244 This Is Very Meaningless (2/2)

”Probably not?” Ning Que looked at the woman's facial expression and said in an aggravated tone, ”Certainly not.”

It would be a decision made by the emperor and the imperial ministers whether the Tang Empire would send its armies to combat the Desolate Men. Ning Que certainly did not know about it. But whether it would happen or not, he could only say it would not and gave an absolute negative answer in front of Desolate Men.

Mo Shanshan did not say anything but just glanced at him again.

The Desolate woman was startled for a moment after hearing his reply and gave a rare smile. She said, ”That's great.”

Mo Shanshan looked at her quietly and suddenly asked, ”Even if the Tangs don't come, there are many other countries in Central Plains, especially the Divine Hall. Aren't the Desolate Man worried?”

The Desolate woman leaned forward and pressed her weight onto the wood piece against the animal skin. And then she muttered. ”As long as the Tangs don't come, there's nothing to be worried about.”

It was dark and the snow outside the tent stopped. The Desolate boy came back. But this time he looked a little ashamed, for there was nothing in his hands or on his shoulder. The Desolate woman did not say anything but cooked a pot of hot soup. And then she found a lamb leg from a snow pile and put it into the pot with some spicy seasonings. The four ate the meal in silence.

”You can only stay here for a night.”

The Desolate woman put away an evisceration knife, looking at Ning Que, and added, ”This is a rule of the winter ceremony.”

Ning Que expressed his gratitude and then took Mo Shanshan out of the tent.

The two walked toward a snow slope that was not far away.

At this moment, the snow and wind outside the tent stopped and the clouds had scattered. There were numerous stars in the lofty black night dome. Starlight was scattered on the hills of the wilderness which were covered with snow, reflecting a faintly blue light.

”From Chang'an City to the Wilderness, I have heard some stories on Desolate Man from the Instructor of the academy.”

Ning Que breathed in the cold and fresh air outside the tent, looking at faintly visible dry tree silhouettes under the star light, and then said, ”Do you know why it's called the Wilderness?”

Mo Shanshan had lived in the south of the Great River Kingdom for a long time. So she was very unfamiliar with this area. After hearing his question, she could not help but furrow her eyebrows slightly and said after a short moment of thought, ”Isn't it because this land is wild?”

”There are endless evergreen grasslands and all kinds of beautiful lakes. There are evergreen forests in the magnificent Tianqi Mountain and countless beasts living here. How could it be wild?”

Ning Que looked at her side profile and said smilingly, ”The Wilderness is not wild. The reason why it is called the Wilderness is that this beautiful land belongs to Desolate Men.”

Mo Shanshan looked at his eyes and asked, ”What do you want to say?”

”Nothing.”

Ning Que said, ”You looked at me many times in the tent. What did you want to say?”

Mo Shanshan looked at him and said earnestly, ”I want to remind you that they are Desolate Men, our enemies. Be careful not to forget your position when you try to get information and deliberately show goodwill to them.”

Ning Que laughed and looked at her after a pause. He said, ”What position should I hold?”

Mo Shanshan asked blankly, ”The Devil's Doctrine survivors are certainly our enemies.”

Ning Que looked at her and asked puzzledly, ”I have always wanted to know, why are the Devil's Doctrine survivors our enemies?”

Before Mo Shanshan answered him, he continued. ”I think the Devil's Doctrine has a different cultivation method with Haotian Taoism sect's. So it's just at most regarded as a branch of the Divine Hall. How could it become an incarnation of evil?”

Mo Shanshan silently frowned and stared at his eyes, as if she was seeing a very strange thing. Her eyes were filled with a sadness and sympathy. She said, ”Don't let others hear you say so. Don't... let me hear that.”

Judging from her expression, Ning Que felt that she was not joking and could not help but feel slightly startled.

After a long while, he stepped on a dry branch, driving it into the snow with his soles and said calmly, ”In the past, you practiced in the Ink Lake and did not experience many worldly affairs. Now that you've seen so many ugly things and the Divine Hall people's performance on the meadow, do you still feel reverence for the Divine Hall?”

Mo Shanshan looked at the stars in the night sky and blinked. Her eyes drifted as she tried to focus on something but found it difficult to do, making her look slightly disconcerted. After a long time, she said softly, ”Even if I don't revere the Divine Hall, I must revere Haotian.”

Ning Que followed her gaze, shaking his head, and then said, ”Reverence is meaningless.”

Mo Shanshan looked back at him and said very seriously, ”But the Devil's Doctrine's evil behaviors are real.”