190 Here Comes an Ox Car (2/2)
Headmaster retrieved another fish from the bucket after he said that. He rolled up his sleeves and started carving at the fish. There were slices of fish that resembled peony on the board within seconds.
Headmaster picked up a slice of fish with his chopsticks. He threw it into the ox's mouth after dipping it in the sauce.
Giving the ox peony fish was not a waste. Instead, not being able to taste the fish completely was a waste.
The ox chewed and stopped still. He teared up, shook his head and stomped his hoof while mooing.
Eldest Brother asked, ”Headmaster, is he happy or was it too spicy?”
Headmaster replied, ”Of course he is happy.”
Eldest Brother thought to himself, that the Headmaster is always correct. He picked up the chopsticks and fed the ox more fish.
...
...
Even the Desolate Man could not bear to stay in the extreme north anymore, yet the ox managed to make it there and back without even shaking. Instead, he was as fit as before. This was not an ordinary ox. It was not difficult to understand why he ate fish and not grass.
Eldest Brother washed the utensils and sat down, looking towards the south. He said, ”I wonder how the Academy is like now. How large was the impact of Desolate Man moving southwards?”
Headmaster sat down on the cart with his knees crossed. He replied while holding on to the book he was reading. ”We will find out when we get back.”
Eldest Brother smiled and looked at the Headmaster. ”I wonder who entered the Second floor.”
Headmaster looked at his book and lowered his head. He said, ”You'll find out when you see it.”
Eldest Brother shook his head and smiled, ”It's too far away, we can't go back anytime soon.”
He stood up and looked towards the north of the grassland and smiled.
A tall shadow appeared. It was made up of snowfield direwolves that had been chased to the south along with Desolate Man. Hundreds of wolves stood in line like soldiers. Their large size made them look really impressive, but it did not garner any reaction from both the Headmaster and Eldest Brother.
On the contrary, the reaction of the snowfield direwolves was rather odd. The ox from the central plains that was rarely seen by them should be as delicious to them as peony fish. But ferocious wolves did not leap over, but looked afraid and started whining before retreating. It seemed as if they could sense a fearsome aura from afar.
These wolves were the very same ones that fought with the Tang siblings. The skinny male wolf brought along the beautiful female wolf, separating from the pack and towards the ox cart. The ordinary male wolf stopped about a hundred steps away from the cart and did not dare to move forward.
The scrawny male wolf looked at the cart and seemed very agitated. It shivered and stepped backward. It raised its two front paws, looking like a student bowing at its teacher or seniors.
Eldest Brother looked at the male wolf and remarked in surprise. ”Teacher, isn't this the wolf from seven years ago? It got married.”
The headmaster smiled and did not say anything.
Eldest Brother looked at the Headmaster. When he noticed that the Headmaster showed no sign of refuting his statement, he left the cart and walked towards the ordinary looking male wolf. He raised his hand and pointed at the north-west of the grassland and said, ”Do not continue southwards. There are too many people there. Walk in that direction. There is a large patch of boreal forest in five hundred miles.”
The wolf waved his front paws, mimicking a bow. He laid down with his head on the ground for a long while before standing up. He whined and looked at the ox cart, bidding it goodbye reluctantly before leading his pack towards the north-west.
”Let's return to Chang'an.”
The Headmaster rolled up his book, lifted the curtain and entered the ox cart.
Eldest Brother looked at the meadows afar before sitting on the driver's seat and patted the ox's back lightly.
The ox cart sped towards the south, clattering on the ground.
...
...
Tang Xiaotang held the sleeping snow wolf in her arms and stood up as she watched the cart disappear beyond the grassland. Her face was filled with disconcertment. She mumbled to himself after a long while. ”That... that's the Headmaster?”
Tang stood by her side, nodding as they watched the tracks left behind on the grassland by the cart.
Tang Xiaotang shook her head. She felt that the gluttonous old man was completely different from the Headmaster she had imagined.
After a moment of silence, Tang said, ”I wanted to see if there was an opportunity for you to become the Headmaster's student. Since he did not show any sign of accepting you, it shows that it is not time yet. Let's talk about it when the time comes in the future.”
Tang Xiaotang was surprised and asked, ”Do you mean that the Headmaster knew that we were watching here?”
Tang turned around and walked towards the end of the meadow and said, ”He is the Headmaster. He knows everything.”