554 The Two Strong Speeches (1/2)
Chapter 554: The Two Strong Speeches
Translator: TransnEditor: Transn
The cultivators under the great green tree had been paying attention to the young man and women by the stream. They knew that the Calligraphy Addict was gentle, but rarely cared about the opposite sex. However, she chatted with the young man and they seemed to get along very well. As such, the cultivators began to whisper among themselves, speculating about the identity and origins of the young man.
Those who had guessed Ning Que's identity were proven right by what they saw. Their shock grew into respect, and they did not know if they should salute the sublime being from the Academy or remain silent so that they would not annoy him.
The nobleman from South Jin Kingdom sensed the change in the atmosphere and saw that the cultivators who had been trying to butter up to him were a little uneasy. He looked at the two figures by the stream from the corner of his eyes and his expression grew grave.
He was of noble status and had personally come to the Lanke Temple to attend the Yue Laan Hungry Ghost Festival. Other than representing the royals of South Jin Kingdom in showing their respect for Master Qishan, who had done them a huge favor, the most important reason for his visit was because he knew that the Calligraphy Addict would come. He wanted to prove his sincerity through his actions and even secretly hoped that if he managed to get Master Qishan to solve his doubts, he would be able to get together with the girl in Wa Mountain.
The royal family of South Jin Kingdom had privately probed about how the Calligraphy Addict felt about this but was rejected. The nobleman had written her several letters that went unanswered. He knew that Mo Shanshan was not an ordinary woman, and he had tried not to cause her displeasure by making her feel as if he was pestering her after entering the Wa Mountain. He had suppressed his desire to get close to her and pretended to be nonchalant so that he would leave a good impression on her.
The nobleman shrugged and chatted warmly with the cultivators while wondering nervously whether Mo Shanshan was quietly looking at him in appreciation. Just as he thought he had succeeded, he suddenly realized that the girl he admired had not noticed him, but had gone to the stream to chat and laugh happily with a man who had appeared out of nowhere.
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The surprised glances and whispered speculations of the cultivators beneath the tree caught Ning Que's attention and did not escape his sharp senses. The grave nobleman from the South Jin Kingdom he met yesterday morning at Lanke Temple did not escape his eyes either. He could not help but frown slightly.
When he thought about that, he had to admit, that if he ignored the man's temperament and moral character, and simply judged the South Jin noble by his background; he would probably be the best match for the Calligraphy Addict in this world. And if he wanted to discuss temperament and moral character, Ning Que had none to speak of. However, he was somewhat unhappy when the thought occurred to him.
Ning Que looked at the South Jin noble beneath the tree and asked, ”Did you come with that guy?”
Mo Shanshan shook her head.
For some reason, Ning Que's displeasure was dispelled when he ascertained that she did not come to the Lanke Temple with the noble. He said smilingly, ”But I'm sure he followed you here.”
Mo Shanshan did not know why he would say that.
A chilly autumn breeze rose from the stream and blew towards the stone chessboard. The large green tree rustled. However, the leaves on the treetop were dense and did not allow any wind to pass. The wind lifted up the noble's robes, revealing his bright yellow belt.
”I know that he is the Crown Prince of the South Jin Kingdom,” said Ning Que.
Mo Shanshan was slightly startled.
Ning Que smiled and said, ”I met him at the Lanke Temple yesterday and we had a slight dispute. But you know how much more gentle I am now. So I didn't tell him anything no matter what he asked me. In my eyes, he isn't even anything. Because we have already crossed paths earlier. He had once wanted to buy my Chicken Soup Calligraphy to please you. I have already defeated him soundly then, so there isn't much fun I can glean off him now.”
Mo Shanshan looked at the mountain stream beneath the cliff and smiled with her head down without saying anything.
Ning Que thought that she did not know about what had happened at the auction of the goods stolen from the Old Brush Pen Shop, so he told her about it excitedly. ”Mr. Thirteen won't give the South Jin Crown Prince face. He just wants to give him a resounding slap.”
Mo Shanshan looked up and asked with a slight smile, ”Are you pleased?”
Ning Que thought about it and said, ”I was very pleased then, and I'm still quite pleased thinking about it now.”
”Then you must be really pleased.”
Mo Shanshan nodded and said, ”Actually, I knew about this.”
Ning Que felt awkward, thinking about how he had talked about it excitedly even though she already knew.
