The rain fell from the sky, and the pedestrians on the street took shelter. The tourists from other counties also reluctantly left. Only Ning Que was left standing in front of the Vermilion Bird in silence.
He opened the big black umbrella, and the raindrops fell on the tight surface of the umbrella, making a dull sound.
He looked at the painting of the Vermilion Bird in front of the umbrella that was gradually drenched by the rain and thought of many things.
There was no need to mention the past. Today, in the Palace, the Empress bowed in shock, and in the General's Mansion, Xu Shi was the General, which made him feel very troublesome. In particular, Xu Shi's attitude made him very uncomfortable.
This kind of discomfort was not anger, but a feeling of loss. Because he used to be a soldier of the Tang Empire, just like his comrades in the City of Wei, he regarded the number one military man of the Tang Empire as his idol. When they were drinking and chatting, they would be in awe when the name of the Defender-general of the State was mentioned.
He remembered a certain saying about spiritual needs. He liked riding horses on the grassland with his comrades in the City of Wei and risking his life. He liked being respected and even feared by the people in Chang 'an City. He liked his Senior Brothers and Sisters at the back of the mountain of the Academy. These were all wonderful spiritual needs.
Therefore, he wanted to be a good person and be appreciated by a military official like Xu Shi. He didn't want to be wary of him or even want to get rid of him. Unfortunately, things didn't always go as one wished.
The spring rain was getting heavier and heavier. It was a mess, just like Ning Que's mood at the moment.
The solemn and elegant Vermilion Bird was drenched by the rain. That pair of majestic eyes seemed to be endowed with some kind of life and suddenly became lively.
Ordinary people were completely unable to sense the changes in the Vermilion Bird portrait.
Ning Que clearly felt it. He looked at the eyes of the Vermilion Bird and felt the aura gradually condensing in the stone lines on the ground. He was very clear about what had happened.
Two years ago, when he first entered Chang 'an City and stood in front of the Vermilion Bird with Sangsang, he was scared stiff by the ancient murderous intent emitted by the painting.
Later, he knew that the Vermilion Bird was a Taoist Divine Talisman. It could automatically sense the enemies invading Chang 'an City and could exert a power close to that of a powerhouse at the peak of Knowing Destiny State.
The enemy sensed by the Vermilion Bird was, of course, the big black umbrella in Ning Que's hand.
With Ning Que's current cultivation state, it was naturally impossible for him to resist the aura of the Vermilion Bird. However, he stood in the spring rain with an unusually calm expression.
It was not because of the big black umbrella in his hand.
It was because he had a pestle in his arms.
Ning Que put his left hand into his bosom and held the array eye pestle wrapped in cloth. Looking at the Vermilion Bird painting in front of the umbrella, he said, "Now is not the same as before. Do you think I will still be scared out of my wits or become a quail in winter? I'm your master now. What can you do to me? "
The owner of the Divine Talisman of Suzaku could not be self-proclaimed. It was passed down to him by Master Yan Se, and then confirmed by the emperor of the Tang Empire and finally confirmed by the pestle.
The Vermilion Bird painting in the rain sensed the familiar aura coming from under the black umbrella.
A clear roar sounded in Ning Que's sense of perception. It was sharp and high-pitched, mixed with some doubts, unwillingness, sadness, and indifference.
The rain continued to wash it, and the ancient murderous aura in the Vermilion Bird painting gradually faded until it finally returned to silence, turning into an ordinary stone painting.
Ning Que knew that this meant that the Vermilion Bird had acknowledged his identity.
The sorrow in the previous cry in the sea of consciousness was the Vermillion Bird's recollection of its Master, Yan Se.
…
…
Ning Que stood in the rain, holding the handle of the big black umbrella in his right hand and the array eye pestle of the God-stunning Array in his left hand. Feeling the two different sensations, he understood something.
The Vermilion Bird recognized its master in the spring rain, which represented the big array of Chang 'an. From then on, it represented the safety of the Tang Empire and became his responsibility.
He liked this land, this country, this peaceful and happy life, and he liked the people who lived here. Therefore, he was willing to take this responsibility.
He was willing to use anything except his life to maintain the peace of the Tang Empire. But this did not mean that he would lose his life.
Holding the array eye pestle in his left hand was holding the future of the Tang Empire.
Holding the black umbrella in his right hand was holding his life.
He had to hold both hands, and he had to hold both hands tightly.
If there was a conflict between the two, like the lingering spring rain, then what he needed to do was to cut the spring rain in front of him with a knife like when he went to the old library, and smash all the conflicts and dissatisfaction like when the Headmaster hit him on the balcony of the Building of Pines and Cranes.
…
…
On that night on the balcony of the Building of Pines and Cranes, he once had such a conversation with the Headmaster.
"The person I want to kill is very powerful, has a high position, and has a background that even I find difficult to deal with."
"You don't look like a person without a high position."
"Because my teacher is very great, so of course I am also great. Now, even compared with the tycoon I want to kill, our identities and statuses are similar. "
"Then why are you still worried? If you want to kill, just find an opportunity to do so. "
"My teacher seems to be very willing to let us students be unreasonable. But in fact, he is very stubborn and very reasonable. He always says that the law of the Tang Empire is the first, and the law of the Tang Empire is the first. How can he be unreasonable?"
