People were coming and going downstairs of the old library, but it was quiet upstairs as usual.
The books on the shelves were old thread-bound cultivation books, and the thin paper used by Academy students was common. A brush, ink, and an inkstone were quietly placed on the table by the west window. The female professor sat quietly under the east window, and the lad sat cross-legged on the floor, thinking hard. Occasionally, he would get up and write a few sentences on the paper, and then put them into the book. At night, another fat lad came quietly, and after seeing the messages, he would go to the west window and write a few sentences or a long speech.
Ning Que and Chen Pipi, who did not know each other's identity, kept communicating by leaving notes. The late spring and early summer quietly slipped away as they wrote and laughed. It was peaceful and beautiful.
…
…
"Brother John Doe, is there any way to make the sword style in the book more gentle?"
"Idiot, if it could be gentle, how could it be called sword style? Besides, the math question about the meadow and the cow yesterday … was too weird. What is the relationship between quantity? "
"Idiot, don't call everything you don't understand weird. Besides, is there really no way to open the acupoints? I still don't believe that Master Haotian would be so unfair to a genius like me. "
"There is indeed, but you still shouldn't have any hope. There is only a fine line between a genius and an idiot. Anyone who has such hope, whether he is a genius or not, will become a poor idiot in the end. Besides, I still have to repeat that the math question you asked the day before yesterday was really a bit weird. It was not simple and beautiful. "
"I heard that the Devil's Doctrine used a different method. They did not seek to resonate with the Breath of Heaven and Earth, but tried to absorb the Breath of Heaven and Earth into the body. There are no acupoints in the body. Can you use this method to step into the path of cultivation? Besides, here is the third math question I gave you. Please try to solve it seriously, and don't always ask for the answer from me. "
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…
"This question is just for beginners. Are you trying to humiliate me? As for the Devil's Doctrine, I have to warn you. It's okay in the Academy, but don't mention it outside. Otherwise, you'll be chased by all the righteous powerhouses in the world. Besides, I have to tell you with a smile that even the Devil's Doctrine's cultivation method of absorbing heaven and earth into one's body requires all the acupoints to be connected. Only then can the Breath of Heaven and Earth flow into one's body. "
"This is really regrettable. I thought there would be other paths to take."
"You can think of using the Eight Strokes of Calligraphy of Yong to solve the characters. You are also a guy who takes an unconventional approach. I am really worried that you will be forced to cultivate the Devil's Path. So you should not feel sorry, but feel lucky. Otherwise, if you fall into the Devil's Path, maybe I may have to cut you into three halves with my sword in the future."
"You're right. I feel very disappointed."
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"By the way, we are considered pen pals, right? Why don't you ever ask me who I am? Aren't you curious at all? Don't you think it's a great opportunity to get to know this genius? "
"I have never been curious about other people's affairs. Besides, you have never asked me who I am."
"Well, who are you? Where are you from? Which dormitory in the Academy? Do you have any beautiful sisters at home? "
"My name is Ning Que. I come from the City of Wei, Classroom Three of the Academy. There is only a little black handmaiden at home … Who are you? Where are you from? You already have a fierce wife and concubine at home. Is that why you hate women so much? "
"My name is Chen Pipi. I come from West-Hill. Then, that's it."
…
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"I heard that a candidate from West-Hill got an A + in six subjects five years ago. All the instructors of the Academy came out to watch, because that was the best result in a hundred years. Is that person you?"
"Yes, it is. Do you have a feeling of awe and admiration for me now?"
"I got three A + in three subjects, two D + in two subjects, and one abandoned. It is said that it is also a unique result in the Academy in a hundred years. In that case, why should I admire you?"
"… It's easy to get three A + in three subjects. You can get two D + in two subjects, and one abandoned. It is really a rare and fierce level. You win. I temporarily admit that you are qualified to talk to me as an equal."
…
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"You are from West-Hill. Why did you come to the Tang Empire to study?"
"I come from a big family in West-Hill. You can't imagine how big the family business is. You know, a genius like me is destined to inherit the family property when I was born, but the problem is that I have an equally talented elder brother who is just a little bit inferior to me. More importantly, this elder brother has been treating me extremely well since I was very young, taking care of me and doting on me in everything. He has never complained about the elders of the clan deciding to let me inherit the family property. I didn't want to inherit the family business at all. I thought my brother was the best candidate to inherit the family business. But the elders in the family didn't allow me to refuse. The longer I stayed in the West-Hill, the better my brother treated me, and the more uncomfortable I felt. So I sneaked out when I was ten years old. "
"Sneaked out when you were ten years old. Didn't your elders look for you everywhere?"
"How could they not? Since they couldn't find me, they must have guessed that I was hiding in the Academy. What about you? Why did you enter the Academy? Why did you work so hard a few days ago? "
"I entered the Academy because I wanted to be an official of the empire. Of course, I wanted to cultivate more. As for why I worked so hard, it was because I had a lot of things to do. If I didn't work hard now, I might lose my life in the future."