Mo Shanshan looked into his eyes and said with an ambiguous smile, ”Should I thank you for chasing away one of my suitors? Or are you satisfied with having me pine for you all my life and die alone?”
Ning Que stiffened, not knowing how to reply.
”The most troublesome thing is, everyone in the world knows about this. Then, how do you think the world will view me, and how will they view you and the way you treat me?”
Mo Shanshan said with some shame and anger, ”Since we did not work out, then it is not right for you to behave like this.”
”I was wrong. I was really wrong. I shouldn't have...”
Ning Que bowed deeply to her and apologized, ”I have made mistakes since then, and up till today. I hope that you can forgive me.”
His apology was sincere and rare.
However, Mo Shanshan was not appeased. Her eyes, which were like bright lakes, shook in slight disappointment and bitterness. She smiled grudgingly, ”The Tao Addict was right, you are the most shameless person in the world. You admit your mistakes faster than anyone, so sincerely that you always make others feel as if they were the one in the wrong and you were the innocent one.”
Ning Que stayed silent. He had only realized that even the most sophisticated woman was no different from other girls once they were troubled by certain things. They would always find countless reasons to get angry.
Of course, he knew that he could only bear with it because he was indeed in the wrong. After a moment, he said seriously, ”In order to make my apology more sincere, I have decided to do something.”
Mo Shanshan asked, ”What is it?”
Ning Que smiled and said, ”Once Sangsang recovers, I will return to Chang'an as fast as possible. Then, I will get the Chicken Soup Calligraphy back from Grand Secretary Wang's manor and send it to you.”
Mo Shanshan smiled slightly and said, ”There are already many of your calligraphy works in the study by the Ink Lake.”
Ning Que said with a little resignation, ”Then how can I make you happy?”
Mo Shanshan looked into his eyes and said, ”The study by the Ink Lake is still devoid of memos you have written.”
This was a request that had been repeated so many times, Mo Shanshan even looked down on herself for it. Her face grew red with shame, but she stared at his eyes bravely and determinedly.
Ning Que did not dare to look into her gaze. He turned toward the mountain stream without saying anything.
Mo Shanshan sighed silently to herself and did not say anything else. She looked at the mountain stream calmly.
The mountain scenery was extremely beautiful in autumn. There were crisp sounds of water rushing in the mountain stream yet everything seemed quiet by the river.
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The speculations of the cultivators beneath the tree all pointed to one person.
The puzzle was simple. In all the stories that the Calligraphy Addict had left in the world in her years outside her sect, there was only one man who could stand beside her and admire the scenery in silence.
The speculations were confirmed as the person who had guessed Ning Que's identity spoke up. It was determined that the man standing beside the Calligraphy Addict was the legendary Mr. Thirteen of the Academy, Ning Que! Shouts of surprise rang in the crowd. No matter how hard they tried to control their reactions, they were not able to.
The Crown Prince of the South Jin Kingdom glowered as he looked at the two figures by the stream. His hands, which were outside his sleeves shook with anger and jealousy. He could not control his emotions even though he wanted to keep cool.
After a moment of silence, he could not stop himself any longer and walked towards the stream. Since someone had taken the lead, many people followed. The area beneath the large tree emptied out in a short time.
The stone chessboard that had previously been crowded was suddenly silent. The competitor from the South Jin Kingdom sat on one side of the chessboard deep in thought and did not notice. Meanwhile, the yellow-clothed monk who was refereeing the match had sensed it. He raised his head in surprise and glanced at the stream.
Ning Que sensed when the cultivator beneath the large green tree took his first step. Ning Que turned around and watched as the dozens of cultivators walked towards him. He couldn't help but freeze, and calculated at the fastest speed what he and Mo Shanshan should do when they rushed over in order to not fall into the mountain stream. Then, he looked at the black horse carriage and made sure that that the Big Black Horse was alert before he was put at ease.
The cultivators did not really push Ning Que into the mountain stream. Instead, they all observed a sense of propriety and even treated him with respect. They all stopped in unison while they were still several feet away from the edge of the stream.
”Greetings, Mr. Thirteen. I am Taoist Lee from the Kingdom of Song.”
”I am Lin Ruoyu. Greetings, senior from the Academy.”
”I am Hua Yun. I am here to greet Sir Ning on behalf of my teacher.”
