The Divine Talisman Master Yan Se was in a bad mood.
He stared at Professor Huang He in front of him and said coldly, "Anyway, your Academy can't accept Ning Que."
Professor Huang He raised his eyebrows slightly and said mockingly, "Uncle, why can't our Academy accept him?"
Yan Se roared, "That kid is born to cultivate Divine Talisman Taoism. Who else in the world is qualified to be his teacher except me?"
Professor Huang He sneered and said, "Only Divine Talisman Masters are qualified to be his teacher? Well, we can find two or three Divine Talisman Masters even if we can't find other powerful figures in our Academy. "
When he said this, his tone was as if he was talking about how he could always pull out two or three green radishes from his backyard. Divine Talisman Masters were indeed rare and honorable, but the Academy was not an ordinary place after all. He was even a Divine Talisman Master himself. The Academy's foundation was so deep that no one could compete with it except the West-Hill Divine Kingdom.
Yan Se suddenly became speechless and said shamelessly, "Anyway, I saw him first. Don't think about robbing him."
Huang He sighed and said, "Uncle, you are a man of virtue and prestige. Don't always act shamelessly, okay?"
Yan Se spat and said angrily, "Look at me, your Martial Uncle, every day I go to the brothel and hug girls. Every pore of my body is filled with the word wretched and obscene. Where do you see me as virtuous and respectable?"
"Even if you throw away your old face and feel inferior today, it's no use."
Professor Huang He looked at him and said seriously, "His Majesty the Emperor and the Master of Nation may buy it. Even the hierarch and the Great Divine Priest of the West-Hill Divine Palace may buy it. But our Academy will never buy it."
The conversation in the study room seemed a little ridiculous. However, the dispute between two Divine Talisman Masters, no matter how hooligan-like they were, was bound to be particularly tense because of their identities. The atmosphere in the room suddenly became oppressive.
At this moment, Prince Li Peiyan suddenly said with a smile, "In fact, what's the point of arguing about this matter? In my opinion, since Ning Que's cultivation is only in the No Doubts State, far inferior to Prince Long Qing, then let Prince Long Qing enter the Second floor and let Master Yan Se accept Ning Que as a disciple. In this way, the Empire, the West-Hill Divine Palace and Master Yan Se will be satisfied, and Ning Que will still be a student of the Academy's Front Yard. The Academy will have two students with great potential at the same time. Isn't this a perfect ending? "
Professor Huang He was slightly stunned when he heard this. He felt that it made sense, but there was something wrong.
Li Peiyan looked at him and said gently, "If the Academy is restricted by the system and can't make this decision, you can let Ning Que withdraw himself. As long as he gives up the qualification to enter the Second floor, who in the world dares to criticize the Academy?"
Professor Huang He frowned and said, "Why should Ning Que give up?"
Li Peiyan did not answer his question immediately, but turned to Master Yan Se and asked with a smile, "Master, I want to know, if Ning Que becomes your disciple and enters the South School of Haotian Taoism to cultivate, how will you and the Nation Master treat him?"
"Of course, we will treat him as a nephew and teach him everything we know." Yan Se answered resolutely.
Li Peiyan looked at Professor Huang He, smiled and spread out his hands, saying, "We all know that the Nation Master doesn't have any outstanding disciple, and Master Yan Se has no successor. If Ning Que enters the South School of Haotian Taoism, as long as he attentively cultivates himself, and with the careful training of the two masters, he may be the future Nation Master of the Tang Empire. With such a bright future, why wouldn't he be willing?"
Professor Huang He finally understood where the previous question came from. He slightly clenched his hands in his sleeves and stared at the Prince's eyes, thinking that the Prince's move was really cruel. If Ning Que was really tempted by the title of the future Nation Master of the Tang Empire and decided to withdraw from the Second floor of the Academy, what reason did the Academy have to compete with the South School of Haotian Taoism for him?
Previously, Yan Se had been retreating in order to advance, and advancing in order to retreat. Now the wheel of fortune had turned, and it was the Academy's turn to retreat in order to gain time to think about the response. Professor Huang He said firmly, "No matter what Ning Que's opinion is, we must consult all the instructors of the Academy on this matter. Otherwise, it will be a trifling matter."
