329 That Piece of Snow Was Falling (1/2)
Chapter 329: That Piece of Snow Was Falling
Translator: TransnEditor: Transn
Ning Que pushed aside the thorns in front of him and walked out of the flower garden. He stood at the flat stone ground of the courtyard and looked at Gu Xi sitting in the chair, asking, ”I didn't think I've offended you before. Why would you wish to kill me?”
Gu Xi slowly stood up from his chair and looked at him with a smile, saying, ”Many things in the world need reasons, and killing people is no exception. But our killing is different from the court's cutting prisoners' heads, so you don't have to offend me. I want to kill you for I think you should die.”
Ning Que started to roll up his sleeves slowly and seriously. He stared at Gu Xi, who was not far away, and asked with a calm expression, ”I really don't know why I have to die. Do teach me.”
The expression on Gu Xi's face seemed a bit strange, and his smile was sinister. His short beard trembled in the cold wind. He looked at Ning Que with a smile and asked, ”Were the censor, Zhang Yiqi, and the other related people killed by Mr. Thirteen?”
Ning Que's fingers, which were rolling his sleeves up, suddenly paused, and then he then shook his head, saying, ”I haven't heard of this person.”
Gu Xi laughed heartily and praised him, giving him a thumbs-up. ”Mr. Thirteen is good at killing people without leaving any trace. You don't even bat an eye when lying. You should have joined the court rather than cultivate. Yet...”
As the word ”yet” was spoken, his smile suddenly faded away and he then said in an extremely cold tone, ”Although Lin Ling and I haven't found any evidence, I know you were at the House of Red Sleeves that day. Especially since I know that Mr. Thirteen intends to kill the general, you already have the reason why you must die.”
”To kill a person needs not only a reason but also benefits.” Ning Que started to roll up the sleeves of his right arm. He lowered his head and continued, ”I'm really wondering what benefits you, as the most trusted subordinate of General Xiahou, can bring to General Xiahou after you kill me, as a core disciple of the Headmaster of the Academy, in Tuyang City.”
Ever since Ning Que had left Chang'an for the Wilderness and returned, he often used his identity as one of the core disciples of the Headmaster of the Academy while talking to people. Back then, it was because he wanted to oppress them with this identity. However, the situation today was different.
He really could not understand why Gu Xi was determined to kill him. Didn't Gu Xi worry that, if Ning was killed, the Academy's and the Empire's wrath might directly turn him and his General Xiahou into ashes?
Gu Xi stroked his beard lightly and whispered, ”It's naturally a big risk to kill a student of the Second floor of the Academy, but it'll also bring great benefits. The great benefit is that you'll never threaten the general anymore.”
Ning Que finished rolling his sleeves, and his fists that hung down beside his legs could feel the chill of the winter wind.
He shook his head looking at Gu Xi and said, ”This benefit is far from enough.”
Gu Xi suddenly squinted and then said emotionally, ”I have followed the general for half of my life. For what? So that the general can stand on top of the human world. However, after you two people came from the Academy, the general was forced to retire... won't I have to retire as well? Do you think I can accept it?”
He looked at Ning Que's face, with his eyes filled with a sense of calmness and craziness, and then said pensively, ”The general wants to retire, but I really don't want him to do so. It's a pity that I'm not qualified to break the agreement between him and Mr. First. To force them to break the agreement, what else can I do except kill you, Mr. Thirteen? Haotian will always be kind, and you're the weakest World Wayfarer in the history of the Academy. It seems the best ending for you is death.”
Only then did Ning Que realize that the military counselor was mad. Ning Que slowly furrowed his brows and said, shaking his head, ”But have you ever considered that it would be impossible for Xia Hou to come to a good end if you kill me? Everyone in the world knows you are the most loyal to him, so who will believe that killing me was your own decision?”
Gu Xi gently pressed his palms together and sighed in excitement. He then continued, ”So this is the best chance. You are weak, and everyone knows Mr. First has never killed people in his life. Therefore, if I kill you, he will most likely not take my life. Then I will stay alive, even living like a dog if I must. I will go to Chang'an City, go to the court, and even meet the Headmaster of Academy in order to take the blame for the general.”
Ning Que was slightly stunned upon hearing that Eldest Brother had not killed a person in his lifetime. He immediately thought of Senior Brother's gentle and courteous working style and realized that what Gu Xi had said about Eldest Brother might be true. Yet when Ning Que heard the latter half of his remarks, he could not help mocking him, ”Although I don't want to boast, nobody will believe that you chose to kill someone with my backing of your own volition.”
Gu Xi shook his head and said with regret, ”As long as I'm alive, I'll convince the world that Mr. Thirteen of the Academy was killed by me and that it had nothing to do with the general. I shall even convince all the people in the world that I'm a spy from the West-Hill Divine Palace. In that case, the reason why I killed you will have been to frame General Xiahou, to sow dissension between the Academy and military!”
Ning Que gazed at his satisfied expression and continued, shaking his head, ”It seems you're insane indeed. Though your plan seems reasonable, even then who would believe you're from the West-Hill Divine Palace?”
The strange smile flashed on Gu Xi's face again. Gu Xi then replied, ”People like Mr. Thirteen may not believe it. Yet His Majesty will believe it, so will Her Majesty. The most important thing is that the Headmaster of the Academy will believe it.”
As he said this, Gu Xi, a military counselor who was accustomed to take care of everything for the general from within the shadows, looked up at the grey winter sky. On his face appeared a clear smile, and he said emotionally, ”Because I really do belong to the West-Hill Divine Palace.”
...
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Ning Que was left speechless. He had been struggling on the edge between life and death for survival ever since his youth. He had thought that he had already seen through the darkness and complexities of the world. However, as he witnessed Gu Xi confess his original and real identity as well as his crazy devotion to Xia Hou, Ning Que discovered that he still hadn't understood the real depth of the shadows hidden in the world.
He tightened his belt around his waist and confirmed that it would not affect his later battle. After that, he raised his head and asked, ”How are you so sure that you can kill me?”
Gu Xi looked at him banteringly and replied, ”Because you're the weakest on the Second floor of the Academy.”
Ning Que heaved a sigh, predicting that this title would probably follow him for many years to come.