Chapter 174 (1/2)

Senior Brothers and Sisters in the mountain of the Academy were from the South China Sea islands, other countries, or distant lands. There were actually none living in Chang'an City. Having seen Brother II's lovely little livehand, Ning Que had thought to move into the back mountain with Sangsang. However, as a newcomer in the Academy, he considered himself unqualified to be compared to Brother II. It might be considered indecent for him to make such a request. Besides, he thought the back mountain, though beautiful, lacked a sense of civil life. So he became the only non-resident student in the Academy.

Sangsang rushed to the western street and bought back several pens, ink and bizarre materials as per Ning Que's list. She finished before the shops closed and streetlights were turned off. And then she was busy with cooking. She gave Ning Que the Old Brush Pen Shop's daily business report as she was cutting vegetables.

”It was busy today, especially in the morning when the threshold was almost trampled. I had the shop door repaired yesterday, but it still wasn't solid enough and broke again. The crowds only died down after people heard that you weren't in.”

Suddenly thinking of something, Sangsang wiped her wet hands on her ap.r.o.n and took out a thick stack of name cards and invitations from the back room. She put them on the desk. ”A lot of people left these inviting you to their mansions. There are too many, and their names are there in writing, so I didn't take notes.

Ning Que glanced at the invitations and name cards, and looked to the Cla.s.sics of Talisman, thinking he was too busy to attend any appointments. He replied, ”You pick out the important ones and put them aside after dinner. I'll handle them later.”

”How should I choose and manage them?” Sangsang asked seriously. As Ning Que's little handmaiden, she had no experience in dealing with bigwigs from the Empire. She had no idea which kind of invitations were important.

”Just like selecting vegetables, you keep the fresh and expensive, and put aside the stale and cheap. As for what is fresh and expensive... I told you before about the imperial official system. Do you still remember? The ones from junior officials are expensive. I will handle and answer these letters out of etiquette, since what they really want is merely my calligraphy.

Sangsang listened to his reply with her brows slightly furrowing, and then whispered, ”Master, your calligraphy can be sold for money now. Isn't it a pity to give them calligraphy replies for free?

Ning Que laughed and continued to concentrate on the dozens of thick Talisman Cla.s.sics in front of him. He had only read a few and really had no extra time to think about other things.

Master Yan Se had given him a total of 33 Cla.s.sics on Talisman, which recorded Talismans left by precedent Talisman Masters. Together they added up to 387 sections, and 2477 talismans, as complicated as the sea.

Ning Que made a rough review of the Cla.s.sics and gave a long and attentive gaze to one particular set of talismans. They seemed totally different and he could not find anything in common between them. Gaining nothing, he frowned deeper and deeper.

According to Master Yan Se, the Fu characters were for Ning Que's reference only. As for how to write them, it all depended on his personal understanding. But how on earth was he going to get the references he needed to comprehend them? They looked like tadpoles, graffiti, rain drops and silk, rather than characters or pictures.

Ning Que randomly picked a book from the hill-like Cla.s.sics and found that it was the first section of Volume Three, the beginning of the Water Volume. He was a bit excited when he discovered that the beginning was seemingly concerned with something like water, the most indispensable and closest thing to human life. This might make it easier for him to study it.

There were four pages in the first section. Ning Que read carefully from the beginning to the end and discovered that more than a hundred Fu characters on these pages had similarities. Most of them consisted of six lines running from top to bottom, except that the six ink lines differed in thickness and length, and especially in their style of combination and arrangement. In the strangest Fu characters, the six ink lines even entangled together completely.

”Are these all water characters? Is there a river that is the longest?”

Ning Que stared with furrowed eyebrows at the Fu character written at the highest point in the Water Volume, the six ink lines that were neatly arranged and slightly curved in the middle. Gradually easing into tranquility, he envisioned the ink lines as water flows as if he could vaguely see the rainwater falling from eaves to the quartzite, blooming rain flowers, and then integrating again into the surrounding rainwater.

Beside the desk were some materials such as ink and cinnabar. He had asked Sangsang to buy these cheap ordinary items, all of which, according to Master Yan Se, were essential materials for writing Fu characters.

Rather than continuing to watch the six ink lines, Ning Que poured water into the inkstone and began to slowly grind the inkstick. When the ink was sufficiently mixed with the water, he took a writing brush down from the shelf and gently dipped it into the ink till it was plump.

He did this in a gentle and leisure way, but it was actually the way taught by Master Yan Se, forcing the Psyche Power to slowly run out of the Snow Mountain and Ocean of Qi, to get through the paper window, to fall into the well at the small yard and finally to exquisitely experience the flavor of primordial Qi in the water.

He raised his brush from the inkstone but could not write on the paper. He sat with his wrist stiffened above the inkstone.