…
…
In the early morning, Ning Que woke up rubbing his eyes at the first glimmer of dawn.
Glancing at the glimmer of light outside the window, he silently calculated and knew that he had not been in a coma for too long. He got up and walked to the table. He raised the pot of herbal tea and gulped it down. His spirit was suddenly refreshed. He looked around and found that this should be the residence of the Academy.
Walking to the door, he stretched out his hand and slowly pushed the wooden door open. The warm morning light penetrated through the narrow gap of the door and shone into his eyes, causing him to involuntarily squint his eyes. Suddenly, he came back to his senses and looked at the morning light. He stood at the door like a fool, unable to move.
The long mountain path, the arduous process of climbing from noon to dusk and late at night, the repeated life fragments of joys and sorrows, the black Wilderness and the strange dream all came back to his mind.
"I … reached the top of the mountain."
"I … entered the Second floor."
Ning Que stared blankly at the morning light through the crack of the door. Only then did he realize what he had experienced and what he had done. For a moment, he could not help but be stunned. There was a perplexed smile on his face, as if he could not believe that all this had happened.
Thinking of the last step of climbing the Giant Rock last night and the painful choice in the Wilderness, he could not help but smile and shake his head. He wondered who had set up the illusion to make a secular boy like him make such a mysterious choice. It was like asking a butcher to think about philosophical problems. Even if he could come up with the right argument, who knew what the reasoning process was?
He laughed to the sky and went out. Ning Que pushed open the wooden door in front of him with a smile and walked into the beautiful morning light. Then he found several officials standing outside the door, and then he actually had to make a very difficult choice.
"You are not a student of the Second floor of the Academy yet, so you still have a chance to quit. You still have a chance to choose a completely different but equally wonderful and bright path. You are even destined to be famous all over the world."
Prince Li Peiyan sat in the chair and slowly took a sip of the hot tea at hand, slightly reducing the tiredness caused by lack of sleep. Looking at the silent Academy student in front of him, he continued, "I think you should choose the second path, because this matter involves the harmonious relations between the imperial court and the West-Hill. Although the Tang Empire is never afraid of any enemies and will never bow to external pressure, Prince Long Qing entering the Second floor is an agreement made by His Majesty and the Divine Hall."
"As long as you take the initiative to quit the competition of the Second floor of the Academy, the difficulties faced by many people will be easily solved. The Empire will bear much less pressure, and all aspects will benefit from it." Li Peiyan found that Ning Que remained silent and slightly lowered his head without any response. He was a little displeased and said, "As a citizen of the Tang Empire, it is natural to share the burden of the Empire. Of course, even I will feel that it is too absurd and rude to ask you to quit the Second floor of the Academy, not to mention you."
"So I will give you an absolutely sufficient reason."
Li Peiyan slowly leaned forward and stared at the top of Ning Que's head. He said, "As a noble Divine Talisman Master, Master Yan Se did not hesitate to pretend to be a fool to take you back as his disciple. You can imagine how much he will value you in the future and how carefully he will train you. Ten years later, you will become a high and mighty Divine Talisman Master, and you will become the hope of the South School of Haotian. The Nation Master Li Qingshan only has two disciples, both of whom are useless. He respects his Senior Brother very much, and he knows better than anyone else the significance of a Divine Talisman Master to a sect. "
Ning Que still remained silent, but his heart was stirred. He had just entered the Second floor and won the favor of a Divine Talisman Master. Just overnight, he, an ordinary and unknown student, a nobody who sold calligraphy in a shabby alley in the Eastern City, had become a fragrant sesame cake that both the Academy and the South School of Haotian wanted to fight for. He was even regarded as the hope of the South School of Haotian. Shouldn't the words "hope of the South School of Haotian" be exclusive to people like Prince Long Qing?
