Nightfall

Synchronization

His Majesty decided that Ning Que would be the leader of the Academy students in the Wilderness practice this time. As Master Yan Se heard the news from his Younger Brother, an anger suddenly appeared on his ‘lewd’ face and his white eyebrows kept tilting up and down, as if they were to become a ball of fire. He severely scolded, “What happened again?”

Master of Nation Li Qingshan slightly laughed and said, “Back then I also felt strange, but later I guess I understand his Majesty’s thought on my way here. Due to that thing about her Majesty that year, there is a health risk of his Majesty’s body. Nobody knows when it will break out, so he has to think more about affairs of state in the future.”

Master Yan Se sneeringly said, “Tang is founded on the basis of military and is governed by laws. Is there something about state affairs that his Majesty needs to worry about? He wants to imitate that hellhole South Jin Kingdom to appoint a useless assisting minister?”

Li Qingshan shook his head and said, “Our South School of Haotian Taoism looks powerful, but actually, the number of mighty cultivators in noontide is few and weak. If Tang wants to compete with the Divine Hall and maintain its strict law, it will unavoidably rely on the Academy at last. However, among those freak talents of the Second floor of the Academy right now, most of them are just interested in some personal hobbies and have no ability to govern the state. Besides, the most two powerful students of the Academy have totally become someone in another world and showed little interest in state affairs.”

“It is fortunately that the Academy has a student named Ning Que.”

“Ning Que… what’s wrong again?”

“His Majesty knows this lad very well. He is from the earthly world, so he has some ambitions and desires. Of course this isn’t a negative comment, because it means he is ambitious. Once he involves in the worldly affairs, the Academy will naturally keep an eye on it. In this way, the future state affair will be steady.”

After a short silence, Master Yan Se said with a sigh, “Actually, every thought that is related to a too far future is too rigid.”

“I know what you mean. At present, Ning Que is indeed a small potato, but everything needs to be ready from the beginning. Since his Majesty appreciates him and would like to foster him, you don’t have to be angry.”

“He has to involve in these worldly affairs when he just enters Talisman Taoism… In my view, it is absolutely a barrier, rather than a kind of training. If you want him to be a Divine Talisman Master within ten years, it is inadvisable and unwise to overly train him and give him heavy responsibility in advance.”

“How could Left-Tent palace on the grassland dare to antagonize with Tang Empire? Besides, the order made by the Divine Hall is more due to the vigilance to those Desolate Men and remaining followers of the Devil’s Doctrine. There will be no real danger for Ning Que and other students of the Academy in this practice. No important thing will happen there, so you don’t have to worry about the nonexistent heavy responsibility.”

Looking at his Senior Brother, Li Qingshan gently persuaded, “The cultivation of Talisman Taoism requires both inner comprehension and external observation. Since it is so, the practice may be good for his cultivation, even if he will encounter some trouble. How could a piece of steel become a piece of Stainless-steel without being hammered and tempered; and how could a piece of white paper become a real Fu if it fails to bear the force of a finger?”

…

…

The Academy hadn’t received the written letter from his Majesty in Daming Palace. The students, who would go to south for practice in this fall, were talking about the not-so-cold weather in excitement. They had no idea that they would go to that slightly-cold and strange Wilderness soon. Ning Que also didn’t know that he had been regarded as a key training target by the empire and that he would lead his ex-classmates to the Wilderness. Right now, he was paying all his attention to memorizing Fu characters and developing Talisman Arrow.