Ning Que frowned slightly and looked at the six ink lines again, forcibly disa.s.sembling the Eight Strokes Calligraphy of Yong in his mind, only to find that the six lines suddenly separated, floated away and turned into a black rain cloud that hung above his head. However, the dark ink cloud persistently refused to drip a single drop of water.

With his wrist slightly quivering, Ning Que was ready to start writing, but his brush had stopped in the air. He could clearly feel that he was still incapable of writing the Fu character and connecting his own feelings with the well water, even though he had comprehended the meaning of the well water and this Fu character. It turned out to be wrong eventually.

On a quiet night the candlelight gradually rose.

There were two dishes and a bowl of rice on the desk. A bowl of water, lightly rippling with the night breeze, was placed under the lamp.

Ning Que stood at the desk by the window, watching the Fu characters of Water Volume. His body was stiffening and his right hand that was pinching the brush was slightly shaking. He had kept this posture for a long time, but still failed to write on the paper.

Sangsang sat at the bed embroidering shoes, occasionally raising her head to glance at him.

A few hours ago, she had finish eating, without asking Ning Que to join her. She knew that Ning Que was in a big trouble whenever he habitually began to study with all his effort. Though she was worried, she still kept silent. She was used to this kind of situation.

Ning Que owned an excellent but poor quality that whenever he met puzzles that he was eager to solve with interest, he would become fully absorbed into the process. Before the answers came to him, he could not even sleep, and even the most delicious food was as unpalatable as candles in his mouth. The surrounding world was totally insignificant for him.

The reason he could be regarded as a genius was largely because of his way of solving problems, which was actually a nuisance for the people around. He would forget to eat and could not fall asleep. He would keep torturing his body until he became extremely weak, even dangerously so. He would not awaken until he solved the problem or restored his sense to confirm that the problem was beyond his ability.

The year when Ning Que found the Article on the Response of the Tao for the first time at the frontier fortress, he didn't sleep for two weeks. He had tried to force himself to enter the meditation state constantly so that he could perceive the Qi of Heaven and Earth. Sangsang, who was still young at the time, had painstakingly taken care of him for exactly half a month. It hadn't ended until the ex-general of the City of Wei, unable to bear the situation any longer, had asked his pro-soldiers to whip Ning Que awake. After that, both Ning Que and Sangsang had gotten a seriously sick.

It was the same case last year when he ascended the old library. He had stayed up unconscious and been thrown outside the building every day. He would return home in a horse carriage with a pale face, and vomit continuously in bed like a drunken man, even spitting up blood. It was Sangsang who had accompanied him and dared not fall asleep every night.

After she finished embroidering the flower, Sangsang looked up and rubbed her tired wrist. She glanced at Ning Que, who was as still as a statue, and then continued to embroider soles, hiding her worries.

Over the years, she had become accustomed to Ning Que's craziness when solving problems.

Ning Que had gotten used to being taken care of in such situations.

When the night grew late, the oil burnt out and lights went off.

Sangsang wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep in bed in her clothes. She awakened, rubbed her eyes and looked at the half-light dawn sky outside the window. She saw that Ning Que was still standing by the desk in his writing posture.

Sangsang walked over to open the window and turned to the desk, finding that there was not even a single dot of ink on the white paper. Yet Ning Que was extremely frail after a whole night of suffering, and his dry eyes were completely bloodshot.

Sangsang stood by the window and stared into Ning Que's eyes for a long time. Ning Que did not see her at all. She shook her head and went out to cook.

It wasn't until Ning Que was covered by a steaming hot towel on the face that he recovered from his selflessness. He sat in the chair with his whole body aching as if it had gotten rusty.

Ning Que rubbed his face with hot water, brushed his teeth and then drank a pot of tea to recover his strength. He took the Water Volume from the desk and put it into his sleeve before leaving for the Academy.

Standing in front of the Old Brush Pen Shop, he turned to Sangsang. After a moment of silence, he said, ”The problems I am encountering this time are more troublesome than those before. It may take a few more nights. From tonight onwards, rather than stay up late with me, take good care of yourself; even though you haven't been sick for almost a year. If I wear out, you can look after me. However, if both of us fall ill, it will be impossible to make Aunty Wu next door come to take care of us. ”

Sangsang nodded.

By the time Ning Que arrived at the Academy, study rooms had already begun cla.s.ses. After coming up to the old library alone, he took a deep breath and went out into the mist of the mountain.

The elegant dawn light and beautiful cliff landscape appeared out of the mist.

Ning Que had rested on the horse carriage traveling from Chang'an City to the Academy, so he was slightly better in mentality. He seemed more vigorous as he enjoyed the beautiful scenery. He held the book tightly in his sleeves and considered lying on the lawn to read. The back of the mountain of the Academy might be a fantastic environment for perceiving Talisman Taoism.

At this moment, a clear voice was heard beside him.

