Chapter 468: Watching The Snow (1/2)

Ye Hongyu asked, ”Snow can't keep the people, but can you?”

Ning Que said, ”I don't understand what you mean.”

She continued, ”Why did you dismiss all the stewards and maids last night?”

Ning Que answered with a smile, ”Doesn't this mean that I have not kept anyone?”

Ye Hongyu said, ”You know what I mean.”

Ning Que said, ”Today is the Winter Solstice Festival. I think they might be better with their families.”

Ye Hongyu said, ”Then why do you want me to leave? Don't tell me you still want to kill Xia Hou and you're going to do it right now.”

Ning Que asked, ”Do you care about me?”

Ye Hongyu shook her head.

Ning Que smiled and said, ”It hurts but I know you really mean it. Since you don't care whether I could be killed, then why does it bother you?”

”Xia Hou is a visiting professor of my sect and he is the reason why my brother came to Chang'an City. My brother won't let you kill him, so I won't either. If you are going to kill him, I have to stop you.”

Ye Hongyu looked at him and said calmly. An invisible sword seemed to appear in her right hand outside her taoist robe.

Ning Que looked at her right hand, and said after a long silence, ”It seems that everybody in the world including my sect, does not want me to kill Xia Hou.”

He looked up to see her eyes and said, ”You know what kind of person I am. I will not try if I can't kill him. I want you to leave because Ye Su's Taoist temple is reopening today; you should go there since it's the Winter Solstice Festival.”

Ye Hongyu said, ”Then tell me whether you are going to kill Xia Hou or not.”

Ning Que said, ”I swear on the Headmaster's personality that I never planned to kill him.”

Ye Hongyu said calmly, ”I don't believe you.”

Ning Que said, ”If I try to kill Xia Hou, then I would never be able to get together with Sangsang.”

Ye Hongyu was astonished as she did not expect that Ning Que would swear on Sangsang, she frowned and asked, ”Why do you care so much about the festival?”

Ning Que said, ”We are going to the House of Red Sleeves and have mutton giblets soup.”

Ye Hongyu fell into silence. Her robe disappeared into the depths of the bleak plum trees which had been overrun by the Big Black Horse.

The Big Black Horse left the Yanming Lake and ran towards the suburb while chewing the fragrant plum blossom. The soldiers guarding the south gate of Chang'an City recognized it due to the Fish-dragon Gang's message. So n.o.body tried to stop the horse. Instead, they stared at the disappearing figure on the road with an amazing look.

The horse arrived at the Academy after a while. It appeared at the lake bank of the back of the mountain and panted heavily. Then it bent down to greedily drink the water, moistening its burning throat and lungs.

He did not know what Ning Que planned to do, nor why he felt uneasy. He just thought he should come back to the Academy as soon as possible so that the people could know what would happen at Yanming Lake. He considered himself a messenger.

Chen Pipi stood on the bank of the lake, watching the dark horse on the opposite side. A look of heavy solemnness appeared on his round face. Tang Xiaotang looked up at him, and asked, ”Will anything happen?”

”If Ning Que knows he can't win, then he won't do it at all. So I suppose nothing serious will happen. But why did the horse come back?”

Chen Pipi slightly frowned and said, ”I just realized that maybe I never understood him. I used to think he was apathetic and realistic. So it is hard for me to imagine that he would do something brave and irrational.”

Tang Xiaotang said, ”Ning Que is a shameless person. But my brother once said before he sent me to the Academy, that it takes great courage for a man to be extremely shameless.”

After a moment of silence, Chen Pipi said, ”I will go to Chang'an City.”

Tang Xiaotang said, ”Me too.”

Chen Pipi shook his head and said, ”Third Sister will not agree.”

”Teacher permitted my leave during the morning cla.s.s.”

Tang Xiaotang looked at Chen Pipi and said seriously, ”Xia Hou is the worst traitor of the Enlightenment Doctrine for thousands of years. My brother always wanted to kill him. So do I. It's a pity that I can't. But at least I can watch him dying when Youngest Uncle kills him.”

The palace was very serene, full of music and dances.