There was a dormitory at the back of the Academy's mountain. Sangsang was seriously ill, so he naturally stayed. It didn't take long for Sangsang to wake up. Although she was still weak, at least she was not as scary as last night. Ning Que told jokes and hummed a tune like when they were young to coax her to rest. Seeing that he was really tired, Tang Xiaotang began to take care of him and asked him to rest outside.
It was almost dusk, and the warm sunset shrouded the back of the mountain. Ning Que walked out of the courtyard and saw Chen Pipi standing by the lake, pretending to be lonely. He was startled and asked, "What's wrong?"
Chen Pipi looked at the water grass and the tens of thousands of gold coins on the surface of the lake. His round and cute face was full of loneliness. He said, "I'm a little touched to see you and Sangsang so close."
Ning Que's heart skipped a beat. He wondered if he and Tang Xiaotang were quarreling again. He patted his shoulder and comforted him, "Senior Brother, you don't have to compare this with me."
Chen Pipi explained seriously, "Tang Tang and I are not like what you think."
Ning Que thought that Tang Tang could even call him such a nauseating title. What else was there to explain? He couldn't help mocking, "Don't you think it's the most disgusting thing in the world for a man to deny it?"
Chen Pipi turned to look at him and said sincerely, "We are just holding hands."
Ning Que said sarcastically, "She is just a little girl. What do you want to do to her?"
Chen Pipi said with slight annoyance, "She is about the same age as Sangsang!"
Ning Que was a little embarrassed and kept silent.
The soil by the lake looked like golden kela under the sunset. Chen Pipi lowered his head and gently turned his heels, leaving a few golden prints on the soles. After a long silence, he said, "Tang Tang and I are not like you and Sangsang. We have not experienced life and death together, nor have we had time to help each other. But we are very close. I feel sorry for her when I see her jump into the waterfall, and I feel happy when I take her to Chang 'an …"
Ning Que didn't want to be a relationship expert, so he asked directly, "What are you trying to say?"
Chen Pipi looked up at him and said seriously, "Sangsang is very sick today. You must be very scared, right?"
Ning Que thought for a while and said, "Yes, I can't imagine life without her."
Chen Pipi said, "Me too. I can't imagine the days without Tang Tang by my side, so I've decided to go back to Zhishou Abbey."
Ning Que did not know what to say. Two years ago, when Chen Pipi denied that he was the illegitimate son of the West-Hill Hierarch, Ning Que had vaguely guessed this guy's identity. However, he had only confirmed it today. According to the previous context, he wanted to return to the Zhishou Abbey to lay his cards on the table about Tang Xiaotang.
Chen Pipi said, "There is a saying among the people that an ugly daughter-in-law has to see her in-laws … My mother died a long time ago, but my father is still alive. Tang Tang is not ugly, but in my father's eyes, people from the Devil's Doctrine are definitely not good-looking. To solve this problem, I have to go back after all."
Ning Que frowned slightly and said, "Have you ever thought that you might not be able to come back after returning to the Zhishou Abbey? What about Tang Xiaotang? "
Chen Pipi looked at him and said sincerely, "Younger Brother, you are my best friend in Chang 'an City. If I really can't come back, please help me take care of Tang Tang."
Ning Que refused without hesitation and said, "Senior Brother, don't try to trap me with such words. After all, you have to take care of your little wife by yourself. Don't count on me."
Hearing this, Chen Pipi was furious and scolded, "How can you be a Younger Brother? Besides, as long as the Headmaster says something, will I really not come back for the rest of my life? "
Ning Que thought for a while and said, "No matter what, you have to wait for me to come back from the Lanke Temple. Then we can discuss it. In my opinion, let the Headmaster preside over the wedding for you. There is no need to return to the Zhishou Abbey."
…
…
The Headmaster of the Academy looked very unreliable, but his words were still so reliable. In fact, Eleventh Brother's medicine was really good. At night, Sangsang's body temperature returned to normal and she was much more energetic. She leaned on the bed and whispered to Tang Xiaotang.
Ning Que sat by the desk and looked at the first exploration of the Great Spirit in the light of the oil lamp. He always felt a little flustered and could not help but glance at the bed. He looked at Tang Xiaotang's beautiful but childish face and thought of what Chen Pipi had said before. He could not help but feel a little sorry for her.
The spring night breeze blew gently and the oil lamp swayed slightly, making his face look a little uncertain. He thought of the strange dream he had last night, Sangsang's illness, and what the Headmaster had said in the hut during the day. Suddenly, he felt a little moved. He asked Tang Xiaotang to take care of Sangsang and walked out of the small courtyard.
After leaving the Mirror Lake, he passed through the forest, bypassed the waterfall, and walked out of the narrow gorge. He came to the back of the mountain of the Academy, between the precipices in front of the sea of clouds. It was already late at night and the surroundings were quiet. Only the roar of the waterfall between the precipices kept echoing. Accompanied by the sound of the waterfall, he walked up the steep stone path. It took him a long time to walk to the cliff cave that had imprisoned him for a whole spring.
The roofed corridor built by Senior Brothers had withstood the wind and rain for a year and was no longer as new as before. The wisteria fruits in the corridor fluttered in the night wind like bells. Ning Que walked over and saw the Headmaster of the Academy.
The Headmaster of the Academy sat on the edge of the precipice. In his left hand was a delicate food box with a few pieces of beef. In his right hand was a yellow clay wine pot with clear old wine. He looked at Chang 'an City in the distance under the night sky and looked at the lights of tens of thousands of families. No one knew what he was thinking.
