Chapter 196 (2/2)
The meadow had already been surrounded by hubbub of voice, where excited and nervous Academy students were saying goodbye to their parents. Parents seemed to have countless words to say and numerous articles to add to the luggage they had gotten prepared for their children. However, the young students' mind had already drifted to the remote north, as if they had seen their promising prospect to make a big achievement.
Of course, not all the students were excitedly waiting for their on-coming journey, and one exception was Chu Youxian, who were surrounded by his wealthy father in the Eastern City together with his father's concubines in the far distance and whose face was filled with complaint and terror.
Ning Que smiled to his direction and then turned to Situ Yilan by his side, who looked bright and brave with her magenta archery robe, curiously asking, ”It's so strange that n.o.body come to see you off.”
Situ Yilan answered with a smile, ”The so-called practice is actually an expedition. Father just encouraged me to fight bravely against enemies and didn't plan to see me off. Anyway, n.o.body see you off either.”
Ning Que shook his head and said, ”I have no parents or relatives, who come to see me off.”
Seeing the two people walking out of the Academy, Situ Yilan said, ”It seems there are persons coming to see you off.”
The two walked out of the Academy were Yu Lian, Third Sister and Chen Pipi. Those students and their parents on the meadow knew the status of the two from the instructors, so they hastened to give way to them politely.
A burst of autumn breeze softly fumbled the hair on the forehead of the lady, making it difficult to find out the real age of this pet.i.te-figured woman and bestowing the charming female professor an even younger look.
After Ning Que entered the Second floor of the Academy, he seldom had the chance to talk privately with Third Sister, so he felt surprised when finding that she came to see him off, saying, ”Many thanks, Senior Sister.”
Yu Lian handed over a small article to him and smilingly said, ”I have nothing special to give you but just a few words. Remember, no matter in what situation, if you follow your own heart, you can easily go through it.”
”Thanks for your suggestion, Senior Sister.”
Ning Que turned to Chen Pipi. Looking at this friend who had given him enormous help in his course of cultivation, he asked smilingly after a moment of silence, ”What do you plan to give me?”
A gust of morning wind visited the meadow and blew out crinkles on Chen Pipi's face, who then earnestly replied, ”I come to see... off.”
Ning Que shook his head with sighs and said, ”You are more shameless now.”
Chen Pipi sighed, ”Learn from you.”
Ning Que smilingly retorted, ”Learn from each other.”
Chen Pipi laughed too, and then seriously asked, ”Anything I can do for you?”
Ning Que intended to say he had arranged all the things, but on the second thought, he said, ”You know.”
”Know what?”
”I have a little handmaiden.”
As a young soldier from a border town, he first defeated Mr. Xie in climbing up the library, and then kept silent when neglected by the Academy, who later neglected the Academy. During the mountaineering, he beat Prince Long Qing and finally became the only one entering the Second floor in this grade. This time he would lead all his cla.s.smates to the Wilderness in the North of Yan Kingdom to practice. Undoubtedly now Ning Que had become a legend in the eyes of ordinary students in the Academy.
His dialogue with Situ Yilan had already attracted quite a lot of eyesights, then more focuses were rested on him following professor Yu Lian and Chen Pipi, which was a complicated mixture of respect, admire, or jealousy yet no hint of hate because they didn't dare to.
When Ning Que lifted up the pile of heavy-loaded luggage from his feet to the direction of the meadow, the decade of eyesight focusing silently on him revealed emotions of shock and doubt. What kind of horse could bear so much luggage which seemed to be extremely heavy? What made him to walk to the meadow?
Three podaos, separated iron bow and thirteen Talisman Arrow in the quiver, his familiar boxwood bow and ordinary arrows, all these were necessities on the journey, which even furthur included a folded small tent and the big black umbrella tightly wrapped in coa.r.s.e cloth.
The luggage was gotten well prepared by Sangsang last night which couldn't be condensed to be smaller. However, there were so many things packed in it that it looked as magnificent as a small hill.
Ning Que walked to the rail of the meadow with his heavy luggage and raised his eyes to search for his target.
On the other side of the rail, those military horses left out by the other Academy students were silently eating gra.s.s or taking rest with their heads lowered on the meadow, hard to see whether they were discouraged or not. Yet on the more vast gra.s.s faraway, a black figure was running back and forth, making thunder of gallops like a black lightning.
Only when the black figure slowed down did he find out it was an extremely strong black steed. It constantly chased, bit at or knocked into the peers aside, frightening others escape to other directions. However, it had no plan to give up and neighed proudly at times, making it all the more arrogant and mean.
Ning Que smiled at the big black horse and inserted his figure in between his lips to make a whistle.
The whistling curled up above the meadow.
The big black horse which was unbridledly and proudly bullying its peers suddenly stiffened at the whistle and couldn't move an inch as if its four hoofs were nailed into the soft meadow. It looked like a wooden horse painted into black leaving only a pair of dark eyeb.a.l.l.s quickly turning around. One could obviously see the fear in its eyes.
It difficultly turned the frozen neck back to the figure against the rail in the far distance, finally relating the worst memory in its mind to the guy.
Then another whistling was heard, as if it was urging the horse.
The big black horse difficultly raised its hoofs and galloped to the rail with its head painfully lowered. Each step ahead was so reluctant and unwilling, behaving like a female star who was about to marry to a notorious wealthy family and unsure about her future.
It slowly paced to the rail and looked at Ning Que on the other side of the rail, slightly waving the head and meanwhile ridiculously turned up its thick lips as if it was playing up to Ning Que to show its absolute obedience.
It had been over one year since the Academy entry exam, yet the big black horse was still as bad-tempered as before. However, in face of Ning Que, it still had no courage to show its bad temper.
Yet when seeing the hill-sized luggage at the foot of Ning Que, it neighed out of terror and prepared to turn back to flee away regardless of its instinctive terror.
Ning Que stared at it and said, ”Just as usual.”
The big black horse stopped.
Ning Que continued, ”If you don't listen to me, I will kill you.”
The big black horse turned back discouragedly.
Then Ning Que hanged his hill-sized luggage on its saddle.
At the turn of summer and autumn in the fourteenth year of Tianqi era, the Academy initiated the practice of this grade.
The leader of the group was the one that was even not seen by the Headmaster and Eldest Brother and could be called as the weakest disciple of Second floor of the Academy.
In the backyard of the Old Brush Pen Shop, Sangsang stared blankly at the chuckling old hen, thinking to herself,
”I shall have killed you yesterday to let you eat more. What if he felt hungry on the road?”
On the suburban road of Chang'an City, Ning Que looked at the picturesque folk houses along the road, figuring it was not known for many days he couldn't drink the chicken soup cooked by her. Then he began to miss her soon after he left the city.
The empire in the morning was covered by faint light.
The gallops of horse, and the quivering of indigo robes
<script>