Nightfall

Somebody in the Mortal World

The Drunkard turned down Ning Que’s invitation and said, “Not today.”

Ning Que raised his tone and said, “Are you afraid?”

The Drunkard’s expression vanished. His hair, white like snow and black as soil, was dancing in the wind. He said, “All that accompanied me in these years were wine and meat. I love wine best because tipsiness eased my pain. It made people angry or relieved, and I chose the latter one, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t be the former.”

Ning Que stared at his eyes and asked, “But you’re still afraid.”

The Drunkard said, “You can come out.”

Ning Que shook his head and said, “I am quite the coward.”

The Drunkard said, “A coward wouldn’t dare to wave his cutlass at the Abbey Dean on the street.”

Ning Que said, “I got no guts to come out, so I am a coward. What about you? Have you any guts?”

The Drunkard said, “You’re spoiling the fun.”

Ning Que said, “‘Come if you dare’ sounds so childish, and it’s boring, even humiliating. I can humiliate myself because I am your junior, but how can you put up with the humiliation? Let’s get this straight and just come in.”

They were talking their own nonsense and that might sound funny and adorable, but frost and snow were hiding behind it, so chilly and frigid.

Ning Que was being aggressive.

He was luring the Drunkard into the city. No matter whether the Drunkard would do it or not, the Academy had to try to find the chance because the meeting was so sudden and perilous.

That was the final decision of the Academy.

But the drunkard killed the plan so easily.

He lifted the flagon and started drinking. And he quit talking with his mouth full of wine.

He stopped talking, but that didn’t mean refusal or acceptance.

The only sound before the southern gate was of wine being poured into the Drunkard’s chest. It sounded like a waterfall, or a stream at first, and at last, a flooding river.

As had been mentioned, since the Headmaster had left the mortal world, nobody else was able to make the Drunkard talk, and nobody could hold his hand to introduce him into the city or to send him back home.

The Drunkard put down the flagon.

Ning Que suddenly laughed upon seeing the wine stain at the front of his clothes.

The laugh was helpless, self-deprecating and gloomy.

The Drunkard was the survivor from the last Everlasting Night, and teacher of the Headmaster. Ning Que’s intention to irritate him with simple words was too conceited even if he had Chang’an City behind his back.

The laugh on his face gradually disappeared. Then he looked at the Drunkard and said, “Just leave the carriage there and I’ll send someone to fetch it if you insist.”

The Drunkard smiled at Ning Que and said, “I can’t leave without returning it to your hand.”

The situation was turned over when he said that. The initiative had been in Chang’an before, but now it was being challenged by the Drunkard’s words.

It could’ve been hard for Ning Que to handle the situation considering his limited state. However, he was the one who had nearly died once, and he had run into another world, which made him tougher and less fearful than anyone else.