187 Stone Walked in the Stream (1/2)
Chapter 187: Stone Walked in the Stream
Translator: TransnEditor: Transn
The next day, Sangsang visited the House of Red Sleeves again and called down Xiaocao from upstairs. They went together to a secluded place. Looking at Xiaocao, Sangsang intended to say something but stopped on the second thought, her thin fingers constantly twisting her clothes, which indicated her nervousness.
”Why are you looking so secretive?” Xiaocao gazed at her and asked, ”What's wrong?”
After a long time of hesitation, Sangsang said in a lowered voice, ”Last night... my young master suddenly asked about my age.”
Xiaocao confusedly rubbed her head and asked, ”Then?”
”Nothing then.” Sangsang shook her head and thought for quite a while with her eyebrows frowned. Then she continued, ”I feel that young master is somewhat strange these days. For the past few days, he often said I was not sentimental.”
Xiaocao was too startled to take a breath. She gazed at the darkish face and thin figure of Sangsang with her eyes widely opened, saying undisputably, ”You are so dark, so thin, and too young! He even thought of you in that manner! What a monster he is!”
...
...
At the Back Mountain of the Academy, Ning Que pushed open the fence and entered the yard accompanied by the roaring of the waterfall plumping into the pond. He vigilantly waved his hand to drive away the white goose. When he saw Second Brother walked out, he couldn't help frowning his eyebrows. He thought to himself about the way Mistress Jian addressed Second Brother yesterday. ”Did Second Brother really do something despicable, or something even worse, to Mistress Jian?”
Second Brother handed over several books to him and said, ”Days before, I came upon several books about old art of carving talisman in weapons in that cave, and then I remembered you were keen on carving talisman in weapons and thought that you would need them. So I call you to come and take a look at these books.”
Ning Que took the book to show his gratitude, yet didn't leave immediately after that. Instead, he looked at Second Brother's face with an intention to say something but finally refrained himself from doing so. And then after a long time of hesitation, he eventually couldn't help opening his mouth and asked, ”Second Brother, has anyone called you Little Momo?”
It was totally beyond imagination to associate the serious, straight and good-mannered Second Brother to nickname like Little Momo. When Ning Que finally mustered his courage to speak it out, he was prepared to be heavily beaten by Second Brother for fifty times. However, he never expected that when Second Brother heard the name Little Momo, he just froze suddenly instead of showing indignation, who thus looked lost in his thought, seeming to recall something.
After quite a long time, Second Brother stared at his eyes and asked in a muffled voice, ”You know Aunt Jian?”
The reaction of Second Brother obviously revealed that he was an acquaintance with Mistress Jian. Ning Que shouted excitedly in his heart, thinking to himself, I was about to explore the truth behind the scenes hidden in the dark history of the Academy?
”Don't think too much.” Second Brother frowned and said, ”Aunt Jian was familiar with the Youngest Uncle years back, so she is our elder.”
Ning Que slightly stiffened, never expecting that the truth was far from the possibilities he had figured out. This was the second time he heard about the Youngest Uncle in the Back Mountain of the Academy. Be it Chen Pipi who mentioned him previously, or Second Brother, they all looked serious and respectful when talking about the Youngest Uncle.
It could be imagined how strong this figure, who was admired both by the proud and arrogant talents-Second Brother and Chen Pipi from their heart was. Ning Que wondered how unprecedentedly brilliant that mysterious Youngest Uncle was.
”Senior Brother, what kind of person is ... our Youngest Uncle?”
”Youngest Uncle... He is an extraordinary man. ”
”More extraordinary than the Headmaster of Academy?”
”That's different kinds of excellency.”
”Where is he now?”
”He is dead.”
...
...
The story about that Youngest Uncle didn't have a good end, so besides a bit of simple introduction, Second Brother didn't tell Ning Que much about his past. Naturally, Ning Que would feel disappointed, but no matter what, he couldn't be hugging the thigh of Second Brother and begged him to disclose something more like what Sangsang did to him when they were young...
Leaving the yard, Ning Que went to the middle part of the cliff terrace in the opposite direction of the waterfall. He went under a green tree and felt a bit hot and dry, so he drew out a piece of tiny-tailored talisman paper and clapped with his both hands, after which he folded his hands and then unfolded them. The moment the talisman in his hands disappeared, a half handful of clear water appeared.
He used the water to wash his face and felt comfortably cool on his wet cheek against the breeze beside the tree. He sighed satisfactorily and then helplessly, speaking to himself while shaking his head, ”Although it's cool and enough to be used as a magic to tease girls, but it seems to be useless in fight.”
Master Yan Se, the Divine Talisman Master, would of course make the right judgement. Ning Que really had the rare potential or qualification in Talisman Taoism. These days, he immersed in the world of talisman and made an amazing and unbelievable progress. Although he just started his Tao enlightenment from that rainy night, he had mastered more than two hundred effective talismans by the time.
It was a pity that his speed to exert the Talisman Taoism was too slow, by which it would be difficult to win a fight. What's more, the cultivation state of Ning Que was still too low, who was lingering in No Doubts State. If he relied on throwing talisman to fight against the enemy, he would already be chopped into hundreds of pieces by the flying sword. In addition, he had just started using talisman and he even carefully evaluated that he would rather use the three knives on his back to fight currently than rely on Talisman Taoism.
Those words that had been mentioned unintentionally by Master Yan Se were kept in his mind. In a quick fight, a talisman must rely on infinitive talisman to win a cultivation fight with a Talisman Master at the same state. However, only Divine Talisman Masters could draw that infinitive talisman!
After ten years, he could be a Divine Talisman Master... But what could he do if he encountered enemy during the ten years? Although Talisman Taoism would play a more important role in a fight after one entered the Seethrough State, it would after all only be used as an assisting skill.
Ning Que was fighting all the time in his life. He fought for the survival and for eliminating the blood in his hand. Therefore, although he had been living a happy life in the Academy and Chang'an City all these days, he never forgot to get prepared for possible danger in the future.
Hardship had fostered his gloomy character behind his cynical appearance, and countless fatal tests had made him accustomed to guard against the arrow possibly shot from behind and the potential danger he might encounter in the future all the time.