Chapter 107 (2/2)

”Studying in the Academy is for the official position of the Tang Empire. What's more, the cultivation is, of course, a more fundamental reason. As for why I study so hard, that's because I have lots of things to complete. If I don't fight with all my life at present, maybe I will be killed in the future.”

”What things are so difficult?”

”That's the story I can't tell you.”

The written communication beside the west window of the old library began from the mutual question about cultivation and math, then extended to their mutual lives. As time gently pa.s.sed, Ning Que quickly recuperated and did not cough after taking Chen Pipi's prescription. The two young lads gradually became more and more familiar and closer, though they still had not met each other.

Summer came the previous day, and the temperature became higher and higher. At some time, the west window had been closed and the interior building was filled with darkness. The smile on Ning Que's face gradually disappeared as he looked at the notes Chen Pipi wrote these days. He found a shocking detail: the guy named Chen Pipi said his family could figure out that he hid inside the Academy if they had failed to find him elsewhere. This indirectly meant that there was no place that his family could not reach in this world, and only the sacred and mighty Academy could make his family a little scared.

”In West Hill Divine Kingdom... is there such a powerful and mighty family?”

Slightly frowning, Ning Que thought for a while, but he could not figure it out, and then he kept reading the notes. Yesterday, he asked in the letter for the first time about whether they could meet. Now he was naturally curious about Chen Pipi's reply since he was sure that the guy was on the Second Floor.

Someone's handwriting was left on the paper yesterday: ”When you enter the Second Floor, you will see me at that time.”

Ning Que, shaking his head, replied with his pen: ”The issue is... how can I enter the Second Floor?”

Haotian was so unfair, making the lad's acupoint blocked. No matter how he read books by the way of deconstruction and in an indomitable spirit, he could not really make a step forward in the cultivation journey. At present, looking at the three words ”the Second Floor”, he unavoidably felt a little disappointed.

Putting down his pen, standing up, and looking at the quiet bookshelf around him, he laughed at himself and sighed. He found it both interesting and boring that he was thinking where the Second Floor was while he was standing on the second floor of the building.

Suddenly, with a slight frown, he noticed that there was a shallow scratch on the floor down near the bookshelf leaning against the mountain wall near him. On the dark-colored wooden floor, the scratch was very thin and light, which was difficult to be seen if someone did not look carefully.

After a short silence, he walked toward the area, squatted, and gently touched it. Later, Ning Que was sure that it was caused by the c.u.mulative friction day by day. He looked up at the heavy bookshelf and then his finger pressing the scratch began slightly trembling.

There were some decorative patterns, complicated in style and sophisticated in meaning, on both sides of the bookshelf. The c.u.mulative dust inside the pattern, suddenly round or square, was of irregularity, presenting a very ugly and malformed shape. Every detail of the ornamentation in the old library was very delicate, except the ugly decoration of the bookshelf leaning against the wall. With more and more confusion, he gently touched with his fingers and then closed his eyes, feeling every touch from his fingers.

Was the well-known Second Floor behind the bookshelf? The real Academy was situated behind the wall?

”You can try unclenching the bookshelf and look what is behind it.”

Ning Que quickly opened his eyes and turned around. He noticed that the gentle and beautiful female professor, silently standing behind him, was looking at him with warm, and even a little encouraging, eyes.

He could not comprehend the real meaning of the female professor's warm and peaceful look, and just looked at the decorative pattern on the bookshelf with a forced smile. Occasionally, some flas.h.i.+ng thoughts reminded him of the feeling he had at the sight of the Vermilion Bird at Vermilion Bird Avenue and at the sight of those animal carvings on the eaves in the Imperial Palace. He could faintly guess something and, of course, did not dare to make any disrespectful moves.

It was midsummer in the 13th year of the Tianqi era, and Ning Que and Sangsang had been in Chang'an for several months. They operated the Old Brush Pen Shop and had some simple food every day. Besides, Ning Que was successfully admitted as a student to the Academy. It seemed that there was no big change in their lives, but, in fact, the real situation was not like that.

The young soldier from a border town had following Chao Xiaoshu and gone through a b.l.o.o.d.y and murderous fight in the Spring Breeze Pavilion on a rainy spring night. Besides, he had entered the Imperial Palace one time. In addition, the lad had studied hard with those cultivation books in the old library for a few days. These experiences, without a doubt, had helped him view a larger and wider world and make friends with some interesting and talented people, which greatly improved his quality, both in vision and spirit.

During these months, the most important thing was that his first friend was killed, and he ended the lives of censor Zhang Yiqi and Chen Zixian—the first step on his road of vengeance. Luckily, it seemed that the two enemies' deaths did not attract much attention from the government of the Tang and that mighty General Xia Hou.

”It's too hot, the only shortcoming of Chang'an.”

Lying on the bamboo chair and looking at the starry sky, Ning Que shook his head and, as he wiped the sweat from his face, said, ”It won't become cooler until the early morning arrives. There is a lake beside that Tea Specialist's residence. Maybe that will be more comfortable to stay in than ours?”

Taking over the towel and soaking it in the cool water bucket, Sangsang replied in a low voice, ”Young master, do you plan to kill him just because his residence is cooler? Is this revenge... so interesting?”

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