154 A Sheet of Paper, A Scroll of Calligraphy, Two Crashes of Thunder (2/2)
”Chao Xiaoshu … was with his majesty.”
The young man looked up at his master and master uncle, continued in a low voice, ”If Ning Que was his majesty's secret agent, then the Imperial Center Administration must stay silent.”
Yan Se seemed unheard of his words, and merely goggled at those files on table. His pale lips were tremulous, murmuring, ”That lad now is able to cultivate? How could it be possible? His Qi orifices didn't get through at that time…”
Li Qingshan saw veins were popped out vividly in his older brother's right hand, slightly trembling, bethought that he certainly couldn't restrain his excitement.
”Senior Brother.”
”Yes.”
The two top shots of the South School of Haotian Taoism stared at one another, seeing determination in each other's eyes, and nodded.
Li Qingshan said in a low voice, ”As long as Ning Que was confirmed to be qualified as your apprentice, no matter whether he was a secret agent or secretly served the princess, we will bring him back for you to be your apprentice.”
…
…
The door of Old Brush Pen Shop at Lin 47th Street was knocked over. The neighbors, who were initially trying to fight against the injustice, subconsciously maintained quiet as they saw the local government runners surrounded the shop and some official with an air of danger.
The Master of Nation Li Qingshan with Yan Se broke into Old Brush Pen Shop, and Ning Que was not in sight. But they noticed a couple of calligraphies hung on the wall, with Ning Que”s name on them.
”Nice calligraphy.”
Yan Se commented in a concise manner, looking at Li Qingshan, ”If I've got six out of ten's confidence earlier on, now it has increased to eight. And if only I can see his eagerness towards calligraphy, then my confidence will be ten.”
Li Qingshan frowned and asked, ”What sort of confidence?”
”If I could see his eager towards calligraphy.”
Yan Se stared at his eyes, and said solemnly, ”You got to trust him to me. I am confident that in ten years the South School of Haotian Taoism will have one more talisman master.”
Before walking out of the door, the respectable talisman master looked around the shabby shop and shoddy goods, asked rhetorically, ”Who could have thought that a talented calligrapher hiding in this shabby and remote book shop?”
Upon hearing his words, it occurred to Li Qingshan, and suddenly turned around to peer at the two calligraphies hung on the wall, and his eyebrow frowned further.
…
…
Outside of the imperial study of palace, an eunuch called Lu Ji made a bow, said, ”Master of Nation, His Majesty and ministers were discussing Yan kingdom affairs. His Majesty bid us before assuming porridge that if Master of Nation would like to appreciate calligraphies, then do so as you wish, only not to mess up bookshelves.”
Hearing this, Li Qingshan opened the door of imperial study without a hesitation.
…
…
Yan Se gazed at the unfolded calligraphy, and five characters ”Bloom in the Opposite World” were written incisively and vividly. His pale face steadily grew delighted and admiring.
Li Qingshan thought his face was stern and asked, ”Senior brother, did you see his eagerness?”
”The intent of writing of this was distinctively different from the one hung his shop, but I'm sure they were all from the same person,” Yan Se returned with a trembling voice, ”as for eagerness … the lad was as greedy as a fox that was staring at a chicken and hadn't had a taste of it for years.”
The young Taoist glanced sideways, asked confusedly, ”I had seen a copy of this at Old Chancellor's mansion. And Old Chancellor commented that these five characters were filled with vigor and vitality, without the slightest sign of void and lethargy, and hard to be found anywhere else. Then, how could you discern eagerness?”
”You know nothing!” Yan Se said reproachfully, ”How could the characters show vigor if he was not eager to write down?”
The young Taoist retreated a few steps back.
Li Qingshan stared at Yan Se's eyes, asked abruptly, ”Ten?”
Yan Se evaded his eyes, said forcefully, ”Ten!”
Li Qingshan flapped his sleeves, laughed loudly, and then leaves in the imperial garden whirled and fluttered .
Yan Se stroked his goatee, and seemed intoxicated and smiled. Then, papers and brush pens in the imperial study were all trembled.
”Find him.”
”He wasn't at home.”
