This river had many names. It was called the Wei River in the 20 miles around the Tang border. It was called the Yi River in the Yan Kingdom, also known as the Juma River. In the Song Kingdom, it was called the Tongtian River because one of its tributaries flowed directly into the Storm Sea. The Song Kingdom always insisted that it was the main river and completely ignored the fact that it was still more than 700 miles away from the Great Swamp.
No one called it the Great River because there was already a Great River in the south of the human world. But this river was actually very large with abundant water and wide waves. The wind blew through the paddy fields and the flowers bloomed on both sides. It had nurtured countless people.
Especially in the area before and after the Yan border, the river was extremely wide. No matter how good one's eyesight was, it was difficult to see the face of the person on the other side of the river and naturally could not recognize who it was.
But Ning Que looked at the other side of the river and recognized that it was Long Qing. It was an indescribable feeling, as natural as the Great River flowing into the sea, or perhaps it should be said that it was only natural.
The world was so big and the Yi River was so cold. There were frequent wars and fires of war. Those who should have escaped had long escaped and walked in the wilderness. But someone appeared on the other side of the river.
Of course, that person could only be Long Qing.
The Big Black Horse stopped and Ning Que looked at the other side. At the same time, Long Qing also stopped and looked at him. Their eyes met on the surging river. He did not say, "So you are also here," but simply said, "I see you, so you can't leave."
After a moment of silence, Ning Que pulled the reins lightly and continued to gallop north. Long Qing also galloped north on the other side of the river. His horse was obviously extraordinary as it could keep up with the Big Black Horse.
Ning Que was a little hungry and stopped at a bend in the winter sky. He took out some dry food and began to eat with the river water. Long Qing also stopped and took a few sips from his wine bag to quench his thirst.
Ning Que stopped and picked up some branches to make a bonfire. He allowed the Big Black Horse to wander around and rest while he sat by the fire to roast the wild wheat. He roasted it until it was slightly burnt and fragrant. Then he threw it into his mouth and began chewing. Not long after, a bonfire was also lit on the other side of the river, which was particularly eye-catching in the early night.
Ning Que woke up when the morning sun shone on the earth. He walked to the shore and scooped up a handful of chilly river water. He washed his face and looked up, only to see Long Qing drawing water with a leather bag. He did not even look at him.
Ning Que continued north while Long Qing continued to follow him on the other side.
The two of them did not speak, maintaining absolute silence. There was no threatening look in their eyes, not even a hint of hostility. Naturally, there were no flying swords, arrows, peach blossoms, or divine talismans.
Deep in the Yan territory, the river turned west and entered a valley that was not high. The river was much narrower than yesterday, and the people on the other side could see it more clearly.
Ning Que and Long Qing and Ning Que were still as they were.
Whether it was the left bank or the right bank, the banks of the river always looked the same. There would be water plants, sand, stone steps in populated areas, bluestones used to wash clothes, waste thrown into the river by people on boats, rotten vegetable leaves floating on the surface of the water, and winding lines.
But the two sides of the river were always parallel to each other. They would only meet each other if they went back to the source or entered the Great Swamp or the sea.
Enemies were often the most similar to each other. They had been competing with each other for many years and seemed to know each other very well. But in fact, they had never really touched each other. They just looked at each other.
The higher they went upstream, the colder the wind became, and the narrower the Yi River became. Ning Que could already see Long Qing's eyebrows and eyes very clearly. He could see the scar that had faded a lot. Long Qing could also see the few very inconspicuous freckles on his cheeks and the straw rope wrapped around the hilt of the iron cutlass on his shoulder.
Two days after entering the North Yan Mountain Range, they reached the end of the mountains and the end of the river. There was endless fog, like white clouds rising from the ground. It was as beautiful as a fairyland and covered both of them.
There was an angry sound of water coming from the clouds, crashing into the cliff and shattering into countless pieces. One could imagine how steep the invisible river became in the valley.
Ning Que got off the horse and looked at the other side of the fog. He did not know if Long Qing was there.
At this moment, Long Qing's voice came from the fog.
"What did you write?"
…
…
Ning Que and Long Qing were considered by many to be lifelong enemies. In fact, their fates had always been intertwined over the years. The two of them rarely met, but every time they did, it would be a matter of life and death. Every time they met, the outcome would affect them, and even the broader fates and futures.
They met by the Yi River and walked silently on both sides of the river. They did not say a word but only compared each other by the bonfire. They did not start to talk until they reached the end of the mountains and could not see each other. However, Ning Que did not expect that the first thing Long Qing said would be this. It made his pupils shrink.
What did Ning Que write with the blood of the barbarians on the grassland outside the City of Wei? He went to the Lanke Temple and saw the stone broken into three halves in the autumn rain. Did he write? If he did, what did he write? Was it the last volume of the doctrine of the New Stream that was handed to Chen Pipi? Or what?
"Everyone is in the West-Hill. Why did you come here?"
Ning Que did not answer Long Qing's question. Although Long Qing's first words had exposed his thoughts, he felt that the proverb did make sense — the person who knew you best was often your enemy.
Long Qing's voice came from the fog again, "Because you are here."
Ning Que's expression did not change. He untied the iron bow on his shoulder and seemed to want to rest here for a while.
Long Qing's meaning was very clear. For Taoism or the human world, the final battle in the West-Hill Divine Palace was important, but it was not as important as Ning Que's whereabouts.
"Many people are guessing when I will go to Capital Cheng to kill you. But I don't think so. Other than the fact that I don't like being watched, the more important reason is that I am not sure that I can kill you …"
"I know you will not go to Capital Cheng to find me, so I have been waiting for you at the border."
