1090 The Banquet IV (2/2)

”The biggest mistake you've made is being overconfident about yourself.”

”You really think that you rank world's number one in terms of Psyche Power ratings?”

”You could have been, a long time ago, but after I've mastered the skill of Grey Eyes, and you'll never be one.”

”I can turn into anyone, my Psyche Power is beyond control. How could you still stand against me?”

Long Qing was pacing toward Ning Que. His broken ankle seemed to have recovered.

There were a few blurry faces appearing behind him as he walked.

He stopped in front of Ning Que, opening his arms to point toward both the shore where the cultivators who were seriously injured and some dead bodies were lying. ”If I were to permit myself, I can get as much Psyche Power as I want.”

”The reason why I brought them to kill you was to use up your Psyche Power, besides allowing myself to recover at the last moment. They were my food, and they could have been yours.”

Long Qing was staring at Ning Que. ”I've prepared banquet for you and I don't know why, until the very last moment, you still don't want to settle for it. That's why you can only become the last main dish of my feast.”

”Why didn't you compromise? Is it because that cannibalism isn't your thing?” Ning Que coughed out blood painfully and he realised where the confusion in Long Qing came from. He must have wanted Ning Que to utilise Devil Doctrine's Practice of Taotie to go against his own Grey Eyes, as if what happened during the autumn rain in Red Lotus Temple a few years ago but he didn't expect Ning Que decided against the tactic.

Ning Que looked at Long Qing, continuing, ”I've tried your meat, but it wasn't tasty either.”

Long Qing had prepared himself even if Ning Que was to use Devil Doctrine's Practice of Taotie. He had been putting up with the cultivators on the shore but Ning Que hadn't made a move at all. His preparation was deemed a waste.

”Tasty or not… is it important?”

”Extremely important.”

Ning Que said, ”I've learned a lot from my teacher but I can only remember this principle.”

Long Qing stayed quiet. He raised his right arm and immediately the river was covered in a distinct foul atmosphere. The hundreds of cultivators whether dead or alive started to tremble as his eyes grew in greyness.

During the short amount of time, he regained his strength again. From his ruined gown, he retrieved his Natal Sword. The sword with the hilt looking like a black peach blossom. This sword, or in other words, flower, had grew from the hole in the middle of his chest. He finally won the battle against Ning Que. Ning Que was going to die very soon. This made him very excited, he was overjoyed. That was why the black peach blossom on the hilt was blossoming, in a beautiful way.

…

When the black peach blossomed and fell, it reminded Ning Que about a lot of things.

This wasn't the recap of his memories, because he knew he wasn't going to die instantly.

He was reminded about the mountaineer exam in the Academy, near the Firewood Door. What Long Qing saw was a gentleman should not wrangle, but what he saw was a gentleman should not be just a tool.

What does it actually mean that the Academy shouldn't be just a tool?

He had consulted Chen Pipi about this question, but only to discover it was an absurd concept, where everyone will have a different understanding about it. If things could be explained, they were philosophical reasonings. While those which couldn't be explained, they were merely talents.

If it wasn't a tool that gave play to a particular talent, does it mean it was only a reasoning? Or we should follow the footsteps of the Headmaster of Academy by being lenient on rules… by being blinded by freedom? Ning Que still had a long way to go if he were to reach the level of ultimate liberation.

However at this very moment, he finally understood a part of the principles. There were way too many things that were beyond control in this world. Just like Long Qing, no matter how well his plan had been, there were many unexpected incidents which would prompt along the way, for instance, the banquet, because he still refused to lift his chopsticks.

On the contrary, if one had chosen to follow their hearts, paying as little attention as they could for what was to come, it may end up having a better ending. What was the plan in his hand, what was his next move, what's the point of thinking so much?

When Ning Que was thinking about all these, his head was still lowered, half of his body in the hole.

His right arm was drenched in blood, as he gripped hard onto the steel bow. Then, he swung the bow forward.

He didn't have a target. He just swung his arm as he wished, poise and natural.

Long Qing wanted to dodge but realized that he couldn't.

Ning Que swung the bow, as if how he had written those Talisman Intents back in the City of Chang'an. So, writing felt the same as filling up a Talisman Intent. The less attention you pay, the better it will become. That was why the comforting posts were best when they were written unintentionally.

His unintentional swing was never meant to be dodged. A loud bang erupted!

The freshly recovered ankle of Long Qing was broken again, with his body slowly falling to the ground. The steel bow which was in Ning Que's hand just seconds ago was now on Long Qing's neck!

