Chapter 344 (1/2)

Chapter 344: Heavier than the Blade and Faster than the Arrows

Ning Que knew that Second Brother was a solemn gentleman and hated being flattered. Or one could say, he hated flattery that was shallow and easily seen-through. That was why he had thought long and hard about his praise and said it in a most natural manner. It was a pity it was still wrong.

It was like trying to pat the Snow Horse's beautiful bottom but ended up getting a handful of the Big Black Horse's b.u.t.t. It was slightly awkward. However, his skin was thick and he did not flush even though he fell silent for a moment and stared at the lake.

”I heard that the Calligraphy Addict came back to Chang'an with you?”

”Eldest Brother has acknowledged her as his vowed sister and invited her over to Chang'an to have fun. It has nothing to do with me.”

Second Brother glanced at him and said coldly, ”Is she going to marry Eldest Brother?”

It was not a misunderstanding, but sarcastic mocking. Even Ning Que's thick skin could not bear the a.s.sault, and he could only lower his head and look at the tip of his shoes like what shy girls did.

”Go for your things.”

Second Brother walked on the bridge towards the mid-lake pavilion after that. His posture was stable, or one might even say that it was stubborn. Every step was measured and precise. The tall crown on his head did not move at all in the slight breeze.

Ning Que looked at his retreating back and wondered why Second Brother liked to stay in the pavilion.

One would not get an answer to this kind of question. And even if one had the answer, one would not dare to say it aloud. He shrugged and carried his heavy bags towards the smithy with the never ending thunderous sounds.

In the white steam room, Fourth Brother, dressed in his winter uniform, was meditating at the sand table with the talisman lines by the dark windows. Sixth Brother did not wear a top and was hammering on metal by the stove.

The two Senior Brothers stopped and turned around when they heard his footsteps. Upon discovering that Ning Que had returned, excitement flashed on their faces. They asked, ”Were the arrows useful? What about the blade?”

Ning Que had thought that the two Senior Brothers were excited at their reunion, yet only to find that they did not even ask about how he was. They were only worried about the fruits of their labors. He could not help but smile bitterly. He bowed deeply to

the ground to the two Senior Brothers, executing the most formal and solemn of all bows.

He had encountered numerous dangers in the Wilderness. If not for the two Senior Brothers who had slaved over the Primordial Thirteen Arrows and the talisman blade day and night, he would have long been dead. They had saved his life, how could he not be grateful?

Ning Que put down his bags and retrieved the Primordial Thirteen Arrows from the iron box. He laid them on the ground neatly and said, ”The Primordial Thirteen Arrows were very useful. I've looked them over, and they can be used again after some simple fixing.”

A flash of surprise crossed Fourth Brother's face. He counted the arrows on the ground and said incredulously, ”You didn't lose any of them? How did you pick all them back?”

Ning Que answered honestly, ”Eldest Brother found them for me.”

Fourth Brother smiled, and thought to himself, that the arrows would certainly not go missing since Eldest Brother was there.

The talisman arrows on the ground were the culmination of the efforts of everyone in the back of the mountain of the Academy, especially that of Fourth and Sixth Brothers. They had used everything they had learned and had barely slept and ate to make them.

They have all heard of how Prince Long Qing had lost the bet and knew that Ning Que had used the Primordial Thirteen Arrows to gain victory. They had not counted on being able to see all the talisman arrows again, but were surprised to see that their youngest Younger Brother had returned with the entire set. To them, it was like all their children had returned safely, and they were naturally extremely happy.

Sixth Brother looked at Ning Que and asked simply, ”Does Younger Brother still need us to do anything?”

Ning Que laughed in embarra.s.sment. He thought to himself that Sixth Brother dealt with the stove and metal all year round, and had not expected him to accurately guess what he was thinking. Then, he removed the three podaos on his back and pa.s.sed it to him.

Sixth Brother's palms were extremely large. He grabbed the three podaos and asked, ”Were they not useful?”

Ning Que thought about what to say and said, ”A bit too light.”

He had experienced many battles in the Wilderness. The three podaos had helped cut down many heads when he went against the Horse Gang. However, when he faced cultivation powerhouses like Lin Ling, Long Qing, Ye Hongyu, and Master Lotus, the podaos were not very useful even with the talisman lines etched on them.

Compared to the Primordial Thirteen Arrows and the pouch, the podao's use to him was not as large. However, he was used to going to combat with blades and could not bear to abandon them, which was why he hoped that Sixth Brother could help to modify them.

Sixth Brother lowered his head and looked at the three blades. He asked, ”How do you want to change them?”

Ning Que looked at the three slender podaos and thought of many things. He thought about how he had killed the horse gang by the Shubi Lake with the three blades and how he had killed a.s.sa.s.sins at the Northern Mountain Road. However, as his skills improved, and his position in the world changed, many things had changed as well.

He used to carry the three blades around with him all the time, and it had already become a symbol. He used to always think about how to deal with the three a.s.sa.s.sins who worked under Xia Hou. He could kill those a.s.sa.s.sins with a flick of his fingers today. He no longer needed the three blades.

He wanted to kill Xia Hou, but Xia Hou was one person. He only needed one blade.