174 Life is Full of Craziness I (2/2)
”Eighth Brother... Why do you put your hand on my arm?”
Eighth Brother shakily withdrew his hand, and asked blankly, ”Younger Brother, why don't you have food with you?”
Ning Que was speechless. He wondered if they were two children who would ask for candy from each person they met.
”Younger Brother... no, Twelfth Brother came to tell us the night before last that you would be responsible for bringing us food from now on. He did not come to us yesterday, and neither did you.” Eighth Brother watched Ning Que and said in a frightened voice, ”Younger Brother, we haven't eaten for two days and two nights. Why haven't you brought us any food today?”
Ning Que opened his mouth wide but was unable to speak. He thought to himself, I have not slept for two days and nights as well, but why should I be charge of their diet? Yet he couldn't really feel any malice seeing the wistful eyes of the two Brothers. They were like two pitiful babbling birds. Ning Que sighed and said, ”I'll... go find some food for you.”
Fifth Brother, who always kept silent and only showed his yearning for food in his eyes, suddenly cheered up knowing that he was about to have food and would not starve to death. He stroked his jaw and said, ”Hey... one or two days of hunger won't kill us.”
Eighth Brother stretched out three fingers and pointed them at Fifth Brother. In a trembling voice, he said, ”You idiot, we haven't eaten for three days.”
It seemed Fifth Brother could not see the three fingers right under his nose. Instead, he looked at Ning Que and said, ”Next time, you're first.”
Eighth Brother withdrew his fingers and nodded his head in agreement, saying, ”Not bad, that's something serious.”
Looking at the Brothers nearly starving to death, Ning Que thought that they were destined to die of hunger.
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On the third day as Ning Que left the Old Brush Pen Shop at Lin 47th Street, the paper on the desk was still as white and clean as the first snow, without any ink blotches. The morning light was shining on his face, making him appear haggard and exhausted. His eyes were extremely bloodshot.
He walked out of the mist and headed towards the mountain. He was blocked by a brush of light yellow after taking just a few steps. Seventh Sister gently watched him and said, ”Younger Brother, I know you must have been busy yesterday, but not today, right?”
Ning Que stared at Seventh Sister. He raised the heavy meal box in his right hand, and answered bitterly, ” Sister, I spent the whole day playing chess with Fifth Brother and Eighth Brother. Now I'm anxious to bring them something to eat, or else they may actually starve to death.”
”I see,” Seventh Sister raised her brows slightly. ”Don't waste your time on those two nerds. Playing chess and lyre, after all, is meaningless. If you can help me overhaul the array tactical, it will probably be beneficial for your cultivation.”
Ning Que repeatedly said yes. He promised her that he would go see her embroidering in the lake pavilion and help maintain the array tactical, after he went down the mountain. Only after giving her such a promise, was he able to get away. However, he knew in his heart that he would never go down the mountain to meet her later.
Under the pine, the Brothers who were too hungry to speak were still staring at the chess board. Ning Que put down the meal box, and said, ” Brothers, come and eat please.”
The food that Sangsang had prepared last night was still warm, and it smelled good when it was opened. Brothers were trembling to sit straight and started to eat, ruefully looking up at Ning Que from time to time and uttering vague exclamations that were filled with regret.
”Younger Brother does not hide his dullness. He's really clumsy, judging from his chess playing.”
”Younger Brother has never played chess before.”
Yesterday Ning Que had lost twelve times. The Brothers finally confirmed that the lad was one of the legendary chess rookies. They no longer asked him to play with them, which was a real blessing and comfort for Ning Que.
After bringing them the food, Ning Que went deep into the mist.
He decided to make good use of the stolen half day and rest or study the books Master Yan Se had left.
However, he'd barely taken two steps when a man walked out of the jungle and grabbed his sleeves. Senselessly he asked,
”Younger Brother, where are you from? Where are you going?”
Startled, Ning Que stared at Eleven Brother with his silver hair. Suddenly he burst into tears. Fortunately, Eleven Brother did not ask who the little Younger Brother was, or Ning Que might have fainted on the spot. After a moment of silence, he let go of Eleven Brother's wrist and ran down the mountain, shouting, ”Seventh Sister, where are you? I'm coming to help you.”
In the lake pavilion, Seventh Sister's fingers, which were pinching an embroidery needle stiffened. She looked up towards the forest in the mountain, thinking in surprise, ”How diligent the newly-enrolled little Younger Brother is! Compared to him, Pipi is completely a sluggard.”
In the small courtyard before the waterfall, Second Brother raised his eyebrows in satisfaction, appreciating the proud white geese down the stairs. ”It's been dreary in the back of the mountain for many years. The Younger Brothers and Sisters are all shameless. Finally, we have a Younger Brother who is focused on cultivation. How could I not feel happy?
Somewhere in the mountain, Chen Pipi stood eating a drumstick behind a thatched cottage. He cleaned his oily face with his hand and turned to look into the depths of the mountain. He gasped in shock. ”As if you're so humble and melancholy to loudly declare out, just to charm Sister. Ning Que, I'm not your match indeed!”
The vertical bamboo flute and lyre gradually stopped in the forest and a conversation could be heard.
”I just realized we forgot one thing.”
”Yes, we haven't yet invited little Younger Brother to listen to the song we composed last month.”
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Ning Que had lived life to the max after he entered the Second floor of the Academy. He was so active that he was exhausted almost to death. The brush in the Old Brush Pen Shop still hadn't fallen and the white paper was still as white as snow. He was busy with many things; he spent nights solving problems without falling asleep, he went to the Academy in the early mornings and brought food and water to the Brothers.