”He's a student of the Academy, and he was sure at the Academy since the Second floor opened today.”
”He cannot cultivate, and what's the opening of the Second Floor in it for him?”
”The problem is now he can, and we are desperate to look for him now.”
”You got a point.”
”You or me?”
”If I go, it'll attract too much attention. And it wouldn't be an advantage if the Academy finds out what he's capable of.”
”Then I'll go.”
The Master of Nation and Minister of Offerings were in height of talking, but the young Taoist was hesitant whether to point out now while the two were so excited. Whether in South School or at Imperial Center Administration, his duty was to play a supplementary role for masters to find out what they miss, so even though he was aware that he had been reprimanded a couple times and that what he was going say would inevitably quench their excitement, he was left no choice but to spit out.
”Master and master uncle, since Ning Que was qualified to cultivate, he would definitely try and enter the Second Floor … what if he was admitted, what shall we do then?”
Li Qingshan and Yan Se stiffened and shudder suddenly, thinking of one thing a moment later, breathed again with lingering fear.
Li Qingshan glare at the young Taoist accusingly, snarled, ”You idiot, even if he could cultivate, how could he beat Prince Long Qing? No way he could enter the Second Floor!”
Yan Se shook his head, said, ”I was concerned earlier about the troublesome West-Hill God son. Now I should thank him for extinguishing Ning Que's hope to enter the Second Floor.”
Li Qingshan produced a token from his yellow waistband, and handed it to Yan Se, said solemnly, ”Do not let the Academy find out. Except the Academy, you can do whatever you like and use our South School's prestige if stopped by anyone.”
Receiving the token, Yan Se look at him amusingly, ”Do whatever I wish?”
”Whatever you wish.”
”Including Mo Li and Prince Long Qing?”
”Sure.”
Grimacing bitterly, the young Taoist cut in untimely, ”Master, Master Uncle, the two were sent to Chang'an from West-Hill Divine Palace. It was already inappropriate for us not to cooperate with them, if go against them, I'm afraid it would go too far.”
”Why it would go too far?”
Yan Se shoot him an irritated glance, and snarled with his shattered and smelly robes vehemently shaking, ”I've lived 80 years to find an apprentice! I'll see who dare to stop me!”
Li Qingshan said coldly, ”Old brother, you've got to bring him back. Our South School of Haotian Taoism's successor all count on him. If anyone should stop you, kill them all.”
Outside the imperial study, the eunuch Lu Ji strained his ears to eavesdrop their heated discussion. Put more precisely, it wasn't actually eavesdropping, as for those high-ranking cultivators, any movement couldn't evade them, they just didn't care.
Lu Ji glanced at the closed door of imperial study, then at the direction of Palace of Counsel, and bethought that the lad's identity was about to be disclosed. It was the last straw both for General Xu or himself.
Setting his mind, Lu Ji couldn't care more and tottered on his frail legs towards Palace of Counsel, thinking to himself that he ought to beat master of nation to tell His Majesty. As for how to phrase this in front of His Majesty ...
”Congratulations His Majesty!”
”The calligrapher who wrote Bloom in the Opposite World is finally found out.”
”His … his name is Ning Que.”
…
…
Ning Que was not aware that Master of Nation and a talisman master were crying to make him as their apprentice with an intent to killing whoever stopped them, and saw him as their only hope to solve the dilemma where South School of Haotian Taoism had no successor.
Nor was Ning Que aware that his calligraphy he wrote last year at imperial study was copied many times and hung at many ministers' mansions and was going to surface again. A moment later, His Majesty would likely to hold his hands tightly with tears filled in his sockets, and told him that it took so much efforts to find him, followed by awarding him acres of land and a number of maidservants.
Ning Que had the slightest clue of all these things. He was still struggling to climb the trail of back mountain, and all he knew was that it's getting harder, and that there was a wooden bridge at the end of trail, and that several climbers were awaiting at the other side of the bridge.
The climbers were leaning against either trees or bridge head, all gloomy and weary. One of them looked at the seemingly endless trail, and slowly sat down disappointedly, his face pale and desperate.
He was Xie Chengyun.