Long Qing yelped and raised his Taoist sword, using the natal black peach blossom on the hilt of the sword to stop the bow from killing him. The two of them fell onto the shore, the blood on their bodies covered in mire.

With lightning speed, Ning Que landed his right knee on Long Qing's back and started pulling the bow, trying to strangle the latter to death.

Long Qing was carrying the inverted black peach blossom sword, with its blade nearly touching his own chest. He used all his Psyche Power collected from the ocean, combining with innumerable amount of Breath of Heaven and Earth, but he still couldn't break free.

The current strength of Ning Que was exceptionally terrifying. There were only two choices left for Long Qing: either to die from strangling or to die from stabbing.

A silent sneer was heard. The blade had made its way through the ruined gown into Long Qing's body! But he wasn't dead yet, because of the hole in the middle of his chest. This black sword had made its way through Long Qing's body by passing the hole!

Puff!

Ning Que's chest was stabbed by the sword, blood gushing out from his body. The hole in the middle of Long Qing's chest was the result of the arrow wound done by Ning Que many years ago. Now, he had made use of this hole to tear open Ning Que's chest. Or should this be, karma?

…

The bowstring was one inch away from Long Qing's neck.

And the black sword was also an inch away from Ning Que's heart.

The options were clear and they were up to Long Qing. If he chose not to resist, the blade of the sword will definitely go deeper into Ning Que's body, but he would have to sacrifice himself in the process.

The options were given to Ning Que too. If he chose not to strangle Long Qing with the bowstring, he would not have to pay the price by having the sword going deeper into his body.

This was the real deal of dying together.

In the mire on the shore, there were only the sounds of respite and continuous struggles.

The two of them were like stray dogs, no matter how far they went, they would need to fight against each other like this till the end.

Long Qing couldn't turn around, but he asked, panting, ”When you swung your bow just now, which method were you using? Why couldn't I dodge your attack? It must have nothing to do with Psyche Power, but why didn't you do it earlier?”

Ning Que replied behind him, ”The Academy doesn't care about the meaning of the method.”

Long Qing continued sarcastically with a question, ”Now what? Shall we die together?”

Ning Que replied, ”I don't really mind.”

In what seemed to be simple conversation, they were still exerting force on their actions.

The bowstring was squeaking, while the blade was slowly entering Ning Que's body.

Suddenly, Long Qing remarked, ”You don't have the courage, because you don't want to die. You still want to look for her.”

Ning Que replied, ”Not having the desire to die doesn't mean that I'm afraid of death, and you, who had made that statement proves that you're afraid of death.”

Long Qing felt like he had been insulted. He shouted angrily, ”I'm not afraid of death!”

Ning Que continued, ”In the beginning, you had attacked me with your natal peach, it failed to hit me in the face and landed on my chest. This was because you've lowered your head, you are only brave enough to receive my attack with your forehead, not your neck.”

Long Qing was panting. ”So what about that?”

”You lowered your head, and I didn't.”

Ning Que breathed in a few mouthfuls of air with fishy smell, before continued with a straight face. ”So, you're going to die and I'm going to live.”

Just as the sentence was finished, Ning Que used all of his remaining strength, and pulled the string backwards!

Long Qing roared with rage!

The string was on his neck, leaving a clear red line.

The blade of the black sword went deeper into Ning Que's chest, toward his heart.

An indescribable pain took over Ning Que's body, and it made him trembled involuntarily. His face was pale as snow and his lips were black like the color of ink. He was screaming in pain!

”Ah!!!” Ning Que was screaming in agony, his arms pulling backwards unceasingly!

A small squeak was heard! Long Qing's neck was broken. His spirit left his body and he fell onto the shore like a disintegrated doll.

Ning Que was breathing hard. His focus was blur and both of his hands were shaking. After some time when he had regained his consciousness, he only let go of the bow, where it landed some distance away from him.

There was a huge hole in his chest, and a seriously damaged heart. His body was curled up, wretched. He was hugging himself, trembling non-stop. The cold breeze of the river entered his heart because it was exposed through the deep hole.

Long Qing was just beside him, as he stared at the dark grey sky with disbelief. Right now, his eyes were no longer grey in color.

If this ending was compared with their rivalry, the ending had come rather simply and quick.

Just as what Ning Que had said, if Long Qing was not afraid of death, by combining both of their strengths, the black sword would have killed Ning Que easily but Long Qing would need to sacrifice himself in the process.

All these years, Long Qing wasn't happy but he didn't want to die either. Until that final moment, he still didn't have the desire to die. And so he was dead.

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