Nightfall

The Distant Past

Ning Que used talismans to set up a Taoist enchantment in the rundown temple. He did not worry that the sound coming from the front of the temple would travel to the back. But even so, he still paid close attention to his volume and did not want the blind monk to hear it.

The monk Guan Hai said, “He had drifted from place to place after being exiled from Chang’an. Even though his cultivation state is still as before, he can no longer see, so his life has naturally been a little difficult. The year before last, he wandered to the Tile Mountain and was discovered by monks in the temple. He has been cultivating with me in Lanke Temple ever since.”

Ning Que looked at the back of the temple and thought that the father of the rogue monk had been killed by himself in the Western Wilderness. The Xuankong Temple had long since expelled him and would not care about his life or death. He must have lived a miserable life drifting from place to place over the years. However, Ning Que simply thought about it but did not feel any sympathy for the monk.

“It’s been hard on you, Senior Brother.” He looked at Monk Guan Hai and said, “I’m really sorry to ask you to talk about that.”

Monk Guan Hai sighed and said, “Even though he had committed many crimes in those days, he is now blind. In the temple, there are no disputes with the world. Why drag him into the matters of the mortal world and have him suffer?”

Ning Que said, “If he really cares not about the world, why would he leave the Tile Mountain with you?”

Monk Guan Hai looked at him and said, “I can understand how the Tangs feel. But if you really want to do something, why do it under someone else’s name? Why bother?”

Ning Que answered, “Yes, it is indeed pointless to ask you to bring him over. It is just an excuse. The Academy does not want to give Haotian Taoism any excuses to attack, and I need an excuse to convince myself to do some things.”

Monk Guan Hai sighed with emotion and said, “Not even Teacher could see which road you would take back then. Now I can’t help but worry.”

Ning Que said, “The master was called Qishan (alternate mountain), so why would he not think that I might take the alternate path?”

Ning Que entered Yangzhou City in the night. He arrived at the outside of the Chatelain’s Mansion and looked at the clumps of bamboos sticking out of the courtyard wall. He was silent for a while, and he bent his knees slightly back before jumping onto the wall. He stretched his right hand in a flash and held on to the rough bamboo, slipping quietly into the office like a piece of thin cloth.

Wang Jinglue had already left at this time and was probably making preparations by the Fuchun River. He was the only one who entered the Chatelain’s Mansion. He did not use any talismans nor held any blades, and had easily entered the deepest part of the mansion just using his incredible physical strength. Nobody could discover him.

According to cultivation states, he was now a powerhouse in the Knowing Destiny State. But his true strength laid in the body he had gained after cultivating in the Great Spirit and joining the Devil as well as his identity as a Divine Talisman Master.

In Qinghe County, there was no one other than the two aristocratic powerhouses in the Knowing Destiny State who posed a threat to him. This also meant that there was no one in Yangzhou City who could stop him from doing what he wanted.

After some time, he brought Zhong Da Jun out of the backyard. Zhong Da Jun was not unconscious but he could not speak. His face was pale and filled with terror.

Ning Que walked to the courtyard walls casually as if he was holding a bag of trash. He lifted his arms, and tossed Zhong Da Jun over the wall. There was a dull thud, and then, Ning Que jumped over the wall.