343 Pride of the Academy (1/2)
Chapter 343: Pride of the Academy
Translator: TransnEditor: Transn
The Big Black Horse lowered its head and ate grass. The dried grass in the middle of winter was tasteless and bitter like the bark of trees. It spat it out painfully and looked at the two new graves in the meadow and the little handmaiden. It thought to itself, that between the two who might one day become his mistress, the one who bathed him in the Wilderness was better. This one was dark and skinny, and wasn't pretty. That one was fair and pretty and had gentle hands.
As it thought about random things, it walked towards outside the meadow. Its body stiffened suddenly when it looked at the dark horse carriage. How could there be such a heavy horse carriage in this world? After he had been ”selected” by Ning Que that autumn in the meadow, his life had gotten more and more terrible. Could it be that it would be so for the rest of his life?
Sangsang brushed off the dust on her knees before the new grave. Then, she walked up to Ning Que and cleaned him up. It was then, when snow started falling.
The was a sudden popping sound, and the big black umbrella opened above their heads, blocking the sky and the snow that fell from it. The two held the umbrella over their heads and walked towards the horse carriage outside the meadow.
Under the big black umbrella, Sangsang said softly, ”Young master, there is something I have to tell you.”
”Do not worry.” Ning Que thought of something and held out a box. ”I spent half a month in Tuyang City, trying to find a gift just for you. Do you like it?”
In actuality, he had bought the box from a shop before he left Tuyang City. He had not spent half a month or searched for the gift just for her. However, his expression was solemn and one could not see any trace of lying in it.
Sangsang took the box curiously. There was an adorable clay tiger crouching in a funny manner. Sangsang laughed when she saw it and said, ”I like it, it looks good.”
Ning Que said shamelessly, ”Exactly, think of how much effort I had spent on it.”
Sangsang closed the box and asked, ”Who's the pretty lady in white?”
The question sounded too natural, which made it seem sudden.
Ning Que was startled, and then he smiled and said, ”She's called Mo Shanshan, she's from the Great River Kingdom....”
...
...
It was very quiet at night on the Lin 47th Street. Other than the sound of crackling fire in each household and the brushing of withered leaves meeting the snowy ground, there was also the sound of the Big Black Horse smacking his lips.
Ning Que leaned against the stove after a refreshing bath. He took out a failed Fire Fu and crumbled it in his fingers. Then, he rubbed it evenly on his head. It took mere seconds for the warmth on the paper to dry his wet hair, making it smooth and tamed.
”Let's prepare for bed.” He wriggled into the warm and toasty blankets, feeling the warmth from the stove. Then, he suddenly realized that Sangsang was kneeling on the other bed and arranging her blankets. He asked oddly, ”Why are you not coming here?”
angsang spread out the blankets and removed her outer robes, folding it neatly and placing it by her pillow. She said, ”I'm already old enough, we should sleep separately.”
Ning Que paused and realized that there was indeed truth in her words. However, he still felt a little odd. After thinking about it for a moment, he extended a hand and flicked his finger. The candlelight on the table extinguished accordingly.
”Let's sleep then.”
All were silent in the room. After a while, there was a sudden rustling. Then, his blankets were lifted off him and a tiny cold body wriggled and leaned onto his chest.
Ning Que hugged her and patted her on her back with his palms, just like how he used to coax her to sleep as a child. He felt the girl's body against his chest and inhaled the scent of her hair and sighed, ”This is much more comfortable.”
Sangsang nudged her head into his chest and searched for the most familiar and comfortable position. She hummed in agreement.
After some time, she suddenly opened her eyes, lifted her head, and looked at Ning Que, ”I really have something to say.”
Ning Que lowered his head and looked at her. After a pause, he said, ”I really have something urgent to tell you too.”
He did not reignite the candle. Instead, he found a heavy piece of silver by the starlight shining through the window and had Sangsang concentrate on it.
Ning Que used his psyche and moved the Great Spirit from his body into his hands. He shaped the silver into a metal rod, and then, he fiddled with it again, and the metal rod became very sharp within seconds.
Sangsang knelt on the stove with a blanket draped over her. She asked puzzledly, ”When did you learn magic?”