"What could be so troublesome?"
"That's because I can't tell you the story you know."
…
…
They exchanged notes on the paper beside the west window of the old library. At the beginning, they asked each other about cultivation and mathematics. Gradually, they became curious about each other's lives. As time passed, Ning Que, who had used the prescription, quickly recovered and stopped coughing. The two young people, who had never met each other, became more and more familiar with each other.
As the summer approached, the temperature became higher and higher. The west window had been closed, shrouding the building in darkness. Ning Que looked at the notes left by that guy these days, and the smile on his face gradually disappeared. He found a shocking detail: That guy called Chen Pipi said that if his family couldn't find him, they must have guessed that he was hiding in the Academy. This indirectly indicated that there was no place in the world that the guy's family couldn't find. Only a sacred and remote place like the Academy could make that family afraid.
"In the West-Hill Divine Kingdom … how could there be such a powerful family?"
He frowned slightly and thought for a moment, but still couldn't figure it out. Then he continued to read. Yesterday afternoon, he had asked if they could meet in the letter for the first time. Now that he was sure that Chen Pipi was on the Second floor, he was naturally curious about the reply in the letter.
On the paper was someone's handwriting from last night, "When you can enter the Second floor, you will naturally see me."
Ning Que shook his head and replied with his pen, "The problem is … how can I enter the Second floor?"
Haotian's unfairness had blocked all the acupoints in the young lad's body. No matter how he tried to read books in a deconstructive way, or to move mountains and dig holes with a fearless spirit, he had never really taken a step forward on the road of cultivation. At this time, looking at the words "Second floor", he inevitably felt a little sad.
He put down his pen and stood up to look at the quiet bookshelves around him. He laughed at himself and sighed softly, thinking that it was really interesting and boring to stand on the Second floor and think about where the Second floor was.
Suddenly, he frowned slightly. He noticed that there was a shallow scratch on the ground below the bookshelf that was leaning against the mountain wall not far away. The scratch on the dark-colored wooden floor was extremely faint. If one did not look carefully, it would be hard to notice.
After a moment of silence, Ning Que walked over and squatted down to touch it with his fingers, confirming that it should be the result of years of friction. He looked up at the heavy bookshelf, and his fingers that were pressing on the scratch slightly trembled.
On both sides of the bookshelf, there were some complicated patterns that were difficult to understand. The patterns were greasy over the years, suddenly round and suddenly square without any specific shape, looking extremely ugly. Every detail of the flying eaves and carved rafters of the old library was extremely exquisite, but the patterns on the bookshelf facing the wall were so crude. He felt more and more strange. He slowly touched it with his fingers, and then closed his eyes to feel every kind of touch coming from his fingers.
Could it be that the legendary Second floor was behind the bookshelf? Could it be that the real Academy was behind the wall?
"You can try to pry open the bookshelf and see what is behind it."
Ning Que suddenly opened his eyes and turned around. He found that the gentle and small female professor had quietly come behind him and was looking at him with a gentle and even a little encouraging eyes.
He didn't know the real meaning of the gentle and quiet eyes of the female professor. He glanced at the patterns on the bookshelf with a bitter smile. Occasionally, something flashed in his mind. He remembered how he felt when he saw the Vermilion Bird on the Vermilion Bird Avenue and when he saw the animals on the eaves in the palace. He vaguely guessed something and dared not to do anything disrespectful.
…
…
It was now midsummer in the 13th year of the Tianqi era. Ning Que and Sangsang had been in the magnificent city of Chang 'an for several months. They opened the Old Brush Pen Shop and successfully entered the Academy to study. They ate leftovers every day, as if nothing had changed in their lives. But in fact, it was not so.
The young soldier from the border town followed someone to fight for a night in the spring rain. He entered the palace once and fought hard with those cultivation classics in the old library for several days and nights. He saw a bigger and more magnificent world and got to know some interesting people. Both his vision and spirit were much different from before.
Most importantly, in these few months, he had sent away his first friend, killed the censor Zhang Yiqi and Chen Zixian, and taken the first step on the path of revenge. Fortunately, the death of these two people did not seem to have alerted the Tang Empire's officials and the powerful General Xiahou.
"It's too hot. That's the bad thing about Chang 'an."
Lying on the bamboo chair and looking at the stars above, Ning Que wiped the sweat off his face and shook his head. He said, "The weather will only be cooler in the morning. There is a small lake beside the Tea Specialist's house. Do you think it will be more comfortable than here?"
Sangsang took the towel and soaked it in the bucket of cold water. She said in a low voice, "Young master, are you going to kill him just because his house is cooler? Revenge … is it really that interesting? "
(20111023250 revised … Three chapters have been written. Three chapters have been revised. Please vote for me. I've just started moving the mountain, and I really need everyone's help to stimulate me.) (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.Com to vote for me. Your support is my biggest motivation.)
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