610 It Is Boring in the Wilderness (1/2)
Chapter 610: It Is Boring in the Wilderness
Translator: TransnEditor: Transn
While cleaning up, Ning Que saw the chessboard. He tossed it into a corner and then reached out for the Big Black Umbrella. He couldn't help but shake his head.
As compared to how it had looked like in the past decade, the Big Black Umbrella had undergone great changes. The oily grey sheen on the surface of the umbrella had disappeared completely, revealing a pure black cloth. There were several tears on the edges and it looked rather pathetic.
The Big Black Umbrella had been strong and undefeatable – able to withstand all attacks in the world. However, it had become what it was now. So one could imagine how powerful the Light of Buddha at Lanke Temple was.
Ning Que continued to clean up. He categorized the iron arrows, talismans and his replacement arrowheads, placing them where he could easily reach. Then, he pried up the base of the carriage, and arranged the dried goods and stones that helped to propel the horse carriage talisman. He also counted the yellow fruit that the Big Black Horse ate as well as some other miscellaneous items.
According to the amounts they had now, they would be able to return to the Academy from the Wilderness. Even if they did not have enough dried goods, he was not worried that they would be unable to find food in the Wilderness. Searching for water wasn't something difficult either. If he really couldn't find any, he could just expend a little of his Psyche Power to write a few water talismans.
The talisman paper in the copper basin had already disappeared, turning into warm amber flame.
These were fire talismans that Ning Que had written a long time ago. They looked impressive, but were ordinary in terms of temperature and the amount of time they would last. The water in the pot on the copper basin had just boiled. Rice turned in the water, but the amount of water was lacking. It was unclear how long it would take for the rice to be cooked.
Ning Que took a bit of ginseng and got off the horse carriage. He called the Big Black Horse, who had been keeping guard a few hundred feet away. He patted the horse's neck and thought of how they had gone through life and death together in Lanke Temple. He felt slightly emotional and said, ”From today on, if I have meat to eat, you'll have soup to drink.”
With that, he stuffed the ginseng into Big Black Horse's mouth and patted its head.
Big Black Horse chewed slightly and swallowed the ginseng. It looked up pathetically at Ning Que while still chewing.
It was clear what Big Black Horse wanted. Its owner was shameless, only willing to give it soup when he had meat to eat. But he had only given the horse a thin slice of ginseng, how could that be filling? The horse had been scared to death by the weird crater and the terrifying temple, and it had pulled their horse carriage for miles – how could Ning Que starve it?
Ning Que felt a little ashamed and said, ”I will definitely get you meat tomorrow. Just eat this for today.”
The Big Black Horse shook its head around in annoyance, though mostly – resignation.
Porridge in the pot was ready and emitting slight fragrance. Ning Que helped Sangsang up and fed her some. He said, ”I've put medicine in the porridge. I stole it from the stupid idiot, don't let it know.”
Sangsang looked out of the carriage somewhat embarassedly, then, she swallowed her laughter and continued eating. After having half a bowl of porridge she felt slightly better. Thinking of Ning Que's injuries, she said, ”You eat some too.”
Ning Que said, ”I have already eaten.”
Sangsang replied, ”You had cold water and dried goods, how could it be good.”
Ning Que said, ”We only lived a little better after we got to the City of Wei. To think that when we lived in the Min Mountain, being able to eat dried goods was already luxurious. Don't worry, I am used to it.”
Sangsang thought to herself that they had gone from scrimping to living luxuriously, and then, from living luxuriously back to scrimping. The dried goods definitely did not taste as good as they did when they were younger. However, knowing how Ning Que was, she did not try to persuade him, but instead, told herself to get better quickly.
The porridge in the pot was still boiling, popping occasionally. It was still steaming and it was warm in the carriage. Only the Big Black Umbrella and the chessboard in the corner were emitting a slight frost.
The seemingly ordinary chessboard was one that Buddha had left behind. Ning Que could not understand: The horse carriage was supposed to enter the board, but how did the board end up inside the horse carriage instead?
”We know that we are in the extreme Western Wilderness. We have already determined our location, but we don't know how many days have passed since the incident at Lanke Temple.”
He said, ”The old monk said that the world had been searching for us for a long time. It seems the chessboard was useful. We only traveled on the mountain path for seconds, but plenty of time must have passed in the outside world. Even though it is still late winter, I suppose more than ten days must have passed.”
Sangsang felt that his extrapolation was logical. She still felt frightened when she thought of the Light of Buddha in Lanke Temple, and then, she thought of what had happened before they entered the chessboard when the temple had been broken into. She said, ”You guessed that it was Mr. First and Second who had broken into the temple. What happened to them? I wonder if they got into any trouble.”
Ning Que said, ”Don't worry, there are, at most, two people who can hurt my two Senior Brothers simultaneously. But those two are afraid of angering Teacher, so they would definitely not dare to act.”
The two he spoke about were abbey dean of Zhishou Abbey and Chief Preaching Monk of Xuankong Temple.
”I am more worried for Master Qishan.”
Ning Que thought of the benevolent Buddhist high monk and how he had activated the chessboard to send the two away. He frowned and said, ”The master had always been ill, and he used the mantras to aid me in my battle with Qi Nian. After that, he forcefully turned the chessboard. I wonder if he can still hold on.”
Sangsang was very worried after hearing that. She took out a black chess piece from her waist and stared at it dazedly.
Ning Que knew that this was the chess piece that Sangsang had used in the last of the three games of chess on Tile Mountain. He said softly, ”I have a bad feeling. Keep this chess piece as a momento.”
Sangsang nodded and clenched her hand, clutching the black chess piece tightly. She looked at the chessboard and asked, ”The aura of Buddha has left the chessboard. Is it ruined?”
Ning Que said, ”This is after all, something left behind by Buddha. Even if we can't enter the world in the chessboard again, we can still keep it to sell. It's still better than finding somewhere to bury it.”
The night had gotten deeper, and Big Black Horse had already fallen asleep.
Its skin was thick – it was not bothered by the piercing winds in the Wilderness. It did not sleep like normal horses, as it did not support its full weight with its four legs. It did not lie on the ground like weak old horses either. Instead, it leaned against the carriage haphazardly like a drunk. Its nostrils flared slightly as it smelled the scent of porridge floating from the window seams, sleeping soundly.
Steam from the porridge swirled around the carriage. Together with the talisman paper that was emitting warmth in the copper basin, it was slightly stifling. Ning Que reached out and opened a crack in the skylight above the carriage.
Silver starlight entered through the crack, shining on him and Sangsang. It landed on everything, turning the carriage into their favorite color of silver taels.
Sangsang shrunk into his embrace and clutched at his shirt with her right hand. She looked at the night sky through the crack and realized that the night sky in the wilderness was still as bright as before. However, she felt that there was someone watching her from among the stars and began to feel frightened. She clutched at Ning Que's shirt even tighter.