"What does being unreasonable have to do with the law of the Tang Empire? Can't I kill people if I don't use crooked ways? "
At that time, Ning Que thought that the person he was talking to was an ordinary tycoon in Chang 'an. Now that he thought that these words came from his teacher, they naturally took on a new meaning.
Can't I kill people if I don't use crooked ways? Can't I kill Xiahou if I don't use crooked ways?
Ning Que smiled, put the big black umbrella back on his back, and rushed into the curtain of spring rain.
…
…
He went to the House of Red Sleeves and met with Mistress Jian. He told her about his conversation with the Empress in the palace. Before he left, he took a detour to the bathhouse, where he had killed the censor, Zhang Yiqi.
Then he went to the small courtyard by the lake in South City. Walking through the green bamboo forest, he found that the small courtyard had changed owners after he killed Yan Suqing, the tea master.
He went to the blacksmith workshop in East City, and walked to the door of the backyard, silently imagining the scene of the old Chen Zixian falling under his knife.
"I used to kill you for no reason. Now my identity and status are different. If I stop for the stability and prosperity in the future, won't it be a waste for you to die?"
The rain gradually lightened, and Ning Que was ready to go back to the Old Brush Pen Shop, but stopped at the entrance of Lin 47th Street. He turned to Chunxi Road and entered a teahouse.
Xu Shi had already guessed the connection between him and those murder cases. He might even have connected those murder cases to the massacre of the General's Mansion. Even if he had not connected this matter yet, he would definitely start to protect some people, some people that he wanted to kill.
Besides General Xiahou, there were still people alive on the oilpaper list left by Darkie. If Ning Que wanted to kill them, he had to race against time with the imperial court.
Sitting on the second floor of the teahouse, looking at the pitter-patter of rain outside the railing, he carefully thought about the steps and began to prepare after making sure that he would not cause too much trouble.
He asked for a pen and paper from the shopkeeper, and after thinking for a while, he began to write a letter hastily, and then sealed it, ready to send the letter to the Academy by carriage.
At this moment, he suddenly saw a familiar figure.
That person also saw him, and said in surprise, "Ning Que, why are you here?"
Ning Que said mockingly, "Chu Youxian, you did not go to the Academy again today. Be careful that your Old Master finds out, and he will directly cut off your money."
Ning Que's current status was already very different from before, but Chu Youxian was originally a generous and cheerful person, and had the usual mindset of the Tangs not afraid of the rich and powerful. He came over happily and said, "What's there to be afraid of? You can just write a section for me. Moreover, if you want to go to the House of Red Sleeves, with your current reputation, do you still need me to invite you? Of course, you should invite me. "
Chu Youxian's eyes suddenly brightened, and he said, "Since you have nothing to do in the teahouse, and you did not bring that little handmaiden with you, why don't we go to the House of Red Sleeves?"
Ning Que shook his head and said, "I have something to do today."
Suddenly, he thought of something, and handed over the letter on the table, and asked, "I have a letter to send to the back of the mountain of the Academy, can I trouble you to go there?"
Chu Youxian said bitterly, "You know that I hate going to the Academy the most."
Ning Que said, "A section for writing."
"Zhongtang?" Chu Youxian said happily.
Ning Que laughed and scolded him, "You wish."
Chu Youxian took the letter, and his eyes suddenly turned.
Ning Que obviously knew what he was thinking, and said, "Don't think about stealing this letter to sell, or I will not write the section, and I will go to your house to make trouble."
"It is just calligraphy appreciation, how can you say you stole it? Even if you stole it, how can you bear to sell it? Of course I will bring it home for my cultured father to be happy. "
Chu Youxian was not embarrassed when Ning Que saw through his thoughts, and he said with a smile.
Ning Que said seriously, "This letter is very important, don't dare to delay my business."
Chu Youxian said, "Then I will go now. Oh yes, there will be a gathering of Classroom Three in a few days. I forgot the reason, but Jin Wucai asked me to ask you if you want to go."
"If I have time, I will go."
Ning Que did not say anything definite.
Chu Youxian turned around and walked out of the teahouse, and suddenly thought of something, and said, "What are you going to do?"
Ning Que said with a smile, "I am going to kill someone, do you want to come and watch?"
Chu Youxian felt bored, and he waved his hand and walked down the stairs.
Ning Que drank all the tea on the table, and stuck his head out of the window. He saw Chu Youxian get on the horse carriage, and carefully calculated the time. He was not in a hurry to leave, and instead asked for a new pot of tea.
He slowly drank it in the teahouse.
The spring rain was falling outside the teahouse.
The sky above Chang 'an City was covered with rain clouds, and the sun could not be seen. Only the gradually dimming light showed that dusk was coming.
Ning Que took out a piece of silver, put it on the table, and left the teahouse.
Accompanied by the surprised and respectful farewell of the tea master, he walked towards the West City Gate.
He did not joke with Chu Youxian earlier.
He was really going to kill someone.
…
…
(I am very happy to say that I can't take it anymore. There will definitely not be such a thing tomorrow.) (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.Com to vote for me. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