"I know you have a good relationship with Her Highness." Li Peiyan looked at him and said gently, "I can also give you a promise here. As long as you are willing to share the burden of the imperial court, the imperial court will never treat you badly. I also owe you a personal favor. In the future, when you enter the Knowing Destiny State and become a Divine Talisman Master, you will naturally be the next Nation Master of Tang. "
Li Peiyan continued, "The Second floor of the Academy is, of course, an extremely wonderful place. However, looking back at the history books, how many students of the Second floor can leave their names behind? But if you become the Nation Master of Tang, there will still be countless people who will remember your name after thousands of years. "
The future Nation Master of Tang?
Although Ning Que's expression was as calm as usual, his emotions had long been shaken by these words.
He seemed to see a brilliant golden road unfolding under his feet. Should he give up the Second floor of the Academy to learn from the Divine Talisman Master and fight for the future of the Nation Master of Tang, or enter the Second floor to learn exquisite cultivation methods from the Headmaster of Academy? This was really an extremely difficult choice. He even felt that the choice he made last night in the Wilderness by the cliff was easier than this one.
Ning Que looked at the Prince's face and knew that as long as he nodded, his future would be infinitely bright. He believed that these words were true. He believed that as long as he had the opportunity to learn from the Divine Talisman Master, he could really become the Nation Master of Tang in the future. If it was not this man who said these words to him, he might really be very tempted.
Li Peiyan looked at the emotional reaction in his eyes and vaguely guessed what he would choose. His face suddenly became serious and his right hand tightly grasped the handle of the chair. He stared at his eyes and said in a low voice, "This is the opportunity that Haotian asked the imperial court to give you. If you miss it, you will be punished by Heaven."
There was no doubt that this was a naked threat. In the face of such a threat, even if Ning Que really became a student of the Second floor of the Academy, he had to seriously consider this threat. Because he lived in this world, then he would be bound by the rules of this world.
Ning Que bowed respectfully and said, "Your Highness, after all, I am a student of the Academy. I have studied in the Academy for a year and have deep feelings for you. I am willing to share the burden of the imperial court, but I have to consider the feelings of the Academy."
…
…
Some people unceremoniously put the power and pressure of choice on Ning Que's shoulders to avoid angering the Academy. However, Ning Que was a person who seemed to be straightforward but was actually slippery. How could he take the initiative to take this kind of responsibility? With a light sentence, he directly threw the power and pressure of choice back to the Prince.
As for whether the Academy would choose to give up on him and accept Prince Long Qing into the Second floor, Ning Que was not worried. He and Li Yu had quite a tacit understanding on this matter. Before the Headmaster of Academy returned, no one in the Academy dared to make decisions on their own. In fact, deep in his heart, there was actually another thought. If the Academy could not even resist the pressure of the imperial court and finally gave him to the South School of Haotian Taoism, then why should he stay in such an Academy? Who would not be willing to be a Nation Master of Tang?
His and Li Yu's thoughts were not wrong. It was just that there were always some deviations between reality and ideas. Because they did not expect that the instructors of the Academy also cherished Prince Long Qing's talent, and that the instructors were not all Tangs.
In the early morning of the Academy, the instructors were sitting in the room and arguing fiercely. Indeed, they could not reach the fastest conclusion because the Headmaster of Academy had not returned. However, it was precisely because the Headmaster of Academy was not in the Academy that they had the courage to express their own views.
Cao Zhifeng, the Associate Professor of Etiquette, said angrily, "Many people think that the Academy cheated in this examination. I don't know whether this is true or not. I only know that Prince Long Qing came out of the fog very early. Then why did he stay outside the fog for such a long time? Why did he finally take the last step with Ning Que? What on earth happened in the middle? "
Professor Cao was a senior professor of the Academy, so his words naturally had some power. Although everyone in the room knew that this professor from the Yan Kingdom raised an objection because he was not happy with Prince Long Qing's failure, no one could really explain his question. Some instructors even secretly thought that perhaps those in the Back Mountain had played some tricks in the examination.
An old woman in a blue gown with a bamboo broom in her hand looked at the arguing crowd as if she was looking at an idiot. She said, "What a boring discussion. Whoever reaches the top first will be accepted. Such a simple question, why do you have to complicate it? Cao Zhifeng, you have been going to Chang 'an to see your Prince every day recently, and when you return to the Academy, you cry bitterly, thinking that he is the hope of the Yan Kingdom's revival. But what does this have to do with the Academy? I can't listen to it anymore, I'm leaving. "
The honorary female professor of mathematics of the Academy left, and several professors who were dedicated to academic service and did not want to be bothered by mundane affairs also left one after another. However, the debate in the room became more and more intense. Many instructors thought that the imperial court's proposal could indeed satisfy all parties. In that case, why not make such a choice? Did they have to offend all the forces for Ning Que?
