915 I Want to See the Sea (2/2)
Ning Que was annoyed and said, ”You see, every time you don't know how to answer my question you throw that word at me. Can't you think of anything different?”
Sangsang replied calmly, ”You hangdog.”
Ning Que could not argue with her and continued walking to the east depressedly.
Sangsang followed him and asked, ”Why are you upset?”
Ning Que replied without turning back to her, ”You forced the former emperor to give up his throne just to let Old Wu get a concubine. You owe me a lot too. How about you think of a way to let me take a concubine as well?”
Sangsang replied, ”Because I don't want to. Then don't you dare even think about it.”
He kept chatting with Sangsang and walked further away from Jingdu. Time passed by and rays of dawn became brighter. Eventually the morning sun flamed above the horizon.
There was a breakfast stall by the trail. The stall keeper had no idea of what had happened inside Jingdu. Despite the anxious preparations for war in the Great River Kingdom, he continued to boil water and prepare the noodle as he always did.
Sangsang stopped by his stall and ordered, ”One bowl of noodle please.”
Ning Que joined her and said, ”Two please.” He looked at the rising sun in the east and said, ”Doesn't it look like a salted egg yolk?”
The stall keeper had some sense of humor and relied, ”We don't have salted egg yolks, but we do have fried eggs.”
Ning Que was lost in his thoughts for a second upon hearing about the fried egg.
Sangsang said, ”We'd like one on each bowl.”
In the rosy glory of the morning sun, the two of them squatted by a willow next to the trail and started eating their fried egg noodle soup. Ning Que had been hungry for a while so he ate aloud with no manners at all.
Sangsang ate silently but no slower than Ning Que.
She was still expressionless, but Ning Que knew that she was happy. Ever since they had left the Divine Halls, Sangsang laughed occasionally but kept expressionless most of the time. Yet he had learned how to notice her emotions by other indicators, such as how fast she ate or drank, or how she looked at the marshmallows.
Ning Que finished his noodle soup and left the fried egg in the bowl.
Ever since he was a child, he would finish his noodle soup before the egg. That was because they had went through many years of poverty.
He picked up the fried egg. Instead of placing it into his own mouth, he put it into Sangsang's bowl.
Sangsang glanced at him and ate it without saying anything.
Ever since she was a child, he would save the best foods for her. She was used to it.
The big black horse stood beside them and chewed on the flowers in the morning glory. He sucked out the juice and spat out the dregs. He seemed clear and bright, even a bit transcendent.
In actuality, he was feeling really low because it had been days since he had noodle soup or his favourite yellow fruits. What most annoying to him was that it seemed Ning Que and Sangsang had completely forgotten him.
He resented and thought, Keep showing off, you love birds. Your trouble will come soon!
The big black horse did not know that he was a prophet regarding this.
Leaving Jingdu, they walked along the road for more than half a day. Suddenly, roaring dust were kicked up from afar and the earth started quaking. Numerous cavalrymen in black armor spurted out of the dust overwhelmingly.
Two thousand cavalrymen from the Divine Halls had crossed the river, broke through the North Prefecture and finally arrived.
Ning Que frowned and felt slightly annoyed by these travel-stained cavalrymen of the Divine Halls.
Since he and Sangsang jumped into the abyss and left Peach Mountain, the Divine Halls had been keeping the secret from the world. Even the Sage of Calligraphy had no idea of this previously.
If the world knew that Haotian had left West Hill, how could Taoism maintain their fame?
In the meantime, West Hill had been constantly tracking Sangsang and trying to escort her back to the Divine Halls.
Ning Que and Sangsang did not disguise themselves along the way. Therefore it was not difficult for West Hill to locate them.
In order to keep the secret as well as to respect Haotian's plan, West Hill only sent out two thousands of cavalrymen to follow them from a distance. After Ning Que and Sangsang had visited the imperial palace of the Great River Kingdom and unveiled Haotian's Divine Manifestation, it was no longer necessary for them to keep the secret. The Divine Halls had to take actions.
Two thousand cavalrymen traveled day and night, crossed the river and finally came to Ning Que and Sangsang.
The dust fell down. The cavalrymen had stopped a few miles away and did not dare to come closer.
Someone rode in from the dust in the dusk. Perhaps he wanted to greet Haotian but they could not figure out who that was.
Ning Que glanced at Sangsang and was worried.
He worried that she would choose to go back to West Hill with the cavalrymen.
It was just like how she was worried that he would stay at the Ink Fountain.
Sangsang looked at those pious human beings and talked to him after a while. ”Is there any other place you want to go?”
Ning Que thought for a while and asked, ”Where do you want to go?”
Sangsang said, ”I want to see the sea.”
They turned south because the sea was in the south.
There was an uproar among the cavalrymen. The person who was slowly riding had stopped. It appeared that the person was dressed in red.
After a short while, the cavalrymen also proceeded south.
Among the fields of the Great River Kingdom, thick dust were kicked up and clip-clop sounds resounded endlessly.
The cavalrymen seemed quiet but firm. They did not care about whether or not the Great River Kingdom would send some troops to intercept or attack.
They seemed quiet yet humble. They followed the group of two and a horse from a distance of several miles. They did not dare to come closer or go away.
This scene in the fields of the Great River Kingdom was awe-inspiring as well as peculiar. Roaring dust followed the lofty figure under the setting sun. Where were they going?
Ning Que and Sangsang went to the sea.
The sea in the south was different from the fierce sea in the Song Kingdom. It was tranquil.
Tender breeze blew above the sea. Up in the sky, clouds of various shapes and slight waves reflected various levels of blue on the sea.
The big black horse rushed into the deep blue sea and neighed with joy.
Ning Que and Sangsang walked to the beach and watched the tranquil sea.
A storm was coming from the sea.
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