Chapter 348 (2/2)

Ning Que had been talking excitedly and was completely immersed in the act of entering the human realm. He only became fully aware of what he had done now.

There were many things that did not require one to talk about it clearly, and it did not need to be spoken about clearly. That's because if it was so, it would make things ugly for everyone. Those from Academy, the West-Hill Divine Palace, and the Lanke Temple usually paid attention to their demeanors.

Since they were supermundane cultivators, how could they behave like the ruffians of the secular world? They would not stab at someone with a watermelon knife without reason, or just because of some petty argument.

Even if they were to fight, they would have to dress the issue prettily. They would dress it with a pretty reason. It was rare in the cultivation world to have people like Ning Que and Ye Hongyu who cared about victory and not demeanor and would jump into battle rashly.

And the prettily clothed reasons were none other than asking about some difficult questions about cultivation, a.n.a.lyzing each other's state. Other than that, the naked truth was that they were simply asking for a fight.

Ning Que's expression altered slightly when he ascertained that the monk from Lanke Temple had issued an invitation to battle. He looked at the slightly tanned face and could not help but think of Sangsang and Darkie's skin color. He thought to himself, that he must be fated to face down people of this skin color in this lifetime.

After a moment, he said sincerely, ”Monks highly regard compa.s.sion, why would you care about worldly things such as fame?”

Monk Guan Hai said even more sincerely, ”I have practiced penance in the temple for many years and have heard the Elders mention about learning from the Headmaster of the Academy back then. I know that the Academy is one of the best places in the world and have always wanted to go there, but could never get away from my schoolwork. Since I have made a rare visit to Chang'an, I would like Mr. Thirteen to be understanding of this monk's bad thoughts and teach me something.”

Ning Que stared at the monk's eyes and discovered that other than respect, there was only admiration and a determination to battle.

Since the other party was so polite and full of admiration, how could he bring himself to scold him? His will to battle was strong, and he was a monk who practiced penance sincerely, so who could he persuade him?

Ning Que did not know how he should respond to the situation at hand. He would have run away if he were still that person of the past in the City of Wei. However, he was now forced to carry the burden of the Tang Empire and the Academy. It would take quite a bit of effort even if he did run away.

He had never been afraid of battle, and did not fear fight. He was just worried that he could not win.

Guan Hai was the core disciple of the Elder in Lanke Temple. Core disciples were usually very strong. For example, Mo Shanshan, the core disciple of the Master of Calligraphy, or himself, the core disciple of the Headmaster of the Academy... Alright, he had to acknowledge that he was the weakest Wayfarer of the Academy, and wasn't confident of winning.

He still had to fight even if he couldn't beat him. That could be called bravery, or stupidity. Ning Que held on to the big black umbrella and descended into silence in the snowfall of Chang'an. He struggled between bravery and the right choice, but could not find an answer.

Mo Shanshan stood by the big black umbrella silently. Perhaps she had guessed the struggle he was experiencing at that moment. She

that moment. She lowered her lids, and her lashes fluttered slightly. It took her plenty of effort to stop her smile from escaping.

Monk Guan Hai was an honest man. He had heard of the Elder's respect and admiration for the Headmaster of the Academy since he was a child. He had never thought that he would win in a battle against the student from the Second floor of the Academy. When he saw that Ning Que did not speak for a long while, he wondered if Mr. Thirteen was considering if he should not beat himself up too badly, and could not help but be touched.

”Mr. Thirteen, if you deem that my state of practice is too weak, why don't we sit down and talk?” He said sincerely.

Ning Que thought that the Lanke Temple was renowned for its debate. Furthermore, the man's tanned skin and his name, Guan Hai, implied that he ate plenty of bean oil daily, and was well-versed in the art of debate. If they were to sit down and talk, he would lose in seconds. Wouldn't that mean announcing the first official loss for his first battle upon entering the human realm?

Losing was not an issue, but the problem was that Eldest brother would not allow him to lose. It would bring shame to the Academy and the Headmaster of the Academy. And the Headmaster of the Academy wasn't someone who could bear being shamed, and this would result in a series of very serious problems.

Ning Que lifted his head with these thoughts and his gaze met the monk's clear and sincere ones. His heart wavered, as he felt that he was lacking in an important thing that he needed when fighting against the man.

The falling snowflakes landed on the oily surface of the big black umbrella, forming a thin layer of snow.

Ning Que looked at the monk and calmly said, ”Could I trouble Senior Brother to wait for me for half a day?”

The monk Guan Hai placed his palms together.

Mo Shanshan looked at him and asked, ”What are you going to do with half a day?”

”I need half a day to consider a very important question.”

With that, Ning Que folded the big black umbrella and carried it on his back. He walked in the light snowfall towards the south of Chang'an. After an hour, he reached the newly formed lake at the south of the city. Then, he slowly sat down in the snow.

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