When Associate Professor Cao Zhifeng was angry again and impassioned again, the door was suddenly pushed open with a squeak. All the instructors looked at the door in astonishment. After a moment, they saw a pink and tender little face poking in, with a pair of black eyes rolling.
It was a little attendant who walked in. He was fresh and lovely with a little shyness. Looking at the instructors, he asked softly in a mosquito-like voice, "My young master has something to ask you, so he asked me to pass the message."
The instructors in the room knew the identity of the little attendant, and asked gently, "What does Mr. Second want to ask?"
"My young master got up this morning and found that there were still a lot of irrelevant people staying in the Academy, so he lost his temper." The little attendant opened his eyes wide and looked at the people in the room, saying, "He wants to ask you why the notice hasn't been posted after one night? What are those irrelevant people still doing here? Do they want him to invite them to dinner? "
Hearing this, the instructors looked at each other and did not know how to answer. They all knew that the Second Brother of the Second floor of the Academy was indeed a little silly, but they never thought that he would call people like the Prince and Master Yan Se irrelevant people.
Professor Cao Zhifeng glanced at the little attendant and said, "The candidates for the Second floor have not been decided yet, so the notice naturally can't be posted."
He thought that such a statement would make the other party unhappy, and was ready to explain to him. However, he did not expect that the little attendant was really too shy. After hearing an answer, he lowered his head and walked out of the door.
…
…
The argument of the instructors in the room began to continue, but it did not take long before the door squeaked again.
The little attendant's pink face was covered with drops of sweat, which showed that he had just run in a hurry. He looked at the instructors and said, "Young master asked, what do you mean by 'the candidates for the Second floor have not been decided yet'?"
Professor Cao Zhifeng said unhappily, "What do you mean by 'not decided yet'? Not decided yet 'means not decided yet. Ning Que actually defeated Prince Long Qing and went up the mountain first. Many people have doubts about this matter, and they suspect that the Back Mountain cheated. If people are not convinced, how can they decide? "
The little attendant looked at him blankly, and after a long time, he suddenly came to his senses. He said yes and turned away. No one knew whether he had understood Associate Professor Cao Zhifeng's words or not.
The room was quiet, and the instructors did not argue again, because they strongly felt that the little attendant of the Second Brother would come back soon and continue to ask those stupid questions.
…
…
The door squeaked open.
The little attendant looked at Associate Professor Cao Zhifeng with his big eyes and asked, "Young master asked, who is not convinced?"
Professor Cao Zhifeng was stunned. Looking at the little attendant's fresh and lovely pink face and his blank expression, he really could not tell a lie, nor did he want to push those people outside the Academy to the front. He flicked his sleeves and frowned, saying, "I am not convinced."
The little attendant was about to turn around and leave when he suddenly thought of the latter half of what the young master had said to him on the mountain. He quickly turned around, scratched his head and smiled embarrassedly, and asked, "May I ask who you are?"
"I am Cao Zhifeng." Associate Professor Cao Zhifeng said unhappily, "Why do you ask this?"
The little attendant showed a matter-of-fact expression and said, "Because young master wants to know who is not convinced."
After saying this, the little attendant turned around and went out, running to the Back Mountain again.
…
…
The door was squeaked open again.
The little attendant panted and held the door frame, looking at Cao Zhifeng and said, "Young … Young master said …"
Cao Zhifeng could not help laughing. He shook his head and sighed, "What did your young master say?"