Eleventh Brother liked to discuss philosophical issues together and if he wanted to get rid of him, he had to become Seventh Sister's coolie and admire the Brothers' new compositions. As he sat among the long grass sleepily nodding his head, he was unexpectedly regarded as a musical talent in the eyes of the two Brothers. They thought Ning Que was nodding to show praise and understood the meaning of the song.
The hot towel that Sangsang handed over was getting hotter and hotter, but still could not wash his fatigue away. He spent days and nights floating in the vast and mysterious sea of the Talisman Taoism, growing tired of Brothers' and Sisters' hospitality. Ning Que's eyes were bloodshot, full of red veins, frustration and dullness. His fingers exposed outside the sleeves kept drawing talismans in the air, depicting the thousands of Fu characters that he had silently remembered in his brain. He looked like a fool indeed.
Chu Youxian stood in the meadow of the Academy. He peered at Ning Que and assuming he was miserable, he asked in shock, ”What makes you so?”
Situ Yilan and Jin Wucai passed Ning Que the invitations from their families inviting him to gatherings in their mansions on behalf of the elders. Hearing Chu Youxian's words, they were quite taken aback by Ning Que's extremely weary face.
Ning Que took the two invitations and pressed them into his arms. After giving a numb greeting bow with his hands folded in front, he walked towards the back mountain again. He appeared to be losing his wits.
Chu Youxian, Situ Yilan and Jin Wucai, watched Ning Que's figure from behind as he walked slowly in front. They were too astonished to utter a word. Situ Yilan shook her head vigorously to drive Ning Que's ghost-like face out of her mind, murmuring, ”Is there a ghost on the Second floor?”
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”Damn it! You saw a ghost!”
Chen Pipi was so scared that he retreated backwards twenty meters. He did not come back until after a long period of hesitation. He stared speechlessly at Ning Que.
Ning Que languidly replied, ”It is you who has seen a ghost.”
Chen Pipi nodded, and earnestly said, ”Yes, you actually look like a ghost now.”
Ning Que glanced blankly toward the forest, saying, ”I did see ghosts. In the back mountain, I saw two hungry dead ghosts who were so crazy in playing chess that they even wished to be fed with food; two elegant ghosts who were addicted to playing vertical bamboo flute and lyre to recreate themselves and who insisted on demanding I enjoy their composition without even discovering I was actually asleep as I sat there; and another philosophical ghost who always asked nonsense questions when meeting a person...”
He turned to look at Chen Pipi. With pain in his eyes, he said, ”And you, a coward with no righteousness.”
”I know this is a non-human life, but don't forget I've been in this life for several years,” Chen Pipi looked at Ning Que and continued, ”But no matter how hard it is, I haven't become what you are. What has caused you to be like this?”
”I was following Master Yan Se in learning Talisman Taoism,” Ning Que replied, looking at him blankly. ”It has been a long time, yet I've learned nothing. It's really difficult without direction and mind. I'm not happy about it.”
”Did you use the Eight Strokes Calligraphy of Yong?”
”I used everything I knew, but still couldn't find the right method.”
Ning Que slowly bowed his head and said with exhaustion, ”I actually fear difficulty. I feel a bit desperate... you know? This is the first time in my life to feel desperate in learning.”
Chen Pipi recalled Ning Que's desperate performances in cultivation, and then nodded his head.
Ning Que shook his head and said, ”Even in the City of Wei, when I found I was incapable of cultivating, I was not so desperate and so eager to give it up as I am now. Because when I fell asleep at that time, I always felt like I was in meditation. Yet in front of those Classics on Talisman, I still know clearly that I can't accomplish it even if I can get into a sleep-like state of meditation.”
Chen Pipi looked at his haggard cheeks and dim eyes, and suddenly said, ”I'll take you to a place and show you someone.”
Ning Que asked, ”Where? Who?”
”Don't let Eleventh Brother hear what you asked,” Chen Pipi jokingly replied.
Ning Que wanted to laugh but was too tired to even raise his eyebrows.
Looking at Ning Que's poor appearance, Chen Pipi sighed. He took him by the sleeves and walked towards the back of the mountain.
After coming to a cliff, Chen Pipi stopped. Staring at Ning Que, he said, ”Last time when you reached the top of the mountain, you saw an old gentleman and regarded him as your Brother, but in actuality, he wasn't.”
Ning Que remembered the old gentleman. He said, ”You said you didn't know what to call him.”
Chen Pipi replied, ”I really don't know what to call him. The gentleman entered the back mountain of the Academy very early on, even earlier than eldest Brother and Second Brother. Logically we might call him uncle, but the professors told me that he didn't belong to the Academy.”
Ning Que began to cheer up, imagining a big BOSS from legends hiding in the branches, like a wise man who gave advice to heroes. Peering at Chen Pipi, he asked, ”The old gentleman... is he good at Talisman Taoism?”
”No,” Chen Pipi said shaking his head. ”He doesn't know Talisman Taoism nor ways of cultivation.”
Ning Que asked, ”Then why are you taking me to see him?”
”You said this is the first time in your life when you're afraid of difficulty and want to give up. Do you really like cultivation?”
Ning Que kept silent for a long time before firmly replying, ”I do like it.”
Chen Pipi looked at him and said, ”If you like it, you should stick to it. I am showing you the old gentleman because I want you to know a person who is really crazy about a type of Taoism will never give up.”
”If the old man can't cultivate... what is he obsessed with? What does he like?”
”Reading...” Chen Pipi said with an aggravated tone. ”He likes reading.”
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