475 Snowing (1/2)
Chapter 475: Snowing
Translator: TransnEditor: Transn
”This night snow seems unfair to me, but it is actually unfair to Xia Hou.”
Looking at the snow on the other side of the lake, Ning Que shook his head and continued, ”The array eye pestle was taken away by His Majesty. It definitely makes me unhappy, but it is fair. It seems unfair because my cultivation is not nearly as good as his. However, I've prepared for this battle for a total of fifteen years. He doesn't know that there exists a man like me quietly keeping an eye on him, thus it makes the battle even.”
”As long as the battle is only between him and me, I acknowledge the fairness of it.”
Sangsang shrank into herself and tightly held the handle of the big black umbrella to make sure it would not be blown away by the heavy wind and snow. She whispered, ”Young Master, are you worried that someone will stick their nose in?”
”After all, apart from being the general of the Empire, Xia Hou is a visiting professor of the Tao Sect. I always thought that someone would come to disturb the battle, and I felt something when I held the pestle earlier.”
Thinking of his fellow brothers in the Academy, Ning Que spoke: ”I'm not worried, because we are in Chang'an as opposed to somewhere else. As long as the Academy stands right there, south of the city, no one will be able to interfere.”
Maybe there were a few forces intending to interfere with this battle, but most people were at the bank of Yanming Lake, quietly waiting for it to begin, like Ye Su who had left the Taoist temple.
The ideal place to watch a battle was, of course, from above. At this moment, Ye Su was above the wall of Chang'an, his white robe flowing with the night snow.
Most people thought that the West-Hill Divine Palace did not want to see the battle between Xia Hou and Ning Que happen. This was supported by the fact that a special envoy from the palace had raised objections to His Majesty. However, Ye Su coming to Chang'an on behalf of Haotian Tao Sect could ignore the palace's attitude. Although he wanted to see Xia Hou safely retire from the court, he did not mind the battle happening.
Because in all the possibilities Ye Su had thought of, there were none where Ning Que could win this battle.
It would be nice if Xia Hou could win.
And it would be better if he could kill Ning Que, thus offending the Academy.
If so, he would have no chance of enjoying his old age in the Tang Empire after retirement, nor vacillating between the Tang Empire and Tao Sect. He would have no choice but to swear his allegiance to Haotian Taoism.
”Haotian Taoism sect's idea sounds very nice, but you have to first make sure that Xia Hou will win.”
A voice came from the wall. He spoke at a very slow pace, but he could be heard clearly in the heavy snow, making people calm.
Walking up to Ye Su, Eldest Brother looked at the dark Yanming Lake below the wall.
Ye Su said, ”We met this morning, and now you are here again.”
Eldest Brother said, ”Yeah, I came to see.”
Ye Su asked, ”To see what?”
Looking at Ye Su and smiling, Eldest Brother said, ”Your sword style is pretty good, and only Liu Bai's is equal to yours. No one can defeat you in Chang'an, thus I came to see you.”
Coming to see you meant coming to keep an eye on you.
Watching the snow dancing in the night, Ye Su said emotionlessly, ”No one can defeat me in Chang'an, but the Academy is outside of Chang'an.”
Although the snow was very heavy on this night, many people still remained within it.
The Third Minister of Offerings from Qinghe County sat in the Winter Forest beside the eastern bank of Yanming Lake.
The snow fell, yet he seemed numb to its chilliness.
Considering the interests of the important clans and Her Highness of Qinghe County, he would not allow anyone to disturb this battle. However, he had felt a foreboding that something would go wrong, and that was why he came here.
In the snow, a monk slowly approached.
Although the forest was dark, the kapok kasaya and bamboo hat worn by the monk could be seen clearly, which made his showing-up very obvious.
Seeing the monk approaching in the snow, the Third Minister of Offerings frowned.
He had been a Grand Cultivator of Knowing Destiny State for many years, yet he could not figure out what kind of state the monk reached. It made him wary and hostile.
The battle between the strong was characterized by speed, there was no need for any formalities between each other. Putting his arm behind him, the Third Minister of Offerings held the hilt to draw out his sword.
When the sheath and the sword scraped each other, they made a sound similar to the pieces of snowflake falling on to the bed of snow. However, the sword was forced to halt its way out.
With his eyebrows raised and his hands shaking, the Third Minister of Offerings pulled out all the power inside his body.
However, rather than being drawn out, the sword gradually returned to its sheath.
The sound of the friction between the sword and the sheath was as quiet as the falling snow, making him uneasy.
The monk wearing a bamboo hat slowly walked toward him in the snow, being only a few feet away from him.
The Third Minister of Offerings tensed up, and his hands shook like dead branches bearing snow. Looking at the monk, his previously proud eyes only showed fear.
No Qi of Heaven and Earth changed in the forest, the monk just slowly approached. With no movement, he showed a Grand Cultivator from the Knowing Destiny State that he could not draw out his own sword before him.
Quietly amazed, the Third Minister of Offerings could not imagine which cultivator could possess such power. For a moment, he guessed the monk's origins, and his pupils shrank.