374 Meeting A Friend for the First Time and Getting Punished by the Headmaster of the Academy (2/2)
The name of Chen Pipi was familiar to her, she felt her brother had mentioned it before. After thinking for a while, she said happily, ”I remember now. You are the Younger Brother of Ye Su.”
Chen Pipi didn't talk for a while and then said, ”Yes, I am. Taoist and Devil's Doctrine are enemies. We are kind and you are evil. My temple is never a friend of the Front Gate of the Devil's Doctrine. Considering all this, I should have killed you immediately. But don't worry, I won't, you are safe, because the master brought you to the Academy.”
But Tang Xiaotang was very excited. She looked at him and said in excitement, ”Doesn't matter. Let's fight first. I have always wanted to fight with you.”
Her face reminded him of his miserable childhood in the temple and the girl who liked red dresses and fighting with him.
He was silent and angry.
Clear sound of flute drifted over from the mountains in the distance.
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These mountains were really big.
Ning Que had been to some places during his long time of staying here. But he had never seen this straw hut before. This was where the students in the back of the mountain gathered and met the teacher today.
It was a very big hut, built on pillars. There were no walls around, so the air here was very refreshing. Luckily that this hut was located in a valley, so it was not chilly in the hut. But its remote location made people wonder where the straws on the roof were from.
There were bamboo chairs on the meadow in front of the hut. Sangsang and Tang Xiaotang were sitting on the chairs. The scared white wolf was hiding under a chair and the Big Black Horse was standing behind a chair, panting heavily. He ran to find his second master, Sangsang, as soon as he escaped from the goose's chasing.
Sangsang sat on the chair with some flowers in her hand. She was dozing off.
Tang Xiaotang was kicking the stone in front of the chair and feeling very bored. She turned to Sangsang with a smile, ”Hello, I am Tang Xiaotang.”
”Hello, I heard your name just then,” replied Sangsang.
Tang Xiaotang continued, ”I come from the Wilderness and I will study in the Academy.”
Sangsang said softly after thinking for a while, ”I am Sangsang, Ning Que's handmaiden. I come from...”
She never knew what to say when others asked her about her hometown, should it be Min Mountain, City of Wei, or He Bei county, where Ning Que found her? But this time, she remembered that she knew she was born in Chang'an and this thought delighted her.
”I was born in Chang'an. And I am not going to study in the Academy. It was said that the West-Hill Divine Palace wanted me to study there, but I don't want to go there either. So I have no idea why they called me here today.”
If it was other girls who heard that Sangsang said the West-Hill Divine Palace wanted to enroll her, they first wouldn't believe her and then they might mock her. But Tang Xiaotang believed Sangsang without any hesitation, she said, ”You are right. The West-Hill Divine Palace is nothing interesting.”
Then she reached her hand out and exclaimed, ”We are friends now.”
Sangsang was not used to her hospitality, but after thinking for a while, she nodded seriously.
Loud debating sounded from the hut that had no walls.
Sangsang lowered head and looked at the flowers in her hands.
Tang Xiaotang looked at the direction of the hut and murmured, ”The Academy really doesn't enroll people of the Enlightenment Doctrine?”
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The Headmaster of the Academy came back to the Academy.
Everyone came here.
Even scholars came here, leaning against the pillars and reading.
There were two hot debates happening here today. The first debate was when Chen Pipi opposed the decision of enrolling Tang Xiaotang into the Academy, and Second Brother disagreed with him. The second debate was when Ning Que apologized for overdrinking and his crazy behavior last night and tried to explain, but Second Brother stopped him.
But it was what happened next that shocked everyone.
The Headmaster of the Academy looked at Ning Que in the eye and said slowly, ”I have never had a student like you. Although others helped you a lot, the result was you passed my hard examination. Anyway, you succeded, and I will admit that you are my student.”
Somehow, Ning Que got a bad feeling.
”You didn't lose the face of the Academy during the trip to the Wilderness, especially in the fight of the two young people of the Judicial Department of the Divine Hall. But you are still too bold, and that is not what people of the Academy should be like.”
”In my view, you are still not quite mature. So I would like to postpone the official enrollment ceremony. In the next few days, you should reflect on your deeds. That is also a punishment for you.”
Ning Que asked, ”Master, how should I reflect on myself?”
The Headmaster of the Academy said peacefully, ”You are punished to be confined to the cliff and not allowed to go out until you truly understand.”
Everyone was shocked to hear the news. They looked at the master in surprise and had no idea why he would make such a decision.
They knew very well what going to the Back Cliff meant in the Academy.
They knew even better how hard it would be to leave the Back Cliff.
Why would the master punish Youngest Brother so hard?
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