104 To Remove the Mountain (2/2)
…
The challenge from Xie Chengyun, who was one of the South Jin Kingdom talents, caused a sensation among the Academy students. Rather than hurrying to go home or to dinner, the Classroom Three students all excitedly stayed behind. They, all imbued with collectivism, discussed the possible results and offered advice to Ning Que. Situ Yilan even came up with the idea that she would ask the Military Ministry's Marksman to give Ning Que some special training, who seemed unexpectedly calm and at ease, who apologized and left the study room with a smile on his face.
Things such as life and death were greatly feared, while the rest were not that terrible. Acting in earnest might be in vain and even be ridiculed. For Ning Que, who had experienced too much fear of life and death, Xie Chengyun's serious letter of challenge was just a naive trick that would make people laugh.
The reason he accepted this letter was not because he wanted to review the past nor to regain the glory of ranking at the top of the school list, but because he did not have the energy to chat with these lads. His entire focus was now on the upstairs of the old library and on the humble mountain where there were no orifice grottos.
He went upstairs once again and respectfully saluted the eastern window. He then walked towards the western window and stopped at the bookshelf to pick out the thin book, within which he found no messages left by the mysterious guy, so he put the book back with a regretful sigh. He then took out the Wu Shanyang's Theory on Haoran Sword from the third shelf and sitting cross-legged on the floor began to read.
…
…
If a rugged and inaccessible mountain was lying in front of Ning Que, what he was doing now would be the things that the foolish old man did. Even if he couldn't climb over the mountain, he would still dig a few tunnels in the middle.
No one knew how many pairs of sandals were buried and how many hoes were broken while the foolish old man tried to remove the mountain. He was a guy of great perseverance. Even though he dug out numerous tunnels on both sides of the mountain, had an indestructible body and kept at it for millions of years, without the knowledge of modern engineering, it was all futile.
Most of the time, the idea that man could conquer nature was an ideal wish that could inspire mankind to move forward at the spiritual level. Yet in specific cases, not all the things could be completed perfectly relying merely on perseverance.
Let's get back to the foolish old man who was worshipped by Ning Que and many heroes. When people questioned him, he would say that he had endless children and grandchildren and that they would finally finish removing the mountains since mountains were always standing there. This remark was really refreshing, vigorous, and vaguely complied with the true meaning of the question whether to chop the peach blossom for drinking wine. The question was put forward by the Academy's Headmaster. This was the so-called infinite. Nevertheless, the foolish old man did not know a brutal truth that ”mountains sometimes could grow taller.”
After a few days, the ink like a sword pierced his heart.
The Haoran Sword calligraphic style dismantled in Yong's Eight Strokes Calligraphy was like numerous sharp swords that transversely and vertically plugged into Ning Que's body. And numerous invisible holes were poked out. Yet those holes quickly collapsed without leaving any channels.
In order to pierce through those blocked channels, Ning Que made painstaking efforts with severe moral and mental depreciation. He didn't faint again, but with the increasing frequency of meditation and forcibly mobilizing the Psyche Power to tear down the mountains, his face became paler and paler, and his throat became drier and drier, while his ears began to hum. The pain in his chest was strong enough to kill countless talents like Xie Chengyun.
The injured lungs started to affect his breathing, so his cough at night got louder and huskier, which sounded unpleasant and affected Sangsang's sleep. Finally, he was sent to the medical hall after spitting out blood one morning. He was checked in as a TB patient and the doctor then arbitrarily prescribed some tonic drugs and told Ning Que to have a good rest, instead of going to the brothel, but the doctor didn't say more after charging twenty tales of silver.
Having paid such a hefty price, that mountain, that humble mountain, or that Snow Mountain was still silently standing there in Ning Que's body. It was really true, the mountain always collapsed when he was trying to dig at it, and it stood firmly still when he was trying to remove it.
One night, Chen Pipi finally completed the tasks of learning the Rituals of the Yin sacrifice process. The task was arranged by his Second Senior Brother. Chen Pipi came to the old library once again in the starlight and opened the thin book. He nearly cried out in shock when he saw the sonorous and forceful declaration left by Ning Que.
He pointed at the sentence with his lips quivering, and angrily whispered, ”You're really an idiot ah? Except for the West-Hill Divine Palace which applies the brilliance of Haotian to help people push through their acupoints by spellcasting the Grand Spiritism, who can change his fate in defiance of nature in this world,? You want to get your acupoints on your own! You are extremely arrogant and foolish!”
Chen Pipi got more furious, thinking of the long-lost Peach Hill in West-Hill, and then shouted, ”It will cost the three Great Divine Priests' half a lifetime of cultivation to spell cast the Grand Spiritism. Who in this world is worth such a big price? You know, I, as a genius, was only fed a few Heavenly Power Pills in those years.”
He felt pity for Ning Que's misfortune and felt angry for his absurd struggle. He took up the pen and finished a stroke with resentment and annoyance. ”If one could get the acupoints open as he wished, then everyone in the world would be a cultivator. You idiot!”