Nightfall

Nobody Dares Ride on the Black Donkey

The eight horses were all very handsome. Any one of them was comparable to the white horse Chanyu of Left King’s Palace had gifted to Flower Addict back then. One could imagine how luxurious the chariot was just by the eight horses pulling it.

But actually, the chariot was very shabby. Holes on both sides were covered with a few withered wooden planks and embroidered pads on the chariot had long rotted away. The chariot appeared as if it had been picked out of the garbage.

However, that wasn’t the main point. The main point was a donkey on the chariot. The donkey was not large and was entirely black except for a white patch around its mouth. It laid lazily on the chariot, four hooves pointing up at the sky like wooden sticks.

There was a basket of unidentifiable orange fruit on the chariot. The black donkey was chewing on one and judging by the crunching – the fruit was probably really juicy.

It was already very shocking that there were thousands – or even more – wild horses in the desolate swamp. However, the fact that a donkey was leading the team was even more so. Anyone having seen it would think that the donkey, sitting like a human on the chariot and lazily eating fruits, was a monster.

Ning Que knew that the black donkey was not a monster because he was used to such behaviours at the back of the Academy’s mountain. Whether the old yellow bull, the white goose or his own Big Black Horse – they were all like that. If that black donkey on the chariot were a monster, then it could be said that he had lived with such monsters for many years.

He had already guessed where the black donkey was from at first glance.

At the back of the mountain of the Academy, at the top floor of the House of Red Sleeves, at the bottom of Daming Lake – from Second Brother, Aunt Jian and many other people – he would hear stories about Youngest Uncle. And a black donkey would always be mentioned in those stories.

Having heard those stories, Ning Que was familiar with it. Even though he had never seen the black donkey, it had always held a place in his heart. He did not feel any fear towards it, only agitation. He leapt off the horse carriage and rushed towards the rundown chariot.

When he reached the chariot, Ning Que noticed that the black donkey’s fur was not smooth and was even balding in some areas. He could not help but feel sad.

A few decades ago, Youngest Uncle had left the Academy on a little black donkey. He entered Chang’an and then traveled the world on that donkey. He had been to Lanke Temple and Front Gate of Devil’s Doctrine in the Wilderness. The black donkey had been present and witnessed as legends of the cultivation world played out. Decades since then, the donkey had miraculously survived, but it had become old.

It was no longer a little black donkey but an old black donkey.

Several strong wild horses circled around from behind the chariot and stopped in front of Ning Que, blocking his view.

Ning Que jumped up and waved his hand at the chariot, shouting, “I’m from the Academy! I’m from the Academy!”

The old black donkey was leaning against the chariot’s back and chewing on a delicious fruit. It looked lazy and unbothered.

Ning Que thought to himself, that even if the donkey did understand him, it wouldn’t believe that he was from the Academy just because he said so. He felt a little dumb.

Convinced what he had to do, the crystal-like liquid suspended deep in his body began to churn. Extremely pure Great Spirit flowed into his arm and then dispersed into the air along his fingers.