Nightfall
chapter-549

The dark-skinned young monk, named Guan Hai, was the last disciple of Lanke Temple’s elder, Master Qishan. While he did not have a job in the Lanke Temple, his position and status were extremely high, equivalent to that of the abbot.

Last winter, Guan Hai went to Chang’an City personally and handed the invitation to Ning Que to the Yue Laan Hungry Ghost Festival. He had also issued a challenge at the same time. Ning Que had sat quietly on the shore of Yanming Lake for half a day, and he finally understood some things. Then, he returned to the South Gate Taoism Temple and narrowly won.

Ning Que had a good impression of monk Guan Hai, because the young monk was extremely gentle and kind despite his persistence. Guan Hai’s teacher had once consulted the Headmaster and thought highly of the Academy, offering his praises. As such, Guan Hai longed to visit the Academy and was extremely respectful to the disciples on the Second floor of the Academy.

“Sure enough, it is Lanke Temple’s territory. I was trying to keep a low profile and not bother you. I wanted to leave after meeting Master Qishan quietly and finish what I needed to do, but you still found me.”

Ning Que walked out of the horse carriage and said with a smile when he looked at Guan Hai.

Monk Guan Hai looked at the dusty horse carriage, and said with a bitter smile, “How could you be described as low key. I received a letter from the Divine Hall a few days ago and knew that you were attacked on your way here… Oh, uncle, when did you break the realm!”

Monk Guan Hai suddenly sensed that something had happened to Ning Que’s body. It was extremely different from when they met in Chang’an City last winter. He vaguely guessed the truth and could not help but yelled in shock.

Ning Que said, “I’ve told you to just call me Senior Brother in Chang’an.”

Monk Guan Hai hesitated for a while and said, “Thirteenth Un… Senior Brother, when we met last year, you were still in the Seethrough realm. How could you break through in such a short period of time? What kind of adventure did you have?”

As a Buddhism disciple, monk Guan Hai was peaceful and resolute. He had quite a deep state, but at this time, his voice trembled slightly.

Ning Que said, “There weren’t many adventures. If you can leave Wa Mountain often and walk out of the Lanke Temple to find some people to fight, it is not so difficult to raise your realm.”

Monk Guan Hai looked at him with admiration and awe in his eyes. The cultivation community knew that Ning Que had just entered the Academy a few short years ago, but he was now a Grand Cultivator of the Knowing Destiny State. It was really shocking.

Although he enjoyed the look that the young master of Buddhism gave him, Ning Que did not have time or energy to enjoy at length. He said, “I wrote a letter in advance. Did you read it?”

Monk Guan Hai looked at the black horse carriage and said, “I have read it. How is your wife?”

Ning Que praised, “The word, wife, is very reasonable.”

Then he said worriedly, “I asked Ye Hongyu to suppress the chilly aura in her body and she had barely managed to do so. It should not worsen in a short time, but the sooner such a problem is solved, the better. When can I meet Master Qishan?”

Monk Guan Hai looked troubled. He said, “My teacher built a house and has been in quiet retirement in the back of the temple for a long time, refusing to meet any foreign guests.”

Ning Que’s expression changed and asked, “Isn’t the Yue Laan Hungry Ghost Festival going to start soon?”

Monk Guan Hai shook his head and explained, “In the previous year’s Yue Laan Hungry Ghost Festival, my teachers refused to join. Even for me, when I practice Buddhist magic, I can’t meet him and just listen to his teachings through the door.”

Listening to these words, Ning Que frowned slightly. He thought that it would be meaningless if Master Qishan refused to meet with outsiders. He made up his mind that if so, he had to barge into the mountain to meet him.

At this time, monk Guan Hai said, “But my teacher will be out for one day this time.”

Ning Que stopped frowning. He looked at Guan Hai helplessly and said, “You are the monk of Wa Mountain, not a storytelling artist in Chang’an’s teahouse. Can you not pause for such a long time when you speak?”

Monk Guan Hai smiled apologetically. He suggested, “My teacher will be out the day after tomorrow. Thirteen Senior Brother, you should stay at the temple for two days. Although it cannot be compared with the Academy, it is still quite scenic.”

Ning Que thought that Sangsang’s illness was stable recently, and she was very greedy for sight viewing when she was traveling in the horse carriage. Then it took a long time to bring her to the Lanke Temple, and indeed he should take her to look around. She should at least take a good look at this ancient temple. Besides, as he was a disciple of the Academy, and he had a close relationship with Mistress Jian, he should pay tribute to the tomb in the temple.

“This sounds good.”

He thought of a problem and looked at monk Guan Hai. He asked, “Since Master Qishan has lived in seclusion for many years, why is he participating in this year’s Yue Laan Hungry Ghost Festival? I know that the imperial courts of countries in the Central Plains have come here to discuss the matter of Desolate Men moving south, and other cultivation sects have come to discuss the legend of the Underworld Invasion.”

Monk Guan Hai thought of something, and his gaze became somewhat complicated. He said, “Perhaps it is.”

Ning Que understood what the young monk was thinking at this time. He smiled and asked, “Now in all rumors, I am the Son of Yama. You are standing in front of me now. Are you afraid or not?”

Monk Guan Hai’s eyes became peaceful. He smiled at him and said, “What’s so scary?”