The little attendant swallowed and looked at him very seriously, saying, "My young master said that the Academy has never been divided by country, and accepts talents from all over the world. Cao Zhifeng, you are from Yan Kingdom, so you are loyal to Long Qing. I don't blame you, but you have to remember that you are a professor of etiquette. How did you teach the first class to the students of the Academy? What is the etiquette of the Academy? "
The little attendant's pink face raised his eyebrows from time to time, showing indifference and displeasure. He was obviously imitating the expression of the Second Brother of the Academy when he spoke, which looked very funny and cute, causing a burst of laughter from the instructors in the room. However, Cao Zhifeng could not laugh. The smile on his face instantly disappeared, and he suppressed his anger and asked, "What does Mr. Second want to say?"
"Cao Zhifeng, you said in the study room that the etiquette of the Academy is the rule, and the rule depends on who has the power to make the rules."
The little attendant looked at him and said seriously, "The Headmaster of the Academy and Eldest Brother are traveling in other countries, so in the current Academy, I am the only one who has the power to make the rules. So no matter whether you are convinced or not, you must be convinced. Post the notice immediately."
Cao Zhifeng was stunned for a while, and then he angrily waved his Academy robe and protested, "How can such a domineering behavior convince the public!"
The little attendant did not know that this was a true expression, and thought it was also a formal question. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly raised his little hand happily, applauded and said happily, "Young master is really smart. He even guessed this sentence of yours. He asked me to tell you."
The expression on Cao Zhifeng's face was very ugly.
The little attendant looked at him, pretended to be serious, and said, "I don't need to convince the public, I just need to obey."
An instructor could not bear to see Professor Cao's embarrassed expression at this time, and said, "Even if we don't care about the views of His Majesty, Master Yan Se or the West-Hill, we should always respect Ning Que's own choice."
…
…
When the wooden door was pushed open again, the little attendant's clothes were all wet with sweat. He raised his sleeves to wipe the sweat on his forehead, and it took a long time for him to calm down. He looked up at the people in the room and relayed Second Brother's conclusion for the last time.
"Respect Ning Que's own choice? Why should I respect him? As for the Nation Master of Tang … "
At this point, the little attendant deliberately paused for a long time. Then he raised his slightly pointed chin, rolled his eyes at the roof, and snorted clumsily from his little nose. He imitated the expression of the arrogant man on the mountain, making him look very cute.
"Is it very great?"
…
…
On a flat cliff in the Back Mountain of the Academy, green pines were angrily spreading to welcome guests, and white clouds were flowing among them, like a fairyland on earth.
There were two people standing on the edge of the cliff.
One of them was wearing a very dirty and tattered Taoist robe.
The other one was wearing a very strange ancient crown.
Second Brother of the Academy turned around, looked at Yan Se, the Minister of Offerings of the South School of Haotian expressionlessly, and said, "How dare you reach out to the Academy, and even want to steal my teacher's student. Not to mention you, even the Haotian hierarch of West-Hill doesn't have this weight."
Yan Se smiled strangely, looked at him and said, "The Second Brother of the Academy is really the proudest Second Brother in the world, and your words are really unpleasant. But I am older than you, so I won't fight with you, lest people say that I bully the younger generation. But I must take Ning Que away. Even if the Headmaster of Academy is here, I will still have this attitude. If you want me to die, I have to do it."
Second Brother looked at him with a slightly mocking smile, and said, "Don't make so many excuses. If you are not senile, you should remember that my seniority is higher than yours, no matter from the teacher or Pipi. Since you want to steal Ning Que from me, how can we not fight?"
"I said I won't fight, so I won't fight."
Yan Se looked at the crown on his head, and said sarcastically, "The back of the mountain of the Academy is your home field, and I am not so stupid. Anyway, if I don't fight, you can't fight with me. As for Ning Que, it depends on his attitude. In the future, my Younger Brother and I will make sure that he will become the Nation Master of Tang, which is better than staying in this mountain every day and being bullied by your Senior Brothers."
Second Brother rolled his eyes and said sarcastically, "The Nation Master of Tang … is so great? Isn't he still bullied by the Li family and those old fakes in West-Hill every day? The Nation Master of Tang is not a Nation Master, but a little wife who is bullied but does not dare to cry. "
…
…
(Oh, this little boy is so cute … It reminds me of my childhood … Why was I so dull and boring? Study hard and make progress every day?) (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.Com to vote for it. Your support is my biggest motivation.)
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