Everyone bowed graciously to Ning Que and saluted him. Their expressions were a mix of restraint and excitement. Some of their voices trembled, and some of their voices changed pitches in their excitement. One could sense that they were all very excited.
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This was the world of Haotian. The Haotian Taoism sect was naturally highly regarded. Most of the cultivators who had come to the Wa Mountain behind the Lanke Temple were Taoist cultivators.
The vague rivalry between the Haotian Taoism sect and the Academy happened in the shadow of history and between powerful cultivators. It had nothing to do with these ordinary cultivators.
They only knew that the back of the mountain of the Academy was a legendary Unknown Place.
The core disciples of the Headmaster at the back of the mountain were legendary Unworldly Sublime Beings.
To the cultivators in the world, these Unworldly Sublime Beings walked on clouds and rarely appeared in the mortal world. Most cultivators would not have the chance to encounter them.
Amongst all other Unknown Places, the Academy was the only one linked to the secular world. But cultivators outside the Tang Empire would basically not have the chance to meet the disciples of the back of the mountain of the Academy.
They have finally encountered one up close. They weren't watching the Unworldly Sublime Being waving his sword as he flew past them, and could even speak with him. How could they not be excited?
Whether or not this Lucky Chance would benefit them on their long path to cultivation, they would at least be able to tell their descendants and disciples about what had happened one year at the Lanke Temple on Wa Mountain before their bodies failed and they returned to Haotian's divine light. They would be able to talk about how approachable Mr. Thirteen of the Academy was with pride.
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Ning Que had never possessed the self-awareness of an Unworldly Sublime Being. After he had successfully entered the Second floor of the Academy, he continued drinking at the House of Red Sleeves and made conversations with his neighbors at the Lin 47th Street. He had interacted with many in the world when he brought the students from the Academy to the northern frontier fortress. However, he could clearly sense that the way he was treated had changed over the years. However, he did not care because he stayed in the mortal world and did not live in seclusion in the supermundane.
This had something to do with his entering the human realm on behalf of the Academy, and also because of his experience. He could not completely cut off his ties with the secular world before he had taken his revenge. And even though he had killed Xia Hou, this had not changed.
That was why Ning Que froze when he saw the respectful expressions of the cultivators from other countries and the excitement in their eyes. Then, he smiled warmly and returned their salutations calmly.
While his expression was serene, his heart wasn't.
He had always known of the Academy's standing in the cultivation world. However, when he had previously entered the human realm, the people he had interacted with were either mad or terrifyingly powerful perverted seniors in cultivation. That was why this was the first time he had felt the power of his sect, as well as the respect and admiration other cultivators had for the Academy.
Whether it was respect or admiration, they both felt really good.
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Even though this was Haotian's world and most cultivators cultivated in Taoism, the Tang Empire was still the strongest country in the world. Many were influenced by the Tang Empire and liked to think that they belonged to sects close to the Academy. A Sword Master from Great River Kingdom did not hesitate to kneel before Ning Que together with his Younger Brothers and bowed grandly to Ning Que. Then, he got up and stood at the spot closest to Mo Shanshan proudly.
Such actions were rather laughable. However, most of the other cultivators did not laugh and felt that it was natural. If they were cultivators from the Great River Kingdom, they would be the fastest to kneel. The Calligraphy Addict was more charming than anyone else. Who would refuse to get close to her? Furthermore, they could get close to the sublime being from the Academy through her connections.
However, someone could not bear to watch any longer. He laughed out loud and ruined the atmosphere by the mountain stream. The cultivators who were bowing in a frenzy turned around and wondered who was so brave to do that.
The person who dared to laugh mockingly did not fear the Academy, or course. The West-Hill Divine Palace did not send anyone forth and the monks from the Lanke Temple were still on the mountain for some reason. The only person who was qualified to go against the Academy, or perhaps one should say, the only person who thought he was qualified to go against the Academy, was a disciple of the Sword Garret of the South Jin Kingdom.
Ever since the Sword Sage, Liu Bai, appeared and was recognized as the strongest powerhouse in the world, the South Jin Kingdom, who touted themselves as the second strongest country in the world grew proud. Sometimes, they even looked down on the Tang Empire. Liu Bai's disciples at the Sword Garret also traversed the cultivation world proudly.
However, many misunderstood. Even disciples from the Sword Garret dared not disrespect someone from the Academy. Even if they hated the Academy because they had caused Liu Yiqing's blindness, their hate was respectful.