Ning Que found that Guan Hai was not pretending, and he could not help but feel puzzled. He asked, “Why?”

Monk Guan Hai put his palms together and bowed toward the West. Then he stood straight and looked at Ning Que. He said seriously, “Since the Headmaster has accepted you as his core disciple, how could you be the Son of Yama?”

…

…

In order to seek quiet accommodations, Ning Que did not live in the main yard of the Lanke Temple. Monk Guan Hai took them to a side yard near the north woods and did not inform any other monks in the temple.

After eating some simple vegetarian dishes and making small talk, monk Guan Hai got up and left. Ning Que knew that although Master Qishan had lived in seclusion for a long time, Guan Hai, as the future abbot of the Lanke Temple, had to welcome other cultivation sects during the time like the Yue Laan Hungry Ghost Festival. So, he did not ask monk Guan Hai to stay longer.

Gradually, there were drums coming from a place not far, and then night came. In the temple, servants boiled water, then Ning Que washed Sangsang’s feet and made her sleep. He changed several pieces of Fu paper on her before he laid down beside her.

It was still early morning when he woke up. The sound of Lanke Temple’s bell came again. He listened quietly to the sound that seemed rhythmic and boring but actually was very fresh. Ning Que felt peaceful.

After having breakfast served by servants, Ning Que let the Big Black Horse play in the woods of other yards. He covered Sangsang with a heavy leather coat and took her through an iron gate to the backyard of the Lanke Temple.

The monks in the temple should all be doing morning lessons. In the back yard, except for the early birds which got up early to survive and the early worms which got up early but were sadly eaten, there was no other sound.

Faint fog filled the woods. In the distance, the main hall and several side halls of the Lanke Temple sometimes showed themselves. They looked very solemn and beautiful, as if the Buddha country had really come to earth.

Ning Que did not have too much interest in the landscape of these ancient temples. His eyes focused on the Tower Woods in the fog. Each tower contained a senior member’s bone ash. This kind of environment should be ghastly, but the sound of the Buddhism classics’ prayers made it all peaceful.

The Tower Woods was lonely and had confusing trails. It seemed that they were walking in a maze. If it was a visitor’s first visit, it would be easy for them to get lost. However, he walked inside it with Sangsang without hesitating. He felt that the place was very familiar, as if he had been here many times.

Sangsang looked up at him. She was surprised and puzzled.

Ning Que himself did not notice, but even if he had, he would think that this would be due to being overly familiar with the map painted by Eldest Brother before he left. He would not think that this was because of the fragments of Lotus’ consciousness guided him from the depths of his spiritual sea.

Walking to the northwest of Tower Woods, beside a moss-covered stone tower, he saw a tomb. The tomb was ordinary and unremarkable. However, in Tower Woods, where the ruins of the predecessor of the Buddhist sect were placed, there was an ordinary tomb, which was very attractive and vaguely unusual.

Ning Que held Sangsang’s hand and approached the grave. He noticed that there were some traces of green moss on the tomb, but it looked very clean. There must be someone who came to take care of it often. He felt more satisfied, and his impression of the monks in the temple improved.

He bowed deeply to the tomb.

This grave had no tombstone.

But he knew who was buried in the tomb.

There was a young woman buried in the tomb. At least when she died, she was still very young. The woman was once the best dancer in the world and she had a very simple name.

Jian Xiaoxiao was buried in the tomb.

She was the older sister of the House of Red Sleeves’ Mistress Jian.

She was the fiancée of the Academy’s Youngest Uncle.

…

…

“If she had not been killed by Lotus, she would be my Youngest Aunt. Perhaps Youngest Uncle might still be alive now and have a few children with her. The youngest of them would try to steal my place as the youngest Brother, then compete with Chen Pipi for the honor of being the most talented.”

Looking at the tomb, which was cleaned often, but surely no one had brought offerings for many years, Ning Que smiled with complex emotions. He whispered, “There would be more troublemakers in the Academy, but there are already many troublemakers in the Academy. I think Teacher would not mind.”

Sangsang squatted and reached for a piece of leaf that fell on the tomb last night. She thought of something at the moment and felt a bit cold. She fastened her coat’s collar subconsciously.

Ning Que hugged her and looked at the grave in front of her. He thought of the tragic death of the beautiful woman in the tomb whose dance could move the Buddha’s heart and was touched.

“As a student of the Academy, I should hate Lotus. However, even though my nature is cold, I haven’t been harmed by Lotus and even inherited benefits from him, so I can’t hate him. Then, as the only survivor of the General’s Mansion tragedy, why can’t I even hate your teacher?”

Sangsang’s teacher was the former Great Divine Priest of Light, Wei Guangming. Ning Que’s desperate and revenge-driven first half of life was due to this person. At the moment, he said that he did not hate that person.

“Even Xia Hou, I don’t even hate him that much anymore, or perhaps, I should say it’s hard to think of this person.” He frowned and kept thinking. He murmured, “Am I really cold-blooded?”

“It’s not because you are cold blooded but because they are all dead.”

Sangsang leaned into his embrace. She looked at the tomb and said, “All things will disappear with death. Hating a person or loving a person, no matter how strong the emotion was, it would be forgotten eventually.”

Ning Que knew what she wanted to say, but he did not want to hear it.