”Younger Brother... ah, you're here.”

Ning Que turned around and saw Seventh Sister. She was wearing a yellow spring Academy uniform. Hurriedly, he said, ”Seventh Sister, it's a great honor to meet you here.”

Seventh Sister looked curiously at him. With concern she asked, ”You seem to be in a bad state of mind today?”

The biggest difference between Senior Sisters and Senior Brothers was that Senior Sisters were female, and Seventh Sister was a young and pretty woman. No matter how old a man was, he would never show his incapability by admitting that he was in a bad mental state in front of a beautiful young woman. Therefore, Ning Que laughed and replied, ”I entered the back of the mountain yesterday, so I was too excited to get a good night's rest.”

”Oh, then I don't need to worry anymore.”

Seventh Sister took a note out from her sleeve and gave it to Ning Que. With a smile, she said, ”You know I'm responsible for maintaining the array tactics in the mist now. This month is just the right time for an overhaul, so I need a lot of materials. Would you please fetch some from the front yard? You can find Professor Wen Lan directly. ”

Ning Que opened his mouth slightly, remembering Chen Pipi's complacent laughter yesterday, and began to feel regret for his reply just now. He answered with a bitter face, ”Yes, Seventh Sister.”

”Please be quick,” Sister giggled and continued with some embarra.s.sment, ”Some fabric materials need to be changed, thus I have to bother you to help me.”

Ning Que opened his mouth wider. helplessly pointing at the thick fog behind him, he said, ”Sister, you mean you want me to go into the fog and help you change the materials? I have... poor vision in the fog.”

Seventh Sister laughed with her sleeves covering her mouth like a weak woman, but she suddenly patted his chest like a strong man, and said, ”I won't let you be blind in the mist. I need to check the array center and have no other choice, but to bother you.”

”Don't mention it. It's no bother,” Ning Que said, opening his eyes. ”Or should I ask Chen Pipi to come help us? It may be faster if we do it together.”

”Younger Brother, although you were familiar with him before ascending the mountain, he is now your Twelfth Brother after all. You should use the correct t.i.tle.” Seventh Sister looked at him with a sweet smile. ”The Second floor of the Academy is not so pedantic as other sects in the world, but we still need to pay attention to matters such as honoring teachers and brothers, caring for friends and esteeming the truth.”

Ning Que understood what she meant and was not eligible to refuse her. He was merely a freshman and Younger Brother of the Second floor of the Academy.

On the second day, when Ning Que came to the Academy and entered the back of the mountain, he looked rather haggard. The redness in his dry eyes was worse. He had not slept for two nights. Yesterday he had worked for Seventh Sister like a coolie running all over the entire mountain, so he had had intimate contact with the magical array tactical in the fog for the first time. However, his mental state had become worse to the extreme.

Yesterday Senior Seventh Sister had said that the overhaul might take at least a month and that it had to be finished before the Headmaster of the Academy and eldest Brother returned. When Ning Que remembered this outside of the mist, he felt a chill throughout his whole body. He quickly slipped into the shadowed woods in the back of the mountain and lowered his body as a vole.

He took an unusual Mountain Path, and only walked to the depth of the gra.s.s and forest. Seeing that the lake as a mirror on the cliff was getting smaller and smaller and the waterfall between the cliffs at the opposite side was becoming thinner and thinner, Ning Que could not help feeling happy. He a.s.sumed that Seventh Sister would certainly not be able to find him anymore. He rubbed his tired and tingling cheeks, and looked towards the distance leaning on a cedar, which seemed comfortable.

”Erm, someone's here on the mountain? Erm, it's actually you? Erm, why are you here? To bring us food?”

Suddenly Ning Que heard two vigorous and tired voices from behind a hardy pine. He was sure that there were two people speaking, but the sounds magically mixing together seemed to come from the same person.

Ning Que was shocked. He looked back and found two men of an unknown age, with long beards and messy hair. They were sitting on the opposite sides of a stone table beside the pine. It was late spring and there was a lot of heat even in the mountain. Yet strangely, the two men were still dressed in thick Academy winter uniforms, with stains all over them. He could not guess how long it had been since their uniforms had been washed.

He immediately guessed that the two men were Fifth Brother and Eighth Brother, since Chen Pipi had told him about them. He forcibly suppressed his shock and respectfully gave a deep bow, saying, ”I'm Ning Que. It's my honor to see you here.”

”Younger Brother, it's good to see you. Come over here.”

Said the man with dirty beard and hair in an exhausted voice. Ning Que did not know if it was Sixth Brother or Eighth Brother.

Ning Que walked over and found that the stone table was carved with dense lines. It had become a stone chessboard, with dozens of black and white chess pieces, a few in the east and a few in the west. Ning Que did not know what it meant.

He was suddenly startled when he looked down and saw that one of Senior Brothers' hands had reached his arms.