Chapter 280 (1/2)
Ning Que knew that the old monk was praising the Academy for admitting someone like him. It would take an unimaginable amount of guts and an inclusive att.i.tude. That was why the Academy deserved admiration.
He said proudly, ”In this world, victory belongs to the Academy.”
The old monk said mockingly, ”However, the Academy will end up in ruins.”
Ning Que replied, ”Everything in the world would. However, at least the Academy would not turn into ruins from your curse.”
The old monk looked at the severely injured and weak lad who was proud and confident. It felt as if he was looking at the old friend from many years ago. After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked, ”How long has Ke Haoran been dead for?”
Ning Que was startled and said, ”I do not know.”
”I've once told him that the Haoran Sword had joined the Devil's path, but he did not care. I warned him that he would be punished by Haotian should he continue to be so prideful, and yet, he did not care either. I'm sure that he has long turned into ashes and has been scattered throughout every stream and every mountain in this world. I wonder if he is still as proud right now. Hahaha...”
The old monk lowered his head and laughed like a madman. A single turbid tear appeared at the corner of his eye.
Ning Que said, ”Youngest Uncle should be proud even in death.”
The old monk raised his head and looked at him coldly. ”But he still died before me. I have won.”
Ning Que said mockingly, ”Some has died, but he is still alive. Some is still alive, but he is already dead.”
The old monk said emotionally, ”You have such a sharp tongue on you.”
”Will I succeed next time?”
Ning Que suddenly asked sincerely. His body was still shaking beneath the cotton s.h.i.+rt. While this method expended a lot of energy, it was the only way to retain one's mobility when one's mental state was under the control of a person in a terrifying state.
The old monk looked at him and said sincerely, ”There will be no next time.”
Ning Que replied, ”You are indeed the strongest person in existence that I can imagine. However, you are a defeated ruler who have been imprisoned for decades while I am a fierce young tiger who have just left the mountain. The Confinement that has blocked the Qi of Heaven and Earth has no impact on me. I am used to relying on my strength. There is no reason why you should recover faster than me.”
The old monk smiled lightly and said, ”You do indeed have a sharp tongue. It is a pity that I am so old I don't have any teeth.”
He lowered his head and took a bite out of Ye Hongyu's naked shoulder after he said that.
Ye Hongyu's brows raised violently, but she refused to lower her head. She glared at the old monk who was chewing on her flesh as if she was imprinting the image in her mind. She would not want to forget this even when she entered the Underworld.
The old monk did not have any teeth. He used his gums to chew with great difficulty like a toothless old lion on the brink of death trying to tear apart the solid meat of a doe. Fresh blood dribbled from wrinkled lips.
After a moment, the old monk raised his head and looked at Ning Que with a small smile. ”You want to waste time away, so do I. After I digest the first mouthful of flesh, I will absorb the second even faster. You don't have to attempt to struggle. You'd be happier welcoming death peacefully. I will destroy this Confinement and emerge from the mountain once I eat all three of you and regain my powers. Then, the world will be mine, and it could be said that it belongs to you three too.”
The old monk's voice was slightly m.u.f.fled due to the flesh in his mouth. However, it was as warm as the waters in spring. Blood dripped from his aged lips, wrinkled skin and chin, but his smile was benevolent and looked like it was plated with Buddha light. The Bone Mountain and dead bodies beside him looked like a sacred lotus throne, emanating light. This image that hovered between Buddha and the Devil was extremely scary.
Ning Que knew that what he said was true. He thought through all his ways of staying alive but did not find any that would break the status quo right now. No matter the pouch that Master Yan Se gave him, the Primordial Thirteen Arrows, or the Fu character on his podao, they all required a connection with nature before they could unleash their true powers. He could not help but think of death silently.
He stared at the old monk and said resolutely, ”The world will not become yours even if you can get out of here.”
The old monk thought of that glimpse of a sleeve of a robe. He smiled, ”I have already joined the Devil. Would I be afraid of the powers of this world?”
Ning Que shook his head and said, ”There is still the Headmaster of the Academy in this world.”
The old monk descended into silence. And then, he said, ”The Headmaster of the Academy would eventually die. Those from the Academy are too proud. The prouder one is, the easier it is for them to die. This is the fate of the Headmaster of the Academy. And this is the fate of the Academy. It cannot be changed.”
Ning Que frowned and said, ”You're speaking nonsense.”
The old monk suddenly asked, ”Who is the empress of the Tang empire in Chang'an? How many great generals in the Peak state of Martial Arts have appeared these years? Have the Devil's Dance appeared again? Did the Headmaster of the Academy rush up and get revenge on the Peach Mountain after Ke Haoran was punished? Wait, there's something that's not right. This young lady said that she was the Grand Master of the Judicial Department. Does that mean that the Divine Hall has yet to be destroyed?”
Ke Haoran's punishment and the Headmaster of the Academy heading to the Peach Mountain; in his eyes, it seemed that the Divine Hall on the Peach Mountain would have been destroyed. However, he knew that the West-Hill Divine Palace still existed, so he could not help but wonder for he believed that his plan was fool-proof.
Ning Que did not know how he should answer the questions. It felt like the crazy questioning from a lunatic, but the questions were full of history and dust. And within the dust, laid many hidden secrets that cannot be told.
”I have planned many things before the Front Gate was destroyed. I arranged for the saintess to head south. I believe that she would complete what I have asked her to do. I have arranged for many disciples to head south. I trust that one of them would be able to complete the task I had set.”
The old monk looked at him and grinned slightly, his smile was so full of confidence it looked a touch tyrannical.