812 Negotiations Do Not Have to Mean War (2/2)

”It's already noon, let's eat first.”

Ning Que got Ye Hongyu to change out of her Divine Robe of Judgement. What was lamentable was that her clothing from back then was still in the Plum Gardens.

The two walked to the edge of Yanming Lake and crossed the wooden bridge in the south that was nestled in the reeds. They entered the streets and left Liu Yiqing and Xie Chengyun at the doors.

They bought a few hotcakes on the streets and Ning Que brought her towards the Southern City. They saw many civilians who were holding crutches and many soldiers who were injured.

The injured soldiers were mostly brought back from the frontlines. They all looked pathetic with their arms and legs broken. The civilians were mostly injured on the day the Abbey Dean entered Chang'an.

”The whole city is filled with those on crutches.”

Ye Hongyu said, ”The Tang Empire is already so pathetic, why does the Academy insist on holding on?”

Ning Que answered, ”The same image you see can be interpreted differently. To the Divine Hall, these injured people on crutches prove that the Tang Empire is about to fall. But you see, it proves that the Tang Empire is still powerful because we can save our injured soldiers from the frontlines. And the most important things is, even against an enemy that is as terrifying as the Abbey Dean, even the most ordinary Tang citizen would dare to fight him. A city filled with people on crutches? No, these are not crutches. To me, they are all blades. They are very sharp blades.”

Ye Hongyu did not say anything else.

Ning Que stooped at the entrance of the Southern City's Shishi alley. There were two large trees at the entrance that were of unknown variety. They were slowly turning green in the spring wind.

Ye Hongyu asked, ”Has the Calligraphy Addict left?”

Ning Que answered, ”She is studying with Eldest Brother in the Academy.”

Ye Hongyu said, ”If she seeks for Heaven's Way, how can she be trapped by love?”

”I thought of the very same question a few days ago.”

Ning Que walked under the tree. He found it difficult to find green shoots on the bald branches.

”We saw these two trees turning green in the spring wind earlier. But now that we are under the tree, it is difficult to find green shoots. Heaven's Way is like spring. You can only look upon it from afar. And things like the love between humans in the mortal world are like the green shoots. You can see Heaven's will, but you cannot catch it. And precisely because you do not wish to lower yourself into the dirt and refuse to look at the ugly bare tree trunks, Heaven's Way becomes a small matter.”

He looked at Ye Hongyu and frowned, ”I did not see Second Brother fighting against Liu Bai and Ye Su at the Verdant Canyon, but you saw it. Have your opinions not changed?”

Ye Hongyu thought of what her brother said before leaving and was silent.

”Everyone's path is different, and Teacher's path was one that went against Heaven. What is yours?”

Ning Que looked at her and said, ”What are you pursuing in this life? You wanted to chase after your brother in the past and become a powerhouse in Haotian Taoism, then allow your brother to become the Abbey Dean. But what's the point of becoming the Abbey Dean? The Abbey Dean traveled across the South Sea aimlessly for decades and was unable to return to the Zhishou Abbey. After that, you wanted to become the most powerful person and outstrip your brother. What was the point? We might be the two people in the world who are best at fighting and have no opponents in our state. But have you considered that I cannot become the Headmaster and you cannot be as powerful as the Abbey Dean? What is the point of us continuing in cultivation?”

Ye Hongyu said, ”Not everything has to be meaningful.”

Ning Que said, ”Teacher once said that we live not for any meaning, but to have meaning.”

Ye Hongyu said, ”I live to become more powerful.”

Ning Que asked, ”I once thirsted to become powerful because I had to survive with Sangsang. Furthermore, I wanted to seek revenge, which is why I was obsessed. But you have lived in the Zhishou Abbey since you were a child, and then, you entered the Revelation Institute on Peach Mountain and entered the Judicial Department after that. Your life has been smooth sailing. Where did your obsession come from?”

Ye Hongyu said calmly, ”Not everything has a reason. You can understand my growing powerful as an instinct. Just like how when ants see two leaves and would want to reach out for the bigger of the two. As a cultivator, I'm not interested in power or profit. But I enjoy the feeling of watching the scenery from the peak.”

Ning Que thought of how he had successfully scaled the mountain and watched the scene before him from the peak. The starlight was silver and the clouds floated around the peak. He could vaguely see a few peaks in the distance, it was absolutely beautiful.

”That feeling is indeed really good.”

He agreed with Ye Hongyu.

Ye Hongyu said, ”You did not kill Li Yu, are you not worried about internal strife?”

Ning Que looked at the peaceful expressions of the pedestrians on the street. He said, ”Have you seen any possibility of chaos in Chang'an? There are many Divine Hall spies in Chang'an, and you should know that I can kill her any time. I just do not wish to kill her for now.”

”Do you not wish to kill her, or can you not bear to?”

Ye Hongyu said, ”You did not kill her because of her relationship with the Golden Palace. You did not mention the Golden Palace earlier, so it seems like you have already made preparations on the northern front.”

Ning Que said, ”I do not have any preparations.”

Ye Hongyu answered, ”The Divine Hall has power over the Golden Palace, to a degree that the Academy cannot imagine.”

Ning Que answered, ”Isn't it just Tengri? I already thought it was weird when I passed through the Wilderness last year. After that, I got someone to check it out for me, and only realized that the Divine Hall had been preaching in the Golden Palace through the years. It might seem interesting, but does Haotian think we won't recognize him just by changing his vest?”

Ye Hongyu did not think that he already knew of the matter. She said, ”You do not have any arrangements regarding the northern front and you have also rejected the Divine Hall's good intentions. What do you intend to do with the Golden Palace?”

Ning Que answered, ”I have only one intention towards the Golden Palace.”

Ye Hongyu asked, ”What is it?”

Ning Que answered, ”To kill them all.”