"There are countless idiots in the world who always think that there will be a battle between you and me. Have you become so stupid that you have to act according to the plot in the story?"
"I have said that I am not sure that I can kill you. Besides … I have killed A Da and Hengmu. It is boring and monotonous to kill them in order. It is not in line with the aesthetic of the Academy."
Ning Que calmly looked at the iron bow on his knees. He did not know when, but a dark iron arrow from the quiver was already in his hand. The whole process of taking out the arrow did not make any sound.
He was telling the truth.
Long Qing was indeed very powerful now. How could a person who even Eldest Brother could not see through not be powerful? More importantly, the Abbey Dean had given Long Qing the most important mission of killing Ye Su to help him become a sage. It was not easy to kill such a person, so why would he take the risk to kill him?
However, Ning Que knew that he was also very powerful. According to the proverb, Long Qing should know that he was powerful and not easy to kill. He did not want to fight with Long Qing, so why did Long Qing stop him?
"You killed people all over the world because you were looking for someone. Others might not understand, but I do … You killed Hengmu and A Da just to find her. You always thought that since they said it themselves and the whole human world was talking about them, that they were her gifts or children in the human world, then you could get some information by killing them."
Deep in the clouds, Long Qing's voice sounded again after a moment of silence.
"I am different. I am not a gift left by Haotian to the human world. From that moment on, I am not qualified to be her son. Of course, I am not interested in such a title now. I am nothing. I have betrayed her. I only believe in myself. Under such circumstances, it is meaningless for you to kill me. Why take the risk?"
Ning Que's fingers gently stroked the bowstring that was as hard as stone and as stable as a mountain. He said, "Yes."
Long Qing said, "You will not come to kill me, but I will come to you … because I feel that you are getting closer to finding her. I have different thoughts from the Headmaster. I think you are the most likely to find her. I cannot let you continue. I don't care what you are going to write in the end. I cannot let you write anymore."
Ning Que raised his head and looked deep into the clouds. He said, "You think highly of me."
Long Qing's voice came, "Those who looked down on you are all dead."
Ning Que was silent for a moment and said, "I used to look down on you when you wanted to be her maidservant."
Long Qing said, "Yes. Looking back at that time and thinking about her identity, I am so stupid and arrogant."
Ning Que said, "You used the word 'idiot' first. You are so strong that I have nothing to say."
Long Qing said, "Thank you."
Ning Que continued, "Later on, I shot you on the snow cliff, but you survived. You survived shamelessly. You made me vigilant because I also survived like that … In fact, you almost killed me in the autumn rain at the Red Lotus Temple."
Long Qing's voice sounded a bit regretful, "But I still couldn't kill you."
Ning Que said, "Now that I think about it, it is all God's will."
Long Qing agreed, "Haotian was always by your side. God's will belongs to you."
Ning Que said, "If I were you, I would not be convinced either."
Long Qing said, "Nothing."
Ning Que said, "Otherwise, why are you here now?"
He had asked this question before and Long Qing had already answered it. In order to prevent him from finding Sangsang, in order to prevent him from writing that word, for Taoism or the human world, for many glorious, great, and just things …
But he repeated his question.
Long Qing was silent for a long time, and then gave a new answer.
"Yes, this is an unnecessary battle. Haotian, Taoism, the human world … and the word you wrote are all excuses. I just want to see if I can kill you now, because I … am not convinced. "
In the clouds, his voice was very calm, as if he was a naughty child who had torn off his clothes and played in the mud by the river naked. It was so real that it made people sigh with emotion.
It was silent, except for the sound of the water.
Ning Que stood up and looked at the source of the voice in the clouds. He did not speak for a long time.
Long Qing also did not speak for a long time.
The world was very big. They did not meet many times, but every time they met was unforgettable. Ning Que won three times in a row. Ning Que won three times in a row.
Because of the iron arrow, Long Qing became a disabled person. He abandoned his fiancée and became a devil in the darkness. He learned the Gray Eyes skill and betrayed Taoism. He thought he had mastered it and ambushed Ning Que in front of the Red Lotus Temple. He did not expect Ning Que to learn the Practice of Tao Tie. Even if they were like two wild dogs biting each other, Ning Que still won.
There were many stories after that, generous, bitter, glorious, and heavy. They walked separately on both sides of the river according to their different fates, survived with difficulty, and continued to shine.
They really met at the end of the mountain and sat down to discuss Taoism.
It was not about the Taoism of life and death, but only one word.
He was not convinced.
Since there was Ning Que in the world, why was there still a need for him?
Long Qing was not convinced.
This story had gone on for too long, and it was time to end it.
It did not matter whether there was a reason or not.
Ning Que quietly looked at the depths of the clouds and felt the willpower, feeling very emotional.
He had felt that willpower in many places.
For example, the bottom of the Daming Lake, and the cliff cave in the back of the mountain of the Academy.
He did not expect that Long Qing's unwillingness was so strong.
He respected him very much.
He raised the iron bow, aimed at the position confirmed by the conversation, and pulled the string without hesitation.
With a buzz, the iron arrow left the string and disappeared instantly.
His expression was still as calm as before, calm and cold-blooded.
He said some words, recalled some of the past, and felt some respect and emotion. But, I still want to kill you.
Since you have been unconvinced for so long, then please continue to be unconvinced until the Netherworld.
…
…
(It's not like the occasional cold my wife mentioned yesterday. Although it's an occasional cold, the cold is extremely severe. Hmm, it's a good thing that I've spent the entire day writing this plot. Naturally, there will be some readers who won't be very happy about it, but I really can't write anymore. The main reason is because this plot itself, in my opinion, is complete. More importantly, after writing the plot, I have a serious sense of mission completion. I feel like tomorrow will be a new day, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, I love you all.)
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