Ning Que walked behind the Headmaster of the Academy and bowed to him. He remembered that night in late spring last year, also on the edge of the precipice, he once had a long conversation with his teacher.
The Headmaster of the Academy knew that it was him behind him and seemed to know what he was thinking. He raised his hand and waved, gesturing for Ning Que to sit beside him. Then he said, "You can tell me when you want to."
Ning Que wanted to ask the Headmaster of the Academy many questions. However, looking at the tall figure on the edge of the precipice, he naturally thought of the figure in his dream. So he hesitated for a long time and still did not speak.
Living in the Tang Empire was a very happy thing. Living in Chang 'an, the capital of the Tang Empire was the happiest thing. His days in the Academy had brought him a happiness that he had never experienced in his life. So he did not know what to say. He was afraid that once he revealed those things, he would lose these happiness.
The Headmaster of the Academy picked up a piece of beef with bright tendons and put it into his mouth. He slowly chewed for a while with an intoxicated expression on his face. When the fragrance of the meat completely melted in his mouth, he praised, "There is wine and meat, a life without worries."
After saying this, he picked up the small pot of wine and took a sip.
Sitting beside the Headmaster of the Academy, Ning Que picked up a piece of beef with his hand and threw it into his mouth. He frowned because he felt that the beef was too bland. However, he soon realized that he was wrong. This seemingly bland and tasteless piece of beef became more and more fragrant in his mouth as he chewed. After the tendons were cut by his teeth, they released a wonderful mixture of elasticity and velvety texture. The unique taste of the beef gradually moistened his mouth and tongue.
"Good!" He was extremely shocked and said, "Teacher, this is good wine and meat."
The Headmaster of the Academy took out a small round iron wine pot from the side of the food box and threw it to him. He said with a smile, "Don't try to ask for wine in other ways. This wine is ordinary, but the beef is extremely tasteless. There is a pot and a stove in the cliff building. I can braise the white water beef. The best thing is that Old Yellow can't climb here to top me. "
Ning Que knew that the Old Yellow mentioned by the Headmaster was the old yellow bull. It was really embarrassing to eat its own kind in front of the bull. Suddenly, he found that the small round wine pot in his hand was a little familiar. He looked carefully and saw that the surface of the wine pot was engraved with flat lines. Wasn't it the small iron pot that he used to blow up Xiahou?
"Don't look at me like that. I just think that this small iron pot is more suitable to hold wine. Of course, to prevent the iron from staining the wine, I painted something on the wall of the pot."
The Headmaster of the Academy brought the yellow wine pot to his lips and took a sip. He said, "A knife can be used to kill people, but it can also be used to cut vegetables. It depends on your choice. A person's mouth can be used to eat meat and drink wine, but it can also be used to speak and ask questions. It all depends on your choice. But there is no right or wrong."
How could Ning Que not understand what the Headmaster of the Academy said? After a moment of silence, he said, "Teacher, I have been having a dream these years. The story in the dream seems to be developing step by step."
The Headmaster of the Academy asked, "Why do you ask me?"
Ning Que said, "Because you are in the dream."
The Headmaster of the Academy said with a smile, "I am not Sangsang. Why do you have to dream about me?"
Ning Que said angrily, "Teacher, I am talking about these things very seriously. Can you stop joking?"
The Headmaster of the Academy looked at him with a smile and said, "Then continue with your dream."
Looking at the Headmaster of the Academy's eyes, which seemed to be able to see through everything in the world, Ning Que felt a little nervous. He said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Teacher, you should know about those dreams. Last year, tonight at this cliff, when we talked about the Underworld Invasion, you once asked me which direction the Underworld was in my dream. "
The Headmaster of the Academy looked at his youngest student quietly and said, "This question is still valid now."
Ning Que said, "The darkness I saw … came from the north."
The Headmaster of the Academy said with a smile, "In that case, it is consistent with what I have learned from my travels over the years."
Ning Que asked, "What is the Underworld Invasion and the darkness coming? Last year, you only talked about these stories in legends, but you did not mention the details. "
"Details? When the whole world is shrouded in darkness, no one can see the details. When the whole civilization is lost, even if there are details, they will not be able to be passed down. "
The Headmaster of the Academy looked at the darkness above the cliff and the stars. He said, "It is said that night and day alternated in this world. Sometimes it was light for tens of thousands of years, and sometimes it was darkness for tens of thousands of years. The war between light and darkness ran through the whole history. When Haotian won, it was the world of light today. When Yama won, it was the Underworld Invasion."
"When the Underworld Invasion, there will be no sun in the day and no stars in the night. The world will become extremely cold. The creatures on the earth can only rely on geothermal heat to keep warm. At that time, volcanoes, hot springs, and the heat flow in the South Sea will become the most precious resources. Countless wars will take place there."
"The war will not last for too long. Most people will die because of hunger, cold, and desperate killing. You must know that it will be an unimaginably cold and realistic world. And after a few decades, the whole earth will become extremely quiet, as if it will never wake up from a deep sleep. Only the strongest and most determined people, whether humans or beasts, can survive. "
"These cold and dark ages are called the Dharma Ending Age by the Buddhism Sect, and the Taoism Sect calls them Yama's Advent."
The Headmaster of the Academy said, "And I am used to calling it … the Everlasting Night."
…
(To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.Com to vote for me. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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