one had to be focused. Being focused would make things slow. One could imagine that Zhong Da Jun would die very slowly this night, in this rundown temple that no one had visited to made offerings in a long time.

Sad and inaudible cries and pleadings for mercy rang out from the temple. The two aged doors seemed to tremble, as if they could not bear to see the images happening inside.

Ning Que stood in front of the temple, listening to the sound coming from behind. He thought of the first time he hunted with the Old Hunter and of the beast at the bottom of the pit that had been pierced by about ten bamboo sticks but had not yet died. Its cries were very similar to Zhong Da Jun’s, and Ning Que could not help but laugh.

Monk Guan Hai looked at Ning Que’s expression and silently uttered the name of Buddha. He said with a bitter expression, “You have indeed joined the Devil. I have done evil things with you, and I guess it’d be hard for me to enter the land of Buddha this life.”

Ning Que looked at him and said, “Since Zhong Da Jun deserves to die, this can’t be considered an evil matter.”

Monk Guan Hai shook his head and said, “Evil and goodness are from the heart. Lying is evil. Younger Brother Wudao’s early life was filled with evil, but he repented in the temple. Yet, I have tricked him into coming to kill someone. I have sinned even more.”

Ning Que said, “I have said earlier that since he was willing to leave Tile Mountain with you, it means that he still longs for the mortal world. It looks like this longing was made up of hatred. How can we release his hatred? Buddha Dharma will not work, and neither would the classics. Revenge, revenge. If we do not return the pain we felt, can we release the hatred brought by pain? After tonight, Wudao will be released from his hatred and will no longer long for the mortal world. He might even be enlightened in the Great Way. No matter how I see it, you have done good, Senior Brother, so where have you sinned?”

“I cannot win against you in an argument.”

Monk Guan Hai said guiltily, “But I know that my actions have not pleased Buddha.”

Ning Que replied, “Buddha is but a cultivator, so how can he determine whether we are right or wrong based on his moral compass? If you’re worried that you will not enter the land of Buddha in this life, shall I build you one in the mortal world?”

Monk Guan Hai did not know how to reply.

At this time, the screams in the rundown temple had slowly weakened and stopped.

Wudao pushed open the temple doors and stumbled out. He splayed out his hands that were filled with blood and looked around him. He said, in a crying manner, “Senior Brother, where are you? Where are you?”

Ning Que walked to the side silently.

Monk Guan Hai walked up and held Wudao.

Wudao fell to the ground and hugged his legs to himself and cried out loud. He said, in an unsteady voice, “Younger Brother has failed Senior Brother’s teachings.”

Monk Guan Hai teared up as well. He gave Ning Que a parting glance that held a myriad of emotions. Then, he helped Wudao into the dark night.

Ning Que looked at the gory image in the dark ruined temple. He stood silently until the sounds of people approaching could be heard on the state highway in the distance. He saw the lited torches and then, he turned away and left.